Latest / Football Junkies podcast / Ep.52: Bear down....man down

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Ep.52: Bear down....man down · Football Junkies podcast

0:00
Double back alert, double back alert, double back alert folks.
0:06
That's right.
0:07
James Conner and Walker Little gets paid.
0:10
We got a lot to talk about in a little bit of time.
0:14
Matt Ibrafluz gets fired.
0:16
The Steelers cook the bangles.
0:18
The Eagles continue to win.
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The 49ers get cold feet and the Falcons get a charged up L.
0:25
Also, we got breaking news as well.
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Aziz Alshair has been suspended for three games.
0:33
All of this and more of the 52nd episode of the Football Junkies podcast.
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I am your host with the most.
0:40
I am your chief Bagrodamas.
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I am your chief head of the table.
0:46
GM who currently is not on a team right now, but don't you worry about it because guess
0:51
what?
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I am all these things and more.
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Most importantly, I am your host, Kale.
0:56
You already know what I'm getting right.
0:58
So let's not waste any more time.
1:01
Because this is also a victory week because the sixth time, you know what?
1:04
I'm going to wait for that.
1:07
But guess what?
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I'm not going to wait for this right here.
1:09
One, two, three.
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Fuck it.
1:34
All right, folks, let's not waste any more time.
1:38
Let us get into the meat and potatoes of everything that is going on in the league right now.
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Okay, so let's get into the bag alerts.
1:48
Then we'll probably get into the breaking news and then we'll get into everything else.
1:51
All right, so let's just get into it.
1:53
So James Conner, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, but now currently Arizona Carnals
1:58
running back gets paid.
2:00
Okay, he gets a two year 19 million dollar extension and he will be making 9.5 million
2:05
a year.
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Now, we look at his stats from 2023, 208 attempts for 1040 rushing yards, 5 rushing yards per
2:15
carry, 7 touchdowns, and 764 rushing yards after contact.
2:21
Okay, now when we look at this, you know, James Conner was definitely the 1A or 1B running
2:27
back that was going to hit free agency after, you know, once the season was over with.
2:32
And so for the Cardinals to do this ahead of time, definitely says that they value James
2:38
Conner's role on this offense.
2:41
Let's be real here.
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He's definitely put himself in a top 10, top 15, you know, running back at this point.
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He's been playing phenomenally well since being with the Cardinals and I love it that,
2:53
you know, he has a new change of scenery and he's been showing off and he's been doing
2:58
his thing because yes, he was, you know, he was productive with the Steelers, but you
3:04
know, the Cardinals, I don't know what it is.
3:06
It just, it just took him to a whole another level.
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So congrats to him on getting another bag.
3:12
Now for Walker Little, this was somewhat of a curve ball, honestly.
3:16
Left tackle for the Jaguars gets paid.
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Okay, three years, 45 million, 26 million guaranteed.
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He'll be making 15 million a year.
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Now you're probably wondering what are the stats look like?
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Well, unfortunately, they really don't have stats for offensive linemen.
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Now why?
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I don't know, but this is what I will say.
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I'm not surprised by the move simply because once they traded away, Cam Robinson, most
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likely they were going to either lock up somebody that was already on the team or that was going
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to be, you know, their number one, you know, priority when it comes to free agency or the
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draft.
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I'm not really surprised there all in all good situation.
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It's not necessarily, you know, the biggest deal in the world, but it's a really good
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deal.
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He gets his money.
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He stays on the team.
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You have your left tackle for the future.
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And you know, that's one less position that you have to worry about moving forward.
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Okay.
4:11
Now, let's get into the breaking news that broke not too long ago, which is the league
4:16
has decided to suspend Aziz Asha here, linebacker for the Texans for three games without
4:24
pay.
4:25
Now, this is a lot to unpack and some people may not like my opinion about it, but I think
4:31
this is a conversation that definitely does need to, you know, happen at this point.
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And you know, there have been various people that have also said the same thing as well.
4:40
So let's just get into the statement that was put out by the NFL vice president of football
4:45
operations, John Runyon.
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So here it goes.
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And this is a pretty lengthy quote.
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So excuse me for, you know, for it for it being as long and drawn out as this, but here
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we go.
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And I quote, during your game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 1st with
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420 remaining in the second quarter, you were involved in the play that the league considers
5:04
unacceptable in a serious violation of the playing rules.
