2022 Week 12 Recap: Rise of the 3-7 teams that are better than their record

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Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast, Keep the turkey away from Mark Sessler, you better from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's Around the NFL. I'm Dan Hansas with the a fore mentioned Mark Sessler and Greg Rosenthal heroes both so my self, love is okay, it's important and on this show and uh, you know this week, Week twelve, right week eleven, last week I labeled a nasty little thing this week. To me, this Sunday is the inverse of that. And let me explain this Sunday. A schedule that wasn't especially juicy, to put it kindly, not a lot of high profile matchups on the schedule, and yet NFL Sunday woke up, rolled out of bed, and when it got to the press box, took a deeper smiled to go photo and then posted on Twitter my office for the day, which a phrase that we banned about a half a decade ago on the show. Right away, you know, optimistic about life, reflective on the journey, and how lucky football is to be football. And then the football was good because that's just like a cliche moment which it almost feels like punching it in these teams are punched it in. Just to clear that's a difference when you and I Greg, what do you think of that message when people posted I see that as when it when a beat writer whoever puts my office for the day, it's a it's a feeling of Wow, I'm at the super Bowl and this is where I get to work. This is a cool job. There are times when it has more cynicism on the side, and we literally banned it on the show. I mean it's more like mailing it in as a tweet, just like as Twitter performance. In terms of the original tweet, Yeah, okay, I mean I feel like the sentiment we're way off. You're right, it was a good sudday at games and then it wasn't. Hey, we banned the phrase from the show, so there's literally it's a lawless move on your part. But secondly, in case the listeners are wondering because that last week's episode also had was it sucked the sadness or smell the sadness? Swallow sadness? I mean that was just because I want people need to know, just because the Jets had to turnaround performance today, that's not why the optimism in the my office for the day business comes up. That was a separate part of the show's title a week ago. No, people that know that the old Zeuser is a beacon of integrity, understand that I know what happened in our league this week and last week. It's a it's a greater viewpoint, Like, my fandom does not extend just to the Jets. I'm loyal to football. That was my point about you. That's where I'm at now. As the weeks go on, I'm just like Greg, I feel like, just do you know what you're suggesting that I that I don't know. The undertone is that you're the two of you enjoy the sport and I'm just floating along here. Yeah, well that's not accurate, but just a narrowed We have so much to get to today. Uh So, let us start with the game. Let's start here. This is good, the game that everyone expected to be good, the game that featured two teams that makes sense as Super Bowl contenders in the a f C squaring off Cincinnati at Tennessee, and it did go down to the final minutes. Joe catches the shotgun, snaff fakes the p Ryan floated towards the end zone, and Higgins he's got it. Touchdown the goals as he used his height and his size and went up and over the quarterback in coverage for the touchdown. Great throw by Burrow, better catch by Higgins. There you go. There's the call from Jeff Joniac and Tim tom thare W B B M. The Bengals man, they can beach in different ways and the Titans note the physical Titans feeling good about themselves, but the Bengals to have their number. Joe Burrow through a twenty seven yard touchdown past the te Higgins with less than fourteen minutes to play, and it held up and the six teen win by the defending conference champions over the Titans, the team that was the number one seed last January. The Titans got knocked out by the Bengals on their UH miracle run to the Super Bowl. So here we are now, UH, two teams feeling good. And it was in this game mark the Bengals that are feeling better because as the season goes on, they continue to get stronger and show you they can win in different ways even when they're missing key players. Yeah, it was a what you would call classic sort of white knuckle um operation between both teams, and I think they kind of can look at each other and see a lot of similarities and who they are. Uh. The Bengals came in with a plan to just sell out, I think, and stop Derrick Henry and not allowed Derrick Henry to have one of those games and that playoff game from a year ago. Henry was not himself he is right now and he was allowed thirty eight yards at two point two yards per carry. And the Bengals on the flip side after allowing nine sacks in that playoff game one today, I thought both of their lines um showed up and and and did their part. And for me what I've watched with the Bengals of the last couple of weeks, because it's not just te Higgins who had a hundred and fourteen yards off seven catches and that touchdown which was a huge part of this game and a momentum turner. Guys like som j p Rhyan with Joe Mixon out with a concussion, stepped up again two weeks in a row. Trevy On Williams, another one of their running backs, had a huge play in this game. Are dude, Trenton Irwin, the long haired, long long haired crocodile. Hunter was actually a childhood actor. They discussed during the game and left left his childhood commercial acting career because he was benched for a football game for showing up late after rehearsal. Well, where did you get him? It got him here. He made a gigantic catch in this game from the audition rooms. That charisma of the child actor to the football field. You see it, you do see it. And it's these guys that are stepping up until you get Jamar Chase back probably next week. I think it came close to appearing today. You will get Joe mick S back. And this game came down to and we can talk to Grave Digger about this. Uh the Titans ran out of time outs. It was just inside the two minute warning. The Bengals were driving. They hadn't forced into a field goal that would have given the Titans a chance at least some time to go back drive for a touchdown again no time outs. Kevin Strong gets nailed on the field goal try by nailing the defenseless uh slong snapper. Bang game over, He gets nailed by nailing game over. It was they got to stop. They had to use up all three time outs, they would have been down seven points with let's see, let's see how much time to play. When that happened, I think it was I think they were in pretty good shape. It was a minute left, so they had a shot, and it was it was the right call. The because the snapper, if you don't know the rule, the snapper on the field goal attempt, because his head's down, it's tucked and he's stepping until he lifts his head up, he's defenseless, which means you can't hit him. Um. I know. The the contention on the Tennessee side was that his head was up by the time contact was made, but that's not what the officials saw, and so it was kind of a i gotta say, anti claimactic and to what seemed like it was going to be a great ending that that was my point because I mean a tight both teams where I think we're struggling to especially the Titans on the third endless third and longs for the time trying to break free. You don't have Henry Tannehill made a couple of big throws in this, but it wasn't them at their best on offense, and you kind of thought that you know what, every one of these NFL games, if you're gonna give a team one minute and fifty something seconds to come down and do something, it's just gonna happen this season. And then suddenly bang the game was over, and like eighteen seconds later, it's like, wow, that could have gone on for another twenty eight minutes and loving it. That's perfect. And it was talking about that game could have gone for twenty one minutes. That's not you know what, I don't. I don't understand where we're coming from this. I thought it was just a massive position. It is crazy over did you want did you want the game to potentially continue? There? I have jumped on the Titans band so I'm not rooting for the game. How that's right there? And one now, Grave Digger pointed out with you on the don what do you so do you cast Mark from the bandwagon after that? Or how do things work here? Now? There may be people jumping off after this performance, but if Mark wants to stay on, nobody will throw him off against you. I am staying on. This didn't shake my confidence at all. This is just another week. And along along those lines, I'm waiting to hear back and I'm gonna keep you updated in real time. As I looked through my inbox, I reached out to our research department because my two early games that I drafted ended it in two and tot and I want to know where that stacks up. Now, that's a that's a crazy thing to be asking the research department to look up on a busy NFL Sunday, the fastest games this year. And maybe they laughed it off and threw it in the recycle bin, but the trash bin. But I'll keep you updated. Mark, I know you especially that matters. I would like to think if it maybe got put to the back of the pile. But they don't just put it in the circular file for you. It's a request coming from a journalist inside the building, our journal capital Jay Bengals Bandwagon should be filling up here winning these games without um Jamar Chase, with the offensive performances that they've had, and then to win a game like this, which is a little more nasty in the Titan style of game, I think it's gonna have them really fired up. Uh some r J. P Ryan had a good quote afterwards to our Mike Giardi saying that That's all we've heard is that you have to match their physicality. Well, you have to be ready for their physicality. Well, they gotta match our physicality. We're a different team than we were a year ago. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go there yet, but this is how you build into being a different team to win a game. Uh, Like, this is very impressive to me, and I gotta put my eyes on it. You can tell me what you thought, Grave Digger of how Joe Burrow looked, But I don't think anyone played football any better than Joe Burrow did a week ago. Some of the throws he made in that Pittsburgh game, We're just crazy. He's played as well in the last two weeks coming into this game as any quarterback in football. And if you got Joe Burrow peakin and when you got Jamar Chase coming back, that's allowed to deal with. Yeah, Burrow looked great. I mean he he was very accurate with the ball down these like long sideline throws that were put where only the receiver could go up and make a play, or put in the zone hole between the safety and the dropping cornerback. A few of those throws to t Higgins and obviously the sideline play to Irwin was a beautiful throw as well, like literally no either Irwin catches that or nobody catches that. And he was also really decisive and getting the ball out of his hands quick. They were using that quick passing game like an extension of the running game today. And it's one of the reasons that the Titans only had one sack is that Burrow was getting the ball out of his hand. He wasn't holding their standing in the pocket and holding it except for a couple of times, and a couple of times he did that, he made something happen with his legs, and he picked up first downs with his with his legs when the defense had their backs turns sour. So that's the same with the Titans. Titans are I agree with rush? There wasn't any pass rush. Next gent stats I think put out that Burrow had the cleanest pocket he's had all season today. And the Titans also couldn't stop some J. P. Ryan in the running game. I mean they would hit him two or three yards after the line of scrimmage and he would push the pile for five or six yards frequently. Wow, sounds like a great game by that Cincinnati offensive line and both ends then and yeah, they they they want in the trenches and they were the more physical team. I think that's why they won. But I think the deciding moment in this game was it was about six minutes to go. The Titans had the ball fourth and five inside the twenty, and they elected to kick a field goal down to make it twenty to sixteen, which doesn't really make that much sense to me unless you are really confident your defense is gonna get you the ball back right away. That's what defensive coaches do. They just imagine this scenario that they're going to get the stops. But was very frustrated, and I think that, well, that's the thing. They didn't get the stop since then I got the ball back with like six minutes left and possessed it for the rest of the game. Do we have Greg, Do we have any shift on your end with some of your snark towards Cincinnati head coach Zack Taylor, who seems to have this team playing very well on multiple levels. They're in good position. They're frustrating to watch. I mean, I'm still saying like he's wearing a polo, but it's like a fancy polo. It's