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NFL Week 16 Recap · Banter with the Boys

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You're listening to Bantor with the Boys, talking all things sports.
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From betting and brawls, Superball to Stanley Cup Finals.
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Get laced up.
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It's time for Bantor with the Boys.
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What's up everybody?
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Welcome back to Bantor with the Boys.
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Week 16 has come and gone.
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We have week 17 coming up here.
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Back with me today we have Smelty.
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How you doing?
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How you feeling brother?
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I'm glad to have you back.
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Yeah man, I'm feeling a lot better today that's for sure.
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My brain still ain't back.
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I was forgetting everything.
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I locked my keys in my truck last week and I had to break into that thing.
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Like I only have one key and I've owned the truck for four years.
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You'd think I'd get a second key by now but that has not happened.
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That is hilarious.
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We made it here.
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The truck's outside so I got in.
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There we go.
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There we go.
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So we back to like first round projected or?
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No I'm mid second right now but we're definitely raising the stocks still.
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Alright, alright.
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Well we hope to get you back to that first round next week boss.
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You bet.
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Alright well let's get into football here.
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So week 16 come and gone.
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We'll start this week with my Packers going down to Carolina.
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Taking on the Panthers as a four and a half point favorite and boy did they not cover
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that four and a half points.
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Packers ended up squeaking this one out 33 to 30.
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We both had the Packers covering that four and a half points.
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We haven't had the Packers covering that four and a half points and I really thought we
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were going to lose this game.
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No no kidding.
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And like you said a couple weeks ago when the Vikes won 3-0 against Vegas, pulled out
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a squeaker and that's what happened here.
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So I mean at least Aaron Jones was back a little bit to form.
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Aaron Jones was the sole reason we won this game.
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But that defense was really sketch.
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I don't need to go into another Joe Berry rant like I did on the last podcast but if
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that guy is here at the end of the year, well he'll be here at the end of the year.
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If he's here at the start of next year I don't know what's going to happen but I don't know
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if I can make it through another season with him as our D coordinator man.
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No doubt.
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I mean what's the biggest issue you think?
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I know I heard the rant last week.
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I listened to the pod.
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But what's the most glaring issue?
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In your opinion?
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To me it's just the lack of adapting throughout the game.
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And I don't know if it's the game plan coming in.
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Like our game plan forever since he's been our coordinator is to play 10-15 yards off
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the ball which I just don't understand.
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We have speed on the outside.
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We have corners that can cover one on one situations and he just will forever give up
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the underneath routes.
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I really don't think it's a lack of talent.
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I sure hope not.
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We've invested so many first round picks on the defensive side of the ball where I really
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don't think it's a lack of talent.
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I mean injuries have always plagued the Packers defense.
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That just seems to always be a thing so you can't really use that as an excuse.
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But I don't know.
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We show spurts during the three game stretch there.
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They looked great.
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They looked great.
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Yeah, no they looked really good actually.
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And then against the Giants and the Panthers we lay an egg.
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Like I said I was shocked that we did not lose this game when it's all said and done.
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Because who did you guys just beat recently?
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Did you beat the Chiefs?
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Yeah.
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You beat the Chiefs.
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Yeah.
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In the Lions.
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That was a great win.
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Yeah, beating the Lions too.
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That was Thanksgiving Day wasn't it?
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Yeah.
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Like those are both big wins and you could see the adjustments actually being made at
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halftime.
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And now you know it's almost like there was nothing.
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They're just kind of the play calling is just kind of I don't know really pedestrian really
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like nonchalant not really given a crap almost like I don't know.
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Right.
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I mean like how do you allow Bryce Young to go 23 of 36 for 312 yards?
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Bryce Young hasn't touched 300 yards since he was playing at Alabama and against the
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Packers let's just throw for 300.
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And I mean to be honest with you and the Packers Achilles Hill has been the run game.
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We slowed them down.
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I wouldn't say bottled them up, but they only had 96 yards rushing as a team.
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So you know we kept them in check.
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But they really the Packers defense couldn't really handle that like middle passing area.
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And not having Devondre Campbell definitely hurt with that.
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Which makes sense.
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Quay Walker has done a very, very good job.
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I like him a lot.
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But Trent McDuffie, sorry, Isaiah McDuffie, Trent's his brother who plays for the Chiefs.
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But Isaiah McDuffie, you know, he's not a starting inside linebacker in the NFL, I guess.
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He's played good.
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He's played what's kind of expected.
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But he's just he's not going to give you what Devondre Campbell obviously would.
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And I mean the offense, they looked good.
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Jordan Love looked pretty good, especially being out.
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Jaden Reed, Christian Watson, Fantavian Wicks hurt himself or got hurt on you know his touchdown
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grab just before the end of the first half.
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So that hurt going into the second half.
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And I mean, he was moving the ball around.
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Aaron Jones just tore him up.
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Aaron Jones was the player of the game like Barnaan.
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He got those those touchdowns hawked from him down in the goal line.
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But I just.
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And of course, counterpart AJ Dillon grabs one.
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Oh, yeah.
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Oh, yeah.
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And he was banged up.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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So I don't know, man.
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It's.
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But it's nice.
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It's refreshing to see the return of the rushing game with Aaron Jones.
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I mean, that's got to be refreshing to see.
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And also, I mean, probably makes you feel at least a little bit better heading to Minnesota
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this weekend, which we'll we'll talk on that later, obviously, obviously.
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But it's got to at least make you feel better about the game this weekend and your guys'
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chances in that game, even though you only beat.
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Arguably the worst franchise in the NFL right now.
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There's no argument.
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Three.
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There's no argument.
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Their hands on the worst team in the league.
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I mean, it's it's not even remotely close, in my opinion.
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But yeah, you're right.
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I mean, it gives me a little bit of a hope.
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But the defense, the Vikings defense buzzer.
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They're playing pretty darn good right now.
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So, you know, but it's at the same time like Bryce Young throws for three.
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So what's Nick Mullins going to do?
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Throw for 450, but nothing, because in my opinion, Nick Mullins ain't starting.
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But we'll get to that.
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That's interesting.
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But enough about the Packers.
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You know, we hopefully the injury bug has come and gone now in a perfect world.
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We get Christian watching and Jaden Reed back next week.
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But I do want to touch on Tucker Kraft and how much promise we have in these two young
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tight ends with him and Luke Musgrave, two rookies.
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We very rarely have a good tight end presence.
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We really haven't since Dermikel Finley, like Robert Tunney had a good year where he had
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a lot of touchdowns.
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One good year.
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Yeah, literally one year.
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Yeah, Dermikel Finley.
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I forgot about him.
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Yeah, I was back in the way.
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Back in the heyday.
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But Tucker Kraft has really, really impressed me.
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You know, four catches for 60 yards.
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He's just shown that consistency.
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You can dump it down to him.
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He's going to put his head down.
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He's going to do he's falls forward.
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He certainly don't take a hit without giving one back.
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And I like what I'm seeing in this young, like offensive skill players that we have.
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Yeah, the key word there is consistency.
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And I mean, you're still seeing it with Dobbs, too.
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And Wicks was starting to be more and more consistent as the season has gone on.
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So that actually is nice to see.
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And honestly, if you look at Jordan Love's numbers and compare those to Herscham Holmes
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numbers of this season.
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I know my homes is having a bad season.
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I'm not ever going to say love is my homes, but at least should make you feel better about
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like, hey, like for me, if I was you, I would be OK with love starting as quarterback of
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my Packers in 2024.
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Oh, I will never say my Packers again.
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That was ugly.
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That was awesome to hear.
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Wow.
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But no, I couldn't agree more.
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I as our thorough listeners have have known, you know, I've been for and against Jordan
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Love all darn year.
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So it's.
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We'll see how that continues.
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But I can only expect him to grow and get better.
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His first year starting, like I said, very, very, very young skill players around him.
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They're only going to grow in the system and grow that consistency with J. Love.
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And we saw Aaron Jones on the books.
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I know Rogers is trying to get everybody of his old team to the Jets.
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But that's really interesting that the reports for that man are just crazy how much he just
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gets talked about with conspiracies and whatnot.
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Media loves him.
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He just loves him.
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But I mean, I'll look going forward for the Packers.
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We got the Vikes this week, which we'll get into.
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And then the Bears the week after we need to win both those games to have a fighting
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chance at the playoffs.
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And we need a little bit of help along the way.
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But let's get into your Vikings, man.
