Latest / Banter with the Boys / NFL Week 17 Recap

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NFL Week 17 Recap · Banter with the Boys

• 0:00
  It's been all about the offensive woes and not the defensive pros, you know?
• 0:06
  Hey, that was not planned, by the way. That was great.
• 0:10
  And like, to be honest, like after last week, and I think the Dolphins
• 0:14
  got their tail between their fins, to be honest with you, like,
• 0:18
  see what I did there? Yes, sir.
• 0:20
  I was going to try to keep a straight face, but you lost it. I love it. But anyway.
• 0:23
  You're listening to Bantor with the Boys, talking all things sports.
• 0:29
  From betting and brawls, Superball to Stanley Cup Finals.
• 0:34
  Get laced up. It's time for Bantor with the Boys.
• 0:53
  What's up, everybody? Welcome back to Bantor with the Boys.
• 0:56
  Football season is almost done. Week 17 has come and gone.
• 1:00
  As always, we have Mr. Smelty with us. How we doing? How we feeling?
• 1:04
  You know, you say almost done and it's pretty much done for some of us fans.
• 1:09
  But at least we get to watch some good playoff football coming up here soon.
• 1:14
  Yeah, it's a may or may not have come to an end for Mr. Smelty this year.
• 1:19
  Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the Chargers suck too.
• 1:21
  So it's all around tough, tough year for the Smelty household.
• 1:25
  Tough year, yeah. Gopher sucks. I don't know. Tough year.
• 1:28
  We'll always get him next year, right? You Vikings fans have been saying that for how long now?
• 1:32
  Yeah, hey, we're coming on the Super Bowl.
• 1:34
  Don't worry that we're all in for in the Super Bowl.
• 1:36
  You know, we coming next year, next season.
• 1:39
  Always next year, man. Always next year. But let's get into it.
• 1:42
  We're going to start this week off here.
• 1:44
  We had my Packers traveling up to the Twin Cities, taking on Minnesota.
• 1:48
  Minnesota came in as a one and a half point underdog in this one.
• 1:52
  And well, let's say they needed more than a point and a half as the Packers
• 1:55
  absolutely dominated this game, winning with a score of 33 to 10.
• 1:59
  I did take my Packers to cover that one and a half. Smelty took his Vikings.
• 2:04
  I thought he was going to say they were going to win.
• 2:06
  I mean, they only had to lose by a point for him to win.
• 2:08
  But, you know, no chance that we win in this game.
• 2:10
  Jordan Love just showed us who he possibly could be for the future, man.
• 2:14
  I was just floored by his performance. AJ, I'm sorry, not AJ Dillon.
• 2:18
  He hasn't done much of anything this year. Aaron Jones just torched the Vikings defense.
• 2:23
  They've looked decent as of late, as we talked about, good, not great.
• 2:26
  But I mean, this was just an absolute domination from start to finish.
• 2:30
  Yeah, I mean, the Packer offense took full advantage of every hole that was
• 2:35
  available on the Vikings defense and exploited it to its fullest extent.
• 2:39
  Like every play was a chance for a big play, it seemed.
• 2:43
  Like the Vikings really never had an opportunity in this game.
• 2:46
  Now offensively, they were also not great, which we'll touch on here in a second.
• 2:50
  But honestly, the story of the game for me is that four year quarterback out of Utah State, Jordan Love.
• 2:55
  I mean, like the dude just, he went off.
• 2:58
  He went off and he threw his 30th touchdown, which is good for third in the league.
• 3:03
  Like there's definitely people, maybe including yourself, that were not very high in Jordan Love earlier in the season.
• 3:12
  Do you think some of those tones have changed?
• 3:14
  Obviously, yours has a little bit, but you never like, were like, you know,
• 3:18
  crucify the guy, get him out of here.
• 3:20
  But there's definitely Packer fans that were, oh, Kevin's like, oh, yeah, well, I don't know.
• 3:25
  He talks about 100 percent was done with this guy, 100 percent was done with this guy.
• 3:29
  I was saying Josh Dobbs was battered, like needed to start for us, bro.
• 3:33
  I'm a fucking writer.
• 3:34
  How do you how do you feel?
• 3:36
  How do you feel now?
• 3:37
  I mean, I feel great.
• 3:38
  It's it's he to be honest with you.
• 3:39
  I mean, if you look at his overall season, he had the four game stretch there where he just was terrible.
• 3:43
  Right.
• 3:44
  There's no other way.
• 3:45
  There's no. Yeah.
• 3:46
  No way to put it.
• 3:47
  There was, you know, Aaron Jones being out certainly did hurt.
• 3:50
  We relied too much on Jordan Love, and he didn't have that chemistry.
• 3:53
  These young receivers that are showing out these last couple of games just weren't ready yet.
• 3:57
  They keep the key word you just said there, though, is young, these young receivers like Jordan Love is still young.
• 4:02
  These young receivers, they're still figuring it out with each other and timing in the NFL,
• 4:07
  as we see every single week is probably the most important aspect of the passing game.
• 4:12
  Absolutely.
• 4:13
  And on top of that, the play calling, as I previously touched on in early pods, was it was just too, too much for Love.
• 4:20
  They were trying to just do too much of her and Rogers and they needed Love to be Love.
• 4:23
  Right. So they've opened up or not opened up, but kind of closed the playbook a little bit, allowed Love to get comfortable.
• 4:28
  And once he's comfortable and in rhythm, you can open that playbook back up and then you see him making those progressions and actually, you know, escaping the pocket where he needs to.
• 4:36
  He's a pretty athletic dude.
• 4:37
  His ability to extend the play is becoming next level.
• 4:41
  It is, you know, to be honest with you, just watching him play has shades of a young Aaron Rogers.
• 4:46
  100%. I hate to agree with that, but it's true.
• 4:49
  I mean, I'm not going to go to the point where saying he's the next Rogers.
• 4:53
  There's nobody that will be the next Rogers.
• 4:55
  He's in a class of his own, but who's to say that he can't make Jordan Love a class of his own?
• 5:00
  Well, Kirk Cousins is the next Rogers. He tours the Achilles this year, too.
• 5:03
  Let's stop with that right now.
• 5:05
  Let's just never say that again and just act like it didn't happen.
• 5:08
  But it's this offense is it seems to be, you know, once we're in rhythm, we can keep that rhythm going.
• 5:16
  And it all starts in those first couple of possessions.
• 5:19
  Right. So it's like we jumped out to a 10 lead up at the half 23 to three defense was doing something.
• 5:27
  It's like Joe Berry wants to save his job.
• 5:29
  Really hope that doesn't happen. I don't care if we shut out the rest of the teams this year and win the Super Bowl.
• 5:33
  I just don't want him back.
• 5:35
  But what about your Vikings, man?
• 5:37
  Like the Packers, they excelled in really every facet of this game.
• 5:40
  There really wasn't any mistakes made.
• 5:43
  So from a Vikings take here, what are our thoughts?
• 5:47
  I mean, honestly, when you when you say like how the Packers came out right away and got the momentum, I mean, truly.
• 5:56
  And they never really looked back from that, you know, offensively for the Vikings, I wanted Jaren Hall to start.
• 6:02
  A we saw Dobbs is downfall his first two games or games are, you know, decent enough to win in the NFL and his next two absolutely were not atrocious.
• 6:11
  Nick Mullins got his start bad.
• 6:14
  Jaren Hall might as well see what the rookie has season on the line.
• 6:18
  He didn't show up at all. He didn't show up at all.
• 6:20
  And for me, it was right before half.
• 6:23
  It was like a minute left to go before half or whatever.
• 6:26
  He threw Jaren Hall through this ball over the middle.
• 6:28
  Yeah, he was rushed a little bit, but nobody touched him.
• 6:31
  And it was just the worst duck I've ever I've ever seen, at least this season.
• 6:37
  And at that point, I was like, all right, let Mullins come in at least for the second half, which is what they did.
• 6:43
  And not that that changed things.
• 6:45
  But, you know, you could see how the offense was still moving better with what Mullins was able to provide, which is taking a chance and just throwing the ball.
• 6:53
  You saw it with Jaren Hall.
• 6:55
  He just he held the ball too long.
• 6:58
  Whether he was getting sacked, whether he was just missing his receiver.
• 7:04
  You know, he just he just holds on to it too long.
• 7:06
  You have to make your your reads faster, 100 percent.
• 7:10
  And like going into week 18, apparently O'Connell has said that he knows who's starting at quarterback this weekend for the Vikings finale, which almost holds no weight at this point, but small outside chance.
• 7:24
  But he won't say who it is yet.
• 7:26
  He wants to tell the quarterbacks face to face, which I find like all together, which I find like kind of weird.
• 7:32
  I kind of respect that.
• 7:33
  It makes me think low key that it could be Josh Dobbs because we know because I know 100 percent we haven't won a game since Josh Dobbs started or since he didn't start anymore since we went with Mullins and Jaren Hall.
• 7:50
  So I don't know.
• 7:52
  Or do they?
• 7:53
  Exactly. Playoff or draft position.
• 7:57
  That's just it.
• 7:58
  At this point, it's just like.
• 8:00
  You almost want to lose to Detroit to improve your draft position.
• 8:04
  Get into a quarterback heavy draft in the first round, whether any of them will pan out, you know, we'll see.
• 8:11
  But I mean, there's going to be potentially five, six, seven.
• 8:15
  I don't think seven.
• 8:16
  That's a lot.
• 8:17
  But like there's a lot of QB's that could go first round to quarterback needy teams that don't want to wait.
• 8:23
  Yeah. And they like neither quarterback look good.
• 8:27
  The Packers defense looks revived this game.
• 8:30
  You know, rushing was nice.
• 8:31
  And we went into this thinking like, hey, Jaren Hall, what better team to go against than the Swiss cheese of the Packers defense who are letting up just monster games to Baker Mayfield, Tommy DeVito.
• 8:42
  And, you know, so I really thought that the Vikings offense would have looked a lot better, especially, you know, they gave up on the run game as they kind of had to, but had nothing going on the run.
• 8:51
  No, Ty Chandler hasn't looked the same since his 100 yard game.
• 8:55
  They didn't run Madison at all.
• 8:57
  No. So I'm wondering if he's still not quite a hundred and played anyway, because he was still suffering from that ankle injury a couple of weeks ago.
• 9:05
  Well, Ty Chandler kind of taken over the role anyway.
