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NFL 2025 | Week 14 Recap | Banter with the Boys - Gridiron Updates · Banter with the Boys

0:00
Get laced up! Let's go! What up, football fans?
0:15
Welcome back to Gridiron Updates on Banter of
0:19
the Boys. I'm Rob Slutton. Today in the house,
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we got Justin and we got Kevin behind the camera.
0:25
We got some MVP talk for the race, a little playoff
0:28
chaos, a couple hot takes. So buckle up. It's
0:31
going to be a wild ride. Let's roll. We're back
0:41
here at Football Talk. Justin in the house. Kevin
0:44
doing the sound and video back there. Thank you,
0:47
sir. Welcome back, Justin. How are you feeling?
0:50
Feeling great. Thanks for having me again, Rob.
0:52
Packers coming off a nice win, so it's always
0:55
got to feel good with one of our, if you're a
0:58
second Packer fan, and I think that's been on
1:00
the show consistently, but Justin's kind of taken
1:03
over this year. Let's get right into the first
1:06
game, Vikings and Commanders. Nine came a little
1:12
alive today. 31 -0 ripped. What was your take
1:16
on this game here, Justin, as a Packer fan? They
1:19
cut nine loose. I'm a little biased when it comes
1:21
to nine. Cheering for Big Blue in Michigan. Exciting
1:27
to see him do his thing, and I think what everyone
1:30
in Viking land has wanted him to do, they finally
1:33
did. They modified the playbook. They kept it
1:36
simple for him, and that's what he does best,
1:38
like just get the ball to your playmakers and
1:40
let them do their thing, and the defense came
1:42
alive. It was really fun to see. I think the
1:45
biggest thing that probably frustrates Vikings
1:46
fans is when they're not playing well. They get
1:49
talked about, and when they're playing well,
1:51
they get talked down to like, oh, it's just the
1:53
commanders. No, this was a really, really good
1:55
win, especially coming off of the shutout in
1:58
Seattle to respond in this way. It was really
2:01
good to see. I think the biggest winner of it
2:02
all was the coach. The fact that he has the locker
2:04
room still and could do something like that,
2:06
that was huge all around. It was good. Good overall
2:09
team win. I feel like the defense were dominant.
2:13
They ended up knocking out Daniels. I don't know,
2:15
third. I was at the game. That fourth down stop
2:19
on their first possession really kind of tame.
2:22
And then we went on that 98 -19 play, 12 -minute
2:26
drive. And JJ9 had a really nice scramble on
2:30
third down that got that drive going. And after
2:33
that, it just kind of rolled the Vikings way.
2:35
The ball started bouncing. And that's just the
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way the game goes. You know, you start getting
2:39
that mo -mo going, as Mr. Cole Schmelz, he would
2:42
like to say. And, yeah, it was a good win for
2:44
us. I'm definitely outside looking in. Playoffs
2:48
probably still. We'd need a lot of things to
2:51
go our way, but we're not mathematically outward.
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The 11th, I just looked earlier today. You'd
2:56
say there's still a chance. There's a chip in
2:58
a chair. There it is. We'll get that out of the
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way real quick. So Vikings move on to being 5
3:04
-8. Commanders are eliminated. Do you think Daniels
3:09
even plays anymore the rest of the season? I
3:11
say no, but with that coach making the decisions
3:13
he does, it wouldn't surprise me if he does.
3:16
I don't know why he was in that game after the
3:18
terrible injury he just came back from, and the
3:20
fact that he didn't have more damage to that
3:24
elbow is a miracle. The fact that they put him
3:26
in that game was crazy because, of course, what's
3:28
going to happen? Your arm's going to get hit.
3:30
Yeah, yeah. And so it was smart they took him
3:31
out when they did. It sounds like he still has
3:33
more damage. If he's available to play, I get
3:36
nervous for his safety that Dan Quinn puts him
3:38
back in. Yeah, Redskins coming off the NFC Championship
3:42
game, and they're like that team at the beginning
3:45
of the year that you're projecting, you know,
3:46
to continue getting better, and they've kind
3:49
of fallen off the cliff. They spent a ton of
3:51
money in the offseason on a bunch of free agents,
3:53
you know, Debo Samuels, a couple guys on defense,
3:56
and it doesn't look like it's going to turn to
3:58
the net, and Zach Ertz with that bad injury.