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Vikings went down or sorry, they hosted the Detroit Lions coming in as the Lions were
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a three point favorite in this game.
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I figured that spread was going to be a little bit more.
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But the Lions won this game pretty handily 30 to 24 without a little promise for the
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Vikings.
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But they did good.
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And then, you know, Detroit just kind of took over.
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For the record, all three of us had the Packers winning last week and covering that four and
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a half and they did not for this game.
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I did think the Lions were going to cover that three points.
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Smelty and Kev Dogg did not.
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I ended up taking the dub on this one.
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But tell me how this game went.
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I wasn't able to really catch too terribly much of it.
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Yeah, I mean, it was it was kind of weird because the Vikings almost felt like they
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were in control most of the game, to be honest with you.
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I mean, you had Nick Mullens throw for 411 yards.
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And if you just looked at that and stopped right there, you're like, heck, yeah, whatever.
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But but then you look at the rest of it, right?
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The two tugs.
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Heck, yeah.
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Four picks also giving up four sacks.
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This dude was under pressure most of the game.
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However, I'm still a little bit concerned about that Lions defense with the season coming
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close to the end here and making that playoff push.
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And the Lions actually could make a play for that number one seed yet even at this point.
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Do I think they're going to get it?
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No.
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But I think they I think, you know, Lions fans rejoice.
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You won the NFC North.
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That's awesome.
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And to be honest, it's refreshing to see.
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It doesn't really hurt my feelings.
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But it's concerning because Nick Mullens was right there at the end of the game.
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He threw a pick on your guys' five yard line.
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And the ball is behind J.J. and whatever.
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People are saying J.J. could have came back to it.
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Yes and no.
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But the four picks just shows you like Mullens issue is he he doesn't keep his receivers
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out of trouble.
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You know, you got the great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and and even Mahomes, the guys like
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that.
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They they keep their receivers out of trouble because they're already looking at that.
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And it's just, you know, that's what makes quarterback so great.
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And you saw how much the Vikings could have used Kirk Cousins.
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Kirk Cousins was in this game.
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The Vikings would have beat the Lions this week.
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I would almost guarantee that.
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And that's what's concerning to me for the Lions going into the playoffs, to be honest
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with you.
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Yeah, most definitely.
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Most definitely.
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I mean, just strictly looking at the box score here, I said didn't wasn't able to catch too
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terribly much of this game.
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But I mean, to me, the story of the game here, just the disparity in the rushing between the
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two teams.
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Well, and that's just it, too.
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Like the Vikings felt like they were playing from behind the whole game when they weren't.
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There's no reason they were forcing the throw all game.
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And it was so obvious.
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So obvious.
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Yeah, I mean, 11 carries as a team is just wild when Jameer Gibbs and David Montgomery
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had more than 15 plus each for the Lions.
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And eight.
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I mean, they ate.
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Not granted the Lions.
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That's their bread and butter.
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They're a rushing team.
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You know, Jared Goff is going to come in in quotations, game manage, just do what he needs
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to do to not necessarily lose the game.
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But he's not going to win you a lot of games if that rushing game isn't producing.
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But 17 yards as a team.
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Yeah, unacceptable.
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You're not going to win a lot of football games in the NFL.
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17 yards rushing.
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No, so I can't even speak on the Lions rush defense this game, to be honest, because there's
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just not not big enough sample size, to be honest with you.
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There's really not.
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And like that's why I'm not I'm not worried about the Detroit offense at all.
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I think they can hack it with almost any team in the league in a playoff game.
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But their defense I'm concerned about.
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They let the Vikings almost come back and win that game when their quarterback at the
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time threw three picks in the game and they had no business being in it at that point.
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No, absolutely.
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I mean, you three picks at that point to still even be in the game is just crazy.
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It's just crazy to me.
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And these Lions team, they're just so up in the air because like, do they beat good teams?
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No, they haven't done a really have like a solidified great win on the year outside a
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week one against the Chiefs and what are the Chiefs right now, which was a bigger win in
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week one of the season than it would be right now.
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Yeah, it looks a lot better now.
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Looks a lot better now.
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And I don't know.
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I mean, it's it's cool to see the Lions win the NFC North for the first time in 30 years.
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I really like Dan Campbell.
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I like what he's done with the team and they've built into that that mentality behind him.
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But I just don't think the Lions are going to do anything in the playoffs.
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I really don't.
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I mean, even going against, let's say that they're likely going to get the third seed,
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you know, the NFC East, NFC West will be the one and two more than likely.
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So that means you're going to play the fifth seed, which is either going to be the likely
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the Eagles or the Cowboys.
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I don't see the Lions winning that game.
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Yeah, I mean, the only thing to have going for them is that they'd be at home and they
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would need all of the home crowd as they could get for Uncle Mo.
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That's for sure.
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But I mean, if you look at the I like how that matchup.
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I could play the Rams right now.
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They're playing the Rams if it ended today, you know, blah, blah, blah.
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They would play because they're they're the third seed today right now, you know, because
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of winning the division and blah, blah.
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So the Rams are actually the fifth seed.
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They would play the sixth seed.
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The fifth seed would play the fourth seed, which would be the Buccaneers at the moment.
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Oh, yeah, you're right.
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You're right.
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So so if the Rams traveled there, boy, would that be a story.
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And that's what everybody's kind of like hoping for.
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That would be stuff at this point.
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That'd be kind of cool with Matt Stafford going back home.
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And that would be crazy.
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I have a story line.
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I don't know if I could see the Lions winning that game with just how much Matt Stafford
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has to play.
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You know how bad he'd want to win that game?
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Just that game, whether they make it to the bowl or not, which they probably wouldn't
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having to go through who they well said have to go through.
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But that'd be that'd be a big win.
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Like a personal level.
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Be like, you know what?
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One of Super Bowl went back, beat Detroit in the playoffs.
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I'm done calling it a career.
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What a way to walk off.
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What a way to walk off.
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But yeah, so looking at the Vikings, what their outlook is the rest of the year, they
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need to win the next two games as we stand right now.
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They are not in the playoffs.
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They're one spot outside of it with a multitude of teams tied at seven and eight.
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And then those last two playoff spots go into eight and seven.
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You know, the the the fifth seed is pretty much locked up.
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That first wild card spot is locked up between the Cowboys or Eagles.
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It literally is.
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They already clinched the playoffs.
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So it's going to come down to the Rams, Seahawks, Vikings, Falcons and Packers and Saints.
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And then the Bucks with that, too.
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Obviously, one of those teams is going to win the NFC South and they play each other
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quite a bit here going to the end of the year.
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So it could like the Packers and then the Lions.
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That's a tough two game and we have to win both games.
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That's a tough two games.
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No, no doubt.
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No doubt.
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And like I know a couple of pods ago, I said now, obviously, I made my prediction that
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the Vikes would win because I'm always going to do that.
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But a couple of pods ago, I did say like that the Lions would win in Minnesota, but then
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that the Vikings would win in Detroit in the final game of the season.
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Because think about it, if if there's no way the Lions can increase their seed or would
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want to increase their seed, whichever they're sitting, would they sit anybody?
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Obviously, Dan Campbell's already came out and said, absolutely not.
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Pretty much.
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I don't I don't think so solely because of how much they want like how how much greater
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feeling would it be?
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I mean, assuming the Vikings win next week, they have to win next week for this to even
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be a conversation.
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But for Dan Campbell to spoil another NFC team's playoff hopes, the last week, just
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like last year, just like last year against the Packers.
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You know, granted, the Lions need if they won that game, there was a chance they could
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have made the playoffs last year.
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Seahawks would have lost.
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But but the Lions are still playing for that one seed right now.
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So they could still sneak away with it.
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I don't again, we don't think they will.
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But if the Lions win next week, they're just in the hunt for that number one seed as the
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Niners, Eagles or Niners and Eagles.
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The Cowboys won't be able to get it at this point.
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But I mean, right.
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Yeah, yeah.
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All of those teams don't lose the last two games and the Niners have a really, really
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easy schedule going out.
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Right.
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But just but just think like the Vikings had they had, you know, their own destiny in their
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own hands.
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Yeah.
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A couple of weeks ago, just like the Packers did last week before they lost to the Giants.
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They win the four games they're in.
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They had it in Nick Mullins hands, actually, more specifically.
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And now that's faltered.
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And now that's why that leads me into really quick before we move on, because we absolutely
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should because we don't need to talk about the purple.
