The Ringer NFL Show - Biggest Questions Entering December | The Ringer NFL Show

Episode Date: November 25, 2020

Kevin is joined by Nora Princiotti, Ryan Shazier, and Danny Kelly to discuss nine questions they have for teams heading into the stretch run before the playoffs. Host: Kevin Clark Guests: Ryan Shazier, Nora Princiotti, and Danny Kelly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is the ringer NFL show, part of the ringer podcast network. I'm Kevin Clark. Great show today. A crossover episode. Ryan Shazir, Danny Kelly, Norr, Prenciotti, join me to ask and answer the most pressing questions for the rest of the year. Seahawks defense, Chiefs comebacks. Why aren't we talking more about the Steelers? And would an NFC East super team win the NFC?

It is the ringer NFL show, part of the Ringer podcast network. I'm Kevin Clark. Join today, All-Star cast. Ryan Shazier, Danny Kelly, Noropinciati. What's going on, guys? How are you doing? How are you doing? I am excited to get to this episode.

It's going to be really fun. It's very simple premise. Biggest questions left in the season. We all came up with two. A couple fun ones. A couple serious ones. But we'll get started here. I guess mine's on the top of the list, so we'll just go here.

Is this Seahawks good enough to make a deep playoff push? Ryan Chazier, you know defense better than anybody here. Danny Kelly knows the Seahawks better than anybody here, but Ryan Chaserer, I'll start with you. This Seahawks is good. team has to do what to make the Super Bowl. Your defense definitely has to step up. You know, with Jamar Adams back in the mix, you know, they're starting to play a little

bit better, but I don't trust them. I really don't trust them. You know, it kind of reminds me of the Chiefs last year. And the reason I say this is because at the beginning of, like, during the regular season, people didn't really trust their defense, but their defense stepped up. like they would need their defense to step up on the level of the chiefs last year for them to go on some type of run. But I don't think that they have the pieces to do it.

Yeah, it's so weird because, you know, I was just looking today. Bobby Wagner is graded out as the best linebacker in football. They obviously traded for Jamal Adams. I mean, there are pieces there that are interesting. You know, Carlos Dunnath's giving them a little bit. But they just need basic competence to make the Super Bowl, I think, because their offense is just so good. Danny, I'll send this to you because,

you're obviously the Seahocologist of the group here. What's the path here? What is the path to basic competence? Now, I think the record is going to be maybe better than it, than the team suggests, because they still have NFC East games to go.

We'll get to the NFC Eastern a little bit. But what happens if on January, what happened on January 20th or whatever it is and when we're talking about the Seahawks making the Super Bowl to that defense? Yeah. So I think a couple like dominoes have to fall for them to kind of like get it all together.

Number one, And I said this when they were playing the Cardinals, I think it was, or a couple weeks ago, the defense feels like they heard about blitzing and they're like, awesome. We should try this. This sounds fun. Like, this sounds cool because they're just, they've been so blitz heavy, but it's been mostly ineffective, I think. Like, obviously, you know, you see Jamal Adams has made a few plays, but overall, the way that they've kind of like covered in the back end on these blitzes is just been really bad. So he was leading the team in pressures going into last Thursday night, which is a really bad sign.

Yeah. Yeah, he's like a pass rush linebacker or something like that. Right, exactly. So I think they need to figure out their pass rush a little bit and kind of figure out who they are, I think. Because the way that they were blitzing, that blitz-heavy scheme, I just don't think it was working for him. It does help to get Carlos Dunlap, I think. They're going to get Daryl Taylor, their rookie second rounder at some point here in the next couple of weeks. and he might be at maybe at best

or like a rotational guy that they can bring in on third downs. And I think overall, just their secondary needs to get healthy. Shaquim Griffin, or Shaquille Griffin, I should say, has been out with a hamstring for,

I think the last four games that hasn't helped. Their depth has been hurt. I honestly do think they have some pretty good players in their secondary. They just need to like gel or something. Like, it just isn't working what they're doing.

So, I don't know. I'm with Ryan, though, like, the word I don't trust them really rings true. Like, I just don't trust them at this point. Nora, do you trust the Seahawks? I trust no one. I trust no one. And here's the bad news. We're just not going to know, right?

Because they've got the Eagles, Giants, Washington Jets. Week 16 Ram Seahawks, that's probably our best bet to try to make some judgment about where they are. That's the rest of it is. schedule? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It's a great. Like, it's a great. They held the Cardinals have a good offense. They held them to a season low 314 yards total when they played. I think it's quite possible that if they, I think maybe they'll go back to letting Adams be a little bit more of a coverage player because it seems like even though he can get pressure because he's such a good player, it doesn't actually help them all that much if they they sacrifice what he can do on the back end. But we're just, we're not going to know, like we're going to go into the playoffs with them just being like, okay, well, do your best out there, guys. And in the NFC, I think that's fine.

Like, they can win any game that they're in. But if we're looking for some confidence in them, I just don't, I mean, unless they totally shut down the Rams or something, I don't know what signal they're going to be able to give before the end of the regular season that everything's good now. To me, it's like, everybody didn't know what y'all are getting before y'all got Jamal Adams, though. It's like, he was a blitzer. Like, he always, that was, like, he brings pressure.

He wasn't like a super great guy in coverage. He's good in coverage. But so, like, y'all are asking him to get away from what he's great at, you know? So then Danny started talking about rotational guys, and we're talking about deep runs. So I don't know how this is going to work. How it's going to work is just Russell Wilson throwing five. touch the game. Like that's what this is going to work. Exactly. Ryan, I want to ask you because

I think that there's a narrative over the past five, six years, especially when, you know, limited training camp, all that stuff. The defenses get better late in the years, especially the Seahs. We've seen that before. We've seen that with the Patriots for where Pete Carroll or or Bill Belichick, they understand that December is when you need to peak or whatever it is, then you get better by January. Now, I guess my question is, how much better can a defense get late in the season? Why does the defense get better? You know, Danny, I'm sure you saw the stories this week that They had accountability meetings and all that stuff. I think that's mostly a little bit of hocus pocus.

But when you're talking about actually tangible getting better, Ryan, how does it happen and how much better can a defense get at this stage of the year? Honestly, for pretty much every defense, it can be the worst defense in the league. The sky is always the limit for a defense because once you get in the groove of understanding that you can slow somebody down and understand that, hey, all right, this work. Like, the coaches understand this scheme works for these guys.

The sky's the limit. you know, because the defense, like, for instance, our defense last year, they kind of started off a little slow. Then Minka came, and then he turned the whole defense around. And, you know, and obviously, Jamal was out for a little while. Griffin was out for a while. So once they start getting pieces back together, and they start practicing and understanding, all right,

this guy is really good at covering and this guy is good at bliss. And they really understand it. And then they just stick to that. That's a way a lot of teams get better. but when you're still trying to figure out what everybody is good at at the end of the year, that's when it's hard for you to be successful. A lot of really good defenses, they know what each player brings to the table, and you don't really have to search for that in the playoffs.

But when you're still a searching for that in his week 14, 15, now that's not a recipe for a good defense. Yeah. Ryan, you have a question about the Chiefs. Go ahead. Yeah. So my question is, obviously, we, all know that the Chiefs are high-poting offense, but how long will this last with the Chiefs

always coming from behind the win? I don't think this can last like as much as it did last year. I don't, to me, I just, it's going to catch up to them, especially in the playoffs. I feel like one of these teams in the playoffs, especially with some of the good officers, if they keep coming from behind, it's going to bite them in the butt. They're not going to have enough time left. So Nora. So we've talked about this a little bit, you and I, Kevin. With any other team,

I would be right there with you, Ryan. I just, Mahomes is inevitable. Like, I'm not going to say inevitable, but it just never feels like he's out. I can't bring myself to be like, like,

did you feel like they were going to lose that game against the Raiders? No, I knew they were going to win. But the thing is, is like, no, I thought they were going to lose,

but the Raiders gave them way too much time. Like, They gave them way too much time. But I just, I really thought that it was going to be a different situation. I think in the playoffs, the Raiders are a good team, but in the playoffs, like, for instance, the Steelers are pinning up points just like the Chiefs are right now. Right. And there's some other teams that are playing really good football right now.

