The Ringer NFL Show - Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and the L.A. Experience

Episode Date: February 16, 2022

Jason, James, and Ryan begin their final pod of the season together by analyzing the Rams’ win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI and detailing their experiences watching the event. They then pivot to Dr. Dre’s amazing halftime show, (11:29) debate the choice for MVP, (23;33) and talk about Aaron Donald retirement buzz. (37:03) They wrap everything up by sharing their early matchup picks for next year’s big game (46:57). Hosts: Jason Goff, James Jones, Ryan Shazier Production Assistance: Chris Sutton Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's help everybody. I'm JJ John Gistramski. And I'm Jason Gawf, and if you haven't heard, the ringer has gone local. I'm bringing the fire. I'm bringing the rain from the Big Apple with my show, New York, New York. And I'm reping Shy Town with my new show The Full Go on All Things Chicago. We've got episodes three nights a week with all the reaction to the local teams and guests. Plus bonus episodes around all the big games and storylines.

So whether you're uptown, downtown, downtown, in the burbs, or a transplant. Make sure you follow New York, New York, and the full go on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome in to the final week of the Ringer NFL show, the Tuesday edition, the Players Edition with James Jones, Ryan Shazier. I am Jason Gough, and we are fresh off of Super Bowl 56 being on Radio Row and talking to the peeps, watching James Jones in his resplendid outfits sitting up there at the NFL Network, you know, broadcast site doing his thing with Steve Smith and the boys. It was good to see that and good to see Ryan Shazir. out in L.A. It was good to see you guys. And then we had a game. We had a game. The entire thing from start to finish. As the days and hours have gone past since Sunday's big game, I've gained more of an appreciation for the game. It's kind of like if you let an album sit with you for a

little bit and you listen to it again. I've watched the game twice now. I'm going to give it another spin because, you know, during the day, if any of the Bulls game, I ain't got nothing going on. But that game was, it was usually. unique in that, I don't think either team played crazy good or crazy bad, but the money players made enough plays in money times, right? Aaron Donald made the plays that he had to play at the making the end, obviously closing out the game. Cooper Cup, a guy that we've talked about a lot on this show, just pretty much went basketball. It was like one-on-one, like, all right, cool, these next three possessions, throw the ball my way, I'm going to make something happen.

But the ends and outs of the games, fellas, like the small things. Like I thought Bryson Hopkins played a magnificent game, especially in the second half, for a guy who wasn't expected to be a contributing factor at all coming into these playoffs, right? I mean, Logan Wilson and I believe his kid's name is Jermaine Pratt, the linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, played outstanding football until Logan Wilson gets the holding penalty right there on the goal to go. There was so many storylines, so many things that stuck out. Joe Burrow versus Matt Stafford, which legacy was going to be written.

James, it was a fun game to watch. I was glad there wasn't a lot of penalties until the last two, three minutes in the game, which a lot of Cincinnati fans are upset about. But what stuck out to you the most from that game if you were trying to write an overarching theme about what we saw on Sunday night? Well, the two things that stuck out to me, well, I'm going to say three things. Number one, when OBJ went out, I thought the game was over for the Rams,

strictly because there was no one that could win a one-on-one matchups, and that was including Cooper Cup. Nobody was winning a one-on-one matchup for Matthew Stafford to go to the ball. And to be honest with you, as I was there at the game with my wife, I'm watching the game, and when OBJ went out, the whole game, besides that very last drive, there was no sighting of Cooper Cup.

There was no sighting. And I'm sitting up there watching like, Cooper's going to have to make a play if they're going to win this game. Like straight up, like Matthew Stafford is trying to get the ball out to these third and four of wide receivers and they deed up. They could not win a one-on-one matchup.

And I'm like, Cooper's going to have to make a putt with OBJ being out. Last drive, even though the Bengals had plenty of opportunities, opportunities to put that game away because the Rams could not run the ball and they could not find themselves on what they wanted to do on the offensive side of the ball with OBJ went out of that game. The very last drive, Matthew Stafford gets the ball and he goes up and down the field and that's when you finally got the Cooper Cup side. And he probably had five catches, four catches for 50 yards and that touchdown to take him down there and, you know, getting the Super Bowl MVP. You know what I'm saying?

But we all seem to throw by Matthew Stafford. We've seen throws by Matthew Stafford. I've been saying all season long and all year long. I know Matthew Stafford will make those mistakes, but when you talk about just strictly a professional thrower of the football, there's nobody like him, man. You put him in the categories with the Aaron Rogers, the Patrick Mahomes, the Tom Brady, whoever,

the Josh Allen, whoever you think has his arm, he is in that conversation, man. He is a special arm talent, and he showed it on the last drive. And then my third point, how in the hell and I tweeted this because I was watching the game the next day like you two

how in the hell is the best player on the football field for the Cincinnati Bengals not on the field on the very last drive and that is Joe Joe Mixing that's not Joe Burrow

Joe Mixing has been the best offensive player on your team all game long I mean he throwing touchdowns you have handing the ball off to him. He's running through tackles. And third and one, you give it.

I don't even know, buddy, the aim off the side. Samad J. P. Ryan. P. Ron. P. Ron. They went quick game, James. Oh, I was wondering. I'm talking about the third and one. Third and one, fourth and one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This boy, third and one, they handed it off to P. Ryan. He don't get a yard and don't even reach the ball out there. But I'm like, how, Jojo mixing is, it ain't arguably. league. He had top three back in the national football league. Three? Three. And when I say three, I mean, do it all. The boy catch it. The boy run it. You know what I'm saying? Like, he don't never get tackled by the first person. I mean, even when there was nothing there all game long, he was finding a way to get one or two y'all. And I know he mad. I know he mad. I don't understand how he was not in the game on that last

possession, man. Your best player is in the Super Bowl and your best player at this time in this game is on the sideline. And I don't, and I'm talking about receiving and running. I just didn't understand it. And another thing I didn't understand to finish it off and I'll let Ryan go. The whole game, we've been triple team in Aaron Donald. And on the last player, the game, we're going to say, you got him by yourself.

