The Death Episode! (And Lions-Cowboys Preview)

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we don't believe in chronological age.

00:00:09
Speaker 2: We do not.

00:00:10
Speaker 1: I'm Greg Rosealm here in the Chris Westling podcast studio with my friend Colleen Wolf for a very special episode of NFL Daily.

00:00:19
Speaker 3: It's the Death Show.

00:00:20
Speaker 4: The Death Show. Everyone you knew it was coming. It was going to come up at some point in the show. Whenever Greg and I are together, that's what happens. So we figured, why don't we do an entire episode on death.

00:00:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, And when we were talking about it, and we've got the Great Quab producing the show.

00:00:35
Speaker 3: It's going to be on NFL Channel.

00:00:37
Speaker 1: There's some discomfort I think about some of the you know, graphics that are gonna be at Can we really say the Death Show across and this? I was like, that's what I'm talking about. It's it's the one thing we know we all have in common. It's gonna happen, and if you're lucky enough in a way, it's going to happen to people around you, because if it doesn't, that means it already happened to you.

00:01:00
Speaker 2: That is a really good point. That's true. Oh my god, we're really going for it right off the top.

00:01:06
Speaker 3: But how can we make that an NFL show?

00:01:07
Speaker 4: All right, We're gonna make it fun death but fun or death but just NFL.

00:01:11
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:01:12
Speaker 4: So yeah, I mean I was like, do we do teams on life support? You know, there's a lot of different ways we could go with it, Greg.

00:01:19
Speaker 1: That is what we're going to figure out, and that's what helps me feel alive is having a show where you don't really know what's going to happen.

00:01:27
Speaker 3: What do they say on your Monday night.

00:01:28
Speaker 2: Show, Let's just see what happens.

00:01:30
Speaker 3: Let's just see what happens.

00:01:31
Speaker 4: That's the official motto of the Game Day Kickoff Monday edition with myself and Steve Mariucci and Jeff Blasucci produces. He's the one that started it, and we have a little piece of paper sort of like play like a champion, and we hit it before every show that says, let's just see what happens.

00:01:48
Speaker 1: Okay, And that's not too different, you know, back in the around the NFL days, really actually in back in the around the league days, whoa really starting? We're just in the in the It's like we'd be fifteen minutes until we were going to start, and was like, oh, what should we do today. That was pretty normal. Wow, and so and good stuff happened. So we will go through a lot of different trends that are happening. Players teams that we decide whether they're alive or dead. Maybe we'll along the way have meaningful discussions.

00:02:17
Speaker 2: Okay, I like that, baby, we'll see.

00:02:19
Speaker 3: Life and yeah, chronological age, you're not in.

00:02:22
Speaker 2: No, I don't believe in it. I listen.

00:02:24
Speaker 4: It's age is a mindset as time as a social construct. And if you have ever met my dad at Wolf, you would never believe how old he is because he acts like he's younger than me in the best way possible.

00:02:37
Speaker 2: Young at heart.

00:02:38
Speaker 3: Keep wearing those cargo pants.

00:02:42
Speaker 2: Hello, fellow kids, I am your age.

00:02:44
Speaker 1: So it's going to have this opening sound to really introduce the segment. And this is like a dark version of it. But I just thought this is in the news this week. There was actually a fight during the Jaguars game over this weekend and Liam Cohen, you know, said one of his players was accused of telling one of the players on the on the Titans teams that he was going to kill him. And Liam Cohen was asked about that one.

00:03:13
Speaker 5: Of the Titans players I guess after the game said logan Cook threatened to kill him in one of those altercations there, and that's kind of blown up a little bit. I was just wondering, you know, your thought about whether that might have been across the line or anything, or if that's something like you know that this happens during games.

00:03:31
Speaker 6: I've probably heard that said, like, I mean a hundred times, you know, from players in games.

00:03:38
Speaker 3: So whatever, damn.

00:03:43
Speaker 4: A hundred times, Okay, I feel like he needed to go one way or the other.

00:03:50
Speaker 3: Hundred too specific.

00:03:51
Speaker 2: One hundred is too.

00:03:52
Speaker 4: Small, I think of a sample size for someone who has worked in the NFL for so long. But it's also a little too big of a sample size to say that it never really happens.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: So I'm not really sure I understand where he was going.

00:04:05
Speaker 1: What strange workplace it is, though that that is considered normal. There was a lot of things. You got to find the humor in the dark places.

00:04:14
Speaker 2: That's what we do best.

00:04:16
Speaker 3: Number one.

00:04:17
Speaker 1: The fact that the player who threatened to kill the other was the punter.

00:04:20
Speaker 3: That's it's just funny.

00:04:25
Speaker 1: If you could pick the funniest position to do it, look and puts the punter right, you know, great research by me.

00:04:31
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, of course he is a great one. Yeah, okay, that's funny.

00:04:34
Speaker 4: I mean, if it happens so often, then I don't know how it became such a big deal. But it does remind me of Will Campbell saying I will fight and die for you after he was drafted. So I mean, this is a big deal. This is a serious business.

00:04:49
Speaker 1: I don't think it is, but it is a reminder what a weird workplace it is because you couldn't don't do that at your workplace. We could not say that, even in a joking manner. I don't think at a workplace. But in the NFL, the emotions are heightened. Anything goes, it's life or death while you're out there on the field.

00:05:09
Speaker 2: Right, Like, is that handled by HR at all?

00:05:13
Speaker 3: I think so?

00:05:14
Speaker 4: Because does an HR rep come into the locker room and say, can you just come into my office real quick?

00:05:20
Speaker 2: Do you have a moment?

00:05:21
Speaker 3: Apparently not, because it's happened hundreds of times.

00:05:23
Speaker 1: So I thought that would just be a nice little entree into what we're talking about today, And it can be teams, trends, whatever you want that could be dead or alive, that make you feel alive that are on life support. However you want to take this, why don't you get us going?

