Latest / NFL Now / Aaron Donald Ruled Out, Packers - Dolphins Matchup, & The NFC Playoff Picture

Transcript

Aaron Donald Ruled Out, Packers - Dolphins Matchup, & The NFC Playoff Picture · NFL Now

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: NFL Now is a production of the NFL in partnership
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: with I Heart Radio. Every game being played this weekend
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: outdoors not in the state of Florida, Texas, or California
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: will be played in freezing conditions. We'll try to warm
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: you up here on NFL Now. Hello, I Mom Maurice
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: in the NFL Network news room will also have much
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: more in the jags big win over the New York
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Jets on Thursday Night Football. But we begin with some
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: big time injury news about one of the game's greatest
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: players in Aaron Donald. It is new right now coming
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: into NFL Network. Aaron Donald has been ruled out, likely
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: for the rest of the year. According to Sean McVeigh.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: He announced his press conference earlier today. He ruled Aaron
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Donald would be out against the Broncos on Christmas afternoon.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: For much more on that store, we welcome in our
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Ian Rappaport, NFL Network insider. What more can you tell
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: us about Aaron Donald and his ankle. Aaron Donald been
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: doing with a high ankle spring for about two weeks
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: now a little bit more. And you know, the initial
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: thought was that Aaron Donald, after suffering this relatively mild
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: I would say high ankle spring would probably be back
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: around now, or maybe even by the Packers game previously.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: But look at the way the Rams season has gone,
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: look at where they are. It's there's just nothing good here.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: There's no reason to put one of the greats in
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: the game today, or really one of the greats ever
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: out there on the field with nothing to gain. I
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: know he wants to play. I know he would love
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: to be out there with his teammates. It has been
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's a bunch of replacements out there for
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: the Rams and just does not make a lot of
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: sense to play Aaron Donald. So Sean McVeigh admitting what
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: I think it had become clear somewhat recently, which is
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: that they are shutting Aaron Donald down for the season,
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: so the next time we will see him in Yeah,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: bizarre matchup when you look at that Christmas afternoon game
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: between the Rams and the Broncos, a couple of teams
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: with four in ten records, certainly not the teams we
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: expected to see coming into the season. Meanwhile, big blockbuster
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: contracts for a couple of offensive lineman today, and what
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: more can he tell us about that? Yeah, it was
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: a good day to be a standout rockstar offensive lineman.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: We'll start with the Green Bay Packers taking one of
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: the top free agents off the board before free agency.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Elton Jay gets the versatile dood All lineman for the
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: Green Bay Packers Greece. The terms on a four year
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: sixty eight million dollar dear seventeen million dollars per second
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: highest paid guard in the NFL behind Quentin Nelson, has
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: a max value of seventy four million dollars twenty four
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: million dollars in a signing bonus in this deal done
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: by Clutch Sports, massive massive deal, locking up a key
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: piece for the Green Bay Packers. And then the Cleveland
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Browns did it as well. Jack Conklin, They're starting right
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: tackle who has been their starting right tackle for several
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: years overcame a serious, serious knee injury to become really
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: the player who's always been. This year again, he agrees
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: to terms on a four year deal where sixty million
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: dollars he gets thirty one million dollars guaranteed. According to
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: his agent, Drew Rosenaus, good to see the big fellas
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: getting rewarded. He in here ahead of this Christmas. We
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: could thank you very much. Ian Rappaport, appreciate the insight.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: As for that Thursday night game. Last night, it was
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: the Jaguars and the Jets, the top two picks in
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: NFL draft, Trevor Lawrence and Zack Wilson. Trevor Lawrence diving
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: into the end zone. It's not free, but there you
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: see clearly breaking the plane. Touchdown Jacksonville. That would cap
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: a six te play nineties six yard drive. Meanwhile, for
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: New York, it was a struggle all night long for
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: Zack Wilson throwing deep for Garrett Wilson, it was knocked down.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: The Boo Birds were out all night. Fireman Ed does
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: not approve that crowd was channing for Chris Traveler. Straveler
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: did move the ball a little bit for New York
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: trying to get things going with Garrett Wilson. The bumble
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: is pop free and inadvertent kick. Jaguars win nineteen to three.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: The Jets have lost eight straight primetime games, the longest
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: active in the NFL. It's the jags third win in
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: a row. Here's our Judy Batista with Josh Allen after
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: the game. We was where were supposed to be, you know,
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: we were we were gaps sound in the run. We
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: stopped to run early. Um, you know, so we forced
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: them to get to those situations to throw the ball quick.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: And uh, you know, everybody did their job. Man. We
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: played this one, we ran to the ball, we communicated
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: and that's what happened, man, And we just gotta continue
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: to go. The season started two and six. You have
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: a chance to get to five dred next week and
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: you have a chance to win out and win the division.