You felt good about this. Hey, hey, the first 65 players is like, hey, we don't warm out. Like, like, come on. Like, when we broke the huddle, we say you got him. No. No. Hey, on that play, on that, on that play, you got to know. Hey, we got to double him.

Even if that ain't the play call, you look at the right tackle like, hey, man. Anybody that we're putting eyes on us, Aaron Donald, man, get him. James. Oh, fourth and one, you heard what I'm invasive before the play. Everybody in the stadium was saying it. And I know I dare show said it. I'm like, fourth and one, Aaron Donovan made a complaint.

Aaron Don't about to make a play. That's exactly what happens. But I'm going to be honest, man. I'm truly happy that the Super Bowl was in, was in LA. Because, like, it's kind of cool because it really had the LA experience. Like, the LA, like, it's, like, people don't understand the LA experience. I'm just going to explain y'all my experience when I was at the Super Bowl.

You know? Here we go. No, I just want to say, because, you know, James Jones. Oh, man. He's on TV every day. Somebody got to work, man. Somebody got to work. He's in LA consistently.

But, you know, we got to go on radio, row. You know, I got to interview, you know, Naji. I got to interview Cam. Wow, you know, James, me, Jason over here interviewing Emmitt Smiths. Yeah, he got a Hall of Famers and all that. He got Hall of Fame. Hey, you ain't lying, man. Anthony Anderson came over.

Hey, you know, Anthony Anderson. Right. Because when I'm looking at his Twitter, he's like, yeah, I don't interview Michael Jordan and everything I'm like, yeah, when they got a ball. WWE superstar sitting down with the kid, you know.

Yeah, so the experience is crazy. So this is just the whole experience. So this is the radio row experience. Then if you go out, going out experience, you try to get into any club. You could be on the list and they go and hit you with her. I don't know you.

I was standing in line next to Jamie Fox and he was still waiting to get in. And I'm like, it's Jamie Fox. You know what I'm saying? The LeBron wife walked right by me, she walked in, you know what I'm saying? Shout out to Syedman James. Yes, shout out to her.

You know what I'm saying? I was, we went to a Drake concert. It was pretty dope. You couldn't get, I didn't even think it was COVID anymore. LA turned into Atlanta real quick, didn't it? Yeah. But the thing that's so crazy is in Pittsburgh, we don't have this at all. In Pittsburgh, we don't have this.

So unlike, you know, Jason. I mean, James, I didn't go to the game. Jason went back home. So I had to be a bystander and watch the game from somebody's house. The house I watched the game from was worth $120 million. There you go. Man, that's better than being at that. That's better than being at the game.

I know the fool was firing all that. Food, fire. Food fire. I'm already knowing. Yeah, cheerily is at the house. I'm like, what's going on? Man, hey, you had it better than me because I'm looking at my wife. I don't walk around the whole.

for French fries. They ain't nowhere to be found. I was like, man, come on. Everybody hot. I had my drink in my hand before it was done. It was like, you need another one? You know, so the LA experience was pretty dope. And I think that that's what people, you know,

want when they won a Super Bowl. They have experiences like that. You go to a party, you see Jamie Fox, you see all the stars. And I think that's pretty dope. Dwayne Johnson on the field and things like that. So I think this weekend was a... Shout out to the Rock's outfit, too, by the way. Yeah.

People were tripping on his outfit. I thought he looked good. I did. I do, no, I do, too. I do, too. And I think the overall experience this week was a great experience for L.A. as a city, but also America, because I think this game provided everything that everybody wanted, really, because the people that was supposed to step up in these games did step up.

Odell stepped up when they asked him to, but he got hurt. Jamar Chase stepped up. You know, he had some big plays. He got hurt. And then the thing that's so crazy is everybody said the reason the Cincinnati Bengals are going to lose this game is because they're OLA. And that's exactly why they lost. You know, so I think that we got everything that we expected to get in this game. The only people that I would think was mad at this game could have been Cincinnati fans.

But other than that, I think everybody else had to enjoy the game. The halftime show was probably one of the best half-time shows ever. Speaking of that, you know, the L.A. experience, you know, Jay always the one Tying us up. You know what I'm saying? I'm a Bay Area boy, you know what I mean? But I'm a Cali boy, man. You know what I mean? So, Jay, I'm going to tee up first, man. Halftime show, man. What's you think of the halftime show, man? One to ten, what's you rating it, man? I'm giving it an eight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm giving it an eight. So you see it better? You see better? Why not a 10, man? Man, that Beyonce halftime show when she had, you know, old white people, you know, setting themselves on fire because they thought the black power movement was coming. That was strong.

That was, and I mean, Purple Rain, man, you know, Prince singing Purple Rain while it's starting to rain, like, it's hard to get, it's hard to get better musicianship and a better overall performance. But you know what I love about the halftime performance is we were sitting back in the cut like, man, I can't wait till they give us one. I can't wait till they hip hop it out. And what we do, we went out there and looked like the classic rock folks. Like we, you know, hip hop is in that stage now where it's 40, 42 years old as a genre, 43 years old.

So now hip hop out here paying taxes and putting away money for college tuition, right? And that's exactly what that stage looked like. You had Snoop up there in a like a Gucci Crip rag pretty much. with the Rams, with the Rams piping, he looked great, right? Dre looked amazing. And of course,

sonically, you know what you're going to get out of Dre, right? He ain't going to cut no corners. Eminem did what any rich white man could do, which is bucked all the rules

and say, I'm a kneel, even if y'all tell me I'm not going to kneel, you know? And then, of course, you got Mary, right?

Mary back out here with an album. She back out here with the thirst traps on Instagram. Every older brother looking at her, like Mary, still married from 1992.