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Video shows you striking the head neck area of Jaguar's quarterback, Trevor Lawrence,
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after he clearly goes down in a feet first slide.
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You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forefoot blow to the head neck area of
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him in space to avoid such contact.
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After the in a brawl, which you escalated when you pull an opponent down by his face
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mask, after the referee announced that you were disqualified for the sportsman like acts,
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you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across
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the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone.
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Your lack of sportsmanship in respect for the game of football and all those who play
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coach and enjoy watching it is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL.
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Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and
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your opponents in jeopardy.
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It will not be tolerated.
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Now this is a very lengthy quote, but at the same time, this is a very eye opening quote
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because when you look at the replay, you can clearly see that Aziz is trying to harm Trevor
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Lawrence.
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He uses his elbow.
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Now see, here's the difference, right?
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And we're really going to have to go a little bit in depth about this.
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It's one thing if you couldn't stop your momentum enough and it just accidentally happened.
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Okay, cool.
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No one's really going to say anything about it, but you have a reputation of doing these
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types of things and the NFL is just not going to allow that.
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Trevor Lawrence got knocked out.
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I'm talking about lights out knocked out and you used your elbow.
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So you knew exactly what you were doing.
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You can't say, oh, I couldn't stop myself or oh, I couldn't do this or I couldn't do
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that.
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No, you knew exactly what you were doing.
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You used your elbow.
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You have purposed it in your heart that you were going to deliver that blow either with
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your elbow or with your helmet.
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That is unacceptable.
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I get it.
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You know, his teammates are supposed to back him up and everything, but after the game
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is over with, I'm pulling you to the side.
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I'm saying, yo, what is wrong with you?
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Why in the world would you want to do that?
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There's no need for you to use your elbow to deliver a hit on somebody who was already
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in the process of sliding.
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There's no need.
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If you want to try to go for the ball, you should have went for the ball.
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But at the same time, we do have to play devil's advocate in this situation with Trevor Lawrence.
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Why in the world would you want to slide the way that you did when you slide like that?
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You put yourself in harm's way and you increase the likelihood of you having a serious neck
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and head injury because you're sliding feet first and you have no protection for your
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head.
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So you have someone like a Aziz who sort of has a reputation of head hunting.
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Who guess what?
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He's going to try to take your head off and then you're going to be there.
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Lights out.
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You're trying to figure out where in the world just, you know, what happened?
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You should have tried to run out of bounds or there's so many other things that you
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could have done instead of just trying to slide slide like that.
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And we've seen multiple times what happens when a player specifically quarterbacks try
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to slide like that.
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Most likely they get put out out of the game.
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There is a level of concern that definitely needs to be brought up on both sides.
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I think quarterback sliding like that is very dangerous.
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I feel like that, that move should be somewhat outlawed.
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And at the same time for someone like Aziz, there has to be separate penalties for it
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just so players can understand the importance of not trying to do these type of moves.
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Because again, if Aziz elbow connected with Trevor Lawrence in the right direction, Trevor
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Lawrence could have seriously injured himself.
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We would have been having a different conversation this morning.
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So I understand he has the right to, you know, appeal it.
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But if I am Aziz, just take it.
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Just take it.
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Three games.
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No pay.
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You got to take it, bro.
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Because you did this.
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You could have easily just allowed him to just make the slide and not really worry about
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it.
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But instead, you purposed it and you want it to deliver a hit.
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And you can't say that you wasn't trying to when it clearly shows you were cranking
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up your elbow to deliver a hit to Trevor Lawrence.
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You can't say that.
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Now moving forward to something that is a little more or less dangerous and whatnot,
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Matt Ibrahimlu's former head coach, now we can say it, of the Chicago Bears has been
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fired.
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Now, I know this isn't a surprise for, you know, a lot of people, but we do have to talk
10:04
about it.
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So here's the statement that was put out prior to his firing.
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So here we go.
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And I quote, this morning after meeting with Chairman George McCaskey and president and
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CEO Kevin Warren, we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the
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leadership of our football team and the head coaching position.
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I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization.
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We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his
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family the best moving forward.
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Now before we get into all the opinions and whatnot, let's go into his records since being
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the head coach for the Bears.
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Okay.
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In 2022, three and 14 and 2023, seven and 10.
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And 2024, four and eight.
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This is unacceptable.
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When we look at this, there were multiple instances leading up to this point where we could vividly
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agree to disagree that Matt Ibra Flues is not head coaching material.
