The Ringer NFL Show - Brian Flores, Black Monday, and First-Round Playoff Picks

Episode Date: January 12, 2022

Jason, James, and Ryan begin the pod by sharing their reactions to the firing of Brian Flores in Miami and break down possible destinations for the hot coaching prospect. Next, they discuss George McCaskey's bizarre end-of-season press conference and what it could mean for the Chicago Bears and their fan base moving forward. (20:38) Finally, they wrap up by dissecting and offering insight for each matchup in the first round of the NFL playoffs. (31:50) Hosts: Jason Goff, James Jones, and Ryan Shazier Production Assistant: 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 Shottown 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 into another episode, another edition of the Ringer NFL show, Tuesday edition, the Players Edition, with James Jones, Ryan Shazier, and I am Jason Gawf. Before we get right into it, fellas, I want to thank Kevin Clark for filling in last week for me. I heard the ep. It was an outstanding episode, and, you know, appreciate teammates filling in in a time of need. It's always good to see you, boys, and talk to you guys. Week 18 of the NFL season is over.

Black Monday has passed, even though, you know, it just sounds bad. Black Monday, people getting their pink slips, people being told to clean out their offices. So where you guys want to start with some of the games that we saw, or you guys want to start with the hottest news in terms of the firings that happen around the NFL? Because I know a lot of people in a lot of cities who are trying to figure out, all right, is Brian Flores going to be my next head coach, or what's the next thing in order for the Minnesota Vikings, of course here in Chicago,

one of the more embarrassing press conferences that this city has seen in a long, long time. Or, you know, we can talk about playoff glory with the Steeler, Raider, and Packer that are on the show as well. So James, Ryan, always good to see you, fellas, man. What you got on your bird this episode? First off, I just want to start off by saying,

this is the first day I'm truly happy to see James and Raiders gear. Exactly. I'm not going to say the word, but I told y'all, I told y'all this was going to happen. Y'all ain't believe me, but I told y'all this was going to happen. That's all I have to say. That's all I have to say. Y'all seen the video before. I ain't saying the cuss words, but all I said is I told y'all we was going to make the playoffs. Don't worry. Everybody's saying it in their head for you, Ryan. Everybody's. Let's get to this hot stuff, man. Steelers in the playoffs, man, about to get to me. by 32. Let's get to the...

Hey, we get 31,000 in the Bears. That's all I'm saying. We get 31,000 in the Bears. Man, let's get to this hot stuff, man. This coach is getting kicked up out of there. All right, well, let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it.

Brian Flores is what everybody's talking about this morning that I've seen on the internet's and on the television screens. Brian Flores, 19 wins his last two seasons. and Steve Ross cites the dysfunction in the organization. And it comes down to, with the reports that are being disseminated from out of Miami, it comes down to Brian Flores wanted to drive Justin Herbert. Stephen Ross wanted to drive Tuatanga Vialoga. To a Tonga Vialoa is the Miami Dolphins quarterback,

and Justin Herbert is a burgeoning young star on the brink of MVP candidacy for years to come. And Brian Flores is apparently a hot coach. candidate once again, but I don't get it, man. I don't get it. You know, sometimes and being here in Chicago, I understand this. You know, we talk a lot about GMs. We talk a lot about head coaches. But if things are flawed, if things are, should we say, rotten to a certain level where

it's not just on the field. I mean, Stephen Ross in his, I believe, six years, six, seven years owning the team, I believe they have something, you know, like a 42% winning percentage of You know, they've been one of the dregs of the AFCEs for a while now. Even when they put together a good defense, they couldn't really, really get over the hump. They won eight out of their last nine games. Don't know what more you can ask out of a coach or a team, especially a team that doesn't have as much talent as those eight out of nine games with Belize.

So Brian Flores is back out there in the free agent coaching market, and the Miami Dolphins are searching once again. So when we speak to culture, right, you can have good culture, you could have bad culture. I don't know how this builds your culture as a team letting go a guy who people were obviously playing hard for in Brian Flores. Man, so being from Florida, you know,

I have a little strings that would be, you know, making their way and be hearing stuff. And, no, I just heard that it was just confrontation with Brian Forrest and the executive committee, like basically the ownership and the upper management. And, you know, I feel like Brian Flores, he's a great coach. Obviously, he got his team to win eight out of the last nine games,

but he's not at the point where you can kind of be arguing with upper management, especially when it's talking about, you know, do you want us to win or do you want to, you know, know who calling the plays or know who, like, let me draft or let me do this, let me do that, you know, like Bill Belichick can do that because he's won since Super Bowles. You know, Coach Tomlin maybe can do that, but he doesn't really do that, you know, but I feel like when you're not winning, and obviously you won the last few games,

but you're not being consistent with it. And you're constantly having bickering between the upper management and the coach. I think sometimes the upper management say, hey, you might be the best coach, but we're not about to have a type of the environment, and sometimes they let people go because of situations like that.

In my opinion, I think they could have probably try to work it out, You know, because the dolphins have been bad, and that's why I'm not, I wasn't a dolphin fan growing up because they were historically bad, you know, and I'm 30 now almost. And, you know, so, like, they got to figure something out.