And then Kendrick, right? Kendra's got new music dropping here soon. And when you talk about not only musicianship, because the man has a pull-a-trap prize. Like, people need to stop acting like hip-hop is so hidden and it's still behind the curtain. That man has a Pulitzer Surprise, and he was standing next to a billionaire

who was standing next to the head of Def Jam, who was standing next to another billionaire. Like, hip-hop is American culture. So the Super Bowl represented that. And like you said, right, the Super Bowl is a slice of Americana. It's a national holiday, right? And shout out to whoever planned it, but it was the day before Valentine's Day this year. So a lot of people's pockets got tapped before they actually got tapped.

But I was down with it, man. I was down with the entire performance. I enjoyed all of it because I enjoy all their music. What was your favorite part of the halftime show? Favorite song, favorite song, favorite part? When the steel D.R.E. chords drop. when you hear it, it's a rap. It's a rap.

It don't matter where you're at, there's certain things is going to make you feel a certain way. And that was it. Kendrick, you know, All right is like a, you know, that's like a Negro spiritual these days.

You know, like last five, six years, like when All right came out. Yeah, we knew it was going to be a smash and it hasn't, it hasn't, time hasn't done it any worse for where. Like it's still a classic song. So top to bottom, I thought the halftime show was amazing.

And on top of it, I just love everybody, like I said, setting themselves on fires on Twitter. Like, get these hoodlums off the stage. I'm like, talk about three billionaires and like four 40 euros. Oh, they was tripping on Twitter? Oh, my God. You already know, though.

I mean, it's inventory. Yeah, it's inventory. What you think of it, Rob? What's your? I'm not going to lie. What's you giving it? I'm giving it a 10. I'm giving it to me personally.

Because I was just, I'm just listening to the music. You know, it's like everything was hits. I feel like every song can relate with. Everybody, like every song. Like, and, you know, I went to lunch with a good friend of my mom the next day. He's like 60, 65. And he was like, a lot of people may know some of the artists. Like, they definitely heard some of their songs, but they don't all know them, you know.

And but they said, he said they felt that they played the right songs. And it may everybody, you know, rocked their head and enjoyed a moment. So, I, man, me personally, I loved it. I loved it. I love it. I'm a big Kendrick fan. And to me, you know, like. Eminem is, you know, one the greatest artists of all time.

And when I was just listening, you know, I'm listening to everybody. But when he played, lost yourself. I'm like, damn, this is a good song. Lose yourself is an amazing song. I was like, if he was still rapping like that, we'd still be bopping to his music. What's crazy is, is I was at the game with my wife, and that's the only song I stood up for to sing.

Los yourself? You lose yourself? I'm like, man, I've been, this came out when we was in high school, I'm in there doing push-ups, man. You only get one shot, man. You hear mom spaghetti. It's a wrap. You know what I'm saying?

Knees, lick. Arms is heavy. It's bobbing on your sweater already. I'm up there singing it like, man, sure. Keep going. I thought it was a 10 because I'm sitting up there once in 15 minutes left, and I'm like, we don't get 15 more? I'm like, why?

Yeah, the game was secondary. Yeah, I'm like, why the game got to start, man? All stay in the locker room, man. Let's snoop and then get about 15. 10 good moments, man. I love it because the NFL in one fell swooped, it turned into an HBCU game where everybody was there for the halftime.

You know what I mean? Yeah, and I'm with you, Jay, strictly because, like, when you see how far Drey and them have come, you know, like when you think back to the NWA movie. Come on, man. And you see all the stuff they went through, you know what I mean, to make sure that you know what I mean. Like, they change music.

Yes, even the dudes that you got out there now, man, whether it's the Kanye's, whether it's the Jay's, whatever. Like, you know what I'm saying? Easy E, Dr. Dre and all them boys, man, what they went through, they kind of made this stuff like relevant, you know, rap music, man. So to see Snoop up there and Dre up there and 50 up there and Eminem and Mary Jay and, you know. They dragged your boy 50 though. Oh, they did.

Yeah. That boy came in out hanging outside down. You can be doing that. Hey, but listen, that's what's part of the end of the club video. You go see all the memes on 50, though, boy. They're on his head. Bam. And you know what?

Hey, man, shout out to dudes getting old and fat, damn it. When I was listening to Bermani's podcast, he said it looked like somebody said, Bunkmoreland from the wire was hanging upside down. Like, you know, 50 been, 50 been diesel his whole life. Like, can't everybody be like y'all football players always in the gym? 50 got other things going on. I'm gaining away. I'm trying to lose it, man.

That's funny, man. But yeah, I thought I was just up there, man. It was kind of a proud moment for me watching. Like, man, they really gave us the halftime show. And yes, it's not like it's the first black person to ever perform. You talk about Prince. You talk about, you know. But it was the first one with hip hop was in stage.

Exactly. You know what I'm saying? So hip hop being center stage, knowing that, you know, the type of music that you're about to hear. You know what I'm saying? That they didn't care who heard it. You know what I'm saying? You know, I thought that was big time.

And just to look back, I know that was a big moment for Drey and Snoop and them, like, looking back, like, where we come from, man, we at the Super Bowl. You know what I'm saying? That's why when people seeing them, you know, seeing their little video of Snoop smoking, it's only one way to do it, bro. You know what I'm saying? We got to get a little puff up here, man. Hundreds of shows in his life. You think this going to be the one he don't smoke? You know what I'm saying?

Right. Right. Hey, you want to know something that's crazy. So I think y'all know this. So the artists don't get paid for the Super Bowl. You know that right? No, no, they don't. Yeah, the artists don't get paid for the Super Bowl,

but they pay for all the production and all that stuff, right? So the average cost for the Super Bowl is like $18 million. Like, right? And then they said, they said this one costs $28 million because somebody paid $10 extra million to make sure it was on point. And that somebody was probably Dr. Dre. I mean, that's how Anthony Anderson stunted on me on Radio Row is. He pulled out his phone and he showed up.

it to me. It's like, you know, this person called me, said, come, come to the sound check and so far right after this interview. And it said Andre Young. And I'm like, you know, I mean, Drey don't half-ass anything. Like, we waited forever for him to put out another album because sonically, he's a perfectionist. So I'm not, and they don't get paid for it. But please believe everybody, everybody was banging those streams as soon as that game was over. Everybody went to, and started streaming all that music. I definitely type of him and never listen to lose What's crazy is I typed this new dog and found out he got a 22 album out right now.

