Latest / The MMQB NFL Podcast / The Mike Tomlin Era In Pittsburgh Looks Shaky & Cowboys Prevail Again

Transcript

The Mike Tomlin Era In Pittsburgh Looks Shaky & Cowboys Prevail Again · The MMQB NFL Podcast

• 0:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hello, welcome to MMTV NFL podcast.
• 0:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Conor that's out of fear now, but Got a little bit of a surprise announcement for this me my last MMTV podcast, but I want to finish out the season while also doing the other one That I just got hired to do is that okay with you?
• 0:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Commissioner.
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, so this is your last one and you're done Okay, I'm just laying my is my sweatshirt okay here.
• 0:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is like all right, do I look at all right?
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just laying kiffin around.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just kidding.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was like that was that was a fun Sunday I mean, it's kind of a blast Sunday of NFL action.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little distracted by like
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: that garment like thing that they put out in the street you guys see that like what you're talking about is that old miss basically like throughout a garment rack a garment rack I was looking for the right answer for that's close on it when he decided to go to LSU yeah
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, and like the people waiting at the airport and like I don't know if he saw like the Charlie wise chair video, but it was like, they were like trying to identify who it was getting out of the out of the escalate and they were like, you hear the whispering, like as everybody was shooting it with their phones, like outside the airport is that Charlie is that Charlie?
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is that Charlie?
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've never seen it like it's unbelievable, you know what I mean, like I don't know, but somebody Smith from ESPN got the interview with Lane like I think had to like drive up a fire road on like a Some sort of look like it looked like one of those airport access roads, didn't it?
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it was like an, like an, it would have to have been like an all-terrain vehicle to get to like it before he got on the airplane and like
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't blame a man though like if you're in that situation I've been in that situation where you're like the stake out guy and like you become very territorial about the story when you're covering it that way Because it's your story at that point you don't want to get beat on anything so like I I'm all four Marty Smith if he had to get to an ATV and like Drive over huh sounds fun and drive over levies to get there.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whatever.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would not blame him
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: for one second.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Good on Marty for getting the interview before laying gut on the plane.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a very satisfying thing knowing at the end of covering a story like that that year the one who got him.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was like someone told me this story the other day.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember when the whole Barry bonds thing happened and all the reporters were in the court room.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: and some reporter on his way to the bathroom figured out that there was a vent that if you stood on top of a table or something and you put your ear to the vent went straight into the grand jury room and he was just sitting there just like filling up his notebook and everyone's like how the hell is this guy getting all this shit you know and but you write like when you're in that environment and it's sort of like this
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: hamster hyper competitive.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, yeah, you got to do what you got to do.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I, I had a lot of memories watching Marty Smith of being on street corners in New York and Minnesota and DC covering the lockout and what that was like and being the guy who, you know, when like a lot of other NFL reporters were sort of on like on like an unofficial vacation because the league was locked out.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was, uh,
• 3:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was very much in that, and it was me in rich eyes in day-to-day, Michigan along, by the way.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, like day-to-day, like Rich was in the studio, and I was on the street, and we were... We were covering that thing, and it's 100% the truth.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: when you are in that situation you do not want to let anyone else have a piece of your stats your story you know what I mean like and it's gutting when somebody else gets something that you don't have because you are there so 100% like you know if you're a Marty Smith in that situation you're going to be hyper competitive about it and damn straight you're going to figure out like how you get to Lane Kiffin and how you get a microphone in his face before
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, just the story, just ridiculous all the way around.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, have you heard the thing about his dog now?
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: No.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, this dog's name is Juice, right?
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, this dog's name is Juice Kiffin.
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, there was an LSU account, I think this was yesterday that tweeted, like something like, you know, kind of celebrating about getting landing lane.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was, it was something along the lines of like even better, you know, we get Juice Kiffin's coming as part of the deal.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then like a couple old misaccounts responded.
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, sorry, dude, that dog has never lived with Lane.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: He lives with his handler.
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I guess they're sort of their alleging that the dog juice was basically just part of what Lane's image maker makeover and was never actually his dog.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Wow.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: The dog has like a Twitter account, everything.
• 5:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Wow, yeah, and then there's there's a lot more Slicious things floating around on the internet to Screenshots of DMs and stuff like that from college.
• 5:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I just a lot of stuff that if you want to find it You can find it.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I promise you This is gonna be a way to show where I just sort of drift and you're just gonna know that I'm I'm leading reading Lane Kiffin DMs
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I want to call it football coach Albert is is not the best guy in the world imagine that you're kidding me Wow, I mean, I just had this thought yesterday though, and I tweeted it and you might have seen it But I said on one hand Calls football really needs to get it shipped together
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: now on the other hand, I never wanted to change like this is unbelievable, you know, like, I mean, just the drama and the flight of what did you had?
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Did you see there was actually yesterday?
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was like, I think it was audio from the air traffic control tower in
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: of like the plain landing.
• 6:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Somebody's somehow got a hold of the audio of the LSU plain landing.
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And like the pilot said go tigers and then the air traffic control tower said,
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ole Miss is like, like, you kind of got a good coach at the right time and he built your program up and like you can't.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: LSU just can't compete with those resources and and everything like that.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so it's a lot of you compete.
• 7:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's just sort of like the anger sort of strange and misplaced.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what, you know, I can I can empathize with them because that is gutting, you know what I mean?
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I, like, look, I'm obviously very passionate about my own modern football team and it's the one thing that I really root for and I live and die with and it's the one thing that you know, in sports now can put me in a bad mood, you know, for days after if things don't go my way and like so I get it, like that's got to be so gutting that
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: This guy gets you to 11 in one, you're having the best season in the history of your program, or at least since like Archie Manning was there, right?
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like 50 years ago, you're having the best year you've ever had, all that different stuff.
• 8:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And before you can get into the playoff, another school from your conference, that's got seven fewer wins than you swoops
• 8:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean it's like it's kind of like it's the most humbling thing that can possibly happen it sucks.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like that sucks.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, so, and the calendar's so messed up.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just, like this is all Mark Amherett's fault.
• 8:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Anybody doesn't know that name can look it up.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the NCAA president who had a chance to get in front of all of this and instead, decided to keep caching checks because it was the easy thing to do.
• 8:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then when the NIL legislation passed, where was it five years ago, four years ago,
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: basically walked out of a house that was catching fire, you know, and there was it was obvious that we were eventually going to come to this sort of conclusion, like even like 20, 25 years ago, like you knew the way college football was set up could not work going forward.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the fact that nobody thought to get ahead of it or nobody had the balls to get ahead of it, I think is
• 9:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: is why we're here, why why why why why we are where we are.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that doesn't excuse length of infections, but but I think it does explain them.
• 9:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got a big day, I can't spend all day in Lincoln, Kiffin's DM's here, even though I wish I could.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: It sounds like a magical place.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure he was just giving those young college girls some life advice at the end of the day, but you know, because everybody needs a mentor, but kind of, so starting on Thanksgiving and then through Black Friday and then through the weekend, Albert, thanksgiving gave us by far the best slate of games.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, and then I would say it was kind of a sliding scale through Sunday, but there were kind of some moments of consequence and and I want to view this show is a little bit more of a recap, um, last like a game by game recap and more of like a reset because.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: you know at this point we are looking at the remainder of the season there's a couple weeks left but i think a lot can change um i think that the afc south could probably change hands a couple times we we still got to figure out what the hell the chiefs are going to do to get into the playoffs i still think that they're going to somehow back their way into the playoffs but
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: want to start with Pittsburgh and Buffalo because I do think that there's some some kind of shockwave potential ramifications here, okay?
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bills blew out the Steelers on Sunday, and it was one of those games that it was very typical of Pittsburgh at this point.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: started out with a halftime lead nine out of twelve games this year Albert the Steelers have led at halftime but um they're what six and six at this point and so I think they're running out of gas I don't think they're adjusting well halftime I think that's obvious for anyone to see but what was surprising to me is too full you had the fan base booing uh renegade
• 11:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, which has never happened before, according to, you know, some of the Steelers reporters that were there.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: You had a fire Tomlin chant, and all around the same time this is happening, you give up a run to James Cook that sets the, uh,
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm calling it Heinz Field, stadium record for rushing yards allowed in that stadium.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so, I'm sorry, the Lane Kiffin Marty Smith interview just came out.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's amazing.
• 11:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Isn't there's a state police cruiser over like Marty's behind like right behind Marty's like right shoulder.
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't matter.
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Gotta get in, man.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You get a police ass court and like it's right at like the gate of a bar by her friend.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go ahead, keep on starting.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: But all of that stuff taken together.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would say forms like, if you decide to make a coaching change Albert, it's never because of one thing.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: However, there is usually one moment that you serve on the platter and then everything else is kind of underneath it.
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Since you, this team hasn't made it to the divisional round of the playoffs since 2018.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I was there when was 16 right or yeah, I think the last playoff when was 16.
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last five years in particular, I think only one year.
• 12:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: where they were even close to a top 10 team in terms of explosive plays on offense, defense the right around 15, always, right, right around 15.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's not
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't go out and say the standard is the standard when the standard is like, you know, you finish in the middle of the pack right every year.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you continually play yourself out of competition for quarterbacks for other guys that can actually help you build this roster.
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I don't know if this is talent and assistance on running things this way Albert or what the deal is here.
• 13:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think it's private theory on it.
• 13:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: But do you think it's time to have a conversation about it?
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's going to be a natural breaking point which comes with the divorce from the current core of players, which is going to happen soon because of age.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no, that's not a shot at anybody.