4:01
Devastating. Clean hit, you know, it's NFL, things
4:03
move fast. I did like that Ward dipped out of
4:07
the stadium ASAP. straight to the hospital to
4:09
check on him. That's some good sportsmanship
4:12
there. Yeah, that was really good. Where are
4:14
we at, Kevin, here? A minute. A minute to go.
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Vikings 131, not much more else to talk about.
4:21
Although that was the first game with the O -line
4:23
intact, wasn't it? It was. You look at the run
4:26
game, you look at what Jones did, you look at
4:28
what Mason did. They finally got them going in
4:30
what you wanted to see the run game. be and do
4:33
along with JJ. It was great. And I think the
4:36
secret sauce on the other side is the week before
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against Denver. Scary Terry went off and had
4:43
a huge game. The Vikings bottled him up to, I
4:45
think, 41, 42 yards. I know, three for 40 to
4:47
four. I started him in fantasy, too. It absolutely
4:51
hurt me, but I still got the dub. But, yeah,
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I completely agree with you. The first time we've
4:55
had all five starters back, and you saw that
4:57
we were a little more effective. I think buck
5:01
60 -ish I think we ran for overall. But, yeah,
5:05
any other takes you saw from that game? No, just
5:09
all around good work. Good momentum going into
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an important game this week that I know we'll
5:14
talk about here in a little bit. Yep, yep. It's
5:15
coming on the next preview show. So we'll move
5:19
on to the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Baltimore
5:23
Ravens. I know I want Ravens on this one. Pittsburgh
5:28
just kind of held them off. Rogers had a decent
5:33
enough day. Gainwell continues to be a little
5:37
spark for them. Pittsburgh's defense, like every
5:41
other week, they show up and they don't show
5:43
up. But they got the win, Pittsburgh, so now
5:46
I think they took over first place in that division.
5:49
What were kind of your takes and thoughts watching
5:51
that game? Yeah, it was the classic. Pittsburgh
5:54
game, right? Really gritty, ugly when you look
5:56
at it from a stat line standpoint. The defense
5:59
keeps them in games. This is the magic of an
6:01
older Aaron Rodgers, keeping them just enough
6:03
in games. He turned back the clock a little bit.
6:06
He hadn't had a rushing touchdown since 2021.
6:08
So to see him get the wheels moving, that was
6:11
great. Discount double check. We got a little
6:14
bit of a discount double check. So exciting.
6:16
They had the coach doing it on the sideline.
6:18
That was great. No, but to your point with Gainwell,
6:21
he didn't pop on the stat line. it was meaningful.
6:24
Like it was, you know, it was down conversions.
6:28
It was a touchdown. Like, like that was big.
6:31
I think what impressed me the most is Rogers.
6:34
I don't know if he's had a game like that passing
6:36
with Pittsburgh. So that was really good to see.
6:40
It looks like Lamar Jackson's just getting the
6:42
traction, but I think the, I think the scary
6:44
thing, if you're a Ravens fan, is it too late?
6:47
Are they going to be able to put it all together
6:49
with some of the injuries they've had, what Lamar's
6:51
been going through? It feels like it's just starting
6:54
to click. It might click at the right time, but
6:55
it might put them in a really tough spot where
6:58
they're on the outside looking in as well. Yeah,
7:00
because I don't think we really know where his
7:01
toe is at. What pain level is he playing at right
7:06
now? Lucky for the Ravens, they're in the AFC.
7:10
Because you look at the NFC, you need at least
7:13
nine wins to be in the hunt right now. have that
7:17
going for him four games left um good battle
7:20
overall um oh excuse me um Lamar yeah he he did
7:30
Do we impress? He did finally get a first rushing
7:32
touchdown. Did you see the opening play that
7:34
Rodgers did to Metcalf, throwing a deep? Yeah.
7:37
So that got that pass game going starting. So
7:40
that was a 52 -yarder, and then he had also another
7:43
41 -yarder. Yeah, that was as long of the day.
