2025 NFL Week 17 Preview

00:00:05
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we love a penultimate NFL Holiday week.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: I just love the word penultimate.

00:00:12
Speaker 1: I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio with my regular preview buddies Jordan Rodrieg and Patrick Claybond.

00:00:22
Speaker 2: Not the end of the road, but it's pretty damn place.

00:00:26
Speaker 3: Yes, it's it's like you said, the penultimate, which you know, the penultimate step and a jump. All these things are very important, and so people questions.

00:00:35
Speaker 4: Thinking of all the pens have stolen from Greg over the years.

00:00:38
Speaker 2: You know, where is the one that you stole on Saturdays.

00:00:41
Speaker 1: I mean that pen came all the way from Narita Airport in in Tokyo, Japan, you know, to bring it back just so you could steal it.

00:00:50
Speaker 2: Yu chew on it.

00:00:53
Speaker 1: Disgusting, you know, it's not disgusting my attitude about this week seventeen Slate for a minute. You know, I did a little complaint at the end of the recap show of like so much is decided. It's true that the in the hunt graphic is more decided than normal, and with the Colts losing on Monday Night, that clinched a playoff spot for three more teams in the AFC, the Jags, the Bills, and who am I forgetting here? Come on, Chargers. And that's one thing. But then again, we have a lot of matchups in the final two weeks of two playoff teams going against each other. So it's essentially like a playoff preview. Good on good and I'm looking forward to those.

00:01:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, And let's start with a couple of those playoff contenders in the AFC, the Houston Texans on the road Saturday on NFL Network where we care about each other and football. Rich Eisen and Kurt warn are there. The Chargers are favored by two and a half. Greg Rosenthalt over Unders thirty nine and a half. Chargers, get this one at home.

00:01:55
Speaker 2: Man, I got to make a pick in this game.

00:01:56
Speaker 5: Yeah you do.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: I think I'll probably take.

00:01:58
Speaker 1: The Chargers and they won't feel good about it. They've just got something a little extra both these teams do, the Chargers. And I should have mentioned we're putting ourselves out of clock here because we like to honk on this show. No, we like to honk, and we're not doing the thing where we're splitting up the games.

00:02:15
Speaker 2: It's a holiday week, it's all in one show.

00:02:18
Speaker 1: Enough about that seven out of eight for the Chargers, six straight for the Texans, And the obvious solution that Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh have to come up with is how can we possibly get Justin Herbert enough time against this pass rush? And the answer would be, well, they've been doing it all year to some degree in that maybe they're catching the Texans defense at the right time. I hesitate to make too much of a trend, but the last two weeks against the Cardinals and the Raiders, they've been more good than great or okay than great, and even the pass rush has just been a little bit down. But maybe they're also just a team that gets up for big games. They seem like one of those types of teams.

00:03:03
Speaker 6: This was forewarn yes a couple of weeks ago, because of the top seven defenses in the NFL, the Houston Texans actually were the one of those groups that were most succeptible, susceptible to the explosive play at that time. And when you go deeper into a season and a defense that my favorite defense in the NFL, an absolute joy to watch in every single phase, does have a little bit of that creeping in, especially near the end of the season. It's tighten up time for the Houston Texans. But they are like a little bit of susceptible, which I can never say the first time correctly to the explosive play. The Chargers are able to do this in the passing game as long as Justin Herbert can actually throw the football.

00:03:45
Speaker 3: And that's the caveat, that's the top caveat where the Chargers offense hasn't necessarily looked great. And then they get a chance to go up against a generationally porous Dallas Cowboys depens like truly at this point where you've seen the Chargers get lot over and over again, and then you got lad running down the field by himself. Btj's making one hand catches. The quarterback is having to play with his one hand. He's stiff arming people still with the broken hands. Stopped doing that, but then he oddly enough has people like he'll stiff arm somebody with the broken hand. And then when somebody goes to help him up with that hand, he's like, no, no, no, don't be crazy, don't help me up with his hand that's broken. And but but still to go through, uh, what they what they've been through ut front and going up against this defense. I know it's been a couple of bad weeks. I don't necessarily believe in Trapp.

00:04:31
Speaker 2: Not even that bad.

00:04:32
Speaker 3: I don't even think like it. It's the Raiders they got They got done up by the Raiders in Week sixteen, Like, oh, well they still won the game. Yeah, so I'm going Texans here.

00:04:41
Speaker 1: I'm really curious because this is if you want, you don't have to. It's ah. We do it on Game Debut every week. Check us out. Yeah, Patrick Claybon winning the Game Debut picks on NFL Network. I like it when when it's good on good sometime and we'll have that matchup in terms of sides of the ball when we talk Eagles Bills a little later. But this is kind of the good on bad on both sides. So it's the weakness of the Chargers their offense, although they do have the skill position players to maybe make those big plays. And then it's the bad side of Houston, which took a step back last week, which is their offense, even when they're improving against Jesse Minter, who has been mixing up his coverages, mixing up a little more pressure a little bit since the bye week, and CJ. Stroud he just like when he's not on, he's really not on, and I could see them clouding the picture for him. I should have mentioned we're putting a five minute clock on that. I mean, there's only one minute left.

00:05:42
Speaker 4: Oh no, whatever will I do?

00:05:44
Speaker 6: No? They Jesse Mintor's got three good pass rushers, and even on weeks where Khalleio Max just a little bit quieter, odafe Oa and tuy Tuli Polo two are absolutely mauling people. They are in these really interesting career native rush packages where they could both rush from multiple angles and multiple spots along the alignment, and week over week, either those three or two of the three are among the top and pressures in the NFL, and it's bringing everything that Jesse Minter wants to do to life in the back end as well as these young receivers plus Nico Collins are playing this year and certainly right now for the Texans. Yeah, I do worry about them, especially when CJ. Stroud has been a little bit up and down.

00:06:28
Speaker 1: Do you throw the two AFC teams that are making the playoffs that throw maybe throw the pageots and just like not totally sure how good, how what they are, and so this will go a long way towards proving that injuries. To keep an eye on Jamari Solier, the left tackle for the Chargers, Dante Jackson, the cornerback for the Chargers.

00:06:45
Speaker 2: Aziz Al Sayer.

00:06:46
Speaker 1: He made his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday, but we don't know if he's gonna be available for this game. So a lot of intrigue there. And then we got this from the research department.

00:06:56
Speaker 2: Okay, this is interesting. This is more stupid than in dressing.

00:07:00
Speaker 5: Let's where correct.

00:07:02
Speaker 1: DJ Stroud has won four straight starts for the first time in his NFL career. When he when he's good for him? Yeah, they won with Davis Mills. Of course a few times. Each time CJ. Stroud had a win streak of at least four games in college, it was snapped by one coach.

00:07:18
Speaker 5: Who is that car ball? Wow?

00:07:21
Speaker 6: Wow, Hey, that's a good that's not dumb.

00:07:24
Speaker 4: That's a great little nugget right there.

00:07:26
Speaker 2: Okay, it's a great it's a great nugget.

00:07:27
Speaker 1: I don't know if it's going to have an impact on this game, but it's a great nugget.

00:07:31
Speaker 6: All that ever, everything that's ever happened before has to happen again.

00:07:34
Speaker 3: Absolutely, that's just because Samously everything was on the up and up in an arbor during Jim Harball's tenure.

00:07:41
Speaker 5: Let's go to our next game.

00:07:43
Speaker 3: Jacksonville favored by six and a half points after going up there and dominating in Denver at the Indianapolis Colts, expecting perhaps Riley Leonard gets a start here forty seven and a half, Joe Davis and g Rag on the call, and Jordan I meane g Rex's gonna give the audience a lot of insight into what makes this Jags offense so much fun to watch.

00:08:00
Speaker 6: Well, I can't wait, and thank god someone is finally going to be talking about the Jacksonville Jaguars.

00:08:05
Speaker 4: Am I right, guys?

00:08:06
Speaker 6: I mean, after this entire season, I've heard nothing, including from my left in my right directly about the Jacksonville Jaguars.

00:08:13
Speaker 4: No, I love this team.

00:08:14
Speaker 6: They went from being drag andized MESSI fun team pick of the year to just flat out fun. Trevor Lawrence is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I put this on Blue Sky earlier this week, where I'm like, hey, Trevor Lawrence, the playoffs. A wait, but first quarterback Island coming, and I think he's got more than a fair case for.

00:08:35
Speaker 4: Our last episode.

00:08:36
Speaker 2: He is the position.

00:08:38
Speaker 6: Yes, yes, and I do think too. You know, I watch this defense is great in Jacksonville as well. It's well coached. They attack the ball. They're up there among the lead leaders week over week in takeaways as well special teams. They have an edge over a lot of the teams that they play, and I do think that they have more edges in every phase of football than the Colts do. Right now, despite the fact that when I watched Riley Leonard, I watched the.

00:09:03
Speaker 2: Game a couple of weeks, it will be Philip Rivers starting this game.

00:09:06
Speaker 4: It oh, okay, so we know that, all right.

00:09:07
Speaker 6: Well, I still think that the Jaguars have the edge and I do think that they It's going to be fun. I hope they like amp up the mics again like they did in the broadcast this week, so you can hear all of Philip Rivers audibles, and that for Indianapolis is the thing I'm most looking forward to.

