Divisional Round Saturday Recap: Bills-Broncos Classic, Nix's Injury, Seattle's Dominance and Latest Coaching News!

00:00:05
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we don't know where to start with that Broncos and Bill's classic. I am Greg Rosenthal in my garage talking to my friend Nick Shook. Half of Championship weekend is set. The Denver Broncos are hosting the AFC Championship Game, but they are gonna do it without Bo Nicks. The Seattle Seahawks one and the most dominant. We're the one seed and we look like it fashion They will be hosting the NFC Championship Game next week. We also are gonna hit in this show where we recap both of those games in order of how good they were. We're gonna talk about the coaching hires that happened tonight. Kevin Stefanski's going to Atlanta. Green Bay has resigned Matt Lafleur, and yes, the John Harbaugh drama is.

00:01:00
Speaker 2: Over in New York.

00:01:02
Speaker 1: But we are now what four hours removed Shook from the Broncos Bill's game. I still feel like I'm coming down from it because I'm partly coming down from what happened afterwards with the bow Nixon.

00:01:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was one of those games where the highs were so high that the conclusion you know, Lefty feeling a little uneasy, and then the news afterwards just it was like an absolute sucker punch that floored you.

00:01:27
Speaker 4: If you're a Broncos fan.

00:01:29
Speaker 1: There are Divisional round games that you just remember forever, and even if it wasn't for the knicks injury, this would have been one of those games. Let's not waste any more time. Let's go to.

00:01:41
Speaker 5: My a kick of twenty four yards for the win, snap placement kick on the way and Devers go to the FC Championship game.

00:01:54
Speaker 6: In an epic battle from a power field at my Hide. The Broncos have climbed higher and they have found a way to win again, coming from behind. They beat the Buffalo Bills this afternoon thirty three to thirty.

00:02:14
Speaker 1: MM thirty three to thirty a classic back and forth, another overtime loss. Unfortunately for Josh Allen Sean McDermott in those Bills.

00:02:27
Speaker 2: That was Dave Logan on k O A.

00:02:31
Speaker 1: You almost expected him to go a little crazier his team is going to the AFC Championship, but you mentioned it. It was almost an underwhelming then because Flags were involved to one of the best football games you know at this stage of a playoff, you know, scenario that I've ever seen.

00:02:51
Speaker 2: There's there's so.

00:02:52
Speaker 1: Much we're gonna have to get through. Chuck, I'm gonna ask you, what is the first thing you think you will remember from this game, from this match up years from now.

00:03:03
Speaker 3: I think it's important that we say this now because I think what happens with the Broncos next week could absolutely taint our.

00:03:10
Speaker 4: Hindsight of all of this.

00:03:11
Speaker 3: But I'm going to think about that that touchdown pass that Bonix had in the fourth quorterer that put the Broncos ahead. I mean, it was an incredible throw. It was a play that was made in a situation in which the Broncos offense was struggling against pressure for a good portion of the second half.

00:03:24
Speaker 4: It was an onions throw.

00:03:26
Speaker 3: It was exactly what you need to see from Bonnicks, who had done that with the Broncos all year. That was the play that will resonate with me. But also deep down, the goal line creativity, the tackle eligible touchdown run, the Bills running corn dog, the Mikole Hardman like that was all fantastic as well.

00:03:41
Speaker 4: It's just this game was so crazy, kind of got lost in the shuffle.

00:03:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was kind of curious where you'd go because there's so many ways to go, and we'll go through it all in what the Knicks injury means and everything, but I think that's a great place to start. Let's actually listen to that bow knicks dime to take the lead in the fourth part, right, I think.

00:04:02
Speaker 5: The Bill's rush five Bowe in the pocket, hits, he froze, froze, the ball fades.

00:04:07
Speaker 7: Deep corner talk touchdown, Marvin Mems twenty six yards strike, bow knicks to Marvin Mamms, who's still down. Bow drops a dime in the far corner of the end zone. Marvin Mims the player of the game for the Denver Broncos.

00:04:32
Speaker 1: Amazing to call it Marvin Mims the player of the game. There were so many to choose from, and obviously bo knicks with the best throw there in the biggest moment, and Mims did end with ninety three yards eight catches on this game and that throw. I think there's so much to get to in terms of what Sean Payton and this Broncos offense did in this game. And I actually think there's some things big picture you could pick on Sean Payton about. What he also did was have a great feel for different situations in what matchups to go for. In this game, that play comes directly after Cherdevius White gets knocked out of the game. It was one of the only plays Dame Jackson was in the entire game, and instead of being conservative and trying to.

00:05:21
Speaker 2: Play the clock, not score too early.

00:05:24
Speaker 1: Or set up for you know, you know, just moving the ball down the field, he lets bo rip it and Knicks goes three for four on throws over twenty yards in this game. And I have a couple more examples where I thought Sean Payton was really on it in terms of situations, but that was it. And you have to give Boon Nicks a ton of credit for playing a really great first half and then in the end, at the end of the fourth quarter in overtime, like so many games before, making the big plays to win.

00:05:55
Speaker 3: I think the beauty of this game was it was fun because there was a bit of a copycat element going on offense where the Bills were finding success doing certain things that Josh Allen getting him out on the move, and then the Broncos, which that has been kind of a staple for them, in the bo Knicks era, which is last season in this season, but they really almost like mirrored what the Bills were doing. Oh, the Bills found success, that let's do the same thing. There's a third down conversion where Bonix rolls out right, he's looking to throw, he ends up keeping it. He sneaks back inside picks up the first down. And I just thought that's similar to the whole student body right that the Bills ran with Josh Allen to get a first down. Like they're doing, they're kind of mirroring each other and following each other in this game. But it was also a great example of two coaches who really trust and believe in their quarterback to go get the job done throughout this game.

00:06:35
Speaker 4: And I like that throw that Nick's had there that we just played.

00:06:37
Speaker 3: This is a play that look in this situation, it looks like the Broncos are not going to figure out a way to get down there.

00:06:44
Speaker 4: They're running out of time. They're inside a minute.

00:06:47
Speaker 3: They have completed some passes, but you're worried about can they finish this off. They're gonna run out of time. You know, they're going to manage their timeouts well. And then he just drops back in a collapsing pocket and just let let it go and just drops it in there, the best throw perhaps of his whole season, in the biggest spot there, And that's why it continues to stick with me where it's you couldn't get any more perfect than that in a huge spot, which is exactly who BONICKX and the Broncos have been all season, and that what they were throughout the season to get to this point is what built that trust with him and Sean Payne to allow him to take those shots, and it paid off for them.

00:07:17
Speaker 1: And yet it was it was so far from over there. The Bills get the ball with the chance to you know, win at the end of regulation, because a minute for Josh Allen is a lot of time. But while we're talking like good situations, just while it's on my mind, for Sean Payton, there was a second down, deep touchdown to little Jordan Humphrey at the end of the second quarter, and that was another situation where it felt like they could have been setting up, possibly just for a field goal at the end of the half, and then instead he goes for the jugular and they get that touchdown. He also had a third and eight call after one of Josh Allen's interceptions. Alan finishes this game with four turnovers, And it just stuck in my head because it was a little route to Mims that it was just the easiest throw in the world for Nicks to get, but on a third and eight after a turnover.

00:08:10
Speaker 2: Just little plays like that.

00:08:12
Speaker 1: But if you had asked me the question, I'm going to put you on the spot, what do you think I would have said, is going to stick with me for this game? Because I gotta say it would not have been that throw. It would have been one other play in this game?

00:08:27
Speaker 4: Was it about next player Josh Allen? Play that's I need a.

00:08:30
Speaker 1: H who's the main character of the main character right now today?

00:08:34
Speaker 4: Is well, I mean it was Josh Allen.

00:08:36
Speaker 2: So it was Josh Allen.

00:08:37
Speaker 3: Is it the throw that he got picked off? That was the controversial ruling? Is that the one that's going to stick with you?

00:08:42
Speaker 2: That that is?

00:08:43
Speaker 1: And I don't think we should wait any longer before looking at that play. Let's actually listen to the call of the Jalen McMillan interception on the fifty to fifty ball to Brandon Cookson overtime.

00:08:56
Speaker 4: E spec pressure. I think we're going to get it.

00:08:58
Speaker 6: Who focused on the way?

00:08:59
Speaker 4: What's on the way?

00:09:00
Speaker 6: Alan in the pocket loads it up deep ball down the field.

00:09:03
Speaker 2: The ball is.

00:09:07
Speaker 7: Intercepting Jay Kwon McMillan, Oh my goodness. The Bill sideline thought that Brandon Cooks had it.

00:09:23
Speaker 4: Jay Kwan took it away from him.

00:09:25
Speaker 7: Both players went airborne.

00:09:29
Speaker 1: That play was everything. I don't think it's that controversial.

00:09:35
Speaker 2: We'll get to them.

00:09:37
Speaker 1: That play was like, why the NFL is king to me? When he rips that throat. That's the third possession of overtime, by the way, and it comes after two really good third down conversions from Josh Allen, which kind of showed the best of Josh Allen from today. I think, I know there's four turnovers and everyone's killing Josh Allen. He played great for the most part today, and he made a couple big mistakes. That was not one of them. He threw a dime down the field to his receiver. But the reason why the NFL to be his king is he drops back to pass. It's mile high, it's the playoffs, it's third and ten. That ball's in the air, and you're thinking this play is gonna decide the game.

00:10:22
Speaker 2: It's in the air.

00:10:23
Speaker 1: Brandon Cooks, an undersize receiver bouncing around the league. He jumps in the air while you're watching the game, he's got the ball in his hands. For that split second, while the ball's in his hands, everyone including you, I'm sure and me and Bill's fans and Broncos fans are thinking the Buffalo Bills just won the game. Like they are in field goal range. That's it. That's the play we'll always remember. And by the time he hits the ground, Jalen McMillan, Jakwon McMillan, who you know they tried to replace by drafting j John day Barn in the first round this year, who's had a great season, rips that ball away from Brandon Cooks while he hits the ground. And I see a comment that says, like, that's a catch. Of course, that's a catch. I don't think it was that controversial. You're making a face shook, and maybe you want to see it differently. In full speed, he is yanking that thing away. You gotta give it to someone. There's no way it touched the ground, and he like they both caught it for a second. But the guy who ends up with the ball, gets the ball, and in that second, like the entire season, just two guys pulling for the ball is essentially decided. And I think it was like just an incredible play by Jakewon McMillan. There's no rule that says the Bill's defense couldn't stoped them afterwards, and they didn't.