like you think they're frustrating to watch the offensively like the way they I would say, yeah, yeah, Now it's like you're getting one at the mall, some sort of designer that It's like, why what is the difference between this polo and when that's two less? I'm not sure, but it costs a lot. So you look, they're not making any sense right now. Um, well, give Zach Taylor the final word on this. We wouldn't trade our quarterback for anybody on the planet, and so we're glad to have him. Might agree. I think if you're Cincinnati, he's perfect for you. Let's move on now to a great game and another potentially great quarterback who it felt like had a moment on Sunday Trevor. He drops, He looks fires left side about god, God, God, they don't do it. But two point good Barns. That's good JACKI Millers taking the lead. What a throw again by Trevor Lawrence. I mean an absolute bullet to say Jones, Oh, Frank Frangie, Jeff Lockman, w o ka Vie. You feel like you haven't heard those names a lot? Said Jack was a barely one years on this podcast. But now it feels like that's gonna change because Trevor Lawrence is finding himself. The young quarterback connected with Marvin Jones for a ten yard touchdown pass with fourteen seconds to play, then hits a Jones as you just heard on the two point conversion, Doug Peterson, you got guts, my friend, and the Jaguars held on to beat the Ravens seven after justin Tucker they you know, Ravens have no time, uh, you know, sixteen seconds or so after the two point version. They do get the ball near midfield, and then Tucker attempts a field goal, and we'll get to that a little later because I'd like to hear the call from Jacksonville on that as well, but that comes falls short. The kick would have been a record, and yes, the Jaguars escape with an unbelievable win. Greg And like I said, it feels like and we know Trevor Lawrence has been playing better and better than less couple of weeks, but this is like makes me think that he might be able, he might be ready for liftoff. Put it that way, this was his moment, this was his I'm not messing around moment. So many great throws in this comeback. The first one that comes to mind to me is fourth and eight. They're down nineteen to ten mid third quarters, so once again the Ravens blow a two score lead. Once again. It's in the fourth quarter. It's fourth and eight. Peterson goes for it. You sort of had two there, and he throws an absolute dime whole shot to Za Jones where it's ahead of the corner act and I mean ahead of the safety and behind the cornerback. It needed touch, it needed arms strength. Sometimes you think arm strength is all about how hard you can throw it, but it's opposite Hash and he just put it right on them. They end up winning on that scoring a touchdown. On that drive, Lamar's up for the challenge, scores a touchdown right back, and then that final touchdown drive the Jaguars had. Not only did he make a lot of great throws, but he showed a lot of awareness. They played hurry up at the very end, setting up that Marvin Jones touchdown the ten yard line. You thought they were gonna spike it there or that maybe they would, uh, they didn't have any time outs at that point. You thought they'd spike it. Maybe you throw it out of bounds, but they play hurry up. They had it all set up that Ravens weren't quite ready for it. He puts it in the perfect spot and Marvin Jones makes an even better cash receiver since he came into the league. Marvin Jones, Yeah, like especially making those types of plays. If you just watch today's game, you would think that z Jones is one of the best players in the league that could action. Between him and Lawrence, Today's a Jones finishes with eleven for one and so many of them were beautiful timing routes. He just hasn't missed throws in three weeks. Trevor Lawrence. My big thing with him was is he aiming it and throwing the ball where he aims it, and it's like that that hadn't been the case for a while, and he's been like lights out for three straight games. It was really impressive well there, and their characterization early on was like they had chances to win in the fourth quarter and they were like, oh for six on those chances. This these final three scoring drives for the Jaguars, Lawrence fifteen for nineteen for a hundred and seventy three yards with two touchdowns converted, three third down throws and two fourth downs. And we've been asking all along, where's the signature win, not demanding it, just saying that would be the thing that makes us makes us think differently about Lawrence. And previous to this, he notched PFF's number three and number two top scoring grade over the previous two games. Today he hit his highest Next Gen stat passing grade of the season. It's had I mean, it's good coaching, he's making the throws. He has had great chemistry with Kirk and now get throws a Jones in there. It's an interesting team to watch. He's played very clean, like he's not making any big mental errors. And then now that you're mixing in the great throws two uh, there's a lot to be excited about. And now I'm going to give it to the Ravens defense, and not just because they cost us. Mark the Lock the Lock Brothers, you know, so sturdy throughout the years. This is just a little uh, you know, a t N lock it up trivia. This is the third time the Ravens have blown four games in grizzly fashion this year. I've locked them three of those games, and they they have no idea how to close out a game. And as much as we want to talk about their defense um having the ability to win games along with their running game, they have let down and a lot of these games. And I just want to go through that last possession for Jacksonville. That was outrageous, how bad the defense from Baltimore was, how many plays they gave up. They weren't protecting the sidelines, that would just get why receivers wide open all over the field. They the Jacksonville Jaguars had a third and twenty one after a sack from Baltimore at their own fourteen yard line, with one fifty one left in this game and no time outs, and from that point on they gave up a ten yard reception to make it fourth and five, UH, Trevor Lawrence UM first down. UH. Then they go Trevor Lawrence UH seventeen yards to Christian Kirk um eight yards to z A Jones after a false start, a one yard run, a Trevor Lawrence passed z A Jones twenty nine yards and then the Marvin Jones touchdown pass and these and the two point conversion and none of these plays were contested and I'm just wondering. I don't know if it was a prevent defense or whatever. The scheme was just seemed to be woeful and obviously, uh inefficient. Yeah, they were picking on Marcus Peters late in that game. Humphrey was in and out. I believe he was in for that last drive, but he had missed a drive early year. In the fourth quarter. It's so frustrating for the Ravens defense because I thought they played a pretty good game. Otherwise, Lawrence had been clean, but they forced a lot of stops in the first half. In the third quarter, Jaguars went three and out, three and out, and then the Ravens forced a fumble, so that they had been doing their job and then you just get to winning time and you blow it and it's points allowed in the fourth quarter. It's it's I mean, they this is the first game all season that they haven't had a ten point lead. They were one, you know, one of the few teams in NFL his that was true, and it was nine and it was mid fourth quarter. And you can't put anything really on Lamar here because he had two fourth quarter touchdowns, Like he had to set them up multiple times here where the Jaguars came back and he responded, well, he I feel like too much is on him still, Like a lot of their offense early was him scrambling on third and long and him just picking it up. He ends up with eighty nine yards. They didn't really have much of a running game. They had a number of drops, and you're counting on him to make like one of the best throws of his career to DeShawn Jackson for uh sixty two yards on a play where Jaguars like dropped eight like you're county on those types of plays, and Josh Oliver they're blocking tight into score touchdown. You just feel like he's still doing a little too much. Although I guess it's hard to blame the office and there's and there's really no excuse for I'm sure you're gonna see it if you haven't yet. He went off on a fan on Twitter who came after him, as you know, he doesn't deserve a contract look at this, which you shouldn't have done. The language he used was I'm sure regretful when he wakes up in the morning or when he hears from whoever it is and find him the Twitter opponents, but like Lamar Jackson, Yeah, beautiful throw to Deshan Jacks after Gus Edwards fumbles the ball and causes the Jaguar or the Ravens to lose the league their second and twenty and he hits d Jacks on the bomb, leads him to the touchdown, and then the defense blows the game. Like, of course it wasn't on Lamar. But I've now seen enough from the Ravens, like from like the power rankings perspective, for example, I've been kind of in my mind making excuses for them all season and being like, you know what, they're fine, look at this. They should have won this game. They didn't win this game, but they look how good they were here. This has happened too many times. I also think we're in an a f C where the better teams have an embarrassment of riches on offense in terms of their weapons, and it is you are kind of asking Lamar to do it by himself, because I think when they lost Rashod Bateman, they're completely exposed to wide receiver. You lose Mark Andrews for a game or two, there's nothing around him, right, What are the quarterback is in this situation on a team that people are still saying they could go win a couple of playoff games. De Marcus DeMarcus Robinson dropped a touchdown that was a four point play, like on a great play by Lamar like that that could have been the difference in the game. Mark Andrews dropped a touchdown, although they ended up scoring on that drive anyways, like people were letting him down all over the place. Quickly, we we got to mention that they went for two and there was a couple of coaching decisions in this game that we're fascinating, but we we've sort of pass right by it that they go for two the Jaguars to go win the game there, they could have kicked the ball to go for overtime. And I love that. I love them feeling that moment twice today and it worked twice today, right And the other one I didn't feel as good about in the moment, But the way the Jaguars offense was moving the ball there, that felt like the best chance to win the game. And I love that Peterson uh did it and that Lawrence rewarded it. We gotta see more of that, Yes, Yes, and remember Twitter is the playground of idiots. Noel Gallagher once said, how any Ravenson could watch that game and come after Lamar. I've just seen what the defense did laying down in that game. But justin Tucker, it looked like he won the game. Well, that's sixties seven calm down, Greg one second, sixties seven yards and it was straight down the middle. But then let's hear the call from the Jaguars from sixties seven yards Tucker to god, God, the jar was winned? Who don't win for Jackson? Now? And that's a that's a silly building with the guy in the thong, the mascot and the chlorine tank and everything, But that that was a pretty good home field advantage. Today, if you freeze frame that kick and it's just like, you know, three quarters through it, I will bet my least car that like that thing's going in and that bang it's not it look at it looks perfect. Well if it's least what happens, well, I don't know, I'd have to deal with the dealership. I don't know what. I don't own property. What am I supposed to call? At the very least, why do you mentioned that the crowd because it almost felt like the crowd knew that they were watching something special. It was really great throughout the fourth quarter. They're a great football town. We know how supportive they've been, and I think dan Doug Peterson, we saw him celebrating right at the end. It was like hands. It was a little extra because their squib kick to set up that uh kick would have gone down is one of the worst coaching decisions of the year. There is only fourteen seconds left when they kicked it off. It was a bad idea, I guess, but it was even worse execution. They got the ball at the forty yard line and they don't only burned four seconds off the clock. It was a disaster of a decision that almost handed over the game. I mean, Doug Peterson would have been absolutely killed. Just kick it or kick it high and deep and short. But the great thing about winning because like people, no one's gonnaver talk about that ever again. After tonight, we're just getting started. Let's take a break and then we'll roll on Week twelve. Welcome back. We keep spinning our way through Week twelve. Let's head to the meadow Lands where the Jets began the Mike White era back to throw looks over the middle pros one. It is talk Wilson at the thirty, spits right to the twenty touchdown Yaren Wilson with runt yard touched. It's own dude, Bob