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: What does it feel like It's been a long time
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: since Jacksonville was in this spot. Uh. I mean for me, man,
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: I'm just totally thankful, totally on it to be a
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: part of the team like this. Man. I just think
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: right now we're hitting. Uh, we're hit in the right
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: spots right now. And uh, next one is an important one.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: But happy things, happy uh holidays to everybody out there. Man.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: We're gonna you know die. We get to play on Thursday,
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: we get to spend time with the family on Christmas Day. Um,
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: totally thankful for that, man, and uh after that, man,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: we gotta get ready for Houston. Merry Christmas as well.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: Jacks certainly gonna enjoy that Christmas week and Mike Grifolo
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: Mark Ross joining us now, Mike will start with you.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: You were at the game last night. Jags seemed like
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: they're playing with a lot of confidence on both sides
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: of the ball, don't they They do, And Drevor Lawrence
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: just continues to show that he's incredibly in charge and
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: incredibly comfortable in Doug Peterson's offense. Those two seem to
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: be really jibing right now now. One interception in the
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: last seven games for Trevor Lawrence, going back to that
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: London game where he threw that bad interception near the
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: goal line, and Doug Peterson told me that was a
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: turning point for Lawrence realizing that he needed to really
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: uh hunker down to make smarter decisions with the football,
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: and he's certainly done that. There was even one past
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: last night where he threw it away while under pressure
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: and the broadcast crew kind of got on him a
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: little bit, But even that was a smart pass and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: a smart uh deliberate to get rid of it because
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: there was nobody in the area. So I just feel
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: like he's seeing things a whole lot better right now.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Peterson as well, you know, getting back into a groove
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: as a head coach and a play caller, and this
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: team is hitting it at the right time. Of course,
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: the way that they are using Travis E. T. N
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: uh Mark is just you could see that they came
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: in an out game planned the the Jets defense. I
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: love the inner scout in you there, Mike G I
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: always knew you had it in you. Yeah, you just
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: talk about talk about a difference the year makes. But
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: also just as you mentioned, you literally see Trevor Lawrence
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: got better throughout the season, where earlier he was just
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: kind of managing things, not making a ton of plays.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: Now over the last couple of weeks, I mean he
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: is just taking over and making big time plays and
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Doug Peterson completely scheming things up where that Jets defense
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: was just off balanced the whole entire night, which allows
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: that that the Trevor Lawrence and an offense to flourish.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: And the bigger picture for Jacksonville where a few weeks
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: ago or they seemed out of it. Now we know
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: we don't like to say control your own destiny. Destiny,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: let's say control their destination where they got Houston and
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: then they finish up with Tennessee, so basically win an
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: in for Jacksonville and then once they get in the playoffs,
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: they have the elements to make a run. They've got
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: the quarterback. The franchise quarterback was making big time plays.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: They've got playmakers on offense and on defense. We just
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: saw Josh Allen there who can make spectacular plays. So
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: they've got the elements to go along with a well
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: coached team, playmaking quarterback, playmakers on offense and defense not
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: just get in, but could make a nice little run. Omar, Yeah,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Jack seven and eight, same record as the Jets. But
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: the Jacks certainly playing their way into playoff contention. Jets
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: seem like they're playing their way out. Robert Sala last
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: night and then this morning, non committal to Zach Wilson
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: if Mike White is not able to go next week
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: in Seattle. I didn't even answer the question when asked
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: if Zach Wilson could still be their future franchise quarterback. Mike,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: what do you make of the entire Jets quarterback situation? Well,
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: because Robert Sala just can't say what I'm sure Jets
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: fans want to hear them say right now, which is
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: we've got to move on from this guy. They may
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: need them. If Mike White's not cleared. It was supposedly
