Latest / Banter with the Boys / NFL Conference Championship Round Recap 2024
Transcript
- 0:00You're listening to Bantor with the Boys, talking all things sports.
- 0:08From betting and brawls, Superball to Stanley Cup Finals.
- 0:13Get laced up.
- 0:14It's time for Bantor with the Boys.
- 0:31What's up everybody?
- 0:32Welcome back to Bantor with the Boys.
- 0:34NFL Championship Sunday has come and gone.
- 0:37We are on to the granddaddy of them all.
- 0:41But what a weekend of football we did have.
- 0:43As always, got my main man Smelty with me here today.
- 0:46How we doing?
- 0:47How we feeling?
- 0:48You know, just a bright, sunshiny day in Minnesota.
- 0:51Actually it was a little cloudy today, but some sunshine yesterday and tomorrow, which
- 0:55is supposed to be 52 degrees.
- 0:58And we are, what the heck is the date tomorrow?
- 1:0029th or something?
- 1:0131st tomorrow.
- 1:02Oh yeah.
- 1:03Oh wow, I guess I'm a couple days behind.
- 1:05But uh, wow.
- 1:07January 31st in Minnesota, allegedly.
- 1:11And it's going to be 52 degrees.
- 1:12I just, I can't believe it.
- 1:13I just had to share that with anybody that's not here.
- 1:15Yeah, for you non-locals out there, when Minnesota is obviously the state of hockey, right?
- 1:19So they had hockey day this past weekend.
- 1:22Have you remembered a hockey day that didn't have snow?
- 1:25No, absolutely not.
- 1:26Like it's just not a thing.
- 1:28Not even that didn't have snow.
- 1:29It's like we barely have ice.
- 1:30You can't even really go ice fishing right now.
- 1:32You should not.
- 1:33You shouldn't be.
- 1:34You should not be going ice fishing right now.
- 1:36You might fall in.
- 1:37It's just crazy right now.
- 1:38Crazy right now.
- 1:39Well, let's move on to what people here are here to listen for.
- 1:43And that is championship Sunday.
- 1:46Championship Sunday started off with our game of the week.
- 1:49The Kansas city chiefs traveling to Baltimore, taking on the Ravens.
- 1:53Ravens coming in as a three and a half point favorite.
- 1:56Both you and I, Smelsey, thought the Ravens were going to cover that three and a half.
- 1:59Boy, they did not.
- 2:01Chiefs end up winning this game as the underdogs.
- 2:0317-10.
- 2:04What a wild game, Smelsey.
- 2:07Yeah, championship Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, kids.
- 2:11Seats, gyps, five bucks.
- 2:13But really, they were probably really expensive.
- 2:14But anyway, yeah, I cannot believe the Ravens honestly lost this game.
- 2:21They were the bona fide number one seed in the AFC pretty much the whole year until maybe
- 2:25the Bills could have challenged for it at the end of the year.
- 2:27But like, I expected way more from that offense.
- 2:31I think the defense played pretty well.
- 2:32But are you kidding me?
- 2:34Like Lamar Jackson said, he's not frustrated about the game.
- 2:38He's angry.
- 2:40As you should be.
- 2:42As you should be.
- 2:43Between you and the rest of your teammates making all these mistakes, I mean, that's
- 2:48the reason why the Chiefs won the game.
- 2:50The most mistakes lost the game.
- 2:52I mean, absolutely.
- 2:54And not only that, Patty Mahomes continued to show why he is just that, Patty Mahomes.
- 2:58I mean, he was just, I can't sit here and say, torching them, because he only threw
- 3:03for 241 on 30 completions, only threw the ball 39 times.
- 3:08Pretty darn good completion percentage.
- 3:09But they don't have the ability to stretch the field and they're finding out ways to
- 3:13just sit underneath and win.
- 3:15And that's, I guess how you expose this Ravens defense that's been so darn good, especially
- 3:22in the later half of the year.
- 3:24And to hold, you know, to hold that offense to 10 points.
- 3:29That's just wild to me.
- 3:30If you were to tell me that the scores of this weekend's games are going to be 17-10
- 3:34and 34-31, I'm 100% taking the money on the Chiefs Ravens game being that 34-31.
- 3:41Never would I think this game was a 27 point game, point total.
- 3:46That is just insane to me.
- 3:48No, and I mean, Kansas City's defense just shows why they've also been getting disrespected
- 3:54towards the end of the season and now into the playoffs.
- 3:57Nobody's talking about Kansas City's defense really as much.
- 4:00But I don't hear much about them.
- 4:01It's always about Patrick Mahomes and what he's able to do with the little bit he has.
- 4:07But I mean, Rushy Rice, what is it?
- 4:09Rushy Rice?
- 4:10I don't want to say his name.
- 4:11Yeah, Rushy.
- 4:12There's no D. Rushy Rice.
- 4:13I didn't say D. Rushy.
- 4:14No, yeah, yeah.
- 4:15It's just confusing.
- 4:16Rushy Rice and then MVS.
- 4:18I mean, you're not expecting crazy stuff from those guys, but now Rice is stepping up to
- 4:23the point where he might be a more consistent player next year.
- 4:26But anyway, sorry.
- 4:27I'm going off topic here.
- 4:29But like, again, as I was just starting talking about the offense, nobody's talking about
- 4:33Kansas City's defense.
- 4:35Why is that?
- 4:36Is it just the Mahomes effect on offense?
- 4:38He just overshadows the team as a whole?
- 4:41Kansas City's defense never gets the credit they always deserve, especially when come
- 4:44playoff time.
- 4:45Like there's never a team that's going to be more prepared and ready to go than this
- 4:49Steve Spagnola led Kansas City defense.
- 4:52And he's done nothing but show that time over time over time.
- 4:55But they never get their credit.
- 4:56You know, they're never going to have the gaudy numbers be in the top two, three points.
- 5:01You know, their their gaudy numbers is in the wind column.
- 5:04Exactly.
- 5:05That's all you need.
- 5:06You know, and it's not even that they're a bend, not break defense.
- 5:09They're not.
- 5:10They have studs at key positions.
- 5:12Ligeria Snead, you can make an argument, was the best cornerback in the NFL this year.
- 5:15Chris Jones is a top two, three defensive interior lineman.
- 5:19Nick Bolton's turning into a top five inside linebacker.
- 5:22You know, they don't have a safety that's going to jump off the stat sheet on you, but
- 5:25they have foundational pieces and they just never get their flowers.
- 5:28No, they really don't.
- 5:30And what is it?
- 5:31I'm going somewhere with this.
- 5:32So bear with me.
- 5:33But it was a Tony Romo that was commentating this game.
- 5:35Do you remember?
- 5:36I thought I remembered his voice.
- 5:37But like he said two things that stuck out to me about the Chiefs.
- 5:40He said that this defense is the best defense that Holmes has had since he's been there.
- 5:46And that's a scary thought.
- 5:47I don't know about that.
- 5:48I don't know if I would agree with that.
- 5:49But it's kind of interesting coming from, yes, Tony Romo, who's never won a Super Bowl.
- 5:53But it is interesting, like hearing that coming from Romo.
- 5:57And I got one more thing for you.
- 5:59But what's your thought on that?
- 6:00I don't know if it's the best just because of how good.
- 6:03I mean, I don't remember what year it was.
- 6:05But when Holmes won his first Super Bowl when they had Tyron Matthew back there, that team,
- 6:09the second half of the year and then in the playoffs was one of the best defenses that
- 6:14doesn't get talked about.
- 6:16But again, another Chiefs defense that's under the radar.
- 6:18Exactly.
- 6:19But if these guys stick together, who knows?
- 6:21I mean, and that's the thing about this Chiefs.
- 6:23You have those foundational pieces.
- 6:24But outside of that, nobody screams off the pages of Stutt or a star in the NFL.
- 6:29So it's the scheme itself.
- 6:32Like Spags just schemes so well against that opposing offense.
- 6:37And I'm not taking anything away from Drew Tranquil.