• 9:07
  You know, he'd been showing way better than Madison had showed at all this year.
• 9:11
  He definitely showed like more promise for the rest of the season, at least, you know, Ty Chandler has he's more of that speed back more of that Alvin Camara type that can move around more agile down cook type, you know, whereas Madison still more that power.
• 9:25
  So I think it was nice to see that difference.
• 9:27
  And then he went for 100.
• 9:28
  But, yeah, no, I just no rush game.
• 9:31
  Honestly, the highlight of the game for the Vikings was Kirk Cousins blowing the horn to start the game shirtless.
• 9:38
  I guess that was probably the highlight of the game for Vikes.
• 9:42
  There's really nothing else that happened.
• 9:45
  Yeah, that was that was hilarious that he was shirtless with the chains.
• 9:49
  That was just so funny to watch.
• 9:51
  But, yeah, I mean, going back to your the first round quarterbacks next year, I really don't think there's more than four quarterbacks that are worth a first round grade in my personal opinion, which I would agree with you.
• 10:03
  But I think we're going to see more taken.
• 10:06
  So I just but that was the thing I was.
• 10:08
  So I was looking at this actually with one of my coworkers at lunch today and we looked up, you know, the football, the league standings and we went from top bottom top.
• 10:17
  And there's really only four teams that are quarterback needy per se.
• 10:23
  If you take the Vikings out, assuming they're going to resign Kirk Cousins as they should.
• 10:26
  Russell Wilson, which I don't want.
• 10:28
  Yeah, but they're fine.
• 10:29
  But if you really look at it, the Patriots, obviously.
• 10:32
  Yeah, the the the Bears.
• 10:34
  That's up for debate.
• 10:36
  Nobody really knows right now.
• 10:38
  Give me just some fields in purple.
• 10:39
  The commanders.
• 10:40
  Sure.
• 10:41
  The Raiders.
• 10:42
  Yep.
• 10:43
  That's really it.
• 10:47
  The Broncos, depending on what happens with Russell Wilson, we'll see what happens.
• 10:50
  I don't think he'll be in Denver next year.
• 10:52
  But if you really look at the landscape of the league, there's either someone that there's a veteran in place that you're paying money.
• 11:00
  There's a young cat in place that you're paying money per se, Kyler Murray.
• 11:04
  I don't have a top draft pick, but they're not going to draft somebody.
• 11:07
  They're paying him so much money.
• 11:09
  Yeah. And they just reconfirmed like literally today, like not Kyler's our franchise quarterback.
• 11:13
  They can't do anything else.
• 11:15
  Well, I kind of want my boys to go get them.
• 11:17
  I'd be cool with that.
• 11:18
  I mean, I'm like, I don't think that's going to happen.
• 11:19
  Like a quarterback that's in place because his contract isn't going to allow him to, you know, just essentially like give up on him.
• 11:24
  But other than that, the Giants, maybe they just paid Danny Dimes all that money.
• 11:31
  But really, there's not any team, the Falcons.
• 11:35
  So Falcons are definitely one.
• 11:36
  I suppose a couple of teams could wait to that second, third and see if somebody falls.
• 11:40
  Especially with kind of how deep the draft is, you know, because there's there's only really, in my opinion, two top talents.
• 11:44
  And that's Caleb Williams, Drake May.
• 11:46
  Drake May, in my opinion, is going to be the better NFL quarterback.
• 11:49
  But after that, the drop off to a Bo Nicks, a Michael Pennex, a Jaden Daniels, a Shadour Sanders.
• 11:57
  I don't think Shadour's going to come out.
• 11:58
  I don't think so either.
• 11:59
  But like the other three guys, 100 percent.
• 12:02
  Right. But I think somebody like the Vikes, right, could be like, you know what, F it.
• 12:05
  We're at 10, 11, 12, 13, and we're going to take Bo Nicks or whatever it may be.
• 12:10
  Right. Am I saying it's a good idea?
• 12:12
  No. But do I think I think teams are just going to take a shot at it?
• 12:16
  Well, I think that the Vikings first and second round, in my opinion, all hinge on who's if Kirk Cousins.
• 12:22
  I mean, 100 percent. That's what it comes down to because there's no Cousins, there's no Justin Jefferson.
• 12:26
  That's what I'm thinking. That's I mean, he's he's voiced his opinion multiple times this season on how he wants Kirk to be his quarterback.
• 12:35
  And he's and he's cool with it like multiple times.
• 12:38
  Just said it again this last week.
• 12:40
  And there's there's the team right now, if you put Kirk Cousins on that team, assuming he plays that the rate he was playing before he got hurt, they're in the playoffs.
• 12:49
  It's as simple as that. They don't have the record of the loot losses and everything that in my opinion, it's that simple.
• 12:56
  But now the issue is, is like the Vikes and we should probably move on to stop talking about these boys.
• 13:01
  But like Kirk needs to take a little bit of a pay cut to see the bigger picture.
• 13:07
  I don't think he will. Right.
• 13:08
  I think he's still playing at a high enough level where he was only like the 12th highest paid quarterback in the league this year.
• 13:13
  That goes up, though. His contract was backloaded.
• 13:16
  Yeah, sure, sure. But I'm just saying, like, you know, maybe like a two year deal, you know.
• 13:22
  But like, you know, you signed Kirk now, Denial Hunter, who leads your team in sacks and is like second, third, fourth summer in there.
• 13:29
  Denial Hunter's gone in the league. I know.
• 13:31
  I think so, too, because you're going to have to invest that money in Kirk.
• 13:34
  It's like one or the other. Well, they'll be able to they'll figure out a way to sign JJ.
• 13:38
  They'll move around whatever they got to do.
• 13:40
  But it's I think it's either Kirk and JJ or Denial because he's going to he's going to come in the high a big contract.
• 13:46
  And he showed he's played well as he should.
• 13:49
  So that's going to be real interesting to see how the Vikings kind of DJ.
• 13:52
  One of our second leading sack pass rusher.
• 13:56
  You know, he's on needs a contract to and Taurus Quad.
• 13:59
  So that's going to be 50 50 whether he wants to take a shot here or not, probably for less money.
• 14:05
  But somebody else is going to offer more than what we will.
• 14:07
  I guarantee it. Yeah. So I don't know that Vikings evens could look a lot different even with Kirk at the helm.
• 14:13
  You know, if the offense is humming, I have no idea who's rushing the quarterback next year.
• 14:17
  It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out, man.
• 14:20
  That's for sure. All right. Let's move on. Enough from our teams here.
• 14:23
  We had Detroit going down to Dallas, Dallas being a six point favorite.
• 14:27
  They did not cover that six points. They did end up winning 20 to 19.
• 14:32
  Smelty had Detroit. I don't know if he had a winning, but covering that six points there, I took Dallas to cover that.
• 14:37
  So Smelty took the dub on this one. This turned out to be a pretty darn good game. Smelty.
• 14:42
  Oh, this was a great, you know, playoff preview matchup for sure.
• 14:46
  I mean, it had that feel to it. The place was rocking. I mean, back and forth all game.
• 14:52
  Yeah, it really was. Jared Goff didn't really seem too good in this game.
• 14:57
  You know, those those two picks really, really hurt the Lions in this game.
• 15:01
  That kind of went back to that MVP type play there. He had three hundred and forty five yards, two touchdowns.
• 15:06
  And then the Lions rushing attack continued to show how dominant those two backs are rushing for one hundred and twenty five as a team.
• 15:14
  They just couldn't pull it off, though. That Dallas defense, man. Oh, my God.
• 15:18
  Dude, they at the end of the game there, like how they were just stuffing them left and right, left and right.
• 15:24
  Penalties fly and given the Lions another chance almost it seemed like.
• 15:28
  And then obviously we'll get to the final play of the game. But.
• 15:32
  Yeah, that Dallas defense is for real. And that's what makes me think that Dallas is more than just pretenders for once.
• 15:38
  They've they've been decent in the regular seasons the past, you know, four out of the last five years, whatever it may be.
• 15:44
  They had like one dud in there, I think. But when Dak was injured, yeah, when Dak got like.
• 15:49
  They've they've been a great regular season team, but they hit the playoffs and just and just that's it.
• 15:55
  They just all that was cursed. I know. But like this feels different.
• 15:59
  Well, they also got to remember that it's the Mike McCarthy curse, too.
• 16:02
  No. Oh, yeah. Well, I know all about Mike McCarthy.
• 16:05
  But like it just it just feels different. So if they can get some home, like at least their first game at home, which it should be.
• 16:12
  And then maybe if they can sneak away and get the second game at home, like I think we could see Dallas in the NFC championship game.
• 16:18
  They're they're deadly at home. They obviously they didn't lose a game.
• 16:22
  They should have lost this game, but they didn't lose a game. They didn't lose this game.
• 16:27
  They're yeah, you're right. You know, they're eight know at home.
• 16:29
  They they they've shown they can play at home and we can't go talk about.
• 16:35
  Obviously, there's one thing that takes the cake in terms of what this game was.
• 16:40
  But we can't not mention. So I'm going for 227, bro.
• 16:44
  Yeah, dude. What an absolute monster. That 92 yarder should have been a safety guy.
• 16:49
  Missed the second. He was Quincy Barnes missed the sack back, escapes it, then just lost it up.
• 16:53
  CD breaks away. And wow, what a what a year he's having. I love CD, bro.
• 16:58
  He's a great player. His route running.
• 17:02
  He really confuses the corners out there, man. They never know what direction he's truly out of his break.
• 17:07
  You have no idea. Yeah. And what's crazy is like, you know, he has the build of he's a he's a taller kind of I'm not going to say lanky because nobody in the NFL is lanky.
• 17:14
  But in terms of an NFL build, he's on the smaller side size muscle wise.
• 17:18
  So you think like, oh, he's a burner and he's not he's not a guy that's going to like just take the top off the defense.
• 17:23
  He's going to win at the line of scrimmage and on those breaking routes there. His footwork, something special.
• 17:28
  He has a huge catch radius. He throw anything up to him. He's going to get it.
• 17:31
  And he's he's surprisingly physical in the air, too. Exactly. He's going to make you work for that pass deflection.
• 17:37
  If that's what you're going for. Yeah. And they get a pick over him. That's going to be tough.
• 17:41
  Yeah. He's just an absolute like you said, his catch radius is ridiculous.
• 17:45
  It is. It is. He's such a safety valve for for Dak. No, no doubt. No doubt.