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But the Jaren Hall should start this weekend and the next and the last week against Detroit,
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because you're on the outside looking in right now.
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Jaren Hall didn't look that bad against Atlanta.
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At least let him start the half.
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Now that's weird, right.
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Just to throw Nick Mullins in the second half, if God forbid, then why don't you just start
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him?
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I get that.
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But you got to you got to see what you have in Jaren Hall going into the offseason, too.
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And now with you on the outside looking in, I don't know.
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I don't know.
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I'd like to see Jaren Hall this week.
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I really would.
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But I don't I my guts telling me we're probably going to see Mullins.
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I think Dobbs doesn't have a shot at starting for the Vikings the rest of the season.
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People are trying to throw his name in there, too.
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And I'm like, absolutely not.
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But Mullins pretty much at the same.
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So but just better than Dobbs.
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So I don't know.
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I could see them starting the rookie.
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Otherwise, it make I mean, no matter what, the Vikings got a crazy offseason coming at
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the quarterback position as far as what they're going to do.
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Yeah.
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So yeah.
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And I don't see them making this change to an unproven rookie at this point.
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At least you know what you have in Nick Mullins putting them in there.
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You do.
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It's I mean, I can see him having a very short leash, but I don't think Hall would be I think
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Dobbs would come in before Hall really just because of the provenness, you know, because
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they have so much to play for still where to put an unproven rookie who yet did have
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a decent first half.
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Well, first two series and then got concussion.
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First, that's all we have.
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That's the only sample.
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Right.
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So I just I think there's just too much to play for.
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And the season is still on the line, technically.
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Yeah.
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So yeah.
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But yeah.
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So moving on, we had the Browns go down to Houston, take on the Texans.
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Houston was a two and a half point favorite in that game, and they did not win that two
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and a half or cover.
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Well, it doesn't matter because they had to win and win by two and a half.
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The Browns dominated them.
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Two.
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Texans need CJ Shroud back, brother.
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They need him back.
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Yep.
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Yep.
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And I mean, even with Davis Mills in there, they are trying to force force it again.
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And then did he go down?
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Why did Case play?
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Did they play?
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Started.
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OK.
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OK.
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They started.
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I see that.
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And when oh, for zero, zero tuds, two picks, three sacks.
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Yeah.
19:28
No, no wonder they put in Davis.
19:30
But which is crazy because Davis Mills actually didn't play that bad last year.
19:34
To the point where I was like.
19:36
OK, if they don't get a quarterback, which we all knew they were still going to take
19:40
a quarterback, but like, oh, they might be OK.
19:42
Yeah, he's he's definitely played himself into what I would have thought would be the
19:45
number two role over Case Keenum.
19:47
100 percent.
19:48
I don't know what you would think.
19:49
And, you know, he played good, not great when he came in.
19:52
The game was already pretty much over at that point.
19:54
Yep.
19:55
You know, footless Joe Flacco out there just doing what Joe Flacco does.
19:59
Three tuds, two interceptions, 368 yards.
20:02
And my oh my Mr.
20:05
Amari Cooper.
20:06
That's all he's got to do.
20:07
Huck it up to Amari, I guess.
20:09
What more?
20:10
I mean, what more do you need to do?
20:11
You got Amari Cooper going for 265 yards on 11 catches and two tuds.
20:17
Yeah, that's that's honestly that's that's elite.
20:22
What more needs to be said?
20:23
No, nothing.
20:24
Nothing.
20:25
You said it.
20:26
Just the stat line is fine.
20:27
And I know everybody's like, oh, you guys talk about stats.
20:29
Yeah, right there.
20:30
Because there's nothing else to say about that.
20:31
Amari Cooper elite, 11 receptions, 265, two tuds.
20:37
Obviously the number one target there in Cleveland.
20:40
I do think it is interesting.
20:43
How that offense is looking with Joe Flacco at the helm now.
20:47
I think we are just seeing some Fitzmagic type of situation going on.
20:53
I don't think Joe Flacco could come back next season and do this for a full season for a
20:57
team in the NFL.
20:58
But it is interesting to see how their offense is looking with Joe Flacco running it compared
21:03
to Deshaun Watson.
21:05
Yeah, that's the kind of a topic of discussion right now.
21:08
Joe Flacco ends up coming.
21:09
You know, the Browns make the playoffs.
21:10
Let's say they win one, maybe two playoff games.
21:12
They're not going to win the Super Bowl.
21:13
I don't really see that.
21:14
They have the defense for it, but they just don't have enough consistency with to I'd
21:20
say win it.
21:21
But I mean, not.
21:22
But could you see this, though?
21:23
Look at Joe Flacco coming in and getting a maybe one or two year deal, 15, 20 mill each
21:27
year, kind of like the Geno Smith deal for who?
21:30
Cleveland?
21:31
No, not for Cleveland.
21:32
Cleveland is committed to Deshaun Watson.
21:33
It's a fully guaranteed contract.
21:35
There's no debate who the quarterback is going forward for Cleveland.
21:38
There shouldn't be, at least when you're paying him that much money, it's as simple as you
21:40
just can't not play him.
21:42
But for another team, you know, somebody that has a young quarterback may be bringing that
21:46
bridge.
21:47
Maybe when with the you know, like whoever drafts like a Bo Nix, a Jaden Daniels, you
21:53
know, I don't think Shadr is going to come out this year.
21:55
But Drake, May, Caleb Williams, you think are going to just be number day one starters
21:59
as they really should be rejected.
22:01
But you know, like Michael Panics, a Bo Nix, like I mentioned, a Jaden Daniels.
22:07
I like that idea.
22:08
He probably played his way into that opportunity.
22:10
Learn behind of a solidified veteran.
22:13
Super Bowl winners.
22:14
Yep.
22:15
You know, a consummate professional.
22:17
So just see kind of what would happen with that.
22:20
And you know, I would love to see it because he's obviously saying like he's proven he
22:23
has some football left in him.
22:24
I'm very curious now.
22:26
I think you hit that right on the head.
22:28
I think there will be a team who has a plan for a younger QB signed, signed Joe Flacco
22:34
to kind of be that bridge to kind of mentor them.
22:36
Because you see, sometimes it doesn't work out throwing a guy to a fire.
22:39
Look at Bryce Young.
22:40
Look, look at I know I'm going to date.
22:43
Look at Justin Fields.
22:44
Yeah.
22:45
Look at Trevor Lawrence should have been day one starter.
22:46
That's a whole nother story actually that I could go off on right now.
22:49
And I actually like Trevor Lawrence, but it's time.
22:52
But anyway, but like Christian Ponder, like 15 years ago for the Vikings, oh, he was the
22:57
most starting ready quarterback in that draft.
23:00
And they did that.
23:01
And it hurt him ultimately and the rest of his career.
23:05
So I think that's that's key to a quarterback like that that goes later first, second, third
23:10
round.
23:11
Having that veteran presence would make a big difference, I would imagine.
23:15
Yeah, absolutely.
23:16
Absolutely.
23:17
But, you know, he was a Flacco was really the wall.
23:20
It was really Amari Cooper, but that was the story of the game.
23:22
The Texans offense just couldn't get going.
23:25
But I mean, what are you expecting with with the Case, Keenum and Davis Mills as your quarterback?
23:29
You don't really you shouldn't at least expect too terribly much.
23:33
Look at with with Case, Keenum and Davis Mills, because we mentioned his name a lot the past
23:38
few weeks.
23:39
Look at Nico Cullen's numbers.
23:42
There isn't any.
23:43
Exactly.
23:44
With no CJ Stroud.
23:45
That's interesting.
23:46
Raven Jordan, two receptions, 27 yards, nothing crazy.
23:50
Robert Woods hasn't really done much all year.
23:52
But you know what I mean?
23:53
Yeah, like I don't know.
23:54
I found that interesting.
23:55
I was like, hmm.
23:56
And how many how many targets do you have?
23:58
Six.
23:59
I don't know.
24:00
I just find it's interesting.
24:01
They need it.
24:02
They need a CJ Stroud in that building.
24:04
Absolutely.
24:05
Absolutely.
24:06
And they need to they need to trust the run game more.
24:07
Now, granted, the game got out of hand pretty quick, but only having 16 rush attempts.
24:11
So they similar to like the Vikings.
24:14
Now, different situation is the Vikings were still in that game the whole time when the
24:17
Browns were kind of running away with it.
24:18
And lead in the game and you're still not running the fricking ball.
