2022 Week 9 Recap: Football is FUN

00:00:00
Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast has never covered a Jets playoff game. Now yet Baby from the Chris Westling podcast studio, It's Around the NFL um Dan hanzas got Heroes here, Greg Rosythal, Mark sas football Man. How lucky are we? What a great job, this is what a great sport, This is the product that the league puts out there is unbelievable. And I just I just pitched myself because this is just such a great time to be alive doing what we do. And that goes for all the all the listeners and viewers of football, which is just great love football. I back what you're saying. Each of the bullet points that you are just verbalized, I agree with. I do think that your spirit, in your mood, it's not a butt, it's just more of a I do believe that your spirit and mood has been elevated and lifted by specific events um today, as characterized by the word on your sweatshirt, I got sweatshirt. I didn't think of that until you said that. But perhaps perhaps that's why I love sports so much and why football is such a fun sport. Although you know, I know the Jets one of the best wins, maybe the best win of the of the A C N area. It's up there. But I would like to think you know easily you are loyal to football too. I'm not the only one. And uh, the the Week nine slate in the early window and then even Tom Brady there at the end in the late windows deliver so much as a whole. But I think that Dan would have a little bounce in his step no matter let's say they let's say the Jets had been like heavily and mercilessly waxed by Buffalo. We're not getting that opening speech, and I'm glad we're getting it, and I'm glad it happened for you. I listen, a lot of people, a lot of people would be destroyed on Sunday, and maybe the man across from me, Mark Sessler, hinted at it repeatedly, having what I said was that loss would be a win for you, but you didn't believe. All I can tell you is that this is an amazing sport football, and I'm happy to be here with you, guys, my friends, I'm with you. It's more statements I agree with. So why don't we you know what, Yeah, why don't we Why don't we start with the game that was played in northern New Jersey today, because there's been a lot of good football. You're making me uncomfort of all this, this version of Dan. I don't know who he is. Where neither do I. I don't know what's happening. Let's go check it out. The Jets and the Bills lead by three, fourth and one, and as Alan trops back to throw, I was on five yard days hambling to his loft fine time, looking down to you. It's a bomb for Davis. Sauce gardeners there that it's not the way Sauce Carter and position on kve. Davis knots it away, and the Jets are gonna take a knee and win it here at Nutlife Stadium. Come come, Bob was using with the call w E p n the baby Jets. They're all growns up, and they're all grows up, and they're all growns up. Josh Alan dare to challenge Sauce Gardner. With the game on the line, Zack Wilson threw a touchdown pass and played smart in efficient football, and Greg the Legs airline kicked the go ahead twenty eight yard field goal with one forty three to play. It was the clinching points of a win over the Buffalo Bills, widely believed to be the best team in football entering this Sunday, and um mark so many things from a Jet standpoint went right in this game. They played their best, most complete game against their toughest opponent and have a season changing win as a result. And uh yeah, it feels good right now to be a Jets fan. It really does. I mean, if you go back to when the Jets were a factor way back when with Darrell Reevas with that elite defense, you're seeing the DNA strands of an elite defense here. And the one thing we did talk about on Thursday, I wasn't being negative about the Jets. I said, you need your young players, your young heroes like Sauce Gardner to show up, and you need need to cause chaos for Buffalo, and Buffalo is gonna need to be coaxed into some air un characteristic melt down, some mistakes. All of that happened. I also just said, I'm not sure I believe in this team based on where they are at quarterback. They played around that today and they did everything they needed to do, and it is a legit Jets win that makes them a legit competitor and contestant in the a f C. This is not a fluke. There are really things happening with this Jets team under Robert Sala that suggests that they are growing quickly. The defense has been here pretty much all season. I knew they would show up in this game, and that's what made last week against the Patriots so disappointing, because they showed up that week too, but the quarterback didn't show up in the second half. So the fact that Wilson was able to correct a lot of the mistakes that defined the lost to New England, that's all they really he needs to do. Like his job, Zach Wilson is to be competent, hit the throws when they come available, maybe mix in a big play, and don't kill him the turnovers. Because their defense greg is now hitting a level uh And remember this was a historically bad defense when solid took over just last year. Is that a level now where they could shut down any opponent, including Josh Allen and the Bills. It's crazy that throw Josh Allen made. You must have been sweating out because it felt like that that Tech Mobile play where there's a glitch and the ball just keeps going and going and going forever. Just with my eyes, it looked like about seventy you know, about seventy plus are yards, which is insane, but then so fitting that it's gardener there at the end. I said, that was the matchup I was looking forward to. You can tell me more about it, Jets defense versus Bill's offense. The fact that Alan ends with two interceptions only two yards rushing, I mean passing on thirty four attempts is major. And this is a running in defense year. Most years you would think that they can't stick around to the end because you need the passing game. But this is more of a running in defense year, and we're seeing teams like the Jets survive week to week and thrive. Yeah, they they have a great secondary um led by Sauce. Of course, who to me is the defensive rookie of the year. DJ Reid is the guy that kind of has been under the radar um as another guy that's playing at a Pro Bowl level. So you when you have that, going back to those teams you're talking about Mark, that's when the Jets had Rebus and Antonio Cromarti that could change um, flip the field for them and limit what any team could do. This is this is their strength. Their defense and their offense has been up and down. At quarterback, it's been impacted by injuries, but the defense has been here all year long. Josh Allen, And they ran for a hundred and seventy four yards. That's the thing. Yes, And they didn't. They didn't have a great running day until it mattered because they took over with about seven minutes to play, about eight minutes to play, they got the ball at their own four game tied at seventeen. They were down by eleven, I believe at one point the Jets and they went all the way inside the Bill's red zone on eight straight running plays. And then when the clock got to a point where uh they needed to throw the ball, they didn't have to, but they said, we're gonna on third down, We're gonna ask Zach to do something. He found, of all people, Denzel Mims for a huge first down that not only allowed them to get into chip shot range. Even though that play that drive stalled and ended with the field goal, it put Josh Allen in a situation where he had no time outs and no margin for era. So when they get a holding call and then a crushing sack fumble, it essentially puts the game away. So the running games showing up with Breeze Hall gone was huge. And Josh Allen struggles. You know, he was a little sloppy with the ball the previous week, uh as we know for in receptions and two starts, and in this game he uh the interceptions were bad, they were poor decisions. One was inside the Jets red zone very early in the game, um after a long dig's completion, and in general, he just did not look comfortable. I talked about the stat um that his numbers really fall off. You could probably say this about a lot of quarterbacks with the number one receiver. But if you could neutralize Diggs, which the Jets largely did other than the first big completion on the first play from scrimmage, UM, you can get the Bills in a little bit more of a vulnerable position. And that's what happened because Diggs was mostly silent after that first big play and they didn't have someone else they could turn. And it stands out because who's who's made the Bills uncomfortable this season. Essentially no one other than that a couple of moments here and there. I mean it was we were too bad picks by by Allen. And I mean week after week, the Jets defense is doing this, and it's your kryptonite in the a f C. If you can do this to Buffalo, you can beat anyone. Well, they gave him a taste of the Bills medicine. I saw that they only blitzed Alan twice. It's the fewest he's been blitzed, uh this season certainly, or the second least he's ever been blitzed in his career. And they lost that game. They don't need to. They got they got tons of pressure, they got sacks. He you know, he got loose for some running players in this game. Uh. But the fact that they can do what the Bills do on defense, which is not blitz and create a lot of pressure. I mean that's kind of the skeleton key here. And uh, Allen will give you a chance, Like there's this idea that always been a little sloppy last couple of weeks. After this week, he might lead the league and turnover worthy plays. He still has that gene in him where he'll give you a chance a couple of times a game, any more than makes up for you the number two in my m v P race. But he'll give you a chance a couple of times. And when you're a great defense like the Jets, you take advantage. If you look at the Jets last five weeks, the the amount of yards they have given up through the era hundred seventy eight, hundred and fifty eight two, two hundred and sixty one, and then what happened today where you know, and if you look at the DIGSZ box score, he almost had a hundred yards, but they's largely shut him down in the second half and so much has to do that has to do with their defensive backfield. Yeah, it was just a great, great performance all around. They were down to fourth a half, but you and I tweeted about at a time like you felt like the whole team had showed up. A lot of bills, fans traveled and we're in the in the in MetLife Stadium, but the Jets crowd was a good one as well. It was a really good vibe. And uh, yeah, they go into their bye week on this, so it's a great time to hit your by and try to get a little more healthy, and then you come out and you get a rematch against the Patriots. Patriots so and egged on by their reporters, they were already talking up that game like, oh, we can't wait, we can't wait. We shall see. But it is, it is he does, and I'm excited to see. Uh. I'm curious so your guys reaction when you watch Zack Wilson, because I thought you could definitely see him learn from some things that happened last week. Even the last his last play from scrimmage, it was kind of a broken play and you could see him being very wise about I am not gonna lose this game. After this amazing drive on a fumble here getting taken down, you can tell you just playing smarter. But the Bills are owing too in the division and now they have two losses, which ties the Chiefs. I know it's a long season, but it just opens up this AFC still a little bit in a way that you wouldn't have You wouldn't have thought that out there, a half game out of the a f C East lead with the tiebreaker right now in the Bills. How about that? But You don't want to hear anything more from me. You want to hear from a different member of the Hands family. His name is Keith, his dad's dad. Don't doubt about it. He's a big Jets fan. What is he going to say that the game today? What does he goes will happen game? To say? What a great win for the Jets beating the Buffalo Bills? And now was that an exciting game? I thought it was a tremendous comeback, the way they hung in there with them and they stopped Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills and six and three. If you would have told anybody they'd be six and three after nine games going into Dubai and then they're gonna play in New England again. Let's see what they can do. Go Jets, j E t s Jets, Jets Jets About a little perspiration on Keith shirt. He was sweating it out with the rest of us. I mean, he's been waiting forever. It's been a long time task to feel. Is there an element of it being entirely surreal? Like are you catching up to what? There is a real vibe around the fan base right now, because it really doesn't like this. If they have a bad loss, let's say against the Patriots coming out of the bye you're not going to give up hope again, think where you were a fortnit Ago. I can as a fan. There are highs and lows. That's just part of the experience. But right now that was very low, then very high. Now you know what else, We're always getting banged by the listeners for talking about the Jets too much, and look at I think there's times where that's a relevant comment. Well not this time, so