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's just, like, all you have to do is look at the, look at the birth dates of these guys.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, and where, and how that team's built, and TJ Walk goes out late in that game, and that seems to happen a lot lately, right?
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Your best players are in their thirties, you know, what and Ramsey and Rogers and You know, DK Meckham I think it's an older 28-year-old.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've said that a few times various plays a guy that you've relied on a corner And so is it any Coincidence that that's the sort of team you have that weases down the stretch of these games probably not right?
• 13:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Especially this deep into the year and so like
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I, I applauded them for going in acquiring Rogers and the reason why is because they had this group of players.
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they were sort of stuck in the middle where they didn't have to answer a quarterback.
• 14:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was like, okay, like, it's either, we make one last run at it and go and get a big time quarterback and see where that leaves us.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Or it's time to rebuild.
• 14:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think taking the swing with Rogers and looking acquired on Stafford II when Stafford
• 14:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, to me, I think is an acknowledgement of where you are, which is, like, we want to give these guys a shot.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's great.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they gave it a shot.
• 14:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't look like it's going to work out.
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's not over yet.
• 14:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll see, but when you decide to move on from that group.
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when you start deconstructing that group.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when you start to look at, like, okay, like, how many players in this roster are going to be around a few years from now?
• 14:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: How many guys are you really coming up with, right?
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I look at it, like,
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think they've got a good young offensive line, right?
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think you look at the offensive line, mean your choice of tonos, your Zack phraseers.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think you've got some pieces there.
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, friomoth isn't the prime miscarriage, so he'll be around a while, Joey Porter is a big unclear, but there aren't a lot of them.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 15:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just a lot of guys you look at, say, yeah, that guy's going to be here in three years.
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right.
• 15:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so like that means there's a pretty significant rebuild coming.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that I think becomes the natural point where everybody asks the question, do we want to move forward with this?
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the answer is probably no, right?
• 15:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I hate to say that because I, and I don't think it's like the mic can't coach anymore.
• 15:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I just think it's more in the reading filly at the end.
• 15:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And people forget how Andy was looked at the end.
• 15:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: People thought that the game had passed Andy B.
• 15:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: B. I, which sounds absurd now.
• 15:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like an 11 and 12.
• 15:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was kind of seen as a dinosaur.
• 15:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, the 11 dream team season doesn't work.
• 16:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the whole thing comes on Dunn in 2012.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, I think like obviously both sides wound up coming out of that divorce about as clean as you could possibly come, come out like that, right?
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean both ones super bulls.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hell, multiple super bulls.
• 16:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I don't know, man, like I just look at this as like when you when you do decide that you're going to do the reset when you do decide that it's time, like that's
• 16:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: you have to ask is Mike Tom when the person we want to lead this lead in this rebuild.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mike Tomman's got to ask himself do I want to be a part of a rebuild that might take a few years where there is no certainty because we don't have any sort of clarity the quarterback position once Aaron Rogers has gone, you know.
• 16:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I, I don't know.
• 16:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, like it just feels like this is like an old team that's going to need to be deconstructed in a very significant way.
• 16:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So two things.
• 16:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, I wonder if you give that core of Steelers players.
• 17:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, I don't know if Cam,
• 17:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hayward would stick around, but, you know, TJ Watt and Heismith, and Heismith's only 28, I think, but, you know, that, that core of players, would you give them almost that Matt LaFluer opportunity where, remember, Matt LaFluer took over from Mike McCarthy, and it was like David Bhaktiari and Clay Matthews, and, you know, it was, and I think they shipped Clay Matthews to the Rams,
• 17:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: That year was actually ever played, but it was that team.
• 17:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know what I mean?
• 17:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was like, it was a lot of older guys, Belaga and all those guys that were with Rogers and kind of entrenched with McCarthy.
• 17:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they gave that one quick look under La Flore.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I ask you that to say this.
• 17:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike Tomlin's contract runs through the 2027 season.
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: OK. And you have a lot of teams that
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: have already fired their coaches and are in complete and total disarray.
• 18:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're the Steelers, you could get something back to the Homeland right now.
• 18:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know what I mean?
• 18:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know why more teams don't go down.
• 18:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
• 18:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: To be honest with you.
• 18:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And look at this.
• 18:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there was eight coaching trades since 1997.
• 18:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think six of those coaches went to a super
• 18:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: five or six, right?
• 18:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cause there was Grootin, Mike Holmgren, what took the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
• 18:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Grootin took the bucks to the Super Bowl.
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bill Bellachick took the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
• 18:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have, what did the Giants make sense?
• 18:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like.
• 18:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
• 18:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right?
• 18:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I don't know.
• 18:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: That one's interesting for me because they have a lot of big personalities with their young poor.
• 18:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right?
• 18:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they're that far off.
• 18:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've got a lot of big personalities in a young core.
• 18:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: What's my Tom on special D is handling guys like that.
• 18:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you have guys like Moli Knabers and Addul Carter who you're going to be trying to maximize.
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: You do have a young quarterback in place.
• 19:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
• 19:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: what Mike Tomman personally thinks about Jackson Darb.
• 19:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: But let's say he really likes him.
• 19:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like then you've got a guy now who's going to be on his rookie contract for the next few years.
• 19:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: It'll allow you to build a little bit more aggressively.
• 19:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You got a franchise left tack on Andrew Thomas.
• 19:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: You got a franchise defensive lineman in Dexter Lawrence.
• 19:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I've said the last few years.
• 19:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the giants are far off.
• 19:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I still believe that.
• 19:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, there's obviously a long standing relationship between the Rooney family and the Mara family, so that's something that I would assume could get worked out.
• 19:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You still have questions with Tom one primarily, like who's going to coach the offense, who's going to develop the quarterback, but, um, it doesn't seem like the craziest idea in the world, and if you're talking about somebody who could handle New York,
• 19:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, and who has like that Parselle's type presence, that's Tom one, right?
• 19:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 19:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, and if you like Mike Kafka, just keep them, you know, and say, hey, you're going to stay as the offensive coordinator.
• 20:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: You like you can go out and interview for other jobs, but you can stay here, and you can coach Jackson Dart.
• 20:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he does a good job with Jackson Dart, because that, we're taping this at 930 on Monday morning, December 1st.
• 20:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jackson Dart's going to be back in line up tonight against the Patriots.
• 20:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why not keep Kafka's your head coach or as your own secrets to giants.
• 20:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's that?
• 20:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think we did Nice That I mean, but I do think I do think I do think like there's a benefit to this though like I I look at like Andy read is like kind of the model for it You know what I mean like where Andy was obviously wildly successful for all those years in filly and I think like getting fired gave me the chance to kind of re- it evaluates and things and I think like the reality is he was really evaluating them for a year because
• 20:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you were around that situation, I was around in a lot in 2012, like he was dead, what man walking the whole year, it was almost sad watching it happen, like, you know, but the very aggressive filling media who all had relationships with him, it was almost like, all right, we got to go in and ask him these really tough.
• 21:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Questions again, you know, like it was almost like everybody was resigned to what the conclusion of the story was going to be everyone knew.
• 21:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So my Andy, I think got a chance to kind of evaluate some things and and if you look like and he gets the Kansas city, he seen personnel control, which he had full control when he was in Philly, he brought in John Dorsey to run personnel decided he just wanted to coach.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then not only did he, you know, wind up bringing in a defensive coordinator from the Rex Ryan tree and Sutton, which that worked out for a little while, he also evaluated what he was doing on offense and in hiring the Nevada coach couple was his name.
• 21:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, um, you know, I do.
• 21:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was going to switch your alt because it sounds like that, but obviously it's not true.
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's it's Chris Alt isn't it?
• 21:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Chris Alt Chris.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Chris Alt.
• 21:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that was it.
• 21:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, who was Colin Kaepernick's coach in Nevada.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Chris Alt.
• 22:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it started to incorporate some sprite principles, which eventually wound up leading him to Patrick Holmes.
• 22:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like I think, you know, like that could this could be that point for Tom and where
• 22:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, the Steelers could be better for walking away now and Tom and himself could be better for walking away not to.
• 22:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just a thought, right?
• 22:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think that I don't think it's crazy.
• 22:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it'll get fired to be clear.
• 22:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, no, I don't need that.
• 22:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think this will ever be a firing.
• 22:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like this, like to me, like this is going to be, like, this is going to be done.
• 22:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I, I, that's the term the right way is very cliche, but I do feel like this is going to be done the right way.
• 22:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it never looks the right way either.
• 22:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so, I mean, to be clear, I mean, I covered the end of the Tom Cofflaner, right?
• 22:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: got up there gave his closing remarks and then did a robot turn right past the owner and just got reased past them and didn't shake his hand and walked right into his office, you know, he was pissed and he was just like using that wasn't he still like using the the the facility just going to the front iron at the gym, yeah.
• 23:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, so it's complicated, right?
• 23:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're been macadure.
• 23:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: What that must have felt like to watch.
• 23:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then there's been to the Giant's facility.
• 23:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: The gym is like in this like class in case, right?
• 23:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah.
• 23:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Poor Ben macadure.
• 23:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine like walking by every morning and there's the guy you replaced on the elliptical?
• 23:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Seeing this old guy just beaten you into the facility and just pounded.
• 23:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Tom was like 76 and he was running like wind sprints in the indoor practice facilities crazy.
• 23:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that's what these guys are.
• 23:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think that Mike Tomlin in his mind is like, I've given everything to this place.
• 23:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've done everything I can.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: But sometimes it is, it's just like Andy Reed, you got to just remove him and put him in a different spot.
• 23:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I would guess from Mike Tomlin, there's an attractiveness to that too.
• 23:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, I get like probably a year or two with Dexter Lawrence.