- 6:40But he's a different player in that scheme than he was for the Chargers.
- 6:44100%.
- 6:45He was a good player.
- 6:46He was a decent player, a role play, a fill in guy for the Chargers who started here and
- 6:50there.
- 6:51And in Kansas City, like this this whole playoff run, he's looked amazing.
- 6:55And that's because Willie Gay hasn't been able to be on the field.
- 6:58And like Drew Tranquil's been, you know, I'm not going to say the heart and soul of the
- 7:02defense because that would have to belong to Chris Jones.
- 7:06But it is weird.
- 7:07It kind of.
- 7:08Yeah.
- 7:09Making big plays in big moments.
- 7:10Like to think that like we're talking about Drew Tranquil right now.
- 7:15Even that.
- 7:16There you go.
- 7:17There you go.
- 7:18There you go.
- 7:19So the one other thing that Tony Romo said that stuck out to me was what makes Travis
- 7:24Kelsey so good is he's not to go back to the offense here quick.
- 7:28But I just want to say it before I forget it is that what makes Travis Kelsey so good
- 7:32is that he's able to find that the soft spot in the defense time and time again.
- 7:37Like that.
- 7:38That's why he's so good.
- 7:39That's why he's such a good option.
- 7:40He is.
- 7:41And it's it's not only that it's like him and Mahomes are on the exact same page at
- 7:45all times where you have you could have an option route that has three maybe four options
- 7:50at the end of the route based on the coverage and where people are.
- 7:53And both of them know exactly where they're going each and every time.
- 7:56And that's why you see him so open.
- 7:58It's not that he's creating separation from these receivers.
- 8:01He's running like perfect routes that are matched with Mahomes perfect ability to get
- 8:05the ball right there.
- 8:07And he catches the ball and there's five, six yards before him and everybody else.
- 8:11There might still be good defense, though.
- 8:13Or there's just perfectly on the spot.
- 8:15Yeah.
- 8:16Right where he knows Kelsey's going to be, where his big paws are going to be.
- 8:18Yeah.
- 8:19And it just makes it happen.
- 8:20And 11 receptions on 11 targets.
- 8:22They don't miss in the playoffs.
- 8:24No, dude, that that was an outstanding showing from from both of them.
- 8:28But like, yeah, the 11 catches on 11 targets was ridiculous.
- 8:31Just just insane.
- 8:32And so I got something real quick for you.
- 8:34Do you think that Mahomes and Kelsey are.
- 8:40I mean, better at this point, like a better tandem than like Tom Brady and Gronk in the
- 8:45playoffs?
- 8:46Yes, I would specifically in the playoffs, like overall, who knows?
- 8:51I overall I give it to Kelsey just because of his health.
- 8:55Sure, sure.
- 8:56But I mean, you're talking just playoffs like the appearances are right on par.
- 9:01It's not like Kelsey's playing this many more games than than they're in.
- 9:05They they both play the same position.
- 9:08They both get the same or similar results.
- 9:11You know, they're never going to average 10, 11, 14 yards a catch like that, just not their
- 9:17their style of play.
- 9:19But they're completely different types of tight end.
- 9:22Yeah, yeah.
- 9:23You know, Bronk won with his physicality.
- 9:26Right.
- 9:27I was going to say I would say Kelsey's a better route runner.
- 9:29But Kelsey's also not near the run blocker of Gronk because Gronk's run block ability
- 9:33was never talked about and how underrated it was like it was just stupid.
- 9:36Good.
- 9:37I mean, Kelsey, like you don't talk about his run blocking ability because he's so good
- 9:41as a receiver, but he's a top blocking tight end in the league.
- 9:44You know, he's not on kiddos level.
- 9:46No, but nobody is.
- 9:48I mean, how many tight ends are probably not on Andrew's level either.
- 9:50But I think Mark Anders is a pretty good road blocker, too.
- 9:53Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 9:54I would definitely agree with that.
- 9:55Other than that, I mean, yeah, none the less.
- 9:58But it's just like and it's just a special tandem to watch.
- 10:01And boy, is it fun to watch, man.
- 10:02It's just special to see.
- 10:04It is a special tandem.
- 10:05And so like I play online games with a bunch of people, blah, blah, blah, whatever.
- 10:10So my buddy Dave and Pensacola, shout out.
- 10:13He was like, does it make a difference that Tom Brady and Gronk did it also in Tampa Bay?
- 10:20Does that make them over the top of Kelsey and Mahomes?
- 10:23And for him it did.
- 10:24For me, I was like, absolutely not.
- 10:25But what does that make a difference for you that they were able to continue on?
- 10:30Like that just shows how good Brady and Gronk were good together, like their chemistry,
- 10:35how good it was they were able to go to another team, another system and repeat the repeat
- 10:39it.
- 10:40No, I mean, I mean, it was absolutely nothing in my opinion on it.
- 10:44I mean, yes, it's a new team, new coach, same system.
- 10:48They incorporated Brady system when we got in there.
- 10:50Gronk was only successful in the playoffs with the Bucs.
- 10:53He didn't play during the year.
- 10:55He didn't need to.
- 10:56They saved him specifically just for the playoffs.
- 10:57True.
- 10:58And where he ate.
- 10:59But where was but where was he eating?
- 11:01He was eating in the red zone.
- 11:04This scheme is so simplified at that point where you could have whatever scheme you want
- 11:08and Gronk still runs an out route and Brady puts the ball where it needs to be or you
- 11:12run a baby fade and Brady puts the ball where it needs to be and it's Rob Gronkowski.
- 11:16And he's just going to be big and go get it.
- 11:17So the coaching scheme, the coach, the team is irrelevant in that opinion in my in that
- 11:22regard in my.
- 11:23I was just curious.
- 11:24You know, so yeah, I mean, it's worth it.
- 11:26It's interesting bringing it up.
- 11:28But but I think that's enough said about this game here, Smelty.
- 11:31You know, the Ravens just they came out flat.
- 11:33They didn't come out like they had been showing.
- 11:35And you know, they paid the price.
- 11:37Well, real quick before like what do the Ravens what's their next step?
- 11:40Like yesterday, flowers fumble that the end zone, which was whack.
- 11:42Do you think that rule should be changed?
- 11:44I do not.
- 11:45But where it fumbles out of the end zone, now it's a touchback.
- 11:47Oh, yeah, I think that real stupid.
- 11:49You do.
- 11:50Yeah.
- 11:51Why?
- 11:53Because it's you're penalizing a player for trying to make a play, I guess.
- 11:58Like, like it's.
- 11:59I don't know.
- 12:00I mean, it's so, I guess, situational at the same time.
- 12:04It's it's an interesting topic because it's going to be a topic of discussion.
- 12:07Sure.
- 12:08And it's just I don't like like, yeah, the defense is making a play like the defense
- 12:13is making a play and causing that to happen.
- 12:15But in the same regard.
- 12:16So what do you do?
- 12:17Do you give the ball back to the receiver where they had it?
- 12:20So the offense just gets the ball back at the goal line.
- 12:23Do you put the offense back at the 20?
- 12:25Like I don't see where you could overrule like turn that rule into something that's,
- 12:30you know, and at the end of the day, it's a rule.
- 12:32The offense at the 20 is interesting.
- 12:33I'll give you that.
- 12:34But like.
- 12:35But then what would it be?
- 12:36First and 10 at the 20?
- 12:37I don't know.
- 12:38That's weird, right?
- 12:39Because and my thing is just like there's so many rules and penalties that that are,
- 12:44you know, offensive.
- 12:47What's the word I'm trying to say?
- 12:50Not focus, I guess, offensive focus, but like the bias.
- 12:54Yeah, yeah.
- 12:56Offensive bias.
- 12:57The defense almost gets nothing half the time.
- 12:58It's like you look at the defense of passing reference versus an OPI.
- 13:02Yeah, right.
- 13:03This is one thing that the defense actually gets like.
- 13:06Did they control the fumble to go out of bounds?
- 13:08Not necessarily just happened to go that way.