It seemed like they had found a coach to figure something out. But if you, if you argue with the owners, you're arguing with the managers of the team and people that, you know, pay the bills in the building, man, it's a lot harder to keep your job than when they just, you know, calling X's and O's and managing people.

Well, first off, when you get a head coaching job, when you go in that meet and that, that, that GM, that owner, whoever picks you, right? You have told them your vision, right? I am the head coach of this ball club. Why do I not have any say-so? It sounds like a dude I played with. All the stuff that I've been doing for this organization, y'all can't just listen to me.

That's all Aaron Rogers was saying. If I'm at practice every day and I know exactly what we need to win ball games and turn this franchise around. And I've been around the game of football forever, scouting, coaching players, seeing players, why are you not listening to my input? So when you don't listen to my input, then yes, we are going to bump heads, especially when you don't listen to my input. And I see the dudes that I put my input on, go out there look like they future hall of famous and I'm over here trying to win ball games you need good players in the national

football league to win ball games but too are not playing bad he not playing bad but he's playing good because the coach is there you know what I'm saying so my thing is for me to go out here and win eight out of nine games and be looking at Joe Judd and be looking at all these other bad coaches out there and you guys going to fire me because it's a little bit of miscommunication and all that in the building and ownership because I'm fighting for good players to come up in here in the Miami Dolphins to help me win ball games. I just thought it was some BS, man. You know what I'm saying? And to be honest with you, when I first heard it and when I was thinking about it, if I'm a head coaching candidate, I don't want to go to Miami. You know what I'm saying? Because at

the end of the day, the way they treated Brian Flores on the way up out of there, whether it's miscommunication or not or whether he wanted this and they wanted that they was bumping heads man you know what I'm saying that that stuff that that's stuff that you work out for a head coach that done basically the one day near 10 games straight you know what I'm saying and like I said he ain't even got truly a talented roster like all these other teams you know what I mean so that's the biggest point to me yeah yes and and that's and that's coaching that's why bill Belichick don't win coach of the year that's why coach the floor ain't winning a coach of the year. That's why all these other coaches that got good teams,

they went in coach of the year. It's always the coach that took this organization that was terrible and they don't won seven, nine games and 10 games and all that type stuff. Like it was people that had Brian Flores as coach of the year candidate for the job that he's done the second half of the season. You know what I'm saying? Any other coach who would have did that, if this would have been a Matt Nagy who did, who went eight and one, Matt Nagy would still be the Bears head coach, period. You know what I'm saying? So I just feel like at one point you hire a head coach to build your team.

Your head coach is out there 24-7 with the players. He knows exactly what the team needs. You know what I'm saying? You should listen to him. That's all I'm saying. And don't fire them because you don't want to listen to him. Hey, James, sometimes your wife knows what she need, but you want to buy some. And when you buy it, you got the money to get it. Hey, and that's what Ross was like.

Hey, I own the team. I see what I like. I'm going to get it. You know, it might not be what you want. But, hey, you, you under my system. If you don't like it, you got to go. You married too, Ryan, and we work the thing. We work together, man.

My wife got a lot more stuff out there than me. Yeah. And you ain't going to fire it either. No, I do that. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying, man. You definitely right. You're not in a mediocre marriage.

No, you're right. Like since 2009, the Miami Dolphins have been below mediocre. They've been subpar. Stephen, Stephen Ross has three nine plus win seasons to his tenure. Two of them have come from Brian Flores in the last couple of years. That's 12 years. That's crazy, man. They've won nine games or more three times.

So I know a lot of NFL fan bases usually ask, like, you know, what's going on up top? There are some franchises. the week one, you have made your money as an NFL owner. Now everything else is gravy. Brian Flores knows what he's done over this last two seasons, especially this last nine games of this season. And by the way, you know, nuance is important. They had a murderous role of bombs that they beat

as far as the quarterback is concerned. Like they went on a six, seven week streak where it was quarterbacks who wasn't starters or guys who are on their way. Don't make the schedule. You don't make the schedule. You just play the game. For sure.

I understand that. But that's the nuance. that's involved because people are going to throw out, they played a bunch of teams that they should have beaten and I'll throw out. Nah, it's still the Miami Dolphins, right? And the fact Stephen Ross was asked about Jim Harbaugh, and then Jim Harbaugh, the news breaks that he's out there

looking for a contract extension from the Michigan Wolverines. It's a crazy leverage play right now that's going to leave Miami Dolphins fans and the Miami Dolphins organization holding the bag. Brian Flores, you know, I don't think he's going to see the similar fate that. And this is the part that I was upset about, you know, blackhead coaches in this league rarely get a second look. So if you're the Rahim Morris of the world, you're the Steve Wilkes of the world, like you've seen guys who get that first look, that initial look, and then don't get another one. You know, Rahim Morris' name is up there again in terms of a hot

coaching candidates. Brian Flores, I think, understands that that ain't going to be the lay of the land for him. You look at all of the Bill Belichick disciples, right? right, and Vrable actually played under Bill Belichick, too. So I think that's a little bit different. But the people who he's actually had coach under him, you know, Romeo Cornell, right, terrific defensive coordinator, wasn't a really good head coach in terms of the record. Josh McDaniels, we know what happened in Denver,