Yeah, he just dropped one. Yeah, he just dropped with. And I started slapping that. I'm like, ain't this something, well. Yeah. Yeah. They know what to do is kind of like the verses, right? Like Anthony Hamilton and Music Soul Child going to have some new music whether you wanted

or not after this Valentine's Day versus. I want to get back to your thoughts on what happened in that game schematically because the Joe makes an absence on top of what they do. with Aaron Donald. It seemed like the Bengals got Aaron Donald blocked for two and a half quarters and the hubris levels just grew where it's like, oh, we can do this. Now we can start playing the spread out football that we want to play. And it's the same thing that happened against the Titans where Zach Taylor, in close games

throughout this postseason, you've seen the Bengals kind of treated like they're down 10 or down 12 or down 13 and go multiple wide and not have anybody back there. And some of the explanation for Samaji Piron being in the game, they talked about his run blocking ability. And I know in that situation, if you got two plays that you go into the line of scrimmage with, Samaji Piron, if you got a handoff, probably ain't the, you know, that's probably not the back you want to go to if you got Joe Mixing on the sidelines. So schematically, you guys have been in those huddles, you guys have been in those situations. And we as fans have been yelling at the TV, just like we talk about right now. What did you see in the blocking of Aaron Donald that may be changed and all? Also with Somagy Piron being in the game, maybe because he's a bigger, he's a better blitz picker-upper, if that's the thing.

I know on the defensive side of the ball with the stillers. We used to, at the second half of games, a lot of times, if something's not working in the first half, we already have a plan, how to switch it up. Okay. Like a second install? Yeah, like a second install, like a second plan. But we already know in our head, like, all right, this don't work, we might go to this. you know, so we can change it up. And I think that's something that the Rams could have did

because they started changing up their fronts a little bit to allow Aaron to get more one-on-one opportunities. Obviously, the Bengals should see that and try to adjust, but if that's like a half-time adjustment, it's kind of harder to make that adjustment on the fly. But a good coach and a good quarterback, they understand that. But at end of the day, if you're starting to see that, he's starting to get this much.

He had, what, 10 pressures in the second half or nine pressures? He had, like, a lot of pressures in the end. He should have been MVP. Yes, he should have. We'll talk about it. We'll talk about it. We'll talk about it. He definitely should have been MVP.

But yeah, I just think in the Rams, they actually changed up a lot of their schematics on the front side, not the back end, but just the front side to allow their superstars to give one-on-one opportunities. They couldn't handle Aishon Robinson for a little bit there. And tell me you from wrong, James and Ryan, if you all saw something different. But going back and watching it, they started overloading. Vaughn and Floyd and Aishon Robinson to one side and then put Donnell on that other side and say,

are you going to slide this protection this way, or are you going to leave Quentin Spain and whoever homeboy is at the right guard out here, Solo Dolo. And when they didn't, midway through that third quarter, that's when all the havoc started to happen in the backfield. For me, man, just watching the game, and we're going to talk about the MVP,

but Aaron Donald should have been the damn MVP of the game. And the reason why is because every single time a play needed to be made and a game winning play needed to be made, Aaron Donald showed up. And what I mean by that is they come out in the second half. They throw a bomb on Jalen Ramsey. Yes, we could be arguing face mad, offensive PI, whatever. You know what I'm saying?

There was a bang. There's no bang, bang, bang. No, no. Even me watching it when I'm watching it, in there. It looked like T. Higgins like swiped through. I mean, I know the people can't see my hand, but look like he does have an opportunity to come and go make a play on the ball. You know what I'm saying? I thought it was more of, look at Jalen out here looking like an NBA player, man, flopping and all that. Like jump, Jalen, go up and get the ball. You see the ball jump. Go get the ball. And then

when I seen it on a replay, I'm like, ooh, he did get him on the face match. They should have called that. You know what I'm saying? But after that play, they scored a touch. The very next play. It's a pick. They get a pick. Matthew Stavard throws, they get a pick. If the Bengals score a touchdown right there, the game over. Yes.

The game over because the Rams offense ain't doing nothing without OBJ at this point in the game. The game is over. They ain't finding nobody. They can't run it. Cooper Cup ain't doing nothing at this point of the game. Matthew Stafford ain't doing nothing. If they score, it's over. Man, to settle for three.

On that third down, here come Aaron Donald, wrecking the party again, sacking him for 10 yards. You know what I'm saying? And then the Rams get the ball back. Like I said, we talked about the final possession going down there.

That's when Cooper Cup finally came alive and made some plays. You know what I'm saying? But then when Jojo Burrow and them gets the ball, two plays in a row. Aaron Donald, you stop them, you hold them to a one-yard game, maybe even a negative run.

Don't even let them get the first down. And then obviously we know to play that won the game, man. So for me, I don't know, very every time of play needed to be made on the defense, he was the one who made the play,

man. And that's MVP, in my humble opinion. And then, like Ryan said, when you talk about a man, 10 pressures, you know what I'm saying? That's causing havoc. And you got to believe on nine of those pressures, he was tripled and double team, man. You know what I'm saying?