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Okay.
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From the mishandling of the commander's game to the mishandling of the Thanksgiving game,
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you can tell that there's no real sense of urgency coming from him and it shows literally
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the straw that broke the camel's back was the mishandling of the Lions game.
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They should have called a timeout or something and you can see Caleb Williams on the field
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trying to figure out, hey, what do I do?
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What do I do?
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What do I do?
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He's a rookie quarterback.
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Now, if he was in year four or year five and he's still doing this, then guess what?
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The blame goes on Caleb Williams.
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But Matt Ibra Flues is just looking around just like, huh, what's going on?
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Oh, wow, that's a new, that's a new banner over there.
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I didn't see that.
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Oh, wow, they got new boots over there.
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Oh, wow.
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That's crazy.
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Wow.
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Look, that that concession stand looks really nice.
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Oh, I forgot.
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I forgot.
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I'm a head coach.
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No, you cannot do that.
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You cannot.
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They had enough ample time where you could have called a timeout, figure out exactly
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what you wanted to do and then execute the plan.
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Because again, the Bears were making a comeback.
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They could have easily forced this game into overtime.
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But the fact that you didn't want to do it and you just allowed the clock to just keep
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on running definitely shows that you are not adequate to being a head coach.
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And if we're being real here, this puts more pressure on Ryan Poles to really hit on the
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head coaching hire because this happened on your watch.
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And so now this falls on your lap and now you have to figure out exactly what you are
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going to do to make this right.
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Because again, the Bears are falling into the same cycle that they have fallen into in previous
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years, which is mess up quarterbacks.
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They messed up Mitchell Jbisky and they messed up Justin Fields.
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You cannot mess up Caleb Williams.
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And you cannot say that the Bears have not positioned themselves for Caleb Williams to
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be successful because they have.
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They got DJ Moore, Roma Dunze, Cole Comet, a good offensive line, Deandre Swift, and
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they have a good defense.
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Why in the world could they not put things together because of the head coach coaching?
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As I've said before in previous episodes, coaching can destroy a team.
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If the coach does not know what he's doing, that coach can literally destroy an entire
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locker room to the point where nobody wants to be a part of that team anymore.
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And those emotions and feelings that have been building up this entire season, all hell
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broke loose after that game.
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And you have reports coming out that Jaylen Johnson was very emotional and angry about
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it and other players and even staff members was very angry about this.
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And I would be too because you're the head coach.
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You should have something, something should have clicked in your mind and said, Hey, oh,
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I think I need to call in a timeout right now.
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Instead of you just allowing the clock to continue to go down.
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I'm sorry, folks.
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The Bears will be the Bears.
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The Bears will be the Bears.
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This is why I say I forgot what episode was by no, I think it was, I think it was the
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curse of the first.
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If I'm not mistaken, correct me if I'm wrong football junkies.
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But this is why I say the price of being, you know, one of those players that are drafted
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very high is you are going to be put in a crappy situation and it's going to take you
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a while to figure out exactly what can you do to get out of it.
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The Bears are dysfunctional.
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They are still in the mindset that, oh, we need to have a defensive mind, you take coach
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and we need to be defense, defense, defense and defense.
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No, it's time for you to make a change.
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It's time for you to come to the terms of what's going on in the league right now.
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Instead of just going with this mind, we can choose this coach.
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No, you need to hit on the head coaching hire.
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You need an offensive minded head coach.
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Not a defensive minded.
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You need offensive minded that can help Caleb Williams become a better quarterback, a quarterback
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that is able to make the routine throws and be able to win games as well as make the big
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play if need be.
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Instead of just a quarterback who, oh, I'm just looking to make the highlight that's
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going to be on ESPN by the time the game is over and when I get home.
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That's all I have to say.
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Now, moving forward with these games because you know why we got to talk about the six
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time, six time, six time, six time, six time Pittsburgh Steelers.
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That's right.
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We cooked.
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We cooked.
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We habacied.
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We fried.
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We grilled.
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We sauteed.
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We got the rosemary.
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We got the time.
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We got the butter.
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And we were just sauteing the bangles over and over and over again until everything was
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perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection.
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And who was the chef for this entree?
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Russ once again, cooking again, folks.
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Come on.
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Let's get into everything.
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So Russell Wilson, 29 for 38, 414 passing yards, three touchdowns, one pick, 10.9 yards
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per attempt and a 76.3 completion percentage.