So I just don't know, man, because the Raiders, their defense was always a little suspect, but when they go against a team that has a good offense and a pretty decent defense, I don't know if this going to happen again this year. You know, last year, you know, Mahomes is the guy, but a team's going to be like, hey, we're not going to give you back the ball, you know, and two minutes left. And if you don't get back the ball with two minutes left, you lose the game. That's what I'm saying.

Like some teams, they do a good job with just keeping the ball away from them, you know. So I don't know. And I don't think they can do it again this year coming back from behind 10, 14 points in the second half, 21. points in the second half and win the Super Bowl. I don't see it. So the first Raiders game that the Raiders won was a really good example of how you beat the Chiefs, which was they controlled time of possession.

They intercepted Mahomes once. It was until the second Raiders game has only interception of the season. And then they were able to get pressure without blitzing. The problem is that's just how you beat any good quarterback, right? Like if all of those things go well, you probably have a decent chance in a game. I still look at the chiefs and see how good they're passing offense is and then look at their defense and say like,

okay, they can have games and they're pretty good against the past. And I would rather trust that plus just Mahomes than pretty much any other kind of makeup of a Super Bowl contender. No, no, no. I totally see them as a Super Bowl contender.

I totally see them as a team that you want, like, if it's going back and forth, the Chiefs are going to win. But I'm saying if a team jumps out on them in this third quarter and they're down 17, like everybody's like, oh, their chiefs are going to come back. Like, and I feel like I don't know if that's going to happen this year, especially because obviously they're used to doing it, but some teams are just going to start getting better at just selling games, you know?

Sure. They've had fewer of the explosive plays this year. And I think, like, I've been very much on the side that that's not a big deal if Mahomes is just not going to throw pitch. But what I do think it does is they're playing fewer games that are just like completely dictated on their terms. Like they used to be in those games all the time where it was just like a track meet. And maybe the sort of hidden cost of that is they're not necessarily forcing the envelope and making teams play the way that they want to play games quite as often. No, I agree.

I think there's, so obviously Mahomes last year and the Chiefs became. the first team in history to have three double-digit comeback to single postseason. And obviously, again, the best way to win a game is to never trail by 24 points, but the second best way is to be able to score points really quickly, okay? And that's what they're built to do. And it's interesting to me because Andy Reid was criticized for two decades for not being able to do game management. And then the short way out of that was just get a quarterback who can just get you

out of any situation. And I guess my question, Ryan, is how many teams, because we saw it, obviously with Tennessee, we saw it with Houston and we saw with San Francisco, where they were not built to stop Mahomes in the fourth quarter. We saw that. How many teams in the NFL right now can slam the door shut if they're up 10 points? Is it just the Steelers? Let me see. For instance, I think if Green Bay is up 10, it'll be hard.

If the Colts are up 10, it will be hard. Yep. The Rams. What about Tampa? No. I don't trust Tampa right now. I don't trust him right now. Especially with Tom and Arias,

they're like, like, Arias is just attacking him lately. I don't trust them. What about New Orleans? New Orleans, I don't think, I don't think the Chiefs would come back on New Orleans. But, oh, New Orleans with Drew Breeze. Not New Orleans with Drew Breeze.

New Orleans and Taysam Hill is not getting a 10-point lead on the Chiefs. No, no, I don't see it. That's not a situation. It did. And then honestly, if they play, the Titans again and up by seven and Titans are up by 17 or 14 I don't see them coming back again I think this year's Titans team is better on is better like in a defensive wise uh than last year me personally but uh I just I don't think that Titans will allow that that happen again I feel

like they would literally just lean on Derek Henry that game hey Danny what would happen if Mahomes was down 10 to the Seattle Seahawks uh probably they'd probably they probably probably have about six or seven more lead changes in that game. I think like the bottom line with this discussion, I think it actually kind of reminds me a little bit of the Seahawks, but not to the same extent is like you're leaning on Mahomes to be perfect. Yeah. And that's exactly what the Seahawks are doing with Russell Wilson.

Like if he's, if he's not perfect, they've lost the game this year, you know? And, you know, I think it's less, it's less of effect with the Chiefs because their defense is quite a bit better than Seahawks. But, I mean, when you're falling behind like that, you're just expecting your quarterback to do these great things every week.

And there's some variance in there that, like Ryan was saying, can come back and bite them. So, yeah, clearly it would be better if they didn't lean on that going forward. And that's pretty much what I'm coming for is like, like, it's really, like, obviously you have the best quarterback. Some people say that might be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, you know. It's early for that, but he's showing that he can do it. but just to lean on him to be perfect is really hard because I'm not going to lie. I thought Tamara Bay was going to come back and win the game,

but you see how much pressure Brady felt towards the end of that game. And he was just like, man, like I got to make sure I get this ball out of my hand because this rush is getting here. If Mahomes start feeling that type of pressure, obviously he's really versatile and he can move around the pocket.

But if somebody starts hitting him a lot, man, towards the end of the game, because that's what defenses are starting to send a lot of pressure. So towards the end of the game, if he's starting to feel flustered, you know, it's hard to play really good when you're feeling that much pressure. Hey, just one quick question for you. Obviously, you never played against Mahomes, but is there something to, especially late in games,

just the frustration of play? In the fourth quarter of teams against the Chiefs, are they just tired of seeing Mahomas make plays? Like, is there a psychic frustration when you go against you guys who can do everything that's just kind of like a huge? here we go again type of mentality with defense. Yeah, it's definitely frustrated because, for instance, if you're going against a quarterback, like, I'm going to say like Cam Newton in his prom.

Yeah, yeah. Like Cam Newton in his prom, everybody was like, man, Cam can do everything. But the one thing you knew, if Cam starts scrambling, he's not about a chunk of the ball 60 yards down the field. You know what I'm saying? It's like, like, a lot of times with him is like, all right, he can do everything, but you know he could run, he could pass. But with Mahomes, he can literally be on one side of field, throw it across the field,

have it on a line or throw it 70 yards down the field while he's on the run. So it really makes it frustrating when you're watching somebody like him play because it really shows like, all right. And all coaches tell you this. Like, you can't cover everything. You know, like, you have to give something up, you know. And most defenses, you know, they know what their weak points are on the defense. And it's like a lot of times, Mahomes always finds that.

And he always finds that. when like your defense break down and you're in the scramble mode and it's called plaster when you're in a plaster drill when you're trying to stick to your guy when he's running around the field. That's what defense has breakdown

and that's when it started getting frustrated because that's when the DB is like, why can't y'all get there? And then the lead line is like, why can't y'all cover longer? You know, and it's just, that's when it starts, it gets frustrated.