00:05:41
Speaker 4: Okay, well, I think that this one, this is a fairly obvious one. But the Seahawks desert addition is dead, and it's been dead for a while. The Raiders is referring to with Pete Carroll and Gino Smith and Tom Brady having you know, the whole organization sort of running that now too, and it just feels like having his infusing infusion at the beginning of the season during training camp, like, oh, there is a sliver of hope here. Maybe this is going to turn into something. They even brought in Tyler Lockett after he left the Titans. Yes, this is an obvious one, but I'm going to bury a team in their division as well, actually two teams in the AFC. I'm just going to outright, oh, Barry, Okay, that they're done and it's unfortunate, but it just it feels that way for the Chiefs. It just feels like this is not going to happen for them. And I know that seems unbelievably crazy to say, because you never count out the Chiefs, but this year has not gone well for them, and sure they could sneak in as a wild card, and who knows what's going to happen, But if there's any year that there's not that they're not going to make the playoffs.

00:07:01
Speaker 2: It feels like this season.

00:07:02
Speaker 4: Having watched them this year, and I'm just my poor Colts. Wow that I'm throwing in the plot because it's it's so hard to watch Daniel Jones play with one leg and they still have two more games without DeForrest Buckner he has the neck injury.

00:07:22
Speaker 2: On IR They've lost three of their last four.

00:07:26
Speaker 4: The only win that the Colts had was the overtime win against the Falcons in Europe. The next five on their schedule are all teams that are above five hundred. They have to play the Jags twice, the Texans, the Seahawks, the Niners.

00:07:41
Speaker 2: It's very upsetting to me.

00:07:42
Speaker 4: You know how much I love this team and how much I wanted to believe in this team and how much I wanted Carly Orsa Gordon to be our queen, but it is not to be.

00:07:52
Speaker 3: I don't think you just you're burying them.

00:07:53
Speaker 1: Well, first of all, you're doing the social work social team's work for them Collin woh, Colon, the Chiefs are buried.

00:08:02
Speaker 3: It's over.

00:08:02
Speaker 1: I'm just saying, put him in the ground, all right, sound like I.

00:08:08
Speaker 2: Think it's pretty obvious that the Chiefs are on life support.

00:08:12
Speaker 3: Okay, so how about I'll put the Chiefs on backing off the hot take.

00:08:16
Speaker 4: No, the cults are done though that the Colts, Wow, cults are done, and we all gather here to mourn the twenty twenty five Indianapolis Colts. This was supposed to be the year for the team to finally succeed. I even said, you know what, I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon. I don't want to ruin this for them. And then I slowly tiptoed back on, tried to maybe see if nobody saw me hop on board like a total sucker.

00:08:43
Speaker 2: I believed.

00:08:44
Speaker 1: And now you're pushing them in front of like a moving car like meet Joe Black or something.

00:08:48
Speaker 3: He's no, they're bouncing around.

00:08:49
Speaker 2: Listen, Daniel Jones.

00:08:51
Speaker 4: I mean, he was proving everyone wrong until his fibula tapped out. And you know you had Jonathan Taylor just running with so much hard art breaking franchise records. Michael Pittman, Junior our hopes and dreams landed with every catch Tyler Warren. I mean, this was a team that had so much promise and potential.

00:09:12
Speaker 3: They're still eight and four, they're tied for first place.

00:09:15
Speaker 4: It's easy now, twenty twenty five Colts. Rest from the struggle, Rest from the heartbreak, Rest knowing we loved you.

00:09:24
Speaker 2: If that and achingly still do.

00:09:28
Speaker 3: If that actually happens, if they missed.

00:09:30
Speaker 2: I'll be legitimately upset.

00:09:32
Speaker 1: Well, now you're covered on both sides. There's no good outcome for you. There's no bad outcome. It's all bad.

00:09:36
Speaker 3: Actually it's all bad.

00:09:39
Speaker 1: They lose out, not every game, but let's say they don't make the playoffs.

00:09:43
Speaker 3: They're eight and four.

00:09:44
Speaker 1: Let's say they finished nine and eight or something, or even ten and seven of the playoffs. I mean they came into this year thinking it was like playoffs or bust for Stichen and Vallad. Then you'd be going too the offseason depending on how Daniel Jones plays without your two first round picks over the next two years, and you're pot committed to Daniel Jones, I am not ready to dig dirt on them. You know, the Jaguars are on the schedule twice. That's who they're tied with the top the division. They're sixty minutes away on Sunday from feeling very much alive, from being in first place against a pretty flawed Jaguars team and a fun team, a messy fun team.

00:10:23
Speaker 2: We've been talking what about the Texans, what about the Seahawks.

00:10:26
Speaker 1: Texans are dangerous, certainly, the Seahawks are probably an l on the schedule, certainly, But in this division, if they could sweep the Jaguars like they're making the playoffs, even if they split, you know, you beat the forty nine ers, maybe you beat the like you get to ten wins.

00:10:43
Speaker 3: I don't want to dig dirt on them.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: Okay, all right.

00:10:46
Speaker 1: The Raiders thing is interesting because it is obviously over their dead. But you know what happens when you know people die, sometimes the family left behind is squabbling over money, over messy who was at fault for different things. Chip Kelly's gone his career as the offensive coordinator. That's fnito. It was fascinating last week to watch two different reports, first one from our Tom Pellisero I believe on the Rich Eisens Show, noting how there were times in the season where chip Kelly wasn't even calling his own place correctly, like he didn't know how to call his own place.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, plays that weren't in the playbook, weren't installed yet.

00:11:34
Speaker 1: The second I heard that, I thought, Okay, that is not a great strategy to me from whoever let that information get out there. And maybe it was natural, maybe it was like from a player or whatever, and it's just like no one with an agenda, right, because that meant something was coming back at some point, and eventually we had our Ian Rappaport.

00:11:56
Speaker 3: Note how chip Kelly wasn't even running his offense.

00:11:59
Speaker 1: If you look at his offense, he was running Pete Carroll's old offense from Seattle with Shane Waldron. If you look at you know, the Raiders and the defense that they're running. Yeah, you know, they're running Pete Carroll's old defense.

00:12:09
Speaker 3: And it's ugly.

00:12:11
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:12:12
Speaker 4: That that's exactly like a family just checking out what's what's going on with the will and then all of a sudden you hear whispers and things are just not working out. I don't know that's that that report The whole thing seems very odd.