will Shusan and Marty Lions what they called w E p N. Mike White stepped in for the benched Zack Wilson and threw three touchdown passes and was almost perfect. Two of those to Garrett Wilson, the other to Elijah More. Just to rub it in uh Wilson's face even more, Zach Wilson, that is, and the Jets roll over a beat up Bears team thirteen on Sunday and uh boys, There's two ways to look at this one. Both have merit. One, don't read into it too much. It's against the Bears, who are in tank mode at this point. They're beat up there one of the worst defenses in football, and I get that, because you do you will need to see more from Mike White than just this game. But then there's the other side that White running this offense effectively and efficiently and getting the balls, the ball into the hands of the Jets playmakers was a revelation and confirmation to all the players that really made this move happen. I mean, I think it's a massive victory for the Jets where we stand right now. We'll see what happens with Mike White, but Mike White has produced before and spots starts. I think secondly, this was all about the coaching staff listening to the players, listening to the locker room, and they tidied that and mess up quick to the front office. Sure, but I mean in general, there's gotta be enough people saying we need to make a change, and there wasn't a lot of it wasn't. Instead of being stubborn about it, they handled correctly. And then on the field, Mike White in a rain in a rough weather is making throws and Garrett Wilson who went off a week ago, Elijah Moore who has essentially been invisible. I mean, these guys are now part of the offense and I don't care if it's a bad defense. You went out and put thirty one points up, but we're functional. So it's like that's where other teams have been doing to the Bears. That's what you just did to the Bears. Right, Yeah, he had the highest quarterback rating Mike quite uh for a Jet since Geno Smith back in Look, that Garrett Wilson play is the perfect play to point it out. Garrett Wilson is a beast. I think he could have been, or maybe still could be offensive rookie of the Year. He just looks so good when he gets the chance, and the way he opened up his hips and just oki do the defender there reminds you of Odell Beckham a little bit as a as a youngster in New York. But that play can give some credit to Mike White because it's absolutely a timing throw where he gets it over the first level of defense and in front of the second level and if you don't have that ball there exactly on time, Wilson is not going to have the space to go make that play. And I don't think Zach Wilson is making that play, not not the same way. We we know Zach Wilson isn't making that play in the same way. So that part of the conversations over for me for for a while, it's just what can this team do now? And with the schedule that they have, At least for Mike White, I think he's gonna keep putting up good number. Yeah. I can't wait to see him again because if you know his backstory. Two years ago, he he became a brief sensation with the team by beating Cincinnati and thrown for four yards played Thursday Night Football, got injured immediately and missed that game, then had a meltdown performance where he threw four picks against Buffalo and was out of the lineup until now. But if you watched these Zach Wilson starts, the issues went beyond the opponents. So you can't just say and if there are Zack Wilson defenders out there, so well, if he got a chance against the Chicago defense, he would have done the same thing. No, because the things that White was doing what made him look so different today. His ability to keep his eyes up, not be obsessed with the pass rush, gets skittish, run around hanging there fine, and then just deliver strikes and be accurate with the football. And I think one thing that kind of has been under the radar because of the quarterback is how talented some of these playmakers are and Garrett Wilson. And it's a sliding doors moment because the Jets were the other finalists for Tyreek Hill, and he kind of turns his back in the last second and goes to Miami. So the Jets pivot and draft Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson is a star here. Elijah Moore has that ability as well. And uh, it's fun to see the offense just being run in an efficient, professional manner, because it wasn't that this is all we were asking. Just it's like relatively competent quarterback playing up more than that city I do. I mean, you know, not to dig it all up, but it's like, I do wonder what this coaching staff how they viewed Mike White versus Zach Wilson in in camp, in practices, um, the person behind the scenes. And I just kind of wish, looking at the two Patriots games specifically, that you had a chance to have Mike White helm one of them. It would have been a big difference maker. But you're here now, and so you just have to waive all that goodbye. I'd be surprised if we see see Zach Wilson, who was in street clothes today inactive again this year. Every time they showed him, I mean it was and again, like Mark mentioned, it. It was raining and raining hard at times very hard, and it didn't matter. This offense moved the ball really well and every time they cut to Wilson and he's getting just poured on in the rain wearing the Jets gear with a hood over him. Like what was going through his head you can't even imagine. But the Jets as an organization have moved on from all of that with this game and that, and that feels good as a fan because for the first time since the Breeze Hall injury, I'm like, Okay, you can start opening your mind up to higher ambition for the season again because the quarterback play was better. For one week there seven and four, they showed an ability to put four hundred and sixty six yards on the board against I would say the worst defense in the league. But that's that's part of the point, is like, Okay, when you play the worst defensive league, you can put four sixty six on the board there. I didn't think that they were going to be capable of doing that before. Mike White doesn't have the you know, physical tools, uh that that you would expect out of a great draft prosect. But he's not like a rookie. He was in the Mitch Drabinsky draft class. Like he's been around, he's been in the league now since and he was undrafted. I think he kicked around like he has experience, and mentally, I think he knows where to go with the ball in this system which really asks for right answers and can he be better than a Nick mullins was, for instance for Mike McDaniel back in San Francisco. I think he can probably be better than that with with this talent, and that's what he needs to do. Next week they are at Minnesota, and I think that is a really interesting game for Bowl teams, but especially for Jet fans now who are going to live and be have the high life again off this quarterback performance, but until you see it again from White against a good opponent, you're gonna wonder if it's Fool's gold star in New York this week though, the Mike White chance we're back very interesting. Uh, It's been an interesting season as a Jets fans because you're you know who led this, uh this game and tackles Born everything, got everything I wanted. Anyway, Let's move on. Uh. So that's my favorite team. Greg's favorite team is the Seahawks, and they welcome them, well from the Raiders team into their building, look into wipe away their pre buy loss. Uh in Munich. But guess what the Raiders aren't laying down and adds off to Jacob stutters to the right first of the whole He's off to the races partsy. I don't know, but he's gonna catch him. Ten ball game, Bye bye Josh eighties six yards and over time toutsdown Runners victory Las Vegas unbelievable, I mean, grave digger. How is Josh Dagobs on a three hundred yard day yards from scrimmage? Not get the bongos? Well, you said it right before. They cause Greg's favorite team. We don't want to like. Are we celebrating sadness? Sadness because you locked up to see anyway a producer who uses his powers for evil? We'll we noted Josh Jacobs uh ran thirty three times for two hundred and twenty nine yards, including yes, that eight six yard jaunt in overtime, and for the second time and as many sundays the Raiders walk off an opponent with a touchdown. I can't believe. I can't imagine that's happened too many times forty to thirty four over the Seahawks, and um, you know, Greggy, Um, we'll get to the Seahawks because it feels like they're bugaboo that defense, uh is once again it's going to be a major issue for them. But for the Raiders, you gotta give it up to them because they had no reason to go up there and play this hard and play this well, and yet they perform well and they're kind of just hanging around a little bit there. They're a tough the offense to defend, and anytime Seattle got to stop in this game, it felt like they had scored some huge victory, like they were just going downhill. Jacob's ends up with over three hundred yards from scrimmage total. That's out ages he's playing at did get the Bongoes playing at an elite level. Davante Adams only quote unquote seven for seventy four, but had an incredible one handed catch to to set up the game tying touchdown, and then Max Crosby on defense with sacks in back to back crucial situations, one to end to drive in overtime, the other to end the drive at the end of regulation. He's playing at in our all pro level like they have players in Car got intercepted a couple of times. It was misleading. One of them Adams wasn't paying attention, uh to the It was on the first play of the the entire game. It was a good ball. The second one was more of a great play by the Seattle defense where it hit the Raiders receiver in the hands. Car was so comfortable the Seahawks got no pressure on him and he knows just when to get out of the pocket, when to let go of the ball. And their offense today and we've seen this a handful of times this year, like looked like one of the better offenses in the entire NFL. Well, I think when they can run the ball this way, it helps Car a lot. And there and there was that read where I thought that's what they were going to become, like a ground dominant force that can overpower teams. And then that kind of was real hot and cold came and went. But if you I love the Car because those two picks came on the first three possessions. That's the formula for an entire team that's on the brink to begin with where it seems to be there's a disconnect between quarterback and coach, offense and coach, team and coach, coach and maybe owner who can't pay for another coach, or a lot of things going on. And yet there are four and seven and I believe it's six of their losses have been by one score. So they've been in these games. They're not getting their doors blown off. And you went and beat a Seattle defense that outside of today, had been trending upward over and over. I didn't love them against the Bucks, I guess in Germany, but like the only right their defense like had been an asset and not a weakness in the Raiders just put on them and uh, I thought the defense and then Josh Jacobs on the offensive line. Of course, UH got their head coach off the hook because I was saying it in real time in the news room. Hated, hated the overtime decision first possession. The Raiders set up for a on fourth and two and a day when they have rolled up over four hundred yards of total offense in an error, when everybody's going for it, they they set I know Daniel Carlson is an excellent kicker. They settled for a fifty six yard attempt, and it's not even a game winning attempt because it was their ball first, and Carlson pushes it wide right. Seattle gets the ball near midfield, only needing a field goal, and this Las Vegas events stand strong gets the three and out punts it back and Jacob's bust the first run for the game winner. So I didn't love the way McDaniels played it. I'm a little obviously as many Raiders fans, I'm sure lukewarm at best on the McDaniels era so far. But just to circle back to your point, Greg Davante, Adams, Max Crosby, those guys are superstars on each side of the ball. Derek Carr is a I think a good quarterback, not a great one. Josh Jacobs, I'm not gonna say he's a superstar, but he's playing like one this year. He's actually one h yards clear the next closest running back in the rushing title race right now. Like, this team has no business not being in the playoff mix, and maybe they still have a chance. They gotta get out here, but we'll see in the In the a f C, I would say they don't have a chance. They could run the table and then they'd have a chance. And that seems a little more if you necessarily have to run the table, but you have to one one loss of wiggle room. Maybe a f C, I think you're gonna need ten wins. It just looks we always think that they're gonna have to sweep and send back to back weeks. You got the charges and rams. I don't like this. And Dan, you mentioned maybe the Chiefs in the final game of the season are sitting people, but you got the forty Niners and Chiefs to close the season and a tough Patriots