24:21
Yeah.
24:22
Yeah.
24:23
I mean, the same can be said about the Packers kind of gave up on Aaron Jones for a certain
24:25
point there.
24:26
And that was again, we won't go back to the Packers.
24:29
Or the Vikings.
24:30
Sorry.
24:31
But yeah, Browns took this one pretty handily.
24:33
I like this Browns team a lot.
24:34
See, that defense is Super Bowl ready.
24:37
They have the defense to win it.
24:38
It's just a matter of I mean, you look at the Browns rushing the 30 yards and only 54
24:43
yards average and one point eight yards to carry.
24:45
That's not going to win.
24:46
That's horrible.
24:47
But I think the Browns could honestly make a run this year, this season with Joe Flacco
24:52
at the helm.
24:53
I think their defense is good enough to make a run.
24:56
They're definitely not a first round exit, in my opinion.
24:59
I think that I think if you play the Browns in the playoffs, you can expect that to be
25:02
a tough game.
25:03
Absolutely.
25:04
Just I mean, simply by the fact of their defense.
25:07
And then if you look at what they have, they need to win one of their last two games.
25:10
They have Jets Bengals.
25:11
Jets is a winnable game, very winnable game.
25:14
So is Bengals, to be honest.
25:15
That's going to be a good game.
25:16
But that should be a good depends on what Jack Brown and you get.
25:20
But so we'll wrap up the Houston game here.
25:23
Browns took this one.
25:24
That brings again, I took the Browns to cover that.
25:27
Sorry, Smelty took the Browns to cover that two and a half.
25:30
I took the Texans.
25:31
I was stupid.
25:34
But we'll move on here.
25:35
We have Cowboys, Dolphins, what many expected to be a very, very good game turned out to
25:39
be pretty decent game.
25:42
Yeah, it was kind of it was really back and forth early on, really defensive early on
25:47
to just just two playoff teams going at it, duking it out on that was on Christmas Eve,
25:55
wasn't it?
25:56
Yes.
25:57
Yeah, Christmas Eve.
25:58
Yeah, Christmas Eve afternoon or whatever.
26:01
I don't know.
26:02
I mean, great preview to what we could see.
26:04
I don't think we'll be seeing these two teams play each other in the playoffs.
26:09
No shot.
26:10
I don't know what the heck Dallas's deal is.
26:14
Why can't they?
26:15
Why can't they close out these?
26:18
These better teams?
26:19
I know they made a run at the end of the game.
26:22
But I mean.
26:25
They held that return to 100 yards.
26:26
That's hard to do.
26:27
Yeah.
26:28
Well, I can't buy one yard.
26:30
Yeah.
26:31
But like Tony Pollard, he didn't look as polished this game as he has most of the season.
26:37
Honestly, I like I like the way Dak plays.
26:41
I think Dak plays good enough to win ballgames even in the playoffs.
26:45
He's got to lose those sack numbers a little bit more.
26:48
I mean, sacks are just drive killers.
26:50
So I don't know.
26:51
That's one thing I've been paying more attention to this season is how many times these quarterbacks
26:54
are sacked, because no matter what, whether you lose one yard or five yards, you're going
27:00
the wrong direction and you've lost it down.
27:03
No matter what momentum you just had on that drive, you might have just lost it.
27:07
So that's one thing for Dak.
27:09
He's just got to get the ball out.
27:10
Absolutely.
27:11
Absolutely.
27:12
He's got a lot better at that.
27:15
I thought this game was going to have a lot more offensive fireworks.
27:18
No doubt.
27:19
No, no doubt.
27:20
That's what I mean.
27:21
It was like a 31 28 kind of game.
27:22
Maybe it was surprisingly defensive.
27:24
Yeah.
27:25
Player of the games, Jason Sanders for Miami.
27:27
I mean, the Dolphins won by scoring one touchdown.
27:30
Right.
27:31
Yeah, I don't.
27:33
Now, granted, the Cowboys only scored two, but if you were to tell me this game was a
27:38
one by field goal kickers.
27:40
Yeah, I wouldn't.
27:41
That's what I thought, too.
27:42
I thought this would just be a shootout.
27:46
Like I thought maybe.
27:48
I figured we'd definitely be over 42 points.
27:52
I figured we'd be in the 60 range, to be honest.
27:54
30 something to 30 something, whatever.
27:55
Yeah.
27:56
I mean, I would put the overrun on this and at like 55 and a half.
27:59
Like I figured it'd be a Tyreek for CD land battle, which I mean, it still almost was
28:03
for the most part.
28:04
It still wasn't.
28:07
I don't know.
28:08
It just it had the playoff feel, but it wasn't like.
28:14
I don't know.
28:15
I guess I don't know what I'm looking for.
28:16
It wasn't entertaining to me.
28:17
It wasn't.
28:19
There's just so much back and forth.
28:20
Nobody really gained that momentum and held it.
28:24
This game to me until maybe the end when Dallas finally started kind of showing some life
28:29
in the fourth quarter.
28:30
Yeah, for sure.
28:32
For sure.
28:33
And it's I mean, it had that playoff feel, though, just because it was so defensive heavy.
28:38
So I mean, it gave me that the little it's for that playoff football, you know.
28:42
But Rie Mooster, what a year he's having Smelsey.
28:46
Twenty one touchdowns.
28:47
Right.
28:48
Which actually I did just see a thing here recently about him.
28:52
Where is it here?
28:53
The right here.
28:59
Dolphins record for a single season.
29:02
Well he was.
29:03
Dude, he's got more offensive touchdowns than most than like five, six, seven teams in the
29:08
NFL.
29:09
Yeah, I think I saw that, too.
29:10
Oh, there it is.
29:11
So he's got he's got more offensive touch.
29:14
This is when he hit 20.
29:16
The Steelers also had 20.
29:17
The Patriots had 20 Giants read 18 Panthers are at 16 and the Jets are at 13.
29:23
He's having himself a year.
29:24
He's having himself a year.
29:25
He's he's if Tyreek wasn't having the year he's having and CMC wasn't having the year
29:32
he's just about to say, don't say so anything stupid right now.
29:36
Well, but it's just like I mean, he has to be one of the finalists for offensive player
29:40
of the year.
29:41
Who?
29:42
Mooster?
29:43
Yeah, yeah, I mean, has to be.
29:44
I want to say he should be.
29:47
He should be.
29:48
I don't think he will be a finalist.
29:49
You know, there's like three or four finalists, so it's going to be Tyreek, CMC.
29:52
Who else would you put up there?
29:55
Well before last night, Brock Purdy, but he could still play his way into that again.
29:58
I mean, Purdy is not going to be for offensive player of the year.
30:01
That'd be in the MVP talk.
30:02
Are we not talking MVP?
30:03
No, I'm talking offensive player of the year.
30:06
Oh, yes.
30:07
MVP is a quarterback.
30:08
Mooster should absolutely be part of the finalists for him.
30:14
He's play offensive player of the year.
30:17
Absolutely.
30:18
Yeah, I mean, he doesn't have the receiving stats that you would kind of expect, to be
30:22
honest with you.
30:23
Only one hundred seventy five receiving yards in three touchdowns, but he has a thousand
30:26
yards rushing in 18 touchdowns rushing.
30:28
Dude, that 18, like we don't see a lot of high scoring, you know, rushers anymore as
30:35
far as touchdowns go.
30:37
You know, this isn't the same like like our boy LT and Adrian Peterson.
30:41
It's not those days anymore.
30:43
It's much more of a passing, passing game.
30:45
So you'll see a lot more running backs with the receiving touchdowns now.
30:48
Yeah, and to put that in perspective to CMC, you know, he has seven receiving touchdowns
30:53
and 14 rushing.
30:55
He's just I'm sorry, dude, but we'll get to CMC and literally in the next game here.
31:00
But I just that dude's having game changer.
31:03
I whatever he's he's crazy.
31:05
He's crazy.
31:06
But so the outlook here for the Cowboys, they are they are out of the running of the number
31:11
one seed, you know, assuming that the Lions, Eagles and Niners don't lose the last all
31:17
of their last two games.
31:18
That's just simply not going to happen between all of them.
31:20
Well, that simply well, the Lions or the Cowboys will be take themselves out of that number
31:25
one seed contention this week because they do play each other.
31:28
And then the Cowboys end the year in Washington.
31:32
So you know, that's a game that should be a win.
31:34
Yeah.