00:12:23
Speaker 1: I love that stuff. Also, I'm I am still afraid of the Chiefs. I think we have a Bills fan, you know, in Eric Roberts in the next room over. It's just like hearing people bury the Chiefs. It just seems like it's a shock to the system. It just seems like bad juju. And I'm not buying it until it's official, until i see that little e next to their name, like in the playoffs and stuff. That's AFC. It's wide open. I think they could, like, I think it could make the Super Bowl.

00:12:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, okay.

00:12:49
Speaker 1: Every everyone's about even, Okay, we let's talk about your Eagles.

00:12:54
Speaker 2: Do we have to?

00:12:56
Speaker 3: Here's what's dead.

00:12:58
Speaker 2: There's so many how much time do we have?

00:13:03
Speaker 1: Like the little baby chickens that could have been born, but instead they made him into like eggs that were thrown at Kevin Petulo's house, or that's not really how eggs.

00:13:14
Speaker 4: Well they could actually Gregg could be throwing fertilized eggs at Patulo's house. Someone just told me the benefits of eating fertilized eggs, and I'm not sure I'm on board with it all, but I eat chickens, so I don't really know how it works.

00:13:29
Speaker 2: In general.

00:13:30
Speaker 4: However, it's the most Philadelphia thing I've ever heard that they egged Petulo's house.

00:13:36
Speaker 3: It's sad it is, that's too much.

00:13:38
Speaker 2: I would be in witness protection.

00:13:40
Speaker 4: I would not want any Eagles fans knowing where I lived if I worked on the team, especially as the play caller.

00:13:47
Speaker 1: Right now, Kevin Petulo has been blamed for everything.

00:13:50
Speaker 3: It's obviously not his fault.

00:13:52
Speaker 1: But they had this kind of extended break a couple extra days, basically because they played on a Friday. And when Nick Sirianni came back and spoke to the media on Monday, he didn't say that they made any changes. But he did not say that they made any changes, and he basically said, look, if we were doing some things, I don't think it would be to my advantage to reveal those publicly. And Zach Berman, who's been on the show before, pointed out that you learn more from what Sirianni doesn't say over the years than by what he does. And for instance, when the whole Matt Patricia thing happened and they kind of kneecapped the coordinator at the time, Sean decide, they never actually like announced it for a while. You went into the game and you didn't even know. Eventually people just figured it out and then everyone knew that they had like changed the play cause and he had to answer for that. And so I think that might have happened here. And it is funny because it's like you have power as an Eagles fan, or at least the Eagles fans in general, like they just want some sort of pound of flesh, and the.

00:14:57
Speaker 3: Eagles are kind of like, well, I guess we got to give something. Let's let's do something for me. Now, I mean the fan base, how do I have? Did it just mean the fan base in general?

00:15:07
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, keep going, tell me more about my power.

00:15:11
Speaker 1: You're right, there is something too that like fans don't realize like that it's really more about the media and the fans through the media, but like they really do have an element of power. It is just like, just make a change for change sake, even if it does if you don't think that's the main problem, well, yeah.

00:15:25
Speaker 4: And the and the the angry mob mentality. It just continues to grow and grow as things get worse and worse. And I think about sports talk radio because that's where I started, and Philadelphia sports talk radio. It's probably an incredible. Listen right now, but there's so many I've just heard kopsa wip Sports Radio wip. Yeah, that's right, everybody. You should listen. But there's so many different fingers to point in so many different directions, like the defensive issues, the late game collapses, obviously, Saquon not being anywhere near as effective as he was last year, the offensive line injuries.

00:16:00
Speaker 1: Mean, do you think their Super Bowl chances are dead?

00:16:05
Speaker 4: I don't want to say that they're dead, but I am. I'm very worried. I'm very concerned for them because the momentum is on the Cowboys side right.

00:16:16
Speaker 2: Now, and they have all the vibes.

00:16:20
Speaker 4: And even when the Eagles were winning and seemingly doing okay, there was this this sort of cloud, this Paul as we're doing the death show, this Paul over the team with just manufacturing drama and stories and things like that, and it's almost like it came to fruition.

00:16:38
Speaker 1: It could they collapse Halla twenty three, twenty twenty three, when you know they just limped into the playoffs and got taken out, but they were kind of a dead team walking.

00:16:51
Speaker 4: I just don't understand how they have not figured out any type of identity on either side of the ball, and that to me just is the of death.

00:17:01
Speaker 1: I think I think they had it defensively, and they're gonna be okay on defense. But yeah, there was almost a little too much blame after that game, on a day where they gave up two hundred and eighty one yards on the my son Walker pointed out this stat and he said I had to credit him if I used it. Okay, Well, the Eagles won four in a row, then lost to in a row and the sky was falling to start the year, and then they won four in a row again and everyone was kinda you know, it's still not that happy, weirdly, and then they lost to in a row. So by that logic, they're about to go on a little.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: More game winning streak. Yeah, okay, by that streak, Thanks Walker.

00:17:34
Speaker 1: I think I think it could happen. He's he's gonna come with me to watch them play. Actually, Monday night football. We're gonna go, oh Chargers Egles.

00:17:45
Speaker 2: I might be over there too. That should be great fun.

00:17:48
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm gonna throw to some sound of Jackson Dart after the game on Monday Night against the Patriots. This is him, you know, being asked about some of the big hits that he took.

00:18:03
Speaker 7: Look like I understand the question.

00:18:06
Speaker 3: But like this is like Jackson, this is football.

00:18:09
Speaker 7: Like I'm gonna get hit if I'm in the pocket or outside the pocket. Like it's like, I feel like I've played this way my whole entire life. It shouldn't be like any shock or anybody if you've followed along with my career and I'm we're not playing like we're not playing soccer out here, Like you're gonna get hit. Things happen, It's part of the game.

00:18:35
Speaker 3: Mhmm. You know what that was?

00:18:37
Speaker 1: That was like the moment where he started to get a little sick of being the New York quarterback.

00:18:44
Speaker 3: Until then he's like.

00:18:45
Speaker 4: This is me, this is who I am, and you can take it or leave it. That's not how it works in the NFL with playing NFL defenses. That some of the hits that he took last night, he could have just ran out of bounds like a yard or two soon and would have been fine. I mean then I think it was the second down play where it would have been third and some change, but he wouldn't have gotten walloped like he did right there. If you're watching us right now, you can see the video. But also that to me comes off like it's a little immature, clearly because he's so young. I like that he is that fiery, and I like that he really wants to go out and just sacrifice himself. But that's also the most selfish thing that he could possibly do, considering he's looked at as their franchise quarterback and everyone is relying on him to be healthy and available, and.