• 17:50
  So, I mean, even looking I mean, both teams really had a great receiving day looking at the other side.
• 17:56
  I mean, Amon Ra, Sam Laporta, guys that we've been talking about all year, pretty much Sam Laporta.
• 18:02
  Was he another Iowa tight end rookie? Dude, Iowa, just a tight end factory.
• 18:08
  I don't get that. Them farm boys. I don't know. I don't know how to say it, man.
• 18:13
  They there's a tight end factory, tight end you.
• 18:17
  But I mean, just just that playoff feel, man, I'm so excited for the playoffs this year, even though the Vikings aren't in it.
• 18:24
  Like, there's some really good teams. I think there's, you know, a couple top tier teams and maybe we'll just mention it later or something.
• 18:31
  But like. I mean, Dallas is up there for me, but we this proved a lot for me for Detroit,
• 18:37
  because coming out of that Vikings game, I was worried about Detroit's defense and they I mean, they held Dallas to 20 points.
• 18:44
  Yeah, that's not horrible. It was a bend, don't break. Right. Like that had a lot of yards.
• 18:49
  They didn't do anything in the rush game. They had 61 yards rushing.
• 18:52
  So they held the rushing in check. But. Again, it's that bend, don't break mentality.
• 18:58
  And that's kind of how the Lions defense always kind of has been.
• 19:01
  You know, you just allow them to get to the red zone and settle for three or shut them down.
• 19:05
  Right. That's kind of that's just what they kind of have done.
• 19:08
  But let's get into it. Smelsey last play of the game. We're not the last play of the game.
• 19:12
  One of the last plays of the game there. The Lions going for two.
• 19:17
  Apparently, were they going for two? Yeah. Yeah, they were going for two.
• 19:21
  Right. They scored the lead by one. Yeah. To take the lead by one.
• 19:24
  Taylor Decker ran up to the referee.
• 19:27
  You could see him in the thing, looking at him and what you would appear to be talking,
• 19:31
  but didn't report eligible. Lions throw him the ball. Illegal touching.
• 19:35
  After there was a huge celebration, illegal touching.
• 19:38
  And boy, did their this the controversy begin.
• 19:42
  Dude, it was such BS to me. And then somebody, you know, people.
• 19:46
  Obviously, the Internet's just absolutely blowing up about this.
• 19:49
  Every sports page, if you follow any on, like, say, Facebook.
• 19:52
  I mean, it's they're all blowing up about it.
• 19:55
  But you're kind of seeing a little bit everything like I've seen, like, oh, well, it would have been a penalty anyway,
• 20:00
  because he was covered on the line of scrimmage by a receiver and he wasn't.
• 20:03
  That's what I mean. Like, this was such BS to me.
• 20:07
  And like, I don't mind seeing Detroit win.
• 20:11
  Do I want them to win as a Vikings fan? Not necessarily.
• 20:14
  But like, it doesn't hurt my soul. Like if I see the Packers win this weekend.
• 20:19
  But I just. I do.
• 20:22
  That should be a two point. They should have been good.
• 20:24
  Now, I will say this, though, right, because they are going to go for the two point immediately.
• 20:28
  Dan Campbell was like, I'm going for two immediately.
• 20:31
  And then didn't they get what was it? Was it a false start or delay a game or something?
• 20:35
  They went backwards. Now they were on the they went back to say there was three attempts at this two point conversion.
• 20:43
  I don't know, because I think they went backwards somehow or whatever. Maybe. No.
• 20:48
  Maybe that is what I'm thinking. Like illegal touching.
• 20:51
  And then did they get to run it again or is that the no, that was the end of the play.
• 20:55
  I'm just I'm remembering like three attempts. I watched that.
• 20:58
  I remember there being like three attempts at it, though, like I swear, like they went backwards.
• 21:03
  And as soon as you go backwards for your two point attempt, I'm calling it at that point.
• 21:07
  I'm like, all right, that's it for me personally. I'm like, I'm kicking a field goal now to tie it up.
• 21:11
  We lost the momentum of going for two. I love the move to go for two and try to go for the win.
• 21:15
  It's aggressive as hell.
• 21:17
  But then to move backwards before you even get to run your play to me.
• 21:22
  Now I'm kicking a field goal.
• 21:24
  But obviously, we know that that's just not who Dan Campbell is. And that's awesome.
• 21:28
  I love him as a coach, but. And he made a hell of a play call.
• 21:33
  He showed it and they talked about they talked to the refs about that play before the game.
• 21:38
  Right. So it's like you're supposed to inform.
• 21:41
  That's like a rule, right. Or whatever.
• 21:43
  That felt like it's honestly a rule, but it's like it's you do it so you can avoid this situation.
• 21:47
  Right. Right. So it's just it's just unfortunate for the Lions.
• 21:51
  I mean, because really, like, let's see if they was you're right. It was three.
• 21:54
  It was three attempts. That's what I mean.
• 21:56
  See, now, once you get to that third attempt, right, you've lost all that momentum, bro.
• 22:00
  Well, that was the first. Yeah, because I was to go for two.
• 22:03
  You know what I mean? Yeah.
• 22:06
  Like I just you lose all that momentum.
• 22:08
  Now it's just like I don't have the same feeling anymore.
• 22:11
  Yeah, that's interesting that he still went for when you're coming from the seven.
• 22:14
  I mean, now I'm calling a timeout and I'm like, you know what?
• 22:17
  Not now. I'm for me. I'm kicking field.
• 22:21
  And you're still going to overtime.
• 22:23
  And then at that point, the Lions still had a shot at the number one seed.
• 22:26
  But like, I just want people to know, like, I'm also not arguing the aggressive call to go for two immediately.
• 22:31
  I love that. Yeah. I mean, and that's the game.
• 22:34
  Exactly. Exactly. But now moving backwards, it's like, OK, that's it for me.
• 22:38
  But again, it just sucks because if Detroit wins that game, they're the number two seed right now.
• 22:44
  Yeah, they would have won. They would. Yeah.
• 22:47
  I mean, they would be tied with the Niners. They still had a chance at the number one seed.
• 22:50
  Actually, yeah, they would have had a still had a chance. Yeah.
• 22:52
  The Niners in Detroit would be tied. So go into, you know, weeks at week 18 and the Niners have a cat cakewalk.
• 22:59
  I believe they play the commanders. Sure.
• 23:02
  But now the Niners clinched that. Yeah, they clinched the bye, right?
• 23:06
  Yeah, they clinched the first run by. That's why. No, they don't play. They play the.
• 23:11
  The Rams next week. So the Rams already clinched. They can't improve their thing.
• 23:16
  So the Niners still probably would have sat. Yeah, the Niners still probably would have sat their starters.
• 23:21
  But if they're they wouldn't they wouldn't be able to if the Lions win that game last week.
• 23:25
  They'd have to be still playing for the number one seed.
• 23:28
  If Green Bay wins and the Rams lose, could Green Bay jump the Rams for the six seed rather than the seven or no?
• 23:33
  Yes. They could. Yeah, because they're on the tiebreaker.
• 23:35
  Is that worth the Rams like sending Matthew Stafford out there on Sunday?
• 23:40
  That's it. I mean, that's a good question. That's a good question.
• 23:42
  Because you look at either playing the Cowboys or the Lions. How's how it stands now.
• 23:48
  So either way. Yeah, I don't know. That's tough.
• 23:51
  Well, Smeltzi, we're going to talk a little bit more about the playoff picture here once we get to next week's slate.
• 23:55
  So let's move on. We had Miami going on to Baltimore.
• 23:59
  Baltimore came in as a three and a half point favorite.
• 24:02
  I had them covering that three and a half Smeltzi.
• 24:04
  You had the Dolphins winning this game, if I'm not mistaken, not even just covering.
• 24:08
  And Baltimore scored the second most points they've ever scored in the game.
• 24:11
  They won this one fifty six to 19.
• 24:15
  Wow. Yeah. And for me, it was about that first half.
• 24:19
  Like, obviously, Baltimore scored more points in the second half.
• 24:22
  Maybe. No, they did not. Yes, they did.
• 24:25
  But it was about the first half for me because Miami came out and in there, let's see, in their six drives, they got in the first half.
• 24:33
  Two punts, a pick, two field goals and a touchdown. Good for 13 points.
• 24:40
  So comparison to Baltimore's Baltimore only had that technically had they had the ball six times in the first half as well.
• 24:49
  But their last time they just needed out or whatever end of the half.
• 24:52
  Their difference for tuds and a punt.
• 24:56
  So you just can't come out that cold.
• 24:59
  And then and then Baltimore comes out of the second half and scores a touchdown immediately.
• 25:03
  That's it for me. That thirty five, thirteen. That was the end of the game right there.
• 25:07
  So it was about the first half like.
• 25:11
  You know, Miami comes out, touchdown Baltimore, touchdown like, oh, this is about to be a barn burner.
• 25:16
  Well, next, next drive field goal by the Dolphins, followed by a punt by Baltimore.
• 25:22
  Dolphins were still fully in that game.
• 25:25
  And then it just not not finishing drives.
• 25:28
  And then the pick happened and then you punted right before the half.
• 25:32
  Like you got to finish drives against the best teams in the league.
• 25:36
  Yeah, you really do. You really do.
• 25:38
  And they just they just couldn't put it all together.
• 25:40
  And you look at Miami's offense, Tyreek Hill held the 76 yards.
• 25:45
  That doesn't happen that often. That hasn't happened at all this year.
• 25:48
  Now, they still went off rushing, you know, Devon A-Chain had four hundred and seven yards himself.
• 25:53
  They didn't score any rushing touchdowns.
• 25:55
  But the story of this game, just crown them right now, Smelty. Lamar is the MVP.
• 25:59
  Yeah, I mean, that game, that game might have sealed it for him.
• 26:02
  I mean, five tuds. Did he get one on the ground, too? No, he didn't.
• 26:06
  But surprisingly, 18 to 21 with five tuds, but that's a perfect passer rating.
• 26:12
  Yeah. And right now he's sitting.
• 26:16
  Well. There's still other players that are up there as far as like yards, tuds, blah, blah, blah.
• 26:22
  But I mean, his rushing ability alone would also put him in the MVP race, you know.
• 26:28
  So he probably does have it in the bag.
• 26:31
  I mean, I just think he he only has to at this point.
• 26:35
  He only has to, especially with this game, just cementing it.