7:45
He had 148 yards. I'm surprised he didn't get
7:47
in the end zone, though, but he got them down
7:50
there quite. Quite a few times. I think the thing
7:52
that surprised me about the Ravens was you look
7:56
at who they were last year, you knew when they
7:58
were going to run, and you couldn't stop Derrick
7:59
Henry, I think because of the threat of Lamar
8:01
either throwing or running. And now because of
8:05
the toe injury, he's not running as much as he
8:08
was. So you know when they're looking like they're
8:10
going to run, you can stop Henry. And a lot of
8:12
teams are starting to figure that out, and I
8:13
think it's making them. one -dimensional yeah
8:15
that rpo's kind of disappeared you know it's
8:18
not as a threat i mean i could almost say that
8:20
with the eagles too right now absolutely you
8:22
know like they used to run it as more of a threat
8:24
but now it seems to be a little more pass happy
8:26
um that did move the steelers to seven and six
8:29
ravens dropped down to six and seven playoff
8:32
trance uh chances dropped from 69 to 38 for you
8:37
math nerds out there um steelers did lose a couple
8:41
guys got banged i mean it was a Good classic
8:44
division game. They got banged up a little bit
8:47
on the defensive side. But let's move on to another
8:53
defensive battle, we'll call it. The Los Angeles
8:58
Chargers, Monday night football against the Philadelphia
9:01
Eagles. Chargers come off top 22 -19 overtime.
9:08
Really interesting game. Some really interesting
9:10
points. Oh, Kevin, will you throw out those top
9:13
15 plays? I think one of the plays we're talking
9:15
is in there. Oh, I can't see it. There it is.
9:23
Four interceptions out of hers. And the fumble.
9:27
Did you see the play where he threw the pick?
9:30
Yeah. Mark McCain punched it. how do you lose
9:33
four fantasy points off of one play? Let's just
9:36
start there. That was crazy, and it was funny
9:38
because we're starting to get our daughter into
9:40
football, and one of the ways you do that is
9:41
through the Monsters, Inc. telecast. So we had
9:45
it on ESPN on one TV. We had it on Disney Plus
9:47
on the other, and they show Sully intercepted
9:50
the ball. Oh, Sully fumbles it. Mike Wazowski
9:53
has it. Mike fumbles it. It was chaos, and we
9:55
watched the whole thing. The funniest thing for
9:57
anyone that hasn't done it yet is go watch a
10:00
YouTube video of the referee. Explaining what
10:02
just happened, and it takes five minutes. It's
10:04
crazy. But just a really messy game. It didn't
10:08
look like it was going to be messy for most of
10:10
it. And then what you could tell is when the
10:13
Chargers put any pressure and collapsed the pocket,
10:16
Jalen Hurts does what he gets the bad rap for.
10:21
touted so much this year and last year for being
10:24
really careful with the ball not turning it over
10:26
just being really methodical when when he makes
10:29
big time plays makes big time drives to win these
10:32
big time games And now you look at what's happening
10:34
this year, and it's so different. Part of it
10:36
is with, you know, they say it's the OC. Part
10:38
of it's with the line being injured. That goes
10:41
to Saquon. But you look at the game Saquon had
10:44
yesterday. You look at the game A .J. Brown had
10:46
yesterday. A .J. Brown had 100 yards. Saquon
10:50
had a massive game as well with a touchdown,
10:52
and they still can't figure it out. If you're
10:55
an Eagles fan at this point, I would imagine
10:56
you give Jalen Hurts all the credit. for what
11:01
he's done he's brought a super bowl back to the
11:03
city but i don't know if you trust him this year
11:06
like that was a really bad game he he threw in
11:08
one game as many interceptions or more than some
11:11
of the top most elite quarterbacks have for the
11:13
whole season it's really scary Yeah, it was,
11:16
you know, eight turnovers is what I'm, you know.
11:20
Just turnovers is absolutely what's killing it
11:23
right now. And I've been noticing a lot of interceptions
11:26
that Hurst is. It's that D tackle getting in
11:29
his face pressure. Because he doesn't seem to
11:32
be, when he gets outside of the pocket, being
11:34
as effective as he was in the past. I've been
11:37
noticing that. Like, even on the OT play. I mean,
11:40
the cornerback had a nice play to get his hand
11:43
on it. Because right there, before that play,
11:47
I'm like, the Eagles are going to win this game
11:49
right there. That looked like a touchdown. I
11:50
think it was like a first down play, actually.