00:19:39
Speaker 3: When he gets hit, he gets hit, it's like a crash test.

00:19:42
Speaker 4: Dummy, right, And we saw what happened to Cam Skataboo and him this year. I mean, he just came back from two games missing a concussion.

00:19:51
Speaker 2: So wait, missing two games with a concussion? Do I have a concussion? Who knows?

00:19:55
Speaker 3: No, you were right.

00:19:56
Speaker 1: And one of the first things he did, and he's right, it was in the pocket was just kind of stand there at one point and kind of just amble up to the line of scrimmage. It wasn't when he was scrambling and just you just have to have that inner inner, you know, thing in your head and I'm like, what what died for me here?

00:20:14
Speaker 5: You know?

00:20:14
Speaker 3: To keep it with with the theme.

00:20:16
Speaker 1: Was just that like that total youthful exuberance of the Jackson Dart experience to me, like that he they said, he's still talking to Brian Dable all the time, which I found fascinating and sweet Shu, you.

00:20:32
Speaker 3: Know, they were really tight.

00:20:33
Speaker 1: Then I'm watching Joe Shane the GM's press conference on Tuesday, which he showed up for, well, they delayed it a half hour and then he showed up like five or ten minutes late for it. Anyways, I was like, you guys, you guys benched Abdull Carter for a quarter for basically doing the same thing, right, yeah, And Shane was like, yeah, he could have gone out of bounds, and so just the whole like you see, he's seen his coach get fired. It's just been a long way from that moment where it was scataboo and Dart nuzzling.

00:21:09
Speaker 3: But that's like that that was the death of his innocence.

00:21:11
Speaker 4: I guess that's sort of their brand, those two, Like they're kind of like the bash Bros. They sort of they play that style, that is their energy, that is sort of the vibes that they put out there too. But they just have to do it in a much smarter way. They can still do it. And also I'm just wondering, like, who is in his ear? Isn't anyone telling him at this point in the season, we're thirteen weeks in that he needs to play smarter than that and not take those hits.

00:21:37
Speaker 3: So they talked about for three weeks in that and then that's what happened.

00:21:40
Speaker 2: But also, you know it's not dead.

00:21:42
Speaker 4: The power turtleneck that Jackson Dart wore into the game and they're at his press conference into the game with a brown leather like top gun jacket.

00:21:53
Speaker 3: Turtlenecks are coming back where they ever totally gone.

00:21:56
Speaker 2: No, not for me. I love a turtle neck.

00:22:00
Speaker 3: Mean it is.

00:22:01
Speaker 1: It is bizarre to think back on what I was wearing as like a middle school high school kid. I mean, it's cold in western Massachusetts, you need to layer. But there were a lot of turtlenecks going on.

00:22:12
Speaker 2: Should a captain.

00:22:13
Speaker 3: There was like a moment where sweater vests were popular.

00:22:16
Speaker 2: Stop I can't.

00:22:18
Speaker 4: So that kind of reminded me what Rabel Rabel in the red Patriots vest last night that was giving sweater.

00:22:25
Speaker 1: Yes, it was a moment, give me, give me something else that you so on its deathbed or not.

00:22:34
Speaker 4: Well, I was thinking about, you know what I think is going to be buried this off season, so the season's going to continue whatever, But uh, what is it about March April we will be holding a funeral for the tush push? I think, wow, yeah, I know this is this is a depressing show.

00:22:55
Speaker 3: I love it, let's lean into it.

00:22:58
Speaker 4: I just think that we've seen, I mean, so many plays this year tush pushes that have been so difficult to officiate, and we've seen so many plays with officiating being like going the wrong way in general, that this feels like a spot that might just take the bullet for all of it to get rid of the toush push. Then would alleviate some of the calls for uh like instant of replay and all of that.

00:23:26
Speaker 1: I am not a shill for the NFL, but with everyone complaining about officials all the time, I at some point sort of just check check out of it. Yeah, because it's just to me relatively boring to talk about.

00:23:39
Speaker 4: And well, you don't have a call with Walt Anderson every week now, and maybe you should jump on with no very fun.

00:23:44
Speaker 1: I think like that like talking about different rules and you know, like understanding them is important, especially for broadcasters, and some are terrible at it, and some like Mike Turico and yourself are a great at Yeah, but I'm always surprised anyone ever gets a call correct. It's impossible. Why do we have such a high standard that they're going to get everything correct. The players get everything, like a million things wrong on every play, and they're the best in the absolute world. And the refs aren't great, but it's when you're on a field, you've been.

00:24:13
Speaker 3: On the it's so we get anything right.

00:24:16
Speaker 2: The game speed is so fast.

00:24:17
Speaker 1: The thing that annoys me is, yeah, when things should be reviewable are not reviewed, Like the leg whip in the Texan you know Colts game. I believe it was where or was at a different game where there was a trip that clearly happened on a play and.

00:24:33
Speaker 2: They it was his thighs.

00:24:35
Speaker 3: They reviewed it.

00:24:35
Speaker 1: Yeah, they reviewed the play, but they couldn't review like they can't give the penalty after reviewing the play and ends up hurting the wrong team.

00:24:43
Speaker 3: What that's annoying?

00:24:45
Speaker 4: I found it fascinating On Sunday night when Tarico and Collinsworth were talking about what constitutes a pile in football and how many people does it take to have a pile because you can't pull someone off the pile.

00:24:59
Speaker 2: But it was just like two dudes or one dude.

00:25:01
Speaker 4: I don't know, but that was something that I was going to bring up to Walt Anderson this week.

00:25:06
Speaker 3: Good idea.

00:25:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna go the other way on this tushbush idea. Okay, Well, first of all, if it does die, did the first like real sign of death happen in that Black Friday game? Because the Bears just had a good way to stop it. Yeah, and like they like turn if you can stop it, you basically.

00:25:26
Speaker 2: They had Jalen like turn or they turned him.