- 13:10But like, but again, it's not like the players doing it on their own.
- 13:14The defense is causing it to happen.
- 13:15Right.
- 13:16And I mean, if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty, like if you were to look
- 13:19at the stats, because I'm sure there's out there, there's stats for anything.
- 13:22How often because in that situation, like it has to be the ball is advancing forward
- 13:27for it to go out of bounds.
- 13:28If you were to look at the stats, how many times does the ball fumble forward that the
- 13:31defense recovers that they're stripped of that opportunity because they're out of the
- 13:33field?
- 13:34Right.
- 13:35You know, I'm sure those stats are heavily in the defensive favor in terms of who you're
- 13:38covering that ball if it's in the middle of the field.
- 13:40For sure.
- 13:41And that's just it, right?
- 13:42How often does it actually go out of the back of the end zone?
- 13:44We saw it, what, twice as playoffs?
- 13:45I don't know if I remember ever seeing it.
- 13:48I'm sure it's happened plenty of times that I'm just, you know, tripping.
- 13:51But like, I just don't think you change it.
- 13:54But I just I don't know that when we talked about that, I just wanted to get your opinion
- 13:57about that.
- 13:58I forgot to ask you last week, but I thought that was interesting.
- 14:00Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely interesting.
- 14:03And I think that's going to warrant too much of a discussion as it deserves.
- 14:06No, for sure.
- 14:07But let's move on to the NFC game.
- 14:10So for the record, Smilty and I both had the Ravens in that game covering that three and
- 14:14a half and they lost by seven.
- 14:16So oh, and one to start the day.
- 14:17I'm going to start the week.
- 14:19Moving over to the NFC side of the ball or NFC side of the league here, the Detroit Lions
- 14:25storybook ending finally came to a halt in San Francisco as the 49ers beat the Lions
- 14:3134-31 and the line or as the the Niners were favored by seven in that game.
- 14:36Huge spread for a championship game.
- 14:38I stupidly picked the Lions to cover that spread and Smilty did not.
- 14:43No, you picked the Niners.
- 14:45That's what I meant to say.
- 14:46Thank you for the correction there, sir.
- 14:48But what a game we had here, Smilty.
- 14:49They started off just wild with the Lions just jumping on the Niners 17 to just start
- 14:55the game.
- 14:57And then Dan Campbell is going to Dan Campbell.
- 15:00Yeah.
- 15:01And that's just it, right?
- 15:03Like at half, you know, you're you're up 24 to seven, dude.
- 15:09Like there's no reason like don't take your foot off the gas, which they didn't because
- 15:13of Dan Campbell.
- 15:14And we'll we'll touch on all the Dan Campbellness in a little bit here.
- 15:19But like as far as the rest of the players to just too many mistakes, you know, in general,
- 15:26the fumbles that just too many too many mental mistakes.
- 15:29It's just too many.
- 15:31The drops were bad.
- 15:32Gosh, yeah.
- 15:33And that third quarter.
- 15:34Yeah, I remember.
- 15:35I know exactly what you're talking about.
- 15:37It's just like it's just too many mistakes.
- 15:40They couldn't they couldn't overcome their mistakes.
- 15:42And it's crazy to see a team like that implode that was literally dominant in the first half,
- 15:48like did nothing.
- 15:50Nothing was going to stop the Lions.
- 15:51I honestly didn't think the the Niners had a chance in the second half the way it was
- 15:55going.
- 15:56And I didn't count them out.
- 15:57But I honestly was like there's no way they win this game.
- 16:01Yeah, this game blew me away.
- 16:03Not only from the Lions just jumping out and getting on top of them like they did.
- 16:06And I really didn't think the Niners had a fighting chance after that, just especially
- 16:10because Shanahan is not shown to win from behind.
- 16:14And then, you know, this this is a game of two halves, 100 percent a game of two halves.
- 16:18The classic example of a game of two halves.
- 16:20Yeah, the Niners came out.
- 16:22I wouldn't even necessarily say they came out flat.
- 16:24Lions were making big plays and they just couldn't find they couldn't stop a nosebleed.
- 16:28The Lions were capitalizing on every blown coverage assignment, everything, dude.
- 16:32They were capitalizing on every single thing.
- 16:34No mistakes that first half by Detroit on either side of the ball.
- 16:38They were firing on all sides.
- 16:39Yeah, and Detroit had like it was like 130 or 150 rushing yards in the first half alone.
- 16:44It was just an unjust otherworldly number.
- 16:47David Montgomery, they just couldn't simply stop.
- 16:49Jameson Williams had the huge play.
- 16:51That guy is just a cheetah on the field.
- 16:54And it's just.
- 16:56It's crazy that the Lions lost this game.
- 17:00It's just it's just they got to the second half and then it's like the Motor City kiddies
- 17:06engine seized.
- 17:07You know, that's pretty much that's pretty much how it happened, dude.
- 17:12Like there's there's no way around it.
- 17:14So I will say like Brock Purdy managed the game properly as the game went on.
- 17:21And I mean, he did lead him down there.
- 17:25I'm still not sold on Brock.
- 17:27I'm sorry.
- 17:28I'm not.
- 17:29But like he's playing for the Super Bowl in two weeks.
- 17:32There's something to be said about that.
- 17:34There is something to be said about that.
- 17:37You are correct.
- 17:40Oh, yeah, Brock Purdy.
- 17:46It's hard not to give him his foot.
- 17:48He deserves the flowers of where he's got the team at this point.
- 17:52But how much of the he has put the team has he put the team right?
- 17:57He's surrounded by so much talent.
- 18:00You take Christian McCaffrey out of this game.
- 18:01Do they say the fan that they stand a fighting chance of winning this game?
- 18:06I don't know.
- 18:07I don't know about that.
- 18:09His big playability on any time he touches the ball.
- 18:11Yeah, we can look at the stats and hindsight, 20, 20, blah, blah, blah.
- 18:14But like I need McCaffrey on the field in that office.
- 18:18They have no chance of winning this game in the deficit they had specifically.
- 18:22And we saw McCaffrey.
- 18:24You could say the same about Debo and his importance this game.
- 18:27This game.
- 18:28Absolutely.
- 18:29100 percent.
- 18:30And I'm like, I've not been a Debo hater, but I haven't been like on his train as much.
- 18:36But he is like, as you've said multiple times, he is that Swiss Army knife.
- 18:40Like he's he's that multi tool that you you have to have in your tool.
- 18:44Game changer.
- 18:45He is.
- 18:46He absolutely can be.
- 18:47He absolutely can be.
- 18:48His explosiveness is ridiculous.
- 18:50It's yeah, it's it's an it's insane.
- 18:53And you know what did impress me with Brock?
- 18:55But but you know, like saying that it's I think the word game manager gets so much more
- 19:01hate than it deserves.
- 19:03Because it's like to me, there's not a negative connotation with a game manager.
- 19:08Yeah.
- 19:09If you're called a good game manager, how could that possibly be a negative thing?
- 19:13Like exactly.
- 19:14You're doing again.
- 19:15Look at the win column.
- 19:16He managed the team to 12th.
- 19:18Yeah.
- 19:19And you do what you need to do to put your position in a team and a position to put your
- 19:22team in a position to win and not make the mistakes to cost your team the game.
- 19:26Right.
- 19:27That's what a game manager is.
- 19:29When you need him to go make a play, you rely on the playmakers that you have around that
- 19:33game manager.
- 19:34Right.
- 19:35It's it's like I don't know.
- 19:37I mean, so how I how I always look at when we're looking at this, right, you take a quarterback
- 19:42that is in the same regard that that that the player a here is held right in this position
- 19:48in this specific take, we're taking Brock Purdy as a top tier quarterback.
- 19:52So he's in the likes of the Josh Allen's the OK, let's not let's go a tier below that.
- 19:58Right.
- 19:59I think Josh Allen and Mahomes are kind of in a league at their own.
- 20:01At this point, you can put a healthy burrow in there.
- 20:03But it's like you put you put.
- 20:06But he you're saying he's tier two, though, like high tier two.