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: supposedly a multi week recovery process before he would be cleared.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Now they've got themselves a nice long break of nine
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: days before their next game, so perhaps he will be
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: cleared by then. So that's why Solid is not given
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: answers right now because they just don't know. And look
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: Chris Traveler, when he came into the game, it was
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: exciting for the fans. They had a whole new package
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: of plays that they had practiced anyway for him coming
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: into the game. But he didn't have the skill set
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: to play quarterback in the NFL. That arms just not
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: strong enough to make it happen. So once the Jaguar
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: is kind of adjusted to things, it was like, all right,
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: he was extremely limited in what he could do. So
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: you know, you're looking at the possibility of Joe Flacco
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: or Zack Wilson, and you're looking at Wilson potentially getting
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: another chance to say, hey, I can correct this. I
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: could be your franchise quarterback going forward. If it doesn't change.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: I think we're looking at a jet scenario where in
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: the off season it's Mike White, perhaps with competing with
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: somebody else. Uh, and and see what they can do
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: to move Zach Wilson potentially. It's just I don't see
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: anything at this point that thrust Zack Wilson into the
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: conversation for a starting job with the Jets. In what
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: do you have to add, Mark, Yeah, So as as
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: you mentioned Mike, it's Zack Wilson. I think his time
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: has done. And there in New York, as we know,
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: there's no more brutal fan base that you have to
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: deal with in New York and the expectations where he
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: just has not come through. And at one point this
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: just team it looked like, Wow, a really a team
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: set for the future, have a great foundation of the
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: past to draft classes, tons of talent on both sides
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: of the ball with their young players, but no quarterback.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: And if you're talking about going into next season with
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Mike White or whoever. At one point you're looking at, Wow,
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: they're on the on these arise and they've got so
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: much talent. But now you're looking at wow, are they
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: going to be stuck even for another year or two
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: or three there in New York? As we've seen for
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: so many years, so many misses owned quarterbacks. Are they
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: right back to where they were after having so much
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: promise with so much young talent. Mark Yeah. Saulo was
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: asked if the struggles from Zach Wilson or b because
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: of mental or physical miss Ques and he said, confidence
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: and obviously hard to get that confidence back the way
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: they are struggling right now and have a trip to
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Seattle next weekend. Mike, Mark, thank you both very much. Meanwhile,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: in the NFC East, a Big Time Showdown a rematch
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: of a Week six matchup where Cooper Rush led the
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys into Philadelphia. The Eagles won that game twenties
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: six to seventeen. Cowboys have clinched a playoff spot, which
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: isn't anything new for this Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, what
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: would be knew is a deep playoff front something Ezekiel
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: Elliott is keenly aware of love making a playoffs, but
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: like all, like I said, I'm looking to make a round.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: Um made the playoffs before. I want to make it
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: a round. And you can make the playoffs and we've
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: seen it lose in the first first round. That does
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: not taste good, don't feel good. It's almost worse than
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: not even going to the playoffs. So I mean, just
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: trying to do whatever we can to to get better
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the team that this week is, you know, doing what
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: we need to do to get ready to beat Philly
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: and then just build on that and making sure we're
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: ready to put our best foot forward when when playoffs come. Alright,
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: So Dallas Cowboys and Zekiel Elliotts. We're joined now by
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: Jane Slater, looking to keep the Eagles from clinching the
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: NFC East and the number one seed in the playoffs
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: this weekend. Jane, what's the Cowboys message heading into this
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: one tomorrow afternoon? Well, here Dak Prescott said this week, Omar,
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: it's this is a statement game for ourselves. You know,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: it's sort of uh, they got into the playoffs, but
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: it was following a loss against Jacksonville, and let's not
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: forget the week before almost lost to the Houston Texans.