31:35
So Cowboys, you know, I could see them going two and one over the slash stretch or just
31:38
even one and one at 11 and six or 12 and five.
31:42
That's a.
31:43
They're in the playoffs.
31:44
So nothing needs to be said about that.
31:46
And then the Dolphins, they could still win, have that number one seed as well.
31:50
Not likely with the Ravens having their last two games here.
31:53
Well, the Dolphins actually play the Ravens this week and they finish the season in Buffalo.
32:01
That's a tough game because there's some.
32:03
Buffalo is probably going to need that game to win.
32:06
Oh, yeah.
32:08
So for the record, Smelty and I both had the Dolphins covering the one and a half point
32:12
spread and they did indeed do that.
32:15
So not a very great week for Smelty and I, but we'll wrap that up here after the next
32:19
game.
32:20
Our game of the week, the Baltimore Ravens traveling to San Fran, taking on the Niners.
32:25
The Niners came in as a five and a half point favorite in this game.
32:29
And boy, did they get there.
32:32
But what?
32:35
Ravens won this game 33 19.
32:36
There was never a point in time outside of the initial safety that I thought the Baltimore
32:40
was in trouble.
32:41
This game, Brock Purdy took it was whack.
32:43
Yeah, Brock Purdy took himself out of MVP contention as ESL or the NFL YouTube channel literally
32:50
put as a caption as one of his picks.
32:52
It was Brock Purdy throwing away the MVP.
32:54
Oh, I saw the actual NFL brand.
32:56
Yeah, I saw that.
32:57
I was like, whoa, just hilarious.
33:00
And that you know, much is sorry, sorry, before you get in here.
33:02
But as much as pretty took himself out of the MVP race, Lamar might have cemented himself
33:06
as the leader.
33:07
Yeah, I mean, no doubt Lamar played played absolutely outstanding.
33:13
Especially away in San Fran.
33:15
I really thought San Fran would come out strong here.
33:19
And I mean, two of Purdy's picks were those kind of those like tip tip up in the air pick
33:23
or whatever.
33:24
But like, that's where that quarterback IQ comes in.
33:27
Like, don't throw that ball then, you know, you got a wall of dudes in front of you.
33:31
Those are fluke plays.
33:32
I mean, it's a it's a throw you have to make.
33:34
And if you look at the one, especially that Marlon Humphrey tipped, well, both of them,
33:37
you could say like, there's literally so an NFL football field's what?
33:41
53 yards wide.
33:43
I'm almost positive 53 yards wide.
33:45
There's 48 yards that that ball could have landed that neither one of those is a pick.
33:51
It's such a fluke play.
33:52
No, I did go right to them, you know, but.
33:56
Right.
33:58
But even the other two picks are inexcusable.
34:00
But three picks in the first half.
34:01
I mean, that's you're not going to win the game.
34:03
No, we already talked about with Nick Mullins and they still almost somehow won the game.
34:08
But these were early enough that they could have still corrected that when he threw his
34:12
third pick, it was only oh, man, what was it here?
34:16
It was only 10 to 10 to five when he threw his third one, I'm pretty sure.
34:21
I watched a good chunk of that game.
34:23
They were still in the game.
34:25
They were still in the game and they still couldn't get it together.
34:28
Yeah, I'm fired.
34:30
He just looked off.
34:31
He just looked off.
34:32
But they I mean, Baltimore's defense played outstanding as well.
34:36
They were coming after him all game.
34:38
That was really the story of the game, in my opinion, is how good this Baltimore defense
34:42
looked and they've never gotten their flowers this year.
34:44
They're the best defense in the NFL.
34:45
Are they really?
34:46
Yeah.
34:47
I mean, statistically, it's like overall defense.
34:49
It's the best defense in the league, brother.
34:51
That trade that they made for Roquon Smith is going to go down as the best move of the
34:55
year.
34:56
And he ate too.
34:57
He always does, dude.
34:59
The combo of him and Patrick Queen on the inside.
35:02
Patrick Queen is the sore spot for me because the Packers could have drafted him in the
35:05
year he was drafted.
35:06
And I believe I don't remember who we drafted that year, but it was not not Patrick Queen.
35:10
Yeah.
35:11
But yeah, it's the Ravens offense looks pretty unstoppable at this point.
35:17
The receivers are getting open.
35:18
They're making plays.
35:19
They flowers is fun to watch, bro.
35:22
Just fun to watch, man.
35:23
He's fun to watch and.
35:26
Pretty lost this game.
35:27
Lost the MVP.
35:28
The Ravens just dominated.
35:30
If it's a Super Bowl preview, I'm excited for the Super Bowl because you know one thing,
35:34
Kyle Shanahan will make adjustments.
35:36
Oh, yeah, no doubt.
35:37
No, for sure.
35:38
And then, you know, I just I just want to touch on my MVP.
35:42
I don't give a dang what the league thinks or anybody else.
35:46
CMC is the league MVP in my eyes.
35:49
That team is different without Christian McCaffrey back there.
35:53
Like you could you could try putting Debo back there and he's definitely going to be
35:56
better than probably any other option you have available to you.
36:00
But to see him sees big playability any time he touches the ball, whether it's a hand off
36:06
a pitch, get catching the ball.
36:09
Doesn't matter, dude.
36:10
Just put it in his hands when the game when the game was tight still early on.
36:15
And he took this.
36:16
I don't want to say I don't think it was a rush.
36:19
I think it was I think it was like a short pass, but he just turned it on as soon as
36:22
he caught the ball and took it.
36:24
Was it a rush?
36:25
Dude, he took when they were still in the game like that was such a huge play like that's
36:29
just putting the team on your back at that point.
36:32
Guys missing tackles.
36:33
You're just shrugging them off like that.
36:35
I just there's nobody better that does it right now.
36:38
I couldn't agree more.
36:39
I really think Christian McCaffrey, if you look at the actual definition of the award,
36:43
the most valuable player, he is more valuable to the Niners than Purdy.
36:49
But I don't know if I could say that.
36:51
I don't know if he's going to win.
36:52
Right.
36:53
I don't know.
36:54
I don't know if he could.
36:55
I don't know if I could sit here and say that he's more valuable, valuable to the Niners
36:58
than Lamar is to the Ravens.
36:59
But like we've seen hunt is Huntley still Lamar's backup.
37:03
Yeah, I believe so.
37:05
He's not horrible when he come when he's had to come in to relieve the Mitchell.
37:10
No, but I would.
37:11
It's still this not CMC and same way.
37:15
Huntley's still not Lamar Jackson.
37:16
So it's yeah.
37:17
Right.
37:18
Right.
37:19
I think that will be the only non quarterback in.
37:21
I mean, Tyreek could push for it to be the only non quarterback in in the MVP conversation.
37:27
I don't think Tyreek should be in that conversation.
37:30
How many yards is he at right now?
37:32
Well, he's probably going to break 2K.
37:33
He'll more than likely break the single season record.
37:36
But it's just to me.
37:37
You're going to break the season single season record and he's not in the conversation for
37:42
MVP.
37:43
I think two is more valuable to that team than Tyreek.
37:45
That's crazy.
37:46
I mean, I would.
37:47
Two is.
37:48
He's playing out of his mind this year.
37:50
I think Tyreek has the offensive player of the year award in the bag.
37:53
I think that's a debate I would love to actually sit there and look at.
37:57
That would be interesting.
37:58
Yeah, but it's just the MVP awards never going to be won by any quarterback.
38:02
Usually it's the best quarter.
38:03
It's the quarterback on the team with the best record.
38:04
And again, we haven't seen one since 2012.
38:06
Like that's why.
38:07
And it took AP almost.
38:10
And there was so much more than that as we discussed the storyline and stuff.
38:13
Yeah, but it's just I don't know.
38:15
I mean, I'd love to and we will.
38:17
You know, once the season's kind of wrapped up and we're getting into the offseason here,
38:20
we'll have some, you know, predictions on awards and whatnot.
38:23
And we kind of hash it out at that time.
38:25
But it should.
38:26
Should Christian McCaffrey bring the discussion, I think over Brock.
38:30
Absolutely.
38:31
You know, I wouldn't be mad at a finalist of, let's say, to a Lamar and CMC.
38:37
Right.
38:38
And which out of those three CMC is getting third, unfortunately.
38:41
Yeah, I could see him getting more than two just because of Tyreek Hill.
38:46
But you think Lamar Jackson right now is the MVP of the league?
38:50
I think so.