00:09:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, the shine Ssychin revealed it just a few minutes before we started taping here that it will be Philip Rivers. They were not eliminated on Sunday, and I think I mean on Monday night. And the route to the playoffs is pretty simple. They need the Texans to lose out and they need to win out, and they have to get a strength of victory tiebreaker which is about fifty to fifty right now, and a lot more results based on who they've beaten and would play into that. It's way too complicated, and frankly, it shouldn't matter because the Jaguars are heavily favored in this game for a reason, and they would eliminate the Colts and put the Texans in the playoffs. It's an interesting spot for Texans fans watching because if I'm them, I'm still rooting for the Colts to win this game. Obviously they'll know the result on Saturday before it happens, and that that plays into it. But if you're the Texans, you want to go ahead and win the division. That's more important to me than getting your playoff spot clinched a week early. I just think last night, as we're we're taping on Tuesday, we're doing everything a little early this week. Chris Ballard's vision of what this defense should be all the picks they've put into their defensive line, it just came out like total nonsense in the biggest of spots. And they're supposed to be a big run game team. The run game wasn't there for Philip rivers in the passing game to be the very last reason why they couldn't compete in a must win type of game, you know, speaks to bigger problems that you know they're going to look at in the offseason, certainly, but that I think the Jaguars, the way they're playing right now and the way Trevor's playing right now can expose in terms of their defense.

00:11:01
Speaker 3: Yeah, where you saw some some splash plays on Monday Night football, where that's really it, like the sustained continued success, especially without the pass rush. I mean both teams on Monday Night definitely didn't necessarily bother having a pass rush, but even more so for the for the Indianapolis Colts, where you know, still because I have seen some some honking from from Bengals fans, you know, coming back and hey, you know this is where coach lose defense is. But at certain point, the personnel an issue in both spots.

00:11:35
Speaker 2: I think he is boom or bust.

00:11:36
Speaker 1: I'll buy that argument that he is a game plan type of coach. And yes, the personnel isn't there. Tarvarius Ward literally isn't there. Sauce Gardner isn't there. They had Buckner back. But I think sometimes he has so many like designer game plans week to week that sometimes they crap out and it looks really bad.

00:11:56
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, and I think they.

00:11:59
Speaker 6: I think he puts too much on linebackers that are not necessarily complete players either. I know they love those guys in the building, but that's a position that they really have to be looking at.

00:12:08
Speaker 1: And the Jaguars are set up to take advantage with Breton Strange and Parker Washington. Parker Washington no longer just a little cute story, leads the team in receiving now edge ahead of Brian Thomas Junior. After that game. This is a crazy stat I saw from dan Orlowski. I can't believe Trevor law Trevor Lawrence in the last three three weeks on third down has a ninety nine point nine QBR, which is, you know, inside of one hundred and averaging fifteen yards per attempt.

00:12:37
Speaker 4: You never see that out of one hundred, like.

00:12:39
Speaker 1: Like seventy five, like eighty or seventy five. Wells, you know, sometimes like lead the league for the year. That's him on third downs last three weeks. And the thing I noticed watching him, he gets through his reads so much faster, and the Colts will give you time to.

00:12:51
Speaker 2: Get you through your reads.

00:12:52
Speaker 6: Yeah, and I think too manufacturing explosive against the Colts, Philip Rivers did it in a very different way. He did it by moving the four made and changing different things around pre snap. They can do it with Trevor Lawrence on the moon.

00:13:06
Speaker 1: It's going to be harder, I think for Philip Rivers to repeat that performance against this Jaguars defense after what the Colts put on tape last week.

00:13:13
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, but fun watching both offices of this one because it's it's my guys. It's Alec Pierce on one side, yeah, and then Parker Washington on yeah, the Patrick receiver bowl.

00:13:23
Speaker 1: I have bad news for everyone that keeps making these tweets about oh, I want Alec Pierce. You know, Alec Pierce is going to make so much money free agency. They're going to franchise tack him like they will pay Alec Pierce twenty eight million dollars at the very least. I think to just keep him in the building. That's how good he has been on who the GM is. So that's a lot of money. And maybe he does get his long term extension, but I think it'll be with the Colt.

00:13:46
Speaker 3: If they would like to keep in the building, they coun provide him with a contract, yes, longer than that, I think they will, and not utilize the league's cost control metric to avoid paying players.

00:13:53
Speaker 5: But they actually deserve.

00:13:54
Speaker 3: Baltimore at Green Bay, who are favored by two and a half points. The over under is forty and a half. It's the Baby Bird. Noah Eagle and Todd Blacklicch gonna call this game on Peacock Saturday at eight pm Eastern, part of a Saturday doubleheader. A lot going on in Baltimore direct, Yeah, not a lot of it.

00:14:12
Speaker 5: Great.

00:14:13
Speaker 3: Green Bay's dealing with a ton of injuries, as we discussed with a heartbreaking loss last week.

00:14:18
Speaker 5: How do you see this one?

00:14:19
Speaker 1: Well, the injuries are where you have to start, because we don't know who's starting a quarterback for either team. Jordan Love was limited in practice on Tuesday. He's in the concussion protocol. If you're going to get out of the concussion protocol in one week, that's how you do it. So he has a chance to start this game. It'll make it tough for the Ravens to prepare. They'll have to be ready for Milik Willis. You even wonder if Jordan Love played, would they even integrate Milik Willis into the running game. I don't think that's a crazy option against this Ravens team. Lamar Jackson and Harbaugh, you know, said Jim John Harbaugh said on Monday that he has, you know, a the bad bone bruise in his back. But Lamar Jackson did say, you know, he wants to play, and it sounded somewhat optimistic about playing this week. But we just don't know at this point who will play if they do play. Lamar Jackson, how much of a chance do you give the Ravens in this game?

00:15:16
Speaker 4: Jordan Well, I the Packers are in.

00:15:20
Speaker 6: Uh inappropriate body part up or shut up time at this point in terms of their basically standing on business, like you have to you have to actually have to be this group that you look like you're going to be and that you say you're going to be all season, and if it's Lamar, who better than to try to do that against I I know that the Ravens like need every ounce of Lamar magic that they can get that they could possibly squeeze some life still out of this season. But it sounded like some of the reports coming out of that locker room were like players were saying like he could barely walk. So I'm sitting there and I'm like John Harbaugh, like, at what point do you protect the player from himself?

00:16:00
Speaker 4: Is your franchise quarterback.

00:16:02
Speaker 6: I know he will want to play no matter what, but if he could he could barely walk after a game after a back contusion, Yeah, to.

00:16:10
Speaker 3: Be honest, it reminds me a lot of earlier this season where you know, the hope. Obviously you would prefer Lamar play football, especially a primetime game a Saturday doubleheader, But if Lamar could play in this game in relatively shortly, then he probably would have been able to come back in the game in the first place.

00:16:28
Speaker 1: Well, isn't that so reminiscent of so many moments during the John Harbaugh Lamar Jackson era.

00:16:34
Speaker 6: Where they are ill miss some of that's like illness or soft tissue like this.

00:16:38
Speaker 2: Is his back, right.

00:16:39
Speaker 1: I just mean that where they're not on the same page publicly about when Lamar Jackson is going to be back on the field. It's happened multiple times. And if this ends up being it, And yes, this is an elimination game for the Baltimore Ravens. They lose this game, they are going to have to, you know, watch the Steelers play on Sunday with a chance to eliminate them from the playoffs. John Harbaugh was asked about his job security this week.

00:17:07
Speaker 7: Thanks for asking that question, bro, Well, first of all, yeah, no, that's good. It's a great question. I miss the sports.

00:17:16
Speaker 5: It's how it works, you know.

00:17:17
Speaker 7: And my focus is on always it has been for the last eighteen years here, in the last forty one years in coaching, or is it forty two, it's up there. It's been to try to do the best job I can today and fight as hard as I can so the guys can have the best chance to be successful today. And anything after today I'm not thinking about because you know, it's not given for us to think about. We don't have control over that except for the job we do today. If we do a good enough job today, then the opportunity to do that job or a different job will be there tomorrow. And that's what you hope for.

00:17:48
Speaker 1: And to clarify that the Steelers win the division. If the Ravens lose, the magic number is one. The season is over. If the Ravens don't win this game, hear me out New.

00:18:00
Speaker 4: York Giants head coach John Harbaugh.

00:18:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, he'll he'll have here me out, he'll have his opportunities.

00:18:07
Speaker 6: Who's the funniest bow that could have asked that question? My guess is Bow Nicks, my.

00:18:13
Speaker 3: High school basketball teammate who famously ran for Congress on the platform that would have actually probably been pretty successful today.

00:18:20
Speaker 1: Bo McKinney, I'm not even going to say his last name, but a bow that I knew in college that eventually was running a casino in Malaysia and we hear we heard got in trouble with like, oh boy, kind of like underground figures there.

00:18:37
Speaker 2: Interesting guy, you're listening.

00:18:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, The Packers, if they win, also would clinch their spot. They would already have made it if the Lions lose on Christmas. We hit that in the previous show. It was one of Derrick Henry's best games, so you want to see if you can keep the running game going or keep.

00:18:56
Speaker 4: Him on the field the ball in your hands.

00:18:58
Speaker 1: That was a that was a tough situation. And Harboss said he regretted that decision taking him off the field, and he.

00:19:05
Speaker 5: Kept he kept saying, to his knowledge, was his decision.

00:19:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, because that seems like a different conversation than was had previously.