defense. I don't see it, but I am impressed with today a f C. I mean, if they were in the NFC, i'd i'd give him a chance that seven spot might get. We could feel the team that would make the NFC play little. Yeah, a little wonky, but you're right. McDaniels was frustrating every fourth down and college mate seemed to be wrong. He also kicked a field goal to on fourth and one inside the ten yard line in the third quarter, and and again like, okay, you want to tie the game. But it's not just Jacobs who was running six point nine yards per carry, Zamir White fourteen yards per carry on two, Amir Abdullah three for sixteen, like every time they ran the ball, So that drove me crazy. And then they did go for it at midfield on fourth and one, and they had a toss play where they lost yards and didn't get it, and I think that was in his head. But they looked like they were the better team. They dominated up from on both sides. They got after Gino Smith a lot more uh than than vice versa, and their offensive line played really well and really dominated Seattle's defense in a way that is a little concerning. This was a game where I think they felt the absence of Jamal Adams. Just so many big plays and and just the secondary. A lot of confusion going on for Seattle's defense, and Seattle's got a few little problems popping up. Kenneth Walker. Now, is that three straight games where he really hasn't gotten anything going on the ground. He's been okay in fantasy because he scores it touchdown or he makes a big play as a receiver, but they were dominated when they tried to run the ball, and they just don't make as much sense Gino mostly had a good day after after a poor start, but the running game in a lot of situations just put him in a tough What the about Gino Smith? He he had a couple Again, every game, whether it's good or bad, he'll throw a couple throws. It's like, that's Geno Smith woe. He had seen us seven touchdowns that have had a completion probability of under the season. No other quarterback has more than three. He's making those their drives. They when they went on a drive, it went fast. They had at least five players over twenty yards. It might have been more than that, like a lot of big plays, but it wasn't consistent, and I think that's partly because of the running game. Gino made a couple of bad decisions early got away with UH and then he played really well. But they they're they're just if their their defense will see. I'm a little nervous, but Dan Mike White had eight of those throws today. Just let you know, look at that. I'm still tabulating, but I believe it's close to them. God has intends Seattle also has a bad call go against them, all right? Can we move on? This is just one of the key. The key, we leave the door just a little bit. He just comes in open. He just takes the door off the hinges and throws it off. And I would say, you had the ball near midfield and overtime needing a field goal. Absolutely, so let's watch you ever stopped talking the overturned fumball by Jacobs? Where or they called forward progress? You watched it? I think was one of the most controvers Sunday that they did not allow what appeared to be a pretty clear fumble by Jacobs because they said forward projects neighbor like in the summer when the windows are all opening Greg's house. Let's let's try something. Can you imagine living with me? Let's let's pause, nobody say anything for five seconds. Greg, don't jump in, and then we're gonna go to break. Ready, okay, for this podcast is progress. We'll be right back. M all right, welcome back, and the Cleveland Browns welcome Tom Brady into their house. How would it turn out? Let's check it out, mccointed pro back to pass. He's got time, he's up on the pocket, he's got an open field. He should have fifteen, he should have ten. He he died. He is ten touchdown, sixteen yard touchdown run by Colt McCoy. Yeah, that was just a little pre Christmas present for Mark Sessler, the fabled if you listen to this podcast a lot two thousand ten Patriots Browns game that Mark talks about constantly, the Colt McCoy going in in the only time that Tom Brady had lost to the Cleveland Browns in his long and winding career. I mean, that was that the slowest, like fifteen yard touchdown? Scare you seen? You need to say that now in a moment of celebrations. So that was Mark's favorite moment in this rivalry. But Tom Brady again having trouble with the Browns today. Per set, under each center, they give the ball to Chub. He's driving for the call line he is, He's in, He's in. Touchdown Chub Bronzon winners. They ran right behind James Hudson, right up the gut with the best running back in the league. What a comeback when your season was on the line. I'm sorry it was Josh Jacobson this game. Jim Donovan in two thousand ten, Jim Donovan in two thousand and twenty two, because Nick Chubb scored on a three yard run with nineteen seconds left in overtime and the Cleveland Browns and Jake Brisket's final start. Somebody's tweeted at maybe the other I think yesterday, like how could you work for the NFL and not even know Jacoby Brisset's real name? Twitter is the playground of idiots. Anyway, Jake Brisket's final start before Deshaun Watson's return seventeen win over the Bucks and afterwards Brissette and he really played admirably throughout this entire run. He got the game ball. Uh, and he had this to say after the game. I mean it's in no disrespect, uh, but in the words of Tom Brady, that was awesome. That was awesome. Hard not to root for that guy. Nick Shook the pipe who joins us now one of Ohio's brightest sons and shook I know you, um, I know. This has been a difficult time for Cleveland Browns fans and it's about to get weird on some level depending on your outlook when Watson comes back next week. But what a nice way for the Jake Briskett era to end. Huh, A nice way. I'm I still can't get over the Cultkoy flash back there that was was completely shot. It's very pleasant, but yeah, a great way for him to go out and and you know, I mean statistically it's been a career year for him and it obviously puts the amount of lower ceiling offensively, but they produced a good amount of points with him at quarterback. He's played very well and and you're right, what what a way to go out to beat a quarterback who used to be you know, you used to serve as an understudy for in New England. Really a poetic ending and an unlikely outcome. I mean, so many things have to go right for the Browns for them to even be in this position. David and Joko, who has drawn the ire of Browns fans in the past for having inconsistent hands, makes the catch of his life one handed on fourth and ten with the game on the line, just to get them to overtime and then they're able to hit along completion. It was a strange game. Uh, the weather wasn't good. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good and they come away victorious. That's the Browns. I mean, we I forked him last weekend That doesn't change anything, but it is a nice little pleasant game for for Browns fans and for Cleveland to be happy about something, especially after what happened in college football yesterday. So, uh, it was weird, but it's a in for the Browns. Nogeglass Cleveland this season, along with their offense being productive. I know they seemed sometimes like opening drive magic and then they'll go to sleep. But the issue has been defense wire to wire, and I just wanted to see the Bucks coming out of Germany where they were so balanced against the Seahawks. They ran the ball really well. They put up seventeen points today. Was that more about Cleveland's defense finally looking competent um and not totally lost on the ocean or is this just the Bucks offense going back to what we had seen prior to the Seahawks tilt. I think it's more of the ladder, a lot of deep shots testing Martin Emerson, the rookie in one on one situations with Mike Evans, drew some p I calls, but actually Emerson didn't allow a single reception for Evans in the day. Uh. It was an offense that seemed almost a little too confident in the past, it didn't rely on the run as much. You gotta give some credit to the Browns who have been terrible against the run this season. They really stuffed Rashad White as the lead back in that in that offense. I anticipated him for break, to break a hundred yards and run all over the Browns and and they end up winning by one score or whatever, and that's just not what happened. So they did play better, especially in the second half when they needed stops. And again, like you're right, Mark, that's been the story of the Brown's offense this entire season. You have a great opening script, you get a touchdown, you take the kick off because you know you received start the game because you know you have a good game plan, and then they just fall flat. They showed a graphic during this game forty four minutes between possessions and three of their losses, between touchdowns and three their losses, And they were over forty four minutes today before they scored again. That's what made it so weird is the fact that they were able to somehow wake up and go down the field, and it was a lengthy drive that they had to put together to then go score and send it to overtime. But yeah, credit to the defense. Joe Woods has been under fire all year and and at times they look bad again. But I think it's more in the box at this point. I mean, at least just based on history. It's like we're talking about that Seattle game, and you know, they didn't they didn't do that well putting up enough points I think against Seattle. But there was a stretch in the second half here after the Bucks went up seventeen ten, they got the ball seven more times. That's almost an entire game's worth of drives. They didn't score point obviously, because it was seventeen and they had six first downs in those seven drives, they had yards, They had multiple chances to win the game. They couldn't do it. Like that is a sickening loss if you're a Bucks fan, and if you're Tom Brady and trying to believe that this offense has is turning some sort of corner. To go seven scoreless drives. They didn't even turn the ball over. They were just bad to end this game. Yeah, and they you know, at a certain point, um, you don't want to make it um too simplified, but they just don't score enough points this team, and you look at you look at their schedule this year and I'm just let's go back since Week five, eighteen three sixteen in a wine and a win, and now seventeen and overtime loss, and we're deep enough into the season where it's like, oh, look out here, because this might just be a limited offense. Tristan Worth suffered what looked like a terrible leg injury, so they're left hack stalwart. Very good chance that he's done until three and shook. I know with the Browns, they're the same as the Raider. They're they're interesting when you compare them to the Raiders, another a f C team that's four and seven that is used up all of their um rope as it were, like what they have no margin for every here. But even if the playoffs are a pipe dream with DeShawn Watson, they do get a lay up next week against the Texans. They're gonna be a berserker down the stretch because they play teams tough. They've hung in almost every game this season. I wouldn't want to face the Browns. It gives this brown the fan based constellation because they have a reason to watch the Browns even if they don't have a shot to make the playoffs, because you get kind of a trial with Watson going into the next season, and maybe you get a Mangini type run where you win your last four and carry some momentum into the off season like he did with the Browns. Those Browns, by the way, those same Browns back in the day. Uh, And maybe that's how they got a positive moment the next year. I just say, what do you say, like, Eric Vanini carried all that momentum? I think you gotta, But you know it wasn't a great ending. No, No, Like the next thing, I know you're gonna say that the week after that Patriots game, the Jets walked him off and overtime I forgot and sent the Browns down to death. The Browns beat the world champion defending Saints. We do have maybe a title for this episode. It's like rise of the three and seven teams that are better than their record. Jaguars, Raiders, Browns. They all sort of deserved one worthy. It's like a little worthy, but they all deserved one, and they all got four and seven. Heaven seal it, sign it, deliver it, Shookie, you want to stay on for another game. We'd love to have you. Absolutely, let's keep moving Herbert from the shotgun, win or lose. Eckler goes in motion Herbert to pass, but it's stood. It stood Herbert Gerald ritts and they take a one point lead. A double slant you had Keenan Allen going first, He drew all the attention right high, and Gerald Everett with a lay up touchdown for two point conversion fifteen seconds on the clock. Fortune favors the bold all listen, all right, oh yeah, all right, the bolts bongos, the bolts bongoes. Listen to the resin and Matt money Smith's voice waits like a Tom Broke as unannounced child, unannounced, just like we don't