• 24:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get three years with Abdul Carter.
• 24:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get a couple of years with Jackson Dart.
• 24:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then, all right, you're going to throw in the OC and give me a guy who can already call it.
• 24:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's fantastic.
• 24:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I like that.
• 24:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's see what happens.
• 24:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Guys, I have to tell you about cash app.
• 24:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Scammers know the holidays are busy for everyone, which can make us all targets for games.
• 24:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's why cash app builds in protection to help keep your money safe while you're checking off your shopping list.
• 24:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're about to send money to someone for a deal that's too good to be true, and cash app flags it as a potential scam, they'll warn you before you send the money.
• 24:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cashup also gives you an extra layer of protection with features like security lock.
• 24:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can require a pin, a face ID, a fingerprint, all of it to unlock your account and move money.
• 24:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: So even if someone gets a hold of your unlocked phone at a holiday party, your money is right where you left it.
• 24:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Give yourself some peace of mind this holiday season and download cash app.
• 24:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: For a limited time only, new cash app customers can use our exclusive code to earn some additional cash.
• 25:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: For real, just download the cash app, use our exclusive referral code, secure 10 in your profile, send $5 to a friend within 14 days, and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account.
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Terms apply, that's money, that's cash app.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank.
• 25:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Banking services are provided by cash apps, bank partners, pre-paid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, member FDIC, promotions provided by cash app, a block ink brand, visit cash.app slash legal slash podcast for full disclosures.
• 25:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: This game changed what you think about football at all?
• 25:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, because to me, and that's the other part of this.
• 25:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm curious what your thought is on this.
• 25:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've dug deep on the Joe Brady offense multiple times.
• 25:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And what his kind of core philosophy is, he's a make you defend every blade of grass guy.
• 26:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why they went out and set up the personnel the way that they did.
• 26:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's why they go and they line this thing up the way that they do.
• 26:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: But to me, there just seems, and I don't know if this is a Josh Allen thing, which it could be.
• 26:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: But there just doesn't seem to be a harmony between the run game and the past game.
• 26:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like you watch some, you watch the bears.
• 26:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are you watch the 49ers?
• 26:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are you watch the Rams?
• 26:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: And everything flows together.
• 26:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's like, it's very, it's very cohesive.
• 26:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 26:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: all the Steelers players set it after the game yesterday, Albert, right?
• 26:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Buffalo ran two running plays for most of the game, too.
• 26:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they just ran them over and over and they just kept working.
• 26:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the Steelers didn't adjust to them.
• 26:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And even Romo was saying it on the broadcast.
• 26:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're only running two running plays.
• 26:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like does anyone see this?
• 26:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: But so,
• 27:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: they kind of, they hammer some of these teams, but then they revert right back to, you know, how they looked against Miami or how they looked against, you know, some of their more inferior opponents on their schedule where they just look kind of lost.
• 27:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I don't know.
• 27:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, there needs to be
• 27:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't harmonize your run-in-passing game in December.
• 27:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: That doesn't work.
• 27:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't just bring in some way from the Shana hint.
• 27:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Eagles tried that.
• 27:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think in like, didn't they in like an October?
• 27:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: They brought in a bunch of Shana hand guys toward the end of the Doug Peterson era.
• 27:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we're like, let's try to fix this real fist.
• 27:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's a disaster.
• 27:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't do that.
• 27:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have to go and camp.
• 27:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's what I really are doing for.
• 27:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so you're hoping that Josh Allen
• 27:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Glow all through the playoffs now the AFC playoff picture.
• 27:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think is crappy enough Both playoff pictures.
• 27:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you're crappy enough that Josh Allen can just hammer people and continue to Get going and and make it through the playoffs, but I don't have any more confidence.
• 28:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I just want to say you I mean Well, like yesterday wasn't a super human effort from him.
• 28:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was good, you know like right, but like it's not like he had
• 28:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I just feel like a lot of things have to go right for Buffalo now.
• 28:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like to me, it's like, so the run game's got to sustain.
• 28:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: The lights got to stay on for Keyon Coleman.
• 28:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, it's weird because he hasn't played that much, but I do feel like they need more out of their skill group.
• 28:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so Keyon Coleman to me is sort of like a wild card that could really help them if that winds up.
• 28:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 28:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, the light turns on for him.
• 28:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had a big play yesterday.
• 28:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
• 28:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: The media can cade healthy.
• 28:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, and then defensively, I don't know.
• 28:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, like defensively, they were good defensively to me.
• 28:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like defense wasn't the problem against Houston.
• 29:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Defense wasn't a problem yesterday.
• 29:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I, like, yes, the run defense has been an issue over the course of the year.
• 29:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: But
• 29:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like some other young guys like Walker in the middle of the line like I just feel like there are certain things called bishop in the secondary certain things are coming along there where I think the defense is going to be good enough just I can say all these things right and it still feels like they're going to need Josh Allen to be Superman to win a championship which may not be the best place to be right.
• 29:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I just, although again, I think that maybe, maybe it's just like what's around them is so crappy right now or so average right now, it's hard to say, you know, like that, that necessarily, like that that that that that that that that is going to take any source superhuman human effort, I don't think the Fc's deep, but there's no there's no like jogger not there.
• 29:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and one last point on Buffalo, and then we'll get rolling here, is, you know, I've heard it a couple times when you call around about the head coaching space this year.
• 30:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, Joe Brady could be a head coach of an NFL team next year, or he could also not be the offensive coordinator of the bills next year.
• 30:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's like, that's the floor in the ceiling for this.
• 30:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, and there
• 30:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: You could look at that game and say, oh my god, Jill Brady set the record at Heinz Field for rushing without his two tackles.
• 30:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Both of them, right?
• 30:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's incredible.
• 30:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you can also look at it and say, this offense looks completely like a game of perfection when the board just pops and all the pieces fly everywhere.
• 30:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I don't know where to go with this, but I don't know, that's just
• 30:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: very interesting weekend in the NFL.
• 30:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's get rolling here.
• 30:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: What are your thoughts on?
• 30:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So thanksgiving we had the Packers Lions, we had the Chiefs Cowboys in the Bengals and Ravens.
• 31:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lions beat the Packers be the Lions 31-24.
• 31:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cowboys beat the chief's 31-28.
• 31:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bangle's beat the Ravens 32-14.
• 31:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have a great piece, kind of detailing the comeback of Joe Burrow.
• 31:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Boy did he look a lot better than I thought he would.
• 31:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's probably still a little too late for the Bangle's.
• 31:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: But no, I mean, I don't even know what's going on anymore.
• 31:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's the thing is, like they have another game against the Ravens, so if they win that, then the Ravens have seven losses, right?
• 31:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now they're going to have to be Buffalo, and that's a tall order.
• 31:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think you'd be Buffalo at this point, right?
• 31:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if they went out, right, like they're nine and eight, and I, like, so I think the tiebreaker would be common record, right?
• 31:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like if it's a three-way tie with the Ravens and the CEO should be common record, and that's scenario, the Bengals would be three and one.
• 31:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they would win the tiebreaker, right?
• 31:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: G-PERS.
• 32:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, like, if, no, I don't know if they would win like a head-to-head hybrid or the Steelers, but there would be a sweep over the Ravens at that point.
• 32:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you're looking at then you go looking for one more loss from the Ravens, right?
• 32:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, the Ravens still have the Steelers twice the Packers and the Patriots, okay?
• 32:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you could definitely conjure a scenario where they lose the Bengals and there's one more loss.
• 32:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the Steelers would need to lose two more games.
• 32:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: They have the Ravens twice, let's say they split.
• 32:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then you have the Dolphins, the Lions, and the Browns.
• 32:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that maybe seems a little less likely, but the Dolphins could beat the Steelers.
• 32:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Lions could beat the Steelers.
• 32:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, so it doesn't seem impossible at the Bengals when the division is crazy as that might sound.
• 32:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, boy, I don't know.
• 32:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I need to need to just play better the last couple of weeks.
• 32:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think if it's as played better, what was it like?
• 32:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know where this came from because they still don't have Shamar Stewart.
• 33:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: They still don't have triandrics.
• 33:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: And but it's Miles Murphy.
• 33:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's the guy.
• 33:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he was.
• 33:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was in Mars face that whole thing that whole game and don't have Taylor Brett like it's like it's it's it's crazy But like you know, maybe Algoldon's found something But like they look to me like a team like why I mean remember that blow out of the Ravens happened You know involved a more and and it was also without tea Higgins out there
• 33:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: So as good as Burrow looked by the end of that game, it wasn't perfect at the beginning, but by the end of that game, I think people forget how good he is because he's not physically overwhelming, like Mahomes or Allen or Lamar, like he's not like those guys.
• 33:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he is just so he's such a he's such an assassin out there and when he's on that throw to you saw To to to Yosavish was fricking ridiculous You know what I mean like if you pause it and you look like at the point at which he made that throw and where he Oaks of his was like in relation to the coverage and what Joe was reading out when he made that throw I think it was like a dagger concept
• 34:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: like he's still capable of being the best quarterback and football and he's got two receivers that are legitimate number ones and if the defense can be half way decent they're very dangerous at the get-in.
• 34:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah I mean that would be the ultimate like twist at the end of the set of felices and it's just like surprised by those like the AFC angles when the AFC
• 34:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope so.
• 34:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I said it a couple of minutes ago, but I just want to elaborate on it, I was surprised at how just the governor's off on Joe Burrow.
• 34:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not like this was like, let's ease him back in kind of game plan.
• 34:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think they'll get better in the red zone.
• 34:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think a lot of their red zone failures were just chalked up to timing and not having
• 35:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And this was not a Jamar Chase game.