00:11:49
Speaker 2: But maybe you disagree.

00:11:51
Speaker 1: You seem to agree with a lot of Bill's Nation and Sean McDermott out there that that was a completion.

00:11:57
Speaker 4: No, I don't agree. I agree with you. I agree with you.

00:12:01
Speaker 3: I'm actually totally on board with you, and I think there's so many ways that you could slice this. First off, it is a great example of why football continues to be and will always be, a game of inches. It sounds cliche, but it is legitimately true in this instance, and it's why it is such a popular sport because it can come down to a play like you just described. But if you're going to like break this down, because there's the side that says, well, this is one hundred percent of catch, there's the side that says it's not that it was an interception. I'm with the interception side because the way Jean's territory actually broke it down, which is that it appeared as if Cooks never fully really controlled the ball to the ground, so that in that instance he doesn't catch it, control it, and then he's down by contact on the ground. The ball is still live. It's a loose ball, right, And I try to frame it like this. If there was no defender there and Brandon Cooks came down with the ball and as he hit the ground the ball went flying out, it's an incomplete pass. So you're gonna say, well, down by contact whatever, but it would be an incomplete pass. The other thing is this, the whole tie goes to the offense doesn't apply here because he never demonstrated that he had secured the ball in a catch, which would be like what catching a ball two steps football move that third step type of thing. None of that was demonstrated here. McMillan comes away with the ball by the time he's standing. The one thing that I'm confused about is was he rolled down by contact, because if he had possession, it wasn't until he basically ripped it off him and was standing up again. It theoretically could have returned it, but it was an interception. It was an interception.

00:13:20
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm I'm so amped up after this game. I'm like misinterpreting Shook's facial expressions in the biggest moment. So that was one of nine throws that Josh Allen tried over twenty eight yards. Do you want to guess how many he completed in this game? I mean a game by the way that the Bills gained four hundred and forty nine yards, one hundred more than the Broncos.

00:13:46
Speaker 2: How many deep completions two zero for.

00:13:50
Speaker 1: Nine, tying an NNGS era record of the most attempts without hitting one down the field, And it's.

00:13:57
Speaker 4: So crazy another one down the sideline.

00:13:59
Speaker 1: Earlys came so close on the final drive of regulation to make a circus catch.

00:14:04
Speaker 2: That wasn't a bad, you know effort by him.

00:14:06
Speaker 1: It was, in fact, it was an incredible effort, a good throw, and he just was barely out of bounds. And it doesn't totally boil down to this, but you look at the non Shakir wide receivers. So in this game, that was Cooks, that was Coleman, who does get a touchdown, and Curtis Samuel. Josh Allen throws the ball to them fourteen times for a total of thirty six yards, And so all that talk all season long kind of comes home to roost in a couple of spots like that one look Cooks. You hate to fault them for not coming down with that. It's a bang bang play, but you wish it that he did. But the play just before that on the overtime drive, you know, Tony Romo was very quick to criticize mcole Hardman for the way he ran his route on a pretty open throw and kind of big picture, the other thing I'm gonna remember from this game is just the heartbreak of the Bills and the missed opportunities, because the Broncos earned this win, no doubt, But the Bills didn't punt the ball.

00:15:19
Speaker 2: They turned it over five times.

00:15:21
Speaker 8: Yea.

00:15:22
Speaker 1: They scored six times, and they turned it over five times. And on top of that, for as good as Josh Allen played, if you took away the turnovers for most of the other throws, he has a throw to Dawson Knox and if you're watching on YouTube you can you can see it. He has a throw to Dawson Knox at the very end of regulation that he usually hits like it's the second to last play, essentially irregulation and Matt Prater picks him up, but he has knocks coming open on third and ten from the thirty two. I couldn't believe it, and he misses that throw. He also short hops a ball to Khalil Sekir on another third down where it looked like Shakir might have had a chance, uh to score a touchdown make a man miss, which he did after getting it on the hop. So it's just it's just like a couple of those throws just break your heart. And before I get your thoughts on that, let's actually listen to Josh Allen's thoughts on that after the game. Another tough playoff loss for the Bills.

00:16:28
Speaker 4: It's extremely difficult.

00:16:33
Speaker 9: I feel like I yeah, I feel like I let my let my teammates down tonight. It's been a long season. I hate how it ended, and that's uh, it's gonna stick with me for a long time. Can't win with five turnovers. I fumble twies through two picks and you shoot yourself in the foot like that. You don't deserve but one football games.

00:16:57
Speaker 2: Mhmm. Dion Dowkins, the they're a great left tackle.

00:17:03
Speaker 1: Upon being told at the end of his interview in the locker room that you know, Allen said that he let the team down, was speechless and just started crying and turned his back himself and kind of whispered like he didn't let the team down. And so there's levels of heartbreak. But this Bills team, because of how close they've been so many times, I think it just gets exponentially a little harder. And for one of the great players of his era, Man, that's tough to see.

00:17:30
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is, And you know, we need the the theme of this playoffs. You know, no Chiefs, no Ravens, no team that's usually in your way, standing in your way, no excuses, go get the job done. But I think that we can in hindsight, like folks can take some time to let this process and everything else, but they can look back and reflect on this team and see this team and compare it to previous Bills teams and probably agree that this was not the best Bills team of the Josh Allen era. In fact, it's arguably the worst Bills team of the Josh Allen era. And the fact that they were got to this point a lot of It was credit to Sean McDermott getting the most out of this defense through certain stretches of these games. You know, not necessarily in the fourth quarter against Jacksonville, but they did it on the last drive, got the interception that they needed, Jordevius White has a great game, and they advanced the divisional round. The defense causes problems for Denver and gives them time to climb back into this game on Sunday. They it's that it's the heroics of Josh Allen and ultimately though, they're not the machine that they were when they lost close ones to Kansas City in previous years. And that's probably what makes it most painful, though, is that they got to this point with the team that was flawed. Every team in the NFL this year in the postseason is flawed in one way or another, and the Bills are undoubtedly flawed. But the fashion in which they won, coming back to win against Jacksonville, clawging their way back into this game and having so many really close, narrow opportunities to win, to put this game away, the third down passing the receiver screen that you mentioned that puts the game away if they score, they're moving on to the AFC Championship Game, and they're doing it against teams like they're overachieving at this point when you look at the roster and you stack them up against the teams that they've been playing, and then to have it happen in such a familiar, painful way just makes it that much more hurtful for guys who have given everything to this franchise over the last five years and repeatedly encountered the same unfortunate conclusion.

00:19:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a multiple things can be true scenario, isn't it, Because everything you're saying is right that they were overachieving, and yet I've seen so many times it hasn't happened as much recently. But it's not always the team that you expect that does make it. Any Way, that wasn't the best Colts team that won the Super Bowl, not.

00:19:35
Speaker 4: Ch Chandler Falcons that got to the Super Bowl.

00:19:37
Speaker 1: It was literally the worst Ravens defense of the Ed Reed era that won the Super Bowl.

00:19:42
Speaker 2: They stuck like they literally were like a man, I want to shoot out by the bed, not.

00:19:47
Speaker 1: Even just in the Super Bowl, like the whole Plaffs even that season, like they weren't playing well, like you never know the last Patriots team, I know the Patriots ever won a lot, but that like that team was a surprise, was not one of the better teams of the Bill Belichick era, and they snuck that one out. And I think they would have been a huge underdog if they had made it to the super Bowl. But if they get out of this game, and I know the Texans have been a tough matchup for them, like they would have had a chance here, and so that's why it hurts.

00:20:13
Speaker 2: That's why you have them hit.

00:20:14
Speaker 10: Now.

00:20:14
Speaker 2: We're gonna give Denver all of its love.

00:20:16
Speaker 1: We're also gonna spend a lot of time on this game compared to the second blowout. But I before we move off the Bills, I do want to hear from McDermott and his frustration after the game. They are, by the way, the Buffalo Bills the first team. This is from Josh Dubo of the Associated Press. The first team to win a game in six straight playoffs without a super Bowl victory, and which you know you can obviously understand. Then they're the first team also to not even make the super Bowl in that run, but they're the first one to even win because to win a playoff game in six straight seasons is so difficult, and they've done it, and they haven't even you know, made the super Bowl in that run. It had mc dermot very unhappy, like a lot of Bills fans and apparently like a lot of people in our comments right now, mad at the officials to.

00:21:08
Speaker 10: Not even slow it down. And that's why I had to call the time out. It's not what I wanted to do, but I had to do it in order to make sure that I understood what was going on and that they did take a look at it. And it's hard for me to and I've had a chance to look at It's hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled. And if it is ruled that way, then why wasn't it slowed down just to make sure that we have this right. That would have made a lot of sense to me.

00:21:47
Speaker 1: I disagree, because I don't think taking longer was gonna change the call. I've seen a couple of reporters talk about it, and actually I hate it when people blindly say, oh, reporters are saying this.

00:21:59
Speaker 2: I saw Albert Breer.

00:22:01
Speaker 1: Point out, how could they not at least, you know, look at the call longer. And I saw Tyler Dunn do it too, and they're getting on the NFL for this. And when I see that, what I see is that they both agree with the call because they want to rip the NFL so bad.

00:22:21
Speaker 2: And I get it. I'll rip them for obviously bad calls.

00:22:25
Speaker 1: They want to rip the NFL so bad, but they kind of know actually, like that call was probably right, and so you just want to be mad at something, and I think even McDermott saying it that way, like we just wish they looked at it longer. It's like they got we got three replays in there. They did look at it like the end, like they looked at it. They were overturning that call. What do you want like, yeah, yeah, they just want to complain about something, And I get it. We can talk about the depis on the next possession and everything. But I just think in the end it was a bang bang call, but actually they got it right.

00:22:55
Speaker 4: And McDermott called time out to buy them more time look at it.

00:22:58
Speaker 3: But look, we live in a world and much expedited review is exists, and nobody ever complains about that when they slide in and correct something quickly.