shut up. That's I like the listener. So I'm sort of saying that to anyone that wants to create rabble rows this week, you just don't do it this week. Thank you, Mark. All right, well, thank you everybody for listening. We'll be back on Tuesday with another episode. There's more, There is more. I know when you came into the office today, you're like, how about that, Greggy, And for a second it was of course you're talking about it, just but I wasn't sure what you're talking about because there has been other football to that point. Like, it doesn't matter what I say to you. Almost always when I say something to Greg, his first thing is like what and then I have to clarify, Greg, I have a thing, just a little fog. There's a fog around in front of me. And then like it takes a second and a half to register. I wonder where that is coming from, Moky Hayes. All right, there was more football. In fact, let's go through all these early games because we had I think five games decided by a field goal. Uh so let's head to another one in Detroit. Roger's back, he's got it looking looking, crush its it up for grabs in the end. Let's get out of here, starting street and man, did this team need that? This football is great? Well? What a sport? Well now they've won me over, Dan Miller with a call w x y T, the Detroit Lions became the latest defense to shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, getting the big stop on fourth down in the final minute to seal a fifteen to nine win. Uh that, yes, as you heard from Dan Miller. Finally the Lions get that second w and the Green Bay Packers, for I believe the first time in the Aaron Rodgers era when he's the quarterback, have lost five straight games and this was another one. Guys, this is another game from my draft. Nice draft by Zeo Sir on a big spot. Um. Another game where the players were there, it was there for the Packers to do what every other team has done against the Lions, which is hanging four d plus total yards and twenty seven to third five points or whatever. Um. But just failure to execute over and over and for a guy that went on a major radio podcast show, UM recently and publicly said that members of his team, his teammates need to be losing playing time uh and having their reps cut to then go to Ford Field and play the game that Aaron Rodgers played where he threw two end zone interceptions bad ones. He threw um another ball a deep pass that would have been a touchdown if he just puts the right throw out there. He under throws his uh uh. I don't remember if it was Lazard I believe, or maybe it was I'm not sure who was actually, but he underthrows that receiver. All throughout the game. He's missing throws. And it's not only Aaron Rodgers is not the only reason they lose this game, and credit is due to the Lions and my boy Aaron Glenn. Their defensive coordinator who has been under fire obviously with the rest of that coaching staff, but seeing Rogers leaving yards and points on the field every week is stunning. Seeing against a Detroit defense that's been historically inept is a whole whole other level to this. A Detroit defense that've had two interceptions all year, that couldn't stop anyone through the air or on the ground, and have Aaron Rodgers end the game with foeign completions and to have him still like show this frustration it seems to be beamed out and aimed at everyone but himself. I just I find I find the whole situation very problematic. They've got the Cowboys, Titans, and Eagles up yet next and no humble brag. But I said on Thursday, I'm not sure they get to seven wins, and like seven wins would be a nice set finished to their season. Well, you can't humble brag about your lack of belief in the team of a t M. This is why you never give up on the team of a t M. They're on a one game winning streak, this was their super ball. Don't give up on them. I just I didn't. I wasn't enjoying the expert same same same losses, uh, same loss column when they bleed. That's they They got the you know, great defensive game for the Lions, you know, in terms of being um opportunistic and everything. But essentially they also had their worst offensive game of the year. Like the Packers defense did as much as they've done all year, giving up only two d and fifty four yards. They were put in a bad position by their offenseill game, and it still didn't matter, which is it's shocking. Like the post game quotes from Rogers Ers, here's Rogers, you know what's gone wrong? Well, I mean I played, but um, I never gave up. Obviously, I don't want to lead us in rushing. Um, but I knew I was gonna have to make some place on my legs. And that's really the moving forward. I'm gonna have to keep doing things like that. I feel like we never gave up. I mean, we just moved the ball well in the first half, and I do a couple of picks in the end zone took points off the board, so that obviously came back to artist down the stretch. Look, I know they didn't run the ball great. When they did try to day, Aaron Jones got banged up and I think they had a fifty nine yards between Dylan and Jones. But the comment that mattered more to me, uh then that post game one was one that Aaron Rodgers made to Aaron Andrews during the week, who he has a pretty close relationship with it and he's told her, I want to go down swinging. Instead of last week where they were really focusing on the run and people are trying to, you know, give them, uh, you know, kudos for running the balls saunch. He's like, if I'm gonna go down, I want to go down swinging. And he's talking about throwing the ball deep down the field and they tried it today. Didn't work. It did not work, And uh, you know, for the Lions, I thought, you know, there's still a team with a lot of problems. I don't think this is uh we're going to see them making a charge here necessarily, But at the same time, it has to be a total relief for everyone in that building and on this show, it's become a sad tradition of the team of a t M. To hear Dan Campbell be sad um in his postgame press conference. So let's hear Dan Campbeill be happy for we at last. Listen, of course, at I'll be honest that I'm exhausted. So why I just you know, I'll go home, put the foot up, drink a beer. Um, you know, I love it, I get it. I'm not giving up on them. We got they got the Bears, the Bears in the Giants. Win those two games to get to four and six. I know that's tough, two road games, but it's possible. And then you at least get to Thanksgiving against the Bills. Why they give them the Bills and Thanksgiving. You know, with momentum, anybody could take down the Bills playing the Bills on Thanksgiving. When they do that to these teams you're doing, I mean, I get you what. You can't out them playing a dud because then it's an unwatchable game. But it's true, that's absurd. Yes, So the lines approved to two and six, two and three at home, and I worry that Justin Fields might have a thousand total yards against the lines. But maybe this is a defense that will are to get some momentum off this. Uh Aidan Hutchinson had his first interception of any kind. I believe there was a quote after the game. You never even had one in high school or pop warn or anything. So uh, nice, nice win. And for the Packers, this was We talked about it on the Thursday Show. Also, like, man, you don't go into Ford Field and hang a bunch of points on the Lions and get healthy, you have a major problem. The Packers have a major problem. Well, it is directly tied to the quarterbacks in other directions. That was your asset test. You failed your season. If I had a fork on me, I would fork them right now. I don't need to spend another week or two hanging around wondering because I don't even care if they go on a hot streak. I don't buy them as anything more than a trash barge floating down the dark river. I mean, you've been you've been waiting for this for seven years, and then you picked against them, against the Commanders. You picked them as your lock three weeks ago. And yeah, you say, honestly, I almost well, I couldn't know if I could lock this. I think I tried to lock them again. This time. I was gonna turn around and do that. And he was like I'm glad. I would like I would have driven home. All right, He's you're right with his deep balls aren't getting there all the time. And this was an indoor game. It's a little intra it's a little bit, you know. It's it's forty. He's forty years old. He's not forty. He's forty? Is it? Interceptions during thirty nine and one month? But um, the weird thing is and we got to move on. But the weird thing about watching Rodgers in this game, Um, he still moves really well. He'll spin, he'll throw some beautiful he'll make some beautiful throws like that's Aaron Rodgers. But then he'll just he misses so many throws this year. It's just been a different guy. There will not be three straight m v p s for number twelve. He's as many picks as he did all last year. Let's take a break and we will welcome in our buddy Shook. Welcome back before we bring in a shookie for one game. Cameo this week? Did you see Fox trying to um pump up the Cowboys Packers? Don't get me started on this and I were talking about this all rivalry renewed yeah, I just like hook. I guess if you're like most, you have to be the most super cash fan to not get to one of these teams is like totally spinning down the drain. Rivalry renewed, and they're like showing shots of Dak caught it. It's like, what am I missing? Why? Why is this now renewed? It's they there was zero irony to the commercial, Like, I mean, one of the teams was great in the sixties, the nineteen sixties, and then one was great in the nineteen seventies, and uh, they've been great at various points since. But they're suggesting by saying that now it is a rivalry renewing. They're suggesting that the recent years, like during the run of this podcast, they haven't been rivals or it hasn't been a big deal, but now it is total one of the worst teams in the NFC. They pushed it hard. They should have just had a big picture of Mike McCarthy and saying that is gonna get his revenge. How about that? That's a at our ad campaign. Let's check in with the future, Zaddie as we get to our next game. Don't put that on him. Come on, Greg, here we go. Yeah, come on, Greg, seven yards kick us off has kicked the Minnesota Vikings to a twenty seventeen lead. So you have to understand the history of the Minnesota Vikings to understand why on a chip shot field goal Paul Allen, who's called every miserable field goal moment in Vikings history, how nervous he sounds. There, Come on, Greg, we need you here anyway, k f A n there. Kirk Cousins leads another comeback victory and everyone likes it twenty to seventeen. Well, the Commanders don't. But that's the way it is for the Commanders, whose winning streak is over. We now welcome in Nick Shook future Zaddy. In my opinion, Uh, Shookie, you know, the Vikings are really difficult to figure out. I feel like we're gonna have this conversation again because in this game, they're the better team, They're a superior team with a better roster, and yet they're they're sweating out a game against Washington in which they were trailing by double digits I believe at one point, yeah, double digits in the fourth quarter, and it looks like Washington was about one more player from pulling away, and they just did barely enough and got enough little mistakes by Washington to stay in the game. Couple long passes to jeff and Justin Jefferson, one early on the first touchdown drive another to keep that drive alive that led to a field goal that made it a one score game. Then they get the timely interception and that's basically how they got back in the game. But you know, as I wrote in the what we learned, they had a great opening drive on score touchdown, everything is looking good and then they just fell asleep. Yes, thank you. I try to get the plug great an underrated column on NFL dot com really summarizing everything in succinct manner. Every week it's the top article in the news stack on NFL dot com and Shook. Everyone should know. This shouldn't be a surprise. But Shook is the lead writer. Whether that's official or not, he is the lead writer. He gets to choose which games to watch, uh, and they it runs and breathes. A valuable employee to say the least. Well, first off, I feel like I'm listening to a Wikipedia read out of actually is. Secondly, you guys know, I picked my games to fit the podcast. So it all right, trying everyone in the mirage. This is Hollywood. Nope, I'm bringing it back. This show business. Let's shock. Let me just throw to this because this was fun. Um Kirk Cousins, who again was on a team that played in Minnesota called the Vikings last year that blew every game that they're now winning. Uh, and it's leading to the rebirth. You want to talk about a something renewed. You like that is renewed. Let's check this out. You like that? Do you think that the teammate it seems like they kind of like Kirk. It's kind of like there. They like him enough that they put all of their chains around his neck, which had to be about fifty pounds. He's shirtless on the plane, dancing in the aisle in the plane with him wearing all of their jewelry because we know it's not his jewelry. You know, we know he's not wearing a chain of the stadium. My