• 35:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, this was Joe Burrow thrown dots to both his tight ends to Yosavash to like, you know, all these other guys.
• 35:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I thought that this was, this is a quarterback.
• 35:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is a quarterback who is very capable of being the best player in football.
• 35:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 35:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's not like, you know, because there are other people that you say that about, and for some reason, the potentials not fulfilled, I think that burrows different and that the only thing that's been setting him back are injuries and sometimes you just have disproportionately bad luck, you know, and I mean, someone pointed this out to me.
• 35:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: The only three full seasons he's played, right?
• 35:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Two of them ended in the AFC championship game.
• 35:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Or two of them, he got to the AFC championship game.
• 35:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: One, he got to the Super Bowl.
• 35:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the other one was last year when he led the NFL and almost every passing category had it historically that defense and still almost made the playoffs.
• 36:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: like those are the three years that he's had like where he's been out there in full and if he can rescue this season for them i mean i don't know any anyway i mean it's just again like i think if you put him in a playoff setting
• 36:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, there's nobody he hasn't beaten.
• 36:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 36:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know, he's beaten.
• 36:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's beaten Baltimore.
• 36:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's beaten K. He's one and arrowhead in the playoffs.
• 36:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 36:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, like, Mike Vrable and the Tennessee Titans were the number one seed.
• 36:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: He went in there and knocked them off on his way to a Super Bowl.
• 36:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 36:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, he is legitimately like, there's no one there where you'd say like,
• 36:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: like yeah like like that might be two tall tasks I don't see it they've gone into buffalo and one in the playoffs you know what I mean yeah they want to buffalo in the playoffs in a snowstorm you know like and I think sometimes we forget all the things that he's been able to accomplish like I like to me like he's kind of the if I'm these AFC teams like he might kind of be the
• 37:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, because it's just, it's like if he really gets rolling with the people he's got around him, to team you don't want to see in January.
• 37:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Another thing that we're, when we look at the playoff picture, right, I think we were kind of lured into that false sense of security for a couple of weeks where it was like, oh, yeah, the culture going to have the one see they're unstoppable, everything's fine, and the Broncos are going to be here and a blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
• 37:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: there's a couple like teams like the bangles that are like lurking on the outside and not just talking about the AFC picture over the NFC, the cowboys are just ripping it up and they get a huge win on Thanksgiving, uh, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 effectively.
• 37:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, not knocking the chiefs out of the playoffs, but man is it going to be hard for them to climb back in now.
• 37:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have to be nothing short of perfect through the remainder of this.
• 38:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: that's a team that now that the defense is settled, now that they're kind of playing a little bit better against run this offense is just, I mean, Clay Nabs might get a head coach in chop.
• 38:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's just been unreal as as they're offensive coordinator.
• 38:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: this is a team, or I'm like, oh God, what if they get into the playoffs?
• 38:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're gonna cost some problems for me.
• 38:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right, and they're like because they're explosive, they've got a veteran quarterback who knows what he's doing.
• 38:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: They, I mean, like the two guys they have in the outside and lamb and pickings, like, perfectly complement each other, and they've been able to keep that thing on the tracks, which Pittsburgh wasn't able to do with what pickings, and I've said it a million times, like I would not take someone that,
• 38:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: fell out of favor with Mike Tomlin, like I think I think that's usually a red flag, but it's really worked out for them.
• 38:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think you look at what they've done defensively and how like they've gone about replacing Mike of Parsons and they, I think they understood they didn't need to do it with a great adressor, right?
• 39:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so now they've gone from like defensive tack
• 39:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Kenny Clark and Quentin Williams and now that's a legitimate strength like maybe the best position group on the team outside of receiver and I will say I don't think we give Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones and Will McCleigh Quite enough credit for how that roster has always been in such good shape.
• 39:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Towns never an issue there.
• 39:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: you know, and you can say they take wild swing sometimes and that's true like I was I was on that beat when they took a wild swing a pack man Jones, you know, I mean like yeah and tank johnson and all those other guys so they do take wild swing sometimes and you could put pickins in that category.
• 40:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, but I just, I think, back to August and all the, and I was part of it, like ripping of the, of the Jones family and everything else there and like no one had any trust that they were going to get the roster right after trading Micah Parsons and, and winding up with those picks, but really when is the roster ever been a problem there?
• 40:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, so this is interesting, right?
• 40:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jerry Jones said that he had offered the Jets Micah Parsons for Quinn and Williams and a pick before the season started and they said no.
• 40:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think that that's true?
• 40:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: A.
• 40:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think that that's true?
• 40:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: My understanding of that was that never even got to the general manager's desk and what she's talking to me in the owners.
• 40:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I think what it does, Tally.
• 40:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the, here's the reality of it.
• 40:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
• 40:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think that that was very serious talk at all in the summer.
• 41:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: But.
• 41:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think what it does inform you on, it doesn't inform you on what they were trying to do at the time.
• 41:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean, which was, and what they were thinking at the time, that they really liked Quentin Williams, and I think you have to look back and matter at Matt Eberflos's past, and what was the strength of the Indianapolis defenses that played at a level that helped him get the job at Chicago in the first place.
• 41:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were really strong at the tackle, right?
• 41:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like they traded for divorce, Buckner, and they had to go over Stewart there.
• 41:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And like that was a team that was able to win.
• 41:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was able to win up front because they had such overwhelming strength in the middle of the line.
• 41:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And now he has that again.
• 41:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like I think the one thing that can inform you on because I don't think it was ever close, you know, none of that, like, and I know, I think Jerry said it to Gary Myers to, you know, a couple months ago on the radio or whatever in New York, like to me.
• 41:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: like what what it what it can tell you is like there were actually was a coherent plan here you know what I mean like this wasn't just like this isn't all just scatter shot BS like they had a plan for how they wanted to to reimagine their defense
• 42:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: under Maddie Refluse.
• 42:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like when they were discussing what happens if we do have to trade micoparsons.
• 42:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And now they've been able to execute that plan and the defense doesn't look like a weakness anymore.
• 42:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's, um, again, like I just,
• 42:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I, you know, to be able to beat the two Super Bowl teams, and I know neither of them are in the best shape right now, but to be able to win those two games, and win them in the fashion they did where it was like, in both cases, like, in the Eagles game, it was a huge deficit at the beginning.
• 42:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were down 21 and nothing, and then the Chiefs game it was like, they were able to kind of hold off like a furious
• 42:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think Shawty deserves a lot of credit too.
• 42:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: No one wants to give it to him, but... No, I do.
• 43:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think he's the one that I would give the most credit too.
• 43:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, he's the one that put together that staff.
• 43:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Adams was a home-run hire.
• 43:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think sticking with Eberfluous and knowing that you were gonna get some help on the defensive line or believing that you were gonna get some help on the defensive line, all of that is, and you have to manage all that in the locker room.
• 43:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that the natural,
• 43:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: delinniage comes out when when when you know what hits the fan i mean he's seen a lot of stuff and i think nothing is too big for him um... i knew that this was gonna happen the minute that i started ripping the the big jesus at a dallas for the micaharsan straight and here's the thing um... there's been a kind of a first jank so whatever
• 43:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: no it is it's just me though and there's been a couple times now where i've had to wear the big horses ass thing and i tweeted this yesterday so um and and i want to make it clear on all mediums that that i'm a dipshit okay so um we we do the magazine predictions uh and this year it was me it was gill and it was it was matte and and we had to put our heads together and we had to come up with the season records for every team that are gonna get printed in the football preview
• 44:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, Gill does one division, Matt does the other division, and then I come in at the end, and I kind of just ambuds me in the thing, and I make sure all the numbers line up, and I make sure it makes it okay.
• 44:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, okay, overall, percentage of the league isn't like 650 or whatever.
• 44:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, you make sure the records add up, and you make sure there's nothing crazy out there.
• 44:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, so,
• 44:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Gil has the NFC and he has the Vikings winning five games and finishing in like last place and he has the Carolina Panthers winning the division with nine wins and I'm like, guys, we can't do this.
• 44:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got to stop this and so
• 44:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I go in there and I bust the whole thing up like an asshole and change it low and behold the Vikings are going to finish like six wins and the Panthers are going to win the got to have the vision with nine games like I'm never going to touch like any time I put my foot down on something
• 45:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it ends up not in my mouth, but straight somewhere else.
• 45:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that, uh, save you the gross vision.
• 45:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you know what I'm talking about.
• 45:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're talking about the guy who has been like entrenched in, in, in, in, in, in, camp homes and camp, Kansas City and camp and the read and like has been calling every one of more on who thinks they're going to make the missed the playoffs.
• 45:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And here I am and there's six and six and I still, I still think like there's a good chance they get in and if they get in, like, say anybody really going to want to play
• 45:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like they get in those games aren't going to be played at Arrowheads.
• 45:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean like I don't I don't because the reality is this is a like The idea of playing home playoff games is a lot simpler than people make it out to be you win your division You get home playoff game.
• 45:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't it's really hard to get any, you know You need things to happen for ticket to get any because the highest you can be seated is five so after the receding like you would need
• 46:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: to play a home play off game is as a wild card you have to you would have to have the six and seven and I knew I was going to do that before it came out of my mouth so don't call me on it the six and seven teams would need to advance so all three wild cards would need to advance for one wild card to get a home play off game.
• 46:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: bottom line, the chiefs ain't winning that division, you know what I mean?
• 46:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I think we get that safely now, their four games back with six games to go, which means the chiefs are going to have to travel a different road to get to the Super Bowl this year.
• 46:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, the other one here so Green Bay has not impressed me at any point during the season really, but they move to 831 and the lions are another team that are kind of just now outside of the picture and having to look back in.