00:19:11
Speaker 1: Exactly, and he said it was a rotation that we decided. I mean, I don't believe that Dereck Henry is almost never on the field in those hurry up situations, so that part's not new. They don't think he's as good as the other players in a hurry up game passing situation. I'm just saying it's hardly been the first time that he's not on the field late in games.

00:19:29
Speaker 6: Last last quick point and I was looking this up when you're asking me about Lamar Greg, Sorry about that, but Jordan Love has to fully participate in a practice and then be cleared after participating in that practice. So far he has been a limited participating in practice. Just outlining the steps of the protocol because I think a lot of people forget what they are.

00:19:46
Speaker 1: Yeah, and uh, Jeff Hafley if you're going to try to get coaching interviews, thought he did great last week. The Packers are coming off two of the toughest losses I think any teams have had all season long. I mean, that was a brutal, emotional loss, but they did. They were that team that you were talking about last week. They played really well on both sides.

00:20:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, all right, So those Baltimore Ravens fans, if a get a win, all eyes will be on CBS. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Are three and a half point favorites on the road at the Cleveland Browns, who almost squeaked out a win against the Buffalo Bills last week. Thirty three and a half. It's a very low number where Jordan I am, Can Cleveland do this for the people that would like for this thame.

00:20:40
Speaker 1: I've never seen you so emotional watching a football game as watching Steelers Lions last weekend. In the news room, you were dying more even than you would with a Ravens game. But you just needed the Lions to help you out a little and then this situation wouldn't be so so dire.

00:20:57
Speaker 3: For well, doubly so because two weeks row the Steelers have come out in the second half and just road graded the opponent to an extent.

00:21:04
Speaker 5: That's like, oh, the Steelers are actually.

00:21:08
Speaker 2: They are playing their best.

00:21:09
Speaker 6: They are playing their best football right now and on both sides of the ball. And I guess the universal balance has to swing some way because we never see Chris Boswall miss a kick, So something has to go wrong, right, just in terms of the balance of life in the NFL.

00:21:23
Speaker 4: But yeah, they're They're insane.

00:21:25
Speaker 6: They're very, very productive on offense, running the ball well, Aaron Rodgers is playing good football. They're getting explosive plays, which they really struggled with early in the season. You know, I knew it was bad or good if you're a Steelers fan, but I knew it was bad. When Patrick I walk in from filling up my water bottle and Patrick is at his desk standing in the most wide leg like father at the kids soccer game power stance with the arms crossed I've ever seen in my life.

00:21:54
Speaker 4: It was a masterpiece.

00:21:56
Speaker 5: Well yeah it can.

00:21:58
Speaker 3: It can all be about me, but I'm sure obviously it was frustrating for Lions fans. But for perhaps those Steelers fans were there chanting fire Tomlin to see this team make second half adjustment after second half adjustment, and it's like law, maybe that was a mistake, or maybe those people aren't capable of introspection.

00:22:15
Speaker 2: In the first year, we'll see if they get healthier.

00:22:19
Speaker 1: So I think Derek Harmon was a huge return to the lineup for them last week in terms of stopping the run against the Lions, and the number the on off splits for Derek Harmon this year are fantastic for Harmon in terms of helping the run defense. We don't know when TJ. Watt could return, We don't know if Nick Herbrig could return. But on offense as good of a player as DK Metcalf is and Olli Connelly pointed out, we hit the news that Dk metcalf was suspended on our previous show. He pointed out, look, Cleveland plays a ton of man coverage and DK is their best man beater. It's a total fair point. I do think the way to beat this Browns defense is on the ground, and I don't think you have to tell Arthur Smith twice to run an offense through Ken Gainwell and Darnel Washington. I think he's gonna absolutely love doing that sprinkle in a little Jalen Warren at the end, ripping off forty five yard gains for his fantasy teams.

00:23:09
Speaker 6: Schematically, I understand DK metcalf is their best matchup player for this particular matchup, but he's not the reason they've been getting explosive plays. He's only been targeted on pass the ten plus air yards at like a thirty percent rate per next Gen, lowest of the season. You know, obviously this just uh, you guys covered the news already, but what a just a wiener of a situation that, like, I can't even get into it because I'm just gonna get mad.

00:23:33
Speaker 4: But DK, hang in there, buddy.

00:23:38
Speaker 1: He'll be back for the playoffs maybe sooner, and maybe this will be out of date if the Appeal, you know, wins. The thing is they their defense. Their offense has been different with DK, and in general the last three weeks, the average air yards per attempt are up like a lot. The third and longs that they hit against Detroit were up a lot. In Aaron Rodgers is holding onto the ball longer, not long, but longer. It is a different offense really the last three weeks, and you give him some credit for adjusting. On the other side, should Sanders has gone because of Stefanski, I think like Aaron Rodgers to the extreme extreme. Until that last third and thirty two shot last week, he was averaging under one yard per attempt. I mean that was a schemed up masterpiece by Kevin Stefanski in a way. But also Shidur Sanders did nothing in that game. Like it was crazy to watch back.

00:24:33
Speaker 4: We're on record.

00:24:35
Speaker 6: Watch for Miles Garrett. I believe he's one sack away at this point.

00:24:39
Speaker 3: And going going up against the moral successor to Brett Favre. Just in a lot of capacities, perhaps Aaron Rodgers could donate a little history to Miles Garrett and then go ahead.

00:24:49
Speaker 1: And I really hope not because that was the most annoying subplot of the Michael straehand situation from years ago. But you could see a situation if the Steelers are winning big. Aaron Rodgers feels like he would do he would do that. He does not want to get hit, but he just like sees Miles Garrett coming and just just to get his name somewhere else, just gets on the ground.

00:25:09
Speaker 5: Just an opportunity to answer some more questions.

00:25:12
Speaker 1: The thing about Aaron Rodgers is when you get pressure on him, you get sacked.

00:25:16
Speaker 2: He gets sacked.

00:25:16
Speaker 1: I know he doesn't want to get hit, but he has gotten hit quite a bit. He either gets rid of the ball or he kind of just turtles up.

00:25:24
Speaker 2: And so I think Miles Garrett does it. Let's go. I need that. Andrews to Siliano call.

00:25:28
Speaker 6: Also, you mentioned I tried not to laugh when you mentioned he is holding the ball a little bit longer and sort of manufacturing some of these explosive plays. Everyone looks like they're holding onto the ball longer. When you're watching Philip Rivers play football the last.

00:25:41
Speaker 4: Couple of weeks.

00:25:42
Speaker 1: Absolutely, I love watching it and they're still getting it done. I have to I hate to do it, but you do have to give a d a little bit.

00:25:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, and we joked last week when he frustratedly looked over at Arthur Smith throwing it short and we're like, oh, Aaron's not how after that they were going down.

00:26:03
Speaker 2: All right, let's take a quick break.

00:26:05
Speaker 1: We will be back on the other side and look at some of the teams at the top of the NF.

00:26:23
Speaker 2: That's right.

00:26:24
Speaker 1: If you're listening to this on the day it comes out, it's Christmas Eve, so maybe it's Christmas. This preview show is.

00:26:32
Speaker 2: Gonna age like fine wine.

00:26:35
Speaker 1: It's gonna take a You can return to it at any time of the week. So hopefully you've opened up some beautiful presence before settling in for a meaningful Carolina Panthers Week seventeen game.

00:26:48
Speaker 4: Do you know what it is for?

00:26:50
Speaker 2: It's your presence, hey, is a present? I don't know.

00:26:55
Speaker 1: Our presence must not be good right now because you asked us if we were okay during the break.

00:27:00
Speaker 2: Which is good.

00:27:00
Speaker 4: Sometimes I like to check on you.

00:27:02
Speaker 2: I think it's maybe projection. I don't know, like what That is the number one.

00:27:06
Speaker 6: The number one reason anxiety in my head.

00:27:09
Speaker 1: What to make sure that people are not okay around you is to suddenly ask if they're okay.

00:27:13
Speaker 5: Well, you know, it can't be a stressful time.

00:27:15
Speaker 4: Never once worked on getting the shoulders again.

00:27:19
Speaker 5: You know, football is family.

00:27:20
Speaker 3: We get a couple of family related football guys. After a baby bird calls the game on Saturday, it's Big Bird.

00:27:27
Speaker 5: Calling the game with TJ's brother JJ Watt.

00:27:29
Speaker 3: It is the Seattle Seahawks on the road at the Carolina Panthers. Huge game in the NFC South for back to back to back weeks for the Carolina Panthers.

00:27:38
Speaker 5: Greg Rosenthal.

00:27:39
Speaker 3: They've already beaten the Los Angeles R they're at Bank of American Stadium.

00:27:45
Speaker 5: Do they do that this week against Salmon Company?

00:27:49
Speaker 2: I don't think so.

00:27:50
Speaker 1: They Seahawks have a little extra rest. Hey, at this time of year, you need everything you can get. The Seahawks, if they are the team that we think they are, they win this game. And maybe maybe they don't cover the seven and a half. That's a big number. But if they're the team we think they are, they do. And it is crazy to look at some of the like the historical efficiency numbers. For instance, DVOA has the Chargers, I mean the Rams and the Seahawks as the fifth and sixth best teams through sixteen weeks that they've measured since nineteen seventy eight, in which you wouldn't think that because they have the three losses and the four losses, But I do get it because it's pretty rare to see teams this balance, this explosive on offense. In the case of the Rams, but certainly explosive for the Seahawks and then dominant on the other side of the ball, whereas you know the Panthers, they have their issues. It's a weird game in terms of stakes because the Panthers would need the Bucks to lose to the Dolphins and to win this game to clinch the NFC South. So the odds are this game for the Panthers doesn't really matter that much in terms of playoffs, whether they win or lose, but obviously they're not approaching it that way. But for Morales and just for they're playing a sport to win the game.