• 26:38
  This guy is just playing on another level right now with the MVP.
• 26:42
  Usually you have it.
• 26:43
  It's like the the end of the season, you really have to show your best and you have to be at your best.
• 26:48
  And you have to like it's really one at the end of the year.
• 26:50
  True, true. And I mean, he's he's coming alive here at the perfect time.
• 26:55
  He really is. You look at his stats for the year, he's at over 3600 yards.
• 26:59
  He's completing almost 67 percent of his passes with 24 tuds and only seven interceptions.
• 27:04
  That's a good percentage.
• 27:06
  Is he would this be if he did win this year, would this be his second MVP?
• 27:11
  Second. He was unanimous.
• 27:12
  So on top of that 3600 yards passing, he has he has six hundred ninety five yards rushing.
• 27:17
  He'll get over 700 yards rushing and another five touchdowns.
• 27:20
  I mean, there's plenty of running backs that don't hit 700 in a season.
• 27:23
  This guy's just a machine.
• 27:25
  Delvin Cook ain't hitting 700 this year.
• 27:27
  Wow. He ain't hitting 70, brother.
• 27:32
  But it's just insane. I'm sorry. I was looking at the wrong stats.
• 27:35
  He has eight hundred and twenty one yards rushing in five touchdowns.
• 27:38
  He's averaging five and a half yards a carry.
• 27:41
  Like it's just silly what this guy's doing.
• 27:43
  And he's did it against a Miami defense who's been one of the best defenses in the league
• 27:47
  the last five ever since Ramsey came back.
• 27:49
  Yeah, no, no doubt.
• 27:51
  I mean, Baltimore cement, like you said, cemented it this weekend.
• 27:54
  I mean, they're truly arguably one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team.
• 28:01
  I personally, I still think 49ers edge him out a little bit after they just annihilated him.
• 28:07
  But listen, that rematch would be different.
• 28:10
  That rematch would be different. But Baltimore's nasty right now.
• 28:13
  Not it's not just Lamar either. Their defense is great.
• 28:17
  Oh, the defense is so under it. They don't get any flowers.
• 28:20
  No, they never do.
• 28:21
  Defense is generally nobody wants to talk defense or sucks.
• 28:24
  So we should talk with defense, I guess.
• 28:26
  But like everybody wants to talk about the big flashy offensive players, you know.
• 28:30
  But yeah, Baltimore's defense has been outstanding pretty much the whole season.
• 28:35
  Absolutely a reason why they're the number one seeded going into the playoffs.
• 28:39
  And how about that interception from Roe Kwon Smith?
• 28:42
  That thing was like people his size, they should not be able to move like that.
• 28:46
  Yeah. And like not only that, like they couldn't get them to the damn ground.
• 28:50
  Big human being.
• 28:52
  And it's just an athletic freak that like we've talked about this earlier, but that that is probably
• 28:57
  assuming the Ravens make a run, right, even make it to the AFC championship.
• 29:01
  That is going to go down as the best move of the year trading for him the week two or three.
• 29:06
  No doubt. No doubt.
• 29:08
  100 percent. And then add to that, like Roe Kwon added seven tackles, two past deflections,
• 29:14
  and then obviously grabbed himself that that pick.
• 29:17
  But just just a baller. I mean, he's like your term dog.
• 29:22
  He's a dog, bro. He's the leader of that defense, too.
• 29:26
  You can you can tell. So it's just 100 percent.
• 29:30
  And it's it's special with with him and Queen in the middle, man.
• 29:35
  Well, yeah, Patrick Queen is a baller as well.
• 29:39
  I mean, I don't know. I don't I don't see any I don't think I see anybody really getting past
• 29:44
  Baltimore in the AFC, if I'm being I thought Miami was the second best team in the car.
• 29:48
  I thought they had the best chance to do it.
• 29:51
  And with what we saw this weekend, unless we see some Patrick Mahomes magic
• 29:56
  or with the way the Bills are building right now.
• 29:59
  I mean, they got to win next week. We'll touch on that later.
• 30:01
  But they're hot right now. I don't want to play that team.
• 30:03
  No, no. But at the same time or low key, I don't want to play the Browns either.
• 30:07
  I feel better about being the Browns than I do the Bills, 100 percent.
• 30:10
  But that Browns defense isn't the dude, the AFC defense the first six weeks of the year
• 30:15
  or something like that. Eight weeks of the year was statistically the best team
• 30:18
  in defense and the AFC is going to be tough. And whoever does make the wild card.
• 30:23
  They're legit, too. I don't think they're going to beat the Dolphins, the Ravens, the Browns.
• 30:29
  I think the Chiefs could get upset unless you get Patrick Mahomes magic this year.
• 30:32
  They just don't seem like they got it all together.
• 30:35
  But Travis needs to come alive for the Chiefs to do anything. 100 percent.
• 30:38
  Yeah. But let's let's transition into that Chiefs game.
• 30:40
  There's not much that needs to be said about this Ravens game.
• 30:43
  It was a complete and utter domination. The Ravens just look just silly.
• 30:46
  100 percent. We know what we got with that.
• 30:50
  We sure do. All right. That leads us then to the Chiefs.
• 30:54
  We had the Bengals traveling over to Arrowhead, taking on the Chiefs.
• 30:59
  Chiefs coming in as a coming in as a seven point favorite.
• 31:02
  And they just squeaked out that seven points, winning 25 to 17.
• 31:06
  Both Smelty and I had this one as a win.
• 31:09
  And the Chiefs really just didn't look great in this game.
• 31:12
  They still pulled off the W.
• 31:14
  They ended the Bengals season, but they still didn't look that good.
• 31:18
  You know, and that's what that's what we were just touching on.
• 31:20
  Like the Chiefs don't quite seem put together enough to be to make a legitimate run.
• 31:27
  It's hard to consider them not a contender because no offense like Patrick Mahomes to me is like I almost I hate.
• 31:37
  Like he's so likable that I hate him, kind of like Tom Brady, just because they're they're good.
• 31:42
  Yeah, he has that Tom Brady effect. I totally, totally see what you're saying.
• 31:45
  You know what I mean? And like so any team that has Patrick Mahomes, it's hard to count them out automatically out of the playoffs.
• 31:53
  But do I think they're as good as their Super Bowl team? Like, no way.
• 31:56
  No, they're they're definitely I don't see them repeating his champs.
• 32:00
  The one thing that's going to hold them in games is they do have a pretty darn good defense.
• 32:04
  You look at their defensive pressure this game, sacking Browning six times.
• 32:08
  Again, another defense that's not really talked about much this season.
• 32:11
  Right. It's been all about the offensive woes and not the defensive pros.
• 32:16
  You know, hey, that was not planned, by the way. That was great.
• 32:20
  That was pretty that was pretty funny. But you look at the Casey's offense, they only scored twice.
• 32:27
  Sorry, they only scored once.
• 32:28
  You got Mahomes finding Isaiah Pacheco on that that check down and then Pacheco, he's just an absolute dog.
• 32:35
  He had 130 yards rushing, but they just could not really get the ball moving.
• 32:41
  No, they never really had any momentum. The Chiefs did. I mean, yeah, they won the game.
• 32:46
  But but a 17 13 half like Cincinnati was up, by the way, at that point.
• 32:52
  It just they never had like control of it. Like they almost it was like they squeaked out what they got lucky.
• 32:58
  They did. They never they this game shouldn't have been close with what we're used to with the Chiefs.
• 33:03
  Browning came back to Earth last week and he's kind of stayed down there.
• 33:06
  Right. He hasn't shown what he could do like he could the first couple of weeks.
• 33:09
  They can't get the running game going. You know, they have they did rush for 100 yards,
• 33:13
  but it was only averaging three point three yards a carry.
• 33:16
  They just don't have that that. I don't know that fit that offensive dominance.
• 33:21
  We're kind of used to seeing with the Bengals.
• 33:23
  But granted, that's because you don't have Joey B back there.
• 33:25
  Well, and that's just it. We've seen it with multiple teams this season losing their their QB ones, even for a short stint like Houston.
• 33:32
  When CJ Stroud wasn't in there, that offense is different.
• 33:36
  They're a rookie, but he's there. He's their nucleus of their offense.
• 33:40
  Kirk Cousins. Don't you need to talk about him anymore? Same same deal.
• 33:44
  You know, Joe Burrow losing him. Same deal.
• 33:47
  Let's you know, Danny, Danny Dine. No, I'm just kidding.
• 33:50
  I was about to say, well, but, but that's a joke.
• 33:56
  You know, like if Tampa Bay lost Baker right now, they would look different.
• 33:59
  Oh, 100 percent. 100 percent.
• 34:02
  So I just that's that's the Bengals only downfall.
• 34:05
  Like that offense just revolves around Joey B, even the brush game.
• 34:08
  Like it's still got to feel different as a running back back there as the old line when you know your quarterback is legit.
• 34:16
  You know, yeah. And Jake slash Joe Browning as you were.
• 34:20
  No, he ain't Joe Browning no more. He lost to Joe. He lost to Joe.
• 34:23
  He's Jake. He's Jake from State Farm. Oh, dang.
• 34:26
  Jake from State Farm now. So, yeah, I mean, season over for the Bengals.
• 34:30
  Chiefs are going to limp into the playoffs, to be honest with you.
• 34:35
  You know, with this win, it did cement them as the division champ.
• 34:38
  So they're going to get that home game. They're currently the three seed.
• 34:40
  It doesn't feel like a dominating division championship like it has.
• 34:44
  AFC West is trash.
• 34:46
  Which is crazy because like twoish years ago, I was like, dude, the AFC West could be one of the best divisions in football.
• 34:52
  Yeah, the way it was shaping up and looking and now they're just yeah, like the Chiefs kind of backdoor into the championship a little bit, which Chiefs fans are going to hate.
• 35:01
  But you guys don't look as good like good and dominating this year.
• 35:05
  Even Chiefs fans would would come to the realization that their offense just isn't the opposite.
• 35:09
  That there's games that they were probably nervous about this year. Absolutely.
• 35:12
  Where in years past, hey, I'm going to a Chiefs game to watch a win.
• 35:15
  Well, years past, they're 13 and three and they're sitting there starters.
• 35:19
  Right, right. That's what I mean. So it's a little bit different.
• 35:22
  I don't think it's going to happen again next season, but they got some stuff they got to fix.