38:51
I mean, if I were to have to cast a vote, yes, just because of what he means to that.
38:55
And it's hard to argue that it really is because he's such a three.
38:59
He can.
39:00
He can do anything.
39:01
He really can.
39:02
And yeah, so.
39:04
But let's wrap up week eight.
39:06
Sorry, week 16 here.
39:08
Ravens took this one for the week.
39:10
Then Smelty and I both at two and three.
39:13
There's a reason.
39:14
There's a reason Kevin is not a every time member of this podcast, as he's not a football
39:19
enthusiast, as Smelty and I.
39:21
But he did go all in five.
39:22
We'll just pass that along and move on.
39:25
Yeah.
39:26
Nine one one.
39:27
What's your emergency?
39:28
Well, that leads us to tech talk this week.
39:33
We'll start with some injuries.
39:34
Trevor Lawrence sprained right shoulder availability up in the air.
39:38
He has a sprained AC joint, to be exact.
39:41
Boy is he valuable to that Jaguars team as we stand right now.
39:44
They are leading their division at eight and seven, the Texans and the Colts are, however,
39:49
tied with them at eight and seven.
39:51
I don't know if they're going to be able to do anything without Trevor.
39:54
He's just too, too valuable.
39:56
They have an easy schedule to end the year playing the Panthers and the Titans.
40:01
But they need Trevor, brother.
40:02
They got that going for him, though.
40:04
Who's their backup right now?
40:05
Again, the Jaguars.
40:06
I honestly don't even know.
40:07
CJ Beathard, maybe.
40:08
Oh, that sounds right.
40:09
Yeah, yeah, that sounds right.
40:10
At least they do have an easier schedule.
40:11
So that's what they have going for him.
40:14
However, who do the Colts play their final game?
40:21
The Colts play the Titans there.
40:23
The Colts play the Texans their final game.
40:25
Week 18 is Colts-Texans.
40:27
That could be a good game.
40:28
And next week, the Colts play the Raiders.
40:31
So I well, and the Raiders are all of a sudden trying to make a statement.
40:36
The Raiders could come.
40:38
The Raiders could mess around and sneak into the playoffs here.
40:41
They are seven and eight.
40:42
The Raiders can mess around and win their division.
40:46
The Jaguars playoff destiny is in their hands and it's also in the health of Trevor Lawrence.
40:52
So yeah, that is a big one.
40:54
We're going to have to see if he's ready to play.
40:56
Yeah, it's kind of a 50-50 thing.
40:58
We really don't know yet.
41:00
I think he's going to just because he has a dog.
41:02
He has the grit.
41:03
But yeah, they need him.
41:04
They need him.
41:05
Moving on over to the Dolphins.
41:07
Jalen Waddle, high ankle sprain.
41:10
I don't think the Dolphins really are going to play him these last two games.
41:12
There's no reason.
41:13
There's no need.
41:14
They got the playoffs locked up.
41:15
They just save him for the playoffs and they got the division locked up, too, don't they?
41:20
No.
41:21
Yes.
41:22
Sorry.
41:23
Yeah.
41:24
Why would you then?
41:25
Why would you?
41:26
I wouldn't.
41:27
You still have Tyreek.
41:28
You still have Moser.
41:29
Oh, yeah.
41:30
I mean, at the end of the day, they're playing for nothing.
41:31
And they even get the number one seed at this point.
41:34
Well, yeah, they play Baltimore this week.
41:35
Yeah, they could.
41:36
If the Ravens win week 18, he's not 100 percent with a high ankle sprain.
41:40
There's no reason.
41:41
Don't play him.
41:42
There's no reason.
41:43
I wouldn't play him.
41:44
I'd rather have him two weeks off than have him play two weeks and get a week off.
41:46
100 percent.
41:47
All right.
41:48
Then we're going to move over to your Vikings.
41:49
We have a couple injuries to talk about.
41:51
We'll start on the offensive side of the ball.
41:53
Two big playmakers got hurt in that game.
41:55
Jordan Addison hurt his ankle.
41:57
He's day to day.
41:58
But the big one here, Smelty.
41:59
TJ Hockinson, ACL, MCL.
42:02
He's done for the year.
42:03
Yeah.
42:04
And that's just unfortunate with how much he's been coming on to as a plate, being that big
42:08
target, making his money.
42:12
It's definitely a big loss.
42:13
You know, so you're going to see Josh Oliver pick up more of those receptions, even though
42:16
he is a blocking tight end.
42:18
He has actually come up in the clutch a couple of times this year.
42:21
So I do expect to see him get a couple catches.
42:24
And then Jordan Addison, I'd imagine he will play this weekend, especially with potentially
42:29
the season on the line going up against Green Bay.
42:31
I mean, that's shaping up to be a big game.
42:33
Sunday Night Football, you know what it is.
42:36
Packers vs.
42:37
But yeah.
42:39
And on the defensive side of the ball, you got DJ Wanham.
42:43
For those that don't know, he's kind of the counterpart to Denil Hunter.
42:47
Done for the season as well with a torn quad.
42:49
So I mean, that's just a big loss to a guy who I believe is also on a contract year.
42:55
He may stay for cheap, but I mean, that with the injury like that, it just sucks.
43:01
That's going to be a long recovery.
43:04
Yeah, it sucks.
43:05
Because he's a good young looking kid, too.
43:08
He is.
43:09
Yeah, he is young.
43:10
And that's the thing.
43:11
He almost looks exactly like Denil Hunter, like body shape and everything.
43:15
Like he's another strong human being, another guy that's perfect off the edge.
43:19
It just it just sucks for him.
43:21
Yeah, it really does.
43:22
And then we had Brock Purdy get injured, his second stinger in as many weeks.
43:26
He's expected to play this week.
43:27
Not much needs to be said about that.
43:29
And CJ Stroud is tracking to play this week as well.
43:33
So then, sir, for some news, Mason Rudolph named the starter for next week as Kenny Pickett
43:38
is still recovering.
43:39
And boy, did Mason look good last week, Smeltz?
43:41
He really did, actually.
43:43
I didn't expect that at all out of Mason.
43:45
I'm actually not a Mason fan at all.
43:47
I don't like the guy, but he he absolutely played way better than Mitch Trubisky.
43:52
So absolutely, I would start him over Mitch at this point if Kenny Pickett can't go for
43:56
sure.
43:57
Yeah, for sure.
43:58
I mean, as it stands right now, the Steelers are on the outside looking in, but there is
44:01
a bunch of teams tied at eight and seven.
44:03
They absolutely still have a shot.
44:05
Yeah, they control their destiny.
44:08
Then we move on to Tommy Cutlets.
44:09
He got benched.
44:11
Tyrod Taylor came in.
44:12
We don't need to spend much time on this.
44:13
The Giants aren't doing anything.
44:14
They're already eliminated from the playoffs.
44:16
But what a story Cutlets has been.
44:17
It is interesting, though, that they I don't even think he's came out.
44:21
Dayball has came out and said who's starting.
44:22
I think it's a toss up right now.
44:24
OK, it's interesting, though, that Tommy Cutlets has been making all these headlines and whatnot.
44:30
And now maybe then the season we may not when he got nothing to play for, which is weird.
44:37
Yeah, yeah.
44:38
And then Pat Mahomes came out and said, if we clean it up, we can beat anybody.
44:43
I do think that's true.
44:45
The Chiefs offense doesn't look the same, obviously, but their defense is still top
44:49
notch.
44:50
They have some talent on the offensive side of the ball.
44:52
I think they just really do need to clean it up.
44:55
What they really need to do is get more rhythm throws for these receivers to build momentum
44:59
for Mahomes to get involved in the offense and just get going.
45:01
They need to stop relying on his greatness.
45:05
He's going to give you the greatness, but that can't be your main focal point of having
45:08
him to do.
45:09
They've had forcing him to do that for this offense to produce.
45:12
No, 100 percent.
45:14
I agree.
45:15
And plus, I mean, Kansas City is a playoff team.
45:19
You know, we're going to see what they do come playoff time.
45:22
I think they will come alive like they do, like Mahomes does.
45:27
And we're going to see them play close games.
45:29
And I think they still have an opportunity to win those games.
45:32
Now, do I think they can be anybody?
45:35
This season, that's a stretch for me.
45:37
I think they're sputtering at the wrong time to be sputtering right now.
45:41
So it's just too much going wrong at the wrong time.
45:44
But can they do they have time to fix it?