• 46:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's why I think Thanksgiving is going to be tied to the packers wake you up a little on Thanksgiving though.
• 46:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: a little bit.
• 46:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I say I think their defense has been really good.
• 47:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, yeah, and like my wind up getting chef halfway ahead coaching job.
• 47:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I should clarify, they had an impressed me.
• 47:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And but this this performance was an outlier.
• 47:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like this was a four touchdown performance from Jordan Love with like a 125 quarterback rating.
• 47:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And more than just that it was like he was
• 47:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, and I just thought that there was that nuance to it.
• 47:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you only threw for 234, but like, they ran the ball well and he made big throw after big throw after big throw and like when they needed to close the lines out, they were able to do it.
• 47:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think I think you just saw like a different gear from the Packers and, um, God, is this going to be interesting with them playing the Bears twice in the next three weeks?
• 47:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: all the stuff that was said in the off-season that I think a certain coach may have filed away, you know, on one side of this and it's going to be really, really interesting, you know, and they play, they actually play was a twice in 13 days, right, because that's second one's a Saturday game.
• 48:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, um, so Green Bay, I mean, I, if you go back and you actually watched that playoff game in Philly, there was a couple self-inflicted wounds in there, there was like a fumbled kickoff, there was some strange calls, like, I don't think that they were that far away from the Eagles, like, like, when we write the story of last season, we're like, oh, the Eagles just kicked everybody's ass on the way to the Super Bowl.
• 48:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: that's not necessarily the case like the packers and ram is both put up a fight packers and ram's both put up a fight and so this green bay team is is simply a better version of the one that almost knocked off the eventual Super Bowl champions and so I think that's why I've kind of held them to
• 48:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: an unfairly high standard and I know it's not fair because there are other teams like Philly that all just excuse as being like, okay, well, they're winning games so why does it matter?
• 49:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know why Green Bay needs to give style points to me.
• 49:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they just have so many fun players, but Thanksgiving was one of those moments where it turns you on a little bit and you say, okay, this is a massive win against a quality divisional opponent and you start doing it with a little
• 49:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: that low that they went through a midseason like losing Tucker craft like they took her craft what's he was becoming rocker on kowsky for them and I don't that sounds like her hyperbole I don't think it is like he was he was becoming the focal point of their offense the way the great tight ends are you know what I mean like the way Kelsey and his prime was the was the featured guy in Kansas City the way kiddo as a times been the featured guy in San Francisco like he was becoming that guy for the pack or so losing
• 49:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: was massive.
• 49:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it coincided with them losing Josh Jacobs, you know, for a stretch.
• 49:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think for a little while there, it was like, okay, like, how do we figure out who we are offensively?
• 50:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I still think like the potential and that receiver home is there.
• 50:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 50:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like and there's no doubt.
• 50:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then like, wicks is a really talented guy.
• 50:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Christian Watson to me is the one where I look at like a
• 50:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: man like you know if he ever puts it all together he could legitimately be a number one and he started to look like that the last couple of weeks and you know i mean look they'll get golden back and golden brings a different element i just they have so many athletes and that team i think is the easy way to boil it down you know what i mean like they've just got they've got so much like team speed and you know i'm
• 50:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think them against the bears are going to be dynamite.
• 50:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't wait for a place in NFC North on the line.
• 50:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Have our bears too.
• 50:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
• 50:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go there.
• 50:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: So bears would be like 25 or 15.
• 50:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: This may have been my favorite stat of the weekend.
• 50:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the bears are like the they're Friday
• 51:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: They had, it was one of the 20 best rushing performances, team rushing performances and the history of that franchise, which is 106 seasons old, right?
• 51:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
• 51:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like Gale Sayers.
• 51:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 51:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right.
• 51:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: And at one point, at one point, it was the best since 1984.
• 51:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now they got stuffed on a run at the end and then they had a kneel down.
• 51:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they got knocked off of that perch.
• 51:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: and knock below a performance from earlier in November, which means the two best rushing days they've had since 1984.
• 51:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right, have come, it came in the month of November.
• 51:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's amazing.
• 51:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that means they ran the ball better on those two days than the 1985 bears who are like one of the preeminent juggernauts of like my lifetime, right?
• 51:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: They had Walter Payton.
• 52:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: They ran the ball better than those two days in the 1988-85 bears ever did.
• 52:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's remarkable.
• 52:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 52:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like what Ben Johnson's been able to do?
• 52:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, the front office deserves credit for rebuilding the offensive line the way that they have.
• 52:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the amazing thing about watching the bears now, you added to the job Dennis Allen's down with the defense.
• 52:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Caleb Williams is new in playing that while yet and what will happen if he what will happen if the light comes on for him.
• 52:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: I I think it's close to being there and I think that one of the things he made big throws like he's made big throw he's just not consistent yet and it's not like
• 52:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, we can get to this in a second.
• 52:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: In Miami, the coach is actively taking the ball out of the quarterback's hands in favor of the run game, Caleb Williams through 36 passes on Thanksgiving and Kyle Menungai and DeAndre Swift had a combined 40 carries for what, 255 yards.
• 52:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's not like, it's not like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like,
• 53:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not like Ben's taking the ball out of Caleb's hands for the benefit of the run game.
• 53:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is all married together to connect the dots with the conversation that we had about the bills.
• 53:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that
• 53:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: So much of this is due to the fact that they reshaped that offensive line Albert and we talked about it and all three of those guys are still healthy Dalman Jackson and and Joe Tuney.
• 53:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've played between 97 and 100% of the team snaps.
• 53:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You and I asked You know, I'll ask anybody this when is the last time Albert that you remember a team going out there and Recreating an entire unit basically in front of Santa Rookie left tackle now
• 53:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, but ain't having all three of those veterans stay healthy for the entirety of the season.
• 53:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: How often does that happen now where it doesn't and I mean it doesn't like this feels to me a little bit like so and I think that like look Ryan polls was there in Kansas City when they did it, but this is like a little bit like what the chiefs did.
• 54:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: in like completely blowing up their offensive line in 2021.
• 54:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: After that game, that sewer ball against the box where Patrick Mahomes almost died, you know.
• 54:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And like, and if you remember that off season, they went out and they got to on Taylor, they got Joe Tuney, and they drafted Creed Humphrey and Trace Smith.
• 54:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they wound up with, and I think, yeah, Donovan Smith came that off season two, right?
• 54:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: From Tampa.
• 54:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they completely, like, blew the thing up and started over again on the offensive line.
• 54:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: And this isn't totally that, but Darnell Wright is the only holdover.
• 54:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And like, to me, what's impressive about it, really impressive about it, is you've got a new,
• 54:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Head Coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new offensive line coach, a new system.
• 54:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And almost an entirely new group of players and it's come together this quickly to the point where, and I'm sure you've talked to people about this as much as I have, Connor, like, that group is winning on angles and leverage, yeah.
• 55:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like details and it's, like, I don't think people have a full understanding of how hard it is to establish that quickly for an offensive within an offensive line group and they've done it.
• 55:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 55:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, to be able to do that when you're not throwing the ball of that great yet is wildly impressive and that they did it against the Eagles with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter and Moro, Joe Mo, and all the guys that they have up front, I mean crap, like I don't know.
• 55:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, like this team becomes scary if Caleb Williams starts playing to his potential.
• 55:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's year two for him, like we don't, we do such a bad job, I think, and this is the perfect incubator for him now, too, right?
• 55:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: 100%.
• 55:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, this kid's going to be that's a team where now Chicago's had a lot of luck adjusted.
• 56:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: benefits to this season, right?
• 56:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: They went a lot of third day.
• 56:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: They went a lot of close games.
• 56:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: They recover a lot of fumbles.
• 56:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're good on third down.
• 56:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And good on third down can be coaching, but it can also be like, hey, you're making it to a lot of third downs, right?
• 56:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, and that's not good.
• 56:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't want to make it to as many third downs, right?
• 56:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it's one of those things where I
• 56:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think with Ben, it's different because he's such a gifted play caller and he's seen such command of this team and in this offense right now that that's a team out of all the darlings that have kind of emerged this year as non-traditional powers, that's one that that I'm definitely concerned about if I make the playoffs and they get a buy and then Ben Johnson gets a couple days to get in for me.
• 56:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's go through the rest of this Sunday's
• 56:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: nine pop-up ads from ESPN that just blast at me to buy insurance and whatever this shit this is but we can do quick ways for me from each of the games of you and just give me a line here so 49ers Brown's Robert solid defenses allowed 17 points over the last two weeks.
• 57:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean this was a 108 game
• 57:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then you had Harold Fanon try to do the kind of a version of the Tush push then there's a fumble and then it's as Robert Solow would say all gas no breaks and it's 26 today should there look fine he's gotten I think almost all of the Brown's 30 plus passes this year he's stretching the field I think he deserves another shot at this point like why not he's not embarrassing you out there you should see what he's got I don't know
• 57:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, for the nine or so, again, like I think should already just find out what you have.
• 57:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think anybody is under the illusion that like he's going to be the answer in 2026.
• 57:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the chances are that the Browns quarterback for 2026 is not on the roster right now, but I think you at least, you know, give yourself, give him some runway to show what he can do.
• 58:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: He hasn't looked overwhelmed by it.
• 58:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: He hasn't been, you know, I was standing either.
• 58:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, like you just look for week for week, week over week improvement from him.
• 58:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Niners are now nine and four.
• 58:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's pretty crazy when you think about all the guys they've lost.
• 58:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: They started the season without kiddo.
• 58:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: They haven't had IU call year.