Like, just what he's doing out there is crazy, and he's freeing up Vaughn. He's freeing up, you know, Leonard Floyd to come out there cause problems, but superstars, to get the MVP of the game, you make plays on the game on the line. I'm not saying Cooper Cup did it. I'm just saying Aaron Donald through that whole game did it more consistent. The Odell injury going back to that, Ryan, when that happened, you saw, and this is the issue that I had, the Bengals allowed the Rams three or four possessions to get their shit together. Like, they, they, you know, you're out here kicking field goals.

punting, turning the ball over. Once one of the five or six best players on the field goes down for a team. You got to step on their throat. Yeah, if your left tackle go out, I'm putting my best pass rush over there to see if your backup is what it is. And you can see, Van Jefferson and Skoronic or all these other dudes, they weren't OBJ. You know, that game got a lot closer to the line of scrimmage, you know, and that running

game. Oh, boy. Like, I knew the Bengals were okay with, you know, second and eights, you know, third and sevens, third and sixes, just don't get behind the sticks. And they kept that same running game plan until the very end. Man, Sean McVeigh, if his offense ain't predicated on running the football, you saw it in the Super Bowl. Because, man, Darrell Henderson, them boys got to match up out of the backfield catching the

ball. But running the football, there was nothing. That Bengals front seven played their asses off. And that's another re thing that stood out. Like, people have been sleeping on the Bengals. defense more year and strictly because of obviously Joe Burrow on what Jamar Chase is doing and Joe Mixing. But this defense, they've been bawling, man.

They got some really good young players on that defense, man. They have been balling. That's why I'm not going to be surprised. I mean, it's going to be tough for Cincinnati to get back because you got to mess with the Patrick Mahomes and the Justin Herberts and the Josh Allen's and all that. But the young defense they have is going to give them an opportunity to get back. What did you see defensively from that squad, Ryan? To me, I thought Cincinnati, on the defensive side of the ball, besides the sacks,

Cincinnati played a better game if you really think about it. Cincinnati played, they played a better game, but like you said, they kept them in the mix. If you keep somebody in the mix, they're going to show up, especially if they have the number one receiver in the league at this moment. You know, like, he's going to show up eventually. So you have to step on their throat and they didn't do that. So they went allowed on to run the ball.

But in the fourth quarter, just Cooper Cubs showed up. He, he, not the fourth quarter, the last possession. Yeah, the last possession. The last possession is honestly, like the third quarter, if you really think about it, besides that bomb at the beginning of the game, the third quarter, it was pretty much just like a stalemate. It was just literally like, you know, we'll get a first down here or there, punt, first down here or there punt. You know, it was, it was nothing. Both of them was playing solid.

defense not allowing anything to happen. And then when a, and then to me, the biggest, the biggest moments of the game, you see somebody that has experience in that moment and somebody that does it. Shaman Bay and Matt Stafford, obviously Matt Stafford doesn't have, he doesn't have experience in the Super Bowl, but just overall experience. Yeah, 13 years in the league. And he got the most fourth quarter comeback since he came in. So Matthew Stafford know how to deliver.

So in that, in that situation, he was like, hey, we have to win this game. now. And I remember I was talking to my friend and I was like, hey, right now it's Cooper Cup time. And he was like, hey, no matter what, we're giving Cooper the ball. And he's the reason we're here, you know, like basically. And then on the opposite side, you're seeing a coach that's inexperienced and that inexperience cost him the game. And we don't know if they would have scored a touchdown or they wouldn't score the touchdown. But we know that Joe Mixing could have gave you a lot more than P-Rown. You know, and that's all I'm saying.

I feel like obviously Aaron Donald is one of the strongest guys in the league. Joe Mixing could have probably got one. He'd been getting one. He'd been running through arm tackles all game. They started to loosen up at the end. Yes, I don't understand it, man. And I ain't going to lie. Before that last drive, I was sitting up there in that stadium with Wifee,

and I'm like, boy, I can't wait to get on Jason Head because Cooper Cup A showed up without OBJ on the other side. And then he went God mode on your ass. Then he went God mode. And in my head, I'm like, I'm like, he's saying this and that. I said, well, I'm going to run to Varte on him, Hopkins on him, and all. Yeah, yeah, bring him. They don't need no help on the other side.

I said, I can't wait. Then this boy went off in the last time. I looked at my wife. I said, ain't this about him? Yeah, Arthur Fonzarelli showed up. Hot his collar. It was like, hey. You know what I see?

It's tough, man, Cooper. Then I start making stuff up. I'm like, man, it's because Matthew Chappel. Right, right. You know what I mean, it's all Andrew Whitworth over there at the left tackle position, you know. Just like Rye said, man, this was one of those games that was very fun to watch for a fan because the big players did step up when they had to. That's all you asked for.

Whether it was the Vons, whether it was the Aaron Donald's, whether it was the Cooper Cups, you know what I'm saying? When the game was on the line, the team that won, they superstars that make the big money. It wasn't no unsung hero and all that. They superstars put their team on their back and said, let's go get it. You know what I'm saying? And kudos to them for getting it done. Hey, Jason, I want to say one thing, though.

What's up, bro? Before this game, there was a lot of calling out on both sides. You know, Jalen was calling people a lot. Eli, Apple was calling people a lot. And I'm going to be honest, Jalen or Eli Lai Apple did not have a good game. Jailen did not have a good game. God, they're ass tossed on. Boy, hey, it's crazy you say that, right, because we ain't heard nothing from Jayland.

At all. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know what I mean? We ain't seen him holding a trophy. He's not happy about his performance and the signature play. That T. Higgins' play hurt his whole vibe. I truly believe that boy still at the house. Like, man, I got to get back to one of these next year.

to be able to get on this big step. Because everybody also saying, hey, if Aaron didn't make a play, you was beat. One. He beat if Jojo looking over there right now, like off the rip, just down, saying, hike, I'm looking at Chase. He beat.

That's possibly a touchdown. Yeah, he did not have his best outing. So I know he's like, I'm a Super Bowl champ. I take it, you know what I mean? You'll be quiet about this one. That's why it's the ultimate team sport, but you know what I'm saying? I ain't going to be calling nobody out.

Yeah, yeah. And that was another thing. Jamar Chase showed that he is truly elite. Special. Because to be honest, I was one of those ones who was kind of questioning there, too. I know the young fella got everything you won't. You know what I mean? He got the speed.

He got the hands. He got the quickness. He break tackles. He explosive, all that. He got everything you want to be a bona fide superstar in this league. But I'm like, early in his career, he really ain't experienced the DB over there looking at the other side of the huddle. Like, let me see where he was side he going to.