And then now you had a great game and now you're arguing on the sideline and the Mahomes over here just eating ketchup, you know, just having it. All right, Nora Prince Dati has a question about the Steelers that has already angered Ryan Shazir. I'll let you say it, Nora. And I'll back away from the microphone. Yeah, so I sort of forgot that these were going to be emailed around, including to Ryan,

before I phrased this incredibly flippantly as why don't we care about the Steelers? What I mean by that is that Pittsburgh's 10 and only undefeated team in the NFL, but I don't feel like there's quite a consensus that they're the best team or that they should be a Super Bowl favorite. They have the best point differential. I think part of the skepticism, though, comes from the fact that they've won some close games. Five of their wins have been by a touchdown or less. Seven of their wins also have come against teams with losing records. They have a great defense, great special teams. The offense maybe hasn't been quite up to that standard. So I'm wondering, and I know Ryan, I think should probably answer this first, what do we think is the ceiling for the

Steelers team and do we think it's legitimate or illegitimate that maybe they haven't been crowned as the best team in the NFL up to this point? No, I can definitely see why they're not crown the best team. I was just looking at something. I think we had the 32 strength of schedule record. So at the day, but like you can't get mad because like you don't choose who you play against, you know. If it was like, hey, we can play the against the Chiefs, I think they would line up and say,

hey, we'll play them tomorrow. You know, because at the day is just like competitors. they want to feel like they're the best team. But if you go against, who you go against. But I think that the ceiling for the stillers keep going up. And the reason I say that is because

with their offense is all young pieces. So they're constantly getting better every week. And they have Ben who leads to him. So I think that's good. The running game definitely has to step up. We got 100 yards last week, which is good. The defense is special teams. I think we're fine with that.

but I think that they really, the offense just can keep growing. But, you know, we do have close games versus sorry teams, but at the day, we win them, you know, and a lot of teams lose them. So it's the NFL, every team is good. It's a, you know, accumulation of all the best players in the world. So, you know, teams lose the bad teams all the time. And the thing that makes them, to me, the best team is that no matter who you go against,

they're still winning these games while some people are letting them slip away. You know, so I think that's why. And then I think with the offense, I think you can't really key in on one guy compared to how it used to be or two guys. While with every other offense besides the chiefs, you can kind of key in on one or two guys, you know. Yeah. Aaron Chats over football outsiders.

Actually, the SPN was writing today. And he basically said that there's no metric that has the stewards as the best team because of the strength of schedule in the close games. And the only 10-0 team to play an easier schedule at this point was the 2005 Indianapolis Colts, kind of a different team. But I think that you're right, Nora, in the sense that they just haven't had, I think when we're trying to judge teams, it becomes a little bit almost like college, where it's like they just haven't had their marquee moment in prime time.

And that's deeply unfair, but that's just sort of how the media works. I'll ask Danny Kelly is, where are the Steelers right now in your sort of AFC hierarchy? NFL hierarchy. They're number two. They're number two in both the AFC and the NFL. I have them just behind the chiefs. And I think they're honestly, I almost put them at number one this week because

I think the narrative for a lot of the season was, like Ryan was alluding to, like they were playing down to their opponents kind of. You know, they barely beat the Eagles who are a bad team and they barely beat the Cowboys that come from behind against the cowboys. But the last two weeks,

they've trounced the the like bad teams that they played like they've blown them out they didn't even look like you know they're on the same playing field necessarily so i think they're kind of killing that narrative and there's not a whole lot of reasons now not to have them at number one other than i guess like honestly if you're breaking a tie like mohams is that is the tiebreaker but um yeah i think you know i have them right there right behind the chiefs and it was not an easy decision to put the chiefs number one, especially after, you know, they've been struggling against the Raiders. They did win the game, but like, for whatever reason, the Raiders are playing the Chiefs

really well this year. So, but yeah, I think the, I don't know, like, I still, the Ben Rothensberger thing is still kind of like, I guess the thing that's nagging at me because, like, in some games, it's kind of like the Brady thing. In some games, he looks really good. And in other games, it's like, man, he's like shaking his arm, his elbow seems to hurt, can't push the ball down the field. So he's just been a little bit inconsistent, I think, and that's maybe like tugging, like tugging at me or nagging me a little bit, but

I don't know, it's like you're picking Nits at this point. They're 10 and 0. Ryan, I would actually love to hear what you think about this because I feel like late season Rathusberger is like such a he always seems hurt and he also always seems indestructible. Like, do you is

can you shed any light? That's very true. So as a teammate have been, you know, I'm not going to throw any shade I don't know, but as a teammate of Ben, sometimes it does seem frustrated. You're like, man, has Ben hurt right now or is he not? Like, you know, like, because, because obviously because he's getting banged up a lot, but he's an older guy who he's 36 or 38, you know, so he is an older guy. But sometimes you're like, man, like, like, Ben, like right now is not the moment.

Like, we don't need he hurt right now. You know, so. But the thing is, it's like, every time it's a big moment, it's like you always feel like you can lean on. them too. So it was, it's just, but it is like that, oh my gosh, it's been hurt right now. Like, we can't, we can't, we can't deal with this. We can't deal with this. We don't, we don't, we don't need this type of pressure right now. We don't, we don't, we trust Mason, but I don't, I don't know, I don't know. Ben, Ben's permanent state is having braces on every single limb and we just have no idea what's going on with him at any point. It's amazing. Ryan, is there a

weakness right now you're concerned with about the Steelers? When we're looking at this, the AFC and the NFL in general. I think the weakness with Distillers is that we have to be more consistent with our run game. You know, like our run game has to be more consistent because then it takes pressure off of Ben and everybody else. I think that's the biggest issue with me is just more consistent with the run. I think when it comes to passing, Ben and Deonté are actually like starting to figure each other out more now. and I think if they continue to figure each other out, then I think Deontes is going to actually,

I know everybody loves Chase, but I think Deontes actually are number one. And because, like, obviously last week he went crazy, but I think we don't truly have a number one. I think we have a bunch of one A's, one B's, one Cs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like role players, yeah. I'm not even saying that they're role players.

I think it's just that we have a bunch of guys. Like, I feel like it's kind of how the Vikings were, but we have another one of those guys. Like, I feel like, hey, all right, you're going to double chase this week? Okay, let's give juju 19 targets. If you want to double juju, all right, let's give Deonti 19 targets. And those guys are stepping up. So I think that's one thing that really helps our team out a lot is because whoever you kind of like,

you can't really decide I'm going to take this guy out of the game because if you do, it's just like, all right, we're just going to give it to the other guy. And I don't feel like a lot of quarterbacks are confident enough to do that with the other guy. So I think that's the one thing that I'm having to. be about, but the ring game definitely has to step up. I love that there are franchises that haven't drafted a good wide receiver in like a decade. And the Steelers just have a bunch of one A's,

one B, one C, whatever. You can rank them wherever. Norah, since it was your question, yes or no, are the Steelers going to win the AFC? Yes. Okay. So we do care about the Steelers. What a journey does it. We do care about them. I'm just an asshole. Yeah, that's cool.

I like that. What about you, Danny? What do you think? I mean, if I had to pick right now, I still go with the chiefs coming out of the AFC, but I mean, I don't know. I like, I think the Steelers are really good. Like, don't give it wrong. Wait, sorry, hold on. Is our question to win the AFC championship or is our question to get the number one seed?

To win the AFC champion, to make the Super Bowl. Oh, okay. I would take the Chiefs. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. So this is, this is my thing with the Steelers. So I don't know exactly how many points they score a game, but I know they're up there.

with the top teams. And I feel that the Chiefs' defense give up more points. So I feel if we're scoring just as much, it giving up just as, giving up least, I think like that just equips to us like winning the game, doesn't it?

Like, doesn't it? Numbers don't lie on that. Numbers don't lie. I'm just going to go analytics on you guys right here. I'm just going to go analytics on you guys. Like, we're not giving up that many points. We give up less points to anybody in the NFL. If we're losing that game, all right, it's cool.

What the listeners don't know is that before we started recording, I came in with the question of, why can't you save a setting for where your seat is on your car? And Ryan and company just were like, yeah, you can do that. You just don't know how. So, like, before anybody pressed record, it was already established just, like, who you should trust and listen to. and that's fine.

That's right. Nora get a better car challenge, 2021, is where we're at with that. Danny Kelly, you have a question. And it's the question on everybody's mind. Take it away. I'm actually becoming more and more, I guess, morbidly fascinated with this. Who is going to win the NFC East? It's like a car crash.

You have to kind of look at it as you're going by, you know? Oh, gosh. I mean, right now I would say, I guess do you want me to just answer my own question? Yes, please. Please. I don't want to. I think it's going to be the Giants, but I'm starting to actually have a little bit more faith that the Cowboys will, like, mount this weird comeback.

I don't have a ton of faith in the Eagles right now and knock on wood. They're playing my Seahawks this week, so that's probably, like, going to jinx my Seahawks and now the Eagles are going to win that game. But, yeah, I think the Giants are going to win it. The Cowboys are the best quarterback right now. Andy Dalton?