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: Now they're heading into this game, and while they won't
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: face Jalen Hurts, they've got Gardner Minshew and this one,
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: they still have a ton of weapons, guys like A. J.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Brown and Davonte Smith, and they're getting Dallas Goddard back,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: who was a pretty big receiving threat for this Jalen
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: for this Jalen Hurts list team heading into this game.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: But yeah, the Cowboys are obviously looking for a win,
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: and I guess and read they could still get the
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: NFC East title, they'd have to win out. The Eagles
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: would have to lose out, So we'll see if they
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: can pull that off. But a win is big for
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: them regardless, just heading into the playoffs and some momentum.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Speaking of momentum, Tony Pollard has had a lot of
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: it this season. He got his first Pro Bowl nod
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: yesterday and you know, some might wonder how does that
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: effect Ezekiel Elliott. As Paula described it, Elliott was the
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: first one to call him, and I want to give
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: you an interesting story about this running backscroom and how
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: well they work. Sadly, last week, Skip Pete, they're running
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: backs coach. He lost his mother fairly suddenly, and he
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: went over the weekend to go see his mother in Phoenix, Arizona.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: But his flight, like all of us lately, were severely
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: displayed delayed, having a tough one with this one, so
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: he ends up back in Dallas. Doesn't think he's even
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: getting out in time for the game, and as he
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: described it to me. He finally gets on a plane
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: and gets to the game, but as they're going through
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: pregame warm ups, the running backs realize their position and
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: coach isn't there. So Quadrea Alliston, who has been the
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: league for about four years, grabs the headset. Told me
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: that was real fun to listen to some of the
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: signals and some of the calls that are coming in
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: from Kellen Moore, And it was Tony Pollard and Ezekiel
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: Elliott and these guys breaking up what their snaps would
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: be and who would be in skip. Pete ends up
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: coming to the game with five minutes left in the
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: first half and Quadre goes to give the tablet over
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: his coach. His coach says, you guys look like you've
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: got it covered. I'll get you in the next series.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: So just an idea of how well this group is
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: working together. Even though Tony Pollard got the nod, these
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: are still two players that feel really good about the
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: way they're playing this year. And as Ezekiel Elliott described
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: it to me, he said, this is the best I've
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: felt at this point in the year, and I've been
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: dealing with an injury. He said. At first, of course,
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: I was a little defensive about sharing the snap, so
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: he says it's working. Yeah, certainly helping the Cowboys stay
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: in line with very small chance, albeit a chance to
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: win the NFC East. Certainly have to win against the
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: Eagles tomorrow to keep that faint hope alive. Jane Slater,
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: thank you very much for that. Can't wait for that game.
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: Can't wait for this one. Josh Allen and the Bills
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: already in Chicago, leaving early because of the weather. That
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: big matchup against Justin Fields, and the Bears were breaking
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: that one down next on NFL. Now, it doesn't show
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: signs of stopping. And I've brought some calm for popping.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: Good friends Matt Lafleur and Mike McDaniel will face off
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: as head coaches for the first time this weekend as
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: the Packers, and there's six and eight record head down
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: to South Florida to face the Dolphins, who are at
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: eight and six. Packers, I want a couple of games
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: in a row to play their way back into the
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: NFC playoff picture. All. The Dolphins have lost three straight,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: looking to turn it around with some home cooking there
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: here we sixteen. You see their social media team putting
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: Week sixteen Packers at Dolphins there at hard Rock Stadium
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: for much more. In this matchup, we welcome in our
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: Cameron Wolf and Jim Trotter, and Cam will start with you.