Bill O'Brien, Charlie Weiss. Like, Brian Flores is the guy that stands out in terms of Bill Belichick disciples. And I think he understands that his reputation is going to proceed. him in any room that he walks in. So I think Brian Flores understood the leverage play all the way. He doesn't strike me as a dude who doesn't know the layer of land. And he knew walking in there or how he's comported himself, hey, if you want to keep this thing going,

don't cut your nose off to spite your face. Understand that you put me in a position where I'm supposed to turn this team around. Understand that I am the football person in here. I know you pay the bills. But if you want to see that real championship glory, which is going to put more money into your coffers, then why would you do this? Like unless you have the guy in your head right now and ready to roll through a third party that you've already talked to, this is hustling backwards to me.

But why does it matter the guy even if you do got the guy? Well, if you have the guy and you think you have the person, then you could do whatever the hell you want to do. Just don't execute a plan without the plan in play. Like I don't know who are the dolphins out here being rumored to. That's the other thing too. How attractive is your gig? right like the Jacksonville jaguar sitting back like all right we got some pieces on defense and we got 16 back there right I just really don't even like thinking like that if I have a good head coach up in here why am I going to say oh if I could just get him

man I have a good head coach in here let me listen to this dude let me let him put his input in my right let him build his team the way he wants to build his team that's the same the way I felt about jack del Rio Jack Dill Rio got the Raiders 11 wins in the playoffs. You fire him bringing in Gruden. And I know, oh, that's my God. We've been searching for, the name of the game is to win and to put a good product out there. I'm speaking to the differences that Ryan was talking to in terms of the dysfunction between those two gentlemen or the coach and the executive committee. If there is that, then what I'm saying is you have to have someone in mind and in play.

It's the Barry Switzer rule, right? If you know when the confetti come down that this dude ain't going to be here no more, you got to have the next person in play. You got to have the next person in mind. And what I'm trying to say is the Miami Dolphers don't have that amount of cachet where it's like, oh, yeah, you fire Brian Flores? Man, people are going to be lining up down the street to get in the hard rock to coach that team. You got to play it in a different way.

You can't be too emotional. I think Stephen Ross or whoever made this final decision, it strikes me as a very emotional decision for business people. who have generated enough money to obtain an NFL team. It just doesn't strike me as a prudent decision, even financially. Let's not even speak to the football aspect of it. I feel that, you know, Brian Flores is immediately the number one head coaching candidate first. But secondly, like you said, Ross is probably, he walking down the street with his girl

and then looking the other way. That's exactly what he's doing. If this is the case, if he has somebody else in mind, because if he don't, I don't know who, obviously somebody going to take the job. But I don't know who, who, like, because they got picks. I mean, another coach is going to see an opportunity there, whether it be, you know, Patrick Graham or Matt Eberflus or Airbnb or any of these names that we mentioned.

I'm not saying none of them are better than Brian. I'm actually, you know, I think we're all on Brian Flores aside in terms of this situation. It's just you, you better have that next play in play. And if you take a look at this track record, this is going to be the seventh head coach now in 12 years. I mean, after a while, if everybody's the bad roommate,

it might just be you. You know? And then you got to look at your hiring practices, the questions that you're asking. It's all the questions that are being asked here. Miami right now is just sunny Chicago when it comes to football, right? Like you, the Mark

Tressments of the world and everybody after Lovie Smith that hasn't worked, you know, after a while, it ain't, it ain't the coaches, it ain't the players. culture gets thrown around as a buzzword and as a catchphrase far too often in athletics. But when it comes down to it, what are you defining? This is the Miami Dolvens culture. After two years, we're going to blame it on somebody else, and we're going to keep it moving.

Now, if you want to come in here and think that you are the rainmaker and turn everything around, God bless you. But in three years, your head going to be on a spike too. Like, this is just what it is. And I think some of these coaches come into and knowing that, I think Brian Flores saw that going 10 and 6 last year wasn't good enough. And then, of course, if you don't believe in Tuatanga Vialoa as your future at the quarterback position, yeah, you're going to start to bang the drum a little bit more in terms of, okay, I need personnel changes around this whole. I need to shop for everything since the quarterback was put on me, if that's what's really coming out of Miami right now. Because, I mean, I'm sure you guys have seen situations where the coach wasn't really behind the quarterback or wasn't behind a star player,

but you know you had to put all your efforts behind it because that's what the ownership group would like. you know, you get put in a tough position. You hire people and you delegate responsibility, and when you can't do that, that's what this looks like. They've won 19 games and having pretty much no business winning 19 games over the last two years. I think Brian Flores is sitting in a really, really good position, and I think Miami Dolphins fans are sitting in a really familiar position right now.

Who do y'all feel is the best spot for him to go? If you was him, if you could pick where you go, where you're going? What's your quarterback situation looking like, right? I mean, if you look at Vic Fangio on what he put together in Denver, I think Vic Fangio is a decent coach, right? But he never had his quarterback situation set up. Right now, right now,

whoever the young quarterback is or whatever your quarterback situation is, those are the best jobs. And then you fill in from there. Probably the Bears then. No. Nah. No.