16:26
Najee Harris, 16 attempts for 75 rushing yards, 4.7 rushing yards per carry, one touchdown
16:33
and two rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
16:35
George Pickens, six targets for three receptions, 74 receiving yards, one touchdown and 24.7
16:42
receiving yards per reception.
16:43
Joe Burrow, 28 for 38, 309 passing yards, three touchdowns, 8.1 yards per attempt and a 73.7
16:51
completion percentage.
16:52
Chase Brown, 12 attempts for 70 rushing yards, 5.8 rushing yards per carry, one touchdown
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and two rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
17:00
Jamar Chase, nine targets for six receptions, 86 receiving yards, one touchdown and 14.3
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receiving yards per reception.
17:08
Now this is what I will say about the game.
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Yes, it's a great victory.
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However, I think what needs to be emphasized is we need to clean up the self-inflicted wounds.
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Now you're probably wondering, what are the self-inflicted wounds?
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You're talking about Kale.
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I'll explain to you, my fellow football junkie.
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Joey Porter Jr. was being targeted a lot for passing interference.
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If you know that you are a handsy grabby type of corner and you know that you're going into
17:38
a game that most likely the refs are going to be very ticky tacky with the calls, so
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you have to make sure that you dot your eyes and cross your T's and make sure that you
17:47
do not put the team in harm's way because there was just so many ticky tack calls on
17:53
both sides.
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It just didn't make any sense, honestly.
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Like Joey, you are one of the biggest corners on the field.
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You don't need to be super handsy and super grabby.
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You need to use your body instead of trying to grab a hold because guess what?
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We all know that they're looking for you to do it.
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Everybody knows now, guess what?
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If you want a free first down, target Joey Porter Jr.
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Most likely you're going to get it from him.
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Now, when we look at George Pickens, George, you've got to refine yourself and you've got
18:24
to calm yourself down.
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Yes, I understand you are an emotional player.
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Don't really care about that.
18:30
Continue to use your emotions, but there is a time and a place for everything because
18:34
again, we are entering the part of the season where everything matters.
18:40
We already know that a lot of teams are going to be targeting you because they know that
18:44
you are a very emotional player and that they're going to try to play mind games with you so
18:50
that you can slip up and make the mistake so that they can be put in a better position.
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Listen, man, calm down the emotions, focus on the game, make the big plays.
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It puts us in a better situation.
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That's all I'm saying.
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Now, for the Bengals, I'm not really surprised that the game ended the way that it did.
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I'm just not simply because, again, Joe Burrow is in this situation where he is.
19:14
He has to carry this team for the rest of the season.
19:18
He cannot rely on the defense.
19:20
He has to rely on himself, Jomar Chase and T Higgins.
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Well, no, Mike Kaseke and Chase Brown, but you get what I'm saying.
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The fact of the matter is, Joe Burrow tried.
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He really did, but again, you cannot try to overcome things when you're going up against
19:38
a really good defense and you, your own defense, can't even really do anything for you.
19:44
But except cause more penalties and basically just get cooked, sauteed, roasted, fried,
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habacid, you name it, any different type of cooking style when you're going up against
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the Steelers.
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Now, again, we still have to face them again.
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So who knows how that game is going to go.
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But Steelers fans, we got another tough matchup.
20:06
The gauntlet is not done yet.
20:09
If I'm not mistaken, I think if the Steelers win on Sunday and I think a few other things
20:13
happen, I think we could lock in our playoff spot.
20:17
Just saying, if you would have told me that the Steelers will be in the position that they
20:21
would have been in after making the moves that they made during the off season, I would
20:25
have called you a liar.
20:26
I'm just going to be completely honest here.
20:28
You know, this is in part to Mike Tomlin making the move that he did.
20:32
And granted, when he made the switch of, you know, putting Russ in, he did catch a lot
20:38
of heat for it, but so far it's worked.
20:41
And now they're in the position where now they can, you know, have a high seed, which
20:46
most likely means they're going to be having to go up against somebody like the Chargers
20:50
or the Broncos and whatnot, which is a really good matchup.
20:53
Not saying it's going to be a pushover, but it's going to be really good matchup.
20:56
Now let's get into the 49ers in Bill's game.
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So Josh Allen was 13 for 17, 148 passing yards, two touchdowns, 8.7 yards per attempt, and
21:06
a 76.5 completion percentage.