00:29:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, And also who can ever forget?

00:29:10
Speaker 6: And Patrick, I know you remember a lot of these the like storied developed rivalry between those years that the Seahawks and the Panthers played like once a year for year after year after year during the Cam Newton era, like and the fan bases were always at each other. And the Panthers just haven't been good and forever. And now they are feisty, right, they are feisty, and they know that even if this doesn't necessarily affect in a significant way the playoff seating. Specifically, this is a team that is on a roll right now. Bryce Young is playing some of the best football, certainly of his of his career, and has made especially when he's using his legs, which he's gonna have to against the Seahawks' defense. He's made some plays out of structure, scrambledrope plays, really starting to click with his receivers, who I still need to see a complete game for.

00:30:00
Speaker 4: Across the board.

00:30:01
Speaker 6: But where I really think this is a sneaky interesting matchup is Grays Abel's a really good player, right, He's a really promising offensive lineman. He's playing guard. He's awesome, right. We like Greys Abel kind of struggled a little bit the last couple of weeks. And Derek Brown, who's having one of the most underrated seasons of any defensive player in the NFL this year, is on the other side and has made multiple game wrecking plays against opponents of this quality. He did it against the Bucks, he did it against the Rams. That is a danger zone to circle on your playsheet.

00:30:34
Speaker 3: And as Shierra Everro's called great games against this division this season, where you go back to that Monday night game, Yeah, it's like give me back in there. But I'll think about that game against the forty nine ers where j. C. Horn as well as Mike Jackson made those great plays on the ball, kind of confusing the look for brock Party and a chance to do that up against the You know, we just saw a really good pass rush go up against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks seemingly scored unlimited points in the second half of that game. Where I have had some concerns as of late for the Carolina Panthers defense, but you brought it up, and looking back at it, there's a story here. It was that early in the season in twenty fifteen people were wondering is this Panthers thing real? And Cam was up there against the Legion of Boom. They came from behind in the fourth quarter, snatched the flag. Maybe maybe Bryce does it at home.

00:31:31
Speaker 2: Greg, that would be next level.

00:31:33
Speaker 1: We've had so many moments where you just believe in the Panthers a little more, and that would be going to like a completely different level and change how the NFC looks. It hasn't been a good Seattle offensive line of late overall, like run blocking, pass blocking, but it's weakness on weakness. I mean, the Panthers are literally dead last in the league in pressure eight they're the worst pressure.

00:31:54
Speaker 2: Team in the league.

00:31:55
Speaker 1: But I thought they cooked up to your point. Ever owed some good timely blitz is last week. To me, it's all about Bryce, like going down the field, like he needs to hit vertical shots. Josh Norris pointed out over the since Week ten, he is right near or at the top of the league in completion percentage on throws over twenty yards on Big Time Fox Wait. Like he is a walking game winning drive the last couple of weeks, I mean last couple of seasons. If you get him the ball late in the game, he finds a.

00:32:27
Speaker 2: Way to win it.

00:32:28
Speaker 6: Callingham Carolina Reaper down there locally, I hope it sticks.

00:32:32
Speaker 4: That's kind of badass.

00:32:34
Speaker 1: The run game for the Seahawks, you'd like to see it get better a little bit. I wonder if maybe the Panthers run game turned around a little bit. Last week was like a fifty percent success rate, which was an improvement after really struggling.

00:32:46
Speaker 2: They're going to need it, I think to compete.

00:32:47
Speaker 5: With the Seals.

00:32:48
Speaker 6: The thing about the Panthers is I picked the Seahawks nine times out of ten. That one time you catch him on the wrong week. The Panthers have been that team. You catch him on that one week and they will make you pay for it.

00:33:00
Speaker 3: Well, it's going to be back to back games for the Seattle excuse me, for the Carolina Panthers in a revenge against the Matt rule era where it didn't work out for Baker Mayfield.

00:33:08
Speaker 5: We'll see what Sam can do.

00:33:10
Speaker 3: And speaking of Baker, his Dampa Bay Buccaneers five and a half point favorites on the road against the Miami Dolphins and quinn Ewers. Forty six and a half is the number Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on this call, Jordan, are the Buccaneers gonna look better on offense?

00:33:27
Speaker 4: Baker ball is not rolling.

00:33:30
Speaker 6: In fact, it is looking kind of sad and disappointing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

00:33:37
Speaker 4: To me, it's hard to figure out what exactly the problem is.

00:33:39
Speaker 6: I think they have issues on defense, of course, but they just keep making their own mistakes. It is penalties, it is false starts. It's receivers running and you know the quarterback and receivers are on different pages. It's Baker pressing and trying to make throws that aren't necessarily there pushing and maybe sailing a couple of throws. It is just not smooth the way that it looked the entirety of the season, the first part of the season, I mean the entirety of the season. I think they would settle for consistency because they can't. They're not even putting things together in a way that makes sense to me because of all of the pieces that they do have on that offense and they have big time issues on defense.

00:34:24
Speaker 1: Last week was so strange for them because I think Baker played his best game maybe in a couple of months. Yeah, but they didn't ask him to do anything. Like I was like, Baker's actually playing pretty well, and he was like ten for fourteen for eighty yards, you know, Like, but he wasn't making any mistakes. And it was almost like they had a couple short throws on third and long and I was like, Oh, they're putting the governor on Baker.

00:34:45
Speaker 2: That's a bad sign.

00:34:46
Speaker 1: The only thing I'd pushed back with the Buccaneers is I've kind of settled on like the one thing they did well was win crazy games in the fourth quarter, and now they're just losing crazy games.

00:34:54
Speaker 2: They've been great mediocre all.

00:34:57
Speaker 1: Along, and if you look at all the efficiency numbers and stuff, they're very much like team number sixteen to twenty in the NFL and everything like rushing, passing, defense, offense. They're just like a mediocre team. And the players like, they're good players you look at them. But at this point I'm kind of trusting that that issue they are, which is why I do not like five and a half points in this game. And it would not surprise me at all if the Dolphins just end their season here, But even then they actually would need the Panthers to win to end their season.

00:35:27
Speaker 2: They could lose this and still be alive. That would be so depressive.

00:35:30
Speaker 6: Where Okay, quinn Ewers had a terrible third quarter, let's not sugarcoat that at all. The Dolphins overall had a terrible third quarter, five or four turnovers, including one on downs, and the Bengals scored every single time out of those possessions. I will say the first half, quinn Ewers look like quality backup quarterback material, And I think where the Bucks are a little bit vulnerable is right in the middle of the field, and they're they're very good.

00:35:56
Speaker 4: Those rookie corners on the.

00:35:57
Speaker 6: Perimeter and they've been playing well and Meldan is obviously awesome, but like they he is not afraid to laser throw it on these little slants all day long. If his receivers win, he's getting them the ball. And I think, you know, our friend who was on the show, Cody Alexander, worked a lot with with Quinn Yewers coming out trying to read some of these older school pressures and defenses where I think he's gonna not be so frazzled by some of this stuff that Todd Bowles can bring because he's been studying it even back when he was in college.

00:36:29
Speaker 1: They are picking on Levante David and Servasi Dennis every week. Yeah, unfortunately, Levante Davids had a good career, but if you look at who's on the wrong side a lot of these scores that they're giving up, it's him. I actually have more concerns with the Miami defense. I don't know, I have a lot of concerns in general in this game, but like we get into little streaks of the season, it's like, oh, the Dolphins defense is actually played pretty well. Since this like the whole season matters more and in the end, like they're twenty sixth the EPA on defense, their twenty second EPA for play. They're kind of getting run over the last couple of weeks. But I don't know what to think of this game other than it's I think it's a toss up despite Quinn Yours well.

00:37:09
Speaker 3: The score would indicate one thing, but clearly the Dolphins defense was overmatched last week with with t Higgins and Jamar Chase, and most teams would find themselves in that situation with Burrow playing well, but the Dolphins have fifty six point of their receiving yards coming after the catch and the way that you know folks have targeted Levonte David and going running side to sidebook Yeah, yeah, major danger, right.

00:37:35
Speaker 6: Mike wants to do He wants to get Quinn Yours to just slant him to death on these Yak plays, getting moving across the you know side, like you said, side to side and just like have him slant him to.

00:37:47
Speaker 5: Chan potential huge AHN game.

00:37:50
Speaker 2: To the outside.

00:37:52
Speaker 1: It's it's less about vibes, but just more that like if the Bucks were gonna show us, oh where are the real Bucks? I feel like they would have By now, I've kind of like they actually could make the playoffs. Veris like they could lose this game and make the play They could find a way to win that game. But I don't know, just we haven't seen it. And whatever Todd Bowles is doing isn't really working on defense either.

00:38:15
Speaker 5: All right, Bucks, try extra hard, just regret.

00:38:19
Speaker 3: The Philadelphia Eagles, going on the road to take on the Buffalo Bills, were favored by one and a half. It is Fox, Uno, Kevin Burkhart, and Tom Brady.