As much as people should like Justin Fields, you ain't put it on tape this year. I think the hottest coaching vacancies right now is, Denver's up there And for me, Minnesota's up there You got a lot in play Because you have a lot in play

And for Minnesota, if you're a GM Our head coach that come in there And you believe in Kurt Cousins, okay, keep Kirk Couss around You can't cut them If you're head coach that come in there to Denver You really a quarterback away It is playmakers in Denver On the defensive side and the offensive side

So you really a free agent quarterback away from that I don't I'm not a big draft guy so I've been in a draft. I don't know if there's any big-time quarterbacks coming out. But, you know, it's going to be a lot of really good veteran quarterbacks out there on the block this year. If you're Brian Flores and you can look at Denver and say, you know what, give me this gig, go get Russell Wilson. We're going to win a Super Bowl in two years. I just don't even think they need a big-time one like that.

Really? Ryan Fitzpatrick? Can he win it? All right. Turn, turn Ryan Mike off. Turn Ryan's Mike off. But I don't even think they need a big-time one like that. But obviously, yeah, we don't know what's going to happen with Russ.

We don't know what's going to happen with Deshaun Watson. You know what I'm saying? Another wildfire. And you mess around and you get one. Yeah, you get one of those. You know what I'm saying? You're good. So I just think it's the Broncos and the Vikings to me because I feel like they got a lot in play.

But hopefully he lands somewhere, man. And wherever he land, he goes in there and make it clear what he tried to get. Hopefully, you know, Tunisia Wade and Lamar Campbell, who are who are the head of the player engagement and pretty much DEI task force here in Chicago. Hopefully they're looking at this thing and, you know, wrong, make the Lovie Smith wrong, right, you know, and bring in another defensive guy and hand the offense over to whoever they want to because, boy, I tell you all, you know, since it's Black Monday conversation, I'm going to get this out the way real quickly.

Yesterday it was one of the more embarrassing moments in Chicago sports history. And the way that George McCasky handled that press conference, you ever see like an easy layup, right? And you know a dude is going up, putting up way too much sauce on it. And you're like, oh, I hope he don't miss it. Oh, shit, he missed it. Like George McCasky walked up to the microphone on a Zoom call and he did everything wrong. He was non-committal to his franchise quarterback. There was a question asked if the new head coach coming in isn't a fan or doesn't believe fully in Justin Fields.

Does that disqualify him from the job? And he couldn't say yes, right? So if I'm Justin Fields and I'm sitting in the crib, I'm like, wait a minute. I got cracked ribs. I didn't play. How can you not say yes, man? I really don't understand that, man. They don't want to get people the job, man.

They don't want to force the job. It was a train wreck yesterday. But I'm saying, I think that should be clear as day. Whatever coach comes in here needs to make sure Justin Fields is right. We drafted number one draft pick. You traded up. You gave up this year's draft pick. Why can't you just say, man, we're going to try to build around this young fella.

The coach that comes in here will be strictly making sure that he can get Justin Fields right. Or if I'm bringing a defensive mind, coach, he better believe that we want him to bring in an offensive coordinator. believe is right for Justin Field. Couldn't say it. Bill Pollian will be helping out the search because the last two times, Ernie O'Corssey did it, so they figured they'd go get a dude who's even further out of football in Bill Pollyan. Bill Pollyan's book was referenced seven times yesterday during the press conference. So the McCaskys helped drive Bill Pollyan's book sales as well. These were the two things that struck me the most and leads me to believe that unless the bears get lucky, we are screwed.

as Bears fans for a long time. One thing was calling one of the most respected players in your team's history and in the city's history in Olin Croutts, a liar. Olin Croutts mentioned last week on local radio here that the Bears offered him $15 an hour to come in and be a consultant on the offensive line under Harry He stand.

Now, if you know Olin, and you played against Olin, James. I'm going to say $15 now, man. There's a man with six kids and has a five-time pro bowler. He's doing a hell of a job here in local media. They offered the man $15. He mentioned the story. George McCaskey said, Olin's been known to leave things out of stories.

He called him a liar, pretty much. And so what Olin did was Olin called Ryan Pace and Harry Heastan and say, hey, was I wrong about that offer? And both those gentlemen said, no, you're not. For an NFL team. Yeah, $15 an hour as a consultant. for consultants. Yeah, during training camp.

Is that minimum wage in Chicago? I think that's what the Bears is, Ryan. I don't know if it is in America. Like, and the worst part about yesterday was, and this is how you know how far removed a lot of these ownership groups are from reality or from the people that are walking around every day, unfortunately.

Jeff Dickerson, good buddy of mine, the dude I interned under actually, colleague passed away. He was a beat reporter for ESPN. He covered the Chicago Bears for 20 years. He passes away due to cancer. Three years prior, his wife passed away. So now they have an 11-year-old kid who is out here and has got a bunch of uncles in this city.