know the history, but it feels two teams went for two when they had a chance to kick an extra point and go to overtime. Today both those teams won their football games. Justin Herbert, who certain people will tell you is a social media quarterback. Through three touchdown passes without an I n T, including that game winner to Gerald Evitt on the two point conversion, and the Chargers escape with a win over the Cardinals, who show how about that? The Chargers six and five and a huge win and for the Cardinals a stomach punch loss that they're probably not going to recover from. You know, Cliff Kingsbury has talked about this on The Hard Knocks in season multiple times, how there's there's opportunities in front of them, and yet this was a huge wasted opportunity. They had three possessions in the fourth quarter alone where all they needed to do was pick up a few first downs and take some of that clock and take some of the time off the clock, you know, just bleed the clock, keep the ball out of the Charger's hands. Each time they went three and out, they came. They gained a combined sixteen yards in those three possessions. Twice they got the defensive stops. It looked like the Chargers couldn't get anywhere near within scoring range. And then they gave him the third opportunity. And it was that third opportunity when they sit back upon it, this is it. This is when they're gonna on score and win the game, because you know, you only get so many opportunities in those situations. Justin Herbert goes down, it's kind of a short drive. But they convert and then great play calling for the two point conversion. Nice little motion out of the backfield, distracted linebackers, get a trail over the middle, Gerald Everett wide open for the two point conversion. It the Cardinals, they blew it. They blew their opportunity to win this game. And it doesn't fall on their defense. Their defense did the job twice. It falls on Cliff Kingsbury and their inability to scheme even one first down in the final quarter of this game. And that right there is the story of this Cardinals team the entire season. Opportunities wasted throughout the year. It was just shocking ending not just because of you know, the two point conversion, attempting and actually hitting it, which which the Chargers have struggled in those situations, in these short yardage where they go for it on fourth down. They just haven't been a good team there. It was shocking because until the fourth quarter, the Cardinals looked like the better team. They were getting everything that they wanted offensively. You mentioned they kept going three and out like before that. It felt like Kyler Murray was doing everything he wanted to do and the Chargers defense had no answers whatsoever. And then it just totally flipped on a dime, Like the Chargers worked so much harder for their points in this game than the Cardinals did for their points. But the Cardinals kind of in a you're gonna find a way to lose off between these two teams who who both It felt like loser energy frankly from both of these teams, like the Cardinals had had more loser energy, big loser energy. By That's my only thing I would say about it. It's great comment. Anything else, well, the only time that there was any winning energy was on the two point conversion. That was it even that one. That was great that they went for it, But it was shocking how easy it was. I don't know what Isaiah Simmons was doing on that play. If they knew that was the matchup they were going to get every on Simmons. Simmons is just sitting five yards into the end zone and barely makes a movement. Have you ever seen an easier two point conversion? It was just pitch and catch. It was very strange it was he did on he was he had outside leverage right, he bites on the outside fake as if he's not already in position to play on that. It was bad defense from then. But yeah, what is the argument for Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray as a duo to exist beyond the season. I think I think it's about how much money the ownership group is willing to put into a new experiment. Yeah, I think if it keeps going like this, I think maybe at one of the bid Wills were looking at the news and they saw Matt Rule just got a ten billion dollar contract from Nebraska, and all that offset money disappears. You know, the Panthers don't have to worry about anymore. Assuming the language is similar in Kingsbury's because you know, he'll get a job in college whenever he wants. Uh, I wonder about Santa Barbara, Cliff, I don't know you got that thing about colleges. He'll get a big time job. I know. Yeah, I don't deny that, Like that's not you know, I named in a different color than Spice Track likes to point out he failed, like his record in the NFL is literally better than it was in college. Well, you terrible defenses would be that like that. He came in with some pedigree of like we don't know what offense is going to run what happened to o s U since you you mentioned it, the Michigan pants them as I understand. Um oh, I say, fans will hate me for this, but I tweeted about it and I've been getting lit up about it since then. I think that they need to start considering a new coach because in the nineteen nineties there was a coach named John Cooper who could recruit rate and he could never beat Michigan. If you can't be a Michigan, you're never going to contend for a national title. And that's starting to look like Ryan Day. Go get urban minds. Two years just two years. I mean they had, I know, let's bring them back. But the fashion, Gregg, the fashion in which they lost is bad. Greg. Do you have a college take care you push them back on this. I'm just saying it seems emotional. They didn't lose it. It just has fourteen TVs in front of them on Saturday and one and they you know, they lost one game. It's only two games here that you may not have your hand on the pulse of Ohio on that one. I'm just saying, if you're agreeing with Albert Briers, Ohio State takes, You're probably got the wrong takes. Whoa, whoa. I'm not agreeing. I'm putting my own out there. Speaking of takes, I had a hard take against the the club in England, the Three Lines Club, and I said, oh, just watch out t m USA. You're never gonna beat us. You never have and you never will. Very quiet. Didn't hear a lot from the English listeners to where they were. They were they felt like a moral victory for England to get a tie in that game. Anyway, you know, it also was a moral victory. By the way, when I locked up the Chargers. You know what I have to say this, You said, this is your quote to me after the game. Quote Your joy in this moment weakens me. That's because you know what it is. It wasn't he He wasn't even he wasn't gloating you and I, Mark, we lose on a two point conversion. This son of a wins on a two point conversion. Yeah, it was cloathing energy and he was just but he was just so happy, exactly. I just wanted to take the monitor and just just crush and just take the happiness out of him. About and what they our relationship and I'm a monster and then yeah, you said, yeah, someone had a great take on that, that that you want to be the hero in someone's life, but you first you want to put them on the ground before you could become the hero, was like manufactured. Yeah, I wasn't sure what what Jason. I think we we traffic in bits about darkness all the time, but I'm not sure if you understood j that people might not understand the context there unless that's something I actually do. Do well, you need to, but I don't even know what that means. I think you could take just I don't I don't suggest that you do that, but maybe just in your own personal time and in the middle of the night, just explore the comment versus shooting it down on the show right now, just sort of explore it, because I'm not saying, by the way that I agree with Jason. Someone I think that's a I don't know what he's doing. Explore why you want to be with a computer and what that comes. Because afterwards, when the Seahawks one the Seahawks lost, you were like, well, at least we've got that that will humble you a little bit, and make you not feel as good. But you're you're wrong actually because I had locked up the Seahawks originally and I switched off the lock. That's the switch of the year. Um. If you want to know why I felt that way, just asked the other person sitting next to you who felt the same way. And then wonder why all those people around you just want to crush your head with a mom It's mostly just you too. This is where we need we need West to balance it out. I have a parting word. I'm glad that it was one of those rare moments where I'm glad that my monitors are miles away from there. He goes, Nick shook, thank you very much the pipe. And while we're talking about locks, I should have mentioned the Cincinnati Zoo locked up the j E. T S Jets Jets Jets via Twitter late in the week, but got it in in time. Per post, the line moving past locks on that is a great question. I think it was before because we thought Fields was question fields with questionable. I believe it was a six point line at that. I mean, I think it speaks volumes. Mark said at all. Is this the new one? It is? There's a lot of honking from the zoo about like bold picks and things we're taking. You're blocking against Trevor City in the road. I like this. This is an upgrade. All right. Let's move on now to the game that was supposed to be the matchup of the year on paper, I think ends light on paper in motion Jody forts in right to left fake Candeco backing up further, is Mahomes guns it over the middle court twenty yard line, in the fifteen yard line, England. You said with the block ten five, Kelsey stretches out for the end zone touchdown. Teren Just City, Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelsey the best tight end in National Football League history? Oh, Mitch hold Us getting in the debate that we began last Sunday night. I'm talking about who is the best tight end ever? Travis Kelsey certainly in the discussion as he continues to put up numbers um that we've rarely seen at the position. He had a touchdown, the only touchdown throw from Patrick Mahomes. But nobody had to do much against this Rams team right now. Win for the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Bryce Perkins played quarterback in this one. Mark Sessler it's if they when they scheduled this, they thought we were going to get some version of the Rams that simply does not exist on one side of the ball. Right now, Bryce Perkins taking snaps, running all over the place. His scrambling ability is his offering what he offers as an asset, very little else. But you're throwing to two two at well, Karen Williams is running the ball. It's just like, this is a completely different cast of characters, and I kind of give the Rams defense um some credit. Uh. Jalen Ramsey was absolutely fried on that one Travis Kelsey touchdown, and it's like the eighteenth Week and Roy feel like Jalen Ramsey's doing something where it's like, I'm sorry, who, what's your your Jalen Ramsey? Are you a post version of Jalen Ramsey? But they stopped, They stopped the Chiefs um and they held into field goals on drives that ended at the Rams three, four, nine, and thirteen. So the red zone defense showed up. Uh. Aaron Donald caused a lot of problems, but it's kind of like the Chiefs were able to just go through the motions. Andy Reid seemed a little irritated coming out a halftime. He thought that there are issues of the red zone. He called it terrible, and yet that didn't unlock them for thirty something second half points. This was just sort of on the journey of this season. Patrick Mahomes still did beautiful things. He had an end zone interception and was kept at bay a little bit by the Rams, but they still got it done. And in the end, like the Rams are a non functional offense that also came into the game with no Allen Robinson, so just it's a it's a bare cupboard Robinson who needs surgery a stress reaction in his foot. So his deeply disappointing first season with the Rams is over. We'll see what his future is in Los Angeles. And this is the first five game losing streak ever for the Rams under Sean McVeagh. Sean McVeigh and what was a unfortunate snapshot of their season as a whole, gets absolutely clocked on the sideline by one of his own players running onto the field, had a swollen jaw and for the rest of the game after that, And yeah, the Chiefs, this is one of those games where they didn't have to do much. It was the old Milton Borough routine. Just show enough to win, and that's what they did. And they're nine and two and the Rams cannot get to January Fest enough. I think Sean McVeigh is gonna I wouldn't say black eye, but there's gonna be some some issues there tomorrow when he wakes up in the skin and then especially watches the tape and sees who did it to him and the guy's no longer on the teams. There was a report that from ESPN that Stafford's questionable to return the rest of this season, which is more just confirming what makes sense. And we'll talk Rams in the off season. But I think the number one