personal opinion on you like that it's played out. It was a Washington thing. Fans in Washington. They were in Washington. I think that's why he did it here. This was a little ex Yeah, they started mocking him. Fans were doing it, you like that chance in the stadium when they were up by ten points. So of course he gets the last laugh. But far from a perfect performance for him, for sure. I hear you. But the play, if you're watching on YouTube, that we happen to be looking at right now, third and seven, twelve minutes and thirty seins left in the game, they're down ten, they don't pick up that first down, they might not win, and Kirk uncorks a beauty. Here's the thing about Kirk Cousins. He's a beautiful thrower of the football. What he's protected and actually that play he wasn't protected. He did it under pressure. But he isn't playing any better this year. I don't think that he normally plays. But that was a big time throw in a big moment and helped start the comeback. And two it was a big time throwing in a in a moment in which right before he had thrown interception that was brought back by defensive pass interference on Benjamin. Don't ruin the Hollywood story here that we're trying to spend. I do. There is something, there is something about the offense that I can never trust you alluded to it, but they went seventy eight yards on nine plays and then they go six months in an interception. It's like what happens Mark when when the competition gets better and they go into these funks and then you're putting a lot of stretch on your defense to keep you in the game. I just I don't know. I've been a so has truly been tested yet, but credit to them from piling up wins. I got a text from a Vikings fan who's been listening to this show since day one, and he was like, I don't want to hear any nonsense about the Vikings offense going to sleep like they normally do because we're seven and one and deal with so. They are survivors. They've they've survived in a way they didn't last year through some of their darker moments. I want to ask you one question that shook. There was a play here where Curtis Samuel had a touch down. Sorry job. You guys met him at the Minnesota super Bowl and he loves you guys. Great guy. He's a great guy to you know. Let the Vikings have a little bit of there's five wit losses up on the Packers. Right there. They have to play at Buffalo next week, So enjoy this week while you can, because you're getting angry bills. You're getting angry to get angry bills. But you know what, that's a great, great test for the Vikings. That's perfect. You have to show what you're made of against a top opponent. That's nice. I shook. I want to ask you quick question because there was no kind of play in here that I want to go review. It sounds delicious to me. Where a ref knockdown at a fencing back on that Curtis Samuel touchdown. Love these things. Yes, yes, So it's like a ball into triple coverage is just like a desperation heave. It's kind of on target a DBS going back. It's cam bind him. He's in perfect position to pick it off and he collides with the ref and the replay is fantastic from one angle where you see the ref stiff as a board falling to the ground, and as he's falling he's still keeping his eyes on the play, not protecting or bracing himself whatsoever. My fiance was sitting here and I looked at and said, hey, look at this replay. Look how this ref falls as if he's falling into a coffin. It was just, it was majestic, it was fun, it was we needed that ref fainting this week. It would have been almost would have pulled it off and just another plug of the what we learned on NFL dot com. I love the little next gen stat of the game. Harrison Smith had a huge interception which improved Minnesota's win probability by twenty two point nine from fourteen point seven to thirty seven point six. That's what it's about. Watch out there, exactly what it's about. I look at uh coming off of Greg's laptop in the middle. Here's the thing. It would have been lightened the podcast, but now you're, you know, making it into it because it came on and both Mark and I looked at you and you just stayed frozen. And I had no idea it was coming from my computer. Clearly it was coming from an advertisement, you know one Uh, what's not going to get an advertisement this week? We have some developing news here from after this game. Taylor Heineke, He's not buying any Nikes this week. The air Jordan's in uh in purple and yellow. I don't know I'm color blind, not not getting purchased. Sorry, Heineck, that interception, you know that that's the colors of the Vikings though, right, I mean yeah, but I mean, um yeah, that the purple and yellow are their colors. You're just gold. Look at it. Sometimes they have little subtle you know, gradations of these things. Purple certainly shook. Anything else to add on this particular game, I can't confirm that the Vikings are purple and gold. Um. I thought for a second there that Taylor Heineke had basically secured the job no matter whether Carson went Wentz was healthy or not, because this team plays with more energy with him. They just look like they want to be out there when he's on the field. He earns that with his play, come on that that, but that they're like one of their two touchdowns should have been an interception that the official you know, knocked over the players. He even said after the game that guy deserves a game ball. I could not have stood you said, like the Vikings are a little bit of a soft seven one. If the if Washington had somehow won that game with that being a key play, it would have been the worst four game winning drinking the history of the NFL. I've never seen a luckier then the vic Then the Commanders have the last three weeks to win those three games. That there's so much more watchable with Heynick, in my opinion, than Wentz, so I I don't really care about what the team is doing. Who locked it up? Because of what Greg just said about the luckiest four game winning streak. I locked up the Vikings successfully. Thank you very much, great job justin. Good job, buddy, all right, another good employee. Hey, just one and done. I hit it and quit it appearance this week, shookie, but you nailed it as usual. No one more plug NFL dot com slash Underdogs where I took the Lions over the Packers. Look at that way to go, Way to go, ladies and gentlemen. Let's head to Soldier Field next another field goal game, empty backfield, feels back to us, all getting fresh, He's gonna run with it, gets all and talked away by x Man who wanted say Brown that Ty got his hand in there and the Dolphins will escape the Chicago haralously Well. The defense van struggled most to stay, but they came up big lay just staying Jimmy Wow, Jimmy Cefalo and Joe Rose, the call w q A M. Everybody knows X Man is former NBA power forward Xavier McDaniel. Let's not go transferring the nickname teammates with the teammates with the glove back in the day, Very good, Mark, what well, it's a different sport NBA back in the day, during that day, that time period, that era where it is not so much now? What do you think about the Seattle Sonics now? I wish they still existed? Do you think do you think that I am like, do you think I would not know that that team did not exist? I don't tend to And this is in no way a takedown. I don't see you really as a sports fan as much as you are a fan of football and the Browns. That so, I didn't know whether you were totally plugged in on the move to Oklahoma City, for instance, it's a fair question to a Taco through for three touchdowns, Tyreek Hill had a hundred. You know he's gonna have over two thousand receiving yards if he stays healthy. Hundred forty three more for Tyreeke and the Dolphins somehow held off Justin Fields, who's all of a sudden saying, hey, I'm not just making the leap in year two. I'm heading toward the superstar club. But it wasn't enough to beat the Dolphins and they're high flying attack. Final score thirty five to thirty two. Let's welcome back Rave Digger, who helped us out with this game. Justin Uh, it feels like now it is to be assumed that two was gonna throw for three hundred and three touchdowns no matter the opponent. Too. It looks really good in this offense, and he's hitting guys over the middle of the field. Tyreek Hill said after the game that he's the most accurate quarterback in the NFL, again doubling down on his preseason comments. But I don't know if two was playing really well or if he's played two bad defenses in a row. Because the Bears defense could not get a stop in this game, but neither could the Dolphins defense. This was a real track of the game, and not just because Justin Field's literally sprinted sixty one yards to the end zone, but like just up and down the field, both teams piling on yards and it came down to those key stops. I mean, the blocked punt was the difference in this game, really, and when was that? What's the story that was in the first half? It put the Dolphins up twenty one to ten, but it was like they're only stopped the dolphins only stop of the first half, and it led to immediate seven points, which was obviously crucial and put the Bears in a hole that they continue to like claw their way back and make it a close game. But every time they got closed, the Dolphins would go ahead again two straight weeks and I I hear you, and I I was thinking the same thing because you know, the receivers are so so open for to and the Bears defense seemed to have phoned it in the last couple of weeks after trading way two of their best players. Eddie Jackson has been there forever said out loud this week, it makes me wonder if I should start, uh, you know, trying, Like why are we even trying here when when you're trading away our best player, Like we for pickted on Thursday. But this is gonna cause having inside that locker room, But how many offenses in two can just put thirty on the regular on bad defenses. There's like four maybe in Miami's one of them especially, so there is no such thing to me as like you're you're beating up on a bad defense because no other offenses essentially are doing that. That's kind of like, yeah, what my point was? I think this is just gonna be I And you gotta give a ton of credit to to Mike McDaniel m who obviously has a scheme that he's he's connecting with the players. It works, and to a who is a guy that was a huge figure of of suspicion and doubt. Um, I believe I have a sandwich prop about him not making it through the season as a starter. I was not alone in those doubts. But he is coming up and delivering and he's just a really good fit for the offense, which is ironic because remember when I remember I was in Disneyland with my kids, uh and my parents when the Tyreke trade went down, and the initial take was I don't know if it's a great fit with this quarterback, and blah blah blah. He is a perfect guy for this offense because the receivers get so open and he puts it on the money and lets them do the work. Um, but let's talk a little Justin Fields. I mean, this is unbelieval. He ran for one d and seventy eight yards in this game. That is the most ever by a quarterback. And Mark we're seeing this now. This is the guy that you know when they moved up to take him in the drift. This is the guy that they hoped they were getting. And it's a huge development in this season. I know, I know Bears fans want to be winning these games and it's it's almost impossible with their defense. But this has to be the most encouraging development for Chicago fans in a decade plus, if not two decades, three decades. They even had a quarterback for so long they made that NFC Championship game. Don't take that away from Jake Cutler, but for the exact reason that you kind of knew you didn't have the guy that was going to take you all the way. What's going on with with Justin Fields in the future? But when I only like Luke Etsy to me and what they because you know, it's a defensive head coach, Mattie Refluce ats he's running the show there and it reminds me. It gives me shades of what the Eagles did last year with Jalen Hurts, when it's like, let's tailor this around our quarterback. Let's become run heavy and get it anyway we can. And if you if justin Fields between now and next season the same way Ola Hurts did, grows even more as a passer you're looking at. I think right now, the second best running quarterback in the league behind Lamar Jackson and maybe the best justin Fields was unstoppable with his legs today. I think there was only one third down he tried to take off with his legs that he didn't convert, and the Bears converted ten third downs on sixteen attempts today, which is I mean, just incredible. They really couldn't stop him when he ran the ball, and he actually made two plays on the final drive that could have been like at least leading to a game tying field goal or a game winning touchdown. The first one a little controversial targeting Claypool could have been called for pass interference could have should have especially with the way this game was officially. Did the first drive for each team they got some semi week past interference calls downfield, so like that one definitely should have been a past interference. And then we saw the highlight of the last play, which the announcers gave Zavian Howard credit for