• 35:27
  They do have some stuff they got to fix. All right.
• 35:29
  Well, let's move on. We had the NFC South Showdown, New Orleans, taking on Tampa Bay.
• 35:34
  Tampa coming in as a three point favorite.
• 35:36
  Smelty and I were both on that Tampa train last week and they disappointed.
• 35:40
  They ended up losing this one 23 to 13.
• 35:43
  And this year just didn't really look like he had the flashes of what it looked like this year, but those two picks just killed him.
• 35:49
  Yeah, no doubt. I mean, that's that's the story of the game right there.
• 35:52
  You know, you lose by 10 with two nasty picks. I mean, that's that's pretty much it.
• 35:56
  And it is disappointing for Tampa Bay because they they really had their destiny in their hands.
• 36:01
  And now it's kind of do they still do they still hold a playoffs?
• 36:05
  Yeah, technically they still hold the playoff spot right now.
• 36:07
  They win next winter. So they still hold it in their hands.
• 36:10
  And who do they play again this week? The Panthers.
• 36:12
  OK, so they should they should win.
• 36:16
  They they should win the division and make the playoffs.
• 36:18
  But Baker's also a little banged up. This was a surprise, though.
• 36:22
  I didn't I figured it would be a close game, but I didn't I didn't think New Orleans would actually pull it off.
• 36:28
  Yeah, it was. Yeah, same me neither.
• 36:30
  I really thought Tampa at home, the way Baker's kind of been playing lately, the Saints offense just isn't good.
• 36:35
  They don't look good. There's nothing about the same offense that gives us anything.
• 36:39
  And I mean, they the the Saints defense was the story of this game.
• 36:42
  They held Tampa scoreless through three quarters. Yeah.
• 36:45
  You're not going to win a lot of ballgames doing that.
• 36:47
  Their car offense just still doesn't it looked more put together this week.
• 36:51
  Like they could actually get some stuff done, but it still doesn't look like, you know,
• 36:56
  God forbid, New Orleans makes the playoffs their first round exit.
• 36:59
  They just don't have enough going for them this season to me.
• 37:03
  So absolutely. But to see them beat a team that should be a playoff team at this point, like.
• 37:08
  OK, maybe next season.
• 37:11
  I mean, obviously he's under contract, but maybe next season the Saints are OK running it back with Derek Carr.
• 37:16
  Even though Saints fans would have a choice. I know.
• 37:19
  I know. Like, is that a team that drafts a quarterback?
• 37:22
  I could very well see them drafting a quarterback, actually, to be 100 percent honest with you.
• 37:26
  I mean, it kind of depends on what they're going to do with Jamis.
• 37:28
  But even drafting a quarterback, just letting them sit here to draft them and say the second or third round, if they could get a Michael Panics per se.
• 37:34
  Right. Right. I think Jamis is he a free agent this year?
• 37:37
  I think I think he signed to one only he's on a one year deal or something.
• 37:41
  Yeah. But like, I mean, depending on if he wants to come back and be the backup in New Orleans.
• 37:45
  He'll be a backup somewhere. Somebody will absolutely take Jamis in a backup role somewhere.
• 37:49
  But yeah, I don't know. They could take a quarterback, I suppose.
• 37:53
  But yeah, I mean, Tampa, they got to they got to get that Russian game established.
• 37:58
  You know, if they assume assuming they win this weekend, they need, you know, and make the playoffs.
• 38:05
  They have to establish that Russian game, even have a shot.
• 38:08
  And I mean, at this point, who would they be playing? They'd be playing.
• 38:13
  They'd be playing the Eagles, I think, which would be a stomping.
• 38:17
  Well, maybe not. They would show the Eagles have definitely shown their shortfalls as of late, though.
• 38:23
  So who knows? They could maybe make maybe beat him out, be home in Tampa, too.
• 38:27
  So I mean, the Bucks are one and done in the playoffs.
• 38:31
  They're just the NFC South's not going to be able to compete.
• 38:33
  I mean, I say that and they beat my Packers a number of weeks ago, but it's not like your Packers are also different than a couple.
• 38:38
  They're also not going to like like Baker's not going to have a perfect passer rating against the Packers again.
• 38:42
  You know, it's just not simply it's simply just perfect passer ratings in general are more and more of an anomaly anyway.
• 38:48
  You know, maybe one is your career.
• 38:50
  That's what I mean. One little thing messes it up.
• 38:52
  So it's just like to see that again.
• 38:55
  And it's just crazy that he did it at Lambeau that still baffles me.
• 38:58
  That's just so cool. So that's a cool stat that'll just stick with me.
• 39:02
  So I mean, I'm surprised like four teams have been asked like Joe Berry helped with this.
• 39:08
  Yeah. All right.
• 39:10
  But let's move on from the week, week 18 or sorry, week 17 slate for those listeners keeping track at home.
• 39:17
  I went three and two this week. Smelsey went two and three for the season.
• 39:21
  That brings me up to 18 and 20 and Smelsey, I'm sorry, brother.
• 39:24
  Your shots at a winning season are out the window.
• 39:27
  You are currently sitting at 15 and 23, which sucks because like when I first saw that,
• 39:31
  I didn't actually believe it.
• 39:33
  I was like trying to like figure out if your math was wrong, to be honest,
• 39:36
  and then humbled myself and realized it wasn't.
• 39:39
  And I just suck this year.
• 39:41
  There's always next year, sir. That's kind of be a theme for you this year.
• 39:44
  Hey, that's Minnesota fan through and through, through and through.
• 39:48
  But let's get into some tent talk.
• 39:52
  Nine one one. What's your emergency?
• 39:56
  Well, let's get into get into some tent talk here.
• 39:58
  Smelsey, we're going to start with my packers.
• 40:00
  We got three receivers questionable for this game.
• 40:03
  Jaden Reed, Christian Watson and Dontavian Wicks.
• 40:06
  Watson and Wicks have been both missed this game as well.
• 40:09
  Watson hasn't played in a couple of games.
• 40:11
  Jaden Reed re aggravated his chest injury on a fair catch on a punt.
• 40:17
  Yeah, that sucks.
• 40:19
  I mean, you guys, you kind of need all those guys now, like we've already talked about earlier,
• 40:23
  like now that they're starting to establish that timing with Jordan Love, like,
• 40:27
  well, you don't want to change it up now when you're winning in.
• 40:30
  Yeah, I'm not opposed to say like missing Watson just because he's been very scarce.
• 40:34
  You're used to being missing Watson right now. Yeah, exactly.
• 40:37
  But I mean, Jaden Reed hurts. Jaden Reed hurts.
• 40:40
  He's he's turned into a very, very, very good slot receiver.
• 40:43
  I was having this conversation with a fellow Packer fan at lunch today.
• 40:46
  And I mean, in three to four years, I could see Jaden Reed as a top one to slot receiver in the league with the way he's progressing.
• 40:52
  And, you know, he's not an outside guy, but that slots that slot role is something
• 40:55
  we've missed since Prime Randall Cobb. I mean, I'd even want Wicks in there, too.
• 40:59
  Yeah, like that's like again, like again, I'm not like overly like you.
• 41:02
  I wouldn't be overly concerned with missing with missing Watson right now.
• 41:06
  No, absolutely not. He seems to not.
• 41:08
  He can't stay on the field this year anyway. And when he is, it's 50-50 if he's going to have a good game.
• 41:12
  Yeah, exactly. I really, really, really like the lineup of Dobbs and Wicks on the outside with reading the slot
• 41:18
  and then Tucker Kraft doing his thing at tight end.
• 41:21
  I really, really like that. And then, you know, Bo Melton coming in and subbing for any of those spots once they need a breather.
• 41:27
  Now, again, if you add Christian Watson to that, I don't think we're going to it's going to be a bad thing by any means.
• 41:32
  No, not necessarily.
• 41:33
  That's the other thing. If three of these guys get activated, Bo Melton or Malik Heath gets dropped to the practice squad.
• 41:38
  So hopefully that would be Malik Heath. Bo Melton showed a little bit more.
• 41:42
  But he hasn't been that horrible either. He had a real good touchdown a couple of weeks back.
• 41:47
  So, I mean, it's the biggest thing with this is it's a luxury, I guess, to be a Packer fan with all of this talent and potential at the receiver, in the receiver room.
• 41:56
  Now, again, it's all based on potential. None of them have really shown much outside of reading this rookie year.
• 42:01
  But there's a lot of potential that could be had.
• 42:05
  I'm sorry. A luxury to be a Packer fan. My God.
• 42:10
  Not that it has been my whole 30 years of existence.
• 42:13
  Yeah. God, your life is rough.
• 42:17
  Yeah, it sucks just having three generational talents back to back to back.
• 42:21
  Hey, he's on his way. He's on his way. That's the scary part. It's starting to not become a joke anymore.
• 42:27
  That's the part I'm worried about.
• 42:29
  It really is, dude. The way he's just shown and progressed this year is just wild.
• 42:33
  But let's move on. I side note AJ Dillon, questionable for that game as well. I don't care.
• 42:38
  Marlon Humphrey left the game.
• 42:40
  I'm going to mention them anyway.
• 42:43
  Marlon Humphrey left the game this last weekend with a calf injury.
• 42:47
  He didn't return to that game. No need for him to return when you're blowing him out as they did.
• 42:51
  He's listed his day to day. He's likely not going to play this week. Why would you let him sit another week and then another week?
• 42:56
  Yeah, sit him down.
• 42:58
  Yeah. So there's really, to be honest with you, wasn't too many injuries that are noteworthy.
• 43:01
  You know, some teams that are out of contention had some injuries, but it was a pretty healthy week,
• 43:06
  which you love to see this way late in the season.
• 43:09
  No, no doubt right before playoffs. And I mean, obviously, if you're if you're in the hunt, you need you need your top guys to be healthy.
• 43:16
  So 100 percent. Yeah.
• 43:19
  Laramie Tunsell left tackle for the Texans left and did not return in his game either.
• 43:24
  He has a groin injury currently listed as questionable.
• 43:27
  We should expect him to play with such a meaningful game ahead of him. Need him. Need him. Need him. Need him.
• 43:31
  Yep. Need him bad.
• 43:33
  Especially with all the money you just paid him. 100 percent. Yep. Got to have him.
• 43:37
  Then we have Christian McCaffrey had a calf issue.
• 43:40
  He felt it didn't pop or anything, but he just felt like he couldn't explode like normal.