Yep, break. I'm going to him. You know what I'm saying? He really ain't experienced that. You know what I'm saying? This game, he experienced that. And he was cooking Ramsey, man. I thought, I mean, even the Tyler Boyd run.

Even the times he didn't get balls, he was killing him. And yes, speak on a Jay. That Tyler Boy dropped. It's a first down. Chase was open, too. But I'm just saying if he catch it, that's a first down and possibly game over. They're going to eat the clock. And Matthew Stafford and then going to get that ball back with a minute.

There's a few moments. Oh. Like, I'm keeping funky with y'all. I didn't think the Bengals were going to lose the game until Aaron Donald's sack. Like, I thought, because the game didn't seem like it was in control the entire, even when the Bengals were down. I was like, all they got to do was score. When it was 20 to 14, after that T. Higgins touchdown, I told my wife, I said, there's no way to ramble in this game. They're not because the Bengals ain't going to be stupid.

They're not going to force nothing. And the offense can't do anything. They cannot move the ball. I'm like, there's no way they're going down this field scoring a touchdown. You know what I'm saying? And that's what I say. Kudos to Matthew Stafford and Cooper Cup

because they will they team. They will they team to that drive, man. I mean, fourth and one, a little quick little fly sweep to Cooper Cup to get the first down. To me, that's a dangerous play. That's a ball. That's a ballsy call because if you lose the Super Bowl on that call,

and you already know you're going to be in tax hail. your OBJ got a torn ACL, Vaughn Miller going to be a free agent. Like that was, that's a legacy ending play right there if that don't go the way it was supposed to go. But Shaughb McVeigh knew I'm down 20 to 14. If I don't go for this and get this first down, I'm not getting the ball back. Hey, that flea flicker, when they, when they play, when they hit the end-around flea-flicker, I was like, oh, shit, this is a kitchen sink game for the Rams.

You already knew it was a kitchen sink game for, for, for, when Joe Mixing throwing football, like, you know it's a kitchen sink game for Cincinnati. That's what I'm saying. Joe was your best player on the field and he's not on it. I don't understand, man. I'm not even a Bengals fan and I'm sitting there like, how Joe, Joe, Joe, Aidney? It didn't make sense. It don't make no sense, man.

That's like the Marshawn Lynch one yard line. You're talking about the whole series, your best running back is on the sideline watching in the Super Bowl. Come on now, man. Come on now. Jason, you understand, though. If you watch every Super Bowl, every Super Bowl got trick players in it. Yeah. Every super, because you think about it.

Like an onside kick in the New Orleans one, like something, something funky going to happen. Like, you practice on it every year. You practice on it every, me, all year long. And it's like, hey, just the last game of the year. Like, I'm not about to take this off from next year, you know, especially if the game close and you, like, not losing, but you're trying to make sure you get some extra motivation or juice. Every team do it.

They just some people, flea-flickers are plays are crazier than others. Like a fake wheel route misdirection, that's a trick play if you really think about it. We didn't have no trick plays our Super Bowl. We were just better. You know, y'all were better than most. You all probably did have one. Let me go back and watch that.

Yeah, shit, man. Yeah, man, I'm not messing with James right now with this. Hey, what about the one you lost, though? What about the one you lost? Y'all damn show. I never lost a Super Bowl. Damn, Ryan, I was going to say, don't go there. He only played in the one he won.

I played in the one we won. no trickery. We just, you know. I'm talking about your little league one. What's Troy Palomalu, man. Oh, see, here we know. No, I'm not messing with both of you all right now. So Aaron Donald, before the game, there was a lot of speculation. There was some rumors, some reports.

Michelle Tofoya confirmed the report that Aaron Donald was contemplating retirement before this game. And any time I hear guys contemplated retirement while in season, to me that means you're getting ready to walk away. because I mean y'all can speak to it better than I can't the game is so physical so dangerous so fast you got to be so disciplined and so responsible at all times that you know letting down seemingly that edge is hard it's tough to get back I mean hell ben Rutherzburg for the last couple of years people have hinted at retirement for Ben this year he actually did it but we've seen Ben's play over the last couple of years not be the play that we remember the fact that Aaron Donald pull to Barry, well, if he does retire, pull to Barry Sanders or Calvin Johnson while winning a Super Bowl, it speaks not only to his legacy, but his dominance as an NFL player. Like, I don't know if he's going to retire.

I don't know if he's feeling the kind of way, but if he does walk away, it's one of the greatest endings to an NFL career we can possibly imagine. Like, Yonah's getting 50 in an elimination game seven. Yeah, go ahead and get a sack in the TFL in the last two plays as a defensive tackle in the Super Bowl that you're playing in the home city? I don't know if you could write a storybook ending better than that. Number one, just even hearing you say that, that will suck for the NFL. I don't even care about the Rams right now.

That will suck for the NFL, man. You know what I mean? Because this is one of the greatest players, if not arguably, the greatest detackle to ever play the game and walk away eight years into the game in his prime. I mean, you're talking about, I think he got seven all pros. You know what I'm saying? defensive players that is the year just won a Super Bowl. Like for me, he hasn't had any serious injuries.

You know what I mean? I think somebody said earlier when I was looking on Twitter and said, you know, he missed out of eight years, he missed two games. And those two games, those two games wasn't due to injury. In the trenches too. You know what I'm saying? So for me, this right here would suck for the NFL because you losing, arguing the greatest player, you know, that's ever played the detackle position way too early.

And then obviously for the Rams, when I look at the Rams, they're built to get back there. You know what I'm saying? You've got all these dudes who want to come back. Vaude Miller continues to say, I want to come back and play with AD. You know what I'm saying? Obviously, you know, money-wise ain't none of these dudes, OBJ ain't pressed for money, Vaughn ain't pressed for money. You know what I'm saying?

So you're able to still kind of put together a really good team. You know what I'm saying? You're going to get Robert Woods back. You know what I mean? With the Cooper Cup. You know, Cam Acres will be healthier. you know what I mean? Like, you know, you get a couple pieces on that old line.