getting his hand in there, but that was that was a drop by Equinimius st Brown that Justin Fields made the right throw on the money and the receiver did not catch the ball, and then they lose the game. So that was not a stop right and and you know, there's a little concern. It's not like their traditional passing game for Fields work today they had add twenty three yards attempts. But if I'm the Dolphins, I'm getting a little concerned about the defense. I think one of the reasons they gave up a first round pick for Bradley Chubb is they've been a really disappointing defense this year. They've been i would say one of the more disappointing defense in the year. It's been totally papered over by the offense. But they're not expecting to be a bottom ten defense the same scheme, with the same some of the same players, so that that's a concern. They haven't been great and third and short and then just just before we move on. It is Luke getsy uh. Etsy is the online market place where people come together to sell by and I said, unique items, often like little trinkets, you know, hand by the way, Thanks a lot, Greg, that's a really great way to correct someone you're working with as a teammate for ten plus years on the show. There are serpents everywhere around you. Because someone got in my ear to say, call him out. He doesn't know how to say gets. Oh no, he didn't in my ear, and I shut it. I said, you know what, I'm gonna let Mark roll here. But there was another snake slithering your way. But you know what I mean, confirmed behind the glass. There was no snake in my ear. I was the snake. I want to just like to make sure everyone knew that I must clarify the evil was all my own. If if it wasn't a funny online market place where you can get like little nice items. If you just want to kind of like you have your mood board and you're like looking to pick out some things, I'll buy you a mood board. Alright, let's keep moving, gentlemen. Let's head to a town Boone, that's Atlanta. And this will be for the game or overtime, Chargers winning a walk off if it goes through snap good, hold, good, kick us up. It is God. Cameron Decker for the win. Ah. There he is the erstwhile voice of God and the Around the NFL podcast really always and forever. Matt money Smith, k Y s R. With the call. Cameron Dicker. Dicker the kicker, kicked a game ending field goal three days after he was signed as a free agent, and that lifted the Chargers over the Falcons twenty to seventeen. Dicker also made a thirty one yard or with five and a half minutes to play to tie the game. Also, I must say he went to the same college as Justin Graver, our producer, which apparently is very important. Why do you have why do you have to say that people like that stuff? I don't know it is a thing, Greggy Um. The Chargers found a way here, and despite them being somewhat underwhelming on balance this year, they get into like the halfway with their point half midway point of their season. Easy for me to say, in good shape at five and three. Yeah, they gave the game ball to old Dicker. I think it's the third different kicker that's gotten a game from Staley uh this season. After the game which only the Chargers could pop, I learned nothing about either of these teams. It was the most predictable game of the year in terms of all the strengths you expected, all those storylines, all the narratives throughout the courses. He's on both sides exactly played out. It's a great called. The narratives are are very strong with these two particular teams. It's back. It's like the short passing from Herbert never going downfield. Yep. Absolutely no pass rush for Atlanta, yep. Like Atlanta held the ball. Both these teams with these long drives in Atlanta started the game running it really well yep. And then of course there's a crazy ending that has to involve kickers, where something bizarre happens. The Charges little twist on it this time, though, was that as they're going in for the most perfect four minute drill of the season, and I always love it when the team gets it with just over four minutes left, and then the announcer explains the four minute drill. And we've watched a lot of football, so we've heard that explanation I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but they explained like, Okay, they want to take all the clockdown, and that's exactly what they were gonna do. It's a great example. That was a good example. Um No, it wasn't really right. They needed a touchdown there. The four minute drill is like, you want to take all the time off and then you want to you know, win it at the end, and you know you're just like bringing that game up. That also was a good game. That was a him down there, But this time as as like the Chargers are bleeding the clock and when they got the ball back, I was like, oh, the Charges are winning this game because every stop that Atlanta made and it felt both ways, felt like a miracle. In this game, they get inside the ten yard line, Austin Ekeler uh fumbles it and the Falcons pick it up and start running down the sideline, one of the plays of the year, and Heckler gets up field, gets inside, the ball comes out, well comes out the Falcons having up the right sideline, and that ball comes out again and the back fumbles. We gotta see if Heckler was down que up the Yakety sacks money loves it, so Greg, I think you tweeted this. It was like chargering verse falcon ng and no one lived right the take on Graham fumble. He shouldn't be blamed for it. The defensive woman who picked up the ball, But it was so sad because he wasn't touched. It wasn't like he was tackle. He was just a big man running with the ball, and eventually the ball came out. I love when fumble recovery guy fumbles. It's a rarity and it's it's enjoyable. So it happens a lot, actually a lot half the time. The guy who picks it up fumbles getting maybe getting a little greedy there, But he wasn't. He was just running. He was just running and the ball came out for no particular reason. And it's not used to it. I mean, if you if you have if you've self scouted yourself enough to know that if I'm running and untouched, I might just drop the ball, then you then you avoid that. I'd say credit to uh Herbert, though, who basically had to pull off two game winning drives on the same drive. Like Derwin James said, oh I knew they were resetting downs because I play Madden. Uh, you know, because the ball changed possession, so the Chargers then get a first down at the forty six, gotta get back in field goal range and with only thirty seconds left, and Herbert has like just a seed over the middle to Joshua Palmer. Any game you can survive without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams is a good One't you making a face on the seed? I'm just saying, no, no, no, I'm just reading. There's a standalone sentence paragraph in the ap Gamer that reads, teammates lifted dicker on their shoulders following the game winner. It's just funny. I know. It's a good sentence. They survived in advance. You know who's funny? Also Jonathan Vilma, who I like. He's one of the fox dudes. And he's a little rough around the edges as a broadcaster, which is one of the reasons I like him. Um, And he'll say things where you'll kind of do like a double take, like, oh, you don't usually hear that emmining out of a a booth in a professional setting. Let's listening to this. After a particularly vicious Quardurell Patterson run, he had two touchdowns in his return by the way, port Darryl Patterson, it's a grown man, Kenny. I am so glad I don't play cootballing though I don't want any part of that. Who just ran over a linebacker like that? Jesus Christ. It's like, you know what, every week Kenny Albert has to ask him like are you allowed to say that on television? Because they've s been like three or four of these moments. I felt that way drop by the way, Yeah, I felt that way. That was he stole that man soul. It was Drew Trequil who had it was? It was vicious. It was vicious, your boy Tyler aul Year by the way, forty four yard run, ninety nine yards on the ground. Um, so he's playing really. I do feel like you know when I pinpointed him and was giggled at by Greg a couple of weeks ago. Um, that once again another fine performance by the young player. That's why I have seen a week is ticked off the clock in terms of processing. So now we're down to like six weeks and everything every you know, just in time for the wild card appearance. Speaking of processing, I do want Marcus Mariota to speed things up a little bit here sometimes when he does go back to pass and u and make a play. In terms of when they're improvising, did they they passed too much in this game, which I didn't think I would say about them, especially in the second half. They were passing too much on second and third downs when they could have just run the ball. And Mariota is just not an accurate quarterback at all. And like when he's trying to make a play out of nowhere, they never make a play well, like ty Kyle Pitts seven targets, two catches and there was one they had shots were like Mariota just was so off target. Everyone is under five hundred in the NFC South again now that Atlanta bad Division, Bad bad Division. Everybody is over five hundred in the a f C East, now by the way, great Division. We'll get to the Pigs in a little bit. Uh. You know who else thought they had a win today? The Raiders. But they did and they snapping quickly. He picked into the right inside the five. Puts down what puts down? Run by Trivasy Tan Jacksonville has taken the league right. There is a major candidate in the comeback Player of the Year race Travis Aten, who's becoming a star for the Jaguars. He ran for a hundred nine yards and two touchdowns, just spiting the vicious s Orpian woman Liz Frank. Revor Lawrence also played very well, bouncing back from some down efforts, and Jacksonville wins a close game. That's nice over the Raiders. However, Greggy, that doesn't tell the whole story here. At one point this thing looked like it was in the bag for the Silver and Black. Those are their colors, by the way. No, yeah, it was seventeen nothing and I wanted to start positive. We will get to positive Jaguars talk, but you lead me here, and so I might as well go seventeen nothing. In the first half of this game, Derek Carr played a perfect first half. Essentially, Davante Adams had nine catches uh I think, for over a hundred and thirty yards in the first half alone, or a hundred forty six yards in the first half alone, throwing two Davante Adams. In the second half, Derek Carr was one for eight throwing overall in the second half, Derek Carr was six for sixteen for thirty three yards. They actually got the ball four separate times after that ETN touchdown with the chance to take the lead, and they didn't do it anytime. It was really the Jaguars defense that ended up closing this game out. The Jaguars offense, per usual, kind of didn't quite finish it off, even though they did a much better job overall. You can't kill them when they came back from seventeen nothing. But there's just something about this Raiders team that they've got like a loser's mentality. Well it's there's an incredible stat out there. They are fifty three and five since the year two thousand when they've been leading by seventeen or more points in a game. Of those five losses, three of them have come this season under Josh McDaniels. It's even great. It was like they had lost three games up seventeen and their last six and eight games, and they have three this season. The Raiders have already given up as many seventeen point loss games, I mean, leads as any team in the history of the NFL. They've like tied the worst, and they've now got seven games to break that record. Mark. Davis is not al Davis at all. However, I wonder if there's some serious buyers remorse right now, um, after this just a horrendous season the Raiders are having and this remember rewind back to the end of August. This was not what anyone was expecting. And in fact, there were some people that thought that they could win the a f C West or at least give the Chiefs a real run for their money. So for them to be buried now at two and six and almost dead before we even sniff Thanksgiving is stunning. Let's hear Derek Carr, by the way, who um was biting his tongue to say the least when asked about what has gone wrong with this team? Third time any similar similar feeling everything should look back on. You know, I think there's a lot I want to say, you know, but if I'm honest, I don't need to say it here, you know, Um, you know, And there's things that that will be said. There are things that need to be addressed in all those things. But I think for as a whole of the urgency part of it that after thirty minutes of football, we have to learn that the game is not over. Here's the thing, though, he he was was an accent right there. This is the accent. I don't know. It's like this like weird sort of a stew of accing that like gets more dominant as he continues Fresno. Maybe there's like an accent in Fresno. And then he went to uh. I think he lived in Texas for a big tech chunk of his life. Sounds like Jerry Jones brother Keetis who never left Oklahoma. Like, I love that quarterback. I'm glad we heard that because you know, I I think he has to be