• 43:44
  So it was it was he was just really, really sore. Not likely to play.
• 43:48
  No. Why would you give him two weeks off? Let him come back.
• 43:51
  Yeah, absolutely not. I don't play.
• 43:53
  I don't even think about playing McCaffrey this week and you have the one seed locked up.
• 43:57
  It's not even a question for me.
• 43:59
  I would maybe even consider sitting party, to be honest, or at least in the second half, like maybe make sure, you know,
• 44:06
  make sure he's still loose. But no, I said him.
• 44:09
  You know what happened to him in the playoffs last year when he went out.
• 44:11
  Him, Deebo, CMC. Why? Yeah. Why risk it when those guys are lighted up in the playoffs?
• 44:18
  Yeah, I mean, for for a Deebo or a Kittle, there's probably there might be some incentives that are contract based incentives that they might want to play.
• 44:26
  But I think Iuk is still on his rookie deal.
• 44:28
  Purdy is obviously on his rookie deal. That's an interesting thing to bring up is the incentive.
• 44:32
  There is an incentive for Kittle to play play for this weekend.
• 44:36
  Can the team just say no? Or is that like an NFL Players Association thing where they can?
• 44:41
  It is 100 percent up to the owner of the GM to grant that incentive.
• 44:45
  So it happened to Pat McAfee one year. He talks about it.
• 44:49
  He had like some incentive and he missed it just barely or something.
• 44:52
  And then Ersay still paid him on it. No, no, no, no.
• 44:54
  What I'm saying is like, which is dope. That's good to know.
• 44:58
  What I'm saying is this like if there is an incentive, like what if the 49ers are like, no, dude, we don't want you to risk injury.
• 45:05
  We're not going to have you play.
• 45:07
  Can they actually do that if it's in a contract? You know, like, well, was like, you know, at the end of the day, it's the team's decision.
• 45:14
  And at the end of the day, when you're talking players of that caliber, George Kittle, a Deebo, they're going to put the team before that incentive.
• 45:20
  So I don't think it would be much of a debate or question at the end of the day.
• 45:23
  But they might just good faith give pay him anyway. Yep. Sure.
• 45:26
  And that's likely what happened because it's already accounted for in the cat.
• 45:29
  That's not necessarily losing money. They're just they have the potential to gain whatever it is.
• 45:33
  Sure. I was just making sure there's not like some weird CBA NFLPA thing where like it's in the contract that you can earn up to this.
• 45:40
  You should be given every opportunity to do that. Yeah.
• 45:43
  I mean, I'm sure that you can't play in the final week because we're in the best position we can be in the playoffs.
• 45:48
  You would think the team would just pay them anyway, like the Pat McAfee thing. But no, I was just curious.
• 45:54
  Yeah, I'm sure there is some sort of thing in there.
• 45:57
  There has to be with all the lawyer work involved in these contracts.
• 46:00
  But I mean, like I said, at the end of the day, it's you as a player.
• 46:04
  I would say you'd put yourself in front of it, especially none of those guys have a Super Bowl. Right. Right.
• 46:09
  But like you said, the team accounted for the money anyway.
• 46:11
  So they probably just, you know, especially when you're a player of that caliber. No doubt.
• 46:15
  You know, it's not like you said, it's not like it's some third round rookie that's on his rookie deal that has something like that.
• 46:21
  So and then maybe the most sad news out of all the injuries this week, Bradley Chubb, torn ACL.
• 46:28
  He's done for the year, man.
• 46:30
  Yeah. And it just again, this late in the season just sucks.
• 46:33
  That's a guy that's crucial to a deep Miami run this playoffs.
• 46:37
  So it just sucks to see another another high caliber player that.
• 46:43
  For that defense that we saw this weekend, they need him on the field.
• 46:47
  They do. And he didn't have a great start to the year, but as the defense was ramping up, it went in tune with him.
• 46:52
  He was also starting to put together some good games and like the tape turned around for him.
• 46:56
  So it just sucks, especially to see it this late in the year.
• 46:58
  You know, he's probably not even going to be ready for the start of next year.
• 47:01
  And he just hates seeing any sort of anything at torn.
• 47:04
  And I just feel like there's more ligament severity injury injuries this year than normal.
• 47:10
  It just seems like, you know, the Achilles all pop in the ACLs haven't seemed to been as as heavy as recent years.
• 47:15
  But I just I don't get it. It does seem weird.
• 47:19
  It does seem weird, to be honest with you. And like like the Vikings, they're replacing their turf as soon as the season's over.
• 47:26
  You know, Mike Williams of the Chargers towards ACL.
• 47:31
  Was it in Minnesota that Kirk messed up his Achilles? I feel like it was in Lambeau because it's against the Packers.
• 47:37
  Oh, yeah, you're right. Yeah, you're right.
• 47:39
  But like, God, there's there's actually a list. I should almost look that list up.
• 47:43
  But of players that got hurt, you know, specifically in Minnesota, but again, just around the league.
• 47:48
  Yeah, ligament injury, soft tissue injuries way more than I feel like we're used to seeing of high level players, too.
• 47:55
  It's not just, you know, second, third round players that it's happened.
• 47:59
  I'm sorry. Second or third on the depth chart players that it's happening to.
• 48:03
  It's your starters. Exactly. And it's just it's the whole grass first turf debate.
• 48:10
  You know, there's been numerous players that have been injured on the MetLife Stadium grass and they replaced it this last offseason with synthetic or synthetic turf.
• 48:18
  So it went from a bad turf to a slightly better turf. But still, there's been so many injuries there. It's wild.
• 48:23
  Yeah. Well, it's like they're cursed, though. It's like that stadium's cursed straight up.
• 48:27
  Yeah. I mean, I don't know what it is, but yeah, dude, that field just takes players careers, man.
• 48:34
  Yeah, it's I think something needs to be done about these fields. We're losing too many players off of injuries that potentially could have been avoided.
• 48:42
  You never know. You look at Kirk. He was on grass at Lambeau and popped his Achilles by dropping back.
• 48:47
  Sure. Right. Right. Yeah. Nothing.
• 48:50
  But there's no those non contact injuries, man. Just yeah, just sucks to see. Yeah, it does late in the season.
• 48:56
  It does. That rounds up the injuries for this weekend here. So let's get into a little bit of news.
• 49:01
  We have three things on here for you. First, we're going to start off with Delvin Cook being released, released a mutual agreement between the team and Delvin so he could kind of find a contender.
• 49:11
  Interesting that it happens before the last week of the season. What are your thoughts?
• 49:16
  I don't I don't really know. You know, I mean, good. It's kind of good on the Jets. Good for them if they don't have them in their future plans anyway.
• 49:24
  And then good for down. Let me stop you right there. Quick. Why would you when you have Breeze Hall is an absolute monster?
• 49:30
  And the only reason why they even brought in Dalvin or wanted to is because you there was uncertainty there. Right. With Breeze Hall coming off the injury.
• 49:38
  I mean, it makes sense to kind of bring in some insurance. Well, I would say Breeze Hall is fully recovered from that.
• 49:45
  You don't say. And is completely good to go. So, I mean, it's just nice to see a team doing something nice for Dalvin, you know, kind of.
• 49:54
  Now, as far as where he would go, you know, I know we kind of were talking a little bit ago.
• 50:00
  You mentioned the Bills could be a reunion with with James Cook or Baltimore.
• 50:05
  That would be scary. I think I think that's the best fit. I think I think Baltimore would be a better fit because he would start because J.K.
• 50:13
  Dobbins is still down and J.K.'s out for the year. He has. Oh, that's what he has Achilles.
• 50:18
  Tony Achilles. That's what I thought. Yeah, I swear we got Gus Edwards and what's 14 Justice Hill.
• 50:24
  They've been kind of taken on the role because Keaton Mitchell, he was a promising rookie.
• 50:28
  Also got he popped something he's done for the year. The Ravens should absolutely go.
• 50:32
  So I do think that it's such a good fit for that team.
• 50:35
  And it reminds me as we kind of spoke earlier as, you know, that last piece that kind of puts you over the top like an Odell Beckham Jr.
• 50:42
  on the Rams a number of years ago. Right. Yeah, right. Right. I do.
• 50:48
  That might be it. That might be a thing because hold on here.
• 50:52
  Let me just what did they have? I mean, they still had 160 yards rushing, but that was spread out.
• 50:59
  I mean, Gus Edwards was their top rusher at 68 yards this past weekend.
• 51:02
  So I mean, you add a Dalvin to that who still is an explosive player in my opinion.
• 51:08
  It just wasn't working out in New York. Not a lot of opportunity to.
• 51:12
  I mean, if you're the Jets, who are you going to give the ball to?
• 51:14
  You're promising young stud or in quotations, I'm not going to say it.
• 51:18
  Washed running back. He's not a wash.
• 51:20
  I don't find him as a wash running back. But running backs.
• 51:24
  Short shelf life, I guess. Short shelf life. That's a better lifespan.
• 51:28
  Geez. Shelf life. That's a way better term.
• 51:31
  But their shelf life is way shorter than most positions.
• 51:36
  I can also see a team like the Texans making a run at him.
• 51:40
  I mean, if your Dalvin doesn't matter, as long as they're contending and going to the playoffs.
• 51:46
  That's the thing. That's also if you're Dalvin.
• 51:48
  So let's say you got these offers on the table.
• 51:50
  You got the Bills, the Ravens, the Texans.
• 51:52
  Let's throw an NFC team in there who's at potential need for a running back and even the Cowboys.
• 51:57
  The Cowboys would be kind of cowboys. So like of those teams, who are the most promising?
• 52:01
  Who are the most? I don't think starting matters to him at this point, just because he's
• 52:05
  it's a week 18 of the year. You already have your starter in place.
• 52:08
  At least for the play. Well, maybe. I think if he I think if he went to like Baltimore,
• 52:12
  I don't think he would start yet. He would be a big piece of it.
• 52:15
  But I mean, eventually maybe. But it's a lot to learn in a short amount of time.
• 52:19
  That's just it. And an NFL playoffs are so I'm sorry, NFL offenses and defense.
• 52:25
  But offenses are so complex like their play calls are just like I saw like some short the other day of
• 52:32
  Peyton Manning talking about a play. It's funny. The meme said it was like
• 52:37
  your average white girl ordering coffee at Starbucks or whatever.