Like, this team could be back. So it's not like you're a Barry Sanders leaving a terrible team or Calvin Johnson get running away from the league early, leaving a terrible team. You have a chance to go get ring number two. You know what I'm saying? Like, your team is built to win. So for me, it will suck for the National Football League.

But like you say, I agree with you too, Jay. I was one of them ones. I went to the Chargers. And in training camp, right when I stepped in the field in training camp, You know, after the first second practice, I came to my wife and I said, I'm done. I said, like, you know, I said, I don't love the grind no more. You know what I mean? Like, I'm like, usually if I drop the ball in practice, I lose sleep.

I wouldn't sleep because I'm like, man, I'm a perfectionist. I care about the game and all that. You know, I'm like, man, I can't be out there looking crazy. You know what I'm saying? Like, but I would drop a ball Saturday Diego, man, I go, oh, what are eating? What? What's up? I'm laughing with Keenan.

Hey, Keny, that's how y'all feeling. Yeah, I'm laughing with Kenan Allen and them, like, it ain't never happened. Like, it is what it is. You know what I'm saying? And that's when I told her, I said, I feel like I'm cheating the game. Like, you know, I mean, I'm not giving it my all. I'm checked out. Like, you know, I can't really sell out for the game no more.

So I'm like, I'm done. And she was like, pray about it. You know what I mean? Pray about it. And I did for about a week. And I came back. Woke up feeling the same way. Yeah, I went up to the charges.

I said, thank y'all. You know, I was. But I, you know, so you're right. When you're thinking about certain stuff during the season, you know what I mean? And this for me was early in training camp, but, you know, season about to get started, I'm like, man, it's a rap, you know. So if he's thinking about it during season and it's like, man, I got my kids. I want to do this.

I want to do that, you know, whatever. You in LA. It could be a strong possibility that, you know, and you're walking away with the Super Bowl. But I hope not. I mean, I'm going to let ride go, but I hope not, man. I hope we know this is not the last we've seen of Aaron. Yeah, so Aaron, Aaron, a friend of my. I ain't talking to him about this, though.

But I seen on ESPN, he was like, man, those words never even came out of his mouth. So it was kind of crazy, you know, for people, you know, for that to come out. They didn't come out of Tom Brady's mouth when they broke it too, right? You know, like when you got to answer, and I'm not saying he is going to retire, but like when you got to answer those questions, when this many integrity-filled reporters get a hold of a story like that and triple source it, double source it. They're talking to somebody close to him, you know? But the thing is, with Aaron, I know that he definitely love, like, the city of Pittsburgh and stuff.

He's like LA, too. But he's one, to me, it'll be crazy if he retired because this Hall of Fame class will be crazy. If you really think about it. Tom Brady, Bill Robertsburg, Aredonnell, Grancowski. It was like, you know, to me that's crazy to have. First of all, you might have the two greatest offense and divas and players retire in the same year. Oh, by the way, you might be the greatest tight end of all time too, right? Yeah, and Rob Grancowski.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you can argue it for sure. You know what I'm saying? Blocking and receiving combo? Lock and receiving and all that.

I mean, you could argue for sure. Yeah, but he won't block. blocking nobody like Rob was. You're blocking nobody, but, I mean, there's a lot of tight ends that you just see. I mean, even when I look at Antonio Gates stats and all that, and Gates was a different beast at that tight end position.

He was? He might not, he might not block like Grok, but Grok wasn't moving and running like him, neither, like route running and all that. I mean, Gates got a day near 100 touchdowns. You know, that boy, I don't know what he got, but it's close to that. It'd be bad. It'd be bad if Aaron Donald walked away

for the league because he's one of those dudes you don't have to, like, Roger Goodell loves the dudes they ain't got to worry about. You ain't got to worry about Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald hanging with his family, playing football, being famous in L.A. Like, he's not really about, yeah, exactly.

So he's one of those dudes that the league definitely obviously wants to keep around as we get closer and closer to the off season. I can't believe we don't have any football coming up here soon. Of course, we've got to get ready for the draft. Now, I get ready for the offseason and, you know, we'll be dropping in.

Hopefully you guys will be jumping on the full go podcast with me, you know, talking a little football. Really, really quick. Yeah. Antonio Gates got almost a thousand receptions. Yeah. And he got 116 touchdowns at the tight end position. Oh, no, no.

Yeah. Bro, that's dumb dumb right. Yeah. Yeah. It's Shannon. It's Antonio. It's Tony. Shout out to Ozzie Newsom back in the day.

Azzie was doing it before the yards and catches started piling up at tight ends, right? I mean, don't get it wrong. All time, great. I didn't know he had that many. In terms of size speed and blocking and all that, might have to go with Rob on this one. He was hurt. He was hurt a whole bunch.

So was Antonio. Antonio played a little furniture forever. That's another thing. Gates was hurt. Mr. Lottigan. Let me see Rob. Rob. I got to see this.

Rob got all the playoffs stuff too, though. Yeah, and the titles, too, right? And the big moments in Super Bowl games, too. So, you know, but it's a good conversation to have. That would be a crazy, crazy class of Rob Grancowski, Tom Brady, and Aaron Down. That's a great point. This man, just going to forget about Ben. I'm like, that's crazy.

I didn't forget about Ben. You didn't say it's like it. It's the last shot of the season as we go out on the final plot. Is Ben first ballot? Don't do this. All right. I'm out. All right.

We go on, but I'm just saying. Yeah, I'm not going to play this game. He's definitely playing it. Ryan, Ryan, don't answer that. Don't answer that. You know what James doing right now. You know what he doing right now. I understand that.

Don't mess with James. So that mean Eli, that mean Eli's first ballot? Ben, dirty, Eli. Don't do that. Don't do that. I mean, too. Pull up all these stuff. Eli got two.

He likes to Super Bowl. Super Bowl MVP's. Yeah. Bro, I understand. Bro, see, hey. Ben has. Hey, Malcolm Smith have a Super Bowl MVP, too.