But I'm sure, you know, obviously he doesn't have his parents right now. He's going through it. George McCasky started his press conference referencing that kid and then flipped it to segue to chastise Bears fans. for booing Matt Negi and his kid at their high school football game. So not only did he step on every single wrong note during this press conference, he started it with something that was wholly unnecessary, right? Just say, God bless J.D. and his family, this is the first time we get a chance to talk about it and keep it moving.

So the McCaskies and the Bears overall, they find new and improved ways to botch press conferences there should be layups. And if I'm a head coach, I'm watching all of this because there were reports that Ryan Pace was being kicked up in getting a promotion with less power. Ted Phillips, a guy who is the money man here in Chicago, has way too much power and shouldn't have been on the Zoom call, and he was on a Zoom call.

So the bear situation is as bad as there is in the NFL right now in terms of ownership, not striking the right notes. and I don't look I don't see any different in Miami like cutting your nose off to spite your face yeah Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace had to go this was a layup and they they botched it they booted it black Monday when you when you know a coach is on the way out or you know changes are coming what's the tenor for you guys as you guys heading to an offseason well for me it goes two ways because if it's a coach that you really love and that you like because I've been on ball clubs to where we've had good coaches.

And you turn on the tape and you know you're losing games because of what you're doing. And, Ryan, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but what you're doing? You're like, damn, it's not the coach. It's us. You know what I'm saying? Like, everybody wants to say the officer coordinator ain't calling the plays. Right. The defense coordinator ain't calling the play.

But when we turn it on the tape, is JJ dropping the ball. When we turn on the tape, it's this player not winning on the route. When we turn on the tape, it's this player missing the block. That ain't nothing got to do with the coach. That's us losing the ball game. You know what I'm saying? So when you have a coach like that to where you're like, man, he's a hell of a coach, but we're not playing well right now as men.

You know what I'm saying? And they fire him. It's a dud in the locker room because it's like, dang, man, you kind of feel like, man, that's our fault. We got coach five. But in your situation, being a bearish man, where you're like, man, this boy, man, Nagy's sorry, boy. You know what I'm saying?

And you sitting in the locker room and you're like, well, yeah. Hey, don't trip. Don't trip, don't feel. This is glad. Hey, Justin had that face on all year long. Like, hey, man, I don't even, I really got to get used to this too much. Yeah, but even as a locker room, you know, like, hey, man, we're getting the new coach. So those don't hurt.

It's like, man, it's time for him to go anyway. We need a little bit of change around here, man. You know what I'm saying? Get him gone. You know what I'm saying? And I'm sure people liked him. I'm not saying Matt Nagy's a bad guy. You know what I mean?

No, not at all. But at the same time, you like, man, okay, shoot, he ain't getting the job done. It's time for him to go. So for me, I've been in locker rooms to where we've lost some good coaches. You know, by the way, we played on the football field. And I've been in some locker rooms, you know what I mean, to where I felt like, man, what in the world is going on? You know, the coach got to get this under control.

It's time for him to go. And Ryan's never been in that because the Pittsburgh Steelers never fire anyone. They've had three coaches to the eternity of the franchise. I was about to say, I don't know if I've been in the NFL long enough, but I was like, man, my coach was the same head coach the whole time. I only remember one position coach again let go that I liked. And it was Joey Porter, and it was kind of like a few things happened, you know, that kind of led up to him leaving.

You know, he got in trouble a few times. And, you know, not even trouble, but it was just like he was in altercations. And it was like, you can't keep being around altercations. Hey, what's up with your man, though? Hold on. What's up with your man, Mike Tomlin? getting into the Instagram live in the locker room dancing. How relaxed is it in Pittsburgh right now

is Mike Tomlin out there bopping in the Instagram live? Because he basically said, I told y'all. I told y'all we is going to make it. Y'all ain't believe me. I told y'all. And he's vibing too because he like, man, I ain't got to lose the season. I'm in the playoff. You know what I'm saying?

I'm playing with House's money now. They don't expect us to do much. Watch me win two games out here. And the NFL waited for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they're going to rue the day that they did. Boy, the Pittsburgh Steelers should have been out of here. They should have been out of here, right out here doing celebratory dances on a 9, 7, and one season.

Hey, no, you know what's so crazy is I was watching the game. So I'm watching the game. I'm like, man, we're over here tripping. And then I'm seeing Jacksonville's up 20. I'm like, oh, oh, I'm like, we got a chance. But the thing is, I think Coach Tomlin, He understood, like, the hand he was dealt with this team. You know, he understand this.

Like, the team was good, but he has a lot of injuries, and we're not the best team. But one of the things my little brother said this yesterday, he said, Brian Flores is a great coach. But Miami Dolphins, they're going to beat the bad teams, but they weren't really beating the good teams, right? He was like, the one thing about the Steelers is that they can still beat good teams. He was like that.

And the thing is, I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen versus Chiefs. We saw what happened last time. I don't know if we're going to win. I'm a Steelers fan. I love us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can stop playing these games now, right?

Any given Sunday. But this is what I said, I was like, any given Sunday. Hey, no, but the thing is, if they messed us up against anybody else, we could have won anybody else. But, hey, you know, but, you know, things like that happen, you know.