11:53
So very interesting game. Barkley did come out
11:56
of it. Like you're saying on that aspect, I did
11:59
look at the stat line, too. Other than A .J.
12:02
Brown, nobody else did anything. I think Smith
12:04
had a couple yards in OT that kind of changed
12:07
his stat line. But in those first four quarters.
12:10
But Chargers just getting it done. I mean, they're
12:13
just an ugly. Get it done. We were talking about
12:17
both tackles gone. Two of your starting running
12:21
backs gone. And then you got your quarterback
12:24
with a broken wrist. And I say he was stiff on
12:28
people on that. So, yeah, you talked about Lane
12:33
Johnson being hurt for the Eagles. And actually,
12:36
it looks like Carter in the middle for the Eagles
12:38
being gone is also really huge and hurting them.
12:44
That's three losses in a row now for the Eagles.
12:47
Look out, Dallas. Just creeping around, staying
12:51
enough there where they got a chance. So that's
12:53
why I think the NFL didn't flex the Vikings -Cowboys
12:56
game, which we'll be talking about here in the
12:57
episode out of the Sunday night game. Yeah. The
13:02
only other thing I'd add from the Chargers game
13:04
is I go back the last couple years to what Michigan
13:07
was when Harbaugh was the coach, and Jesse Minter
13:11
was the DC for him at Michigan, and you see a
13:15
lot of that intensity, a lot of that. Getting
13:18
after the passer, getting after whoever has the
13:20
ball and trying to take it away that you saw
13:22
in Michigan during their championship run. You
13:25
see it here. So even when the offense can't do
13:28
it for obvious reasons with what Herbert's going
13:30
through, you can count on that defense. I would
13:32
not want to play that Chargers team right now
13:34
down the stretch. Yeah, I mean, they're just
13:36
getting hot at the right time, but they play
13:38
in a tough division right now. And I think they
13:41
might have the Chiefs left and all the rest of
13:44
those division games. So it's going to be fun.
13:47
There's so many good matchups throughout this.
13:52
Injuries, I think the Eagles, which way are they
13:53
going to go now? and five you know there's no
13:58
one other than the Cowboys they might be like
14:00
Tampa Bay is in that division two with Carolina
14:03
seven and six you have to win your division to
14:07
make the playoffs in the east and the south probably
14:10
absolutely yeah especially with what you said
14:12
with some of these teams looking out and you
14:14
look at Chicago and they drop from first and
14:16
ninth after losing to Green Bay like smooth they're
14:21
at nine wins right now and Nine wins might not
14:24
be enough. You look back years ago on what the
14:26
NFC was, it was enough. It was almost enough
14:28
to lock something up. So I'd be nervous if I
14:33
was the Eagles right now as far as who you are
14:35
and what you're going to do and who's around
14:37
you that could take over. Yeah, they got to turn
14:40
around. Three -game loss from the Super Bowl
14:42
champions. But let's move on to the game you
14:47
really came here to talk about, the Green Bay
14:51
Packers. Go into Chicago and win 28 -21. Packers
14:57
kind of took the lead on that late interception
15:00
to kind of win it. Love's kind of on a little
15:03
hot streak right now. Him and Christian Watson.
15:05
I think we've been talking about this the last
15:06
couple of weeks. Watson starting to come in looking
15:09
like the number one. Jacobs had a decent game.
15:12
Finally got rolling. But it was a good game by
15:17
the Bears, too. Really good. Caleb Williams is
15:20
starting to definitely look like he's belonging
15:23
in this league. That matchup with him and new
15:27
coach Ben Johnson seems to be fitting. Tough
15:31
way to lose on that interception. I get it. You're
15:36
trying to put touch on it. And you want your
15:38
receiver to go up and compete for the ball. But
15:41
a little short. I get it. It happens. But hell
15:44
of a game. Congratulations, Packers, improved
15:47
to 9 -3 -1. Huge win. How are you feeling over
15:49
about this game and moving forward? Feeling good.