• 58:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Boses out for the year, warners out for the year.
• 58:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: They play the Tennessee Titans coming out of their bide, which means they're getting the 10 wins, right, which means they're probably in the playoffs now, yeah.
• 58:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, their schedule is stiff after that at Indy, Chicago, Seattle, so like they could wind up 10 and 7, but I'm prepared to sit here and tell you like this season's already.
• 58:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a success for that team.
• 58:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I have no question.
• 58:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, what they've been able to weather and what they're going to come out of this with and, you know, I really think going into next year now, like they've had to lean on a lot of young guys, like, I don't know, like I, I just look at the nine or is one of those teams, like it's like, because they've had to lean on so many young guys because they have their draft picks in tact, like,
• 59:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think you're you're you're looking at the Niners coming out of this year having having gained a lot for having for for going through everything they want through.
• 59:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And maybe they're not a huge threat.
• 59:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll get to the playoffs, although I wouldn't want to play any Shanna hand team when we're in the play when you're in the playoffs.
• 59:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I do think that this is sort of shown the strength of their program overall.
• 59:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, all right.
• 59:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Texans and the Colt, I mean, that was a big one.
• 59:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was of consequence, this Demiko Ryan's Matt Burke defense is spectacular.
• 59:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 59:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that Daniel Jones is clearly injured.
• 59:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we saw with the giant's Albert that when you take away his functional mobility, it changes things.
• 59:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And this does this for every, this does it for the Ravens.
• 59:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not just picking on Daniel Jones.
• 1:00:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: This happens for Lamar Jackson, too, OK?
• 1:00:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: um... changed icons got a challenge ahead of him right now because teams can now zero in on Jonathan Taylor four yards of carries still really good uh... but at the same time it's not you're not getting the explosives right you got a long of twelve in this game and you got he used to kind of clamping down when the time is right there now seven and five they're a game behind the cults and it's still yeah it's still very good team you know the culture's still very good game yeah yeah
• 1:00:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I said before the year that I thought the Texans had the ceiling to break into that tier that we had, the bills, chiefs, Ravens' tier.
• 1:00:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I still feel that way like I and maybe that tears in the same as it was, you know, because of what's happened with those three teams, but the defense is otherworldly.
• 1:00:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like the defense is capable of winning games on its own.
• 1:00:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think what you're seeing now is like their investment in resetting the offense a little bit is starting to pay off and that like now their rookies, their first year guys are starting to settle in.
• 1:01:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Woody Morris didn't have a great day, but if you watch him run like how explosive he is and like how powerful he like he runs with power for a smaller guy like I think they found an answer to like what do we do about Joe mix and not being here tail back.
• 1:01:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Jaden Higgins looks to me like a very legitimate number two now opposite Niko Collins in one of the best receivers in his draft class In area on to here, sorry, it left tackle looks like he's sort of calm down the fire there And the offensive line is in this big an issue and now you get strowed back
• 1:01:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And CJ again, like there were some rust there, but you started to see some high level CJ throws too.
• 1:01:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: So this is one of those teams that I think has a chance to build some momentum offensively.
• 1:02:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And again, they're game with the chiefs next week is gonna be super interesting.
• 1:02:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's let's move over to, um, let's move over to the tag wars and the titans real quick.
• 1:02:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, this was, I mean, we probably haven't paid attention to the Jaguars.
• 1:02:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
• 1:02:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, like, this is like, this is like the Jaguars, the titans.
• 1:02:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: there's a couple of teams in that boat where I'm just not ready to fall in love yet you know because I don't want to get invested and then get into the playoffs and then all of a sudden this team just gets blown out by the bills you know and I get that that's about what's up.
• 1:02:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel that way too like their toughest games were in this three game stretch that they're biggest wins.
• 1:02:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of these three games stretch where they beat the Texans, Niners and Chiefs
• 1:02:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: sort of feels to me that they got all those teams at the exact right time, like they got the miners right after the defensive injury, the big defensive injuries at both of Warner, I don't know if either of those guys played in that game, they beat the Texans when the Texans were still like so young on offense.
• 1:03:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then that chiefs game given credit like they beat the chiefs, but like that was there's a lot going on at the chiefs at that point too, you know, again like I give credit because they won the games they they won the games that were there that that and Warner did play that night or game for the record.
• 1:03:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the wins more recently, the Raiders, the Chargers, the Cardinals, the Titans.
• 1:03:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the Chargers obviously are their tackle situations.
• 1:03:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I still think like, Liam Cohen's got that, got them in a great place.
• 1:03:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, he's the right head coach.
• 1:03:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's no doubt.
• 1:03:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Good as a record, I don't, I'm still skeptical.
• 1:03:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was the right pick.
• 1:03:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: He did a great job staffing it.
• 1:03:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the arrow's pointing up there.
• 1:03:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, God, they don't even have, they don't even have Travis Hunter right now.
• 1:03:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if you haven't, let's be looking at their schedule and the chats and titans are still left, which means they probably get to 10 wins.
• 1:04:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: This, the AFC's gonna be like the, it's gonna be like the AI bubble.
• 1:04:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's just gonna be like 25 teams that are like, you know, realistically like, six teams that everyone's like, whoa, they're awesome, and then push comes to shove, and everyone gets punched to the face, and then we see what really happens.
• 1:04:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, it's crazy.
• 1:04:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I forgot the Jaguars to the extent where I was doing all the math on the Texans and Coltsons, I was like, oh, the Texans and Coltsons, both controls my own destiny,
• 1:04:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: because of the Jaguar, right?
• 1:04:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I want to give, I want to give the Panthers their do so let's let's just fast forward through a couple more of these Dolphins and Saints.
• 1:04:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dolphins just look out baby.
• 1:04:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike McDaniel has basically said, hey, Tua, you're hand in the ball off 25 times a game now part of it.
• 1:04:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is HN's team.
• 1:04:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's at 20 plus carries each of the last three weeks.
• 1:04:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've fundamentally changed the way that they play offense.
• 1:04:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike McDaniel showed that he can change his stripes and
• 1:05:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
• 1:05:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like Daniel, we said it a couple of weeks ago, if you listen to the show, we said he could hang on to the job.
• 1:05:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he might be able to hang on to the job.
• 1:05:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's gonna.
• 1:05:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's, if the bar is, don't lose the locker room, he's certainly cleared that bar.
• 1:05:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
• 1:05:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jets 27, Falcon 24, Nick Folk.
• 1:05:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: The ageless, Nick Folk banging in this,
• 1:05:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: giant like it was like a 55-year-old field goal in a rainstorm and got to work before it gets to the jet.
• 1:05:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: What were you out on the falcons and like the potential?
• 1:05:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: for for moves there after the season.
• 1:05:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm kind of trusting the, you know, the sense that I've been getting around the league for a couple of weeks now.
• 1:05:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the, this whole thing's going to get torn down.
• 1:05:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 1:05:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think it needs to.
• 1:05:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you know, I, I give Terry Faught no a lot of credit.
• 1:05:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think his,
• 1:05:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that the thought process there was interesting.
• 1:06:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he did the job like nobody else could have.
• 1:06:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you can't, you can't draft that team and then have the offense be that consistently underwhelming and only have one of these guys end up too.
• 1:06:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Drake London is certainly a top 10 player.
• 1:06:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it's an addition too.
• 1:06:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you can't have the offense look like this.
• 1:06:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I, you know, I think after what they didn't quarter back at quarterback in 24, it like became holy about that, you know what I mean for for both Terry and Reheem, like it became about like okay, like this one of these guys hit and cousin's lost the job his first year and Penex really hasn't done a lot just showed us that he's going to be the guy for the next 10 years and then as the guy who was
• 1:06:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He tears his ACL in a second year, which again, that's not like any coach or front office guys fault, but It's a tough look when you draft the guy who's got the injury issues and within within two years He's got a season ending injury he's dealing with so right.
• 1:07:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's just a lot there now.
• 1:07:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's for the jet.
• 1:07:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I
• 1:07:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is starting to feel a little bit like Aaron Glenn's got like that, uh, that Dan Campbell bounce, you know what I mean, like end of year one and Detroit in 2021 when they started out 10 and one and finish 3 and 3.
• 1:07:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, nothing would make me happier to
• 1:07:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: see the jets on solid footing.
• 1:07:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if that will happen.
• 1:07:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: But we'll see.
• 1:07:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, certainly the fact they haven't collapsed after the trade.
• 1:07:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Aaron Glenn looked like a dead man walking a couple weeks ago.
• 1:07:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember when he gave that press conference, it was like, I said you'd be proud, but I didn't say it would be this year.
• 1:07:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And all of a sudden, like, I was like, oh, boy, this is, this is not working out.
• 1:08:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: But he has, he has held the fort,
• 1:08:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think a game credit too for like, like if you just kind of like look at the details that are seasoned.
• 1:08:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they beat the bangles and that's a big win for them because this is the first, this is the first one.
• 1:08:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's head coach, first one for the program and the guys go away on their buy and during like that, by week, the trades for quantum Williams and Sasquartner happen, right or right coming off the buy.
• 1:08:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And now those guys got to go back in the building and it's like,
• 1:08:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: like our front office isn't all in on it all in on this year with us and so I think
• 1:08:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, look, like the last four games since then, they have two wins.
• 1:08:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: They beat the Falcons of the Browns.
• 1:08:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then, against the Patriots and Ravens, those were competitive games.
• 1:08:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 1:08:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Those were not, like, no shows by the chat.
• 1:08:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I think what you've seen is an ability to keep his team engaged.
• 1:09:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, like, look, like, I think if there are tough out the rest of the year, that's enough.