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: Which matchup are you looking at for this one that
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: could decide it? Oh? Mark, First of all, I'm looking
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: at McDaniel and Matt Lafleur, two good, good friends who
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: are head coaches of this game. And McDaniel said it
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: earlier this week or today, Actually I love Halle Flora
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: stayed true to himself, but mostly he's a top three
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: most attractive head coach NFL history, and that was his
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: comment there. But on a serious note, la Flora knows
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: McDaniel well, and he knows that McDaniel wants to run
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: the football. And last week, I don't know if you've
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: played NFL street but Whee Moster had an NFL street
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: level run for sixty seven yards on that Bill's defense,
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: and it really sparked and brought back a Dolphins run
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: game that's been a nimick throughout the season, and that
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: to me is the key for this Dolphins team. We
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: all know about Tyreek and Jalen Into, but this team
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: has to become a dual threat offense for them to
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: make noise down the stretch and to the playoffs, and
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: where he mostered and potentially Jeff Wilson are gonna be
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: a big part of the Dolphins game plan. Like it's
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: the Packers defense that ranks in the bottom five gym. Yeah,
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: you know what, Cam, What's interesting here is at four
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: and eight, the Packers knew they had to win out
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: to have any shot at the playoffs, and they won
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: the first two against the Bears and the Rams. With
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: those are teams that were seven and twenty one combined.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: Now the real tests begin against Miami and then following
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: with Minnesota and Detroit. And the thing that's interesting here
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: is that the defense, as you mentioned, is going to
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: be key for green Bay. In beating the Bears and
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: the Rams, they were facing offenses that were nineteenth and
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: thirty one and points scored. In facing the Dolphins, Vikings
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: and Lions, they're facing offenses that are in the top
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: nine and points scored. Now, I talked to the Green
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Bay coach who told me they feel good about where
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: they're at. Since giving up forty points to the Eagles,
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: They've held their last two opponents to an average of
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: fifteen plus. So from that standpoint, they know they're going
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: to be solid and sound against East offense to have
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: any shot of reaching the playoffs. Can you mentioned NFL
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: Street what is that? You ever seen the Ricky Williams
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: on the cover, breaking tackles, running through turbo speed? Come on,
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: you gotta check it out. Video games? Yeah, video game,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: video game? All right, if we gotta keep up with Cam,
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: will Jim trotter a couple of hands like I missed
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: my audience clearly then it sounds over my head. But
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: that's why we asked a little learn something here at NFL. Now,
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: besides these tremendous NFL matchups, Cam Jim, thank you both
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: very much. There's another be a fun one. Josh Allen
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: and the Bills looking to maintain that number one seed
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: in the a f C playoff picture against Justin Fields
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: trying to work some magic for the Bears. Here's Matt
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: eber Flus talking about Josh Allen. You know he's has
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: a really good ability to you know, throw the ball
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: in time, but also due to the untimed downs. Um,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: you've seen him scramble around and uh, you know he's
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: so big, and he's able to stay alive um on
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: those untimed downs and deliver the ball. And the guy
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: and the guys that are working with him are do
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: a great job uncovering, you know, they get covered and
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: do a nice job on the scrambled drill to be
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: able to uncover and work themselves open. So I think
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: it's a combination of all those things. But they've certainly
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: done a great job with him, coaching him, you know,
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: in developing him over the years, and he's one of
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: the premier players in the NFL for sure. The more
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: in this matchup, let's welcome in our Mike Trty and
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: Mark Ross. You see the graphic. Their temperature twelve degrees
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: feels like negative eight wind twenty two miles per hour. Now,
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: the Bills play in western New York, whether usually not
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: an issue for them, but how are they preparing for
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: this trip to Chicago with the weather in mind? Omar
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: two game plans, Ken Dorsey, their offensive coordinator, So we
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: have a contingency plan, you have to. We said, we
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: actually had one in place last week when they played
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: the game on Saturday night against the Dolphins, and he said, well,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: we got fortunate there and that the snow didn't come