15:52
They could have made it a little easier. I think
15:55
a lot of people talk about the 17 -play drive
15:57
that just kept going, that gashed the defense.
16:01
Our defense didn't do them any favors. Keyshawn
16:04
Nixon, number 25, gave up two 15 -yard penalties
16:07
that would have stopped that drive if those hadn't
16:10
taken place. But had the big pick at the end
16:11
of the game. He had the pick to take over for
16:13
it. Totally redeemed yourself. Ideally shouldn't
16:15
have been in that situation in the first place,
16:17
but it shows who the Bears are. It shows what
16:19
Ben Johnson's doing. He's got a great squad over
16:22
there. I just loved it for all of the Bears fans
16:25
that were chirping at being 1 -0 in Lambeau for
16:28
this year, and it's Caleb's house now. It was
16:31
great to reassert that dominance and make sure
16:34
you take care of home, especially what the Packers
16:37
have done this year is losing two games at home.
16:40
You weren't sure what was going to happen, but
16:42
thank God for Jordan Alexander Love and Toyotathon.
16:48
His numbers in Toyotathon, if you haven't looked
16:50
at it, are absolutely massive. He's had two or
16:55
three interceptions. He's had 20 -some touchdowns.
16:58
It's insane. and every Packer fan wants Toyota
17:02
to put this promotion on throughout the whole
17:04
football season so that he can keep rolling.
17:07
But it's been fun. Don't go to the well too many
17:09
times. Don't cry out. It's been fun. Christian
17:13
Watson is on a heater. Last two games, he has
17:15
five touchdowns. I think for all the talk of
17:18
you don't have a number one, I think he's finally
17:20
emerging as that number one. You get Jaden Reed
17:23
back. They got him involved right away. That
17:25
was a difference maker. And they freaking ran
17:27
the rock in the right way. They had 20. rushes
17:30
for, I think, 80 -some yards with Josh Jacobs.
17:32
So it was really good. Now they have to go in
17:35
about what? nine or ten days and go do it again
17:38
in chicago so that'll be an interesting one yeah
17:40
i mean i like how the nfl set up the schedule
17:43
where they really compile yeah i think it's at
17:46
least three division games to finish up and i
17:49
think it's one of each isn't it if i believe
17:51
or no they double them up a couple of them yeah
17:53
we i think if they feel like they're going to
17:55
be the contenders they say they double them up
17:57
towards the end uh because we opened the vikings
18:00
against the bears you know yeah that's right
18:02
so i think they do maybe a division game week
18:04
one then kick them all to the back So very good
18:08
job at the NFL schedule makers. I feel like it
18:11
just the end of the year is became more competitive
18:15
and so many games count and we're all glued to
18:19
our TV and hopefully to gridiron updates. Listen
18:22
to all us jabbering about some stuff that we
18:25
think we know about. So any other last takes
18:29
with the Packers moving forward? I mean, this
18:31
puts them in. number one seed? They're the second
18:35
seed. The West owns it, Rams. Rams have the first.
18:38
This is second, but they've got a tough little
18:40
stretch coming up. They have to go into Denver.
18:42
11 win Denver. I think 10 in a row. 9 or 10 in
18:46
a row. Go play them. You feel mixed about that
18:50
game. You feel good on some regards, but then
18:52
you also know who Denver is on the road. That's
18:55
going to be a tough game. Then you go to Chicago.
18:58
You host the Ravens. Then you go to Minnesota.
19:01
Three out of your last four are on the road.
19:02
It'll tell you a lot about the team. I think
19:05
you feel good about your playoff chances, but
19:08
there's still a lot to prove to go get that North
19:10
title. So you think 2 -2 there in the playoffs,
19:12
that would put them at 11 -5 -1? Yeah, I think
19:15
they're in. I think they have to win at least
19:17
two. I think at least two. So maybe that bye
19:20
will come back to help them against the Bears
19:22
in the overall aspect where typically it hurts
19:25
you. All right, let's move on to the final game.