00:25:30
Speaker 1: They sort of sent I can't explain enough. I would need to watch it from the side, but we talked about it on our things.

00:25:35
Speaker 3: They didn't have Black Friday.

00:25:37
Speaker 1: That Kelvin Sheppard from the Lions I think came up with this plan against the Eagles, and now it's being copied and you have this guy Darty in from the side. There's more to the plan than that, and it's working to stop it, and then you see the tight ends. It's not working with the tight ends doing the It's like, this is why I never thought you should kill the Toushbush because the Eagles are good at it. Eventually someone's going to figure out how to stop it. No one else is really that good at it anyways. It's not working for the Bills like as well as it did previously, eating.

00:26:07
Speaker 2: As like everything else. It's going to die naturally.

00:26:11
Speaker 3: That's it.

00:26:11
Speaker 1: I mean, that's sort of the history of the NFL.

00:26:15
Speaker 2: It is.

00:26:17
Speaker 3: Let's talk about the Steelers. Okay, first of all, we have some news. On Tuesday.

00:26:23
Speaker 1: We tape on Tuesday. We found out that they have cut Darius Slay. Adam Thielen, on the other hand, he's going to be busy. He was cut by the Vikings. He requested his release because he was not really playing much with the Vikings. He was hoping, can I sign on to a team that potentially matters, and he got a gig with the Steelers, and so that's our news of the day. They're actually going to activate a Sante Samuel Junior as well.

00:26:51
Speaker 3: They had signed him. He's a good player.

00:26:53
Speaker 1: He had a neck injury that prevented him from playing for most of this year, so he's basically replacing Darius Slay and when you're making moves like this going into the biggest game of the year against the Ravens, it makes me feel even more confident to say the Steelers Super Bowl chances are dead now. I'm not saying that Mike Tomlin's career with the Steelers is on life support. I don't think it necessarily is. Let's actually listen to Colleen Wolfe at a previous time on the Monday Night Show with Ian Rappaport is.

00:27:30
Speaker 4: This is obviously a topic that is trending, but how valid of a topic is whether or not Mike Tomlin and the Steelers should move on from each other?

00:27:42
Speaker 1: Heavy side from Ian, You're not watching he's and.

00:27:52
Speaker 8: I'm not gonna let you do it.

00:27:53
Speaker 3: I'm just not.

00:27:56
Speaker 2: You know, Mooch.

00:27:57
Speaker 4: Then when we after I said goodbye to Ian and opened up the chat to Mooch and asked him if it was time for the Steelers to move on. Yeah, he did the same exact thing to me that Ian did.

00:28:07
Speaker 1: I mean, as if Ian didn't know you were gonna ask that, didn't he know?

00:28:11
Speaker 2: Come on, we have fun, don't we. Let's just see what happens.

00:28:14
Speaker 3: It's theater ridiculous.

00:28:17
Speaker 1: It would be a very Steelers thing to go win this game in Baltimore, just at the moment where the vultures are circling in a way that I've never seen in Pittsburgh for Mike Tomlin. But what Ian said later in that clip, it was a good clip. People should check it out. And he basically said they would never ever, They're not like there's no way Art Rooney is firing Mike Tomlin. Like there's zero point zero percent chance. Now if Mike Tomlin ever decided he just wanted to step away, It's just weird that Ian to me would would say that. But there's no indications that that would happen. That maybe Tomlin would just be like I'm kind of done here. Maybe do the Sean Payton thing where he's just like I'm retiring or you know, I'm out of here and then like return a year later or something.

00:29:02
Speaker 4: Okay, two things on that one is related to Sean Payton. But this one, before I forget it. The Steelers, Mike Tomlin is their third coach in history since nineteen sixty nine. This is such a steady, patient organization that prides themselves on that very thing and staying with the guys and their guys.

00:29:24
Speaker 2: It's like family.

00:29:25
Speaker 4: So I mean, I just don't see them doing it unless it's some type of mutually parting of ways, which we hear a lot, but I feel like in this case could actually happen, which makes me think maybe it's a situation like Sean Payton where there's a trade, and what if the trade is Mike Tomlin to the Giants WHOA.

00:29:49
Speaker 2: Because of the Rooneys and the Maras.

00:29:52
Speaker 1: A lot of NFL history has gone down right with cooperation and work by the Rooneys the mar Yeah, and not Rooney Mara, but she is, but I do very much related she is literally.

00:30:10
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:30:10
Speaker 4: So I just I just could see maybe a scenario like that. I just don't see them parting ways with him and nothing else happening. Like I think that it could be mutually beneficial for both sides, maybe to have a fresh start, because we're hearing reports about players not showing up to meetings or coming in late, and this is a team that is in playoff positioning right now.

00:30:39
Speaker 2: This is important.

00:30:40
Speaker 4: You would you would think that you wouldn't have to convince guys to show up, like who is not listening to people in the room there.

00:30:45
Speaker 1: Well that's Aaron Rodgers's comments you're talking about. Well, it's that time of year, you know, for him to just start blaming everyone around it.

00:30:53
Speaker 3: It's like, I.

00:30:54
Speaker 4: Feel like we're all in a relationship with Aaron Rodgers.

00:30:58
Speaker 3: DK Metcalf is feeling that too.

00:31:00
Speaker 1: I mean, who is important enough even to be not showing up to these meetings that he's talking about, not on the same page. I mean, maybe it's John new Smith, or maybe it is someone else who knows, because I only say John new Smith because he was the one that was running the route where Aaron Rodgers just threw the ball where he wanted John new Smith to be even though no one was clearly there, almost was punishing him.

00:31:24
Speaker 3: Okay, I want to point out a couple things here with Rodgers.

00:31:27
Speaker 1: Rogers' career to me as an effective starter has been dead. And I keep seeing this idea, and I saw it from my old boss Florio just just Tuesday of like, well he's still you know, his stats are still pretty solid, and people are in a website that covers the Steelers actually aggregated me a week ago where I said Aaron Rodgers is one of the worst starters in the league. And the article was about how this is preposterous, How could anyone possibly say that Aaron Rodgers is one of the worst starters in the league. When you look at, okay, his touchdown interception ratio and his completion percentage and whatever is QB rating, it's like, okay, let's dig a little deeper. First of all, use your eyes, Like, watch how limited he is. Second of all, if you go to EPA per play or you go to success rate, he is anywhere from the bottom five, where it's like he's only ahead. I looked at this in success rate on the season, I think ahead of Dylan Gabriel cam Ward and Joe Flacco surprisingly was down there. Who's but Joe flaccol least gives you big plays. Aaron Rodgers is low on these lists because he knows how to make his stats look good by throwing for seven yards on third and eleven and and like, there's no incompletion, but he's not effective.