00:23:05
Speaker 4: When they're looking at it in New York.

00:23:07
Speaker 3: You know that they're following the same protocol and a play like that, and they don't see anything that's worthy of overturning the call. So I think that you agree, you're right that they probably agree with the call. But it's also there's probably an element to it where it's like, ah, but I want to be one hundred percent sure. I really want to make sure they do their deal.

00:23:24
Speaker 1: They wanted to rip the call, they would rip the call, but they're saying, why didn't they look at it again?

00:23:28
Speaker 2: Anyways.

00:23:30
Speaker 1: The crazy thing is after that, you know they get the ball back, and at this point bo Nicks has done a little bit of everything in this game. Like I said, I thought it a really good first half. We'll almost forget about this first half. But they only had four possessions in the first half. I thought this was going to be a time of possession, complimentary football game, and it was. Both teams really held the ball in the first half. They score seventeen points, which is unreal only possessions. They go fifty percent on third down conversions in the first half, very few mistakes basically on offense in the first half, and then they steal three points at the end of the half. Really good first half, and then they kind of like do the Kevin Patula offense for about four drives to start the second half and get nothing. And I thought McDermott's play calling where he gets more aggressive, Yeah, looks like his play calling was maybe gonna win the game ye for them. But because for instance, that one hopper to Sekir, they don't get the two possession lead. They let the Bills come all the way back from twenty three to ten. They let them take a twenty seven to twenty three lead, So that's seventeen unanswered. But bo then does get the great fourth quarter drive. Then he starts overtime and he they don't do anything in the first overtime drive, but in the second overtime drive ultimately like they hit enough big plays and Sean Payton gets get you know, it's a check down to r J. Harvey is one of the biggest plays in that drive, and then a couple pass interference calls. What did you think about that entire kind of end sequence or anything you want to go there for how that second half like flow of offense.

00:25:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, it talked about like the copycat nature of this game.

00:25:14
Speaker 3: I also felt the chess match was visible in real time and the Broncos had their early advantage. They get a little bit more of an advantage by forcing the Josh Allen fumble and stealing the three points. But Sean McDermott essentially dominated defensively in the second half from there, outside of the early possession where they you know, they get the ball, the Broncos get the ball back and convert that into points.

00:25:32
Speaker 4: And it was because you're right what happened.

00:25:34
Speaker 1: And that was off of a Josh Allen, Yes, short field tey yard drive for a field goal or.

00:25:40
Speaker 4: Something exactly, but they still cash that in right.

00:25:42
Speaker 2: Or seven yards. Sorry.

00:25:43
Speaker 3: What the theme of the second half to me was we are playing for our lives.

00:25:48
Speaker 4: There is no reason to not dial up the aggression.

00:25:50
Speaker 3: It was McDermott sending pressure relentlessly, sending different looks, dropping guy guys back into coverage while sending blitzeres from other sides. Bo trying to keep up by getting the line to slide in the proper area but still not having much time to throw, checking it down to running backs who get blasted immediately by Matt Mlano or Cole Bishop whoever might be there to cut them down in the flat. And then the Broncos kind of accepted as the game got late, we have to go for broke. Forget trying to check it down and just getting the ball out. Let's go deep. If they're blitz in, we're gonna get man coverage. Let's trust our receivers to make a play and just throw it up there now. Unfortunately, for those in the viewing audience who don't like the officials involvement, oftentimes, when you're in one on one coverage and the blitz is coming and you throw the ball up passed, you for intends to get called, but it didn't get called. Initially, there was a ball to Cortland Sutton where it was really good hand fighting and there was contact, no flag, and you thought I could see a flag going there, but I'm glad that they kept that in their pockets.

00:26:44
Speaker 4: There.

00:26:44
Speaker 3: Well, the Broncos keep doing it and eventually they get the flag, and it's not necessarily I wouldn't view it as like them trying to buy a flag or just throwing up there into a flag. I thought that the first pass interference, while questionable, you could see it going both ways. Joey Bosa also gets hit the roughing the passer on that.

00:27:01
Speaker 1: Play yeplay by bo Yeah, and the worst time.

00:27:06
Speaker 2: Frankly, that was gonna be too hard.

00:27:08
Speaker 1: Just disappointing playoff run for Joey Bosa where he was one of their worst players the last couple of games where they were running at him. He made some mistakes in this game and really struggled last week and and hurt them in this game. And ultimately, Yeah, they couldn't get that that final stop. I I think the first pass interference call on the overtime game winning.

00:27:31
Speaker 2: Drive was like a no brain.

00:27:32
Speaker 1: I can't even believe anyone's arguing about that. The second one, the trendevious white call where which you know, set up it being a chip shot instead of a longer field goal.

00:27:40
Speaker 2: That was close. It was close.

00:27:42
Speaker 4: I'm on the other side of this.

00:27:43
Speaker 3: I'm on the other side of this because I think the first one you could see them not throwing the flag, but.

00:27:47
Speaker 4: I also think it was p I. The second one.

00:27:51
Speaker 3: Cooked by Marvin mins by like a step and a half. And if Nicks doesn't under throw the ball, it's a touchdown. So it's either going to be a touchdown or pass interference, and it ends up being pas de france because the ball is under thrown and those who claim that, oh, he just under threw it trying to draw PI. The receiver was going to catch a touchdown if he puts it on him. So either way, it's going to be a negative outcome for the or for the Bills in that instance. And yes, I think back to Super Bowl what was it, fifty seven, right, fifty seven in Arizona.

00:28:17
Speaker 4: Great.

00:28:18
Speaker 3: I thought I was watching the greatest Super Bowl of my life, and it came down to a holding penalty that set the Chiefs up for the game winning field goal, right, And that was kind of a bummer for it to end in that fashion. You could say that, you know, apply that similarly to this game, but it really didn't, because it's just kind of the game was trending in that direction where the Broncos were making the plays of the Bills weren't in the biggest moments.

00:28:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's just back and forth. The RG Harvey catch and run for twenty five yards on that drive.

00:28:46
Speaker 4: He picked up fifteen extra on his own work.

00:28:48
Speaker 1: Ultimately sets them up at midfield and I'm thinking, Okay, they're probably winning this game. And for anyone that's going conspiracy theory that the all PI offense was enacted for the last drive, that last throw to Marvin Mims was made one play after Bo Nicks broke his ankle that ended his season. It's like, what are we what are we even talking about here? I guess it's time to talk about the broken ankle because I have a few more things from this game. But Sean Payton comes to the press conference after the initial press conference is already over. Credit to him for doing this and the Broncos. Let's actually listen to Sean Payton. And again, this is after the press conference is over. Everyone goes back and then they call the media back to the press conference room just a bit later.

00:29:46
Speaker 2: Here's what Sean Payton.

00:29:47
Speaker 11: Is not good news. From the second to last play in overtime, Bow fractured a bone in his right ankle. He's scheduled to have surgery Tuesday of this week, which will put him out for the rest of the season. Stead he's ready to go.

00:30:12
Speaker 2: Mmm.

00:30:15
Speaker 1: Later on, Sean Payton asked about Jared Stidham. I think it might have even been going off the podium. I'm not sure because I didn't see it like a he in. They asked Hi, abouts did him, and he just said, just watch more thoughts on that in a second. But I wanted to go over the play that it happened like it was them.

00:30:33
Speaker 2: I think it was like a what.

00:30:34
Speaker 4: He rolled designs.

00:30:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was a design sweep where he's I thought maybe I had an option to run, I mean option to pass, but maybe it was a design to sweep for bo Nicks. And he loses a couple of yards on the play. And the thing is, they didn't show a replay on it during the game because it didn't seem like he got hurt. Now, when you go back and watch it, you can see his foot get bent awkwardly and him limping slightly but not crazy. He pretty much goes right back to the huddle, throws that Mims pass, and you know, then the next play sets up for the game winning field goal with the kneeled down. Sean Payton kind of confused some people by saying second to last play of overtime because technically the kneel down was the second to last play of overtime, But he did clarify if if that clip was you know, a little longer, that it was the throw, the play on the throw, you know, the play before the throw.

00:31:31
Speaker 4: Yeah, and.

00:31:33
Speaker 3: It's tough because when they ran the play, I thought, why did you call that there?

00:31:37
Speaker 4: That it just didn't make a lot of sense.

00:31:39
Speaker 3: It's really unfortunate that that is the result of it. They ran to the short side of the field. It was one of those plays where you send a receiver in motion before. It's a lot of eye candy and window dressing to try to get the defense moving toward the receiver in the flight as if he's going to dump it off, and then he runs the opposite way. You're trying to catch them by surprise to the short side of the field, and it ends up, you know, producing nothing but the war possible outcome.

00:32:01
Speaker 4: And yeah, then you have the past.

00:32:03
Speaker 3: Deference on the throw of Marvin Mims the next play, and then they set up for the you know, the kneel down and the game winning field goal, and it's just like, man, this is how cruel life can be and sports can be. That you have this great game and that the Broncos you know, win this game in such thrilling fashion and then you lose your starting like it just takes the wind out of your sales, which is.

00:32:23
Speaker 4: Why I'm I'm curious. I like that. Sean Payton just said, just watch.

00:32:26
Speaker 3: Now I'm getting I'm getting some Cody Kessler Hugh Jackson vibes. He's like, Hey, don't worry, trust me, just watch.

00:32:33
Speaker 4: Just watch.

00:32:33
Speaker 3: But this is the same guy that you replaced Russell Wilson with to end the season a couple of years.

00:32:37
Speaker 4: Ago when they benched Russ. So maybe he does know something.

00:32:41
Speaker 1: Okay, we got a comment that says Stitty is not ready to go. That was raw ra stuff, obviously. Okay, A couple thoughts here. Number one, Sean Payton's been in Denver for what three years? You know how I'm always big on like statements of intent, like first plays of the game. How about the first day of free agency of Sean Payton's entire tenure. We knew he didn't like Russell Wilson, he was inheriting Russell Wilson. What did he do to my shock while covering it on around the NFL back then, Like, what was the big Denver move on the first day of Sean Payton's first.

00:33:20
Speaker 4: NA signed Jared.

00:33:24
Speaker 2: Signing Jared Stidham. What that's really what happened.