00:38:29
Speaker 5: The Bills didn't do much. Josh Allen had an X ray at half.

00:38:33
Speaker 3: Tom narrowly squeezed out a win against the Cleveland Browns, Eagles playing much better.

00:38:39
Speaker 1: What do you think, rig I love this matchup. It's gonna be one of the most watched games of the year because it's the only four to twenty five game. It's basically opposite, not like we're all just going to be watching this game in the window. And this is the good on good matchup. It is the very good Bills offense for all the problems that they have, Like it's by far the stronger side. It's a top five unit, and it's a great offensive line against this Eagles defense, where like the four men pass rush for the Eagles hasn't been amazing.

00:39:08
Speaker 2: I would say the last handful of weeks like it's it.

00:39:11
Speaker 1: It hasn't been as dominant, but overall, they're a dominant defense against a really good offensive line. And you're probably getting Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson back for this game if the reporting around the team is right, and so whatever issues that Josh Allen and this offense are having in terms of everything is so condensed. Talk about air yards per attempt like he is dead last or first, depending on how you want to say it. Since I think week twelve and it's not even close, like Aaron Rodgers is second to last and Josh Allen is throwing for the fewest air yards per attempt.

00:39:45
Speaker 2: What have they done with our big beautiful boy?

00:39:48
Speaker 6: Actually, I'd like to pose throw the question back to you because I have theories, But what do you Why do you think they are so truncated down.

00:39:58
Speaker 1: Because that's what's their best, you know, way to win.

00:40:02
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's more it's the it's maximizing the efficiency really and it's it's like, listen when I say that, it's not a compliment because we'd love to see them sail the ball down the field. But it is actually the highest probability play other than pressing the button that can win them games without having to press the button the entire two.

00:40:23
Speaker 1: Wait, do we have Eric on a mike for this show? Because you had a take that I think is Jermaine.

00:40:28
Speaker 8: It's truncated because nobody can catch the damn ball and he's basically like Suck I did Suck I turned it down. But and James Cook is way better at everything than the wide receivers are at most.

00:40:39
Speaker 1: And the tight ends are better than the wide receivers too. And I'm almost not including Khalil in the wide receivers because he's on the inside.

00:40:45
Speaker 2: It's it's the boundary, the whole.

00:40:46
Speaker 8: The whole idea of dad, Dad's strength. Khalil Shakira has been worse since he welcomed the baby into this world. It literally, I've been there, new father stuff. He's tired, man, something that.

00:40:56
Speaker 5: The research now he's he's seen what this whole fatherhood take.

00:41:00
Speaker 8: I think it's or Knocks had a baby. It's it's evening now, but Shakier needs something. Man, you need to take a nap.

00:41:04
Speaker 5: We're a maximum fan motor.

00:41:07
Speaker 2: I love that.

00:41:08
Speaker 4: It's like a reddit board come to life.

00:41:10
Speaker 5: But but yeah, like, let's be honest, we're gonna see that this week.

00:41:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, like, oh yeah, let's dial up Tyrol Shavers on Quinjon Mitchell, Like, no, this is and we love the button. We celebrate the button. The butts went in at halftime. Yeah, well we'll go there, We'll do phrasing.

00:41:26
Speaker 5: It's twenty twenty five where Josh is getting X rays at halftime.

00:41:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, like, come on, well, you know it's crazy, so don't help your colleague. Joe Basalia. Did you know had some numbers on the boundary receivers and who's been coming in and out? Remember when they brought in Brandon Cook.

00:41:42
Speaker 2: That was fun.

00:41:42
Speaker 1: He's had one catch this year. Gabe Davis, Remember when he was in the mix. He was back to a healthy scratch. So was Keon Coleman last week. So if you add up all the names that have been out there, and that includes like Curtis Samuel at some point and Shavers you're talking about. If you add up all eight boundary receivers that have played for them this year and turn them into one person, that one person would only be seventh in the NFL in receiving yards.

00:42:06
Speaker 2: That's that's what.

00:42:07
Speaker 1: They've gotten from all their wide receivers combined.

00:42:11
Speaker 2: That's that's insane.

00:42:12
Speaker 1: George Pickens is like, see you later, six guys, eight guys, whatever it is you.

00:42:17
Speaker 4: Know who should pay Alex Peers.

00:42:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, that would be good.

00:42:20
Speaker 3: Honestly, at a certain point, you're doing yourself a disservice because I know, like Keon hasn't necessarily done everything that you want to do. Let's let's not have Josh in this situation. Like you you want to like be the firm truth teller and like, oh, we need Keon to perform this, that and the other way. There's been multiple games where they've looked like absolutely nothing, and those games have something in common his kids.

00:42:42
Speaker 1: Let's flip the sides before we finished with the minute and talk about you know, Philadelphia's matchup against a Bills defense. Yeah, that has it has its shortcomings, but their old guys have been making plays. Like Jordan Poyer he said it, He's like this season feels like a movie to me.

00:43:00
Speaker 2: And the old.

00:43:01
Speaker 6: Dads are the dads that you know are are like more like you know unks at this point, you know, are are the ones.

00:43:08
Speaker 4: Holding it down. They're making it if this, if I'm following the thread correctly.

00:43:12
Speaker 2: Eric, they're making it happen.

00:43:13
Speaker 1: And you wonder with Lane Johnson back, like, can you get a real running game going?

00:43:17
Speaker 2: Which Eagles offense? Which Eagles offense?

00:43:20
Speaker 1: Do we see? I mean it makes sense for both teams. It's going to be more effective to run. James Cook, by the way leading the league in rushing.

00:43:25
Speaker 6: You know, this close to the new year, it is time for introspection, I think, And on this game, I think, you know which pays is just gonna let me down the least that's gonna win the game, Either the Bills defense or the Eagles offense. Whoever lets us down the least will win this game. So negative, that's the attitude. I'm going into the negative with low expectations.

00:43:49
Speaker 4: Babe expects.

00:43:52
Speaker 2: I think this will be a great one.

00:43:53
Speaker 1: I'm I'm a little surprised Bills are favored in this game, but I still like if this was the Super Bowl, I would be surprised, certainly, But also but I think it's on the table, Like it's on the table in a way that like I'd be more surprised if I saw like the Texans or the Chargers.

00:44:09
Speaker 2: Yeh, in it certainly well.

00:44:12
Speaker 3: One team that might that Greg did not mention could potentially play in this upcoming Super Bowl, the New England Patriots.

00:44:18
Speaker 2: I'd be more surprised to see them yet favored by.

00:44:21
Speaker 3: Thirty teen and a half against the New York Jets. Steordan the over unders forty two and a half?

00:44:26
Speaker 5: Idam I mean? And Greg Rosenthal's great friend and colleague Drew Brees on.

00:44:31
Speaker 1: The phone, neither Why are you even putting me there? Because I've been saying it's been getting better.

00:44:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, you coach, give advice and he has been getting better thanks to your efforts. Do the Jets get better against Greg's Patriots?

00:44:41
Speaker 6: Jordan?

00:44:42
Speaker 4: No?

00:44:42
Speaker 6: Oh, okay, no, no, this this should be This isn't the kind of game where if you're in New England you don't overlook it, obviously, but you do the thing that you need to do, which is be a good team that beats bad teams.

00:44:54
Speaker 2: And that is what they've done.

00:44:56
Speaker 1: And they've done it a year in different ways, and you got towards the latter part of their you know, actually even in the middle when we thought the Panthers were a bad team in different games there where they were winning by a lot. They have to win these two games to win the division. It's a little confusing. If they were gonna have lost the game it was last week, they could have kind of dealt with the Ravens and win these two games to win. But because of division record, they cannot slip up here against the Jets and Dolphins. And there's even a scenario where they you know, the Bills could lose this week because it's a out of conference game that's really not going to hurt them, and they could still win the division the Bills next week if the Patriots stubbed their toe and lose either of these games. Obviously, the Jets, it seems less likely. They are as close to tanking as you know, any team could be, because I think they're playing a quarterback in Brady Cook that just doesn't give him as good a chance to win as another quarterback who's active, and that's Rod Taylor. So that's about as close to tanking as it gets. They have not shown a ton of life on offense on.

00:46:02
Speaker 6: The Patriots side. Couple injuries like pretty significant ones to look out for. As we're recording this right before we're recording this, Mike Rabel said that Travon Henderson, who left the game, Keyshaun Boody, and Jared Wilson bad Jared Wilson are all in the concussion protocol, which you know obviously you're going to keep just keep an eye on that all.

00:46:23
Speaker 1: Morgan Moses, their right tackle, left that game, so they could be down like three offensive line. And Will Campbell is not back. I think they're hoping he's back for the playoffs. They've really missed Robert Splaine at linebacker just because the big drop off. But they might get Milton Williams back this week. It's interesting that if they would play him in this game, but maybe you don't give him a full compliment of snaps he is practicing. They sounded pretty optimistic about it, and yeah, it'd be great for Drake May to just go out there and put up a big put up a big number like he did last week that was his first three hundred yard game of the season.

00:46:55
Speaker 2: Put it up on a bad defense.

00:46:58
Speaker 1: There haven't been many times where they've actually asked him to do something like that.

00:47:02
Speaker 3: And while we know it's a bad defense, perhaps a lot of scribes greg watching that game on Sunday Night Football. Just noticed that he was just throwing for those numbers, three hundred yards an important game after Matt Stafford comes off a loss.