00:32:44
Speaker 4: It just don't get the flash plays from him, the fun plays. So when you watch it, just you can almost feel the stagnation of the offense and Aaron Rodgers' frustration. It completely bleeds through the play of the offense. So I feel like as just to watch it is tough.

00:33:01
Speaker 1: In general, it is tough, and the defense hasn't hasn't helped they They are the most expensive defense in the league. They have not lived up to that, and yet they could be in first place after Sunday.

00:33:13
Speaker 3: It would be very Mike Tomlin to win this game.

00:33:15
Speaker 1: A little perspective though, Mike Sando of The Athletic had this stat of the longest coaching tenures in NFL history after winning their last Super Bowl in the same place without basically getting.

00:33:28
Speaker 2: Fired or retired, current coaches are their.

00:33:33
Speaker 1: All time Oh okay, Mike Tomlin is already four years clear of anyone else all time except for Don Shula. But I think Mike Tomlin's great. He's no Don Shula. Don Shula has the most wins of all time. Don Shula has one of the highest winning percentages of all time. He has multiple Super Bowls, they had a history of success. He was the Miami Dolphins. In a way that it's not Mike Tomlins.

00:33:54
Speaker 2: It should be the Don Shula Award, by the way.

00:33:56
Speaker 3: Sure.

00:33:58
Speaker 1: The second longest, which, by the way, without getting fired, tied tied for second Chuck Knowle, who was the last you know, was the last one before Bill Cower. He twelve years and they kind of forced him to retire at twelve. Tomin's at sixteen years after his Super Bowl and tied with him is John Harbaugh.

00:34:15
Speaker 2: John Harball, yep, twelve years.

00:34:17
Speaker 3: So it might be a lot a lot of careers ending.

00:34:20
Speaker 2: And I always think back to ten years, I.

00:34:23
Speaker 3: Should say, because they would both get jobs quickly.

00:34:26
Speaker 4: Yeah, but before the Ravens drafted Lamar, John Harball was on the hot seat and that was the big that was the big topic and that year. But if he didn't if he wasn't successful that year, he would have been fired. And then everything turned things around for John Harball with Lamar.

00:34:43
Speaker 1: And to his credit, no one from the day they drafted Lamar to the second he was bringing him in as a little back, as like a backup to they were losing some games at first. Like John Harbad just said from day one, like Lamar Jackson's gonna be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Like since day one. He was right to hit his wagon to that start. So yeah, we're I'm killing the Steelers Super Bowl chances. We're running out of time here. We are going to do a TNF preview, so we kind of take a break. Do you want to do any like rapid fire?

00:35:13
Speaker 3: Well or not?

00:35:15
Speaker 2: I was one thing I would really love.

00:35:17
Speaker 3: To do to hear about. Okay, let's actually listen to.

00:35:23
Speaker 1: Andy Reid and we'll explain what context it is. This is from his press conference on Monday about how the Chiefs are going to attack the rest of the season.

00:35:34
Speaker 8: You know that you pretty much have to win the next five games. If you lose one, you're going to need a lot of help to get into playoffs. What's your level of confidence that things can start going your way and that you can win these next five games in a row.

00:35:47
Speaker 9: Yeah, well, I believe that. I mean, I believe you.

00:35:50
Speaker 6: Come.

00:35:51
Speaker 9: If you're coming to me on this, Matt, I'm telling you, we're going to go after you every game, and you know that's how we roll. We're going to try to tickle your tonsils on every every play, every game. And but that's that's the attitude that we're coming in with.

00:36:11
Speaker 2: Never have I ever heard that turn a phrase?

00:36:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a good one.

00:36:16
Speaker 2: Is this new to you too?

00:36:18
Speaker 3: I've never heard tick all your tonsils before.

00:36:20
Speaker 4: Now it feels like it isn't potentially not something we should be saying on the show.

00:36:26
Speaker 1: But no, that feels like a phrase that should be dying. It also doesn't seem like it really is in context of what with what we're talking about, because.

00:36:35
Speaker 4: I'm trying to figure out, like why that was his go to and why like when I I don't know, it's just it's just weird because I'm picturing the field and I'm like, is this like a defensive thing? Like I don't know.

00:36:47
Speaker 2: So we get down to the goal line.

00:36:49
Speaker 1: We're we're listening to that in part because, yeah, the Chiefs would need some help if they lose one more game to make the playoffs. It might take eleven and six to make the playoffs and they already have six losses. But I just think, like parody this year in the AFC is unlike anything I've seen before. And I just if you put the Chiefs on the field with whoever else you want to pick in the AFC right now, you can't tell me that game's not a toss up. I think if you picked the first seven or eight teams in the AFC and put them on the field. At the same time, you can't tell me that it's not a toss up. So whatever seven teams make it, you shake them all up. I feel like it could go anyway. I really don't think there's any favorites, which you know, by by logic means the Chiefs got a shot.

00:37:37
Speaker 2: Here I have.

00:37:38
Speaker 4: I had a premonition last night that the AFC championship game will be between the Patriots and Broncos.

00:37:44
Speaker 1: That would be great. Weirdly think that's happen. That would actually go to the seeding. So Florio coming up a lot in this show. Wow, I had a no. I always want to give credit because this was from NBC Sports research that the most teams have been eliminated at this point in the season since divisional realignment happened. So what I was gonna say is parody dead here in the NFL. Quietly this year it's actually been. Even though the AFC seems wide open at the top, the teams at the bottom are truly awful in a way that normally doesn't happen. The Giants have were eliminated first, and then the Titans, Raiders, Saints and Cardinals are are already like mathematically eliminated with five weeks to go, which is kind of hard to do. And the Jets, the Browns, like the Commanders, they could be soon after that. So even though it feels like it's any it is Anyone's you know title in the AFC, it actually is going to be harder to get into the playoffs. So this is not what the the like decision makers wanted when they wanted parody. It is You're gonna have to have like a great record to make the playoffs. And there's just a lot of more dead teams than almost ever before.