thing is is Stafford gonna play next year? Is Aaron don I'm gonna play next year? Is Sean McVeigh gonna be back. It's crazy that they have these all these games to run out the string here and now it's without Robinson. That injury happened on on Friday. It it's just depressing. I would have liked to see a little more out of Pacheco in the running game. It's like this is almost a game you can work on some things, and I think they're gonna need their running game, and I like the way Pacheco runs, but they weren't particularly efficient running the ball today. And I think the defense did show up. I think it wasn't. You can't just do what you want against Darren Donald. And and also you know how it is. And so sometimes in these type of games where it's such a mismatch and one of the teams is so down low, usually because it's one of those Murphy Law seasons, you don't maybe the team that wins doesn't get all the way up, it doesn't have that same energy to it, and you just kind of just take care of it. Had a lead early. I don't like the whole greatest tight end of all time things, just like putting it on him recency bias, when for most of his career everyone would recognize he wasn't the best tight end the league. I would say he's not the best tight end in Chief's history. That'd be Tony Gonzalez a lot more first team All pros. You have other guys in that division, Kevin Winslow, you know, Shannon Sharp, Antonio Gates, Like, is he getting to be in that mix? Kelsey, I would say would be in that mix. But to just like put him all over all these guys because he's had a couple of good weeks seems genus correct. Knew rights. He's had a tremendous career, But I think this year is starting to put him up with those guys. But there's no reason why he's suddenly like zoomed past all that guys. That's all. And I'll use one of your own patriots in this argument. I think one thing helping Kelsey is as he's getting deeper into his thirties, he's remaining elite, just like Brady put everyone in the dust because he stayed great for an extra five, seven, eight nine years. Now, um, maybe this is Kelsey. What's going to separate him? As he's a high end that's fair to he stacks two or three more years like this, then it's kind of crazy, all right. Now to let's move to a matchup between two NFC teams with playoff aspirations Atlanta Washington. The loser in bad shape, the winner feeling good. Let's see what happens. So I guess that's every game within them when you look at it through the prism of the NFC playoff race, especially so I think you explained it well all right? Back to pass, is Mariott both tipped it in the air and is it picked off? In the end of the Commander said, I picked it off? Did Kendall Fuller get it? Waiting for the single reception? Kendall Fuller. Kendall Fuller is hanging out for dear life. He realizes how huge this is. The entire stadium is on their feet, realizing Watchington just might have saved the game, saved the game, maybe saved the season. Bram Weinstein with the call. Who was that also because it wasn't London Fletcher, Julie Donaldson, Julie Donaldson as well of course w B I G And it was Theron pay and getting his big paw up, get the big meat hook up, putting the ball in the air and then Kendall Fuller coming down with an intercepting Marcus Mario Mariotte in the end zone of fifty eight seconds to play. And man, it doesn't get bigger than that because it goes from the opportunity with Cordonell Patterson by the way in your backfield, it just runs people over in the goal line. Jesus Christ, you and you instead drop back to pass, and instead of a twenty to nineteen win, which seemed very possible in that moment, you lose nineteen thirteen and that is six wins in seven games for the Commanders. You just gotta give it up to this team. And Fuller sealed the game this week with a pick. He had a pick six last week at Houston, and um, this is just a team that is finding its way here as the season goes on, and it's defense that's getting the job done. They still don't have Chase Young he they kept him down for another week, but we might see him next week. But you have a running game also now that is coming and really coming along. Brian Robinson I thought looked excellent. This was the Brian Robinson that we heard about and saw in the preseason eighteen for one oh five in this game, running hard, running fast, Washington take them seriously, there's seven and five. Now they are in the mix for real. And Robinson, you know, can catch the ball too. I thought this was you're right that, Like I was kind of watching this out the Cornmia standout game and their defense has been doing this week after week and it's that line. So it's kind of like what Ron Rivera sold you, And I feel like every Ron Rivera season has like the get out of the gates slowly. Um, we have issues and then we rip off four or five six straight wins. I mean, this Washington team has not won six of seven dating back to two thousand and twelve. It's been dark times. Um. I I think you're gonna rise and fall with Taylor Heinekey. But I'm just sort of a tailor Heinekey fan. I'm not claiming that he's perfect, but he kind of fits on this team. And this is the one game where I thought he and Terry McLarin didn't quite make a ton of production together because of a j Terrell on the Falcons had had was on McClaren for most of the game and played one of his best out in all season. Let's be real, there's not much separating all these teams in the NFC. Washington keeps winning games like this, but now there is separation here between these two teams. Specifically the fact that the Washington gets to seven and five, it's gonna be between them. Seattle, the Giants, and and maybe the forty Niners are in that mix too. For the last five and then there's a pretty big drop off in the NFC to the teams that are two games under five hundred. So all those teams are going to get into the playoffs except for one in Washington's put themselves in that position, and Washington has the Giants, then thereby then the Giants. That's very interesting because I do think these teams are very very close in terms of ability. In Washington, obviously, he's just playing better right now. So if I'm a Giant fan, I'm very nervous that my season is taking a hard left turn. In Atlanta, they both these teams ran the ball really well. Another game in the Northeast, not very good weather uh today, so it was wet, al jeered. We're getting close. We're getting close. I mean, calendars, it's the nomination. What's the holiday season? Two slows down? Um, I didn't want to be processing. Sometimes you do not understand how the U. S. Mails operate, so I don't want to Also, definitely thanksgiving you an expertise, and that also the government with the cutbacks. Ironically, you know you take shots. You're saying, get rid of the post office. A few years ago. Uncle Sam's trying to help you despite some of the negative things you've said about the Pentagon. We'll see what happens if we can get to totally sound analysis on the Pentagon. But Washington ran thirty seven times for one seventy six in this game, Atlanta for one sixty seven. But Atlanta, you know, they're playing without Kyle Pitts, and Mariota again makes the killer mistake. It was like a little tip pass. I mean, it's crazy how these players come down to him. Do what do we need to defend Mark? That was a tip pass. But these games come down to like one play or two plays, and it wasn't really just that tip pass. The play before it, they got a free rusher James Smith Williams in on Mariota and Monte Sweat ended up cleaning it up. You had first and goal at the two with one ten left. There you have Washington over a barrel. You're totally expecting you're the Falcons to be able to run that in and you end up losing two yards on the first play because of in Mariota ends up eating it for a couple of yards lost, and then they feel like the need to throw the ball and surprise him. That's a little that's a little surprising. Yeah, and uh. In other Washington Commanders news, they unveiled a Seawan Taylor memorial. Taylor, of course, the the great safety who was shot to death in two thousand seven at the height of his career. And it's just crazy with this organization that they just can't seem to get anything right. They had Sean Taylor's family there and they have a big curtain over what is the centerpiece of the memorial. They pull the curtain off, the covering off, and it's um a manic in in you know, a Seawan Taylor uniform, a wire mannequin behind glass and it's not even an official uniform. It's mismatch. It's a Nike top but Reebok pants and then Soccer World Cup cleats and um in general, it just you even if you watch the video of it, you could see Taylor's family and even they seem to have a look like, um, well, I think the videos said it all because the entire was a large crowd there and it it it left um a lot of mystified gazes at the and even like right down to the fact, obviously we know what happened with the team name change. So they just have him an old Redskins uniform there with the helmet and the logo and everything. It's like, we couldn't make we couldn't build that man a bronze statue and put out out in front. This is what you come up with. It's just they never seem to get it right this organization. Maybe that changes in the future when some ownership changes happen, but right now, be better, not good enough. But they were good enough on the field today. And Ron Rivera, who a guy that we were burying, the guy we were saying it's time for them to find new leadership. He's doing a good job there too. He does this every time. Alright. Let us move on to Charlotte, where the Caroline and Panthers had yet another starting quarterback, and Russell Wilson. Oh Russell Wilson shock gunn snapped Donald quarterback keeper off the football has to dive on it and nobody I'm not sure anybody touched Sam Donald. Right, that might be a touchdown run, the option fumble and an army roll into the game so heavy. That is Sam Donald football right there. You don't count out Sam Donald, Jordan Gross, Gross and Luke Keikley on the call about that w BT. Sam Donald threw a touchdown pass, ran for one, but actually recovered for a second score, and the Panthers used their defense from there to get by the Denver Broncos twenty three to ten. Uh this game. We don't need to spend a ton of time on this one, Greg, But like I've got seventeen minutes, here we go. What do you got? What was your takeaway on Donald's debut. He played well. He especially got confident in the second half. He didn't do much in the first half. He had a nice throw down the field the DJ more when Donald plays or or Walker. They actually used d J Moore, who who beat Certan a number of times in this game, which you're just not used the scene. So that was nice. And he didn't make any mistakes. They've just punted a lot, and eventually he started playing with confidence in the second half and he was fine. But it was more about the defense. It was more about Russell Wilson. We keep thinking we get to new lows for the Broncos and then we we get lower, so I I will just quickly run through like the options for new lows in this game. One option they had negative one yard passing with four minutes left in the first half. Another option, they ran the ball on third and twenty because they didn't trust for us. Uh, then got the ball back on a fumbled punt, and then did not let Russell Wilson throw the ball even once on the ensuing drive, even though they kind of had a third in medium and they just kicked the field goal. They're only points in this game came on a touchdown that happened after roughing the passer that would have ended the drive in a field goal on a short field where they essentially got ten yards and kicked it. Uh. Let's see, we had Mike Purcell, the defensive lineman, yelling at him at one point in the game, and UM, I think that's reaction to that. Purcell came off the field after a field goal, uh drive by Carolina, and UM, you could say he was imploring Russell Wilson to do something, but I'm sure the language is more color full. Wilson was asked about it after the game. Mike and I are on the same page, you know, Um, he came off, you know, after they had to kick the field goal, and he he was he was piste off. He was just said, we gotta we gotta f and go, you know, and uh, I agree. You know, so me and him on the same page. We you know, where's there's no uh, there's no animosity there at all. We're on the same page. We we we gotta win, you know, we gotta come out here and have some uh some some grid to us, some mentality to us. We gotta be able to win these you know, these these these football games. You're shaking your head. Well, I just I am waiting for the moment. Tell me if I missed it where Russell Wilson at least it's sort of like in a human being fashion, you'll be waiting a while, like acknowledges that this has been a disaster and that there's a lot to do because I outside of what we sort of say about the Cardinals week to week with looming issues personnel wise, and what you're gonna do going into next season, like this is the darkest unfixable