21:08
James Cook, 14 attempts for 107 rushing yards, 7.7 rushing yards per carry, one touchdown
21:14
in three rushes of 10 plus yards and more.
21:17
Dawson Knox, two targets for two receptions, 56 receiving yards, and 28 receiving yards
21:22
per reception.
21:23
Brock Purdy, 11 for 18, 94 passing yards, 5.2 yards per attempt, and a 61.1 completion
21:30
percentage.
21:31
Jordan Mason, 13 attempts for 78 rushing yards, six rushing yards per carry, and three rushes
21:37
of 10 plus yards and more.
21:38
Joann Jennings, five targets for three receptions, 56 receiving yards, and 18.7 receiving yards
21:44
per reception.
21:45
Now, if you guys didn't watch it, it was a really good game, really good snow game.
21:49
Snow games are always fun to watch.
21:51
They're probably not the best to play in, but they're definitely fun to watch.
21:54
Now this is what I will say.
21:56
The Bills are getting hot at the right time.
21:59
The Bills, in my mind, are the team that everyone's going to have to be concerned about in the
22:05
AFC.
22:06
It's not necessarily the Chiefs, and I'll explain in a little bit, but it's really the
22:11
Bills because now the Bills are really coming together.
22:16
That run game is getting more and more consistent, and it's getting better game after game after
22:22
game.
22:23
And that defense, that defense is making plays.
22:26
And so you have those two things coming together at the right time.
22:30
And if we're being real here, they are in a position where they could possibly maybe get
22:35
the 1C if the Chiefs lose a few games.
22:39
So all in all, Josh Allen is balling out.
22:42
I think this is the year that either Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Russell Wilson make
22:49
it to the Super Bowl.
22:50
Just saying.
22:51
Who knows?
22:53
But I will say this.
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I don't think nobody wants to go to Buffalo in the playoffs.
22:59
I don't think nobody wants that.
23:00
I think Buffalo having a home game in the playoffs is going to be a problem because we all know
23:08
that at this point in the season, they're going to be having a lot of snow.
23:13
It's going to be super cold.
23:14
It's going to be windy.
23:15
Not a lot of people are built for that type of weather.
23:17
But you know who is built for that weather?
23:19
Josh Allen.
23:20
Now, for the 49ers, I don't think there really is a whole lot to really say about the 49ers.
23:26
That hasn't been said already.
23:28
And it really sucks because Christian McCaffrey is now officially out for the season with
23:32
a torn PCL, which puts very much damper on this season for the 49ers.
23:40
But in all and all, I think this was a failure of a season when it comes to the standards
23:46
of the 49ers.
23:47
And when you know that they've been dominant for the last three or five years and for them
23:52
to just fall the way that they fall in this season has just been a disaster for them.
23:58
And you know, if I am the front office, if I'm management, if I'm the owner, I have a
24:03
lot of tough decisions.
24:04
I'm going to have to make this off season.
24:06
But I'm going to save all of those things for the another episode is going to be coming
24:10
out because you know why?
24:11
Gut check time.
24:13
That's right.
24:14
We're going to be talking about that this week.
24:15
Just gave you to just want to put that out there before we go any further.
24:18
But back to the 49ers, you know, honestly, speaking, this offense just doesn't look the
24:24
same.
24:25
It doesn't look what it is, but they just weren't able to really make any plays.
24:31
And granted, you know, a lot of their team is banged up and the people that are in there
24:36
now are mainly practice squad guys or guys coming from other situations.
24:41
Like it's just, it's a bad situation for the 49ers.
24:45
It is.
24:46
I think 49ers fans are definitely disappointed this season because, you know, coming into
24:52
the season, yes, you have the whole brand new situation and, you know, that back and
24:56
forth debacle and whatnot.
24:57
Then you had to hold out with Trent Williams.
24:59
Then you have those two things get resolved and, you know, you know, everybody's healthy,
25:04
you know, relatively speaking or whatnot.
25:06
So you're like, okay, cool.
25:07
There's hope.
25:08
Maybe this is the year where they went at all.
25:09
And it's just like, no, it's, it's been a nosedive of a season and it's going to continue
25:16
to go further down because they still have to face the Cardinals and they still have
25:19
to face a few other super competitive teams.
25:22
So I don't know, but I'm going to save all of my opinions for the 49ers when we have
25:30
gut check time.
25:31
Now there was one game I forgot we had to talk about the Eagles and Ravens.
25:36
Yes, we have to talk about them.