And you came. And you can't be choosy when you're coming through the back, though. No, you're right. You're right. You're right. For sure. No, but Coach Tomlin, he's a, he's a players coach. And, like, he's a dude that when he's not at a facility,

you feel that you can, you feel comfortable being around them when it's not just football. You know, so in that situation, everybody was like, man, we just got to go out here and try to win it. Hey, see, we get help from Jacksonville and just hope nobody tired. It is. That happens. So he was like, I'm turn. Hey, we're here. Ladies gentlemen, Ryan, Ryan Shazir just described the entire NFL season just now.

Hey, they getting beat by Jacksonville. We may have a chance. Like, that was the whole league this year. That was the whole league. Like, look at the Chiefs. We, we threw dirt on the Chiefs in the first six weeks of the season. They defense one of the worst in the league. They can't stop anybody.

Patrick Mahomes then turned into, you know, Jason Campbell, apparently. Like, it was getting. real weird out here and look at the NFL now. Look at, like, look at these playoff matchups. Three weeks ago, I was like, hey, so what the 49ers going to do, man? Jimmy G. Thumb is all messed up. They get upset Dallas, too. 49ers can upset anybody in them playoffs, and that's including Packers.

I'm for real. The 49ers ain't, 49ers ain't nothing to play with. To be honest with you, I was watching that Rams game. Like, come on Rams. I don't want the Niners in. Debo Samuels, he's... Keep them over there, man. Keep them in the big area, man.

So we can talk about it now, right? right? You know, AR, Chris, these boys been breaking their elbows, patting themselves on the back all year long with this Rams team. I say at Green Bay. No, no, no, no. Talk about y'all Rams. Keep that same energy y'all had the first two months of the season about your Rams right now. Give me the Rams hot take. The only reason why I don't got the same energy. And when you brought that up right now, because I was with the Rams, Von going to come on. Ah, ah, ain't nobody going to score a point. They're going to score. a 45 at game.

Odell looking fresh. Obviously Cooper Cup balling. They get Camakers back. They're going to be able to run it. So only Michelle looking good. But the equalizer in this all right now. Number nine. And I really don't know how you can get it fixed right now.

But he got to stop turning the game ball over, man. Like straight up, like he needs to approach the games like that. I have a big time defense. It is okay to punt, man. I don't have to try to go out here and make every throw because they came and traded for me. We know you can throw the football with the best of a man, but you've got to take care of the ball.

Yeah. Straight up, he got to take care of the football, man. These last, over this three, four game span, and yeah, the defense doesn't help him out and ain't unfound ways to win the games, except this last one against the Niners, but he got to stop turning the football over. He turned the football over.

three times back-to-back weeks against the Vikings and the Ravens, and the defense building Mountain was able to win the ball game. But he got to stop turning the ball over because that ain't going to work in the playoffs. And it definitely ain't going to work if you turn that football over against the card. It ain't going to work. So that's the only reason that I'm not super excited. If he go out there against the Cardinals and he play lights out, and when I say lights out, I don't mean throw for 500.

I mean not turn the football over, take care of the football. Then I'll be right back on this team's barren wagon. You know what I'm saying? But I got to see it from Matthew Stafford, man. Yeah, I got the Cardinals winning that one. The Eagles and Buccaneers. That's what made the good one. People jumping off the Buccaneers ship a little bit here, right?

At the end of the season, obviously, with the Antonio Brown situation. Chris Godwin is out. They got a lot of injuries that banged up on the defensive side of the football. Eagles got a bunch of points put on their head in the final week of the season. Jalen Hertz, you know, people are Hemming and Hong going back and forth on him. All I've seen Jalen Hurds do is play to his capabilities. And, you know, he's put them in a position where I don't think they thought they would be. The Carson Wynch's trade is worked out for them, right, and the picks that they've gotten.

But I don't know if the Eagles are ready for this level of prime time yet, but what do you think about the Buccaneers and Eagles match up? I think it's a game that Tampa's Day is going to win. But if Tampa Bay messes around and start it off slow, I think that Jalen Hertz and this team, can do enough to win, but I think Tampa Bay is going to win it. They have a solid running game. Whenever you have a solid running game, you have a really good chance of winning any game you win. You can have a really bad team,

but if you have a really solid run game, that means the other team can't stop you. And as long as the Eagles can control the clock, keep the ball out of time, Brady's hands, and don't turn the ball over, this can be a really, this game can be a lot more exciting and a lot closer than we think it can be. It is going to be a lot closer than we expect.

Number one, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense ain't been playing well. Number two, the run game and the Eagles defense been playing lights out. That's what people are there. I know Jailen Hurts and these quarterbacks when you want to win streak, the quarterback to get all the fame and all the pub and all that type stuff. You're losing to come down on the quarterback's head. That's why they make the most money. I understand all that.

But this defense for the Eagles has been playing lights out. You are not going to come in and play the Eagles. Well, the Eagles going in to Tampa. You are not going to come out and just beat them with Mike Evans. You're not. And I know Rob Grancowski out there and all that, but this ain't the Carolina Panthers. You know what I'm saying?