quarterback situation in the league. Because you're stuck with this and I see no litter's literally zero row signpost that tells me, actually, this is a bump in the road. It's a gigantic bump the road like an earthquake hit. So it's an opposite of a bump. It's like chasom But how do you get out of it? Chasm? I say chasom um. But wait a second, wait a second. You're right. It would perhaps be helpful for Russell Wilson to acknowledge what everyone else sees. We are terrible, but we're gonna fix this thing. But that I don't think that's how his brain works. Positivity that's allowed, So I think that that's that might be part of the frustration that his teammates have for him. And also to what you're saying about the quarterback situation. Yeah, it's a bit of an unsolvable riddle for this organization and what's going to happen. Unfortunately, I don't think. I mean you always, every once in a while there is a guy that's one and done, and it's pretty clear by Black Monday, Nathaniel Hackett. I don't think there's any way he saves his job. I think he's gonna be cooked in part because they know they have to make a big chain and it camp be the quarterback, so it's gonna be the coach's head. Who rolls, and I feel for him. I know he he has a responsibility in this because he recruited Russell Wilson to come here and he has not. He's an offensive mind who has not been offensive mind. In fact, he had to give up the play calling duties. That hasn't worked out for the team either. But Greg, there's like so many things negative around this team, but Wilson refuses to be negative, and I think it's the coach who pays. Ultimately, I agree they have six games left. I'm always wary of declaring too much about coaching because I've seen guys like Doug Morone win the last two Actually he didn't even win the last two games of the year. They just played the Peyton Manning Colts close. Ones could change, the mind, could change, can change, but they've just shown no signs of life. Like another option that it could have had for the lowest moment here was after they got that one touchdown, which only came because you know, the drive extended with penalty they getting on side kicking. The game is probably over at that point anyways, and then Russell Wilson just throws four straight incompletions. It was as ugly as it gets. Steve Books though three and three as interim head coach. I I heard even before this game some whispers that he has a real chance to keep this job if if they play hard the rest of the way, and they are certainly playing hard, they could be four and two. If not that for that crazy game against Atlanta, they held the ball for thirty seven minutes. They were dominant in this game, for what it's worth. On when Wilkes was in Cleveland as a defensive coordinator, like over and overheard, players love them, they love them in Carolina and most of his stops, it's like this dude is a good leader, and it's like he definitely deserves to get real interviews this type around. Because the Panthers were a disaster before this, it's easy to forget what was going on there, and he's milked some interesting performances on both sides of the ball. All right, let's take a break and we will roll on. Welcome back. We have a shutout alert. Let's head too. He looks middle, he will throw. Camara makes the catch, Kimara checks the ball. How does the look in the rob Rolling's got it? Three dollars. Let them get to the one yard line and then checked the ball away to keep the shutout intact. Man when Alba Kamara's failing near the goal on you know, it's not your season. And that is four straight second half shutouts for the Niners defense. And that was my guy Taler Noah who founda who forced that Kamara fumble that held back to New Orleans who has turned away repeatedly in the second half, and every attempt to get back into the game. Final score though thirteen nothing. The Niners roll on four straight wins, and um, greg, this is a game where the Niners were you know, we all were writing see poems uh to use assesslrism about their offense in the last couple of weeks and that wasn't quite locked in today, But what it did do was allow us to focus on the defense, which is also very good and deep and talented. And that's why this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, right because they're one of the few teams and I throw a Dallas in this mix that in any given week and you're gonna need this over a seventeen game regular season schedule, you need in the playoffs to either side of the ball could dominate enough to win. I I'm a little stunned at the Saints defense. And I know they did get a lot of players back, seven players, most of which were starters, who missed last week's game for injury. We're back for this game, but I'm still kind of amazed the Saints defense held up. But you know what, this Forts defense has the capability to dominate upfront, especially like you can tell me, but like line play wise, I would have I guess they handed the Saints their lunch. Yep. The Saints were held to just sixty three yards on the ground. And you know, Andy Dalton has had some good moments this season, probably more bad than good, but if you're asking him to throw you to victory, it's not gonna happen. In San Francisco. Their d is just again it's under the radar are because everyone's always talking about Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy g and all the weapons. But they haven't a lot of point in more than ninety four minutes of game action. Now and uh I mentioned that stat about four straight second halves without allowing point. They are the fifth team since nineteen UH to do that, So that's going back thirty years. So yeah, this is a team that's humming. Uh and they could do it and beat you in a lot of ways. Yeah, there aren't. There just aren't that many teams this season where to your point, Greg, like if the offense takes a little bit of a week off, well the defense just completely drops a hammer and dominates. I don't love that Elijah Mitchell got hurt in this. I'll wait and see what happens with that. Uh. I just I look at the Niners and feel like there might have been they seemed a little off on offense today and I you know, are a team that you were on the West coast against the Chargers night game, you had to stay on the west part of the country, go to Mexico City, come back and do this like that can throw you off a little bit. I mean, you're allowed to have a day like this. But they survived. I'm glad you brought the Mitchell injury because he is a really, really good player, and who knows it was a foot injury and he was Jaffrey went in and out too. Yeah, he was quickly ruled out. And so this this window where all of the top skill players were healthy and making making plays. Hopefully that didn't end today and it was just a brief two week opening. But at the same time, that might be the only thing that could save these other teams in the NFC because if if they do have it humming and they're healthy on both sides of the ball, look out in the Saints, they will march on into the off season. Greggy, Yeah, for in eight. I mean, when Andy Dawton is your leading rusher, you're probably not going going anywhere. It's all about the Lobby's Rookie of the Year. I think Kaden Ellis has kind of came out of nowhere and been one of the best defensive players in the league. I would say over the last month, just kind of dominating week after week. But that's that's all they're looking for. They are in the NFC South. I mean, there are only one win behind the Bucks. Now you normally think of like the lost column is more important, but in the NFC South it is so hard to get wins that it's crazy that Caroline is only one win behind Tampa. It's just a factors, is only one win behind Tap You get the people excited. I was gonna say, but are you actually making anybody else can win this division, and the Bucks. There's like a a fifteen percent chance that either the Panthers or the Falcons could win this division. Just something crazy happens in one of those two and popping. Yeah, it's funny chance. Um see, if I was such a bad guy, Greg, I would have moved on to the next game when, oh, yeah, you see, you set me up a few times ahead the Rainmaker came. You know, climate change is happening, the rain isn't out quite as much as it used to be. But we're four and one on this season. They covered the eight and a half point eight it that doesn't have to be pretty and a half, but they still covered. Okay, way, it was a fairly fortunate um victory for the Rainmaker if you watch the game. But at the same time, it doesn't matter. It's you're still collecting. It doesn't matter, so everyone doesn't matter how you get there. I mean, four and one, that's an eight hundred winning percentage that would be leading the NFC. Set loss did sink a slew of families across the country that took your advice that I mean that you can for my one loss on four out of five I'm just thinking fun of more micro level what it did to those favors. Some some people who traffic in that world only have the means for one wager. And if that was the one they made, well, boiler room, we're living at the y m c A. Now, I mean we're not doing a weekly rainmaker. But that was also the week you went one and one, so you still got one right that way, Look at that, Look at the thanks Justine. But again, you don't need West here, you have Justin. He's just facts, and the facts that are the Saints team in one way or another, feels like a dead team walking. Um. All right, one more game to get to uh and it features a team that is very much moribund. Back to throw, gets it off, he's got akins. What's gonna across a football picked up by the Dolphins saying in a hour walks in the end zone. Futstop, Miami, I'll tell you what next. Man just gotta jog into the in zone for that touchdown that is going. What are the parabog Mike's picking up there? Is? It? Was it so easy to beat the Texans right now that the band in Miami just went full on into the music before even reach, like a return is that easy? Don't don't get hung up by the final score, which was thirty fifteen Dolphins over Texans, because this was a game that was thirty zip at the half. Dolphins take their foot off the accelerator and just coast home for another win. Um, their scheduled tightens up significantly, but you take care of business market, That's exactly what the Dolphins did here. Yeah, I mean, good teams go out and just hammer um failed operations, and the Texans are repeatedly on the bottom end of these. Because this is we talked about last week how they were out gained two hundred and forty six yards to five in the first half today two hundred and eighty seven to thirty two. That is a combined five hundred and thirty three yards to thirty seven. This is an offense that generated thirty seven points over four first half quarters in two weeks. And so really it just set up plus you throw an interception that set up an easy Dolphins score. There was a fumble returned by Xavier Howard. So the Dolphins basically were just handed about the easiest Sunday around. But you still saw that this offense is so dangerous right now. I mean, I think that I am done sleeping on this team. If I have it all, I think they could probably knock anyone out in any playoff game if you get the good version of tow one little note, Toronto Armstead went out with the went out with a pectoral injury. And after that happened to uh at one point, because you know, the game was so out of control, was like, should we just take two out? Minutes into the third quarter here Um, he was sacked free plays in a row. At one point he looked like he was sort of limping around a little so that he got He got yanked early. But Ian Rappaport, along with Tom Pellicero, the pell Raiser um noted that that peck strain apparently is not as bad as originally feel feared. He could miss some time. But hope is the hope is that he won't quote be back on the field at some point relatively soon. That is huge for them. That is absolutely like a Damna Janka piece. Sometimes when you hear that peck thing, immediately it's torn. And then at sea and next year, um, yeah, and like I said, next week they get on the road. Then they there there against the Charges, then the Bills and the Patriots and the Jets, like that's gonna We're gonna learn a lot more about the Dolphins. Um, but the Texans have hit that stage of of moribund territory. It happens to a couple of teams every year where they just ceased to even exist as a as an outfit that can compete. Like Damian Pierce is a perfect example. Damian Pierce is a running back who was having a great rookie year, but at a certain point you just get overwhelmed by how terrible things are around you, and he no longer as a president, it's your point eight yards on five carries. Kyle Allen did start over Davis Mills. It made why it did it? Just the environment makes none of that have any difference. Just start Davis Mills and see if you could be your backup next year. Well, I think he's I think he's probably solidified as their backup based on where they're at. I mean, is gonna be there next year? I think that's all