00:33:29
Speaker 1: That's one thing I don't think that means, Okay, he's gonna be great. The reason I give him a chance in this next game, and it's obviously going to be harder if it's Houston, but it'll be harder either way. They gave him another contract two years after that first one. He's been in that building for three years, and so that second contract, and they gave him a good backup quarterback contract, one of the best pure backup quarterback contracts to bring him back this year and clearly backup bro Nicks. It's like, okay, I mean Sean Payton, those quarterbacks, and I've seen Sean Payton run up in awesome record in New Orleans with quarterbacks not named Drew Brees. Like this is not Bill Belichick's tenure. Although Belichick had castle in Jacoby Brissett. He had some moments Jimmy g and whatnot, but overall it's not great Sean Payton. He won when Taysom Hill's out there, he won when Teddy's out there, he won when Winston's out there. Like he's done it, and he's had this guy in the building three years. And for what it's worth, and this is the part of the argument, I care about least he bawled out in the preseason this year, for what it's worth, Like he balled out in the preseason this year, Like he put up great numbers for three straight games in the preseason.

00:34:44
Speaker 2: I was like, did I remember that correctly? I think he did.

00:34:45
Speaker 1: And I went and checked, and like, he was pretty great in this preseason, So like they have a backup quarterback that they like.

00:34:50
Speaker 3: It's funny because you said, did I remember that correctly? I'm thinking about Stidham screen, and I'm like, did I remember a Raider's tenure? And I looked it up and there was indeed a Raider's tenure in which he wasn't.

00:34:59
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's where he got paid. Must have seen something in one of those games. I think he had one great NFL start. He started about five games. He hasn't played for the Broncos meaningful snap since twenty thirteen. When you're right, he came in for Russell Wilson at the end of the year, had one really good start, I think, and one really bad start but even that was.

00:35:17
Speaker 3: Eginy though too, because so I just did a QB index this past week in which I looked at eight free agent quarterbacks that teams can't afford to let go, and all of them, almost all of them are backups, because a valuable backup that you can trust is incredibly worth Like it's incredibly valuable, like to have a quarterback that you know knows your system and you can trust to go in there and keep the ship afloat it is. You pay them, you make sure that they don't leave the Jacobi Brissetts of the world, and giving them the second contract like you just described, I think that that proves that they believe in him. Now we'll see in the results. It's gonna be the MC championship games.

00:35:52
Speaker 1: And if only they had Nick Foles. That's where I hesitate, because I do remember some old podcasts when Nick took over and we all just said, oh, their season's over, like, and I remember even trying to make the case back that I'm like, well, maybe they could win a playoff game, Like it's not that crazy. You go out there and win a playoff game, maybe, And all Nick Foles did was outplay Tom Brady in one of Tom Brady's best performances in the Super Bowl. I don't think Jared Stidham's going to do that, but he has a defense that that's pretty great in a great play caller, and in a one game tournament.

00:36:24
Speaker 2: We'll see, we'll see.

00:36:26
Speaker 1: Let's let's let's get a few other odds it ends, and then let's get onto the forty nine ers games. How about Nick Benito stealing six points here? There were two turnovers that he forced back to back, and I think this is one of the biggest plays of the game and one of the reasons why the Josh Allen haters will be out. They get the ball back seventeen to ten with under twenty seconds to go in the first half, and Josh Allen goes on a scramble to absolutely nowhere. Benito forces the FuMB and then on the first third down, and that's Benito showing incredible athleticism, you know, running down Josh Allen from behind on that first one. Then then you go to the start of the third quarter, it's the second offensive play and he gets a strip sack from behind where it's just one of those classic Benito sacks. They end up settling for three. They don't even get a first down. But in a game this close, shook, there's Nick Benito taking out his aggression on all the All Pro voters who didn't put him in. If I had a vote, get me a vote, I would have had him second team. We did our our All Pro teams and I had him second team, but he did not get the votes.

00:37:42
Speaker 2: But two awesome plays there.

00:37:43
Speaker 3: I'm glad that you described it like that, a classic Benito rush, because so often this season you've seen him come off the edge, fly around a guy who you know tries to block him in vain, and just blast a quarterback from his blindside and caused something like that. I mean, it doesn't it's not just the Bills, it's the number of different opponents he's done it to this season. I think it also kind of points to the fact that like Khalil Shakir tries to block him and just barely puts a hand on him, kind of points to the fact that you're working with a thin receiving group. Also, why would you try to put Khalil Shakir in that position to block a guy who is deserving of All Pro consideration?

00:38:11
Speaker 9: Right?

00:38:12
Speaker 3: Congrats to him. He really broke out last year, and I think everybody's very familiar with who he is now. But this is a guy who's been a top player in a top prospect sins he was in high school. And to see him deliver on a huge stage like this game, it's just fun to watch. It's fun to see somebody you know come through.

00:38:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, and in a game where they got out gained and there there were tricky margins, they had to get big plays out of their defense.

00:38:37
Speaker 2: So I think their defense.

00:38:38
Speaker 1: Can be a little overrated against good quality offenses, and yet they are a big play defense, and forcing five turnovers is as big a play.

00:38:50
Speaker 2: Defense as you can get.

00:38:51
Speaker 1: There's a comment here that says you don't have to be a hater to think that's a horrible fumble on Josh Allen, I think you are a hater.

00:38:58
Speaker 4: The first one.

00:39:00
Speaker 3: The first one where he's out running, Yeah, chuck the ball away first off?

00:39:03
Speaker 4: Can we dive on that real quick?

00:39:04
Speaker 1: That's what that's true. That's a ghastly time management situation. They don't even have any timeouts. I thought you meant the blindside sack on that Benito had that is completely just a great defensive play. Two of the four Allen turnovers are just great defensive plays where I don't think he's really at fault, and the other two are pretty brutal.

00:39:24
Speaker 3: A specially, I want to dive into this play because this is I had this thought at halftime right after this happened. I thought the pressure of the Bills repeated playoff failures I think motivated this decision and this approach. The ghost of thirteen seconds influenced Sean McDermott in their approach here, because there's sixteen seconds left in the clock, they have no timeouts, they're deep in their own territory. What could you possibly get out of this other than a deep shot that happens to land in the arms of Brandon Cooks and sets up a field goal.

00:39:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that's on Allen.

00:39:51
Speaker 4: It's on Alan.

00:39:51
Speaker 3: It's on the coach for calling a play to try to push the ball downfield when you had no timeouts. But it's on Allen for mismanaging it by trying to scramble nowhere near out of bounds. Even if you pick up the first down, you're not gonna have time to run another play. Just just get down, get to halftime.

00:40:06
Speaker 1: This is where interviews before halftime can be useful because they got mcdernett right out of that, and I'm glad Tracy Wolfson asked about it and he said, look, we you know they were calling a play hoping to get a play going towards the sideline down the field and otherwise we got to, you know, not turn the ball over. It's like, yeah, like that's a coaching point that Josh Allen, of course, he gets it that, like, you know, you gotta either if the throw is not there, throw it out of bounds or and he's just trying to make something happen, and it made no sense.

00:40:38
Speaker 2: It was brutal.

00:40:39
Speaker 1: The other interception which came right after bo Nix's interception, which which wasn't even.

00:40:47
Speaker 2: A horrible play by Nix.

00:40:48
Speaker 1: It was like a defensive lineman dropping into coverage. Josh Allen kind of predetermined that throw, and you know that's a point in the game where they're on a roll and I know they end up score another ten straight points after that. But ultimately, and now that I kind of look back at the game, like he predetermined that he has the pump fake. He thinks it's gonna work to get the safety off. It doesn't he throws in interception. I think the game was lost more than anywhere. Shook in the scenario where the Bills defense stopped Buffalo five straight drives. But in those five drives, like Alan turned it over.

00:41:26
Speaker 4: Yeah, two more and these plays and.

00:41:29
Speaker 1: You had to be close to perfect, and they just they just didn't if you at least needed punts there, you know what I mean. Like the fact that in those five street drives they turned it over twice in the middle of.

00:41:39
Speaker 3: These plays kind of inform why Josh an emotional Josh after the game said he let his team down because in a game in which you lose by three points in overtime, you gave the other team a free three points by fumbling it just before halftime, and you didn't capitalize on a great defensive play when you threw that interception. And in the playoffs the margin is so slim. And he knows that he knows it's not the interception he throws in overtime that that loses end the game. That's not even probably what he's thinking about. It's it's the fubble right before halftime, and it's that interception to PJ. Lock because you got to cash in the immediate sudden change the takeaway in a big spot there, and then you can't afford to give the other team three points when you end up losing by three points.

00:42:22
Speaker 1: Ah, it's a he giveth and take it away though, because he yes, that's the most part.

00:42:28
Speaker 2: Is he good plays?

00:42:28
Speaker 1: I mean, like like the flip that he made, like he was under siege at various points in the game. Just even on that overtime drive alone, he was so calm, like, you know, right near the goal line. I'm thinking, like the game could end right here, bro, And he's just so calm with pressure around him, and he ends up hitting a third and five where they only rushed to and stayed calm. He was well protected on that. And then there's another third and seven where he audibles to a screen to pick it up and I'm thinking like, oh, that's all the next level like growth that Josh Allen has showed to hit that play. And then in the end he's not rewarded and the Bills aren't rewarded for Yeah, game, I think if you can out gain the Broncos considering the talent disadvantage, they did a lot of things right their offensive line actually think played great the Broncos and we will move off this, but it's crazy.

00:43:21
Speaker 2: They blitzed.

00:43:24
Speaker 1: Almost half the time shook when they blitzed. I couldn't believe this. When they blitzed five or six rushers, they had a twenty pressure ring like they're blitzed.

00:43:35
Speaker 11: Like.

00:43:36
Speaker 1: The offensive line was awesome. This is the unit that would have carried them to the super Bowl. So when you say Josh Allen doesn't have nothing, I mean he has James Cook going for over one hundred and forty yards from scrimmage in this game. He has his offensive line mashing in the run game, and he has his offensive line protecting their ass off tonight. So it's not like they're without talent. And that's kind of the last thing is like they did do a lot of things, and you.