- 20:09I'm not necessarily saying that from my personal opinion.
- 20:11That's where he's regarded and say, like the social aspect of everything.
- 20:15Right.
- 20:16So he's in he's in the tiers of, you know, the Jalen Hurts, the Lamar Jacksons, the two
- 20:19was that that second tier.
- 20:22How I look at it is if you take one quarterback and you swap teams, let's say Jordan Love,
- 20:27for example, you put Brock Purdy on the Packers this year and love on the Niners.
- 20:30You think the Packers are in the playoffs?
- 20:34Personally no.
- 20:35You put Jordan Love on the Niners.
- 20:36You think that they have any sort of like deficiency from what they have with Purdy?
- 20:41I think you still see the what love has learned throughout the season because he's consistently
- 20:46gotten better.
- 20:47I would say I think you still see that far more advanced rate with the weapons around
- 20:50him.
- 20:51Yes, I would agree.
- 20:52And he had he did not have much to work with with the Packers.
- 20:56Now they've now realized and found some pieces.
- 21:00Absolutely.
- 21:01That will be nice going into next season that now you can start game planning around because
- 21:05you know exactly what you're going to get from them now at this point, if not more.
- 21:09But if you put Brock with those same guys at the beginning of the season, I don't know.
- 21:13I don't know.
- 21:14And that could just be me sounding like I'm hating on Brock.
- 21:17Maybe.
- 21:18But I just there's one more key thing here that doesn't get talked about in this circle
- 21:21enough and the 49ers have an all world defense.
- 21:26Packers don't have an all world defense.
- 21:27They don't fire your D coordinator if you have an all the all world defense.
- 21:31You know, so it's like so that you also like you can count on the Niners to go make a stop
- 21:36when you need them to.
- 21:38And the Niners did that in the second half of that game until, you know, almost considered
- 21:42garbage time at that point where Detroit got that one at the end.
- 21:45But like, dude, they they locked it down that whole second half Detroit's offense.
- 21:49Yes, there was miscues from them.
- 21:51But like the defense took advantage of those.
- 21:54They absolutely did.
- 21:55They couldn't do they the offense could do nothing for the.
- 21:58Yeah, the the halftime adjustments from Steve Wilkes, if I'm not mistaken, is the D coordinator
- 22:02for San Francisco.
- 22:05The halftime adjustments were incredible.
- 22:06You know, they couldn't get the ball.
- 22:07They couldn't get the run game going.
- 22:08And if you can't get the run game going in this offense and the Lions, you can't rely
- 22:12on just the passing game.
- 22:13They have one all world beater in Amon Ross St. Brown.
- 22:17You have a stud in Sam Laporta.
- 22:20But the Niners have two studs at inside linebacker at Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner to try to
- 22:25take that Laporta aspect out of it.
- 22:28And then you double team Amon Ross St. Brown and you have to rely on Josh Reynolds to drop
- 22:31two passes.
- 22:32Huge, huge passes.
- 22:33Right.
- 22:34Which he's caught.
- 22:35He's caught most of those this season, to be honest with you.
- 22:39He hasn't been that bad.
- 22:41Absolutely.
- 22:42It's just it's like it's just the big moment was just too big for Detroit.
- 22:46It was.
- 22:47And if you're a Detroit fan this time around, you have to be nothing but happy with how
- 22:50the season went.
- 22:52You can question the decision making, which we will touch on here later in the pod.
- 22:57You can question that, but you have to be nothing but happy with what the team is.
- 23:00You don't have any, you know, the team's still pretty young and intact.
- 23:04They're going to be a team to kind of reckon with here for the foreseeable future.
- 23:08And that's something you can say as a Lions fan in my 31 years of existence.
- 23:12I mean, next season, they're probably already favorite as the NFC North champs next year.
- 23:18Probably not.
- 23:19But by the media, by the media, I would imagine the Lions still edge the Packers.
- 23:23Now between me and you, I do think the Packers can challenge them for the division.
- 23:29I think the Vikings are a solid third, depending on what they do at quarter.
- 23:32Now, if Kirk Cousins comes back, I do think the Vikings could make a run and challenge
- 23:37both teams.
- 23:38I think the Bears probably draft Caleb Williams and start rebuilding.
- 23:41But so I don't think they're a factor at this point.
- 23:44But I don't know.
- 23:47Yeah, I see.
- 23:49I think the I think the Packers are going to come in as the favorite even in the media
- 23:53simply because of the last 30 years.
- 23:57You have to weigh that in.
- 23:59Which is fair.
- 24:00You should probably weigh that.
- 24:03And with just like the the I don't know.
- 24:05I mean, we'll have to see.
- 24:06We'll have to see.
- 24:07I'm curious now, though.
- 24:09Yeah, the Bears talk is going to be.
- 24:11The crazy thing is, if you think about like the season and how it was unfolding, the NFC
- 24:15North was regarded as one of the worst divisions in football in the early portion of the year.
- 24:20Which is crap, because they're really not when you look at them as a whole.
- 24:23So in the early portion of the year, you look at them as a whole.
- 24:25The Lions were the only team that was worth talking about.
- 24:27Yes, in fact.
- 24:28Packers were in a drought.
- 24:29Vikings were in a drought.
- 24:30Bears have been in a drought since 86.
- 24:38But even the Bears, you look at the second half of the year is the Bears.
- 24:42That they mean to think that the Bears had eight wins this year.
- 24:46Sorry, seven wins this year.
- 24:48And they were and they they were playing well, actually, at the end of the season.
- 24:51They were playing team.
- 24:52They were.
- 24:53So if I'm the Bears, I don't take Caleb Bloom's again.
- 24:57We can talk.
- 24:58That's a discussion.
- 24:59But like they played well at the end of the season.
- 25:02So they I mean, they could.
- 25:04Who knows the Bears could finish second next year in the division.
- 25:06I don't know.
- 25:07I don't think so.
- 25:08I guess where I was going with that is like you simply can't say the same now going into
- 25:12next year and how the season unfolded.
- 25:14True.
- 25:15Like the NFC North is going to be a powerhouse.
- 25:17They will be as it always will be.
- 25:19It should be.
- 25:20That is the black and blue part of football's NFC North.
- 25:24It's the two north division.
- 25:25It does run through.
- 25:26Unfortunately, I hate to say this.
- 25:27It does run through the frozen tundra.
- 25:29But like that is that is like just oh, man, that just it's like I said, black and blue
- 25:36history, man.
- 25:37NFC North, it's they're going to run down your throat.
- 25:40And now Jordan Love might change that to throwing over the top.
- 25:43Oh, I love it.
- 25:45Smelsey.
- 25:46I love it.
- 25:47Smelsey.
- 25:48I love it.
- 25:49Smelsey.
- 25:50I already got my love jersey pre or no, I'm just playing.
- 25:52I probably will get a love jersey, though.
- 25:53We got to sign them, though.
- 25:54You know, we got it.
- 25:55We got to get them.
- 25:56We got to get them out of Connie before.
- 25:58So rumor actually has it just quick on that is that the rumors obviously the rumors came
- 26:03out and were saying that the Packers are looking to make love one of the highest paid quarterbacks
- 26:06in the NFL.
- 26:07Holy.
- 26:08Do you think they should do that?
- 26:10Yeah.
- 26:11Should he be paid upwards of Josh Allen, Patty Mahomes?
- 26:15No, no, no, no.
- 26:17That kind of money.
- 26:18No Jackson money.
- 26:20The Sean Watson money, Danny Dimes money, probably.
- 26:24Yeah, I mean, that's just the unfortunate side of things is Danny Dimes is now regarded
- 26:29as like the market value just because of how stupid that contract was.
- 26:35So but, you know, with what he did in the second half of this season, he showed that
- 26:40he has all of the tools, the fundamentals, the everything you're looking for, right,
- 26:45in terms of potential and what he could be.
- 26:47He could work his way into consistently top three to top five quarterback in the NFL for
- 26:52the next eight years.
- 26:53Holy crap for the next eight.