self reflective because the comeback started in the first half when Carr had an open a mirror Abdullah for a touchdown and totally underthrew it and that led to three points stead of seven, and car missed a ton of throws in the second half. There was some miscommunications, but the game ended with him not giving Davante Adam Adams a chance to make a catch on the back shoulder throw and then he's too hot for Hunter Renfro throwing it like really hot and and too hard and high on fourth down, and that's how the game ended. Like it was a it was a rough second half, but I give the Jaguars credit who sent a lot of blitz is his way, who did create a lot of pressure. I got. I've been getting on their defense, and their defense had a nice day and Lawrence had I think We've said this a few times this year, but I really do think this was the best game of his career. It couldn't have been any cleaner, like Next Chance that's had it as the highest success rate for drop back passing since my Homes game last year, which that was surprising to me, but it makes sense because basically every time they dropped back to pass they picked up seven or eight yards. And like he made no mistakes, there was nothing flashy, but he also ran for fifty three yards. That was key to come back. He played well. The one thing that I think is really concerning for the Raiders too, is I started to get on board a couple of weeks ago, thinking the way they're running the ball, this can be their identity. Thirty eight yards last week in an absolute no show twenty four nothing lost to the Saints, seventies something. Today against the defense, you can run on right. They they're bad with the lead. I think because other teams they should be able to run with the lead. But they're bad because then other teams just start throwing every down and that's great against the Raiders because they just can't cover anyone, especially over the middle of the field. Christian Kirk it wasn't flashy eight for seventies and one, but he was awesome his route running, in the quality of his catches he made him and Lawrence of good chemistry all year. Doubt is a disease, and the Raiders have it comes to closing these games. Um, let's take a break and we'll continue on Welcome back. Let's now move to Foxborough, the site of the Lockies lock that there was ever a lock of it was Lockyer picture Staff. He's in the end zone. He's pressured to throw a cross and picked off by Jonathan Jones. Runs down an attack of right zone. What a day for the Patriots. Partner back, but you roll Bosaw the pill there it's an under Dave crosser. Bulk gets tipped, chowes to the perfect spot, goes down to the knee, picks it up, gets the lead. Park text it in far pick six is that I don't think I've ever heard Zolac give analysis like that. No, that was later in depth and there's more of a retelling of the play. But even even then, yes for him though inaudible, like yelps and screams in between, like you know, chugging a beer too. I would assume I don't know that for sure. Bob Sochi and Powerade with a call for w b's Matt Judean and Josh ch combined for six of nine Patriots sacks. I don't know if Matt Older is a guy in the New England. Patriots beat up on the Colts to three. The Pats are five and four, moving above five hundred for the first time this season as they reach there by week, followed by that big showdown against the Jets. Mark um I said, this is the lockiest lock game ever because me, you, Grave Digger, and the westling uh Zoo all locked it up and it kind of went exactly how we predicted. It looks like, yeah, I did, I just I yeah, keep it going. I had to play it three times for three locks. I did not lock them up. Also, you said, Matt Ellinger, it's Sam. That's okay, Horns. These guys love to these guys love to put us on the spot here with these names. Um who knows I would have come around and corrected myself, but then Justin chose once again to sandbag the host of the show and learned my lesson from lesson. Well, I didn't like jump in immediately. You could let it go, thank you. It was still a slimy procedure by you. Sorry brand by the best Man Ellinger, that would be a funny nick name, like just a very sarcastic the best Man. We did a great job, very well. It went well. I told the joke that everyone on the Friday Fund Show told me not to tell with a lot better delivery, and the entire place erupted in la, Why did why did it work better? Do you think it was Kansas funny? Yeah, it's like middle of the country. But also the joke had been a running bit throughout like the whole day, so it was like a nice so original too. You know what what did you mean by Kansas funny? There? Um No, I just think different values, different sense of humor. Uh, probably more in line and like CBS said, come yeah, things like that. Plus, you're rooting for someone at a wedding, should say any thing kind of light and then everyone's gonna over. I'm not saying that this was over celebrated. It certainly feels that way to me. But common man rings just taking a little that's fine. I think there's probably a lot of people in Kansas also with a very cerebral sense of humor that like shows like Arrested Development and absolutely those type of absolutely shows. I'm just saying this crowd in particular seemed to it's a multifaceted community. I mean, it erupted. He made it sound like it was. They were also like Chris Rock and Madison Square guards who were willing and ready to laugh at anything. And you can see that grave digger by the way that you can understand the environment that you were that you were successful in from a comedic angle. Absolutely right after I was so unsuccessful on Friday, I understand why it was a different situation right right now? Was it for cults? Patriots? Go ahead? Well, I just think Matt Ryan was in a bad position. Sam Elinger is in a bad position. You're paying You're you're playing behind the most expensive offensive line in the NFL right now, And it's just the shock how far they've regressed. We've been seeing it all year. They opened the game with six punts, including the block punt that basically ended the game, because all the Pats needed to do in this was like put up thirteen points. And to your point, it's about the lockiest lock of all time. The Cults were oh and fourteen on third down. That's kind of hard to do. Almost at the NFL record was the NFL record. That's the only thing they achieved was not setting the record. There's Ellinger at forty three net yards passing because he had sixty yards lost on these nine sacks. I mean just there was not a single drive where it really looked like he had a chance or they had a chance. There was no Jonathan Taylor. I mean, they were in a tough spot against the kind of in the kind of game that Bill Belichick sits around dreaming of having to deal with an Ellinger not deal with he had to deal with Belichick and reverse. Um. It was a blood bath and I'm not that impressed. The only reason I thought the game was a little questionable for our lock early on was that the Pats offensively are a paint by numbers. Um I sare and Mac Jones just looks to me continually, it looks uncomfortable and Ramandre Stevenson is running the ball really well, and he has been for a while now, and he was sort of all they had with no Damian Harris. But they grew stronger as the game went on, but not so much their offense. And because the I think guys like the Forrest Buckner and the Cults offensive line handle the Pats Colts defensive line handle the Pats front five that were missing guys, and it did. It was. It was a tough watch. It was. It was a rough and tumble rot watch that like cool if you're the Patriots, nice win. I wouldn't float around town bragging about it all week long, right They they average three point defense though, like the Patriots average three yards for three point three yards per play, which would be you know, one of if it was. It felt like it was six and a half hours long. There was a total of nineteen first downs in this game. The Colts only average two yards per play. It's crazy to me that the Patriots are five and four and they really have shown an ability too steam roll and smother bad or limited quarterbacks. They don't have a ton of them, right, They don't have a ton of them left on the schedule. But they do have Zack Wilson after the bye. Because if this Patriots team even had the one Patriots passing offense, you would say this is a very spicy team that could make some noise in the playoffs. They aren't that team five and four, they're probably seven wins. I Uh. I give Matthew jude On a lot of love. Though they don't make a lot of big free agent splashes. Uh And I guess they have more than they've been given credit for over the years. But when they signed him, that was a surprising move. Was surprising that the Ravens let him go, and he went from having a great year a year ago to an even greater year this year. I mean, he is having an outrageous all pro type of season, and despite their personnel looking terrible on paper coming into the year, overall, I mean, they're like a top five points allowed defense. Now, he's my guy. You got on him a little bit at the end of last year, but he was hurt. I think he's one of your guys. He was at the beginning of last year. I mean, I've always liked I've always liked. Okay, okay, that's good. They get a week off they can enjoy. Justin why did he go to you two or something while you're throwing your arms up. No, nothing, I'm being a professional. Keep a podcasting the tight ends. Have you paid attention to to any of this? And do you feel ashamed that Sam Ellinger went to your college at this point? No, we're doing this again. Sam Ellinger's last year at UT he had no past diortunity and I expected him to look bad for the Colts, and he's looked pretty bad. So by the way, Colts to finish fourth in the ANFC South, not that looking that bad anymore. Jonathan, They're still there. Jonathan Jones had a spicy blocked punt in this and then the interception at the end. I mean he had a great yard. Their defense. I like when I say, don't float around town bragging about the wind. The defense ken one half of the team game. The other half must stay home during the bye week and reflect quietly. Another team that's reflecting right now the Panthers, because they got whooped in Cincinnati. Brow takes the snap, gives the Nixon bouncing out wide to the left penalty at the ten five into the end zone for what could be his fifth touchdown off side defense. About how about that a fifteen yard one for Joe Mixon, who has just set the single the Bengal single game record with five touchdowns in a game, and we still have nearly twenty minutes to play and he didn't even score a single touchdown after that, slacker, five touchdowns for Joe Nixon, they don't all. Land Mark looked at me like an an elbow grown out of my poor No. I like what you did there? You gave me a very solemn like I was just my mind was on something. Are you watching the Titans Chiefs game? Also, just if you're someone listening at home, there is a like a seventy television have to go full dad and say no more television. In the studio, I was trying to do two things at once because I'm in front of the TV, so I can't see it. But I'm starting to worry that first the producer and now one of the co hosts maybe aren't paying attention to the podcast anymore during the taping. Your joke was brilliant when I came around to recording it. In my mind anyway, Joe makes pressure under in fifty three yards and yes, five touchdowns, four on the ground, one through the air. Bengals jumped out ahead thirty five zip in this game, basically telling Greg Rostal, by the way, hit the break on all your criticisms of our offense and our offensive line, because we could do this was the final which doesn't even begin to tell those three garbage time touchdowns led by Baker Mayfield. By the way, um Mark, what did you see in this game? Why was it's so easy for Cincinnati? It's so hard for p J Walker, who was history by halftime. I think we talked about week after week that where is the ground game from a year ago and the balance that it brings to an offense missing chase, and it came. It just came in waves today and mixing looked like last year's mixing. It was. It was absolute domination at halftime, because I don't really account anything that happened after halftime in this game. It was just like ultra garbage time. Three eleven yards to thirty two, twenty one first downs to one first down for the floating Panthers, twenty one plus minutes of time possession. So a lot of what happened was the Carolina offense totally breaking down and unable to sustain anything. P J. Walker was yanked at halftime for Baker Mayfield because he was three for ten for nine yards with two bad interceptions. So you're saying it wasn't a good fantasy spots start in my two QB league. Yeah, I am saying that. I'm sure you figured that out before I confirmed that for you. But if this is you know, I don't know, because it's like what was going on Monday night and then you're this, It's like, are you that sort of all over the map as a as a Bengals team. But if if there's anything to take forward, if they can do this on the ground and be this balanced, it changes everything. It changes the way that a defense is going to deal with the Bengals. Today