• 52:42
  And it was Peyton just rattling off a play. But the play took him like 15 seconds to say the whole thing.
• 52:46
  Yeah, it's crazy. And I was just like, dude, like, imagine that coming in as a new player.
• 52:51
  And you got to learn all that. Yeah. Yeah. So.
• 52:54
  So but let's say those those five teams, right? I think there's only I mean, the Cowboys do make sense.
• 53:00
  But you get this Cowboys perspective and Dalvin's perspective.
• 53:03
  You have a Tony Pollard who are very, very, very similar running back.
• 53:07
  But I would if I'm the Dallas, I'm happily giving Pollard a quick breather and putting Dalvin back there.
• 53:12
  I'm sure. Well, no, I'm not saying that from Dallas's perspective, from Dalvin's perspective,
• 53:17
  in terms of like if you do want to get playing time.
• 53:20
  So it's like you were a team like the Ravens, for example.
• 53:23
  So you're saying that where would he get the most playing time?
• 53:25
  No, just what's the most enticing to him.
• 53:28
  Right. So playing time, I think, is going to factor into it a little bit here.
• 53:31
  But I mean, after last week in Baltimore. But in my opinion, there's only two teams that would entice him.
• 53:35
  You have the Ravens because they're a powerhouse right now and you would get a lot of touches.
• 53:39
  And you have the Bills because you get to play with your younger brother. Right.
• 53:42
  So if you want playing time, I could see Houston.
• 53:45
  Well, I just think you're saying in a done he would.
• 53:49
  That would make sense after week 18 if the Texans win. Right.
• 53:53
  I don't see him signing with them like this.
• 53:55
  Do you see him signing with anybody this week? No, I think he's going to wait until the playoffs.
• 54:00
  See how the season unfolds. Somebody could get injured this weekend, too.
• 54:03
  We don't know. Yeah. So.
• 54:05
  But it's an interesting move. And like you said, I mean, props to the Jets.
• 54:08
  I think it's a cool move. Cool. A cool move.
• 54:11
  All right. I'm going to throw a curveball at you.
• 54:12
  Didn't have this written down, but we do got to talk about it.
• 54:14
  We got Denver. What are they doing with Russell Wilson, man?
• 54:19
  So I guess and I think that was technically I think
• 54:23
  the NFLPA came out and said it was actually against whatever their contract or whatever it may be.
• 54:29
  So allegedly, the Denver requested Russell Wilson to either take a pay cut or he's going to be benched.
• 54:36
  And like he didn't start this weekend.
• 54:39
  So the NFLPA came out and was just like, you can't really do that, though.
• 54:43
  Yeah. But I mean, if you look at the you get really in depth with the lawyer talk, like the team didn't come out
• 54:48
  and explicitly say that they were going to either take a pay cut or bench him.
• 54:51
  Now, that was said behind closed doors.
• 54:53
  But if they just bench him without saying that, that's perfectly OK.
• 54:56
  You can do whatever you want.
• 54:57
  So that's the thing is you're investing in your few seeing what you got to see.
• 55:00
  You're eliminated from the playoffs, you're seeing what you got.
• 55:02
  So the team is going to get away with it. There's no question about it.
• 55:04
  Like the NFLPA can have as big a stink as they want.
• 55:07
  It's it's bull crap, in my opinion, that it happens, especially when you look at why the reason is so you don't get injured.
• 55:13
  So then like there's so much money guaranteed and the whole it's just a big fiasco right now that you just really hate seeing.
• 55:18
  Is this his last year now under contract there?
• 55:21
  I want to say yes. Two more years after more years.
• 55:23
  Do you think he starts in Denver next season?
• 55:25
  No, he's going to get released and they're going to eat a whole lot of caps.
• 55:28
  They're going to have to eat it. They're going to eat. Yeah.
• 55:30
  It's an outstanding amount. I forgot the exact number.
• 55:32
  I could look it up quick, but I want to move on.
• 55:34
  It's a it's just doesn't even I think it's like 50 some million.
• 55:38
  But that might just be like it's in guarantees, though.
• 55:40
  So it's like whatever is left in the guarantees and there's like an injury thing post June 6, pre June 6 designation.
• 55:45
  Right. All that's too much. I could look it up.
• 55:48
  But like I said, I kind of want to move on.
• 55:50
  We'll touch on that more as it unfolds.
• 55:52
  And then, you know, we're going to wrap up the news this week with our annual our weekly Rogers watch, which there is none.
• 55:59
  He's looking forward to next year.
• 56:01
  We're getting into my favorite segment of the week.
• 56:05
  Smelty, what's your bonehead move of the week?
• 56:08
  Well, for the first time since starting old bonehead here, we have a repeat bonehead.
• 56:16
  A repeat bonehead. We have a repeat bonehead and it's not an NFL player.
• 56:21
  Oh, boy. We have David Tepper making an appearance again.
• 56:26
  The owner of the Carolina Panthers. What do you do this time, Smelty?
• 56:30
  Well, allegedly, and I'm going to say allegedly, but there's plenty of video out there.
• 56:35
  You have all probably seen it already.
• 56:39
  I don't know if fans were chirping them, probably talking smack.
• 56:42
  You know, it is what it is. Right.
• 56:44
  NFL. Well, our billionaire, one of the NFL's richest owners decides he's going to toss a drink on the fan and then just walk out of his box and dip out and leave whatever gone about his day because got a lot of money.
• 56:58
  Well, they came out and find him.
• 57:00
  300K. I think that says that kind of removes the allegations in this one.
• 57:06
  No doubt. But like at first, the NFL didn't say nothing.
• 57:09
  And I was it's funny because to me it's because he's such a higher up.
• 57:13
  I mean, other than Jerry Jones, he's one of the most most rich NFL owners out there.
• 57:18
  Is he the richest? No, he's the second richest behind the Walton family who just bought the Broncos.
• 57:22
  Oh, yeah. Yeah. And they own Walmart. Yeah.
• 57:25
  OK, that's what I thought. OK. So that dude. I mean, what would be if you were in Tepper's position?
• 57:32
  So you wouldn't be sitting across from me, that's for sure.
• 57:34
  But if you're in if you're in Tepper's position, I mean.
• 57:38
  What would be said to you to make you want to throw a drink on a fan knowing dang well that something's going to come your way and obviously 300K to him is it's pocket change.
• 57:46
  You know, he'd probably wipes his urine with 300K.
• 57:49
  But you know what I mean? What's nice, though, is that like the NFL donates like the fines to a certain charity or something.
• 57:54
  Is that all fines to player fines to? Yeah, it's all the fines.
• 57:57
  I mean, I guess I don't know for sure, but I would only assume it's the same.
• 58:00
  It's whatever fine issue issued by the NFL. But what an absolute idiot, man.
• 58:05
  Like, bonehead, what a bonehead. You're you're a billionaire.
• 58:08
  Bonehead is a better word for it. You're a billionaire.
• 58:12
  And you toss your drink on somebody like what could they possibly say to get under your skin when you know your team's trash?
• 58:17
  You've already locked up the number one seed that you don't get because you draft it up and you got Bryce Young, who may be your future, may not.
• 58:23
  You got to make a lot of decisions in the front office this coming season.
• 58:26
  But what are you doing, man? Like you just simply can't do that.
• 58:31
  You got to hold yourself. You got to have more control over yourself.
• 58:35
  Like when you're in that position and that, you know, that limelight, like you got to be able to control yourself a little more.
• 58:42
  Like, that's what I mean. Like, what could they have possibly said?
• 58:45
  And it's probably going to be once it eventually comes out, I'm sure it eventually will.
• 58:49
  And everybody will be like, oh, he said this. But it can't be nothing too crazy.
• 58:54
  No. And I think you should sell your f'ing team or, you know, you know, I mean, like some even that, bro, like you can't tell me you've gotten in the position you're in in your life and you haven't heard worse from people by being offended by something that they could have said.
• 59:07
  I know. I mean, like go to Philly, bro. Like he's oh, he would have fit right in.
• 59:11
  Except a Philly fan would have hopped right in that box and chased his rear end down through the through the box and got in trouble. And he got, but you're in or you're in Carolina.
• 59:21
  You don't got an angry. You go to Philly. You're going to get like that times 100,000. Yeah.
• 59:27
  What are you going to do to them? Right. So I just I just I won't really want to know what he said or she.
• 59:35
  I don't I don't remember who, whatever. No matter. But I I'm just curious what was said, because obviously he's frustrated. I mean, I'd be frustrated, too.
• 59:42
  But like, you know, Mr. I'm so patient, but really, he's not patient with anything getting frustrated that his team's not succeeding.
• 59:49
  Hmm. Weird. You know. Yeah. So I don't know. He's an absolute bonehead. I feel like this isn't this is the second and certainly not the last we'll hear from him.
• 59:57
  Dude, he might be a perennial bonehead. We should start a we should start a list. We should we should make bonehead of the year.
• 1:00:05
  Bonehead of the running, probably. That would be nice. Have a little. Yeah. Have a little NFL season recap.
• 1:00:11
  We'll have a bonehead award. We'll have a bonehead of the year. V.P. I love the idea. Doesn't work. Whatever. But, you know,
• 1:00:20
  I love the ideas. And like I said, he'll be he'll be he's a repeat offender, repeat bonehead and we'll probably see him again.
• 1:00:27
  To move on. Week 18 is in our near sight.
• 1:00:33
  Melty regular season coming to an end. And boy, oh boy, do we have a slate ahead of us.
• 1:00:40
  We had narrow it down here. We had we had about seven or eight games we could have picked here to get us down to five.
• 1:00:45
  We had to narrowly squeak out Falcon Saints. Is this is this also the first week 18?
• 1:00:51
  This is the no last year. Oh, OK. I did go last year. OK. My bad. Not to steal your thunder. No, you're good, brother.
• 1:00:57
  You're good. But we have week 18. We have we're going to start us off here.
• 1:01:02
  The dog bears are traveling up the Lambo taking on my Packers. Packers are a three point favorite.
• 1:01:08
  And if we win, we're in. I love it, Smelsey. I love it, brother.
• 1:01:15
  I came into the season being happy with six or seven wins, expecting.
• 1:01:19
  Well, I said we're going to we're going to be in that six to nine range.
• 1:01:22
  You know, I would have been happy with seven. I'm happy with eight.
• 1:01:25
  But nine would look a whole lot better in a playoff appearance.
• 1:01:28
  I got my Packers covering that three points. It's Packers all in this week, brother.