19:31
Jackson Jaguars against Indianapolis Colts. Daniel's
19:38
going down with a torn Achilles. Was that second
19:43
quarter? Yeah, that was really early. He had
19:46
only thrown the ball a handful of times. And
19:50
I think you looked at that game and you knew
19:51
it was going to be tough. You know, Jacksonville
19:53
has a tough defense. It's not going to be the
19:55
typical indie offense. But to just see how it
19:58
happened, see the frustration that he showed,
20:00
it was tough to see. And, you know, it impacts
20:04
the culture. A month ago, and we're talking about
20:07
them being the number one seed in the AFC, straight
20:09
to the Super Bowl. Some of their fans are talking.
20:11
It looked like nothing was going to slow them
20:13
down. They get punched in the face a couple of
20:15
times. Daniels fractures his leg. And now this.
20:19
This is really tough, especially with someone
20:22
who is leading that team in the way that they
20:24
were on a one -year deal. There's a lot up in
20:27
the air. When they gave up two first -round picks
20:29
to go get sauce, they put so much into this year.
20:31
Who's hurt, probably, for the next month. That
20:34
was a tough one. Do you think Daniels has played
20:36
enough to get a contract back in Indy? I would
20:38
hope so. You just don't know because they also
20:44
have Riley Leonard. What happens over the next
20:46
four weeks if he can play? I know he's got some
20:49
ligament concerns in one of his knees. It's up
20:54
in the air if he plays. They've got the King
20:56
that's back. We'll talk about that a little bit
20:57
later. I think they've got a few people in. in
21:00
the building that can help them get through these
21:02
next few weeks. What I'm really curious about
21:04
is when Leonard is healthy enough to play, does
21:07
he do enough to say let's write out his rookie
21:08
deal and let's say goodbye to Jones? That's where
21:11
my head goes when I say hope. I think he's done
21:14
a lot to show he does deserve it somewhere. I
21:17
don't know if it's Indy. I mean, starting off
21:19
like that this season, I think, and then getting,
21:22
I guess, hurt now almost helps him, I guess,
21:24
even if they do epically fail. We talked about
21:27
it last week. We were talking about them not
21:30
having a winning record because they have a gauntlet
21:34
of games left. Jaguars is probably one of the
21:37
easiest of their remaining games. And now with
21:41
your starting quarterback down, yeah, they do
21:44
have the king coming back. We'll talk about it
21:46
shortly. But it's not looking good right now.
21:49
Yeah, we'll see what that Riley Leonard, where
21:52
was he from? Do you remember? Was he at USC?
21:55
I can't remember. I was just looking at who they
21:59
have coming up, and they're at Seattle, then
22:04
the 49ers, then they have the Jags again, and
22:07
then they end at the Texans. A really tough stretch.
22:10
Yeah, exactly. So we were talking 8 -9 is a possibility,
22:15
and especially with the quarterback down right
22:17
now, we definitely could see that direction going.
22:20
So a big win for the Jaguars. Jaguars, you know,
22:23
I think if... you know, have the lead in that
22:27
division. And I don't think, I mean, without
22:30
an epic fail out of them, I think that they almost
22:32
kind of secured it up with the injury of Danny
22:36
Dimes. It doesn't look good for the Colts moving
22:40
on. Anything else you want to talk about this
22:44
one? The only other thing is I'll be interested
22:47
to see where the Texans come into play here.
22:49
They're one game behind. Can they make a run
22:51
at it? Do they still play? That's the only team
22:54
that will threaten Jacksonville for that one
22:58
spot. So that will be interesting to watch, too,
23:00
a little back and forth. And both teams, I mean,
23:02
even like you say like that, if Colts fall off,
23:05
Jaguars and Texans kind of battle it out. Both
23:08
teams could still make the playoffs. One of them
23:09
could be the wild card, especially in the AFC.
23:12
So thanks for joining us. Kevin behind the camera
23:16
looking beautiful, making us sound awesome. Thanks
23:19
again, Justin in the house. Again, I'm Rob Sletten.
23:22
This was the pre or the recap of week 14. We
23:26
got some news, some info, some MVP talks, maybe
23:29
some playoff information. We'll catch you here
23:32
shortly on the next one. Peace. Don't forget
23:36
to follow, like, and subscribe. Tune in next
23:41
time for more banter with the boys.