it's showed up and it just like kind of reminded me of when they started to turn the corner a year ago. It looked like that team. They're high level games this year and really there's been a few, but two in the last three weeks against lackluster opponents are as high level offense as we've seen in the NFL this year, and it gives you some hope, especially with the buy and the schedules reasonable that they can survive. Because the a f C is deeper, it's gonna be tougher to make the playoffs in the a f C. We'll see if the Ravens win on Monday night, but you know it's gonna be tough to win that Division two. It's huge to win as many games as you can until Chase gets back. Yeah, and that, and you're right, they're hitting their by now. So you've survived two weeks without Chase. You have a win and a loss. The I mean the Cleveland game on Monday. I don't want to call it an aberration because that was but maybe it was though. It's these division games. Just take on an island game on the road against the rival that kind of owns you. Uh. It was not a good look. But at the same time, every team has stinkers, uh now and again, So I'm willing to I was willing to be open minded about how they would recover from that. And I know the Panthers stink, but they also were very competitive the week before and a near win over before that. They couldn't get over they they recorded the greatest play in the history of the NFL, Dan and I wasn't recovered from it on a Thursday. Weren't either. That ended up being like the end of his start going through P J. Walker's head. While he's sitting in the locker room bench, he's saying, seven days ago, I made the greatest play in the history of the sport, and now my careers in tatters. What what the pinballing of the word? It's one of the reasons I love it so much. You do love the NFL. I've been I've been picking that. You know who else loves the NFL. I forgot to mention this, but during the Colts Patriots game, when it was still very low scoring, Mark Sessler was quoted saying, I love this game so much. Well about Patriots. I'll tell you why, because it was so Maybe this isn't get that out there. It's not everyone's, but it feels good to football when it's so When a game is so bad and I could tell it was going to be so bad, it's like I start to love it. And at the same time, I love these blowouts and I was covering it was a great little perfect Mark likes it that his games are so bad that he doesn't have to watch his games and then he watches the other games. That's a weird it's a weirdo E game. It follows a path um. All right, let's take a break and we'll be right back. All right, it's time to check in on the late games and let's head to the desert where the Cardinals we're facing the surging Seahawks. Ken Walker has a hundred four yards on the day on carries, first and goal from the five. He's gonna carry it again and he's gonna turn up field and he's gonna try to spin out of a tack. He gets a push, does he get there? He done cut down Shawks and they just shoved him across the line to make you can't knock this kid off his seat. And he scores his second touchdown of the game and all but seals it. Steve are able to call k I r O. The Seahawks are at it again and Kenneth Walker a major reason why the rookie runs hard for buck O nine and two scores, including that clinter you heard. Their final score thirty one one Seahawks over Cardinals, the first place Seattle Seahawks. Greggy, another special day for you. Oh yeah, you said, you're enjoying the football today. I've enjoyed this Seahawks team more than maybe anyone except for Pete Carroll. This has to be a fever dream. This is the team that he's dreamed of forever. There are people that have followed that team their entire long. I've been a lifelong fan the last eight weeks now nine weeks, and my enjoyment is right there. I don't really believe that, but I do believe that this is everything Pete Carroll's ever wanted out of a football team. Like young long range cornerbacks just breaking up plays in a pass rush full of like three and twenty pound men, Shelby Harris and Punaford. Nu also who's a little lighter, but he's getting in the mix in this game and harassing Murray. And they're so young, and they're so exciting. And you have a decision maker in Geno that, for the most part is making really great throws and good decisions. Had it up and down day today but ended up playing well at the end. But most importantly, you've got a running game that closes the ball game. Kenneth Walker came into this week leading the NFL and yards per carry in the fourth quarter, and it was another fourth quarter where the Seahawks just wore another team down. And this guy just makes you miss He's so creative when he runs. I don't know who he reminds me of. To me, he's like one of one. He's he's got a little bit of Levian Bell and him, but it's not Levian Bell. I know. He's like got the patient thing where he waits forever and sometimes he's looking for a big play and it costs him. That happened today once or twice. But my god, is he a talented back. And he closed this Cardinals team out no matter what they did on defense. Dream scenario for Pete Carrother because he does have a young dog that he could hand the ball off to. CA nine is his nickname? Is it? That's great. That's a perfect game, as long as he's not offended by it. Now it's his. He's got his own very professional website where you can get I'm just saying it's really well done to it. This is gonna sound like Dan's doing the Geno thing again. I'm not. It's more kind of like good for Gino because he's having such a great season. That even it seems like he gets away with his mistakes for the most part. Two and he he threw a pick six in the game, didn't get away with that kind of screen, and had a couple of a couple of balls that probably should have been picked, including one that preceded his last touchdown pass. So it's just like, even when he's the old Geno, that's that's getting papered over by either good fortune or him making up for it later in the game. So I just I'm just like I watched Gino because I've watched so many of his games in my life, and I'm like, that guy is still in there. But this is also starting to feel like one of those kind of special seasons where things just go right for him, and that I'm trying not to take any credit away from him, and it sounds like it is. But if you watch this game, you'll notice this game could have been very different if Arizona just made some plays that they did. I mean to pick six was an incredibly unique play by Zavin Collins. It wasn't just a terribly thrown ball or something or him not seeing the field. I think that Gino the thing I like about him is that every week he's gonna give you four or five throws that are beautiful and he I you know, they talked about this, and maybe this doesn't matter to most people, but they've talked about the fact to your point on Pete Carroll that Pete Carroll, like Geno Smith, is just Pete Carroll's kind of quarterback. That he has a special that city has a special affinity for the journey has been on. I think to go be believed in by your coach and believed in by your team, that matters, and it helps you get out of some of the dark places you get into. And he's done that. He hasn't had a lot of bad quarters. But today, you know, early on it was like, we'll see, is this the Geno game we're waiting for? And he worked his way out of it, right. I think Vance Joseph, the coordinator for the Cardinals, threw a lot at him. And Gino is a guy who wins before the snap, you know, much like is a former mentor Eli Manning. The similarities continue, uh, And I don't think he knew exactly what he've seen before the snap a lot of time, and he was holding onto the ball too long. That's an old Gino trade and he took a couple of bad sex but the difference Dan and you mentioned like he he lucked out on one near interception in the red zone, uh is one of his worst throw where he just a soft throw to DK metcalf that he should have put up higher and it probably should have been picked. The very next play, he puts a dime on a defender's back shoulder, which the hood spot to make that throw even in tight quarters after you nearly threw an interception was incredible and DK makes a great catch and they score, So you're right, like right after he made two of his worst throws of the game. He followed that with dimes for touchdowns and I'm having a great year. I am not, don't and I know, I know I'm agree with you on Twitter or wherever the hell else, but like it's just he has made some mistakes. He's gotten away with it. But he did agree with this was one of his worst games for most of it. But like the rest of the team, they've really had a good, uh sense of closing out these games in the second half really all season, but especially I'm totally this the once the defense uh has gotten things figured out here and we had another big game by their off sense of Rookie of the Year candidate in the secondary, they're they're just they're having a really nice run now with the defense, the running game, and the Geno Smith led passing game. They're all they're humming, right yeah. And it's I mean, the division they're in, you would have thought that Arizona and the Rams would have been serious playoff contenders and and and like so much of the NFC, they're falling off a cliff. And I feel like every time I looked up at this game, it was another Arizona Cardinals moment where Billy Price is, you know, whipping the snap over Kyler Murray's head, got Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins joined at each other. I kind of thought that was more just like teammates trying to like But Greg and I talked about this a bunch that Kyler Murray, Uh, I think he really really is obviously frustrated and wants this stuff to go better. But his body language and facial expressions and leaning into people verbally on the sideline is another week to week thing, and I they can't get past their own mistakes. They've been a better offense, obviously with DeAndre Hopkins, who has like four the targets in three games this one. Willand did a nice job on him when he was on him, and in general that he didn't do much. I guess my point there would be it's it's not enough and Anderson has given him nothing so far. Negative in this game. Uh played poorly. Um so it's four yards. Jason Zumwalt, the the new voice of the show that he here in a long time Cardinals fan. He suggests that we don't even talk about the Cardinals today as a punishment for how atrocious they've been unbalanced, that would be rewarding them ultimately. And I agree with you. Yeah, I don't deserve this verbal lashing. And here's I know they got better when DeAndre Hopkins returned, but today it was back to the same old five yards per throw Kyler Murray. We're just there was nothing deep down the field at all. Like the only offense that they consistently had came from Kyler scrambling. They had a couple of decent runs from from James Conner, but the passing game, it's another team that they've kind of shown us who they are. There are stations to station bad offensive line offense. And you mentioned him getting upset. The thing that got me about Kyler getting so upset was like it was the first quarter and he was losing his mind. It reminded me a little like sometimes you see in a big tennis match. I know, I know you love the tennis analogies, but the guy when the guys are so edgy early in the match and getting upset at like a not important point in like the first set, it's like, oh, it's gonna he's not there. And that's what Kyler Murray is sometimes in these games, like he's so frustrated at everyone and it's like it's, uh, seven to three Kyler. Your point is he's not John McEnroe, who would get upset but then go win. Well, there you go little tennis with my wife and two small children and utterly destroyed them on the court. You know, I have tennis, I played tennis as a child. I think I have underestimated your global sports fandom. Yeah, you need to just like maybe data wipe your preconceived notions start again. Not to mention his talent, he crushed those boys who have never played tennis before. I think I might have might have eliminated their enjoyment of the sports that day. Hey, that's one. That's that's also teaching a lesson no one to quit one last thing on the Seahawks. Here, by the way, they're going to Germany. They're going to Germany at six and three. This is like a thing. Why you going to Germany at this point? Brady? This is like my dream game here. We give him the week off, right, if you wanted to go follow his little new fetish, would yeah, I'd clear that. I mean the NFL has not cleared that, but I think it's too late for that. All right, let's move to the other late game played in Tampa, and man are the Rams dead? Mhm? The champs might be dead first and Noel Brady on the shotgun on and shift to the right side. Here's this didn't play actually fake passing the right side? Pockball touch off time Perry fucking hears technical lead what a right seconds traight off farag car look can fifteen thirteen buss ge off wf U S. Tom Brady stepped to the podium after over the defending Super Bowl champion Rams and said that was awesome. That was bleeping awesome because the Bucks, in another day where they often struggled, they