I love this. Let's unpack this. Let's unpack this. All right, Ryan, take us through. Take us through who's going to win the NFC Easter. I don't know. I'm going to have to go into Cowboys just because my family likes the Cowboys. I'm just going to like flip a corner right here.

I just don't know who's going to go. This is where we are, yeah. The reason I would go into Cowboys, I really just feel like overall their team is just better than everybody else's. Like, they have the better, the roster-wise, they're just a better team. And their quarterback, they have the best backer quarterback or whatever you would say. but I feel Andy Dalton isn't playing any worse

It's not going to play any worse than Carson Wins or Daniel Jones So I feel like if they just like hey Andy Don't try to make any big plays just get the balls to the guys That actually need to make the plays I think they can run games so Nora NFC East So I really wanted to make a case for the Giants here In particular because so they right now they have the best division record

So they could have a little bit of tiebreaker help there Yeah so they're three and two Oh, division worker. I thought you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, because I thought about the tie. So my fault. Yeah. Yeah.

So. The most important tie in history. Truly, do you know what I really want? I want the Eagles. I want the Eagles to win the division because I want them playing for that tie, which we just excoriated them for to be the thing that wins the NFC East. Like there's nothing I want more than that. But I don't think it'll happen.

I want to make the case for the Giants just because they have the tiebreaker help. but they have Ravens, Cardinals, Browns, Seahawks, Bengals, Cowboys. I don't think that's quite the right order. But those are the teams they have left, and I think ultimately the Cowboys just have a little bit more talent, and it'll probably win out, and their schedule is actually even easier than New York's. But there is a path for it to be the Giants. So I think it's going to be the Cowboys because of the schedule, but I also just don't trust anybody and all these teams think.

We're talking about trust a lot. This is like turning into therapy. Is there a way that all of them can finish with the same record technically? Oh, yeah. Oh, that would be so boring. Like five wins, something like that. I mean, at this point, it's like I mentioned that I'm in the same house with my, I think, eight-month-old niece, right?

And it's like, you know, trusting the NFC East to do this. It's like trusting a toddler to do anything, right? Like you just give them the spoon. Give them the spoon. You put the food in there. But there's just no guarantee it's going to go the three inches it needs to go. Okay. You can lead a horse to water.

Exactly. And so with these NSC teams, it's like, oh, well, these guys have an easy schedule or this guy is the best quarterback out of the four bad quarterback. So this is the best roster. But there's a reason that these teams are in this position. And if they actually had the things that we keep describing to them like an easy schedule, they wouldn't be three, five, and one. They wouldn't be three and six.

So I just, I think that it's guessing what's going to happen in this division is, again, very similar just guessing what, what the eight-month-old is going to do. The Giants are on a two-game winning streak, so. Well, so the Giants are also, like, they have some good, good mojo. Like, they could have some good end-of-season mojo. Wasn't there just a confrontation with Mark Colombo, like, last week? Yeah, but they're...

I'm still, I'm just, like, sobbing, laughing, picturing the NFC East is just, like, mashed peas on the side of the toddler's face. You know, it's crazy, though, imagine, imagine, imagine, the the Giants go, right? They win a playoff game. I mean, they go to the playoffs and win a game. What if the NFL East team makes a running the playoffs? So the Giants with Daniel Jones doesn't turn the ball over are like actually not terrible.

It's just that that doesn't happen really ever. Yes, that's correct. So Washington doesn't have a chance though. Washington doesn't have a chance. I mean, maybe they got, they have an okay defense. I don't know. I don't know. The whole thing is just very strange to me.

So let's get into a reader. question. And this is an extension of the question that we're talking about. It's from Noah, from North Carolina. How far would an NFC East super team be able to go in the playoffs? Who would be their quarterback and their coach? And then by extension of this is, would they win the NFC, basically? Danny, we'll, so go ahead, Ryan. Is the GM, Jerry Jones? Yes. Yes, you would be. Who's the bet? So who's the bet? So who's the bet? I think Howie might be a better GM than Jerry Jones, right? I think it's still Howie.

We got to give Howie. Jerry's the owner. Give Howie a chance with the super team. Jerry's the owner and Howie's the GM. Well, no, that's not good because then they're going to fight. I mean, it can't be any worse than what's going on right now. Can it? Iron sharpens iron.

We let him fight. All right. So their quarterback, we'll start here, Ryan. their quarterback and coach I mean I don't even know Is this healthy teams or unhealthy teams? Yeah, well, no, it's right now It's right now

So we couldn't put Dak Prescott on it Okay, cool Yeah, that was clearly Because if Dak Prescott was on the Cowboys I think that they would have E down like two more wins Yeah, but I think they would have at some point Been able to steal two games

That they hadn't right now All right, so coach you have to go with You're going to have to go with Doug Peterson Okay, me too. I think so, yeah. You have to go, he won a Super Bowl and nobody else. Well, Mike McCarthy has, but. Yeah.

Different deal. Yeah, Aaron Rogers. So, yeah. Quarterback, I don't know if I could go with Carson Wentz, man. He turns the ball over extremely too much. Alex Smith. Yeah, okay, so Alex Smith, and this changes the question for me, because it probably is Alex Smith.

and I can't believe that we're here with that. And I was trying to talk myself into the NFC East Super Team getting pretty far because the roster wouldn't be bad. Right. I mean, you'd have, you'd have your Lane Johnsons, your Chase Youngs, your, your DeMarcus Lawrence. There'd be some depth there, I think, right? But it's quarterback, it's coach, and then you're just looking at what is this? I don't think Nora like a quarterback. No, so here, no, I actually, I like your quarterback.

What I'm pondering, I think Ron Rivera might be my coach, especially if, If Jerry's the owner and Howie's the GM, like, I just want a calm personality. Okay. Robert Verr's a good guy, but it's like, are we trying to make like a win a Super Bowl? Are we just trying to like, yeah? He's like, are we trying to calm everybody down? Are we trying to just have good vibes or we're trying to win? I'm really, I'm really worried about the vibes.

Because also you have to remember, you got people like Amari Cooper coming. Like, these guys are just learning. They're going to, they're going to come together in one week. So we got to get the schemes up to stuff really quickly, right? So Doug Peterson's done that. He let Nick Foles win a Super Bowl before. So you're going to have to just create a super team really, really quickly. And I think Doug Peterson is probably the best coach for that because you would just implement the schemes really quickly.

You know, he got to get that. Alex, Alex Smith. Yes, it was. Alex Smith and Amari Cooper need to develop chemistry very quickly. And Doug E.P. can make it happen. I feel like Alex Smith out of all of those quarterbacks, obviously he had a few rough games. But he has the most history of not turn the ball over.

So I'm a, that's true. That's what I chose Alex Smith. He's going to have Terry McLaren now. He already has him, I guess. But Marry Cooper and Terry and McLaren. Yeah, NCD. This feels like the question everybody asks every year is like, can Alabama be an NFL team? It's like, if you put together a NFC East super team, it's going to be a fucking good team.

Like, there's going to be some incredible players. I agree with that. Which is why I'm worried about the vibes. It's going to be an amazing team. It's going to be an amazing roster. Yes, Brian, that's it. It's going to be. be an amazing roster with a terrible coach

and a terrible quarterback. Right. Oh, man. So then it comes down, what happens when you go against St. Durian and Patrick's Malmes? I kind of feel like they would too, but I just, again, this is a quarterback

driven league. They'll be, they'll be the Seahawks though. Oh, yeah, destroyed them. Their defense would be really good, and their skill guys would be good, and their line, you could get a really

good line out of four teams. Yeah, 100%. I think the NACD would be their running. Who would be their running back? I guess you have to go with Zeeke. You can't, you can't go in no, everybody else with Z. I'd say he's having a rough year, but you're not going with

Gibson. Gibson. Yeah. Yeah. The thing about Danny, but the college thing is that we know, like, Nathan Peterman just beat Clemson. And then Nathan Peterman came to the NFL and was the worst quarterback in the history of football. So the college question's always a little. This is a little different. This is more, I think this is more about how important a quarterback and a coach is relative to the rest of the roster. So it's a different debate, I think. I think in reality, like you said, you can't, it would be like, they would probably be terrible because they'd all have to be learning the playbook.