00:38:58
Speaker 4: I guess, just because there's such different teams at the top and the teams that we a lot of the teams that we expected to be at the top are not even in the playoff picture right now. And the fact that the AFC South is super fascinating. This is not how the season started at all.

00:39:15
Speaker 2: So that's exciting.

00:39:16
Speaker 3: It is exciting. It's just the bottom is like really at the bottom.

00:39:21
Speaker 2: This year that you're just like, it's a real fall up.

00:39:24
Speaker 3: You have no chance.

00:39:25
Speaker 1: Even some teams that aren't that bad, like the three and nine Cardinals, all right, we did it.

00:39:30
Speaker 3: We're not killing that segment. I don't even know what that segment was.

00:39:33
Speaker 2: We don't really either. You know, it's a work in progress and we'll have to revisit it.

00:39:38
Speaker 1: Let's take a quick break. We're going to come back on the other side and we're going to preview. Is this the biggest TNF game of the I think it is. Yeah, back on NFL Daily, gonna drum some of these tnfs being shook our recapping it after the game, and I'm looking at the schedule. I'm just wanting a game like this, So juicy Lions hosting the Cowboys, Lions favored by three.

00:40:17
Speaker 3: Narratively.

00:40:18
Speaker 1: I just think it's coming at such a fascinating point in the season because the Lions were that cool, upstart team, and I always think back to that playoff game, you know, the NFC Championship against the forty nine ers. Were in the locker room afterwards, Dan Campbell got real and he said, Hey, there's no guarantee we're ever gonna get back here. But that was like the first year the Lions were really good and everyone thought okay, and then last year all the injuries struck and they were like a little further away, and now they seem even further away. Not only do they have injuries, but they need to win this game against the Cowboys or they are in deep trouble, likely to miss the playoffs. They don't win this game, and they're playing a team in Dallas, which I hate to say it, Colleen is kind of like those Lions from a few years ago.

00:41:08
Speaker 3: They're fun and they're upstarts. It's new, they're entertaining.

00:41:12
Speaker 2: How are they so likable? All right? That's what I want to know.

00:41:16
Speaker 4: It's like the Eagles are falling apart and the Cowboys have the the inverse energy happening for them. It's they're fun, they have fun personalities, they're fun to watch, they're good. They have all of the vibes and momentum right now. And the Lions coming off a massive upset at home against the Packers in the division.

00:41:38
Speaker 2: That was a huge game for them. They absolutely needed it.

00:41:42
Speaker 4: And the fact that the fact that the Eagles are slipping right now makes me feel like this is a more important win for the Lions just because of this window that could potentially be closing with them, because it does seem like they are they're slipping. Okay, They're not as dominant as they obviously started the season or had been in the past. It's not a foregone conclusion that they're going to make the playoffs. And we knew that there was going to be a little bit of regression with the both coordinators leaving, and we weren't sure how that was going to hit. And we've seen some issues with their run defense, and maybe that bodes well for Javonte Williams in this game.

00:42:27
Speaker 2: But the stakes could not be any higher in this one.

00:42:32
Speaker 1: They couldn't. And I think multiple things can be true to you. Okay, jordanism I picked the lines to make the Super Bowl this year. It's not happening. If they were in the AFC, and like they had the same percentage chance to make the playoffs as they do in the NFC, had some work to do, Like sure they'd have a chance. It's not happening in the NFC. Like the Rams, the Seahawks, and the Packers are all really freaking good yep, And it's just not going to happen.

00:42:55
Speaker 3: This is not going to be their year.

00:42:57
Speaker 1: But here's the multiple thing that's also true to me is not closing at all. I do believe in the organizational culture and their talent, They have a lot of players in their prime sign long term. They can improve in the offseason and come back at it next year.

00:43:13
Speaker 2: You're momentum and not window.

00:43:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, I because I'm really responding to Lions fans on socials who just feel like it will have passed us. That was our chance. We were close and now it's not coming back. And I don't see that at all. I think they are in a multiple year window. But I do think this year is essentially over. If they don't win this game, because they are in LA playing the Rams next week, they could all but be eliminated by the end of Week fifteen. And so it's a great test of like what Dan Campbell has built. Because I thought they were up for the fight against green Bay. Watching that game they had injuries, I just realized, like, they're not as talented, They're not as good as green Bay, and Goff was still battling. It's about the defense to me, and the lack of size in their secondary. Terry and Arnold went on injured reserve this week and that was a surprise to me. I did not know his injury was going to be nearly that serious. And so you have DJ Reid out there, and you have a Meek Robertson and rock Ya Sen in these cornerbacks who are all they're like the Colleen and Greg of NFL cornerbacks.

00:44:14
Speaker 3: You know, we we don't take up much of the frame. As Eric said before.

00:44:18
Speaker 2: We are petite.

00:44:20
Speaker 3: He was giving us scouting.

00:44:21
Speaker 1: Reports on how different people move and where they need to sit on their mark and said we were easy because we're just so.

00:44:29
Speaker 2: Well to your point.

00:44:31
Speaker 3: With the Patrick, meanwhile, I was like all over the place moving around.

00:44:36
Speaker 1: He's like six foot whatever. Yeah, he just moves around. He's yeah, he's moving around.

00:44:41
Speaker 6: He's a wiggler, and he's bigger to begin with, it's stoic, he's he's a statue.

00:44:47
Speaker 3: You guys are small.

00:44:47
Speaker 6: There's a lot of where you guys could be up and down and left and right and not be out of frame for one second.

00:44:53
Speaker 1: But it really I think showed up in that Chiefs game too, Like the Chiefs cornerbacks. Okay, yeah, maybe you can double seedy Lamb, but then you got picking story about.

00:45:01
Speaker 4: You do and just looking at the injury front for the Lions, this is a big deal. With Sam Laporta still dealing. He gone with injuries ankle injury for Amon Ra Saint Brown. These are two massive pieces of this offense, and this Cowboys defense is revitalized with what they did before the trade deadline, and now it just seems like the pieces are working so much better together. It's not like you're not gonna have the same Micah Parson's effect without Michael Parson's there, but this is obviously a much better moving system altogether.