00:44:01
Speaker 3: Know that points toward and because look, when when games like this happen, it's the reaction is overly reductive. You know you're gonna point to the flags, people are gonna want to call for a coach's head or whatever. The Bills coaching staff did a great job. They did a great job this entire postseason, way better than I ever thought.

00:44:16
Speaker 4: They would.

00:44:17
Speaker 3: I thought Joe Brady called a great game. They did a great job of adjusting end game to regain an advantage. And that's why it's so painful, because you did pretty much everything right except your quarterback, who is your superstar that you can always count on, turn the ball over too many times and found and those those small errors really cost.

00:44:35
Speaker 4: You the game.

00:44:36
Speaker 3: But it wasn't one of those instances where you're like, it's the coaching staff's fault. No, No, they did a great job and that's just why it's so painful for this team to lose again.

00:44:44
Speaker 1: Wow, they went ten to fifteen on third down in the in the Broncos went eight of sixteen. I mean it was there was a lot going on. I mean, Mims steps up, someton, who's goosegg through most of the game. Ends up having a huge stretch in the fourth quarter in overtime with four big catches late, Alex Singleton forces two different fumbles. You know, fumble luck was a little bit of the story here. Five fumbles right in this game. Now six fumbles in this game total, and uh yeah, the Bills only recovered two of the six. And then there was also a Broncos fumble that was overturned by penalty early in the game because Larry Ogan Jobi was offside. So that's really like seven fumbles where like five of the times the Broncos ended up on the better side. But they made their luck. They were the best in the biggest of spots. We've we've said it enough of this game, but I I know I've said it before, but I think that's the game of the year. You know what, wasn't the game of the year. Come on, the biggest, the biggest of stakes. Come on, I'm a prisoner at the moment. You know it wasn't the game of the year. But one of the best performances of the year happened in Seattle day and it was by the Seattle Seahawks defense.

00:46:07
Speaker 2: Let's go to Seattle.

00:46:10
Speaker 8: Jeez it up, looks down field, shot forward and we're off and running and over end.

00:46:16
Speaker 2: Sure Heat had his own.

00:46:17
Speaker 8: Five across to ten, fifteen, twenty cut straight.

00:46:20
Speaker 12: Up field, has a cap cut off the forty good Field fifty trying to tip.

00:46:25
Speaker 2: A boat at him, trying it down share here to.

00:46:28
Speaker 12: The US Holy Cup. Fitch open the game with a ninety five yard touchdown. Shay y'all.

00:46:41
Speaker 1: Rashid Shaheed, part of a ridiculously productive and effective year of player acquisition by the Pittmaster himself. John Schneider called him that on a blue sky I'm like, I'm stealing that.

00:47:02
Speaker 2: That's so good.

00:47:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, he was pitting out again, but you can you can sweat, John Schneider cut in your shirt because you weren't sweating out this game.

00:47:11
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness.

00:47:12
Speaker 1: The Seahawks beat the forty nine Ers forty one to six. It's rare that we open with the first play of the game, but by the time they went up two scores, I was.

00:47:23
Speaker 2: Like, I think this game's over. I don't.

00:47:25
Speaker 1: I don't like, I don't think they're getting up off the mat. And I I'm usually not that guy. I'm always like, no teams could go back this one. Just the way that place was rocking, and the way this defense has feasted on the forty nine ers offense the last three weeks.

00:47:39
Speaker 2: I just it fell over right.

00:47:40
Speaker 4: Now at the beginning, it did. I mean, there's no better way. Let's let's go back in real time, real quick.

00:47:44
Speaker 3: Okay, So we just watched this crazy game in overtime between Denver and Buffalo in which Denver wins in a game winning field goal.

00:47:52
Speaker 4: And I'm not kidding you. All you got to do is flip the fox.

00:47:55
Speaker 3: You'll barely catch any of Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady because Rashiji Heat's too busy taking the kick. The opening kickback for a touchdown in which Niners kicker Eddie Pinero desperately tries to slide tackle Shheed and misses and draws a tripping flag. That doesn't matter. It's seven to nothing already. Doug Baldwin was just raising the twelve flag sixty seconds earlier, and they're already up seven to nothing, and then the place that's notorious for being one of the loudest in the NFL is going crazy.

00:48:22
Speaker 4: And you're right.

00:48:23
Speaker 3: I think by the time they went up seventeen nothing. It was the fashion in which they did. They get a takeaway off of a fumble. Sam Donald rips a seed to Jackson Smith and Jigba because who else would catch a great pass for a touchdown other than JSN in the corner of the end zone. It's seventeen nothing, and it's like the Niners just got bludgeoned. They just absolutely blindsided and unfortunately looked a lot like their Week eighteen game, in which their offense had no answer for what Seattle's defense was doing. It's another example of how great of a defense Seattle owns, and it's a beautiful sight in the year twenty twenty six that two of the remaining playoff teams as of Saturday night into Sunday morning have some two of the best defenses that we've seen in quite a while.

00:49:01
Speaker 2: Oh.

00:49:02
Speaker 1: I love the comment in the chat right now saying that the Seahawks defense was sick of hearing how great the Texans are and they got a match. And I've been careful this whole season and even during the Texans celebration over the Steelers, to always include the Seahawks there, because to me, these are two of the best defenses we've seen in a long time, full stop. Like I think they each and I'd have to go through it, but they each have a case to be made for the best defense of this decade so far. But they're both that good, and they do it in different ways, and this is from each in every level of the defense.

00:49:42
Speaker 2: Just swarming.

00:49:43
Speaker 1: DeMarcus Lawrence is all over the place today. Byron Murphy I think has been so underrated nationally and was making plays in this game. And the thing that stands out to me more than anything was Rock Purdy's time to throw.

00:49:58
Speaker 2: Was over four two seconds.

00:50:01
Speaker 1: It was the biggest time to throw of any game in the next Gen stats era. So that's through twenty sixteen. And that's why it's tough to just point out one person shook, because you got an entire secondary just plastering these guys in their zone coverage where they just communicate and they match.

00:50:24
Speaker 2: You're the ex'es and O's guru.

00:50:26
Speaker 1: What is it about what they do sort of from a back to front method that you like best, because obviously the front is great too, and we could talk all about that, but to me, like the secondary is probably the biggest reason why he's holding onto the ball.

00:50:41
Speaker 4: That's complimentary.

00:50:42
Speaker 3: I think what you start with is like this kind of umbrella, Like you think about it coming from like a quarter's perspective, but like you see a lot of two looks, but they're still kind of getting that shell over the top, right. But the beauty of it is how complimentary it is, which is that you can trust that back end to places to gee coverage and you can trust the front four to get pressure without needing to send extra guys, not that they're afraid to do it, because they like to send extra guys, but they don't have to do it.

00:51:02
Speaker 4: They they actually blitz it.

00:51:06
Speaker 2: In the NFL times, And that.

00:51:07
Speaker 3: Was the big key going to this game was brock Perty's pretty good against the blitz, but he's not good against here. He's pretty good when he's not being blitzed, and he's not good against the blitz.

00:51:15
Speaker 4: But the Seahawks don't really blitz.

00:51:17
Speaker 3: But they also generate one of the highest pressure rates organically with their front four of anybody in the NFL, So maybe the blitz won't even matter, and maybe that's what tits the scales. If they do decide to blitz, they didn't have to because that's how good their defense is.

00:51:27
Speaker 4: So they complicate the picture.

00:51:28
Speaker 3: They play sticky coverage, and that rush consistently causes enough pressure without sending any extra guys that there's just no windows to throw to. How many times do we see in this game where rock Party sat back, sat back, couldn't find anybody?

00:51:39
Speaker 4: Obviously, George Kill not part of the equation.

00:51:41
Speaker 3: Jake Tung just ends up playing a big part of this offense because they still need to go to their tight end. That's part of their offense. But he ends up checking it down to Christian McCaffrey repeatedly because there's nobody else open, and when everybody else is covered, you got to find your checkdown. And that was the sign right then and there where it's like they're never going to be able to keep up. It didn't even matter what Seattle's doing offensively. The fact that they had a seventeen nothing lead, it felt like anough because you just knew they weren't going to be able to keep up because nobody was ever open for them in the Niners offense, which has been predicated by the pass in this hot stretch, down the stretch the back end of the season. If they can't throw the football down the field, they're never getting anywhere. The inbreakers that party loves to throw, they were not there for most of this game. He had nowhere to go.

00:52:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, they know this offense so well. I thought it was really telling when Kyle Shannon said there's not a lot of secrets between these two teams coming into the game. I think that's true, and I think that's unfortunately true for him because I think he's overmatched. This is a defense that McDonald has spent his life building in a way in terms of I think he's at the peak, like schematically in the NFL right now of what he wants to do. But also he's been building for a couple of seasons to this moment. He inherited a lot of really good players. They've added more good players, and it's a great combination of depth and talent, for instance, like five different pass rushers with multiple pressures. But I really think it's the back end where they essentially have six dvs on the field so often, and it's it's these little guy these guys coming back from injury that don't get huge headlines, but Julian Love really helps them coming back because at certain points Nick Game and Worry was getting picked on in coverage a little bit, even though he's a bit of a Jenga piece where he can take he can guard almost anyone. But now you have Julian Love and Kobe Bryant, who's had some injuries this year, he's back there too. And you know, Reek Wolland doesn't even have to play every stat but he's back there too, and suddenly you're very deep and you have an all pro cornerback in Witherspoon, and just like there's really no big weakness.

00:53:41
Speaker 4: Don't forget job.

00:53:42
Speaker 1: He can always job right to deploy the right guy in the right matchup and then let the offense be complimentary. You mentioned that touchdown early. It was a quiet night for Jackson Smith and Jigba. What did he end up with only three catches for nineteen yards? But he did get that score. And this was a great moment for Sam Darnold in his first playoff win.

00:54:03
Speaker 8: Walker the single setback playfake to him. Sam is gonna roll left looking looking Sam throws pack of the ends on.

00:54:11
Speaker 2: There's a Cawny.

00:54:12
Speaker 12: Mountain is touchdown, Sayhawks far back corner of the hand zone.

00:54:19
Speaker 2: Guess whom.

00:54:21
Speaker 11: It is?

00:54:22
Speaker 8: Number eleven Jackson Smith in jackbaw.