The Carolina Panthers is all ready. Tickets already booked to Cabo, Ryan. We already know how that go. They was checked out. They like, they like Tampa Bay. Y'all go get all y'all send us. Who need it? Tell us before the game.

Who need their running back need it? Grant needed. The boys doing the exit meeting by pool. Yeah, we go. They're like, we're here to help. What you need? You know what I mean? We're here to help.

I mean, one point five for you, 500 for you. All right, cool. But these Eagles, man, these Eagles, I'm telling you, they're confident. They've been winning close games. They've been scratching and clawing. And number one, they like the Pittsburgh Steelers. They play it with House's money. Ain't nobody expecting them to win this game.

You know what I'm saying? They play with House's money. Nobody, shoot, like you said, three weeks ago, we was like, man, is the Eagles going to have the first pick? Jacksonville. We, you know what I'm saying? And then the Eagles come out here and they running through everybody. You know what I'm saying?

You know, just a couple weeks back, the Eagles fans was booing yelling and running the ball because he was throwing the ball so much. They didn't flip this thing around. So I think this game is going to be a lot closer than a lot of people think, and I would not be surprised if Jalen Hertz and them came off their upset Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers strictly of how well they're playing, man. They are playing well.

Okay. And these last three games at the end of the season, Tampa Bay has played, boy, two of them against the Panthers. Been clunky. And I played the Panthers with, you know, rotating three quarterbacks. Speaking of quarterbacks, I dare Bill Belichick to run the ball 55 times and throw it two or three times in this playoff matchup. The Bills and the Patriots. Y'all have been riding the Rams all year long. I'm not jumping off the Bills train.

I don't care if they don't have any run plays in a play book. I don't, I don't care. They actually been running in bed or no. They have the last couple weeks, but you know, yeah, I'm not I'm not, I'm not, I'm not stunting that. It's going to be on Josh. Hey, Josh Allen versus Mac Jones. That's how I look at it. I know Sean McDermott versus Bill Belichick is one that leans to the pat side of things.

And Sean McDermott is actually a really, really good coach. But Josh Allen, I don't see him getting beat in this situation at the crib by a team that embarrassed them the last time they saw him because of the conditions. where you guys think is going to happen, Bill's Patriots. I'm not lying. I'm about to look up the weather channel right now. They play on Saturday. It should be a high of nine, real field, negative eight, a lower three. Negative eight?

So what that mean? What's you going to, what's you saying? That means you ain't, you ain't, you had to run the ball. You're reading the ball. Hey, James, no, he ain't catching, he don't like catching no negative eight degree ball. Hey. It's crazy you say that because I was just talking to one of my parents, to one of my parents that I, that I, uh, one of his kids play on my team.

And I said, man, them cold, cold games, man, you know, as a receiver, you know, in the, in the sunshine, you ain't never come up. You could come back to the huddle. It'd be three people on you. Hey, Rob, be like, JJ, how was you? Wide open. Go that thing over there. And in the cold, I'd be wide open.

He's like, how I look. Not good, bro. Hey, don't throw it over here, fam. It's a team meeting. Well, man, it's just something about this game, man. Like, it's been a couple of times in my career to where I played a team three times in one season. That's hard, man.

Like, especially if it's in the division. You know what I mean? It happened to us with the Bears when we squeaked that, you know, one out in the in Chicago to get to the Super Bowl. But it's tough, man. Like, I know division games already ain't no surprises, but things. playing a division opponent three times in one season, man, it, it's hard. And I think the main thing to win those games when you're playing somebody three times

is you can't do the stupid stuff. The pre-snap penalties. You know what I'm saying? You can't have that. You've got to play a clean game. Obviously, the turnovers and take away. You cannot turn the football over. You know what I'm saying?

It is no surprises. You know exactly where Buffalo going with the ball. You know exactly where how Buffalo's scheming. You know exactly what's coming. You know what I'm saying? So I think the team that wins this game, especially in the coach, all just said negative 13,

whatever it might be out there, it got to be the takeaways and it got to be the penalties. And I think the team that does the best with that is going to find themselves with the chance to win this game right here. But this ain't going to be no runaway game. This is going to be a straight dog fight.

Okay, before we get to what Ryan Shazir has to say, your man, Joe Burrow, against your Raiders. This is going to be an interesting affair. I think this might be the most exciting game of the weekend, to be honest with you. So what you got? Well, he called a boy Jojo, Jojo. Yeah, Jojo Burrell.

Jojo Burrow. This going to be good, man. And the reason why I say it's going to be really good is because my boy Derek Carr going to come out and play ball. But the Raiders defense is the reason why they've been on this streak that they own, winning a lot of these close games. And I know D.C. made some throws at the end and all that. But they defense over their streak to get them into the playoffs have been making noise, especially the D-line, Ryan. Max Crosby and Gokwe, all them boys coming after you getting to the passing.