00:47:17
Speaker 5: We don't go negative on the conversation. Points.

00:47:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, but Drake May has pulled within fifteen points of Matthew Stafford.

00:47:25
Speaker 1: And when I say bad, I mean this defense is bad. That was a good performance against Baltimore.

00:47:30
Speaker 4: How many points?

00:47:31
Speaker 6: I'm not saying this is going to happen, Greg, Yeah, but how many points would we knock Drake May? If he gives the Jets their first interception of the entire season, which they have not gotten yet.

00:47:40
Speaker 2: I think we would knock him. I think that's fair.

00:47:42
Speaker 1: I have been noticing among the tape heads out there, it does seem a little more split than the Vegas odds would indicate. I think Drake May is gonna get his share of first place votes if that voting was today, because there's just a great case to be made for both. But the one for him is watching how he navigates the pocket and that kind of reminds you of like what he's overcoming, and that's a bad offensive line and not like the best looking group on paper of receivers and that he's doing a lot on his own, so a big performance would help him, if you I.

00:48:16
Speaker 6: One of my favorite things ever is when a quarterback who's good at that shows his work and like draws it out for the viewer.

00:48:24
Speaker 4: If you watch the.

00:48:24
Speaker 6: Sort of All twenty two toward the quarterback angle of any of these past past protection snaps, in any of these drops where he's navigating the pocket, he literally is drawing you a map of how he's navigating the bucket. It is so exaggerated in the best way where to your point you can exactly see he's showing his work. Matthew Stafford does the same thing, just saying no.

00:48:50
Speaker 1: He is one of the best I've ever seen at how he does it. Burrow, Burrow doesn't really entering the league was amazing. I think it's Brady's super duper power. It's what made him Brady. But to do it with kind of the extra athoticism.

00:49:03
Speaker 2: That may have he's got a chance, got a chance.

00:49:10
Speaker 1: The conversation is happening right now, just not a lot of conversation about the New York Jets.

00:49:14
Speaker 2: Let's take a quick break and we're gonna come back.

00:49:19
Speaker 1: We're going to talk about a banger of a Sunday night football game, A game so good I think they flexed into it, right, Bears forty nine. They didn't flex, but they should have. This would have been the game they picked. It's time for the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota.

00:49:43
Speaker 2: Let's go places. Oh sometimes the right game. Oh yeah, this rocks. Oh Christmas rocking. There's no I like it. It rocks.

00:50:03
Speaker 1: If the Christmas house band that we have locked up all year, then we take out.

00:50:10
Speaker 2: Just for this moment.

00:50:12
Speaker 1: Sometimes a game like Bears forty nine Ers, it's a.

00:50:17
Speaker 2: Lot going on Christmas.

00:50:21
Speaker 1: If this game happened in like Week six, it would just be like, okay, you know. Sometimes it's happening at the perfect time, as these two teams are absolutely cresting and there is so much at stake, the Bears trying to win the NFC North. There's a possibility they will have already won it if the Packers lost on Saturday. But either way, the Bears are playing for essentially a playoff victory, which would be a one seed because they still very much have a chance at doing that. Going to Santa Clara to face a forty nine Ers team that has snuck up on everyone and they've put the Rams into third place in the NFC. The forty nine ers just have to win out just to get the one seed they're gonna they have a hard road to do it. They would have to beat the Bears in Seahawks. And these are the types of playoff previews that I'm talking about. And we talked Coach of the Year with Ali Connelly. This is a coach of the Year off and we might have another one in Week eighteen between Mike McDonald and the winner of that little round robin might just get Coach of the year. Everything is on the table. Patrick. When you look at oh, I don't know. When you look at like this game, what do you think is the best group in this game?

00:51:37
Speaker 3: The best group is the Bears run game. The Bears run game against this forty nine Ers front where they've they've had to deal with a lot, and I understand they really had Philip Rivers and the Colts late in the game, you know, go in the other direction. But I think it's an opportunity for Ben Johnson and company. Who'll be my pick for Coach of the year. Kyle scouts so many vets like I don't think Trent Williams, brock Party and all those guys, George Kittle, they come back, they get healthy.

00:52:05
Speaker 5: It's not like you got to reteach them football.

00:52:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, but they they all missed parts of the year and they won games like either without them or with them playing her And I do give a little credit for like the multi year process. Maybe you shouldn't, but like that he identified the right people to have in that system.

00:52:24
Speaker 3: Anyways, Oh no, I'm just acknowledging the farcical nature of the voting for this award. That's essentially like, hey, you did the most with the least. But it's like we got a couple guys going to Campton. I don't know that it's fair to say.

00:52:35
Speaker 2: Well, that's what I mean. It's why be the change.

00:52:37
Speaker 1: We talked about it, and you can pick any We don't need to make this a coach of the Year discussion, but it is a good one to keep an eye because I would I think right now the forty nine ers passing attack and their offense in general might be even better, Like their best is maybe better than the Bear's best, and considering both defenses could be weak spots. I know the Bears have created a lot more turnovers that maybe that's good enough to win in a shootout when.

00:53:02
Speaker 6: I'm thinking about the forty nine ers personnel on defense, the size of their personnel on defense, particularly in the second and third levels, the inexperience of their defense, particularly in the second and third levels, and their lack of size on the edges in some of those wider zone runs that we know in mid zone that Ben Jonson likes to run. And then I look at DeAndre Swift who's at nine hundred and ninety three yards and Kyle Macnunguy who's at seven hundred thirty one yards, and DeAndre Swift is running at a ninety six percent, excuse me, a forty seven point one WOO success rate, and Kyle Manungui is running at a forty six point five percent success rate. The two headed monster in Chicago, to me, is the dominating force in this game, and Bob Sala has to dedicate every single trick he has in the book other than magic beans that grow people larger, to go and take care of this run game because it is a monster.

00:53:55
Speaker 1: We've heard that trash You were talking early in the season about him like the first month of the season, DeAndre Swift has taking some shots on.

00:54:02
Speaker 4: This Wow when he wasn't running for what he was blocked for.

00:54:06
Speaker 3: It's yeah, that was Ben Johnson and then Jordan kind of clarifying and highlighting you're welcome.

00:54:13
Speaker 1: Andre Swift is like the streakiest running back ever. He's this is the best stretch of his career.

00:54:17
Speaker 6: Though he is and manunguy is pushing him. I think there is something to be said for that. You see it sometimes when a veteran player is like wanting to find that little extra lever right that again and regain it, and it's just it's hard to have it on all the time. Right at a certain point, and Kyle Manungai comes in and he is physical and he can be explosive, but he is running through people. It is both of these guys together are buying the offensive line, which is in turn reflected in the way that they're blocking. They've really come together as a unit, and I do think this is the number one advantage of both sides of this game.

00:54:55
Speaker 3: It's easier to lean on the lever when you don't have to be on the field all the time. Al Gungi allows DeAndre swift to get those breaks to be explosive where we saw the forty ninders being super explosive. And I know Brock loves to take chances. He doesn't get Gunslinger credit because the arm's not as big, But I don't think Brock can make the type of George down there somewhere, all right, Juwan, go get that against Mishan, Wriott and Brisker and the rest of this bear secondary.

00:55:21
Speaker 5: I think they will get the ball a couple of times.

00:55:23
Speaker 1: And how about Pro Bowler Kevin Byerd getting it done late in his career? You wanted they have three Pro Bowlers and it was Drew Dolman first Pro Bowl the center, and Joe Toney and then how about Kevin Byrd in.

00:55:36
Speaker 2: The back end.

00:55:36
Speaker 1: The thing I've really been impressed about Brock since he's come back and he got that first game out of the way, really is his decision making.

00:55:45
Speaker 2: I don't think he's taking too many chances.

00:55:47
Speaker 1: I know there was a thrower two in the Indianapolis game, but he was right to trust the guys there and it wasn't too much. He's playing really high level football and I think both of these quarterbacks are not gonna face much of a pass rush, but Purty, because of his experience and the players around him and his coach, to me, against a team with no pass rush, they could actually do what the Packers did a little bit, which is keep that Bears offense off the field. That first half really stands in my mind. And I know they blew one situation near the goal in but they were averaging like seven yards for play against the Packers and they didn't have any points because the Packers were going on these long drives. And I do think the forty nine ers could do that, especially if they have Kittle. Kittle had an ankle sprain in that game. He said afterwards he does not think it's a high ankle sprain, so knowing him, he'll probably play through it, but you hope he's one hundred percent.

00:56:34
Speaker 6: I like that you said that, Greg, because this is an opportunity for the most with Yushchek, Kittle, potentially McCaffrey on the field, the potential for the vintage I'll Shanahan, Yeah, you got Matt Lafleur once, but you ain't getting me suffocation ball game.

00:56:55
Speaker 4: Seen it before, could see it again.

00:56:56
Speaker 1: And the Bears have one big advantage here. Well, first of all, they get a couple of extra day's rest. That's a nice one. Secondly, they've been in these fights these games, game after game, week after week, and no slight to Philip Rivers here. But the forty nine ers. I went and checked this. I was like, when was the last time they played a close game? It was like Week four or five. Every single game whether they win or lose. And they did get beaten a couple of times with mac in with Brock what like, it hasn't been close. They haven't been in a close game since that Rams comeback in Week five. That it's just kind of a weird thing that if it came down to the end, the Bears do have a little magic that tends to happen late in these games, and that magic is Caleb Williams just doing awesome stuff. That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota Let's Go Place. Toyota is all in all season, with another year of Toyota Game Day giveaways coming up. During this week's Sunday Night game, the Houston Texans versus the Kansas City Chiefs, if the first drive of the second half ends in point points or points are scored in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. One hundred fans will each win one hundred and fifty dollars NFL gift card for this holiday season, just in time to gift or grab the gear you love. Terms and conditions apply. Enter for a chance to win at Toyota Game Day Giveaways dot com.