- 26:56Wow.
- 26:57Starting next year, top three to top five.
- 26:59No, I.
- 27:00Top five.
- 27:02I mean, I would say if you look at from week 12, week 11 towards the end of the year this
- 27:07year, he was a top three quarterback in the NFL.
- 27:11Sure.
- 27:12Now there's 18 weeks in a season.
- 27:15You can't go off of six, seven math, but it's.
- 27:21But it's like, but the only thing you can do is like the what you saw in the growth
- 27:24with how we developed within the system, got the talent or not the talent, got the trust
- 27:28in the receivers and like how young they are.
- 27:30Like there's only room for them to grow right now.
- 27:32So yeah, I could I could very easily see as early as next year you have a top five quarterback
- 27:37in Jordan Love.
- 27:38OK.
- 27:39And that's worth a top two.
- 27:42Yeah, you heard it here first.
- 27:44Tyler says he's going to be top five quarterback.
- 27:46I said he could be.
- 27:48Yeah, true facts.
- 27:49He did say could he did say could.
- 27:51Yeah.
- 27:52And I don't know.
- 27:53I mean, I just don't see how that wouldn't happen because we're not losing anybody, especially
- 27:56on the offensive side of the ball.
- 27:58Well that wraps up Championship Sunday in the NFL season.
- 28:02For the record, Smelsey did catch me this week.
- 28:05I was 0 and 2 being how I picked the Niners to cover.
- 28:08Smelsey ended up being 1 and 1.
- 28:09So for the playoffs, Smelsey has a 2 win advantage on me.
- 28:13I am 3 and 9.
- 28:14So I really hope you loyal listeners are not loyal to our betting, at least on my sake.
- 28:20And Smelsey in at 5 and 7.
- 28:22So for the season, Smelsey jumped me.
- 28:25He jumped me.
- 28:26He's one game ahead.
- 28:27I'm coming in at 22 and 27.
- 28:29Smelsey at 23 and 26.
- 28:31We could tie at the end of the year.
- 28:32I was gonna say we got one game left though.
- 28:34We got one game left.
- 28:35We could tie at the end of the year or you could catch me by two.
- 28:39Or we could end at what it is if we agree.
- 28:41We shall see.
- 28:42True.
- 28:43Well, that's all we have for you for that this past week of football.
- 28:46We're going to move on to tent talk.
- 28:489-1-1 what's your emergency?
- 28:51All right, let's break down some tent talk.
- 28:55So as always, we typically do start with the injuries.
- 28:58However, this week there's no injuries worth talking about.
- 29:02You know, we have no real injuries that came from that game.
- 29:04The people that are kind of working through injuries, Willie Gay, for example, on the
- 29:07Chiefs, we got two weeks for them to come back.
- 29:09So any report we see right now is not going to be accurate to what we're going to see
- 29:13in two weeks.
- 29:14So no injuries we're going to talk about here.
- 29:16We're going to switch over to some news.
- 29:18You know, we really haven't had a lot of news now that a lot of the head coaching gigs have
- 29:22been filled.
- 29:23But one prior head coach, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith going to Pittsburgh
- 29:29to be the offensive coordinator.
- 29:31Boy Smeltzi, do I love that for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- 29:35This is actually a low, a really low key like good move, to be honest with you, because
- 29:41if you don't remember before the Falcons head coaching gig, he was the OC for the Titans
- 29:48and led Derrick Henry to one of the highest scoring Titans teams in years.
- 29:54He led Derrick Henry to a 2000 yard rushing season.
- 29:57Right, right.
- 29:58So now if you look at it, he's going to a team that's got Najee and Jaylen Warren.
- 30:05And that is an offense right now that really needs a solid rushing attack to open up that
- 30:10passing attack a little bit more for Pickett or whoever decides whoever's going to be Pittsburgh's
- 30:15quarterback.
- 30:16Dude, I think I think this is a low underrated move that's going to fly under the radar just
- 30:21because he lost his head coaching gig.
- 30:23But I think this is a huge move.
- 30:25So not only that, can you name a Titans team or this Atlanta Falcons team for Artie Smith
- 30:30that he's had a Deontay Johnson, a George Pickens and a Pat Fryermuth at Titan?
- 30:37No, dude, dude, he's got he has weapons.
- 30:39It's whether or not for me, it's whether or not Kenny Pickett takes that next step forward.
- 30:44That's going to be the big thing.
- 30:45I think that's the biggest aspect.
- 30:48Otherwise like Mason Rudolph showed and now he also showed why he shouldn't be the starter.
- 30:52But he showed that if Kenny Pickett falters, they could turn to him.
- 30:56They should.
- 30:57But they could.
- 30:58They could.
- 30:59He showed enough when he was playing well enough.
- 31:01I hate Mason Rudolph because the whole Miles Garrett thing.
- 31:04And I just I'll never forget that was crazy.
- 31:07But like, I don't know.
- 31:10I am curious because people are not happy with Pickett's play.
- 31:15It's like what this was year two for Pickett.
- 31:17This was year two for Pickett.
- 31:18He got hurt.
- 31:19He missed a lot of the year.
- 31:20I've said it smells.
- 31:21You got to you got to look at who this guy has had as an offensive.
- 31:26I know.
- 31:27Right.
- 31:28And this offensive play system was so freaking bad, bro.
- 31:32When they made the switch, Pickett was already done.
- 31:35So we didn't even win the Steelers offense in quotations, turned it around and actually
- 31:39looked like a decent offense in the NFL.
- 31:42Pickens was going off.
- 31:44Pickens was going off.
- 31:45He was scoring touchdowns.
- 31:46Harris had his.
- 31:47Najee actually had some yards.
- 31:48Yeah, he wouldn't have gotten to a thousand yards without that.
- 31:51Yeah.
- 31:52So and like Pickett wasn't the quarterback.
- 31:54Yeah, Mason Rudolph.
- 31:55He ain't a quarterback in the NFL.
- 31:56Let's not go there.
- 31:57I'm going to pick it over Mason Rudolph any day of the week.
- 32:00But I think this year is a make or break year for Kenny Pickett.
- 32:02And even and even Jalen Warren, like he had seven hundred eighty four yards.
- 32:06Yeah.
- 32:07And I mean, do you have you have it in front of you?
- 32:09How many receiving yards did he have?
- 32:11Jalen Warren.
- 32:12Let's take a peek here.
- 32:13He had three hundred seventy.
- 32:15He was over a thousand scrimmage yards on this year.
- 32:18So you have two backs over a thousand scrimmage yards and you give them an Artie Smith.
- 32:23Even with a.
- 32:25Not porous, but a poor Kenny Pickett, you rely on those two running the ball.
- 32:30You're going to be just fine.
- 32:31You have that system.
- 32:33It will help pick it out.
- 32:35I think we will see a different picket next year.
- 32:37And like you said, he did get injured.
- 32:39You remember what the injury was?
- 32:40No, I don't.
- 32:41I don't.
- 32:42I don't think I remember.
- 32:43Like no big deal.
- 32:44But like it is imagined that he will be back for the week one next year.
- 32:49And I would imagine we're going to see a way different Steelers offense adding to a defense
- 32:53that's already not really not that bad.
- 32:56Oh, sure.
- 32:57Offense is good.
- 32:58Sears did this defense.
- 32:59I'm sorry.
- 33:00The Steelers defense is the only reason they made the playoffs.
- 33:02Right.
- 33:03They're not.
- 33:04They're not that bad.
- 33:05Now, if you can fix that offense, we could we could see them return into the playoffs
- 33:08again next year after all the rumblings of Mike Tomlin might be exonate, blah, blah,
- 33:13blah, which is a bunch of crap.
- 33:15But yeah, no, I don't want to continue on on the same thing.
- 33:19But I just I think that's a really underrated move.
- 33:21Yeah, I think this is the best thing Tomlin could have done to like squash all the rumors.
- 33:25Yes.
- 33:26100 percent.
- 33:27They're ready to go.
- 33:28He needs to.