00:54:28
Speaker 1: Smooth touchdown celebration, very well choreographed, like we've totally been here before, We're ready for it. That put them up seventeen nothing in the first quarter, And yeah, it felt over there.

00:54:38
Speaker 2: I thought, I.

00:54:39
Speaker 1: Thought Donald, Look, he's the quarterback, so you're gonna discuss him. He goes twelve for seventeen for one hundred and twenty four yards in a touchdown.

00:54:48
Speaker 2: He did what he need to do.

00:54:50
Speaker 1: There's all the pregame stuff about the oblique injury and he didn't come out until last second. A lot of speculation is even gonna play like maybe he got it shot up, who knows. But he did what he needed to do in this game. What do you think about the performance from the time.

00:55:04
Speaker 3: I think you don't need much from Sam Darnald and you can run the ball with authority, which is what they did throughout this game, just like they did in Week eighteen. Kenny Walker goes nineteen for one, sixteen and three touchdowns. You didn't even really need much from Sharpona. You got sheed twice for twenty seven like you ran as a team for one seventy five. You don't need your quarterback to do much when your defense is playing that good of football and stopping the opposing offense everywhere the entire game, forcing two field goals, and there wasn't a real threat from the forty nin ers offense. Oh if do just play ball control. Oh and by the way, you're running attack has been excellent over the second half of the season. Dominated this same team a couple of weeks ago, why not lean on it again. It just felt like the Unfortunately for the forty nine ers, it became a mismatch. The matchup of these two teams that produced such a thrilling Week one game was not the same by Week eighteen, and it was not the same in this In this instance, you know the divisional round, and that's what happens sometimes. But Seattle is a machine, and you can't stand up to a machine when you're banged up and just as limited as the Niners are.

00:56:03
Speaker 1: So Tom Brady said in the second half, if they don't turn the ball over, like, I don't see this team base like. If they don't turn the ball over, it is going to be really hard for this team to lose. It's probably true, but I would just tweak it slightly, which is that if they can run the ball, to put it in Darnald like, I, yeah, I guess there's a scenario where they run it great and Donald Fritz is out. But I just feel like they had a fifty four percent success rate on a night where they were playing with the lead and running the whole time. I said it all year, when they run the ball well and It hasn't been every week, but it pretty much has been every week for the last month.

00:56:47
Speaker 2: They're the best.

00:56:48
Speaker 1: Team in football, full stop, uh, in general, and we've set it on NFL daily for three months now. I think the Seahawks and the Rams have been a tier above the rest of the NFL the whole season where one went away from getting that match up.

00:57:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think that that the two times they've played have been very indicative of the method of success for the Seahawks that's available. The route to a championship for the Seahawks is exactly as you described, because let's think about the first time those two teams played. And yes, the Rams still have to beat the Bears. And I'm not counting the Bears out by any means, but since.

00:57:19
Speaker 2: We out, not many people are I saw in good boarding football.

00:57:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, because they're the darling. They're the darling right now right.

00:57:25
Speaker 3: But if we're putting the Rams and the Seahawks in the same tier, that's who we're comparing them to, a tier above the rest. And in that first game, the theme that we took away from it was Sam Darnold's interceptions doom the Seahawks. They still only lost that game by a slim margin. Then you go to the Seattle game where he has a similarly nightmarish first half, then wakes up, figures it out, and throws them back into the game, and it's a thriller. That's the formula that you don't want to follow in the playoffs, but you create. You end up with that formula because you don't run the ball well because you have to throw your way back into the game because of turnovers. So again, if you can limit them and just ride Kenneth Walker, ride sharp and a control time of possession, lean on that defense, you could win low scoring games all the way to a Lombardi Trophy.

00:58:05
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:58:05
Speaker 1: I I look at a few plays in this game that make me feel good about Donald, and some of the stats are crazy. I kept updating it throughout the game. They had they were up twenty four to six at that point.

00:58:19
Speaker 2: That was the half.

00:58:20
Speaker 1: They had fifty six net yards passing. Not bad when you can up twenty four to six fifty four yards passing. But you know what's even better than that? How about Sam Donald left the game. I wrote this down somewhere. I'm trying to find it now. Sam Donald left the game with a forty one to six lead. Drew Locke played most of the fourth quarter. At the time that he left the game, they only had one hundred and six net yards passing. You're right, you put a forty burger on him with one hundred and six netyard passing and that includes some like big sacks that Donald took. But actually the one of the like three really good throws Donald had in this game, look, he only had twelve completions, was after he took kind of a ghastly classic Darnold sack where you're like, why did you just, you know, take a twelve yard sack, and then he rips a deep out to Coop It was second in eighteen or second and twenty two or something, and then he rips a deep out to Cooper Cup to either pick up the first down or make a third one. I forget which, but it was an awesome throw, and I was just like, okay, like the oblique's not bothering him, and he had that touchdown throw was great, and the couple times where he let going through it like it wasn't perfect, but he had enough good throws in this game that I wasn't worried now he has a week.

00:59:36
Speaker 4: Yeah again, numbers can be deceiving.

00:59:37
Speaker 6: Two.

00:59:38
Speaker 3: Because the Seahawks, outside of the kick return touchdown to start the game, they had nine possessions, nearly half of them, four of them started in San Francisco territory. Those are extra opportunities given to you by your defense. The results of those four possessions touchdown, field goal, touchdown, touchdown. That's how you blow out a team without racking up a ton of numbers.

00:59:56
Speaker 1: Offensively, right, that's not their fault that it was on short fields. It's a great point, and that's what great teams do. It really felt like it was over. I agree with the comment in thirteen seconds in this game, what the heck, let's let's hear Steve Rabel. It's ki r We've been using their calls throughout the game. You mentioned how ken Walker got three touchdowns. I'd like to hear how that place was sounding when they put the forty burger on the Niners.

01:00:26
Speaker 8: Time the handoff Walker, he's coming back to the right side.

01:00:30
Speaker 12: He he's gonna score touchdown Seahawks ken Walker.

01:00:35
Speaker 2: The third strips in around the right side. Great blocking.

01:00:39
Speaker 8: The Niners haven't stopped it yet his third touchdown of the night. Ken Walker I think might get a game ball by the time this is over. And knowing K and I, he'll give it to his offensive line.

01:00:52
Speaker 4: What a job they did.

01:00:53
Speaker 8: I mean, just huge gaps him.

01:00:55
Speaker 3: That forty nine or defense that play there, Gray is able to getting a second level on the back and then your center, your front side blocker gets out in front and just sits down on the remaining defender of beauty. Just art art in in execution when it comes to the running game. But you know what, Greg, I think back because this was a classic matchup, and we always think about the twenty thirteen NFC Championship game, and there was that quote that Richard Sherman had after one of the great bards of our time. Richard Sherman said, don't you talk about the best, or I'm gonna shut up on you real quick. The Seahawks did that as a team to.

01:01:31
Speaker 4: The forty nine Ers tonight.

01:01:33
Speaker 2: I felt bad for the forty nine ers.

01:01:36
Speaker 1: Look, they overachieved this season, not just because of the injuries, but because of the roster turnover. Even that touchdown to JSN you know who got lost in coverage. There was Marcus Siegle. Like Siegle like a fifth round rookie who was replacing jay Y R. Brown who got hurt just last week. In this game, Christian McCaffrey gets hurt, came back in, but like he wasn't healthy in the game. He had a stinger and missed a couple drives to start the second half. Like Ton just gets hurt in this game. They do get de Winters back in this game, but I'm just thinking, like they were just so shorthanded. So many forty nine er seasons have ended this way, but I think they were up for the fight. It was a great moment that they had last week. I think they can look at this offseason as one to push forward and have a lot of pieces in place. Unfortunately, you know, Kittle's coming off that Achilles, but they're they're not far away. They're just stuck in the NFC West, which is absolutely loaded, and so they're gonna have to load up and get healthy. Ricky Piersoll was supposed to play in this game. I mean, he did play in this game, but you really didn't feel his impact at all, and they're you know, there's not much good that you can say here. I didn't love that Kyle Shanahan like kicked a couple of times for the six points, came on fourth and six and fourth and three, fairly deep into Seattle's end on a day where you were trailing a lot early.

01:03:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, but here's the thing.

01:03:10
Speaker 3: How demoralizing is is it if you get down there and you don't get any points twice?

01:03:13
Speaker 1: Hey, you know it's demoralizing losing forty one to six.

01:03:16
Speaker 4: Yeah, I know you didn't matter.

01:03:19
Speaker 1: That's why I hate even bringing it up, because I just met like the only way that they were ever Like he kicked the field goal down seventeen to three and seventeen nothing, and I'm just thinking, like they're gonna need four touchdowns in this game, like you gotta get you gotta get one of them here. Man, what a team this, Seattle Seahawks. Do you think they want to play the Rams or the Bears?

01:03:44
Speaker 3: I would imagine they probably want to play well, I don't know, familiarity, it's one one split there.

01:03:49
Speaker 4: They might want to play the Rams.

01:03:49
Speaker 3: I would think they want to play the Bears because the Bears defense is very average that they don't get takeaways.

01:03:54
Speaker 2: Don't try to be here skills.

01:03:55
Speaker 1: I think the Bears very clearly have bigger weaknesses on defense. The Rams and the Seahawks are so familiar with each other. The Rams are the one team that has made Seattle's defense look mortal. Actually Tampa really did too in that one game way back in Week six, but since they really got rolling even better down the stretch, it really was just that Rams game in Seattle for three quarters, where let's be honest, Seattle stole that game, just like kind of the Rams stole the first game. And I do have a feeling we're going to get a rubber match, but maybe the Bears fans can point out how wrong I am. Later Sunday night, we'll be doing that show me you and Patrick. But before we get out of here, okay, because that's it for the Seahawks, let's add ounce some news. Where do we even want to start? How about the Atlanta Falcons hiring a new coach? And yes, we appreciate everyone that is staying up late with us on the East coast. Wherever you are, by the way, let us know, like we're seeing new z. I saw some Australia, certainly we saw some of our Canadian friends. Let us know where you're watching from. Please like, if you're watching us live, go ahead and give us a subscribe. We've been juicing up the numbers lately. We love you, And if you're listening in your ears too, like we could use some comments, give us some five star reviews.