25:38
Yay.
25:39
No, I really cared about them.
25:41
Lamar Jackson 2023 436 237 passing yards, two touchdowns, 6.6 yards per attempt in a
25:48
53.9 completion percentage.
25:50
Derek Henry 19 attempts for 82 rushing yards, 4.3 rushing yards per carry in two rushes
25:55
of 10 plus yards or more.
25:57
Zay flowers seven targets for three receptions, 74 receiving yards and 24.7 receiving yards
26:03
per reception.
26:04
Jaylen Hertz 11 for 19, 118 passing yards, one touchdown, 6.2 yards per attempt in a
26:10
57.9 completion percentage.
26:12
Take one look what Barclay 23 attempts for 107 rushing yards, 4.7 rushing yards, one
26:20
touchdown and three rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
26:23
AJ Brown 6 targets for five receptions, 66 receiving yards and 13.2 receiving yards per
26:30
reception.
26:31
Now this is what I will say here.
26:34
The Ravens are starting to really struggle at the wrong time and Lamar is just, I don't
26:41
know what it is.
26:42
I don't know what's wrong with this Ravens team but they're just struggling and you
26:46
can't say, oh this is a game that they're going to lose.
26:49
No, this is a very winnable game for the Ravens.
26:52
It's just, again, they've fallen their own sword every single time, every single year.
26:57
This is exactly what I said a few episodes ago.
27:00
The two things that we're going to mess up the Ravens were self-inflicted wounds and
27:05
injuries.
27:06
So far, one of those things happens to be true, which is what, self-inflicted wounds.
27:12
You knew that coming into this game most likely that the Eagles defense was going to focus
27:17
on putting pressure on Lamar Jackson and trying to eliminate or at least put a cap on the
27:23
effectiveness of Derek Henry's run game.
27:26
So I don't understand why in the world you guys will continue to try to do it and I don't
27:32
see why Lamar is running as much as he used to, but there were a few open lanes where
27:37
he could have easily ran and got five or six yards untouched and he just didn't decide
27:43
to do it and I don't understand why.
27:45
So this puts more pressure on the Ravens to try to win because, again, we are getting
27:53
close to the season ending and pretty soon once the seeding starts, you better hope and
27:59
pray that you don't have to go up against a super hot team that has some momentum.
28:07
You don't want that.
28:08
And coming into the season, I would have thought, okay, this is the year for the Ravens.
28:14
This is the year where they win it all and Lamar finally shuts up the naysayers and the
28:21
haters and whatnot, but now it's like, I don't know.
28:24
They've been struggling lately and they got to get their act together.
28:29
Deontay hasn't really played and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets released soon.
28:34
Marcus Williams is in the doghouse.
28:36
There's a lot of people in the doghouse.
28:38
Why?
28:39
I don't know, but I will say this.
28:41
There is a lot of questions that are going to have to be asked by John Harbaugh and Eric
28:46
Dacosta at this juncture because, you know, I don't know what it is about the Ravens,
28:54
but every single time the Ravens just do dumb things.
28:57
Like, why haven't you guys brought in at least a few kickers just to at least push or put
29:04
some competition for Justin Tucker?
29:06
You see that Justin Tucker is struggling.
29:08
So why in the world wouldn't you want to try to bring in a few free agent kickers?
29:13
Now it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to sign them to a lucrative deal or, you know,
29:17
they can dethrone Justin Tucker, but you have to do something at this point because Justin
29:22
Tucker is in the slump and you need your kicker.
29:26
You need him.
29:27
And if he continues to do this, it's going to cost you more games.
29:31
I'm sorry.
29:32
I understand that, you know, he is one of the greatest kickers of all time and he's one
29:37
of the most accurate kickers of all time and all those great accolades and more.
29:41
I understand that.
29:43
But at the end of the day, I have said this in multiple episodes.
29:47
This is a performance-based league.
29:50
And if you are not performing to the standards that you are supposed to be performing to,
29:55
they will replace you.
29:56
I don't care if you've been with the team for 16 years and you won a Super Bowl and
30:01
you got, you know, you're a veteran in the locker room and all this other stuff.
30:06
This is performance-based.
30:07
If you are not playing well and if you can't get out of your slump, somebody else is going
30:12
to take your spot.
30:13
Simple as that.
30:14
Now for the Eagles, though, the Eagles have been playing red hot.