00:45:36
Speaker 3: Now they're especially good stopping the run.

00:45:38
Speaker 1: That's what Jerry Jones said he wanted, and Kenny Clark and all that, and Quinn Williams should get a lot of credit because he's having the best month of his career. But if you think about the players that they've gotten back or signed during this season, it's not just Quinn Williams, Jenevian Clowney, who might not play in this game but has made some place for them. Donovan Wilson and Malie Hooker, their safety Tam and I both missed a lot of time this year, especially Hooker. Suddenly they're back in the mix, to Marvion Overshown, who is maybe the leader of that entire defense, back in the mix, Logan Wilson, they traded for from the Bengals.

00:46:10
Speaker 3: He's playing.

00:46:11
Speaker 1: Chavon Ravel is a third round cornerback who's playing. That was seven guys I just listed. That's an entire defense. Yeah, they look different because like it's a it's a totally different group of players and they're gonna have a tough matchup.

00:46:24
Speaker 3: I think the Lions can score a lot. The bigger question to me.

00:46:27
Speaker 1: Is is the Lions defense up for the fight because they have not played that well the last couple of weeks. Like they were getting a lot of love in the last couple weeks, they've looked a little overmatched against elite offenses.

00:46:37
Speaker 3: And that's that's what the Cowboys they have.

00:46:38
Speaker 4: And I'm just looking at the Cowboys schedule. After the Lions, they have the Vikings, which they could win win, Chargers toss up, Commanders win win, Giants win.

00:46:52
Speaker 3: You never know because it's the Cowboys and they always get your hope up.

00:46:56
Speaker 4: They already won their first matchups, so I don't know if they'll sweep, but I think the Chargers Vikings.

00:47:04
Speaker 1: I think the loser of this game is in deep trouble. But I actually think it's it's it's equally big for both teams. I think it's more likely if one of these teams was going to lose a game and actually make the playoffs, that it would be the Cowboys, because if the Cowboys lose this game and get a sixth loss, they have that tie, it's you know, it's in between, and then they ran. They would have to run the table after that. But I think they have a chance to run the table against that schedule. If the Lions lose this game, I just think because of the injuries and everything that's happened, and then yeah, they have the Rams next week, that would be very difficult. So either way, I think each of these teams can probably afford one more loss, and it's just coming at the perfect time. And something we were talking about in the newsroom what I don't think it's too late to have Dak Prescott go on a little MVP conversation type of run. People don't realize there's so much left of the season. There's more than twenty five percent left of the season. If Dak Prescott balls out and they win out, he's played awesome this year. He's got a shot, depending on what happens with Stafford in May and whoever else is in the mix.

00:48:11
Speaker 3: I got a shot.

00:48:12
Speaker 4: I tend to look at how many primetime games the candidates have important the end of the year.

00:48:18
Speaker 2: It's important, and we know that this is the last one for Dak Prescott.

00:48:23
Speaker 1: I think, no, he's got the He's got the Vikings next the next week as well, somehow, and then he's also got a Christmas Day game, which.

00:48:33
Speaker 4: Is import Oh my gosh, that's right. I'm looking at I'm looking at the line schedule still. But what about Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

00:48:40
Speaker 1: They're going to be in the mix too. They will absolutely have a chance. I think Stafford and May at this point are the favorites. My point is more that a lot of craziness is coming up.

00:48:51
Speaker 2: Right, brace yourselves.

00:48:52
Speaker 3: Did we do it?

00:48:54
Speaker 2: We did something.

00:48:56
Speaker 1: You know, how you feel alive is you have a show and you're not really sure what you're going to talk about or what's going to happen.

00:49:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, and then you make it happen. Yeah.

00:49:03
Speaker 2: And all of you were listener, all of you were along for the ride, and.

00:49:08
Speaker 1: Honestly, we didn't get that dark and we didn't get that existential. I was disappointed.

00:49:13
Speaker 2: Maybe we need to do another one, right, now we'll just talk start over.

00:49:16
Speaker 3: We'll just talk afterwards about.

00:49:20
Speaker 2: The biggest regrets in that.

00:49:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, when my parents left on their plane this week back, I was like, is that the last time?

00:49:28
Speaker 3: Oh my god, because they're gonna die. I'm not saying that, not because anything is going to happen. Because they're in their eighties.

00:49:35
Speaker 1: It's asking a lot for them to take a long cab to the airport and then fly seven hours by themselves. At some point seasons, you know, there's a cycle for everything, and it just might mean more trips for my family.

00:49:48
Speaker 2: Get into Massa, get yourself on that plane.

00:49:51
Speaker 3: It's okay to think about all this stuff. Don't make me cry the change that you want.

00:49:55
Speaker 4: Oh by the way, if you guys would like to send Christmas cards to us, yes, I would.

00:50:00
Speaker 2: Love to accept them and we will read some fun ones on the air.

00:50:04
Speaker 4: So get those in because for some reason, it takes a really long time to finally get to me once it goes through the mail room. So I totally me your family Christmas cards. I kept all once from last year. They're downstairs.

00:50:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, for listeners that don't know, we had a lot of listeners send in Christmas cards to Colleen because she was not getting enough Christmas cards. Yeah, so if you want to possibly be part of our Christmas episode this year, send them to nine hundred District Drive in Inglewood, California, nine oh three oh three, care of Colleen Wolf. Yes, you can say NFL Network care of Colleen Wolf. Again to nine hundred District Drive, Inglewood, California, nine oh three oh three. We want your family Christmas listener.

00:50:49
Speaker 4: I was crying last year at some of the cards in downstairs, in the little locker room, just reading your cards. They were so sweet and so fun and some of them were super funny. So please send them.

00:51:01
Speaker 1: It's all in front of us. You know what else is in front of us? Our preview show. Patrick Clayban will be with me. I might have some special guests.

00:51:10
Speaker 3: We'll see who else is there this week. It's all happening. I'm getting my Christmas treet tonight. Yes i am.

00:51:17
Speaker 2: What about pictures with santad.

00:51:19
Speaker 3: Jew Let's take a little break, what a note. We'll see you