- 33:29He's Mike freaking Tomlin.
- 33:30I yeah, yeah, I'm there with you.
- 33:33All right.
- 33:34Well, let's let's move over then do some somewhat surprising move.
- 33:38Ben Johnson is staying in Detroit.
- 33:41He was one of the high that came out today, actually, that he was one of the hottest names
- 33:44on the market.
- 33:45He's a young, bright offensive mind.
- 33:47Everybody loves that because of that McVeigh Shanahan, you know what they've branched out
- 33:51with people have done and accomplished now.
- 33:53So quite surprising.
- 33:54He's staying in Detroit.
- 33:55Now, the one thing that's not Mr. Johnson's favor.
- 33:59The team lasted so long, six of the positions were already filled by the time he had a chance
- 34:04to even interview or like, you know, accepted, accepted job.
- 34:08So you're picking between the Seahawks and the commanders.
- 34:11I don't know if I would necessarily make that move yet either.
- 34:14Do you think that's what it is?
- 34:17Just the the opportunities that were available when he was available to be hired?
- 34:22Or do you think it's more or less like he's bought into what Detroit's doing at least
- 34:27for one more season or a little of both?
- 34:29I think it's kind of a combination of both.
- 34:31You know, if you look at both teams, the Seahawks are in a position right now where you take
- 34:35over, you're in a really, that was the second best.
- 34:40You can make a strong argument for Atlanta in there too, but the second best coaching
- 34:43option, in my opinion, behind the Chargers.
- 34:45Yeah, sure.
- 34:46You know, because they have talent galore on offense.
- 34:49They have a defense that's young and upcoming, two studs on the outside.
- 34:52They have a chance to make the playoffs.
- 34:53Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 34:55So you know, I think it'd be a good position, especially for a young, bright offensive mind
- 35:01and you know, with the offense that they have and the pieces they have.
- 35:04So it just makes you wonder why not them.
- 35:07That's very true.
- 35:08And that's where I think it goes into play here that, you know, he is bought into that
- 35:11Campbell system.
- 35:13And you know, and at the end of the day, he is really young.
- 35:15He will get that opportunity again next year, maybe get a year of another coaching experience
- 35:20just as an OC, maybe learn a little bit more from how Campbell actually runs the team versus
- 35:24just, you know, runs the offense.
- 35:26Maybe we'll start seeing products of Dan Campbell now starting to scoot around the NFL and his
- 35:32coaching style.
- 35:33Yeah, Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator for the Lions, has interviewed with the commanders.
- 35:37He's in the head coaching ranks right now, too.
- 35:39So yeah, you're exactly right.
- 35:40That's wild.
- 35:41Like, he could be the next, you know, I don't know who you want to even say.
- 35:45There's plenty of coaches that have had coaches go underneath their coaching tree and go off
- 35:50and do great things in the NFL.
- 35:51But maybe Campbell's the next one.
- 35:53I don't know.
- 35:54Yeah, he very well could be.
- 35:55He very well could be.
- 35:56But let's move on.
- 35:58One of the most interesting and surprising news is that out there is there's two head
- 36:01coaches that currently don't have a job in Mike Vrabel and Bill Belichick.
- 36:08How surprising is that, Smelty?
- 36:09Oh, extremely.
- 36:10I mean, obviously it's already extremely surprising for Bill B to still be out there.
- 36:17Just enough said, honestly.
- 36:21Maybe they just don't want him to come in and just like act like he needs to run the
- 36:24show.
- 36:25They just want him to be a head coach and maybe he just he wants more than that.
- 36:28Nobody's willing to give him that because he has interviewed what?
- 36:31Two different teams before they win a different direction.
- 36:34Yep.
- 36:35So I have two theories with that, right?
- 36:37I think you are exactly right.
- 36:38No owner wants to give up that much control.
- 36:41And I also think that next year is make or break for Mike McCarthy.
- 36:43Bill Belichick sits out this year, just kind of looks at sees everything.
- 36:47He's a consultant.
- 36:48He gets paid to consulting quotations for a team.
- 36:50Mike McCarthy, if the Cowboys don't win the Super Bowl next year is going to be gone.
- 36:54Bill Belichick slides into that Cowboys role.
- 36:56Bill Belichick and Jerry Jones are a match made in heaven.
- 36:58And what does Bill have to prove to coach this year?
- 37:01Nothing.
- 37:02What does Bill have to prove to coach any time if he were to ever step foot on a coaching
- 37:07field?
- 37:08I mean, nothing.
- 37:09Do you think his interviews are just formality for him to like be like, I'm putting my name
- 37:15out there, but I don't really want to go and coach or do anything.
- 37:18No, I don't think so, because I don't think he would put his name in the hits.
- 37:21Bill Belichick, if he doesn't want it, he's not going to go and do it.
- 37:23And I think that Atlanta was I was very, very surprised he's not in Atlanta.
- 37:27And who went to Atlanta again?
- 37:28Raheem Morris.
- 37:29And he's from the Rams defense coordinator, if I'm not mistaken.
- 37:34He was he was on the Niners, though.
- 37:36Yeah, OK.
- 37:39I mean, who's who's a better fit in Seattle right now?
- 37:42As it stands, obviously, we just talked about Seattle potentially being a out, you know,
- 37:46a bubble team, let's just say a bubble team for the playoffs next year, no matter what
- 37:50with the talent they have.
- 37:52Who's a better fit between Vrabel and Belichick?
- 37:54Or did you neither one of them take that?
- 37:57Ben Johnson.
- 37:58He's out.
- 37:59So not an option.
- 38:00So I yeah, that in my opinion, that's the best candidate for that position and what
- 38:04that team could use.
- 38:05You look at Belichick and you look at Vrabel, they're both defensive coaches.
- 38:08Now Belichick knows more about he Belichick's forgotten more about offense than Vrabel probably
- 38:13knows about defense.
- 38:14Right.
- 38:15Let's think about that one.
- 38:17But it's like so Belichick knows his way around the offense and he would be just fine.
- 38:21I think the bigger issue there is the the amount of control.
- 38:24I think the big thing goes down to how much control Belichick is going to be allowed to
- 38:27have, how much he wants and how much that owner is going to be willing to give up.
- 38:31But to answer your question, Seattle, how much do you think Jerry Jones would give like
- 38:38control like just to go on that really quick, then we should probably move on.
- 38:41But how much control do you think Jerry Jones would give Bill Belichick if we're looking
- 38:45at a Bill Belichick led Cowboys in 2025?
- 38:49You know what the Cowboys are that very, very, very little teams, if not, now that Belichick's
- 38:55out of the New England.
- 38:57You know what Cowboys don't have that every other team in the NFL does now the Belichick's
- 39:00out of New England?
- 39:01A GM, a general manager.
- 39:03Right.
- 39:04Bill Belichick doesn't have to have a general manager above him.
- 39:06He can oversee that role.
- 39:08He can coordinate and consult with Jerry Jones to be that GM, take on that role aspect of
- 39:13it without having it.
- 39:15It's almost the exact same situation as what he had in New England.
- 39:18I was going to say, do you think Jerry Jones would give up that a little bit of that power
- 39:22to like consult with him and like actually take his opinion into account?
- 39:25I guess at this point he probably would.
- 39:28The dude wants to win a freaking Super Bowl.
- 39:30So I would bet he's all in.
- 39:33But I mean, they're committed to McCarthy.
- 39:35So for this year, if they don't win the Super Bowl, McCarthy's out.
- 39:40You think so?
- 39:41Super Bowl or lose your job?
- 39:43100%.
- 39:44What?
- 39:45It's Dallas, bro.
- 39:46We got rid of Tom Landry.
- 39:48You've had three of the best.
- 39:49Jerry got rid of Tom Landry.
- 39:51Yeah.
- 39:52Yeah.
- 39:53Yeah.
- 39:54Like Jerry don't care.
- 39:55Jerry's about winning and getting a Super Bowl back to Dallas.
- 39:57That's all he cares about.
- 39:58And he's given McCarthy the time.