30:18
If I'm not mistaken, they're on an eight-game win streak.
30:22
That says a lot here, folks.
30:23
That is a team that is locked in, that is focused, that is trying to get back to the
30:28
Super Bowl once again.
30:29
And right now, I think they do have a chance to make it.
30:32
I think right now the Lions are so banged up on both sides of the ball that, you know,
30:39
it's going to take them a while.
30:41
Compared to the Eagles, the run game is solid.
30:44
The passing game is solid.
30:46
The defense is making plays.
30:48
And we all know that the Lions are a different team when you stop and when you limit that
30:54
two-headed running combo in David Montgomery and Jameer Gibbs.
31:00
And we all know the Eagles have the equalizer in that, which is Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
31:06
And you know, hats off to Vic Vangio doing his thing and actually coaching this defense
31:11
the right way.
31:13
Because remember, prior to him leaving the Dolphins and whatnot, there was a lot of
31:18
criticism that was coming for Vic Vangio just because of, you know, how he handled things
31:23
with that Miami defense.
31:26
But you know, he silenced all of those critics this year with how the Eagles have been playing.
31:31
So all in all, I think this is a really good situation for the Eagles to be in.
31:37
I think right now they're putting pressure on the Lions to maintain that number one
31:42
seed, but I would not be surprised if the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl.
31:46
This is just my prediction right now.
31:48
I can be wrong.
31:50
Eagles bills Super Bowl or Lions Steelers Super Bowl or Steelers Eagles Super Bowl.
32:02
Just saying who knows.
32:04
But let's get into the last game that we have to talk about here.
32:07
I want to keep this episode fairly light for you guys.
32:10
So Falcons and Chargers.
32:12
Okay.
32:13
So Justin Herbert, 16 for 23, 147 passing yards.
32:17
6.4 yards per attempt in a 69.6 completion percentage.
32:21
Gus Edwards, 6 attempts for 32 rushing yards, 5.3 rushing yards per carry and one rush of
32:27
10 plus yards or more.
32:28
Ladd McConkey, 12 targets for nine receptions, 117 receiving yards and 13 receiving yards
32:34
per reception.
32:35
Kirk Cousins, 24 for 39, 245 passing yards, four interceptions, 6.3 yards per attempt
32:41
in a 61.5 completion percentage.
32:44
Bijan Robinson, 26 attempts for 102 rushing yards, 3.9 rushing yards per carry, one touchdown
32:50
and two rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
32:52
Ray Ray McLeod, 6 targets for four receptions, 95 receiving yards and 23.8 receiving yards
32:58
per reception.
32:59
Now, this is what I will say.
33:01
This was a really good back and forth game.
33:04
Even though the scores definitely says otherwise, this was a really good game.
33:08
And you know, the Chargers are beginning to be a team that people are going to have to
33:13
worry about when it comes to the playoffs.
33:15
I understand that on paper, they're like, uh, well, they're, they don't have this or
33:19
they don't have that.
33:21
This team is physical.
33:23
They want to run the ball down your throat, control the clock and impose their will at
33:29
the line of scrimmage.
33:30
That is the recipe for the Chargers and they have been doing it very well this season.
33:35
Jim Harbaugh, his demeanor everywhere he goes.
33:41
Physical team that can run the ball and plays great defense.
33:45
That's always, you look anywhere he has coached from Michigan to San Francisco to now, they've
33:52
all been physical teams that play really good defense, that impose their will on both sides
33:58
of the ball.
33:59
And that's exactly what happened.
34:00
Now, this is what I will say for the Falcons.
34:03
I think it's time for you guys to maybe consider putting in Michael Pennix just to see what
34:08
what happened at this point.
34:10
Because right now, Kirk Cousins is somewhat of a slump and this game definitely didn't
34:15
help as well.
34:16
You threw four interceptions.
34:18
So you know, you want to give Kurt another chance, but you know, if he throws two interceptions,
34:24
the next game, I'm sorry, you have to put Michael Pennix in.
34:27
You have to see exactly what you're getting with him.
34:30
And you know, if it's something that you can live with or it's something that you can't
34:33
live without, that's just what it is.
34:35
Erwin James was everywhere on the field and he was making play after play after play.
34:42
This charges team came in there to prove a point that listen, we're just not this team
34:48
that everyone's just going to look over.
34:50
No, we are a serious contender.
34:51
We will be a playoff contender and we are going to exceed any and all expectations.