45:46
Absolutely.
45:47
They play Cincinnati this week.
45:49
They should be able if if they win against Cincinnati, they should be able to handle
45:53
them.
45:54
You know who their last game of the season is?
45:56
I can get a city here in just one second.
45:58
I'm just curious.
46:00
They end the season in L.A. to play the Chargers.
46:04
Kansas City should be 11 and six at the end of the year and win their division or not
46:08
and win their division.
46:09
If they don't, they could be a first round exit in the playoffs.
46:12
I think they'll make the playoffs no matter what.
46:15
Well, I mean, if they lose both, I wear they're in trouble.
46:19
I don't know.
46:20
I don't know.
46:21
I think they're good enough to make the playoffs and win the division.
46:23
I don't think they're good enough to make a deep run this season with how well the Dolphins
46:29
are honestly playing and also obviously the Ravens.
46:32
But I just I don't see them.
46:34
I think the Browns could beat them.
46:36
Yeah, I I think sitting here saying like we can beat anybody.
46:41
I do think that's true.
46:43
Do I think they will?
46:44
No.
46:45
But when you have Pat Mahomes at quarterback, I'll never rule them out.
46:48
What if they run into Buffalo in the playoffs this year?
46:52
Do you think they see Buffalo at this point?
46:54
I think Buffalo has too many weaknesses and injuries on defense for them to make an actual
46:58
playoff run.
46:59
They're just not deep enough.
47:02
They're playing out of their mind.
47:03
They're riding the momentum right now.
47:04
They are.
47:05
They are.
47:06
But it's also like assuming the Chiefs win their division.
47:08
Arrowhead's a whole nother ballgame in the playoffs.
47:10
It is.
47:11
No, no, it is.
47:12
Yep.
47:13
100 percent.
47:14
All right.
47:15
So that goes.
47:16
We're going to finish up the tent talk here with the Rogers watch.
47:18
There's not much Rogers watch as he's not going to play the rest of the year, but he
47:20
did come out on Pat McAfee's show today and there was like, oh, the fullback that spent
47:25
in the league for 10 years got sent to the practice squad because they opened up a roster
47:28
spot for Rogers.
47:29
Rogers told the team to put him on IR.
47:31
They just didn't.
47:33
I don't know why.
47:34
Really?
47:35
Yeah.
47:36
So he came out and said that, you know, it's so it's so he has the ability to practice
47:40
so he can kind of build that chemistry with the team.
47:43
But yeah, so he didn't even want to actually be activated once the Jets.
47:47
Because he can't practice with the team if he is on IR, right?
47:50
Correct.
47:51
Yeah.
47:52
You have that three week window that opens up that allows him to practice, but then it
47:54
has to be put the act to the active roster to actually practice.
47:57
Yeah, that's kind of messed up.
47:58
That's weird.
47:59
That's weird that he asked the team and they just didn't know on the run on the good thing
48:03
about that is the fullback that got put to the practice squad.
48:06
I can't remember his name, but he's a six year NFL vet.
48:08
So when he was moved to the practice squad, his contract was already fully guaranteed.
48:12
So he's not losing any money going to the practice squad or being cut.
48:15
But if you're the Jets, why do you do that?
48:18
So you could have more continuity with the team.
48:21
Simply just allow him to practice.
48:22
I don't get it.
48:23
I don't think you got a lot of time in the offseason for it.
48:25
But exactly.
48:26
But I guess at this point, too, what are the Jets playing for?
48:28
Nothing.
48:29
So it's right.
48:30
What's a fullback on the roster really going to feel bad for the guy?
48:33
But yeah, what?
48:34
It's a wash for the team as an organization like whatever.
48:36
Yeah.
48:37
Yeah.
48:38
All right.
48:39
That moves us to my favorite segment of the week.
48:43
Smelty, your bonehead move of the week, brother.
48:47
What do we got?
48:48
Yeah.
48:49
So I have absolutely nothing, actually.
48:51
You brought to me the bonehead of the week, and I think that's amazing.
48:54
So why don't you take it away?
48:56
We'll run with it this week.
48:58
Mike Floria going into the Niners Ravens game, made a comment that media pundits are going
49:04
to make.
49:05
And boy, did the Ravens run with it.
49:07
Pardon my explicit, but he came out and that's not the right word.
49:11
Expletive.
49:12
Expletive.
49:13
So I talk football and I'm not an English teacher, but he came out and he said that
49:18
the Niners were going to kick the out of the Ravens.
49:21
Lamar heard it.
49:22
He talked about it after the game.
49:24
And he basically just came out and Lamar was just like, why do you say that?
49:28
When you're saying when you're talking that kind of punditry, it's to the point where
49:31
it's disrespectful.
49:33
At the end of the day, they're all NFL players.
49:35
Every single one of them is providing for their family and it is their job to say that
49:39
they're going to come out and kick the out of them when the Ravens have done nothing
49:43
but prove they're the best team in the AFC.
49:46
Probably the best team in the NFL.
49:48
You could strongly make that argument now that they just manhandled the Niners.
49:52
I just don't think those comments need to be made.
49:56
And why give anybody any fire at extra fuel season?
49:59
100% well, and like if you're going to take it personally, then that just you got to grow
50:07
up a little bit.
50:08
But if you're going to take it as disrespect, like on the season and what you guys have
50:10
done that season, absolutely, that's disrespectful.
50:14
There's no reason that we like shoot.
50:18
We wouldn't have even said that.
50:19
We wouldn't have said the Niners were going to kick the out of the Ravens.
50:22
Now we we I know.
50:25
Let's see.
50:26
Actually, we all said that the 49ers would win the game, which did not happen, but we
50:30
figured it would be close.
50:31
It'd be one that we Niners were playing the Panthers or if it's like our team or something,
50:36
right?
50:37
Like, I think the Vikings are going to kick the out of the Bears.
50:39
Well, that's just normal.
50:40
If you notice, you got the best team in the NFC playing the best team in the AFC.
50:45
Both teams are buzzing like what are you doing?
50:49
Now he's come out after and said it was a mistake.
50:51
And of course, he's going to cover his tracks.
50:53
Somebody told him this.
50:54
And at the end of the day, what Lamar basically said was like, it's disrespectful.
50:57
At the end of the day, he's saying what he needs to say to get more views.
51:00
And that's what they're going to do.
51:02
Right.
51:03
So Lamar and Lamar just said, yeah, I mean, it's just like you don't have to say that
51:06
kind of thing.
51:07
It's just the level of disrespect is what I understand the pot right before the game.
51:12
Now I didn't know that Lamar heard it before the he heard it.
51:15
I don't know if he heard it before, but a reporter asked him a question and then he
51:18
like he he had obviously seen it with his answer.
51:21
Sure, sure.
51:22
Yeah, yeah.
51:23
Fair enough.
51:24
Yeah, that's all we got for you for the bonehead move of the week.
51:26
We might have some some better one for you next week.
51:29
But let's wrap this thing up, Mr. Smelty.
51:34
So we got week 17 upon us.
51:36
We'll start this week.
51:38
Green Bay is coming up here to the Twin Cities and taking on the Vikings.
51:43
The point spread has changed from last week and now Minnesota is a one and a half point
51:48
favorite.
51:49
Tell me why you're taking Minnesota this week, Smelty, because I'm sure you are.
51:54
I was just about to say you already you don't even need to ask me for my pick.
51:57
You already know.
51:58
It just depends on who starts a quarterback, to be honest with you.
52:01
But either way, they got to get the running game going a little bit more this week.
52:05
And if they do that, I think they can pull it off.
52:08
It's going to be a lot of Justin Jefferson and hopefully Jordan Addison.
52:11
But you probably see KJ Osborne get a little bit more involved with TJ going down now.
52:17
But yeah, I mean, I think the Vikes cover that for sure.
52:21
Yeah, I'm going to disagree.
52:23
I think the Packers are going to win this game.
52:25
They don't need to cover it.
52:26
They just need to win.
52:28
So to me, it's going to depend on Jair Alexander and if they're going to allow him to travel
52:34
and cover Justin Jefferson, they might as well.
52:37
We haven't proven that we're really going to do that.
52:39
And Jair hasn't been himself this year.
52:41
He hasn't battled battled injuries.
52:43
But this last game was actually the first game that we had Jair and Eric Stokes on the
52:48
field since twenty twenty one.
52:49
I like Eric Stokes, too.
52:50
I do, too.
52:51
What has been his deal?