got the touchdown they needed, taking over with forty four seconds to play, and they go right down the field on the Rams, who are just dying after their offense could not salt away the wind. H So Brady gets it done. Greg. This was right after Mark, excuse me, this was right after the previous drive where it looked like the Bucks had lost the game because another brutal wide receiver dropped by Scotty Miller in the end zone. But they get another chance and they make the most of it huge in Yeah, I guess whoever won this, you're going to avoid some of the heavy critique that would be coming your way had you been the loser. Because there's a reason that we put this game here initially. Now it it finished more with more drama than we expected. But three and a half quarters in, this was a little bit of a punishment here. We were a bit we were lashing a bit for for being, you know, running around, being called the game of the week and all this business, and then you produce a real stinkers running around town. The well it was actually the game was running around everywhere. They're like, oh, you think the Bills, that Jets are there, Who's got Romo, Who's gotten NaN's worth? The game of the week. That's how I see it, Like we're the best. The Rams, I mean have unfixable issues. They have two hundred and six yards of offense. Your offensive line, I mean they kept short of showing it over and over Like Vita Vea was one of the MP of this game, and that's one of the reasons he's awesome. Those there were showing to the left side of the Rams line just had these like open doorways where you can just skirt through and create total problems for like both sides. Like I just I don't I think Stafford. Here's the thing. A year ago, Brady and Stafford at eighty four touchdowns combined. They went into this game with sixteen. The Rams can't run the ball. Sean McVeigh said after not good enough, not even close to good enough. And I'm part of that, And he said changes have to be made, and he reiterated that that's part of him. Part that includes him too. They showed on the sideline after the go ahead touchdown McVeigh and he just seemed just like a guy that was ready for the broadcast booth himself. And Tony Romo, Um, who's in the booth with nance calling this game even though it's an NFC game, that always still messes with my head. Um for CBS. He brought up and I brought up Aaron Donald and how he hadn't had a big year um in terms of getting to the quarterback this year. And Romo provided some nice context on what he's seen when he watches the tape, which is that because they have so much issue, so many issues in their secondary not Jalen Ramsey, but on the other side they have they have they have such a big cushion that they give the opposing wide receivers that opposing offenses are just attacking the Rams getting the ball out quickly, negating Aaron Donald to a certain effect, certain extent. And you didn't see the Bucks light up the Rams defense by any stretch. But in that last series, the ease in which they went right down the field and basically wiped out the Rams, it was like stunning to watch the d look that bad. Well, they're but they're deep played amazing in this game, but they got away with the previous drive. Greg Scotty Miller dropped. The point is they got the ball the Buccaneers seven times in the second half, every one of those with a chance to go take the lead, and they kept getting stopped punt, punt downs, punts, and these aren't like go down the field and punt. These are like three and outs or one first down. They got that field goal, and then yes, they did get lucky at the end. But Tom Brady used all of his experience in that drive. He played hurry up even when the ball was stopped. Uh. Here are the numbers of the play clock of how much time was left when they snapped the ball, even though the clock wasn't moving. Twenty five seconds, uh, twenty one seconds. Where is it here, I'm looking at my notes. Eighteen seconds, seventeen seconds. And so he was not letting the Rams defense make any play changes, substitute at all. They were just sitting there. He was like, if I can keep them in this defense, I'm gonna go down the field. And he played hyper speed even though like the clock was stopped in all these and that was something like Tom Brady stuff. That was I would also note that I don't think the Bucks win this game without their punter operating as an absolute star. Jake Camarda. He had a seventy four yard punt longest by the Bucks ties, a team record that goes back to December four by old Shan Lindetta Love Show when that after that punt happened this game at fifteen of them, there were six hundred and fourteen punt yards by both teams in like three ten yards a total offense. I mean, you're getting to the point, Um, do we have the Ramsey sound where the Rams defense is rightfully, I feel like that they're not. Donald did have a big impact. He ended a drive with a sack in this and ended up the next drive I believe with a batted pass. For the most part, they had a good day until it wasn't a good day. They went the Bucks had at twelve place fifty three yard, fifty three yards the Scotty Miller drop and then the Rams get to stop on fourth down. Uh, with um, just a couple of minutes to play, send the Rams offense back out there. They go three and out and gain six yards and burn one minute of the clock, which then allows Tampa Bay to get one more shot and in thirty five seconds they go sixty yards for the score. Jalen Ramsey one of the high powered stars of this team in the secondary. After the game, the frustration is obvious. He's like, how many times you need us to bale out? The defense? Should not have went had to go back on the field. M have some dogs who are gonna go get it be like like we shouldn't come to the sideline after a big stop like that, and and our coaches or the other side or whoever telling us, man, we don't need you all one more time. We're gonna need you all one more time, like we just we made a big stop turning over on downs with a minute and some change left in no time out for for nobody. I have some dogs like, man, let we don't We're gonna end this game right now. Good stop, We're gonna end this game for y'all, Like we gotta play off each other in that in that sense, you know what I mean. That's what I mean by we shouldn't even have to go back out there. But it is what it is. It ain't the first time that this is happening. This is happen you know, multiple times this year, and you could you could call that finger pointing if you want, I like it as honest. It's the it's the star of the defense, are one of the top two stars of the defense calling out what we all know, which is that they're playing well but they're not getting help from the other side. And you know when we kill Aaron Rodgers and in weeks past for dishing out critique but not really including himself at times, like the Rams defense got it done today. This is the kind of stuff that fractures and pulls apart of locker room. Their their loss in the NFC is not the same to me as let's say if the Bucks have lost this game as crazy as the n right, the Bucks are now tied for first place, and even if they were a game back, I would have always given the Bucks a chance to get theirselves together in December, because just because you never know. The Rams, on the other hand, like the Cardinals. The Cardinals are at three and six, The Rams are at three and five, are really falling behind in the NFC, where I think it's going to be more difficult to make the playoffs, and there's no signs of like that it could get better. The players are there. They had nine first downs. There are some crazy stats in this game. The Rams had nine first downs. The Rams, after getting out scored in the fourth quarter here again, have been outscored in the fourth quarter of this year seventy one to ten. Whoa shawnny McVeigh, what's up buddy? And then one one last one And this is the one that I just can't even believe. Cooper Cup had eight for one seven in this game. Too long catches. He had that catch for the touchdown that looked just like the one he had to beat the Bucks last year in the playoffs. In none in throws that did not go to Cooper Cup, Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass twenty two times in those non Cooper Cup plays. Would you want to guess what what they produced? Drop backs? Twenty two drop backs. I would say they produced, uh, fifty yards. I'm gonna take the under. They did not break double digits. They had nine yards in those plays. Twenty two plays for nine yards. I just won when it didn't go to Cup. There that says it all. Actually, we both went over prices, right rules you Oh, you're right, Well, that's the It's not really prices, right. It's a football podcast. What a what a sport. It didn't even feel like the Bucks, Like the Bucks defense still hasn't turned forced to turnover in five weeks. I mean they did a good job, they only allowed to, but they haven't forced to turnover in five weeks. The receivers are still dropping basses. They still couldn't run the ball, and they're still running on first and second down like every time and putting Brady into bad spot. So there was a lot of typical Bucks stuff until the end. I don't know if that this like good feeling just magically that's that's exactly because had had the Rams somehow pulled this off. Like people are going to be going nuts on Tampa Bay instead. We kind of if if people don't watch didn't see the game, although it's apparently being played in one percent of the nation according to uh Yeah, I thought that was rude to the Seattle and Arizona game. He said, a hundred percent of the nation. Is that's true that if you're if you're in Arizona, Seattle to they're playing the Rams. But I don't think that's the case. I think it excludes the local markets where although I guess it is on in those markets. It is on, but you're right because it's there. It's I think if you and I think the price's right. Rule is you would wager one, so you would say one yard. You blew it right. No, I could have could have because I knew Greg wouldn't give us that stat if it was like ninety yards. It's like, well there's a lot of bad offense right now. But I should have just gone hardcore. One one would have been pretty close. It wouldn't sound like I really knew what I was talking about. On top of just winning the I feel I feel bad for my for my daughter. Well, my daughter is a huge fan. I know they're they're sad. Back did you go to the Super Bowl? She did? Come on, It's good to learn both sides of the coin. It's the disappointment that's important to in terms of growth. It adds to your character. But I think one and I know you would be if you could just get one Jets Super Bowl, give me one, you would you would be happy forever. But if they followed up that season and looked like Rams, those Sundays would be pretty much just about as miserable as if they hadn't won the Super Bowl. They just would experience a chance to see if that's what would happen. Test that hypothesis out on your own now, Reggy had a little bounce at his step in the newsroom. We should have known Mark that he had locked up the bucks. So doubly sweet late touchdown, had it all the way very nice. You were sweating that out for a little bit there, greg Um. You and I are both um surging in the at the top of the standings halfway through the season. It's exciting, Mark, you know, come, come join us. Come. Everyone got their lock right this week, which is cool. I'm I'm one behind you, and I think that you know the great nature of sports. We've been talking about it all evening and football is a comeback to football is great. What a great day. I love it. Do you love football? Justin I still love football. You might not love it. After we get into the final game of week nine Sunday from Arrowhead, it is the Titans taken on the Chiefs fourth and well, let's put it up. It's in complete and it's old her and Kansas City wins over Tome. Mike Tarico with the call for NBC. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs tie the game with a touchdown and two point conversion, both on runs from Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter, and then after a field goal put them ahead, the Titans go four and out with Malik Willis at quarterback, Ryan Tannehill inactive in this game with that ankle issue, and boys, that is how I'll remember it. Uh, this game. Um, when the Tennessee offense really needed to play down the stretch here, they just couldn't at it. And you give credit to Kansas City and their defense. And of course Patrick Mahomes mark on a day where he threw sixty eight passes uh in the game too, shy of the NFL record for passing attempts in a game. It was the plays he made with his legs in the fourth quarter that saved the Chiefs. Yeah, I just this. I can only imagine what's going on with Grave Digger, because I think it's a Titans fan. You had to love what was happening early. They put a lot of heat on the homes. They were creative enough in their in their run game. It was just sort of a typical Titans white knuckle operation. And they've matched up well with the Chiefs before it seemed like they were gonna get it done. But if you're the Chiefs and you're gonna run the ball or you're gonna have nine snaps and hold the ball for forty one plus minutes, I just saw Titans defense that started to bleed towards the end. They started to crazy because it was one offensive plays and the Chiefs running backs, they're running game other than Mahomes had fourteen yards and it was seventeen nine late in that fourth quarter, and it was nine nothing at the beginning of the second quarter. At that point, I thought game over. Titans aren't coming back from nine nothing. It felt like it was gonna be a total route. They get seventeen straight points. They're making Mahomes hold the ball forever. Like the defensive line did such a good job over and over again. And I know the stats look so uneven. You know, Chiefs have twenty nine first downs, Titans have nine every Titans game. But man, it just it was right there. And they couldn't get Lucky Graver on on some of those calls on the two versions. They couldn't Homes down on the third and seventeen, where it was also a holding that wasn't calling. I'm not gonna complain about any of the calls or whatever, because even Travis Kelsey ripping off Josh Calu did grab him first, so like I could see where, but maybe it could have been and on that same play could have been holding where they basically tackled. I think it was heart coming through. Yeah, I think you can complain on that one. When when Travis Kelsey is like choke holding the guy and like rapping his helmet off, I think you can complain about not off Sundy pedalty. But I feel like Mahomes would have scored on the next run in anyway, which he did. I think losing bud Dupree hurt this Titans team a lot because when he was in the like bud Dupree is a really aggressive guy, like a really high motor guy who continues to play and play and play in. Mahomes the type of quarterback where you need that presence on your defense. And when he went out in the second half with that hip injury that's been bothering him most of the season, it was after his exit that Mahomes had all those scrambles running open downfield. I mean, how do it looked exactly like the twenty nineteen a f C Championship game where the Titans get up to a lead and the one spark like nothing's working for the Chiefs offense, and then it's sparked by Mahomes using his legs. And that's why he's just such a great, unstoppable player. I I'm sitting there watching the game, hoping the Chiefs call running plays. Like every time they call a running play, I'm like, this defense has got it. They call it pass. I don't know, Mahomes is gonna do some magical thing. I think I'm hesitant to say that Patrick Mahomes is underrated in any way because I think he is properly celebrated as one of the best quarterbacks in the league and potentially all time when it's all said and done. But guys like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, you know, we talked about all the time how they can change games with their legs. Mahomes has been this guy his whole career as well. His ability and his impeccable instincts of when to flee when he needs seventeen yards, he can get that for you, and I think it's just like more you see it every week. The traditional pocket pastor is dead. You need guys like Patrick Mahomes that can do with their legs when it's not there in the passing game. And on the Tennessee side with Malik Willis, you know he's a young quarterback. Obviously, he was drafted in the third round. I believe he's a development type player, uh in a draft class that didn't have a lot of high end talent by most people's expectations. But Mark, he he wasn't ready for the moment when things got hot in the fourth quarter, right down to the final drive there where the offensive line was buying him some time and he just wouldn't pull the trigger on throws. Now you could say downfield, there's nobody open, but also there was a little bit of a deer in the headlights vibe. It's in a tough spot because there are very weapons poor offense in general. He's not surrounded by much or anything in the in the in the passing game, they're running a bunch of three tight end sets. I mean, it's the contrast between a lot of the a lot of the Patrick Mahomes plays where he's taking off with his feet and making incredible first downs. It's because of his vision, because of what he's seen, because of what his options are and when what he in the choices he makes. And Willis, I thought towards the end of the game, when he had those two terrible sacks in a row to essentially ice the thing, It's like the last thing you wanted to be as the Titans was having to put the game in him a leak Willis's hands, because it's like they they successfully played around his weaknesses all game and then the floor fell out right, But they didn't successfully do it on offense after those first three drives. The frustrating thing is he had a couple of nice throws. He had a nice deep ball that they dropped on, the go ball down the side. They had another and which is why I think they were confident enough to go back to it in a place where you didn't really need to be aggressive later in the game in Westbrooker Keena. Couldn't you know, bring it in that wasn't on him? Yeah, yeah, the nice back shoulder to Hooper. But they had nine drives to end the game on offense in which they totaled one first down. I mean, that's the worst stretch of offensive player right, there have any offense in any spot all year. And the sequence that killed me was they somehow managed to extend their lead from seventy nine in that stretch and they had the ball in the fourth quarter around the forty two yard line. You got a second and eight, and that's when they do a drop back pass where they throw the ball deep, doesn't work, and then they have a screen, they lose yardage and they punt it away. I wanted more time, more running. I actually too. They could have leaned more and he had seen carries. He just seemed to fanish in this game, and he had zero targets, which this is what bothered me the most, Like, even if you know it's the end of the game and you can't hand it off because you're running out of time or whatever, Henry can stay on the field and be a weapon. You get him in space and he can make people like we've seen him make people miss this year in space, And you're absolutely right. I thought the same thing there in that last drive in the possession in the fourth quarter, he's off the field, he's on the sideline, and it's like, yeah, we've seen him catch passes before make a guy miss and then take it to the house. They needed him to save them, and he can't save them when he's not on the field. So yes, maybe Malik Wills had a couple of nice throws, but five of sixteen for eighty yards was the final total. And it's just a bummer. Obviously is a Titans fan because Tannehills on the sideline too, and uh, you know that everything else equal. If he's in this game, they they win, uh, and they just this is the when is the last time we saw a game where a team, you know, with a chance to took it to overtime where they finished the game with ten straight drives of eight or fewer net yards? Pretty wild? So that's that's what I mean, where just you you would have thought there would have been more adjustment in terms of read option plays and design runs, like if they had just chosen not to pass it all and have Willis on the move with read options and more runs for Tenry even in overtime when it was like second and eight, just running Henry four straight times and see what happens if you can get I wonder behind the scenes, like they're trying to give him the smallest playbook possible and he just doesn't seem up to speed. I mean maybe, but yeah, they didn't. They didn't like make a Willis is gonna run the ball a lot. I mean, the read options worked in the first half. And it's crazy because the defensive plan to Mahomes did work perfectly. All they need it was a remote, a tiny bit of confidence from their offense and they win this game. And yet what will remember kind of like we remember Tom Brady at the end of this game for finally getting it done at the end, what I'll remember ultimately is not only Mahome's running, but on the overtime drive, the second down throw where he's falling over and Kelsey makes incredible catch behind his back or you know, on a throw that was behind him, and then the third and inches play. Everything for the Chiefs has to be harder where Mahomes needs to stop on a dime and then make an incredible throw down the field on third and inches to set up the game. When you feel, o, that's that's what my Homes does, That's what Brady does. That's why Danny loves football. I love football so much. And uh Tannehill did go out on the field. Um before the game, he tried warming up, but he never even planted his ailing ankle in the turf before he walked off the field and was made inactive. I guess that's where we see again. Justin Tennessee is a team that can hang with anyone. The way they play. Their physical style didn't work out today. In the end. The only thing that would be a real disaster is if this town Hill injury is worse than we uh no. I think it's been reported as a high ankle sprain. So they snowed under um budding young reporter Justin Graver, who's trying to get in front of things on the injury front, not to you know, get on you when you're down here. He didn't a ton of things, and then he got rolled over by the bus of misinformation. I've been pretty wrong two weeks in a row. But he wasn't gonna bring it up. But you know, it would be a nice night for Yessica to maybe make you some nice cupcakes or something, or a treat when you get home. I don't know how that how that works? Can I hit you with one stat Before Titans became the fourth team since the year you do, like when your your mate is hurting, you would physically bake cupcakes. Is that what you're saying. I'm saying that's one night, pulled that out of a hat. Could be anything, didn't you feel even just like the smallest, like almost like infantilized if like, oh, your football team lost, I'm gonna make you cupcakes. And maybe I think it's were like could be really nice fantasy stuff going on, go ahead justice. The Titans became the fourth team since the two thousand season to finish a game without completing a pass to a wide receiver, name a worst receiving corps in the NFL. Then with them so emplamement on the receivers, I mean, the Rams would give up something to go home, three first round picks for to get Robert Wood. You hung tight, you almost won. You're gonna win a division, You'll have a home game, You'll have another chance maybe against this team. First round playoff exit type of Titans made me feel even better about the Titans. They really have something in terms of the greater than there's some of their parts. They win this game with Tannehell, don't don't don't fret. Okay, And even if it doesn't work out for the Titans. Football is so amazing that you just like enjoy the sport no matter what happens. Yeah, I'm reading for the Seahawks if if I can't, and there my NFC. He's already pivoted off there NCT. Okay, well don't don't. Two weeks ago I was telling Dan not to lose hope about the Jets. That's right. Well we're saying that to you right now, so I'm not losing hope. I Malik Willis has a long way to go before just talking about openly rooting for a different team. But just like I mean, I would lose hope if it's Malik Willis from trying to turn into the twelve. Don't you don't want to be great? We'll welcome you. The Twelves are careful, you know. I feel like Greg's really loyal to football, So don't be a football I like you as you are a passionate fan, emotionally detect. We're going to have a meet up at for the six thirty am Munich game, the Twelves. We're all getting around the Los Angeles Areas. Cupcakes us provided by Yessica Um with the biggest Seahawks fan of all self proclaimed I'm sure that's gonna go well, really well at that meet up. Greg's been a fan of for about two two weeks, three weeks. Um, all right, that's it. Thank you everybody for listening. You know what, really thank you. This is sincere thank you because we just came off the two best months we've ever had on this podcast in terms of listenership, which ten years into this show, and knowing everything about our show and everything with Chris and UM and just the just being together and doing this as long as we have to be get the support that we get. I do love football. I love doing this football podcast with you boys, and uh. We are very lucky to have loyal fans that came back or are coming and joining us this season and trying to figure out all the weird inside jokes and drops we have. Welcome aboard to all the new listeners. It's been very cool. And I believe I told them at the outside of the show to shut up about a topic or two. UM, I take that back. That was I was in the moment and thank you for seeing that up because the any fans in Kansas, UM, that was a bit I bet you have very keen sensibilities when it comes to comedy, and I didn't mean to infer that you do not right. We love the Midwest and in all parts of the country, and two people even outside the Midwest that do enjoy CBS comedies like you're valuable as people and your opinions should be respected. Let's not go too far, but thank you to everybody. Well, I said, he's like one guy that listened. He's like huge young Sheldon fan super piste right now. Sheldon's like seventeen right now. He call