34:58
And that's exactly what they've done so far.
35:00
Because remember, leading up to the draft, everyone was saying the charges had draft
35:04
a receiver and they got Joe all.
35:07
And at first me personally, I was somewhat opposed to it, but at the same time, open
35:12
to it.
35:13
And so far that pick has looked fairly well.
35:16
That defense, they were creating pressure on Kirk Cousins everywhere, every time he got
35:23
the ball.
35:24
And granted, Kirk Cousins was looking like a deer in headlight.
35:26
Sometimes he was trying to thread the needle with certain passes.
35:31
He just didn't look like himself.
35:33
You know, if you're the head coach, you have to try to figure out exactly what is the missing
35:39
piece of this team.
35:41
Because right now, this team is still fairly good.
35:43
It really is.
35:45
But at the same time, if you want to at least sneak into the wildcard, you got to do something.
35:51
Because right now this season is look a little bit rocky right now.
35:54
And it also doesn't help that the defense, if I'm not mistaken, I could definitely be
35:57
wrong here.
35:58
I think they are dead last when it comes to sacks.
36:01
I don't know, I do not know.
36:04
But we have a lot to talk about when it comes to gut check time.
36:07
But I'm going to end this episode here.
36:09
If you guys like what you're listening, please, please, please, please, please like, share,
36:13
subscribe, turn the notification bell on, leave a five star review, download the episodes,
36:18
do whatever you need to do in order to get your football junkies fixed.
36:22
Okay.
36:23
Now, for my podcast listeners, for my audio listeners, all right, you guys can listen
36:27
to this anywhere that you listen to podcasts, whether it be on Spotify, RSSV, Apple Podcasts
36:33
and more.
36:34
Okay.
36:35
Make sure you guys are downloading this episode so I can know exactly what fix I can give you
36:40
guys to make it better.
36:41
Now, for my YouTube people, okay, football junkies pod, okay, football junkies pod.
36:48
When you go on the YouTube, there are multiple links.
36:51
Now, all of those links go directly to those places, or you can click on the link tree and
36:56
it will direct you to those places, whether that be the TikTok, the Instagram, the RSSV,
37:02
the Apple Podcasts and more.
37:04
Okay.
37:05
Make sure that you guys like, share, subscribe, turn the notification bell on, leave a comment
37:08
down below.
37:09
Let me know your thoughts about your team and where the team is at right now.
37:13
Okay.
37:14
Come on.
37:15
Let's have a conversation here.
37:16
Now, for my Instagram people, football underscore junkies pod, okay, football underscore junkies
37:21
pod.
37:22
What?
37:30
It is together, not spaced.
37:32
Okay.
37:33
It is together, not space.
37:36
Football underscore junkies pod.
37:37
Junkies pod is together, not space.
37:39
Now, for my TikTok people, football junkies pod, okay, football junkies pod.
37:45
I know you guys are looking for more clips and we're going to be working on those clips
37:50
and we're going to be trying to pull out those clips fairly soon.
37:53
Just stay tuned.
37:54
I still got a whole lot of things that I have to work on and whatnot.
37:56
So just got to give me some time here.
37:59
But as always, I hope I gave you guys the fix that you guys need.
38:02
I love you guys.
38:03
I appreciate you guys so much.
38:05
Happy holidays.
38:06
Enjoy the holiday season.
38:08
Watch home alone.
38:09
Drink some hot cocoa.
38:11
Go, you know, holiday shopping.
38:13
Do something fun.
38:14
Okay.
38:15
But as always, I love you guys.
38:17
I appreciate you guys so much.
38:18
Stay tuned. We still got a second episode that still has to come out because we got
38:21
to talk about what gut check time.
38:24
But I love you guys.
38:26
Once again, you guys don't realize how much I love each and every one of you guys, my
38:30
fellow football junkies out there and just know the Pittsburgh Steelers will be going
38:34
to the Super Bowl this year and Russell Wilson will be the Super Bowl MVP.
38:37
There I said it.
38:38
Going to end the episode now.
38:39
Bye-bye.
38:40
And another thing.
38:44
I forgot to put this out there.
38:46
Card Knox comes on tonight for the A.F. Greatest Division in all of football.
38:50
So make sure you guys watch it because we're going to have a lot to talk about that with
38:53
the first episode.
38:54
Later.
38:55
Bye.
38:56
Peace.
38:57
Super Bowl Steelers.
38:58
Going to make it.