01:05:20
Speaker 2: We love you.

01:05:21
Speaker 1: We're working hard on these Saturday nights. I'm glad we're doing this as an extra this season on NFL Daily And once we turn this off. By the way, I'm not going to be watching New Zealand, but I will be watching the Australian Open very soon little tennis on my Saturday night. To wrap things up, let's talk about your Browns coach, Kevin Stefanski taking the Atlanta Falcons job.

01:05:44
Speaker 2: I will give you the floor. Stefanski to the Falcons. What do you think?

01:05:50
Speaker 3: I think it represents an upgrade, And it's not a surprise at all, because not an upgrade necessarily over Raheem Morris as much as an offensive upgrade for a team that has desperately needed it. Even back to the Arthur Smith days when they're rolling with Mariota and Desmond Ritter. They have a quarterback that they believe in in Michael Pennix that that needs to demonstrate progress in year three. I think Kevin Sefanci marries well with him, and he also has Kirk Cousins, the guy he's very familiar with, to work with. And if you're gonna get anybody acclimated who's young to a Stefanci offense, why not use the quarterback who thrived in the one year that year and a half to Fancy was his offensive coordinator to help out with Michael Pennick.

01:06:25
Speaker 4: So it makes a lot of sense.

01:06:26
Speaker 3: I also think that Beijon back there is going to thrive with Stefancy's offense. And if fashion similar to what Nick Chubb enjoyed, if you're able to build a staff that includes some of the other, you know, former standout assistants that were in Cleveland, like a Bill Callahan for example, in the offensive line, that could really elevate this team. And it's interesting that, you know, the new president of football, Matt Ryan, follows Arthur Blank's demands or suggestions recommendations that do find leadership. Kevin Sefanci is a two time Coach of the Year. You know, he piloted the Browns their most consistent stretch of success since they've been back since since ninety nine. And yes, the bar is low for that, but the guy's proven he can coach when he has a competent roster, and the Falcons believe they have a competent roster. I'm very curious to see who he fills out his staff with, though on the defensive side. But I think that it's a great move for them, and it's kind of a no brainer. I thought he was the best remaining coach available after Harbaugh went to the Giants. And congratulations to the Falcons for getting it done so quickly.

01:07:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that timing's really interesting. I think they just they're trying to beat every one of the punch. Yeah, and Stefanski would have been a strong candidate in a number of places like Tennessee. And I think if you're going to give Arthur Blank credit for the Matt Ryan higher like, I think Matt Ryan helps to get this done. You know Stefanski and Ryan, and look, I wouldn't have known this until this happened, until like he got this second interview and there was some buzz building that you know, they were close, that they both grew up in the Philadelphia area playing high school football like nearby, they played college football.

01:08:03
Speaker 2: Near each other.

01:08:03
Speaker 1: I didn't really ever, I didn't even know Kevin Stefanski played college football, but he was at PEN while Ryan was at BC. But I think that the key not only that they had a relationship going back all that way, but the key to me that was pointed out by Josh Kendall in The Athletic earlier this week was you know Ryan's coached under or or played under.

01:08:28
Speaker 2: Who was it Bill Musgrave?

01:08:29
Speaker 1: And who coached Matt Ryan who Kevin Stefanski also created under?

01:08:35
Speaker 2: And there and because I was like, what is the connection here?

01:08:38
Speaker 1: Because it's always about connections, and so these are two men who actually did know each other pretty well, even though it's not like a guy who worked for each other. And obviously he's a quarterbacks guy, and so there are the connections there. There's like the familiarity and if I'm a Falcons fan, I'm really excited.

01:08:56
Speaker 2: I'm shocked.

01:08:57
Speaker 1: I saw a lot of Falcons fans very unhappy with this move, which I was like, I'm I think they're just at the point where they're unhappy with anything.

01:09:05
Speaker 4: The foult who did they want?

01:09:07
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know who they wanted.

01:09:09
Speaker 1: Apparently, like the Raheem Higher at the time was more popular and Arthur Smith, who were kind of buzzy candidates at the time, and Stefanski feels like a retread, but uh, I think it's I think it's a really good hire.

01:09:22
Speaker 3: Raheem was a retread, right, And that's the problem with the coaching cycle is that fan bases fall in love with candidates because of name recognition, and they look at Stefanski and associated him with the Browns that went three and fourteen and five and twelve in the last two years, and I think, oh, we're gonna get this guy who was terrible and just got fired.

01:09:36
Speaker 4: I'm telling you, the fit makes a ton of sense. Just give it time. I think it'll work out. It's a good higher for them.

01:09:42
Speaker 2: Yeah.

01:09:43
Speaker 1: Just to clarify that, Stefanski was the assistant quarterbacks coach in Minnesota under Bill Musgrave, who was also Ryan's quarterbacks coach in the first five seasons of Matt Ryan's career.

01:09:55
Speaker 2: So an interesting I believe in there.

01:09:57
Speaker 3: I think I think Musgrave was a consultant with the brown in recent years as well.

01:10:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I agree with our buddy I'm on here from the Philippines. The Falcons are lucky to get Stefanski too, because I just think for what they need. It'll be interesting if this does impact the Kirk Cousins decision or not. Look, they just restructured his contract in a way that made it really seem like they were going to cut him. It was a type of contract restructure that makes it easier to cut him, but it's not a guarantee that he has to get cut. Stefanski was the quarterbacks coach for Kirk Cousins for Minnesota for one season. In that season, he actually got elevated to offensive coordinator, and then he was the offensive coordinator for cut next to one more season yep as well. So there's a connection there that it's not crazy at all in my mind if you really believe in Michael Pennix to think of Kirk.

01:10:52
Speaker 2: As the best you're going to do for a bridge, you know.

01:10:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, like just he's your mentor at minimum, he's your mentor ridge for now. He just did that job under a different staff this year, and then he can mentor you know, uh Pennix through the Stefanski offense and get him acclimated and increases his chances of success.

01:11:10
Speaker 2: Well, you're gonna need someone to play. He's not going to be playing week one, or you know he's probably not.

01:11:13
Speaker 4: So I'm just saying like his increase the chances of success earlier.

01:11:17
Speaker 1: In his tenure under Stefanski, and then in terms of the timing of it in that and then we'll move on. Not only does they get ahead of everyone hiring Stefanski and here's the key part, they get ahead of everyone for hiring the rest of the Stefanski's staff. And we'll see it's going to be competitive out there. Varying reports indicate the first one from Ian Rappaport that Jeff Olbrook, who was there and did great work last year with Raheem Morris, is likely to stay with So that's huge. I mean, like knowing you can keep Olbrick if you're getting stefanskat enough there's a relationship there, or just Lana is gonna pay him enough money and he's comfortable, his family's been there for a couple years, whatever it is.

01:12:01
Speaker 2: That's huge.

01:12:02
Speaker 1: And then Diana Rossini of the Athletic says, don't be surprised, Slash kind of expect that they're going to bring Brian Callahan. I mean rather Bill Callahan, not Brian Kelli. And Bill Callahan the offensive line coach from the Browns who's done awesome work as an offensive line coach, and Tommy Reese would probably come in as the offensive coordinator under Stefanski. And suddenly you're like, Okay, that's a pretty that's a pretty good looking staff. And believe me, Jeff Ulbrick, if he's not going to get a head coach in chance, and I don't think he's going to, like would be almost at the very top of the defensive coordinator hier in this market where like ten teams are looking for it, so you're beating everyone.

01:12:43
Speaker 2: To the punt.

01:12:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, it has a domino effect too on the remain defensive coordinator market. If you want to tie it back to Cleveland that you know Schwartz is, you know, interviewing getting second interviews with the Browns. If he's not going to go follow us to Fanski to Atlanta, then that's a candidate that's still going to be out there for somebody to hire it as well.

01:12:57
Speaker 1: True, So that's that's really interesting. I think a good move for Atlanta. We'll see see how it plays out. I had my concerns of like, what did Matt Ryan really do to like earn this, But then you hear him speak and you're like, well, I believe in this man like he does seem smart. I would follow you anywhere, Matt Ryan. So I'm rooting for you. And unlike Tom Brady, You're not doing it as your sixth or seventh you know, different job like on the side, you're doing it, so I respect that. The other news tonight, there's been a couple but the big bigger news tonight was that Matt Lafleur and Brian Guda Kuns have reached agreement. According to again Diane Rassini and Ani rap Report had it for long term extensions for the Green Bay Packers. Still waiting for details, there was some scuttle butt behind the scenes of like, how is this deal gonna work?

01:13:56
Speaker 2: Like is it short? Is it long?

01:13:58
Speaker 1: We'll see, but either way, barring any huge last second turn that, it sounds like the a contract they're agreed to, Matt Lafleur will be staying in Green Bay.

01:14:08
Speaker 3: It's interesting because the fashion in which the Bears beat the Packers, and it was very reminiscent of the way the Packers lost to the Bears late in the regular season kind of led Selas to believe that, oh maybe this might be the end of the Laflor era, and instead they do the opposite, and they double down on their commitment to Matt Laflor And it is very Packers of them. This is not a franchise that quickly canned somebody, you know, for underperforming or failing to reach their sky high expectations. And ultimately, I do think it's the right move for right now because if you weigh the pros versus the cons, he's done a lot more good than he's done bad. It's just that they've run into some disappointing endings over the last few years, some of it involving the fact that their quarterback hasn't stayed healthy and they were kind of turning over to being one of the youngest teams in the NFL over the last couple of years. You lose Micah Parsons. That has a big impact in your defensive performance. This year, I think it's smart to run it back as opposed to getting rid of him and making a knee jerk decision.

01:15:02
Speaker 1: Okay, so I want to be clear with my wording, it's a multi year extension. According to Tom Pellisio with Lafleur, multi year could just be two by the way, like and then that would make it a three year total.

01:15:15
Speaker 2: We don't know Guda kunt is working on.

01:15:18
Speaker 1: An extension, but he is expected back, but that that has not been reported as agreed to.

01:15:23
Speaker 2: Just just wanted to clarify that.