They'd all have to be learning how to communicate with each other and all the stuff that actually does matter on a football field. On a football field. And so, I mean, like, it's fun to think about, but like in reality, they'd probably be terrible just because they would not be on the same page. You know what? You know what? You know what the crazy thing is? They're definitely playing Dallas. They're definitely playing in Dallas.

Yeah. You know, you know, the crazy. thing is that all the best teams have the simplest methods of beating people. Like Andy Reid and the Chiefs, obviously, like, everything looks crazy, but their concepts are all the same. Like, and when it comes to defense, the best defense is running, like, four coverages the whole game. Like, a lot of times when people change the things up, that's when they're, like, losing.

So I think if you, like, especially with their defense, they'll be like, hey, we run a cover three, cover one, and we might run like a man blitz. That's it. We're not, we might, that's, we're not doing too much because they have good pieces. They'll have, like, they're not using Dallas court DPs at all, though, like, at all. Yeah, their DPs might be a problem. Wow. All I know is the NFC East super team would win the NFC East.

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All right, let's get to the second round of questions. Again, mine is on top here in the show sheet, so we'll start with it. Can the Saints make a Super Bowl with Taysam Hill at Quarterly? back nor Princeati take it away. Yes, I think that they can. I think that so here's the biggest part of that to me is whether or not they hold on to the top seat in the NFC.

Um, like practically speaking. I think if you just, just want to look at sort of their ceiling on the field. Yes, I think they would need a few breaks, but I think their defense is good enough. Their special teams are good enough. Taysam, as long as he doesn't start turning the ball over a ton, actually had 10.1 yards per attempt against the Falcons, which was the second highest from that week, which I like as something that can take advantage of their skill players in some new ways and they can get some different stuff on film. That said, if you are operating in that slightly shaky territory, it really is going

to help to have the buy. And they're 8 and 2. They have one game left that's just going to be a tough bet, which is the Chiefs game. Like anything can happen, but I would not necessarily pencil that one in as a W. The Packers have the tiebreaker over them because they beat them earlier this year. Obviously, the Packers could lose another game. The Rams and the Seahawks still play each other.

So there's at least one loss for somebody there. But to me, the biggest question is basically, can they hang on to the top seat in the NFC because then I just think it's a much easier path. Right. So to me, the biggest question is what you alluded to, which is Taysam Hill, not turning the ball over and being competent and making enough plays. And yeah, I get two Russian touchdowns. But also how good that defense can be. Because that defense has had so much talent over the past couple of years. We've been waiting for it to sort of pop this year, whether that's, you know, Latimore getting healthy. I mean, they pressured Matt Ryan on Sunday. So I think that it's more about just kind of basic competence from Taysam Hill and then the defense becoming what it's capable of. Ryan, what did you think of Tassum Hill on? on Sunday and what, I guess, problems does he present to a defense? Obviously, he's not going to be breezed.

He's not going to be close to it. But what can they scheme up to get him going a little bit for the rest of the year? And, you know, pretty good start on Sunday. Me personally, I didn't, I thought he had a decent game. He did enough, like, to just keep him in the game. They went against the Falcons. So that's a good warm-up. Yeah, that's a good warm-up game for him.

And then he's going against the Broncos. So I feel, I don't think they can win a Super Bowl. I mean, I don't think they can get to a Super Bowl with him. But I think he's just, I think he's like a placeholder. I think he's just good enough to help the team just get by. But I don't really trust him much as a quarterback. You know, I think he's more of a specialty guy. I think he's more like kind of like Lamar a little bit.

Because like imagine that like that one throw he threw to Ameri Senators that he threw, then it got a fumble, then the Falcons got the ball back. Like, yeah, that kind of showed you how strong his arm is. And then once defenses kind of see that, they know, like, all right, he's capped off at like 40, 50 yards. So, like, we get over pretty much underplay everything, you know. And I think the defense are going to start underplaying most of his routes. They're not going to expect him to go deep.

And then he's going to try to start running the ball a lot. They just got to be prepared for when he runs the ball. To me, I think the Saints are a good team, but I don't think they're going to be able to make it to the Super Bowl with tasting that quarterback. Danny Kelly? Yeah, I think I'm right in that same sort of area in terms of, I think he, in terms of like a backup quarterback, he's pretty good. Like, he did a good job of moving the football. Schematically, he, I think, makes things difficult enough for the opposing defense to, like, you know, get them to move the ball. I think it's going to be interesting because the Saints will have to keep running the ball well

because they really need that play action game to make Taysam effective, I think. Like Ryan was saying, like defenses aren't going to probably respect him too much as a passer, but if they can really marry that play action game really well, that could be like a big key for them. I lean towards not having them as a Super Bowl team, though, with Tassum Hill under center. I would just say that's it's asking it's asking him to do a lot and I don't know if the saints are like that balanced and that good on defense we'll see as they go down the stretch but I definitely wouldn't have them as my top pick nor would I I just think that there's a seal in there I think if breeze comes back the sands of my NFC team but again we don't even know what breeze will look like when he comes back I mean this is talking about broken ribs 11 ribs and a punctured lung I mean it's not for me I think there's a the media was kind of cavalier. When he comes back with the ground running, I don't know.

I just think it might take a little bit. When you have that kind of injury in late November, weird things can happen. One of my close friends is a radiologist, so he looks at those type of x-rays all the time, and those types of images all the time. And I'm not trying to say I'm a doctor, but he is a doctor.

And he was telling me that by the time they say that Drew Brees would come back, that his lungs and, his lungs and ribs will still hurt tremendously. If he did sack one time, he'll probably break him again. So I don't, me personally, I don't, I don't see him coming back this season. I'm the same.

I'm the same. Based off of what my friend was telling me, and I don't feel like he had a reason a lot of me about that one. Yeah. Ryan, you have a question about the AFC Wildcard picture. So before the season, everybody were big. We have the Ravens winning, you know, all this stuff.

Sure. Is it possible the dolphins or the brows make the playoffs and the Ravens don't? Wow. Nora? Is it, it's definitely,

it's possible. No, is it going to, what do you mean? Do you think it will happen? I, well, so I think the Browns will,

I think the Ravens will make it, I think the Ravens at this point are more likely to make it than the dolphins. Now, I think the Browns will, the dolphins, even though they had a bad game last week, I trust what the dolphins are putting on the field more, but the dolphins at this point have the math problem. The Ravens have the how they're playing problem. But I think still since they have so they play the Steelers, at least as of now that game is still scheduled to happen. And then they have Cowboys, Browns, Jaguars, Giants, Bengals. And there's enough in there that I think their odds are still pretty good. Whereas Miami, um, now has Jets, Bengals,

chiefs, Patriots, Raiders, bills. So that's a hard last month of this season. I think if you put them head to head right now, I would rather be on the dolphin side in that actual matchup. But given the schedules, I think the Ravens are still more likely to squeak in. Oh, yeah,

the Raven schedule isn't that hard. Yeah. I mean, the Raven schedule isn't hard, but they're also just, they look a little bit lost as a football team right now. And obviously they're going to have a really strange, week playing Pittsburgh on a short week with with the COVID positives and and you know the facility

shut down and going virtual yesterday. I just think there's a lot of weirdness right now. I think they're going to make the playoffs. I think that there are obviously three wild card spots. Right now it's Tennessee, Cleveland and and Vegas are the three teams. I think Baltimore finds a way to get that seven seed or even that six seed. I think the Browns, Titans, the Ravens are who you're looking at. I don't think it's necessarily the Dolphins year or the or the Raiders year as much as I really love that. That Gruden build. I think Gruden and Mac have done a great job. and that's different podcasts. But I think the Ravens will find a way, again, as you said, kind of the math part of it.