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: until late in the game, and he said, at that
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: point it didn't really impact the footing. He said, but
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: we definitely have things in place because you really are
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: concerned about the footing. In particular, he said, you don't
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: want to have a guy trying to make a cut,
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: a hard cut, and then fall on the ground and
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: your quarterbacks throwing it directly into a defensive backs chest.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: He said, they're playing a little safer, We're trying to
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: play hard. You don't want to do that. And he
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: putted to Brian Dable and the work that Dable did
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: as an o C last year in that game against
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: the Patriots in early December, and we know the Patriots
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: won the game, but in the second half day Ball
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: sort of said we can throw this with Josh Allen,
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: and he kind of gives them an opportunity to do
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: some things in the weather that maybe some other teams
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: would not do because he has that strong arm. Alan said,
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: I'm used to, you know that the conditions, whether it
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: be in the NFL from playing in that game or
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: of course from his time in college at Wyoming Laramie
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: not exactly the nicest place to play games in the wintertime,
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: I would say, yeah, those high Rockies. That win comes
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: off like you wouldn't believe they're at Laramie, Wyoming. Mark,
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: what do you have to say about Justin Fields and
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: the Bear is ahead of this one? Hey? Look, I
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: love Justin Fields and the maturation that he's shown this year.
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: I love that he finally broke out and was able
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: to show his playmaking ability with his arm and particularly
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: with his legs. Gotta be excited if you're a Chicago
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: fan for the future of Justin Fields leading this team.
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: But I want to see Justin Fields get a signature
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: win here down the stretch. You know, they've got the Bills,
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: They've got Detroit, they've got Minnesota. Their last three games,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: he's had six losses this year by one score. So
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: I want to have just see Justin Fields and we
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: know he's talent deprival, that that that team is a
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: completely talent deprived that every game they go into. But
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: I want to see Justin Fields put that team on
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: his back and get a signature win or two in
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: these last three wins, just to show you know what
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: I'm going to be in that superstar status with the
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Josh Allens of the world. Omar Yeah. Justin Fields already
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: the third quarterback in NFL history with a thousand rushing
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: yards in a season, hoping to add to this legacy
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: for him here in that regard, Mike Mark, thank you
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: both very much. Still to come here on NFL now,
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: we are looking at the Lions, who continue to surge
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: in the standings thanks to Dan Campbell and his leadership.
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: That's next on NFL now, the Lions leap. I like
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: that with the kids, jingle belling and ruin untilli. You
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: be a good cheer. It's the most one. Since the
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: NFL has provided more than two hundred forty four million
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: dollars to more than forty National grant partners and more
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: than six hundred grassroots organizations across the country, part of
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: the NFL's Inspired Change campaign, which is celebrated year round,
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: but especially in focus here during weeks fifteen and sixteen.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: The league has also awarded funding to five new National
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: Grant partners, one of them being Piece for d C,
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: an organization working to eliminate violence and create safe and
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: peaceful communities in the District of Columbia. For much more
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: on that, we welcome in Lashawna Thompson l Executive director
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: for Peace for d C and Lashawn. I want to
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: start by asking how you and the NFL became partners
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: here for this inspired change campaign. Thank you so much
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: for having me. Super excited to have the support of
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: the NFL, and we've been learning about all the great
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: work the NFL. The NFL has been doing and we
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: decided to apply for one of the grants and was awarded.
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: And it's so interested because simultaneously one of the players,
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: Charles Leno, well his wife reached out and wanted to
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: adopt the DC Piece Academy for the holiday and so
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: some of the photos you just show is photos of
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: the holiday party that we had for our students and
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: their children to celebrate them during the holiday season. So
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: the NFL is doing just great social just justice work
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: and somehow another peaceful DC came when they read Radar
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: and they decided to support us. You mentioned Charles Leno.