52:52
What's his ACR?
52:53
Oh, did he?
52:54
OK, OK.
52:55
Yeah, I remember Stokes.
52:56
I really liked him coming out of college.
52:57
Yeah, he was one of them.
52:58
I'm pretty upset that you guys picked him up.
53:01
Yeah, he's super fast.
53:02
So he has he has the speed.
53:03
He has the athleticism.
53:04
He has the build.
53:05
He has the body for an NFL corner.
53:07
So I like seeing them both on the outside.
53:09
But it's going to come down to if Christian Watson, Jaden Reed and Dontavion Wicks play
53:13
like we're going to run the ball.
53:14
We're going to be successful running the ball.
53:16
But we have to have some sort of outside threat.
53:20
And Vikings defense is good.
53:21
Not great.
53:22
They're playing decent.
53:23
They're without one, maybe two of their top corners.
53:26
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see if Devon Drake Campbell comes back this week, if Darnell
53:30
Savage comes back this week.
53:32
But it's going to come down to Jordan Love making plays.
53:35
Yeah, I probably agree with that.
53:37
I probably agree with that.
53:38
But for the record, I got the pack.
53:40
Smelty has his Vikings.
53:41
Then we moved down to Dallas.
53:43
We got Detroit taking on the Cowboys.
53:46
Cowboys are a six point favorite on this one, Smelty.
53:48
I don't know where I'm at.
53:49
I don't know where I'm at, to be honest with you.
53:51
That's a lot of points.
53:52
I'm going with Detroit simply because of that fact.
53:55
I really wanted to go with Dallas, especially Dallas at home.
53:59
It's pretty freaking hot right now.
54:02
But just the six points, I think Detroit is better than that.
54:08
And I think they're going to show that this weekend.
54:10
I disagree.
54:12
I think the Cowboys are going to cover that six points.
54:14
The Cowboys need a good solidified win against a good team.
54:18
And Detroit does not have the defensive that the Dolphins do.
54:21
They don't know 100 percent.
54:22
They don't.
54:23
They do not.
54:24
So I think that Dax going to eat on this this Cowboy defense or sorry, this Lions defense.
54:29
Tony Pollard is going to get the good get the ball rolling here.
54:32
And I just don't know if if the the Lions will be able to have their rushing prowess
54:37
that they've had this year against the the Cowboy defense.
54:39
I think the Lions are so high right now on their NFC North Division championship win.
54:46
Like I think they're just I think that two headed monster in the backfield is going to
54:50
come alive and golf is going to do enough to win.
54:53
Yeah, we'll agree to disagree on this one.
54:56
But I like the disparity.
54:57
I like the disparity that leads us to Miami going down to Baltimore.
55:04
That is our game of the week this week.
55:07
What a game it should be, man.
55:08
These are two high powered offenses, two teams that are playing out of their mind.
55:12
Their defenses are just on fire.
55:15
Baltimore comes in as a three and a half point favorite as the home team in this one.
55:20
I don't know, Smelsey.
55:21
I think I have to go Baltimore.
55:23
It's I really do.
55:24
But I think it's really hard to argue that three and a half for me.
55:28
It really is a little bit too much.
55:29
I see this as a one and a half point spread.
55:31
Personally, that's the problem.
55:33
That's the problem I'm having.
55:34
So you know what?
55:35
I'm going Miami.
55:36
I think they're going to surprise some people.
55:38
I think they're going to show there for real and have an outside shot at that number one
55:42
seed will actually take it over at that point because they would hold the tiebreaker over
55:46
Baltimore.
55:47
But I think they're going to show that they're not to be messed with this week.
55:52
And I know no wonder that's the game of the week.
55:54
That should be another high powered game.
55:56
But we also thought that with the Ravens and 49ers and did turn out to that.
55:59
So if that Baltimore defense shows up at home, it could be over early.
56:04
But I am going with Miami here.
56:07
I like it.
56:08
I like how we're not on the same side here.
56:09
But I think Baltimore is going to cover that three and a half.
56:12
I just don't see the the Dolphins defense being able to really contain Lamar.
56:17
And I really, really like Baltimore in this one, especially at home.
56:20
And if they Baltimore wins, they pretty much lock up that number one seed.
56:23
So they have something to play for.
56:25
Would this.
56:26
This is a great game that leads us down then to Cincinnati taken on Kansas City.
56:32
Cincinnati didn't look good last week.
56:33
Chiefs didn't look good that last week.
56:36
Seven point favorite for the Chiefs.
56:37
That's way too many points.
56:39
Way too many points.
56:40
But I just think Joe Browning has come back to Earth.
56:43
This cuts.
56:44
Sheets are going to cover.
56:45
They need this game.
56:46
Joe Browning.
56:47
Yeah, that's the used to be Joe Browning.
56:49
But Jake Browning.
56:50
He's going to come back to Earth.
56:51
The tape.
56:52
Jake.
56:53
Dang it.
56:54
Yeah, he's back to Jake from State Farm.
56:55
But Kansas City is going to cover that seven points.
56:57
They need this game.
56:58
Kansas City needs this game.
57:00
It's in Arrowhead.
57:01
I'm agreeing with you 100 percent.
57:02
Seven is a real a lot.
57:04
But just how like exactly what you said, literally how Cincinnati played last week and how Browning
57:10
specifically played in Kansas City, it's going to be a nightmare for them.
57:15
I don't think they have a shot this weekend.
57:17
So we're on the same the same side for one this week, Smelty.
57:20
Don't get used to it.
57:22
All right.
57:23
The week 17 wraps up for our games here with New Orleans going down to Tampa Bay.
57:28
Tampa Bay is a three point favorite in this one.
57:32
And this has so much playoff implications.
57:34
It's not even funny.
57:35
It really does for more than just those two teams.
57:39
This is going to be like like a forecasting kind of what's going to happen with the NFC
57:43
playoff picture.
57:44
What do you got, man?
57:45
I'm taking Tampa Bay all the way.
57:46
Baker Mayfield has played himself into an opportunity to be the starter of the Tampa
57:51
Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
57:53
I think they absolutely should give them that opportunity.
57:57
And I think they will.
57:58
But as far as the rest of the season goes, he absolutely they win this weekend.
58:01
I think he's really starting to get hot at the right time.
58:05
And do I think they'll make a deep run?
58:07
No.
58:08
But I think they'll win not only this week, but win the NFC South.
58:12
I agree with you.
58:13
I think the way that the offense is clicking with Baker and Mike Evans, I think Baker's
58:17
played himself into a Geno Smith contract like we kind of touched earlier.
58:21
Two years, 40, 45 mil.
58:22
Yeah, why not?
58:23
He deserved it.
58:24
That's for sure.
58:25
If you're Tampa, why not at this point?
58:26
Yeah, why wouldn't you?
58:27
You're not going to get it.
58:28
They're not going to have a low enough draft pick to grab one of the top quarterbacks.
58:29
There's no free agent quarterback that's really of name outside of Kirk.
58:34
And I think Tampa Bay is going to, like you said, win this game, lock up the NFC South.
58:38
They wouldn't lock it up with this game.
58:40
But you know, it's all but lock it up.
58:42
Depending on what Atlanta does in Chicago this weekend, too.
58:47
Yeah, and I just, Derek Carr is just not the quarterback for me.
58:50
He's not.
58:51
He's not.
58:52
And like, I really thought that he would be, I thought it would light a fire under him
58:56
to be in New Orleans, like definitely in that atmosphere for one.
58:59
But two, just new scenery.
59:01
And I really thought it would be a new start for him.
59:03
And he just really hasn't shown that this year.
59:06
So I don't know what they're going to do.
59:08
But New Orleans, I think is going to be searching for a quarterback this offseason.
59:11
Yeah.
59:12
Didn't they pay Derek Carr, though?
59:13
They did.
59:14
Four years ago.
59:15
I don't.
59:16
They got to get rid of them.
59:17
They got to do something.
59:18
Who's going to take them?
59:19
Nobody.
59:20
And who are you going to replace him with?
59:21
I don't give a dang.
59:22
Jamis.
59:23
Yeah, I know.
59:24
I know.
59:25
I mentioned Jamis every other pod, but.
59:28
All righty, Smelty.
59:29
Well, it's been a blast, brother.
59:33
We have a good slate of football ahead of us.
59:35
I love this time of year getting down to the nitty gritty.
59:39
As always, like, comment, subscribe.
59:42
We'll see you next week.