• 1:09:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 1:09:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 1:09:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think they will be a tough out the rest of the year.
• 1:09:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Cardinals and Bucks, this is just like, I feel really bad for the Cardinals.
• 1:09:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are one of those teams that have been in every game and just for some reason, the fourth quarter is a psychological mess, and but or.
• 1:09:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: the fourth quarter is the best quarter.
• 1:09:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the rest of the game is kind of a mess.
• 1:09:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And at this point, Tampa is doing what they have to do.
• 1:09:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, this team is battered.
• 1:09:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baker Mayfield is not healthy.
• 1:09:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: They need to survive these games until reinforcements arrive.
• 1:09:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think they did it this week.
• 1:09:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, yeah, I think it's for the box.
• 1:09:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's sort of like get to the playoffs and the best
• 1:09:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, Godwin looks like and has looked like he's, you know, what does he have left, you know, and so I still think like that's one where you're okay, like he has a little bit of a nice Sunday here is like almost a compliment to a book.
• 1:10:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we'll see what they get from Evans.
• 1:10:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's still a really, it's still a good team.
• 1:10:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And obviously, Baker showed a lot of guts and just being out there.
• 1:10:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I think that they, like, this is just for them about surviving, beating the Panthers, winning the division, and going into the playoffs in the best shape you possible again.
• 1:10:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: the Viking situation is not good.
• 1:10:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: See, I'll see if I'm 26, nothing.
• 1:10:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, the Viking's defense was all over Sam Darnold.
• 1:10:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was sack four times, didn't throw a touchdown, had a QBR of like 18, okay?
• 1:10:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the problem is Max Brosmer had a QBR of five.
• 1:10:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, a quarterback rating of 32.8, four interception through one of the worst interceptions that you've seen all season, and I'm not fading this kid because he's an undraftful.
• 1:11:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 1:11:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you run into the worst situation imaginable, I mean Seattle is arguably the best defense in the NFL.
• 1:11:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike McDonald is like the McVay of defensive minds.
• 1:11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just like here.
• 1:11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ironman to play in.
• 1:11:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I, I don't know if that date game would have gone differently.
• 1:11:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: If O'Connell takes the field goal there instead of making brosmer go for it on fourth down and then that's when the earnest Jones interception happened and the game completely changes on a dime there.
• 1:11:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't say that for certain maybe it would have been twenty six three and that is that a twenty six nothing but.
• 1:11:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: At this point, my takeaway from this one Albert is that something happened with the Vikings, either.
• 1:11:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Quasie, the GM, thought that Kevin O'Connell could make anything work at quarterback and so decided to hand him anything.
• 1:11:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or Kevin thought that Kevin could make anything work at quarterback and decided to take anything.
• 1:12:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it has to be one of those two Albert because this, this depth chart was irresponsibly put together at the quarterback position.
• 1:12:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the problem is that when you draft a quarterback that high, it becomes impossible to build like real genuine depth in the room.
• 1:12:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: And here's the reason why they made a representative offer to Sam Donald.
• 1:12:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: They made a representative offer to Daniel Jones.
• 1:12:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Both those offers were
• 1:12:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: the reason those guys didn't stay wasn't money.
• 1:12:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: The reason those guys didn't stay is because the Vikings had just taken a quarter back 10th overall.
• 1:12:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they knew that no matter what, the team's investment was in JJ McCarthy not them.
• 1:12:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so if they slipped up even a little bit or if JJ came along, there were a million different scenarios where
• 1:12:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sorry, bud.
• 1:12:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're not going to be the quarterback in 2026.
• 1:13:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whereas they could go those guys could go in to respectively Seattle and Indianapolis and if they play really well in 2025, it's their show.
• 1:13:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: That did not really exist for those guys in Minnesota, you know, right?
• 1:13:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think it's just part of it's part of the deal when you draft a quarterback that high
• 1:13:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's really hard to hedge your bets, and that's why you have to be careful about who you take that high, you know, because like
• 1:13:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: for better or worse, you are tethering your job security just guy, you know, and like you look at the Atlanta situation, it's the same thing.
• 1:13:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like when Terry thought, no, and Rahim Morris made the decision to not take a defensive player there, whoever that might have been, whoever they might have taken a thought for all, I'd have to look back at the traffic.
• 1:13:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I can remember who it would have been, but, you know, it, I'm, I'm
• 1:13:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: I believe that would have been, yeah, I think that may have wound up being, I think, Dallas, Turner, or Biron Murphy, probably would have been one of those two guys, right?
• 1:14:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: Right.
• 1:14:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you decide not to do that and you're making another part of your team weaker,
• 1:14:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: and you take a quarter of that eighth overall.
• 1:14:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: The level of investment you have in that guy means that sinker swim, you're tied to that guy.
• 1:14:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that that's what it is, really, is like you take JJ McCarthy, 10th overall, that can't be a flyer, but that's your guy now, you know, and so it winds up costing you the ability to bring a guy like,
• 1:14:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Darnell back to bring a guy like Jones back because those guys have better opportunity somewhere else where there isn't a guy who Who is in that position sitting on the depth chart with them Anthony Richardson's a different story altogether because the cults that are already kind of given up on him.
• 1:14:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: The, um, I mean, that game was, uh, I had that on, uh, and it was hard to watch.
• 1:14:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, like, you know, because you know how good O'Connell is, and you know, this isn't really his fault or doing.
• 1:15:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, the amazing thing is, and like, this is like why this is why we invest so much time into the draft every year.
• 1:15:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is the way you built this build a team.
• 1:15:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: you know what I mean this is why we have not so much of the draft every year imagine what this would look like if they were successful in trading up for drake back there's no question i mean it would be they they would they would probably be going to the super roll you know what i mean like that's insane and they also to walk for him you know they just didn't they they weren't able to get doing the move which is a credit to doing what
• 1:15:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Raiders Chargers beat the Raiders 31-14.
• 1:15:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's literally all you need to know.
• 1:15:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Chip Kelly might be the head coach who can talk to you.
• 1:15:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the headline and I will become a Wildcats fan.
• 1:15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: If that's the case.
• 1:15:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Brock, I want to get to the Brock was the Commander's Broncos beat the Commander's 27-26 and this game was...
• 1:16:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: mind-boggling on so many levels, uh, good on the commanders for sticking to it, but the end of this game was a trotius on the officiating front.
• 1:16:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: You had botched holding calls.
• 1:16:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: You had a botched intentional grounding call that Terry McCall of came on the broadcast and just said, this is not intentional grounding.
• 1:16:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: You missed the coin toss.
• 1:16:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: You allowed and and and and
• 1:16:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is what's amazing about the NFL.
• 1:16:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: The commanders knew this and they took advantage of it.
• 1:16:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: They picked what they were going to do and the direction that they were going to kick and the officials didn't challenge them on this.
• 1:16:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not allowed to do that, okay?
• 1:16:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: And all of this happens in just a matter of a few minutes.
• 1:16:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, the PI call, like the whole thing was just
• 1:16:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was a mess, and through all this, watching to just kept coming back and coming back and making big plays.
• 1:17:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so that was kind of my favorite where you had an officiating crew that just tried to have a flag party and the commanders were like, no man, we're taking this down to the very last minute.
• 1:17:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought the play call was right at the end of the game to go for two.
• 1:17:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loved every minute of this game.
• 1:17:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was a fun one.
• 1:17:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: But to echo Albert, we get a week out officiating.
• 1:17:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's broken.
• 1:17:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's broken and like I all say this again.
• 1:17:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to sound like a broken record.
• 1:17:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's time to take it down to the studs.
• 1:17:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: The NFL's mismanaged this.
• 1:17:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: What they've done and their mistake I think has been adding and adding and adding just without subtracting anything.
• 1:17:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 1:17:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like in this they have their base of what their officiating was 25 years ago and that's still there and as technologies become available they've just added and added and added.
• 1:17:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: and as the player safety thing became a bigger deal they've added and added and added different points of emphasis and they've changed rules and they've made this and you know again like this is with full empathy for the situation the officials are in it is such a hard game to officiate the on on a ground level if you watch out fast and in the field game moves it is impossible
• 1:18:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: to make heads or tails of what you're looking at without training your eyes to see things.
• 1:18:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so they train their eyes to see things and then 15 things change on them every year.
• 1:18:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've put the officials in an impossible spot instead of using technology to make things more efficient.
• 1:18:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've used technology to make things more complicated and less efficient.
• 1:18:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: They need to tear the whole thing down to the studs.
• 1:18:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is probably take a couple of years to do.
• 1:18:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: but they got to find a way to effectively use the technology to make sure that you're giving the official every resource to get every call you can right.
• 1:18:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And to stop worrying about
• 1:18:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: with the value of the competition committee is and making points of emphasis every year and stop worrying about what the talk shows are going to be saying on Monday and just find a way to make this as efficient as possible.
• 1:19:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've even screwed up at the virtual measurement thing is not efficient.
• 1:19:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 1:19:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like it's actually less efficient, you know?
• 1:19:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it doesn't help with the spotting of the ball.
• 1:19:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: It just
• 1:19:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: is something it feels like like a cool toy they're playing with and I was excited about it but it just feels like that one takes forever for them to roll out you know it can't take that much longer Albert to and we had bad uh p.i.
• 1:19:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: calls and the cults Texans came to that that had a ripple effects um through the end of that one i mean we had a potential missed extra point
• 1:19:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: like this is this is shit that puts points on the board you know what I mean like this is consequential stuff and I can't imagine how hard it would be to have everybody with the TV copy
• 1:19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if there's a there's a consequential flag like whatever quarter's one through three, you know, you can make up that right the flow of the game you can you can adjust and you can kind of bury a bad call even if you have even if you make a really bad mistake in the fourth quarter of those games you need an on Budsman.