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: The Social Justice Working Group by the NFL, comprised of
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: five players and legends as well as five club owners
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: as well, approved those grants and specifically you guys, the
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: Piece for DC campaign goes towards the academy. Can you
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: explain what that program is and help that might help
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: reduce file in DC communities. Yes, the DC Piece Academy
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: is a three month training for balanced interrupters and outreach
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: workers and credible messengers in DC who are working in
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: various higherask neighborhoods that have been basically had prevalent shootings
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: for decades. And so the DC Piece Academy, the students
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: are nominated, they're already working in community to interrupt balance
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: and mediate conflicts and change norms around gun violence, and
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: they work for community based organizations that have been funded
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: by DC government to implement community balance intervention. So we
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: started the academy to basically build on their expert skills
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: and help them to develop their mediation skills and life
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: coaching skills and learn CBT, which is cognative behavior theory
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: where they're helping high risk individuals learned to regulate their
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: emotions and respond differently to conflict when they have experienced
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: trauma and they live in neighborhoods where gun violence is prevalent?
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: Is that their motivation? You found a lot of these
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: students they've had experiences themselves and now they want to
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: help their own communities. Yes, we've grew up, and I
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: grew up in Ward eight, born, born and raised the
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: war in DC. We considered that east of the River
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: is where we have the most concentrated poverty, where we
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: have the least amount of hospitals, the most challenged schools,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: and most of our of our gun balance, unfortunately in DC,
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: happens in Ward eight, and so many of our valance
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: interrupters and outreach workers, even our hospital professionals, have been
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: directly impacted by gun balance and have lost family members
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: and loved ones to gun balance. And unfortunately, some of
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: us have been on the other side of this problem
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: because balance is a learned behavior and we grew up
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: in these communities and we've been impacted by this trauma
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: and infected with this disease. But yet we have been
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: able to transform our lives. And now we want to
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: go back and help other people do the same. And
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: we want to try to help people before they actually
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: get involved in imbalance or they actually cause harm to someone, because,
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: as you know, the consequences are so severe in terms
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: of the loss and the impact of families, and the
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: incarceration rates, and just the generational impact of this trauma
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: and balance on communities. And young people. So we want
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: to heal communities with a transformative justice approach where we
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: help people to understand and that there's a different way
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: to respond to conflict when you have you know, conflict
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: is inevitable and trauma is not going away today. However,
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: we we strongly believe that if we could teach people
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: how to regulate their emotions and each one teach one
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: help people how to respond to the conflicts that they're seeing,
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: then we can heal communities and prevent shootings and reduce
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: gum balance and d C. Yeah, Lashawn LASHAWNA Thompson, l
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: Peace for d C. You're doing great work finding specific
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: solutions to specific problems. Thank you so much for joining
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: us here in NFL now and and thank you for
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: participating in the NFL's Inspired Change campaign. Thank you so much,
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Happy you too, Thank you alright. Great work by LASHAWNA
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: and company. Great work by these teams still alive. In
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: the NFC playoff picture, you see because of the Giants
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: big win, they now have that time breaker over Washington.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: So you're talking about Washington, Seattle, Detroit. You see the
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: other teams at six and eight in the NFC South
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: teams at five and nine, still hoping for a division
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: championship by way into the playoffs. But let's focus in
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: on Washington, Seattle in Detroit because theoretically, at this point
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: they can still control their own destiny by winning out
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: for much more on those teams. That's welcome back our
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Mark Ross and Jim Trotteren. Will start with Seattle. Jim,
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: the Seahawks going to Kansas City. They're on a bit
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: of a losing streak, can't really find their way from
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: what they had earlier in the year. How do they
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: get it back going against Patrick Mahomes income any Well, Allmar,
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: one of the things I've got to do is run
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: the football. Look, they're gonna be playing without Tyler Locke