TBD. The coaching staff could be different, the front office that would be two, that would be two one, and Dun's in a row, which which is what we were. We were suspicious of that when could be different. I mean, I'm impressed by the by Miami's consistency. They they want their run game to be better than it was today. They also lost Austin Jackson late in this game, their other starting tackle, and the drop off from Armstead and Jackson, who also missed some time earlier, to their backup tackles was immense. So that's huge with a huge Mike McDaniel Kyle Shanahan rivalry game next week, Spicy, all right, one more game to go. Mark you ready? Sure you ready to put the Packers to bed once and for all. Well, that's been my goal. Well consider your goal achieved. Sunday Night football hurts, takes the slap, comes back, gives it the Sanders. Sanders, but the first I have a games overheat. Lock it up, Miles Sanders. But you see Amalo and Lane Johnson and the Eagles are going to the victory formation. If Fat Lady is not shooting yet, but she's warming up a vocal cords. Yes, the Eagles did whatever they wanted on the ground against the paper tiger defense of the Green Bay Packers. Three and sixty three yards on the ground to be exact, with three scores Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders combining for three hundred stupid, ridiculous uh in a forty to thirty three win over the Packers. Like I I said, Mark Sessler, the Packers, you could pack them up and ship them out of town until two thousand twenty three because they are four and eight and their quarterback Aaron Rodgers finished this game with his jersey off after getting X rays on his midsection. But let's start Mark with the Eagles, who moved to ten and one, keep a hold on the number one seed in the NFC, and show once again that they can just impose their will on an opponent with their terrific offense. In an NFL offense running the ball forty nine times, it's seven point four yards per carry, and I mean just the visualization of by the end of this game, down the stretch, Green Bay hanging around had a chance over and over if they could shut down Philly on the ground to make a game of this with Jordan Loven there, look who him and Christian Watson had an immediate connection. But they couldn't. They couldn't do anything to the Really, it's like they were just there were probably six or seven key moments where they could have had a chance to do it, and all I saw was a green Bay Packers defense. And we've seen this before with their defense when they get run on like this. Gased totally gas at the end. But of course any defense dealing with what the Eagles did tonight and Jalen Hurts, who's just simply incredible to me from this angle, the Eagles ran nearly eight play seventy nine, so you could tell Green Bay had their hands on their hips by the end of this game. I mean they ran for three sixty three total. You mentioned Sanders, it hurts, but you know throwing gainwell in Boston, Scott combined for like eleven for sixty So no matter who it was that you mentioned, seven point four yards per carry on the ground, so that's more than Jalen Hurts was averaging through the air. They're like one of the rare teams that it's more efficient to run, and that's because the scrambles that Hurts had were incredible. The first play of the game. There's absolutely nothing there on third down, the first third down of the game, and he makes four guys miss and gets the first down and that ends up leading to seven points. His decision making, which I think he struggled with a week ago on the r p O s of whether to keep it or not. He kept giving the ball away when he probably should have kept it. He kept it tonight, and there were so many good decisions. And then that first touchdown by Sanders was an RPO where he did give it to Sanders and they just were waiting for Hurts to keep it and he's just got prairie loans, prairie lanes to throw too. And then he was dealing to like he had a third and twelve completion in the red zone that kept a touchdown drive going. He had a third and fourteen to get it close, that TD two walk in. It's not like he didn't throw the ball well, that was It was just an some game to watch by Dalen Hurts. Yeah, you look at this team and I have some questions, you know, about about their defense and they could not put the Packers away, it seemed. But it was also it was almost like they were kind of toying with the Packers. By the end of this game. You never felt that uh Green Bay was ever in any danger of stealing this And yes, Aaron Rodgers now goes to the sign when we know he's playing with a broken thumb. He acknowledged that last week, and he was in a tremendous amount of pain after getting hit in the chops in the second half. Stayed in for one series, but you could tell when he went to the sideline after Mason Crosby kicked the field goal that it was probably gonna be the last you saw of him. And then cut to mark the shot of him with his pads off, with a jersey off, looking every bit the thirty eight year old quarterback that he is, and he just wondered it said especially you know, a small sample size, of course, but the backup comes in the former first round pick and does some things like what is going through the minds of um La Fleur of management as you spin forward to the future of the Packers, which may or may not have Aaron Rodgers in it. Four and eight. I mean, we'll see how long he's gonna be out. Doesn't sound like a comfortable physical ailment to be dealing with as an NFL quarterback. I mean, if he's gone for multiple weeks, and he comes back and they've got ten or eleven losses. What unless it's him saying I want to be in this lineup, you know, come hell or high water. I don't know why you don't finally get a good look at Jordan's Love, who I thought showed some promise tonight. And why you need you necessarily shove Aaron Rodgers back into this lineup? Or if you're in Rogers, why that even makes so much sense? Well, they haven't had their bye week yet, which I forgot about. They have the Bears next which would be a nice spot for Jordan's Love to come in and you and you're right, he threw the ball very well. I know it's only what was it, nine attempts, but most of them are right on the money. Uh. He looked a little more confident in making quick decisions. You have the Bears next week, and then you have the after that. It's an oblique injury, and you you figure let Love start next week. See see where it's at. It's it's tricky. It's an offseason question really that we don't need to get into because this season is dead. But they're pretty much tied to Rogers for next year. But if you play love maybe a little uh, you know, you can make decisions based on that. You could either trade Jordan Love off of that, or you could trade Aaron Rodgers off of that to the You know, I would take Aaron Rodgers. Oh no, because I have Mike White now, the Great White White. It's lucky for them that this development happen when exactly we shall see I mean, reasonable mind reasonable minds can differ on this, but I think Aaron Rodgers has earned the right to decide how the rest of the season plays out in terms of whether he's playing or not. But also, obviously, Jordan's Love could do himself a lot of favors here by playing well in this game. And then if he gets an opportunity to get Chicago who we saw this today and throughout the season, cannot stop anybody. But that's that Eagles are ten and one. They keep her, only get the Titans next week. Justin, maybe maybe justin, we'll lock up his Titans and a show finally, a show of loyalty for his favorite team. That would be bold. At least it would be pretty bold against a ten and one team. They'll probably be seven point underdogs on the road. You know this is a little early to be negotiating things. But if you lock up the Titans and you win, we'll give you that halfback. You'll get one and a half wins. How about that? Why do you why do you unilaterally decide on how the game works? Greg? My standing? The locks are we all know, not justin current favorite what is going on with disturbing unpleasant development. We've been on the same page today. We're both have been for the Seahawks. He's just an arbiter of truth and he's over the last two hours. He's independent arborer and he's just measuring what's the truth in this? You disappoint me justin Hey, we have breaking news. By the way, that's a surprise. The research team got back to me. Look at them, and I want to tell you, buddy, I thought I had something special going on at the early games in my draft, and I absolutely did. Because the Commanders and Falcons came into two seven, which is the eighth quickest game of the season, just three minutes off the lead, which is Panthers Bucks back in week five, number ten on the list Jets Bears. I had to seven and to early on today. Remember I had the Sandwich bet that we'd see these the fastest game in league history. We're not even close, not even close. And I have more research and notes. What a great job greenholds the whole team with the ski Bunnies on to um. Some contexts in the late two point conversions from NFL communications. Week twelve two is the first week multiple games were decided by game winning points scored on a two point conversion in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. The Jagson Charges became the third and fourth team since nineteen ninety four to score the game winning points on the two point conversion in the final fifteen seconds of the fourth quarter. History. WHOA. I feel like John Gruden was involved in at least one of those others the Other's Chargers in week fifteen eighteen and Chiefs and Vikings in the week fifteen at the Saints. I have a late show quiz question for you. Okay, the first ever NFL coach to dial up a two point conversion, I'm sure it was belichickos well, it was bell But I mean imagine though, like if of all the people on the planet to have done it, that was Bill Belichick, it had to be. I just want Bill to write you your letter back the Belichick letters one of the right back that was the whole con seed of the article, but was oh no, after the long form came out NFL dot Com. Bill can't shoot you a note just saying I don't like what I wasn't asking no, because it's like, do you think he got um? Did you watch the game on Monday? I thought that was you right now? They Do you think someone passed them the ballotcheck letters? I know for I know for a fact that he's There was an administrative assistant in the story that was the Browns, his admin back in the day. He became she became Nick Sabans DMin and smoke to each other. It was really good. I really enjoyed him marked. I don't know if you're read it, but I'm not going to right back. No letters for you. I don't need anymore. What's your next long form coming out? I mean maybe you never to the next long form? What's it coming out? He's a word smith, Greg, right? I mean, even why you two have been doing this like in the during the entire time we're watching SNF trying to convince me to dial back, Like six thousand words, raging apathy on this front. We we have a big audience if you're out there and you're a fan of Mark song forms back in the day, the Belichick letters, any of the great ones, the sideline reporters ones. There was it was just broadcast the Mother's Day piece about our sons play football and how wonderful that is. That actually almost cost me major points within the news. Whatever it is. And if you want to see more great writing from Mark's great writing sometimes makes people uncomfortable, let him know, let him know, I don't understand your angle. I will play along with Mark Cesler on Twitter and tell him that you love him as a word smith and you need more long forms. We just can't stop talking. We we like came in here. It's like we didn't spend that much time on this great game. But bot Mark, do you have anything to say before we sign off? Black good does not come from me? Good? All right? We'll be back on Monday night. Uh, Greg, do you have any of my my friends, anyone from my personal life joining you on the show tomorrow? We've got to see Sector, who does great work on Sky in the House. But the nice book good booking, so check out the Monday night recap and then we'll be back on Tuesday. Remember the A t N Homecoming show live from Los Angeles on January eighth. Tickets available. Do we have like a handy website we could point people too? Is there's something we can do on the Ticketmaster? If you just start typing around the NFL, you don't even have to type the whole thing. It pops up around the NFL live. It's so easy. Can we make a U r L like what? I don't see a problem for the master, but can we just make a dumb page the link to our Instagram profile. That's good, that's probably That's That would have been great four days ago, but I think now would be also excited if you would like to join us in Los Angeles on January tea. Check out our Instagram at the A t N podcast, click on the link in the bio and there's your lane two tickets. All right, let's go what times? Ticket Master is pure? All right until Monday Night Football? Need the call s