Danny, where are you right now in the Ravens and their playoff hopes? Yeah, I think I'm in that, again, I'm in that same boat. I think it's the schedule definitely favors the Ravens. And I don't think, I mean, even as much as they've sort of struggled on offense and stuff, they still have the foundation to win games because they've got a good defense, they've got good special teams, and they can run the ball. even if Lamar is going to continue to struggle, I still think they can get like they can beat those teams. So I definitely lean the Ravens beating the dolphins.

The Dolphins offense too kind of like took a, it felt like it took a big step back last week. Like obviously they haven't been an explosive offense all year. And then they went to Tua and Tua look pretty good, but they were like winning with special teams and defense really, you know. And then this, this offense just couldn't do anything. And they obviously brought in Fitzpatrick. and that's this whole other thing. So to me, it's like I just, I think I have the same kind of worries with the dolphins as I do with the Ravens as their offense is feeling a little bit broken.

And the Ravens schedule is just way easier. So I think that's kind of, yeah. Now, to me, when I just came up with this question, I just thought it was just, it's crazy how, you know, just this situation, you know, like nobody would even thought of this in the beginning of the season. Totally. It's crazy. It's crazy. And with Miami having. the chiefs, the bills, and the Raiders, obviously, and obviously playing the Raiders is huge,

if there's a tiebreaker. I just kind of feel that there's not a path there. Ryan, with this, this wildcard picture in particular, I know, I know it's crazy. I'm one of these people who did pick the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. Yes, I feel bad about it. Did you anticipate things would ever get? And I don't want to say this bad, because again, they're probably going to make the playoffs. But when you see this Ravens team, are you surprised that, again, I don't want to throw around were caught up with. But are you surprised that the Ravens are in the spot they're in right now? To be honest, I'm not.

And the reason I'm not surprised is Lamar is a really, you know, great football player, like football player. But I don't think he's a great quarterback. And a lot of times when you watch them play, it kind of seems when they lean on Lamar to be a passer, it doesn't seem like he's comfortable. Yeah.

And he doesn't really have that many weapons as is, but he doesn't seem that comfortable to me. And Lamar kind of reminds me of how Kaepernick was when the 49ers went to the Super Bowl. You know, like that one year he went to the Super Bowl, and then people are starting to figure out how they play. And, you know, it's just now they're all in the shambles and trying to figure things out. And I think last year was their year to win it, and they slipped it up. And I think now it's just going to start going downhill.

So do you think there's any path for him to get back to where he was last year? I feel like the only way Lamar would get back to where he was last year is like he's going to have to really take this offseason and go with some type of quarterback coach or go with like a Russell Wilson or somebody that plays somewhat like he used, like someone that was kind of how he was before. Obviously, Russell Wilson is always an established quarterback. Sure. But go with somebody that has the same type of ability that he has. Obviously, everybody can't run like him, but that can throw on the run and go to one of their coaches. I spend time with them just trying to get better at their craft. And I think he would get better like that.

But I think they need to stop trying to lean on him so much as a football player and just to make plays. And he has to figure out what's the best way to become an effective quarterback and sit in the pocket and find the best player that's open and actually read defenses. Because sometimes he looks lost out there when he's seeing defenses. And now it just depending on his legs. And after a while, people are not just going to let you beat them running the ball all game.

Not not with their quarterback. You're not. Interesting. Speaking of exciting quarterbacks, Nora has a question about the Cardinals. Yeah. So my Cardinals question is similar to my Steelers question, except I was much more polite about it, which was to phrase it as, what's the ceiling for the Cardinals? How far do we think that they can go?

they're in kind of a different situation from Pittsburgh where I think there's been a lot of eagerness to kind of hype up the Cardinals and sometimes they're so exciting other times they're a little bit shaky other times I'm like this offense is going to be great

and maybe they could make a playoff run but then Cliff Kingsbury is going to like try for a 65 yard field goal on second down and I'm at a lot just learn about innovation Nora it's called being on the cutting edge Yeah, football is not a sport for that. No. Well, yeah, it's a great question because, and this is something that we've been talking about for a couple weeks,

is where they have one of the best quarterbacks of football, their coach is generally good coach, still has flaws. I'll start with you, Danny, because you're our NFC, NFC West Maestro here, the Cardinals. Where are they going? I see them as one of those teams, and this is maybe going to sound just like, clearly. cliche or whatever, but like they could go on a run. They have the quarterback to, you know, he's so dynamic both with his arm and his legs. I don't see them as like a really complete team.

They're pretty inconsistent, I would say. And so I don't like think they're a favorite necessarily, but they're the type of team that could get hot. And because they have superstar players, you know, especially on offense. So I don't know. I feel like they're, to me, they're in the same sort of, I guess,

category or rung as the Seahawks because they have like a very exciting dynamic offense, but they don't feel like a complete team to me. And they're flawed enough where it just wouldn't be surprising if, you know, they lost. But at the same time, it wouldn't be all that surprising if they just kind of like tear

through some opponent because they're so good on offense. Their defense is better than the Seahawks, but I think they take a step back in coaching and experience. Yeah, and I think... Offensive talent. Like, Wilson's better pass, a better peer passer,

especially like in, I would say like he's shown over his career like crunch time, he's very, very good. So I don't know. But I put them in that same sort of category as a team that could get hot and make a run, but at the same time, I don't see them as a favorite right now

just because they're flawed enough, you know, that and inconsistent enough that I just don't have a ton of confidence. Yeah. Ryan, what's the path for the Cardinals? So I had, Cala Murray as my MVP this year. Yeah.

You think it's too late for him to win it. still that's a great question so they have two games against the rams and then a bunch of crappy teams including two nfc's teams left i think that if he was going to do what he had to have done it in either of those i think against the seahawks last week i think yeah he did one game i think you'd have had to have done it again and to put up 21 points to take a step back in there i think it might be if they win out and he turns into patrick mohomes for the last next six games. I think there's probably a little bit of a possibility,

but I think that right now he's probably buried as, you know, fourth, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh on the, on the, on the depth chart right now. So, but I was just wondering because I, you know, here's my dark horse. I just, you know, do it all there. No, so, but he's actually playing really well. I actually think that they're the best team in,

in the division, me personally. Um, the Rams are good. And Jared golf had a good game. But for some reason, like, Since Jared Gough got into the NFL, I don't really trust him that much. Yeah, that's fair. For some reason. I just don't trust him.

I don't trust him. I feel like I trust Kyle Moore because I feel like Kyle really just shows you who he is. You know, like, Jared Gough is like sometimes you're going to have 300 yards. He's going to throw it for 50 times. In some of games, you're like, who is this guy back here at quarterback? You know, and their offense is like they have a committee of backs and things like that. So that's why I kind of feel the, the, the offense. The offense of the Cardinals, to me, is more consistent.

Obviously, the Rams have a better defense. But I definitely feel like they can go on a run. And I feel that when we were talking about defenses earlier, I feel like the Cardinals have the pieces to understand. Like, all right, they understand Buda Baker is the playmaker over there. They're starting to figure out where to put Isaiah Simmons on their team. Patrick Peterson, he's going to have to slow down on giving up the deep passes and things like that, obviously.

but I feel like they're actually figuring things out. You know, I feel like they're understanding who makes plays, who's actually a big piece over there. And I think that can help them turn things around. And actually not turn things around, but actually help them going to run. I don't trust the Rams offense as much. I trust their defense a lot.

I don't trust their offense as much when it comes to trying to make a run. Seahawks, I trust their offense, but I don't trust their defense. Yeah. And then the 49er is just their high. out of the pitcher. So we did this exercise a couple weeks ago,

me, you and Nora, about how many teams can make the Super Bowl. Do you think that all three of those NFC West teams can make the Super Bowl? Is it just the Cardinals? Is it just the Seahawks and the Cardinals? How do you view that division and who has a path to the Super Bowl?