00:58:20
Speaker 9: No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Ends two eight twenty six. Open to legal residents of the fifty US States and DC eighteen and over. For complete details, how to enter, prizes and official rules, visit Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot com.

00:58:33
Speaker 1: I never let you introduce this game, Fu, I was exciting, but it's it's a it's a three point favorite for the forty nine. I mean, if you're excited, I'm gonna do it again.

00:58:42
Speaker 2: Let's go.

00:58:44
Speaker 1: The Rams are favored by seven and a half points in this game. They're going to the Falcons in Atlanta. Draft Pick. It's all happening. Joe Buck Troy Aikman on the call. I'm introducing it just to feel a little more alive in this holiday week. Jordan, can you imagine any scenario where the Falcons keep this close and make the Rams sweated out.

00:59:10
Speaker 6: I mean, I've seen weird Rams games before they lost to the Panthers this year, so I mean, like, you know, it's but the Rams are, uh well, the vibe that I got talking to people in the building at the end of last week angry as hell. And also this is a first of all, this is a draft pick game winning. This helps them in the short and the long term game. This is a Matthew Stafford did not get a chance to be the one with the ball in his hands at the end of the game, which salts to him like you guys would not freaking believe. And this is also Sean McVay getting a little bit more sleep this week game against.

00:59:48
Speaker 1: His the I mean we literally put up fight one yards.

00:59:55
Speaker 6: Were on baby stat watch and this but this is Sean McVay against Raheem Morris, this is Chrishula against Zach Robinson. The connections across the line of scrimmage for both of these coaching staffs, I respectfully say I give that edge to the Rams every single time, regardless if you were going to say entering the season, you're just looking at these matchups, you know, scheme over scheme, it's it's gonna be McVeigh.

01:00:20
Speaker 1: And the Rams kind of sad because he can help, you know, make this Falcon's coaching staff, which is coaching for its jobs, look bad with a big time win. And yet you're right, they are angry. They are going to be trying a little bit harder. Let's listen to Sean McVay. This is in an interview with our friend JB.

01:00:36
Speaker 10: Long during the week, and that's irregardless of whether we want or not. I could, you know, point to a handful of plays that if we make them. But but you know what, we didn't. We're not victims. We're not gonna make excuses. That's not who we are. That's not how we're wired. You give Seattle credit, but make no mistake about it. This is going to strengthen us. And I I just I know it.

01:00:54
Speaker 4: Greg, you asked me, he knows it. You asked me at the end of.

01:01:03
Speaker 6: Our recap of the Thursday night game, which you could catch over on the NFL's stream and main channel. I know there were some concerns that we did not cover that game.

01:01:14
Speaker 4: We cover every game, guys, We.

01:01:16
Speaker 2: Actually a game.

01:01:17
Speaker 1: Blady brought this up just a little programming note. The live YouTube ones are now listed under the NFL's official handle, but ours as well. If you can go to the NFL Daily and scroll down, if you look at the collaborations, you'll see our Monday night recap Colts and forty nine ers, and you will see the one now they are collaborating so you can find out the Just look at so we've got new friends at the bottom of the page.

01:01:39
Speaker 6: Hello, Hi, Sorry about us in advance, but we like you and we're happy you're here. You asked me at during that recap, what do you think Sean McVay is going to be the angriest about And I said, oh, he's going to be so mad at special teams he won't even be.

01:01:53
Speaker 4: Able to see.

01:01:54
Speaker 6: Well, he fired his special teams coordinator, the first coordinator change that the Sean McVay is ever made during the season. Chase Blackburn had been with the team for a couple of seasons, and someone named Ben Kodwika is taking over and they're gonna get some help with an assistant coming in who was with the forty nine ers at one point, and you know, but it's this is a massive change to make. But they've lost multiple games this Sea's actually all of their losses, special teams was a big contributor in those losses. Now, there are other reasons why they lost, obviously, but I think that Sean McVay had just had enough at this point.

01:02:33
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of Rams fans that said, can't you have thought about this in the offseason.

01:02:38
Speaker 6: Yeah.

01:02:38
Speaker 4: I think there's a lot of logical people that think that.

01:02:41
Speaker 3: I think that's generally true because it's the like defense against the dark arts position in the NFL, Like we see special teams coordinators go after wins after losses, like it's constant just being rotated in and out where it's like, really, was was it this week?

01:02:56
Speaker 5: Like the plan just went that wrong this week?

01:02:58
Speaker 4: Yeah?

01:02:59
Speaker 1: This also, it seems like an organizational lack of emphasis one minute, Yeah, the way he.

01:03:05
Speaker 2: Talks about some teams.

01:03:06
Speaker 1: Some organizations emphasize special teams in the way that they construct their rosters. And even when you hear Sean McVay talk about it, it really stuck in my craw when they just decided to not compete on the kickoff last year, there was just like we don't want to try then, just like it's very anti football.

01:03:21
Speaker 6: I would say that the number one way to solve this problem is if Sean McVay himself spent more time right on.

01:03:27
Speaker 2: So that's what I'm saying. He helps everything.

01:03:30
Speaker 1: And ultimately, look, their offense is in an incredible place and they're playing a defense with a lot of holes, and on the other side, they're playing against the Falcons offense that has been solid with Kirk Cousins maybe even a little better. He's not making mistakes. It was mostly near the line of scrimmage last week and has like big time players Kyle Pitts might get over a thousand yards and shout out to Bejon Robinson.

01:03:56
Speaker 2: Just want to recognize this.

01:03:58
Speaker 1: He is the first player and only the second player in NFL history along with Marshall Fock. If he can land the plane to average five yards per carry and ten yards per catch in a season with at least like two hundred rushes and sixty catches, he is over two thousand yards on the season. He can make any good scheme look bad. And he's just been dialing up about one hundred and seventy yards every single week.

01:04:22
Speaker 4: He's incredible, hosting identical stats.

01:04:25
Speaker 3: Jean Robinson, pay the man, Okay, Jordan making sure everything's all right. Everything's not alright for the Arizona Cardinals defense has fallen off greg The offense took its turn last week. They are seven point dogs at the Cincinnati Bengals. The over under his fifty three and a half. Kevin Coogler and Moose Johnston on the call. How's this winger?

01:04:49
Speaker 1: It goes with a lot of points scored by the Cincinnati Bengals having fun. You know what I took away from that game in Miami that Burrow. It's like he's moving really well. Remember he had a foot injury earlier this year.

01:05:03
Speaker 5: He's got the special shoe.

01:05:04
Speaker 2: But he's always moved well.

01:05:07
Speaker 1: But he talked about that coming into this season, and I thought it showed up early this season before he had the injury that I think he was looking even more athletic than he did earlier in his career. And he's always, you know, obviously moved well in the pocket. But I just think like it's another level, kind of like we saw Lamar go up a level I thought last year going into the year. It's incredible. And this Cardinals defense is just giving up like a forty burger every week.

01:05:32
Speaker 5: It is tough.

01:05:34
Speaker 6: The Cardinals just signed Josh Carty, the disgraced Rams kicker.

01:05:39
Speaker 1: Does he disgrace Oh, that would mean he did something bad, do anything bad. I mean, if he was a picker for any other franchise, you wouldn't have called him disgraced.

01:05:51
Speaker 6: Josh Carty is a very nice young man, and I think he's gonna have a great career ahead of him. I watched him at Senior Bowl all the way. I watched every probably every kick, every you know, warm up kick of his entire career, and I think he's going to do just fie. However, when you're signed by the Cardinals late in the season, it does not look good for you in that moment of time with this Cardinals team. Also Garrett Williams, unfortunately it's an achilles injury and he's going to be on injured reserve to finish out the season, as will be Walter Nolan. So super super disappointing season in so many ways for the Cardinals, but also two of their best players. Obviously, Walter Nolan really really sparked when he was healthy, and Garrett Wilson is Garrett Williams is one of you know, the more underrated corners.

01:06:38
Speaker 4: In the league.

01:06:39
Speaker 6: Really tough, tough scene for Arizona for a lot of reasons, but more injury woes continue.

01:06:45
Speaker 2: It's thinks for the next coach if it's not Jonathan Gannon.

01:06:48
Speaker 5: I know.

01:06:49
Speaker 1: Ian Rappaport thought, you know in his report kind of summing up everything that there might not be changes. This is on track to be the worst Arizona Cardinals team of all time, which is hard to believe. But in terms of the record, I think it's the seventeenth game gets it worse. But if they don't win another game, they are the worst team. They are, by the way, without Kyler Murray in the Jonathan Garnon era. Then he went, I mean it's hard to just they've played nineteen games without Kyler Murray in the Gannon era. Do you want to guess how many they have won out of those nineteen games?

01:07:20
Speaker 2: Three? Three, two?

01:07:21
Speaker 4: Oh see we were up.