- 40:00And they've done it in the regular season, but they can't get over that postseason hump.
- 40:04That's the Cowboys.
- 40:05Let's move on, sir.
- 40:06We're going to end here.
- 40:07We're not going to touch on it too much.
- 40:09This is more a me segment here with the Packers currently having the D.C. defensive coordinator
- 40:15spot open.
- 40:16They've interviewed, you know, five or six guys at this point.
- 40:20It was kind of who do I want to see go into that role?
- 40:23And there's surprisingly we haven't really even been in the talks or looked at Wink Martindale.
- 40:27I would like that from an experience standpoint.
- 40:29However, I think in a perfect world, I'm not going to get a perfect role because Mike Vrabel
- 40:34is not going to come to Green Bay, right?
- 40:37Simply not going to happen.
- 40:38I'm just joking more or less when I say that.
- 40:40But there is one really, really, really hot name out there right now for getting a lot
- 40:45of interviews even.
- 40:47And that is the Denver Broncos defensive back coach, Christian Parker.
- 40:51What he's done with that Denver secondary with a Jesse Simmons back or is a no Jesse
- 40:57Simmons.
- 40:58No, it's not Jesse Simmons.
- 40:59It's Simmons.
- 41:00It's that's really Justin.
- 41:01Justin Simmons.
- 41:02Oh, yeah, Justin Simmons.
- 41:03And then, I mean, no, Pastor Tan was going to be good wherever.
- 41:05But what he's done to even help sculpt and mold him.
- 41:08And he's 32 years old.
- 41:10Smeltzi.
- 41:11He's young.
- 41:12He's bright.
- 41:13We're going to get somebody that's innovative.
- 41:14We have had these older coaches the past however many coordinators you look at.
- 41:18Joe Berry, Mike Patton, old fella Dom Capers.
- 41:23We haven't had anybody young that's in there.
- 41:25Look what happened when we hired a young head coach in Lafleur.
- 41:29It worked out pretty well.
- 41:30It's working out pretty well.
- 41:31Let's get a young defensive mind in there.
- 41:33Someone that might give you that D'Amico Ryan's type of fact.
- 41:36And let's just make a finally a change that's not like the Packers.
- 41:40And I'm going to throw one name out there that I would hate that we would hire.
- 41:43And it's Brandon Staley.
- 41:44Dude, don't do that.
- 41:46No, don't do that.
- 41:48Don't actually.
- 41:49Yes, do that.
- 41:50Do that.
- 41:51Do that.
- 41:52My bad.
- 41:53I'm going to change that.
- 41:54Yes, please do that.
- 41:55But I know you joke about variable.
- 41:56But with all the head coaching vacancies that are now filled, it is becoming less and
- 42:01less of a joke as a possibility.
- 42:03I don't think it will happen.
- 42:06But he still doesn't have a job.
- 42:10And he will have a job before the season starts.
- 42:13But if he doesn't smelty, he's not in the same realm as Belichick.
- 42:17But what does he have to prove?
- 42:18There's going to be a head coaching gig for him next year.
- 42:20I could very much see him being a consultant this year.
- 42:22Sure, sure.
- 42:23You know, I don't think he's as a guarantee.
- 42:26He's not as much of a guarantee to have a job at the start of next year as I think as
- 42:29as you believe.
- 42:30I think.
- 42:31No, well, I don't know, dude.
- 42:33I he could.
- 42:35I'm curious to see.
- 42:36I think you may not think so.
- 42:38But that's that's my said.
- 42:39I think he'll have a job before the start of the season.
- 42:42I hope he has a job in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- 42:44I'm not saying a consultant role.
- 42:45I'm talking maybe some sort of coordinator role or I guess if it's not a coordinator
- 42:50role, it would be some sort of analyst or consultant.
- 42:53Yeah, most definitely.
- 42:55Most definitely.
- 42:56Well, that wraps up what we have for 10 talk.
- 42:59We're going to move into my favorite segment of the week.
- 43:03Your bonehead move of the week presented by Smelty.
- 43:06Yes, yo, of course, Smelty with bonehead of the week.
- 43:12But thanks for the intro.
- 43:14But I'm a little fifty fifty on this one, to be honest with you.
- 43:18Dan Campbell is, of course, our subject of bonehead this week for probably some obvious
- 43:23reasons to some and not so obvious reasons to others.
- 43:27So I just kind of want to start it off like what did you see that kind of tripped maybe
- 43:31in your brain that he could be a bonehead this week?
- 43:35So this is one that I can see both sides making a pretty, pretty strong argument for the decisions,
- 43:40right?
- 43:41One, I would say more important than the other.
- 43:44But in the grand scheme of it, those two decisions turned out to be pretty crucial.
- 43:48And that's not kicking a field goal when you're in field goal range and going for it.
- 43:52The big one, the end of the game, they were down three in field goal position.
- 43:57It was fourth and three golf threw it to Reynolds.
- 44:01Reynolds drops it.
- 44:03So I got something for you on that.
- 44:04Now this is off of X, some fella named Nate Atkins.
- 44:10So I don't know if these stats are correct, but this is interesting if they are.
- 44:14The Lions were 15 of 20, 75%, at converting fourth and three or fewer in the regular season,
- 44:20and they were two of two in the postseason.
- 44:23Michael Bagley, Badgley is it Badgley or Bagley?
- 44:26I feel like it's Bagley, but I could be wrong.
- 44:28They're kicker, whatever.
- 44:29My bad, Michael.
- 44:30Was nine of 20, 45%, in his career from 48 plus yards, worst among high volume kickers
- 44:38in NFL history.
- 44:40So the analytics in that moment in time tell you to go for it.
- 44:45Now of course, us seeing in the MC North who Dan Campbell is and who he's shown to be all
- 44:50season long, dude's going for it.
- 44:52That's his identity.
- 44:54That is literally his identity.
- 44:56So I'm not, that's why I'm 50-50, kind of like on how you touched already.
- 45:01That's who he is.
- 45:02That's what he does.
- 45:04But in the playoffs like that and crunch time, it's situational.
- 45:10It's a situational football, right?
- 45:11So with the flow of the game and how the game's going, your offense hasn't done jack squat
- 45:17in the second half.
- 45:18You're in a position to score points.
- 45:20You just need to trust your defense to hold them.
- 45:22Worst case scenario, do a field goal.
- 45:25It's a tie game with the field goal if the Lions would have kicked it.
- 45:30And we wouldn't be talking about this Melty if Reynolds didn't drop the ball.
- 45:33No, and for sure, for sure.
- 45:36So it was probably the right call.
- 45:40Maybe it's that's the 50-50 though, because I mean, is it the right call?
- 45:44They lost the game.
- 45:45So, of course, we're going to say no, because it's 2020.
- 45:48You can always, it's always that way.
- 45:51Yeah, it's, it's just, if it's any other coach in the NFL in the position that they're in,
- 45:57I'm almost positive.
- 45:58Well, hopefully Lefleur might not think this because of how bad Carlson's been.
- 46:04But they're kicking the ball, bro.
- 46:06Like, yeah, the stats, he's a, whatever you said the percentages were for Bagley.
- 46:09It's an energy championship game.
- 46:11Like it's, you're in a position to tie the game.
- 46:15You have a kicker.
- 46:17He's not a young guy.
- 46:18He's been in the league for a little bit, right?
- 46:20So has he been in the playoffs?
- 46:22No, but I don't know, man.
- 46:24You got to kick that ball.
- 46:26And like you said, the 49ers then went down and scored, scored a TD.
- 46:30Lions surround scored a TD.
- 46:31So at that point, if that's still, if those TDs still happen, they're tied then if they
- 46:35make the field goal.
- 46:36There's so much timeless, mostly there's still seven and a half minutes.
- 46:38So let's say he misses that field goal.
- 46:3949ers get it at midfield.
- 46:42There's still seven and a half minutes for you to make a play.
- 46:45Yeah.
- 46:46You got to kick the ball right there.
- 46:47What you still ended up doing, you still ended up score, going back down and scoring a touchdown.