• 1:20:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: That officiating crew in Washington was banged up.
• 1:20:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: One of the officials was hurt, had to leave the field, come back.
• 1:20:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, you need help.
• 1:20:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just take the help.
• 1:20:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, like, all of us are officiating the games better on our couch at home.
• 1:20:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But just use that technology to help you.
• 1:20:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's all it is.
• 1:20:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just use the technology to help.
• 1:20:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, and why you can't have someone in the stadium focused on the one game every week.
• 1:20:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just mind boggling to me.
• 1:20:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, again, like I'll use the old billbell to check line, like have let's like it's too expensive.
• 1:20:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's have a big sale.
• 1:20:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we can we can arrange a car wash for them to make the money to pay a few extra officials like it's just it's, you know, the mirror logic, like they're just looking at it from like a logical point of view.
• 1:21:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I.
• 1:21:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: like I don't know like how it makes any sense that like you give the advantage to the public who you're worried about the public criticizing you.
• 1:21:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You give the public the benefit of all these different angles, everything in crystal clear HD,
• 1:21:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you give them these views into what it can look into why this official or that official got this call or that call wrong.
• 1:21:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you're not giving those officials the benefit of all that at the best level you possibly can make no sense.
• 1:21:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: makes absolutely no sense.
• 1:21:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was a lot.
• 1:21:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's probably part of my fatigue on Monday.
• 1:21:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: This entire podcast is a run on sentence.
• 1:21:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that's good.
• 1:21:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's why people people have said many people, many beautiful people have said that everyone loves how Connor just starts talking.
• 1:21:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then there's no periods or semi-colons or anything like that.
• 1:22:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just
• 1:22:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: right to the end.
• 1:22:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's that's the way that the people want it.
• 1:22:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the way the people want the M&KB podcast.
• 1:22:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to close it out with the Panthers.
• 1:22:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I promise Panthers fans, do you get your do?
• 1:22:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry that you were abandoned by the Meow Mix podcast that quit at the beginning of the season because they couldn't stand watching Panther games.
• 1:22:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to make up for it.
• 1:22:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: The new map is the Meow Mix back or no.
• 1:22:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the meowmix came back like three weeks like Panthers are like six and two since the meowmix podcast quit and now they've kind of creeped back into it.
• 1:22:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Here's the thing guys.
• 1:22:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes it's hard to be a podcast.
• 1:22:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've got to stick through it.
• 1:22:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, but meowmix, they took their loves.
• 1:22:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have a lot of respect from meowmix.
• 1:22:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Keep it going boys.
• 1:22:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're doing a great job.
• 1:22:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Carolina.
• 1:22:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wrote this yesterday, Albert, and I want you to argue this with me in the final five minutes that we have together on this podcast.
• 1:22:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Dave Cannellis is coach of the year.
• 1:22:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a crowded field, and I know that you have some thoughts on this.
• 1:23:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, variable, Ben Johnson.
• 1:23:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Variable.
• 1:23:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Easy schedule.
• 1:23:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson, a lot of luck adjusted and incredible health on the roster and a lot of help with free agency in the offseason.
• 1:23:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Me, I'm calling Shane Cohen Shane Steiken.
• 1:23:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, the cult's might bottom out here like and the in the jaguars might still bottom out here.
• 1:23:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so I think that there's a chance and let's just assume that the Panthers don't pay don't do that.
• 1:23:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike McDonald.
• 1:23:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike McDonald, okay, I'm curious what your thoughts are in this.
• 1:23:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: My take is, and this is not taking anything away from Mike.
• 1:23:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: They went from like the 10th best defense to the fifth best defense.
• 1:23:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: They went from like the 18th best offense to like the 9th best offense.
• 1:23:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think this is a coordinator bump for McDonald.
• 1:23:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Fair?
• 1:23:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and to some degree, the strike has been phenomenal this season, coordinator bump there, because you go from Gus Bradley to, how do you, you know what, look, you look at the totality of it.
• 1:24:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the one they have the wins over, they wins over the Cowboys Packers and Rams.
• 1:24:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's pretty good.
• 1:24:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's really good.
• 1:24:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Albert, what was their big offensive?
• 1:24:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And all those games were close.
• 1:24:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they won those games at the end.
• 1:24:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 1:24:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: What was your big offensive edition in free agency for the, I mean, for that was for them for the Panthers.
• 1:24:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, without a lot of doubt.
• 1:24:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, we go down a year three million dollars.
• 1:24:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 1:24:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now Riko's back to kind of a carry share with with you, but yeah, but my point here is that
• 1:24:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nothing about like they've gone from the worst defense in the NFL to like the 23rd best defense.
• 1:24:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've gone from like the 25th best offense to like the 23rd best offense.
• 1:24:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: They run the crap out of the ball and they're just figuring out ways to win games.
• 1:25:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you pick off in two weeks.
• 1:25:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: You pick off a shanahan offense and a McVay offense five times.
• 1:25:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yep.
• 1:25:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's in your best players.
• 1:25:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're going to round that and chase you for it.
• 1:25:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 1:25:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: OK, I don't know, man.
• 1:25:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just saying, why is he so low?
• 1:25:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like if you go to MGM, he's like the 10th best.
• 1:25:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, he's pretty good.
• 1:25:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: For coach of the year.
• 1:25:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's crazy.
• 1:25:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think you're in win coach of the year, unless you can make it into the playoffs.
• 1:25:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So maybe that's what it is.
• 1:25:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, you know, people still don't think they'll get in, which if they don't win that division, they still have to play the box twice.
• 1:25:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they don't win that division, they probably don't get in the playoffs.
• 1:25:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's fair.
• 1:25:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I mean, no one thought they were going to be seven and six.
• 1:25:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: No one thought they were going to be seven and six.
• 1:25:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Except for as we said at the beginning of the show, Gilberto, Menzano, great job, Gil.
• 1:26:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll never change one of your predictions.
• 1:26:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: The way that it is crazy, you know, when the division in nine games and the Vikings, he had it all.
• 1:26:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: But with the Rams, you know, this is sort of a, I can gloss this one over.
• 1:26:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a cross country road trip.
• 1:26:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've done the terrain or in a row.
• 1:26:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: you Matt Stafford sets the touchdown record without a pick and then just, you know, this is this happens on every broadcast.
• 1:26:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's like a cosmic curse as soon as you announce it, the wheels fall off.
• 1:26:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, this, but Caroline is still, or Laura, I'm still scored 28 points in this game.
• 1:26:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just that I will say this though.
• 1:26:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: This does,
• 1:26:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: This really, this puts Seattle on position if they can beat them on the, on the 18th on a Thursday night.
• 1:26:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: This puts Seattle on position to win that division, you know what I mean, like Seattle is in front of the sea ox now and I think you could argue like just on the eye test, which we can do the old college football eye test here.
• 1:26:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Seattle is probably looked more impressive week to week like it's close you know they're both they may be the two most impressive looking teams in football but Seattle's like I don't think Seattle's far behind the Rams
• 1:27:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, no, but the difference is consistency in quarterback play quarterback right quarterback which I love and but like Stafford is not what's standing the two picks and the fun ball against the pan there still I mean like this year on balance might be that I mean still I think it's probably the MVP of the league right there with him and Drake may maybe the two at this point.
• 1:27:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I agree.
• 1:27:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Man, that was a big, it's like a Thanksgiving meal in a recap in a reset.
• 1:27:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of three caps.
• 1:27:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Go back in the memory bank, too.
• 1:27:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Five days ago is a long time ago.
• 1:27:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Five days ago in like a day and four days ago, yeah.
• 1:27:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Four days ago in like a dangerous level of eating, too.
• 1:27:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 1:27:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 1:27:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And unhealthy amount of just like, you know, just kind of passing out midday from.
• 1:27:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: from from over consumption and you know we just we grind through it for you guys uh there's absolutely no doubt about it we'll be back on Wednesday slash Thursday uh with our week preview episode and with it this is all gonna be the snow's falling now we're gonna start getting Saturday games and we're here baby
• 1:28:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're in the thick of an Albert, and I couldn't be happier.
• 1:28:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that the end of the season is gonna be bonkers.
• 1:28:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the NFL, we've said it a couple weeks ago, has figured out a way to schedule all this and to stagger all this.
• 1:28:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: So all the crazy shit just happens at once.
• 1:28:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's gonna be like that end of that MLB season, like 10 years ago, where,
• 1:28:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: five playoff games are decided in like 13 minutes because of eight different games.
• 1:28:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to get that totally wrong.
• 1:28:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think we're going to have that kind of I think I'm putting the schedule together was like they didn't want like a Minnesota ram situation like last year where Minnesota is playing a war a lot you miss easing in the Rams are like you know basically treating it like a by week
• 1:28:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, and the Rams come in and like stuff Minnesota and a locker because they're more well-rested.
• 1:29:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I I think they wanted to try to avoid that and you know, I mean like just like eyeballing some of the contenders Schedules down the stretch.
• 1:29:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: There are a lot of big games last.
• 1:29:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, which is probably why we have some Sundays like this last one Which was not stocked with the most exciting matchups, but still like the detail very very
• 1:29:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see you guys on Wednesday because guys, that doesn't stop.
• 1:29:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's gonna get even more consequent.
• 1:29:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've like four games that are gonna decide first place.
• 1:29:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a podcast of consequence.
• 1:29:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a podcast of Goddamn consequence.
• 1:29:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
• 1:29:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you guys for listening as always and see you later on.
• 1:30:05
  [UNKNOWN]: You