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: at their leading receiver. They're gonna be playing and potentially
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: windy and frigid conditions in Kansas City, so they have
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: got to be able to establish the run. The problem
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: is they have been inconsistent in that area the last
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: five games, averaging just sixty yards. Now, some of that
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: has been lack of execution, but some of that has
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: simply been lack of opportunities, and three of those last
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: five games they have attempted just fourteen Rushes Now. Pete Carroll,
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: their head coach, said, look, we've got to be committed
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: to he said, more than anything, We've got to keep
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: doing it. We've got to take our swings and let
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: in the place will pop at some point, he said,
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: I just want frequency. So one thing you can expect
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: to Seattle to lean on the run game come Sunday.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: You know, Smith named to the Pro Bowl this week,
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: will certainly have to play like that if they have
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: a chance there in Kansas City. As for the Washington
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: Commanders Mark they are currently the seven seed potential playoff
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: preview against San Francisco forty Niners this weekend. What's their
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: outlook with still old Taylor Heineke leading the way. Yeah,
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: I thought last week's game against the Giants was essentially
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: a play in game. Whoever won that game was going
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: to go to the playoffs, and whoever lost it would
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: probably be out. With those Detroit Lions looming, and especially
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: this week going out to San Franz, that is not
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: the way to try to get right or win a
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: game for Washington and Taylor Heineke look had a fantastic season.
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: The team believed in him, but he's still a very
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: very limited quarterback, and he saw that against the Giants,
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: those two bubbles that he had really crushed any hope
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: that they had had a couple of big throws late,
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: but even that run to the end zone where he
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: got stopped on the goal line, he had a clear
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: path to the end zone. He just is not making
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: winning plays and doesn't have the ability to ascend to
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: kind of carry a team and make big time plays.
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: So will we see Carson Wentz come back and get
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: back in the mix again if Taylor Heineke struggles to
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: try to salvage the season to repeat it kind of
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: when Carson got hurt and Nick Foles came in, could
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: he do the same for Washington their omar, Well, that's
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: easy defense to go up against when you're talking about
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: a quarterback needing to save a season. That forty Niners
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: top rank defense with Damiko Ryan's and company. Meanwhile, where
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: we're talking about the third team in our focus here
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: the Detroit Lions, winners of three in a row, mark
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: they are surging in the standings and one of those
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: teams where it seems like if they do get and
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: nobody would want to play, then Yeah, and one six
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: of the last Sex seven and that's all due to
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: the coaching of Dan Campbell, h Aaron Glenn Johnson and
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: the offensive coordinator. But also these players have really stepped up.
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: Jared Golf looks like a new man. We know what
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: st Brown has done Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive side,
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: but they're just playing with supreme confidence. Togetherness been a
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: part of Super Bowl runs, late season runs where you
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: just feel like you cannot lose and everybody is playing
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: together for one goal, no egos, And that's when I
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: look at this Detroit team. I think they will get in,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: will be a tough out whoever they play. Yeah, Mark,
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: and you talk about a lack of ego. We talked
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: about offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and coach Dan Campbell and
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: quarterback Jared Goffin. Others had told me he is an
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: unsung hero of what's taken place thus far. He's creative,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: he relates to the players, and in fact, go back
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: to that Minnesota game and that passed to Penny Soule,
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: the offensive tackle. He had designed that and they had
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: repped it in practice and whatnot, and they gave all
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: credit to Ben Johnson for calling that play. So he
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: is a guy to keep an eye on, particularly as
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: we know when you talk about potential head coaches, owners
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: love offensive coordinators and guys who are hot in that area.
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: So he might be a guy to keep a watch on. Yeah,
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: that's who will play one of those iconic images of
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: two that certainly, if the Lions do get into the playoffs,
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: going to be a highlight we're seeing for years and
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: years to come. Mark Jimp, thank you both very much.
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: NFL Now is a production of the NFL in partnership
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio,
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.