- 46:50Yeah.
- 46:51So let's say you kick the field goal and everything happened that transpired at the end of the
- 46:54game.
- 46:55Like you're tied with the Niners having the two minute drill to go down and get a field
- 46:57goal or with, or score the Niners to score.
- 47:00Right?
- 47:01So you're at those odds a lot better than, you know, hopefully getting that fourth down.
- 47:06And then at the end of the day, you're trying to get a touchdown over a field goal and you
- 47:09take the lead.
- 47:10Yeah.
- 47:11You take off more time on the clock.
- 47:12So there is advantages to doing it.
- 47:13And like you said, it's Dan Campbell.
- 47:14It's who he's proven to be.
- 47:15He's not going to change.
- 47:17And as if I'm in Dan Campbell's shoes with who he is, you got to go for it because that's
- 47:23what you've shown your team you're going to do.
- 47:25And that's just it, right?
- 47:26The players are bought into it.
- 47:27Right.
- 47:28And it's, and I hate to even bring it up, but it's a momentum thing too.
- 47:31If you get that first down, holy crap.
- 47:34Now you're feeling great.
- 47:35Now you're, now you're really moving.
- 47:36You already moved it down the field.
- 47:37Now you're in control only down three with a chance to continue the drive and score TD.
- 47:43Now if you don't get it, dude, huge momentum killer.
- 47:46Boom.
- 47:47You see the Niners turn around and score TD.
- 47:48I'm a huge believer in the momentum of the game.
- 47:51And ultimately I'm kind of in agreements with you.
- 47:54I think he made the right call.
- 47:57It's just tough.
- 47:58It's just tough.
- 47:59It's going to be a debate all off season, you know, most likely, but again, hindsight's
- 48:052020 you're always like, Oh, I should have kicked the field goal.
- 48:08Now if you kick the field goal and still lose the game, all I should have went for it to
- 48:10try to go for that touch.
- 48:11It's the same, the same deal.
- 48:13So he stuck to his identity and I got to respect it.
- 48:16Yeah, for sure.
- 48:17And he like, and I hope he doesn't change from this.
- 48:20Stay who you are.
- 48:21Like keep doing it, man.
- 48:23Like it's, it's worked for you.
- 48:25It's worked for you.
- 48:26And that's why you're going to keep doing it.
- 48:27And that's why you did it.
- 48:28Right.
- 48:29I'm not saying uniformly that he decided he's going to go for it in this situation.
- 48:32Everybody knew he was going to go for it.
- 48:33Right.
- 48:34And that's just it.
- 48:35We've seen it in the NFL as a whole, the last few seasons.
- 48:38But Dan Campbell specifically is really, I guess, mastering it.
- 48:42I mean, if those stats are real for the regular season.
- 48:45That's pretty nice.
- 48:46Yeah.
- 48:47Most certainly.
- 48:48Most certainly.
- 48:49Most certainly.
- 48:50But you know, in terms of a, we didn't have much for the bonehead segment this week, but
- 48:55in that kind of takes the cake about the only thing that's, I mean, we got the best of the
- 48:58best going at it. There's not many people, you know, other than players, need to stay
- 49:02under control of their emotions who, no matter who you are, that's it, man. Like, there's
- 49:07a number of different things that happen. Real quick, just before we move on, did you
- 49:12happen to see the, not even scuffle spat, whatever, the Justin Tucker and Patrick Mahomes-
- 49:18Travis Kelsey exchange pregame?
- 49:20That was so, like, elementally hilarious.
- 49:23Is that so petty, dude? And I actually read an article about Justin Tucker, and he's like,
- 49:28I didn't really care. It was kind of funny than anything, but like, I've done the same
- 49:32thing for 12 years with zero issue before, so it was just kind of bogus to me.
- 49:36Yeah, he came on, he said it was like, yeah, I thought there was just some gamemanship,
- 49:40but they seem to be taking it a lot more serious than me.
- 49:42Yes, exactly.
- 49:43Let's be honest, Justin Tucker could wake up at 11 47, drive 11 minutes to get to the
- 49:49game, just happens to be in his uniform and go kick a 62 yarder without any issue.
- 49:54Yeah, he's fine, dude.
- 49:55The last thing he needs is to warm up.
- 49:57Yeah, but so that's why it probably just didn't matter to him. But I just thought it was funny.
- 50:01And I would agree with him. Like, Mahomes and Kelsey took it like way more serious than
- 50:07he was. Obviously, just funny petty stuff. Nothing really came of it. Obviously, I haven't
- 50:12heard Mahomes or Kelsey even address it yet.
- 50:14They won't.
- 50:15Which is fine.
- 50:16They won the game.
- 50:17It's just funny. Yeah, they won't. But it's like, dude, come on, man. You're one of the
- 50:20H.O.F. kicker, man. He's just he's just warming up. Leave him alone, bro. He's in the middle
- 50:25of the hashes, too. He's not bugging you. Yeah, he's not interrupting nothing in the
- 50:28middle of the hashes for them. I can't remember the yarders, but it's pretty narrow. Yeah.
- 50:32He's not. He's literally in the middle of the field, bro. Yeah. So whatever. That's
- 50:35all I just had to mention that. So yeah, most certainly, most certainly. All righty. Well,
- 50:40that's all we have for the bonehead move of the week. This week, we have a little lapse
- 50:44in football here this week, Smeltzi. It's been a long time now. I mean, we do have the
- 50:48Pro Bowl, but I wouldn't say that's football. Yeah, that's not football. Like football and
- 50:53dodgeball and stuff. Yeah. But as we all know, in two weeks, the granddaddy of them all played
- 50:58in Las Vegas this year. The Chiefs will be taking on the 49ers. The 49ers are the early
- 51:04early betting favorites coming in as a one and a half point favorite and a little bit
- 51:10on the surprising side. The over under at this one at forty seven and a half. Now, these
- 51:15are the opening lines. Expect that to change as the week kind of progresses going into
- 51:19next week. We'll see what happens with injuries. Not that there's a lot that really should
- 51:23affect it, but I like it. You know, one and a half points, basically a pick them. So it's
- 51:28I just think we're in for a real good game of football. And that over under is kind of
- 51:32tough. I could. That's tough because it could go either way for me. I feel like I would
- 51:38take the under here, but I don't know because I figured that would be the same as last Super
- 51:44Bowl and last year's Super Bowl blew up in that second half and was going off. So I don't
- 51:49really know. I'm taking the over 100 percent all day on this one. You know, so how I look
- 51:53at it is I take that over under and I divide it by two for the sake of it. Let's round
- 51:57up and make it 48. So you got 24 24 like this Niners offense the way it's kind of rolling
- 52:02right now. And if the defense with how it's kind of rolling right now. Yeah, see, I did.
- 52:07But I even if I were to if I were to have to like predict a score on this one, I see
- 52:10it is like a 28 24 game. OK, so it's just over maybe 20, 27. It's just over that mark
- 52:16that. OK, that's fair. That's fair. Looking at it like that. Like that's fair. I got you.
- 52:22Or even like a 31 28. Yeah, you know, I feel you. But we were going to get a lot more into
- 52:27this game. Break it down a lot more. Don't you worry. Oh, we were going to come at you
- 52:31full force. We're also going to do some recapping of the NFL honors. See who took home some
- 52:37hardware this year with a little bit of wrinkle, a little bit of our own rewards going to get
- 52:40thrown in there as well. Took home some hardware. Yeah. And who should have? We're probably
- 52:44going to be a heavy debate here with the. Well, we're kind of on the same page with
- 52:46MVP, I think. But in terms of who we think and who we should deserve it might be a little
- 52:52off base there. But but as always, smell see, it was a pleasure. My brother like comment,
- 52:59subscribe for you guys listening at home on the road, on the plane in a boat, wherever
- 53:03you may be. Just please give us the support. We love it all. We will see you guys next
- 53:08week. School. Don't forget to follow, like and subscribe. Tune in next time for more
- 53:16banter with the boys.