I'm going to be honest. I feel like out of those three, I know Dan's not like this one. But out of those three teams, I feel like the two teams that can actually make the Super Bowl on the Rams and the Cardinals. Oh, no, Danny. I mean, I don't have a strong,

I don't have a strong reaction to that. I mean, my faith in the she house. He's dead. He's dead inside. He's been dead all season. Danny's the meme of the smiling mask with the guy crying behind it right now. No strong reaction to Ryan Shazir. He really my team out of making Super Bowl.

Danny, he's Ryan Shazir. He, like, knows a lot about this. Yeah. A lot more than us. A lot more than us. I'm not going to say that. I like to, I just like to go against the grain a lot. You know, to just me.

Yeah. But the reason I say that, I just don't trust their defense. And like you said before, like trying to be perfect for a quarterback. Mahomes has done it consistently. And Russell's done it. But we have seen Russell get in situations where he's like, man, like, I can't bring us back from this. You know, and I feel like sometimes the Cardinals' defense show up way more than Seattle. And we know the Rams' defense is going to show up.

And you know, when you have a good defense, you're always in the game. May I just offer one note on the Cardinals that I had forgotten? about. They lost to the lions. Yeah. Hey. Hey. Any of a Sunday.

Whatever. And this is what I was talking about before. You know, like, it still does have what the worst record. We're worst scheduling the NFL, but at the end of the day, they're getting them, they're winning, you know? So you just got to, you just got to, and we're all, they're all NFL teams except the Jets. So, um. That's a good point. Incredible.

As long as you're winning the game, that's all that matters, honestly. Survive in advance, Nora. Yeah. They're all NFL teams except the Jets. Except the Jets. Danny Kelly, who's on tilt after finding out the Seahawks, we're not going to make the Super Bowl. You have a question.

Yeah, this is kind of, you know, you can insert any other team if you want, but I was going to say, of the Cowboys, Chargers, and 49ers, these teams stood out to me, which team has the best chance to take, like, this massive next step and look like a real content?

in 2021. And feel free to insert other teams, but to me, those three teams stood out. Do you answer your own question first? Yeah. So I'm just going to throw the chargers off here because they're the team.

Like, they're just, you know, I don't trust the chargers to do anything. I also don't know. Are they going to have another coach next year? I don't know. Yeah,

there's a lot of moving pieces there. And then the Cowboys have been this team to me that's like really talented, have all the pieces. And they just can't. put it together for whatever reason and the coaching situation hasn't been great this year. So I guess I'm defaulting to the 49ers because I think they've mostly just been hurt by tons and tons of injuries this year.

And I know the quarterback situation is sort of a question mark in San Francisco, but I trust Shanahan enough to like figure it out. If he's got a full, not, you don't even have to be fully healthy. If you're just like a little bit healthier than they are this year because they just had like 20 people go on the injured reserve this season and it's all kind of falling apart. I think of those teams, I could see the 49ers kind of like jumping back into contention, looking more like the team they were in 2019. They, to me, look like the sort of dark horse contender for 2021.

Nora? So I did the same thing, which was basically just default to the 49ers because I trust their infrastructure and don't really trust the coaching situation either in Dallas or with the Chargers. I do want to say on the Chargers, if we have any listeners, who are professional astrologers or experts in horoscopes. If you could get at me in my DMs, they're open. I would really love to talk to you. I've found that celebrity mediums are kind of hard to get on the phone.

And I'm out of earthly explanations for what's going on with the Chargers. So I'm seeking advice from the stars. And I'd really appreciate it if anyone could help me out with that. I think the extent of the injuries should help the 49ers next year because they'll get guys like Bosa back. And then I think Shanahan can do that, whether it's Garoppel or someone else. They can move on from Garoppel without much of a cat penalty,

but then they'd have to find a new quarterback. So pick your poison. But I think just the infrastructure gives them an edge over those two teams, plus the fact that the Chargers are cursed. Who's the best quarterback that could end up on the 49ers next year? Back Prescott. Oh, that would be fun. Great question.

Who would be expendable? Because a lot of these quarterbacks are tied up in these mega contracts, and they can't be paid. Right. And so Would they have enough money to pay him, though? I mean, are the Cowboys going to let him reach true free agency? They're just going to tag him again. I don't know, because I don't know if they're taking, or

they're trying to win. I don't know what they're trying to do right now. So I don't have the Cowboys as a contender next year. I have a charges as a contender. But the thing is Anthony Land, like, is this like a formula for getting fired how he's coaching right now? Because I don't think, I don't really see him as a bad coach. Last year he had really bad injuries. This year he has a rookie quarterback. Obviously, everybody's coming back and winning the game on them.

But do you guys think he's getting fired this year? I think he's a good coach and I also think he's getting fired this year. I think he's a good coach. And I think he's got, I mean, kind of similar problems, strangely enough. And I think Andy Reid was a better coach 20 years ago. but it's the same sort of vibe where he 95% of the time is a good coach and then he just has the ability to blow these games he shouldn't. And obviously Andy Reid 20 years ago was one of the best coaches of football. Anthony Allen is not.

But I just think that the late stages of the halves and the games and all these crazy endings and stuff, it just undoes the positives he's able to do. So at some point, I think they have to at least look at it. I think you probably give them a more year. but there has to be something we're wrong in with Chargers for them to keep blowing games like this. I think if you're giving one more year, I think there'll be a real contender with him. I don't know what Cowboys are going to do with their quarterback situation, so that's why I can't pit them. I hope they keep deck, but I don't know if they're going to keep deck. So I'm going to have to go with the Chargers over the Cowboys.

But the 49 is I just never trusted Jimmy Garapolo. And I feel if you put another quarterback in there, I just don't know who, will be the guy to lead them to a championship, you know? So that's why I don't have the 49ers. And is it too late to have the Dolphins? I know they're, like, kind of contending right now, but are they really contenders right now? Like, because I would prefer to put the Dolphins over, like,

these other teams. Like, I would take the charges over the Dolphins, but I feel like I'll go, like, charges, dolphins, $4,9, Cowboys. Like, I just, the reason I have Cowboys so far behind is because I really don't know the quarterback situation. Ryan, do you think the Dolphins and the, Chargers could win the Super Bowl next year?

Oh, you're saying win the Super Bowl? No, no, I'm asking it. It's a separate question. Different question. Do you think those two teams, those two teams have the capability to win the Super Bowl in 2021? I feel the charges do. I don't know about the Dolphins.

I feel like the Dolphins, they have a great coach. And if their defense plays consistently on the level that has been playing the last few weeks, it's possible. But we have to really see how. how Tua is going to be when they actually, like, trust Tua. You know, like, they're just trying to figure things out. They're just trying to get into the playoffs right now. And then it's like, and Flores is like, all right,

I'm just going to ride with the hot hand. Let me just figure out this. Like, I'm just, you over here just juggling the pieces. Let me just see what works, you know. And, but I don't think the, I don't think the Dolphins can win the next year, but I definitely think the charges, because I think out of all the quarterbacks right now, I thought Joe Burrow was having a good season until he got hurt.

And I actually think that with Joe Burrow healthy, I think they can be a better team next year, the Bengals. I think the division is going to be a lot better next year. But I think Justin, I mean, I think Herbert is a really good quarterback. So I think that they have a possibility. That's why I feel like they shouldn't fire Anthony Lamb, because I think they need to give him a chance to have some, you know, normancy, like not normalcy, but some type of stability there and just try to help them.

Because once you start changing coaches and pinning so many different schemes and different coaches, that kind of messes up players. And I think that will really mess him up. That was Herbert's issue at Oregon, too. I think he played in like four different offenses at Oregon. And so it was just like changing every year. The Dolphins, to me, feel like a team that's playing with House Money this year. Yeah.