Yeah, but Eli got two. Hey, that's all I'm saying. Eli got two. So that means, two mean it's not asking. Hey, hey, I'm going to be honest. Tom Brady got a few.

Hey, I remember Jay's White was supposed to get one. Hey, John was supposed to get one. You feel me? Like, hey, it happened like that. Ryan, stop taking the bait. Stop taking the bait for this. worry about this man.

It's Big Ben first ballot. That means, he's all right first ballot, man. Yeah, he hate him again. I hate him, man. So as we wrap this thing up, the Steelers and the Packers and the Bears did not go away with the Super Bowl title this year, so nobody will be celebrating on this, on this pod the way they might have been going into the season. Hell, I knew the Bears weren't going to win it.

And in your heart or hearts, you both knew the Packers and the Steelers weren't going to win it. The far too early, the far too early Super Bowl matchup for next year. You got to call it now. If you guys are looking at the landscape, obviously we haven't gone through free agency, haven't gone through the draft, don't know where Aaron Rogers is going to play, don't know where Russell Wilson is going to play. 12 playing, man.

Look at you. Look at you. That's why I said it. Far too early Super Bowl prediction for next year. Give it to me. Mine, I would love to, and I'll go first. I would love to see what we all been waiting to see. and that is a state farm Super Bowl.

Aaron Rogers versus Pat Mahomes. And I think it will only be right to see it on the biggest stage in the world. Two of the greatest armed talents and quarterbacks that we ever seen. But not only that,

two of the greatest fan bases. You know what I mean? So, you know, it'll just be, I just feel like it'll be a lit Super Bowl if it was them. You know what I'm saying? The State Farm Super Bowl 12 versus Patty Mahom.

And obviously it's all to start them around them, you know, the Aaron Jones, the Devante Adams, the Tyreek Hills, the Travis Kelsey. I just feel like that would be one to where it would be like, oh, shoot, what's going to happen? All right. That's a good one. That's a good one. Take it back to the old school. All right.

Right. What you got? I think, I think. Don't do it. Don't do it. No, no, I'm not saying. I'm not saying. I'm not saying.

I think I think, I think Buffalo bills are going to make it. I'm going to be honest. I'm going to be honest. I'm going to be honest. I think the chiefs like, like run is going like this way down. Or AFC championship. You think this. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Hey, this is about time. This is like the peak forward. That means it's about to start going down. All right. And then I think, I don't know, man. Like, for some reason, Kyle Shanahan has a good job of like staying in the mix, man. Oh, I hate you so much right now. You're going to think he's going to be there with a young fella?

I don't know if it's the young fella. and somebody told me that Brady likes San Francisco. Oh, no. See, I'm leaning Russell Wilson. I'm leaning Russell Wilson over there. I'm picking Bill's 49ers, too. Why would you trade Russell to your rival? Because they're about to blow that thing up

and you ain't winning nothing with Russell going forward. First off, the Niners is going to trade Jimmy G and go with their young buck. They're not going to bring in another quarterback and had a first round young buck on the bend. This is number three pick. This ain't even talking like Jordan Love, and he's the 28th pick.

I don't even know what he was. This number three pick, man. He was the 10th pick, Jordan Love. Was he? Jordan Love. I think he was like, no, he wanted to top 10 because the Packers is in the playoffs. How are they going to have a 10? Join Love was a 26 pick in the track.

I knew something way down up in there. We talked about number three. We talk about three, man. And we talk about welcome to the NFL drive, boom, Traylands. And Mitch Trubisky was number two a couple years ago. And he played. And he played. The way things are looking, I won't be surprised if he's going in the second year.

He's not, we, like, we've seen him for one game, but he didn't, like, everybody didn't know if he was going to play or not. Nobody knew that Patrick Mahomes was going to be Patrick Mahomes. Hey, if Traylands start, they're in the Super Bowl. Bro, I'm not disagreeing with Trey Lance strictly because the NFC is wide open. Jimmy Garoppolo against the, against the L.A. Rams was horrid. Trey Lansson there, they ain't throwing the football at all in the second half. They're running that thing.

All right? So, yeah, Trey Lansing that game, it's the Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Super Bowl for the Bears. You give that ball to Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson and call it a rap. That's why. Obviously, I want to say it still it, but I can't say it still it. I think the bill is going to find to win this support. There it is. All right.

The bills is not. Y'all came around at the end of the year for the final part on my bills train. I appreciate that. And thank you for both acknowledging that Cooper Cup is the best wide receiver in the game. Oh, I didn't acknowledge that. While you were sitting there and the stands hating to your wife about Cooper Cup, my man, my man, 7-Eleven, you know, the reincarnation of Jordy Nelson got busy in that final possession. Boy.

Walk for home. I'm happy for him because they needed him, man. They needed every last ounce of his ability to make plays out there because they were struggling for a minute without OBJ. And I'm like, it's over. Eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns on the biggest stage in sports. All right. So shout out to Cooper Cup.

Even though I did hate the fact that as soon as the sack was made, Cooper Cup's name was mentioned by Chris Collinsworth. He was like, you got to think about the star power of Aaron Donald. And then, of course, Cooper Cup. I'm like, no, no, no. Aaron Donald just collapsed that pocket. Two plays in a row. Yeah, Aaron Donald wrecked that game because it was one yard away from Joe Mixing getting MVP.

So. And we have Zach Taylor to thank for not getting Joe mixing that MVP. All right, fellas, this has been a fun year, man. I've appreciated this time with you guys. And, of course, Arjuna and Chris and, you know, our guy, Isaiah Blakely, I, B. We got a chance to hang out with him in LA. This has been cool. I look forward to doing this again next year,

and I look forward to talking to you guys throughout the offseason and throughout the draft process and getting y'all football information, as always. So for James Jones and Ryan Shazir, my man Chris Sutton, who is producing this thing and our Juno Ram Kapal. By the way, shout out to Chris Sutton. Happy birthday to our guy, Chris Sutton.

This has been the Tuesday edition of the Ringer NFL show. And we will see y'all next season.