• 1:01:32
  Yeah, I'm taking the Packers, too. They just have way too much to play for this week.
• 1:01:36
  And they're going to be feeling themselves.
• 1:01:38
  And if the same Jordan Love shows up this week as last week in front of the home crowd, that's going to be ready to support them.
• 1:01:45
  I mean, I don't I don't see the Bears having a shot at this game and Packers should win and move on to the playoffs.
• 1:01:52
  Now, the Bears have looked real good the last three weeks.
• 1:01:55
  But and it just this gives me nightmares of last year needing to win win week 18, you know,
• 1:02:00
  beating the Lions and going to the playoffs and the Lions won that game.
• 1:02:03
  So it's it's now the Lions had something to play for. They could still get in the playoffs last year.
• 1:02:07
  They ended up not because of some Seattle winning.
• 1:02:09
  But but if the Bears don't have anything to play for, hey, but they do have to.
• 1:02:13
  But what they do have to play for is spoiler for the Packers playoffs, which they absolutely want to do.
• 1:02:19
  That might mean more than a playoff win. It could be.
• 1:02:22
  It could be. I mean, you ain't going to the playoffs.
• 1:02:24
  So next best thing, ruin the Packers.
• 1:02:26
  And they've already solidified the first overall pick with the Panthers because they're going to come out and play, dude.
• 1:02:32
  Justin Fields is fight Judd Sussman Fields is fighting for his permanent spot.
• 1:02:36
  And Matt Eberfluss is fighting for his job.
• 1:02:38
  So, you know, there is some implications, but my Packers are going to handle it.
• 1:02:43
  They're going to handle it, brother. I'm all in.
• 1:02:46
  That moves on. Do you hear Vikings taking on the Lions?
• 1:02:48
  Lions are three point favorite. This game means nothing.
• 1:02:51
  No, it means nothing. Now, I know we were touching on it earlier.
• 1:02:55
  Can the Lions move up at all? No, no matter what happens.
• 1:02:59
  Well, I mean, they could go from the second. They could get to the second seed.
• 1:03:02
  They lost to Dallas, but they're tied right now, though.
• 1:03:05
  So if Dallas loses and the Eagles lose and the Lions win, they could get the next.
• 1:03:09
  They could get the number two seed. Is it likely? No.
• 1:03:12
  But knowing Dan Campbell, though, I don't think he's going to sit nobody.
• 1:03:15
  I don't. That's just not a move. This is that not what he does.
• 1:03:18
  So if he does sit somebody that better bites from kneecaps on the way down, to be honest.
• 1:03:23
  I'm going with the Lions. That hurts my soul.
• 1:03:26
  But again, the Vikings also have nothing to play for other than to lose,
• 1:03:30
  to move up in the draft, which they should absolutely do at this point.
• 1:03:33
  Who's playing quarterback for you this week? They still don't know.
• 1:03:36
  Oh, they still don't know. That's what I mean. So we'll find out.
• 1:03:39
  My guess, my wild guess is Josh Dobbs because he's the last quarterback
• 1:03:44
  to win this season for the Vikings. But we'll see. I don't think it'll matter.
• 1:03:48
  You're not eliminated from the playoffs. You need a whole lot of help.
• 1:03:51
  I don't even know the math for it, but you could get in.
• 1:03:54
  We need slightly less help than the Falcons. But yeah, we need a lot of help.
• 1:03:57
  A lot of help. A lot of help. A lot of help.
• 1:03:59
  I got the Lions in this one, too. I just don't see Dan Campbell rest in these guys.
• 1:04:02
  I think he needs to keep rhythm, especially with how golf has looked
• 1:04:05
  the last couple of weeks. He might want to get that rhythm back against his Vikings defense
• 1:04:08
  that J. Love just torched last week. So I just I think the Lions come out
• 1:04:12
  ready for this one and they're geared up for the playoffs.
• 1:04:16
  That takes us to the AFC North. We have the Steelers taking on the Ravens.
• 1:04:20
  The Ravens are actually coming into this game as an underdog. Three and a half points.
• 1:04:24
  And that's, you know, because they're going to probably going to rest everybody.
• 1:04:27
  And that should tell you all you need to know.
• 1:04:29
  You know what I mean? As much as I obviously want to take the Ravens here,
• 1:04:32
  there's no way I'm going to do it. I'm taking the Steelers.
• 1:04:35
  The Steelers have a lot to play for. The Ravens are a lock for a first round buy.
• 1:04:39
  So I just I I just don't think the Ravens are going to do much, you know, with this weekend.
• 1:04:44
  I think they're going to put their feet up a little bit and relax
• 1:04:47
  the complete opposite approach of Dan Campbell's Lions and just kind of like, hey,
• 1:04:52
  we got a couple of weeks before we even play whoever in the playoffs.
• 1:04:56
  I don't think it'll matter. But so I think the Steelers come out hard
• 1:04:59
  and really, really fight to make that those last two wild card spots really interesting.
• 1:05:04
  They're still in their play. Again, the math in the AFC is just impossible
• 1:05:08
  to try to explain on a podcast. You'd have to be not going to happen.
• 1:05:11
  You need a whiteboard. Yeah, it's crazy. But the Steelers, I mean, they win.
• 1:05:15
  They're not in automatically, but there's a there's a fighting chance
• 1:05:18
  they could still make a playoff spot. The Ravens are going to rest everybody.
• 1:05:21
  But I think the Ravens are still going to win this game.
• 1:05:23
  They even Tyler Huntley, I take over, like Rudolph. Yeah.
• 1:05:26
  And, you know, Masons look good. That's the offense has looked good the last two weeks.
• 1:05:29
  Which surprises the heck out of me.
• 1:05:31
  He's coming out and he's having himself a couple of weeks.
• 1:05:34
  But still, I just I just don't see it. It's it's it's AFC North.
• 1:05:37
  The Ravens are going to come out to play even if it's their backup, just because it is the AFC North.
• 1:05:41
  They're at home. So I think the Ravens actually win this game.
• 1:05:44
  I don't even need the points that takes us to the AFC South.
• 1:05:47
  I got nothing. The Texans taking on the Colts, traveling up to Indianapolis.
• 1:05:52
  Texans coming in as a one and a half point favorite in this game.
• 1:05:56
  Whoever wins this game is in the playoffs.
• 1:05:59
  There's a chance they could win the division, depending on if the Jaguars beat the Titans.
• 1:06:03
  We're just going to assume they're going to.
• 1:06:05
  But whoever wins this game is in the playoffs. So I got the Colts winning.
• 1:06:09
  It's in Indy. Gardner just needs to just take take a little step back, let that run game kind of develop.
• 1:06:15
  If Zach Moss goes, I like this even more. He's questionable right now.
• 1:06:19
  Jonathan Taylor hasn't really looked like himself, but that Texans defense hasn't really been great.
• 1:06:24
  And CJ just hasn't really looked like himself before until after the concussion.
• 1:06:30
  Sure, sure. I'm going to go ahead and hope that CJ is 100 percent fully back,
• 1:06:36
  ready to go this weekend, because I would agree with you, he hasn't quite looked just as sharp, you know,
• 1:06:42
  since the concussion. But, you know, at Indy is tough and that place is going to be rocking for sure.
• 1:06:48
  With a chance to go to the playoffs without A.R.
• 1:06:51
  They're going to show out for sure. But I just I think the Texans will do enough good things to squeak by.
• 1:06:57
  All right, we finally have some some little bit of disparity with the last two picks.
• 1:07:01
  That ends with the game of the week, the Sunday night finale, the last game of the regular season.
• 1:07:08
  AFC East title up for grabs. If the Bills win, they win the division they're in.
• 1:07:13
  If they lose, they could miss the playoffs entirely.
• 1:07:17
  Dolphins coming in as a three point underdog.
• 1:07:20
  The Bills are rocking. Dolphins are looking shaky after that that last week against the Ravens.
• 1:07:25
  What are you thinking? Dude, Bills are hot. Bills are red hot. I'm going Bills all the way.
• 1:07:30
  I think they're really showing their playoff selves the last couple of weeks and I think they're ready to go.
• 1:07:36
  I would not want to see like we already talked about.
• 1:07:38
  I don't think you want to see the Bills in the playoffs right now.
• 1:07:41
  Doesn't matter if you home or not. That's what I mean. They're playing in Miami.
• 1:07:45
  I don't think that matters to me this week.
• 1:07:47
  I think the Bills are focused on what they have to do this weekend.
• 1:07:50
  I 100 percent agree with you.
• 1:07:52
  The Bills were the first team to hand the Dolphins a loss this year.
• 1:07:55
  That was overseas. But this Bills team is just red hot.
• 1:07:58
  Their defense is buzzing right now. Bradley Chubb going down really hurts that pass rush.
• 1:08:02
  And you need to get pressure on Allen. You need to make him escape and make those bad decisions.
• 1:08:06
  And I don't know if the Dolphins kind of have that without Chubb on the field.
• 1:08:10
  And like to be honest, like after last week, I think the Dolphins got their tail between their fins.
• 1:08:15
  To be honest with you, like, I see what I did there. Yes, sir.
• 1:08:19
  I was going to try to keep a straight face, but you lost it. I love it.
• 1:08:22
  But anyway, but to be honest, I think he's still gone.
• 1:08:26
  He's still laughing, folks.
• 1:08:28
  But to be honest, like I'm concerned the way the Dolphins looked heading into the playoffs, like backing in.
• 1:08:34
  Like, obviously, they've had a playoff spot clinched for a bit, but now they're kind of backing in.
• 1:08:38
  And if they lose again, that loss against Baltimore was ugly.
• 1:08:42
  If they lose against the Bills and then lose the division because of it.
• 1:08:46
  Who would have thought that the division could be up for grabs at this point with the way the Bills looked and the way the Dolphins looked?
• 1:08:51
  And that's why Mike McDaniel said a few weeks ago, somebody was like,
• 1:08:54
  something about like, how do you feel about being the number one seed in the AFC?
• 1:08:59
  And he was like, dude, I'm trying to win the division.
• 1:09:01
  And now you see it now is coming down to it. Last game in the season.
• 1:09:04
  What a game to end the year. No doubt. I can't wait. What a game.
• 1:09:08
  That'll be fun. Well, as always, everybody like, comment, subscribe.
• 1:09:12
  We need all the support we can get. We'll see you next week.