You know, they're, they're good enough to, like, make a run, I think. But they're definitely a 2021 contender in my mind, like a team that could get really good quickly. You know, they got two first rounders, a bunch of calf's face. They can do a lot of different things this offseason. So if Tua comes on, especially, they're going to look really good next year. And then they could, you know, they can try to trade up and get Trevor Lawrence. You never know. Yeah, I was going to say, it's a shame that the Jets are probably, the Jets are probably,

the Jets are probably going to get Trevor Lawrence because there are certain situations and maybe it's whoever gets Justin Fields but there are certain situations where their teams where if they get a great young rookie quarterback they might be contenders next year. It's just not going to be the Jets if they get Trevor Lawrence.

I feel like Justin Fields would do really good at the Cowboys. Ooh, that would be interesting. That would be interesting. It's a shame they're going to win two more games and then make the playoffs instead of getting instead of getting a top five pick. But, yeah. All right.

Ryan, you have our last question. Yeah, so this is my bonus question. How long do you think Bruce Ariens and Brody marriage will last? Because, like, every time it's a bad game, Bruce Arias, like, yep, like, we're only going to win if Tom plays good. If he plays bad, we're losing. So, like, I think that's kind of attacking your quarterback, you know? Yeah. So I guess this is a question of the future.

I think that when I look now at, you know, James Palmer at the NFL Network put this out today. Over the past six weeks, Brady on deep passes is three of 36, three for 36. And in weeks one through four, he was 11 of 22, hitting 50%. So this is really bad. It's an 8% completion percentage, okay? Not great. And Ariens obviously wants to throw those deep passes. He's throwing more than really Brady ever has.

I think Jeff Darlington said today that he's throwing more than when he had Randy Moss. obviously 13 years ago now. So this all seems very strange. Ryan, I'll ask you, having been in the locker room, obviously having been, you know, at some points of your career, I'm sure you've had coaches apply pressure through the media or whatever. How does a player react to this,

a player like Brady, who you've obviously played against? How do you see this sort of playing out because you know this having been in the locker room? So I said this in my podcast before, you know, coaches kind of, coach players, kind of how they respond, especially when his quarterbacks. Like, they understand how their player responds to criticism,

like public criticism, and they have that type of relationship. I feel that Bruce Aaron is kind of know what type of player Brady is. He's really a competitor. So when somebody calls him out, I think he's trying to get him to, you know, just, you know, just give him a kick. Like, hey, come on, let's go.

But I think Brady hasn't had this happen to him in 20 years. this often. So I think it would kind of, after a while, it was just starting aggravating. You know, because for instance, like Coach Tomlin, he would call me out in front of the group in the team meeting some time if I had a bad game or, but then he would come back and talk to me

and I had to do that so I can let the guys know that I'm tough on you too, but I really need you to work on this, this, this, and this. And I feel like that Bruce Ariens and Brady might have that type of relationship. but Brady's not really used to getting called out because Belichetian didn't really call out anybody. He was just like, so how are you guys

keep winning? We just got to keep playing football. That's something that Belichick was in. You know, so Bruce Arias is more open-minded and just going to say how you feel. So I think as a while, I can just get aggravating and, you know, I'm not going to say Brady would just retire after this year,

but if people just start figuring out them more, I think Brady is going to want to finish on top then finish, you know, start losing and, you know, people starting to find out that he can't do things anymore. And then once you find out a quarterback can't do certain things, then it limits his game, you know. Like when we played Brady, we knew he wasn't the best deep thrower, but he always found a deep throw in because they'll throw like a flea flicker in

or they'll do a play action deep ball. Now it's just like, hey, hike the ball. Mike Evans, I'm throwing it deep and he overthrower him. Or A, B, I'm going deep. overthrow him. Like a lot of times they used to add a concept in there to help help him. Now it's just like, hey, I want you to be like Ben and throw these deep balls like Bruce Arian is used to.

And I don't think he's really doing that right now. Nora, as a, oh, Nora seen a, just described it. Yeah, no, I know. I didn't want to, yeah, that was a, your face just lit up there. Nora, as a, as someone who's covered Tom Brady, he has a two-year deal. how long does this, how long does this Tom Brady career continue? Well, Tom Brady career, I think beyond the two years because it's really important to him. And the deep ball has dropped off a lot.

I actually, I thought his velocity and his arm strength looked pretty good at the beginning of the year. I actually thought the first place you saw, right. And I thought the first place that you saw him look kind of like a quarterback of a certain age was more with his pressure sensitivity that's changed recently. I think the stuff with Ariens is probably not that big of a deal. It's certainly different from Belichick who, you know, would have Brady in a meeting room and pull the, I can get a quarterback from Foxborough High that can grow better than that. But then in public say, well, Tom's doing the best that he can.

Nobody works harder than Tom, blah, blah, blah, blah. With Ariens, Brady was always, even immediately going to have a much. bigger opportunity to have the kind of relationship that he likes to have with people that he works with because Ariens is just a relationships guy in a way that's similar to how Brady is and different from how Belichick is. I don't know how he's processing that. I don't know if he's learning a little bit that maybe it's not quite all he thought it would be cracked up to be. But I would still lean towards trusting that the behind the scene stuff between the two of them is good and that he's enjoying being in an environment where, you know, you talk about how your kids.

are doing and stuff like that a little bit more often, I can see it just being the two-year contract and then he maybe even goes somewhere else, right? Because I think what's important to him is just playing for a long time. And I think he's still been good enough this year that if, unless he absolutely falls off a cliff next year, he would still want to run it back again. It's important to his business. It's something that he's talked about for a long time. And I think he's just going to keep, he's going to keep pushing the envelope there pretty much. no matter what. He's a front for TB12.

TB12 Tampa, I think they have opened or is opening. Oh, gosh. Danny Kelly. Ryan, what were we going to say? You look like he had some thoughts on TP12 Tampa. You said two years after this and then he's going to keep football?

I think he's going to keep playing. Wasn't 46? 46 was the target age because that was what no one Ryan was able to do. And Tom House's guys all think they can go to 46. He's pushed it back. He's the big five. though, believe it or not, has started to enter the conversation. Oh, God.

If he keep throwing 8%, he's going to not allow it to be 5-0. They're going to kick him out of here. He's going to become, maybe he's the next true breeze where he just throws five-yard passes constantly and just becomes efficient that way. We'll see what happens. Danny, last word for you. What needs to happen for the bucks to win the NFC here? And an incredibly imperfect conference, they are.

hasn't worked as anybody, but they still have a lot of talent, and I still kind of generally like them. What happens? So I kind of feel like the Brady question is divided into several different categories, and a lot of people focus on the age and the arm and everything, but, like, there's less attention paid to the fact that he's on a new team with new receivers and they didn't have a preseason or off season. And that really sort of how their offense looks to me.

They go out there, and half the time, they're, like, really dangerous. They look really good, you know, and they're clicking. And then sometimes they just look like completely out of source. Like Brady doesn't look like he's on the same page with people. And I think we kind of took it for granted for a long time that, you know, Brady knew the offense in New England, like the back of his hand. And he was very familiar with all his receivers. He knew exactly what they were trying to accomplish all the time.

He knew good relationship with long serving offensive coordinators. All that stuff like does matter, I think. So I'm not trying to give excuses for Tom Brady. because I think he has to be better. But at the same time, I think that's also a variable that we have to take into account. So if they can start to,

I mean, like we've seen the offense like really click. And I think it, you know, if they can play in that way and start to kind of get on the same page and, you know,

the same as though we were talking about the defense earlier on in the year, figure out plays that really work for Brady and this offense. And you kind of stick with those. I think that could definitely help them. And if that means maybe they try to do more quick game stuff.

Maybe that means Aryans has to kind of like relent. I don't know if we've identified the plays that work, but I certainly think we've identified the plays that don't work for Tom Brady, right? Right, right. So bottom line, I guess, is they have to adapt. And they have to figure, and they have to get on the same page a little bit better to, I think, be a Super Bowl team. Yep.

All right, guys, this is great. Ryan Shaz here, Norprinciotti, Danny Kelly. There's been the Ringer NFL show and the Ringer Podcast Network on Sunday. Nora and I are back on regular schedules next week. Thanks for listening, guys. Thank you.