I think that is going to be the equalizer. If they can get after Joe Burrow and get him off the spot and get him off rhythm and not be able to throw to the best trio wide receivers in the National Football League, Tyler Boy, Chase, T. Higgins. They're going to be all right. They're going to be all right. And the Raiders, I'm telling you right now,

they don't think they could be beat by nobody. They were supposed to be beat by the Colts, not happening. You know what I'm saying? They were supposed to be beat by the Chargers, not happen. I forget who they beat the week before. But they on a three-game streak, they think that they can't be beat right now, man. But if they could get Joe Burrow off the spot,

you know, and get some pressure on them, I think they got a chance to win this game. Hey, man. This is going to be a good one. The Raiders have been through a lot this season. So, you know, in terms of resiliency, in terms of adversity, it is what it is. Oh, we got a little Shazir in the building, do we? Look at my God. It's time to play with that fire truck.

So before. No, no, no. This is the best content we got out to Shazir household all season long. Right there. I'm going to say, put batteries up in that thing. Before we get up out of here, Rye, I know you want to say something. You know, your Pittsburgh Steelers are filling that playoff glory once again. You've been visiting the Heinz Field quite often.

You damn near the mayor of Heinzville. Every time I look at on the Instagram, I see you on there. So what you want to say to the Steel Curtain and all the people listening? And, of course, one very important person listening right now. Hey, so first of all, hey, Steelers Nation, I know it's going to be questionable this week. I think we're going to get the dub. You know, hey, I think we're going to get the dub. I don't care what nobody say.

I'm biased. Hey, James, you see them, you see them, you see them, the Steelers, black and gold pajamas he's wearing right now, boy? No, but I want to, I want to, first by saying, I want to apologize to a friend of mine, his name Ben Robertsberger. And the reason I say that is because through my whole, through my whole, you know, adversity, Ben had my back. You know, he always been a friend of mine.

He always had my side. And he never taught. down or never said I shouldn't play the game again even if he felt that way. And then, you know, as a friend, sometimes if you feel a certain way, you tell the man, you tell the man themselves before you talking about it out loud. And the one thing I didn't do, I didn't tell Ben how I felt I just said it. And I think as a man, you should tell your friends how you feel and apologize. So I did apologize to Ben separately.

But I do want to also say, man, I'm sorry. you have my back as a friend and you supported my dreams as long as I played and as I'll continue to want to play and I should be doing the same thing for you even though you know this might be coming to an end soon but you know you were one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play

I appreciate your friendship I appreciate you know being your teammate and I just wanted to apologize for some of the things I said earlier because you know as a friend I should tell you how I feel and just not speak it out And I know Aaron would support the same thing if James did it too, you know. So I just want to say as a friend, he had my back and I wanted to just apologize and say thank you for having my back and I got choice too.

There it is. Don't be too hard on yourself. You survey in the scene. That's all it is. You know what I mean? No, but you at least tell him how you feel before you do it. And real friends keep it real too. It ain't like you're trying to bash him, you know what I'm saying?

But it's just like, shoot, if Aaron was stinking it up, Hey, bro. But he's not, Ben really not stinging it, he's not stinging it up, though. He's not stinging it up. Because if you really, if you really look at it, he having a pretty good season. He having a decent season. He's not having a 5,000 yard season, but you having a good season. Oh, here we go.

See, now we're going to have to get back into this conversation. That's what it got us here. I'm not saying he's Trevor Lawrence or nothing like that, stinking it up like that. You know what I'm saying? But I'm just saying he's not up there with the, with the elite. quarterbacks. That's all of them. That's, that's all I'm saying. You know what I'm saying? And that's, and that's, and what I'm saying is, that's all you was pointed out. And they know shot at Ben and all that. You played with Ben when Ben was, was in his prime doing his thing. Now what you see is what you see. He's declined. He's at the end of his career. He's at the end of his

You know what I'm saying? Because that's your friend. I would do the same with 12. Hey, I'm going to go talk bad or you on TV just to let you know. No. No, I'll play with y'all. No, respect, bro. But just all I'm saying is, a Jojo Burrow, by the end of the Raiders, all these Raiders stuff. And I want to see you with some Cincinnati getting next week because just know y'all giving them

their first winning the playoffs in a very, very, very long time. This Raider Nation going on, boy. And so he'll be wearing green next week, watch. You already know that's a given because we ought to buy, too. I'm coming. There it is. There it is. We didn't get a chance to get to the Giants situation.

It's a mess. And frankly, you do a quarterback sneak on third and nine. You shouldn't even be on the pod. He needs to be gold. Big facts. Yeah, that'll wrap it up. Giants fans. I hope you enjoyed your little pocket of conversations just now.

Next up on the Ringer NFL show is the Wednesday show with Kevin Clark, Nora, and Mallory Rubin. We'll be back next Tuesday, reacting to the moment. Monday night wild card game. We got super wild card games for the first time in NFL history. So looking forward to that. You can check out the full goal with me, Jason Gough, every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night on Spotify,

wherever you get your podcast. Engineering credit goes to Chris Sutton on this episode with production supervision from Arjuna and Ram Gapal for my man, Ryan Shazir, my guy, James Jones. We thank you so much for listening to us. I'm Jason Gough. This has been the Tuesday edition of the Ringer NFL show. As always, y'all.

take care of each other and be safe.