01:15:25
Speaker 1: I based on everything I've learned, which is all secondhand, and just based on reading all the reporting, I think there was a world where this could have ended differently and cooler heads prevailed and maybe the opportunity like for Lafleur to move on, Like the timing, it just didn't make sense for anyone, for him, for the packers for anything. Was there a world where some team came in with like a godfather offer of like some picks and they thought about it, like I think, I think that might have been possible, but I don't thing.

01:16:00
Speaker 2: I don't think that ever happened.

01:16:02
Speaker 1: And you know, the packers met with him and had dinner on Thursday night, like I think everyone just watched the situation played out and like the best option for everyone. Once he got away from the emotion of it, all was him returning. And the thing that is crazy to me is how upset Packers fans are about it.

01:16:20
Speaker 2: I can't believe it.

01:16:22
Speaker 4: Come on the entitlement so good.

01:16:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he is really frustrating, and he does have a little bit of late Ravens. John Harbaugh to him that you keep losing games in similar fashion, you lose games with the lead. I wouldn't say, like game management is Jordan Love's biggest strength or Matt Lafleur's biggest strength with is it bad combo?

01:16:46
Speaker 4: Not not with the way they lost that wildcard game especially, but.

01:16:48
Speaker 1: Just in general, I agree, but this team is not far away, like and you have a great offense and a great thing going. And I listened to a podcast he does great work. It's called Blue fifty two, right, it's called Blue fifty two, the Packers podcast, And he did a poll with his fans and.

01:17:11
Speaker 2: By far the biggest.

01:17:12
Speaker 1: You know, when he asked, like who do you want as your next coach? Like do you want laflur fired or not? Like they wanted leaflur out, I couldn't, you know. I couldn't believe it. And then if you go on to Twitter or Blue Sky tonight. It's the same thing like the people wanted laflir Out. I think you're wrong, but actually NFL history would say that it usually the coach doesn't get if they're going to get their Super Bowl, they're going to get it in the first five or six years, so to be sure, it would break present.

01:17:40
Speaker 3: But it's also a greener grass situation where first off, who are you going to replace him with? Who's out there that that you're really targeting, that you think is going to get you over the hump without you know, wrecking a lot of the continuity that you've had. And also look at the coach that you are you want fired, and look at how quickly he would get a job somewhere else, Like he could go directly to Tennis and get whatever he wanted from the Titans and they would be thrilled to have him.

01:18:03
Speaker 4: You don't let guys let that go. I know he has his drawbacks.

01:18:07
Speaker 3: Like you said, late stage Harbaugh in Baltimore is a good comparison, but it's not one of those things where they just grow on trees. Like if you're pretty close, maybe make some small adjustments, let him learn from some of those mistakes and hope for the best, and if you don't produce that, you know, somewhere in the middle of this extension two years from now, you know you're running into the same problem. Then you end up with a Harball or a Tomlin departure where it's like, all right, you know what, maybe it's just best we go our separate ways.

01:18:32
Speaker 4: But it's too early, I think right now.

01:18:34
Speaker 1: And if you were Lafleur, who might have who knows, had interested in like the right job, maybe that job just wasn't out there for him either, Like would you want to go to Tennessee? Like no, you got Jordan Love and Micah Parsons and these young talented skill position guys including Tucker Craft who are coming back that you've already coached up. It sounds like you're probably gonna lose your defensive coordinator Jeff Affley. It sounds like the next announcement would be him to Miami. We'll talk about that if and when it actually happened. But you have a pretty good thing going with a quarterback in his prime. And if you're a Packers fan, like keep in mind, like there was an article from Justice Moscada this week. It was really good about how the Packers, you know, are infamous for paying way less for their assistant coaches, and they have way less experience on Lafleur's staff than almost any staff on the league, and that's usually by design. So he is making up for some things that is kind of systematic with that organization and making it look good with some good offense. And oh, by the way, they were missing like four of their best seven players in that playoff game.

01:19:41
Speaker 3: So I didn't go wat watch the interest that Malik Willis attracts this offseason too, that is a direct product of met before.

01:19:48
Speaker 1: Right, he wasn't getting that done with Mike Rabel, who's a great coach, but yeah, he was not a fran of a phantom Malik Willis back in the day. And then finally, just because I find it funny, let's just dot the I on John Harbaugh being announced as New York Giants head coach. Where were you on Friday night, Nick Shook? If you even saw this when you started seeing the reports that Giants reporters weren't really totally sure, Actually, is John Harbaugh actually going to be the coach? Even though we all announced it and had backpage headlines for two straight days and talked about what a great thing it was and what he ordered at the restaurant and everything great that John Harbaugh is going to be for the Giants for two straight days and then for like a handful of hours, it felt like it was on a knife edge. And I don't think it was even a made up knife edge. It sounds like it was pretty real knife's edge.

01:20:40
Speaker 3: To answer your question, stereotypically, for me, I was on my way to the gym and I was at a stop light. Yeah, I shouldn't be on your phone, you on to stop light, But I was at a stop light and I saw that all pop up, and I was like, oh God, all those write ups about that restaurant are really going to age poorly if this doesn't work out.

01:20:55
Speaker 2: Shout out to Connor Ort. He did good work. You know, it's not his fault.

01:20:59
Speaker 1: And I saw and even our you know, our producer believes maybe the information went out public too quickly. You know, maybe it's on like Schefter was the first one well the owners.

01:21:09
Speaker 4: Out there saying Harbaugh told me he'd be back. You got a leak there.

01:21:14
Speaker 1: I put it more on the agent and the team and maybe even it's the agent more than anything. Why did everyone have to know the play by play of every single part of this negotiation the whole time it?

01:21:28
Speaker 2: I don't know.

01:21:28
Speaker 1: I guess the purpose was for John Harbor to gain as much leverage as possible, not only against other teams, but against the Giants and Joe Shane, because the most telling thing I saw of all the texts and tweets and everything else is one from Ian O'Connor, who was on it this whole time, who was at the Athletic who's covered the Giants for a long time, and he revealed today. I'm wondering if John Harbaugh is okay with him revealing this today. He revealed today that he sent John Harbaugh a text at nine o'clock Eastern last night. I think it was like nine nine saying are you still confident you're gonna be coach the next coach of the New York Giants? And John Harbaugh sent back the hands to the side. I don't know, emoj.

01:22:13
Speaker 2: I love that.

01:22:16
Speaker 4: I mean, I don't know, dog, you gotta come with the with the proper offer here.

01:22:21
Speaker 8: Yeah.

01:22:22
Speaker 2: Well, and you know what happened in the end.

01:22:24
Speaker 1: It got reported everywhere that John Harbaugh is reporting directly to ownership and not to Joe Shane in the GM, which is a change from different setups in the Giants organization. And to that, I say, didn't you talk about this before, like when you were at the dinner, like what are we what are we doing here?

01:22:47
Speaker 2: If we're negotiating for a week? Didn't you talk about this way before? They must have.

01:22:53
Speaker 1: Maybe they didn't, and maybe they just assumed that they would get their way in the end, John Harbaugh did, and John Harbaugh was right, and the Giants would have been foolish to let Joe Shane get in the way of anything.

01:23:05
Speaker 3: Here's my very brief psychological analysis of this. I think John Harbaugh has spent such a long time in Baltimore and was not unfairly fired, but was unceremoniously fired over the phone on his way out of the facility that he may have just been basking in the love and the ego boost of being taken to dinner and being like adored by a team that so desperately wants him to coach that he was like, Oh I'm and I'm soaking it all up without hammering out the details. Remember, this is a guy who has had a you know, negotiate for a job in almost twenty years.

01:23:36
Speaker 1: But who's literally Giants. I think they're hiring. They think they're hiring a guy who's going to report to Joe Shane. Like that's on that's on the Giants And maybe.

01:23:44
Speaker 4: Yea, that speaks a lot about the Giants and where.

01:23:45
Speaker 2: They Yeah, maybe that's on new ownership.

01:23:48
Speaker 1: Because look, John Mara is involved, according to John Harbaugh that he's going to the office and everything, but he's he has a cancer battle right now. His son Chris Mara has been really involved in this and and maybe that's part of it. And I think the quotes coming from John Harbaugh today have been really interesting and telling.

01:24:05
Speaker 2: And he talked about.

01:24:06
Speaker 1: How we're going to really be beefing up the analytics department. That was something that was really important to get in there. So he basically was saying that was part of the negotiation too, that he was getting all that in writing that, like we're going to pay for an entire analytics department where we didn't have anything before because we're kind of operating in like nineteen ninety five, and I want to bring it up to the present because oh, By the way, the Ravens have been as analytics forward as basically any team for twenty years, and it's just like not talked about that much, and so that was part of it too, And it's just setting up all the things to be a successful organization, which ultimately, if you're the Giants and certainly a Giants fan, you're happy that John Harbaugh is dragging your team into the present and not reporting to Joe Shane, because let's be real, Joe Shane's not making decisions anymore.

01:24:59
Speaker 2: It's John Harbor.

01:25:00
Speaker 4: And get familiar with the idea of compensatory picks, Giants fans.

01:25:04
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, football is back, baby. Look we will be back on Sunday night. Great staying up with you, Shook. We've been doing this all season long. And look, we got more recaps to go. We got tomorrow, we got the championship games, We've got the Super Bowl. But this is our last like live on YouTube. And I really appreciate everything you've given to all of our viewers and listeners this year.

01:25:28
Speaker 2: It's been a lot of fun.

01:25:28
Speaker 3: I appreciate being here and I want you to know what I came to the realization of today, which is after tonight's games, which were now passed.

01:25:36
Speaker 4: There are only five games left in this calendar year.

01:25:39
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, you're not counting ball back.

01:25:42
Speaker 4: No, I'm not counting that the games of significance.

01:25:46
Speaker 2: I don't know. That is crazy.

01:25:48
Speaker 1: We are down to six teams. Hit that music, five games, six teams in many shows, it's in the names.

01:25:58
Speaker 2: It's NFL Daily.

01:25:59
Speaker 1: So if you're just watching us on YouTube for the first time, appreciate everyone check us out daily.

01:26:04
Speaker 2: We'll be back on Sunday night recapping the.

01:26:08
Speaker 1: Two big divisional round games Texans Patriots and Bears RAM.

01:26:14
Speaker 2: We'll see that