01:07:23
Speaker 3: Oh but see that was the cause of the whole vibe positivity in the desert, right.

01:07:27
Speaker 5: It was all Kyler's fault.

01:07:28
Speaker 3: And now finally that bad guy Kyler Murray is gone and the team can get back to being professional and losing all of these games.

01:07:35
Speaker 5: But they did have one positive note.

01:07:37
Speaker 3: Although treymt Brod's streak got snapped, he's going to stop at sixteen games with five or more receptions. Elijah Higgins played pretty well, so there's somebody to load up with targets. And they're playing against the defense that's now fallen down to the second highest blitz rate behind the Minnesota Vikings the Atlanta Falcons.

01:07:56
Speaker 5: And nobody's gotten blitz more than Jacoby this year.

01:07:58
Speaker 1: And shout out to all the fans NSC owners who have been riding that steady like twenty points a week from Jacoby. I mean, he's gonna get it done for you. And this week it could be even a little extra. Also a little tankathon impact on this game. This is involving the teams that currently have the number six pick in the number nine picks too strong.

01:08:18
Speaker 4: I should have used cast out.

01:08:20
Speaker 5: It's going to there's a few the McVeigh castaways.

01:08:23
Speaker 4: The castaways.

01:08:24
Speaker 5: The list grows.

01:08:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, there's a full island of them at this point. That'd be a good show segment.

01:08:29
Speaker 5: As a special teams coach this.

01:08:31
Speaker 4: Week, William Cohen swam back one of those.

01:08:33
Speaker 3: Teams that's not the Bucks in the NFC South that is playing significantly better at this point in the season is the New Orleans Saints. Also, every team in the South other than the Bucks playing pretty well right now. The Saints favored by two and a half on the road against Jordan the Tennessee Titans, who just thrashed the defending AFC champions, albeit without either one of their quarterbacks Andrew Catalan, Charles Davis, and Jason mccordy. On the call to the Titans, who famously didn't have a legitimate win earlier this year.

01:09:00
Speaker 5: According to our friend Greg.

01:09:02
Speaker 3: Rosenthal, get up back to back win against the Saints this week.

01:09:06
Speaker 6: You know, I think they have a shot. But guess what, I've been describing the Tennessee Titans in this way all year, I think. But you know what I think of the New Orleans Saints at this juncture, Patrick, what's that creditable? Creditable group? They are impressing me. The New Orleans Saints every week seem to improve in some form or fashion in every phase.

01:09:31
Speaker 4: Credit to them. Creditable And it's.

01:09:33
Speaker 2: All about the quarterback.

01:09:34
Speaker 1: Like if Tyler Shuck wasn't playing like this, it would it'd be nice that you're winning some games. You probably wouldn't have been winning these games if he wasn't playing like this, because he is the reason that they won a few. But let's say, like last week against the Jets, they're winning nine to six. At halftime, he doesn't really look that good in the first half. His past are a little all over the place. He might be playing through an injury. And then he balls out in the second half, and when he throws a pretty ball, and I think it's going to be important for him to get to the finish line here after all the injuries that he went through in college. He has taken some big hits. We're about we're going to talk about Jackson Dart and like some of the big hits that these guys take are in the pocket. It's not like running or anything. It's true less. So I think of cam Ward, even though he's taken a lot of sacks, I think he avoids it better. He's coming off his best game of the year. But yeah, I think Chuck just keeping this excellent level of play going and getting to the finish line healthy, I think it's gonna be big. These are, you know, the two best rookie quarterbacks in the league right now.

01:10:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, and maybe an opportunity for somebody to stake that claim as the best rookie.

01:10:40
Speaker 2: Quarterback conversation subject.

01:10:42
Speaker 1: Wait, I do have something about this, this offensive rookie of the year chatter. The Saints fans, because they haven't had much to root for, are really getting in on this, like Chuck should be offensive rookie of the year, this, that, and the other. He's actually bumped up pretty high in the odds, for whatever that's worth. I think he's up to second or third, where he's like, not really that far behind. I think he's second right now. I think that's crazy. I think to win Rookie of the Year playing only nine games, and that's assuming he plays the next two, your performance would have to be so exceptional that then you get into that conversation and you win. If you miss half the season, I'm not hearing it. If there's other good candidates.

01:11:21
Speaker 5: And also more of those nine games would need to be good.

01:11:24
Speaker 3: Albeit, Tyler Shuck has played pretty good here once we got into the stretch, run creditable if you will, those first few not up there. Meanwhile, t Mac has the Carolina Panthers contending for a playoff spot, and he's been their clear number one.

01:11:39
Speaker 1: If you averaged out a Tyler shuck game and gave him seventeen of those, I would listen, like, maybe that is the rookie of the year.

01:11:47
Speaker 2: But I agree with your point, it's not too amazing.

01:11:51
Speaker 1: Speaking of rooking classes, while we go deep on this Titan Sanes game, let's do it also important for Tankathon. I think harbod he'd be an interesting pick in Tennessee. By the way, they are only the second team in the Super Bowl era to have three rookies with at least three hundred receiving yards. Alec iomanor of course to Marry Dk and then Gunner Helm who's been kind of frisky at tight end. And they all made some plays for cam Ward last week. So if you could guess the other team, I would give you a lot, but I'll give you a big time hint. It was in the last five years receivers this trivia. This is where they just receiver the fifteen seconds later.

01:12:35
Speaker 4: Yeah, fifteen.

01:12:37
Speaker 1: It was the Packers a couple of years. Oh it just happened. Everybody eats Packers. I think the Titans win this big upset pick debut.

01:12:46
Speaker 5: Oh wow, if only somebody picked the Titans to win against.

01:12:50
Speaker 2: The Kansasity getting job by you, big job by you.

01:12:53
Speaker 3: The antithesis of everybody eats, folks are starving. It is the New York Giants on the road taking on the Las Vegas Raiders, who were favored about one and a half because the Giants offense it was going up against Flores's defense was Kafka esque yesterday, I mean last week where it was bizarre, uniquely horrible Kevin Harland and Trent Green there the over under is forty one and a half?

01:13:20
Speaker 5: Who what do we do with this? Greg?

01:13:23
Speaker 2: We watch do it? We don't watch?

01:13:28
Speaker 1: We think about the professionalism of Kevin Harlan, who was what was he?

01:13:35
Speaker 2: What game was he on last week?

01:13:37
Speaker 5: Whatever it best one because he was calling it.

01:13:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, whatever it was, it didn't have anything. It was the Titans Chiefs now that I remember. He approached that with all the energy and enthusiasm and great calls that he does every week, and they put him on this game. They're still higher up on the high, up on the totopole because these are two big markets. It actually, you know, this is not the bottom game, and this could very well decide the number one overall draft pick. This is one and two in Tankathon, the only two teams with only two wins this season, so it matters a lot. And the Raiders are coming in with some momentum after a good performance on both.

01:14:17
Speaker 2: Sides of them.

01:14:18
Speaker 6: Oh, I just I'd like to imagine, if you will, some one liners from Kevin Harlan that could be possible, Okay, carrying this game just off the dome, I'm thinking, you know, and it's Pete Carroll getting the butt slap, you know, or you know, Max Crosby a menace.

01:14:38
Speaker 3: Like we don't need no stick in tank for someone who's who's gonna have a big performance here Where the Giants were in that game, purely because I don't know who it was.

01:14:48
Speaker 5: Where this office of line was J. J. McCarthy.

01:14:50
Speaker 3: They just leave Brian Burns on the end of the line and McCarthy is not looking at him, Brian Burns clearly like there's nothing impeding him at all.

01:14:59
Speaker 2: And it's it's the screen. It's a screen.

01:15:01
Speaker 1: And they explained that he it was kind of unfortunate it was a screen. It was more than unfortunately.

01:15:07
Speaker 2: That's not it.

01:15:08
Speaker 1: They always leave like a free rusher on the side on a screen got you gotta get rid of the ball. But he hurt his hand just two plays before, and and it was confirmed by Koc and Jay. I know we're talking about a team that's game, but it was interesting to me and Chaos and JJ confirmed it and you can see it on tape. He hurts his hand two plays before and he can't catch the snap in shotgun and he tries to like get the ball with two hands and he just can't like hold the ball.

01:15:35
Speaker 2: So he's like pumping it.

01:15:37
Speaker 1: And so he knew he was trying to just dirt it because that's what you gotta do if the screen's not gonna work. And the screen wasn't gonna work, there was a defender in his way, and so he's like fumbling with the ball with this injured hand and then just takes a brutal hit.

01:15:49
Speaker 5: But that's what it takes.

01:15:50
Speaker 3: It takes that kind of calamity for the Giants to actually score of football points.

01:15:55
Speaker 2: Calemity.

01:15:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, So again, I don't know that this Raiders defense can emulate what the Vikings were able to do. But not a lot of calls for optimism for late season Jackson Dart and the Giants offense.

01:16:07
Speaker 2: Dart sacked in the end zone. Calamity. I don't know.

01:16:13
Speaker 1: Ashon Genti had some moments, yeah, a lot of them. Good for him and Drew Locke. He's doing the opposite of what I was talking about with Shuck. He is struggling to get to the finish line. He is not getting helped out. His entire left side and center of the offensive line was hurt last week. He's not getting protected. But if you look at him in press conferences and then watch him on the field, it has worn him down. He is like, you know, the the meme of like the president a couple you know, Barack Obama four years into his term or whatever that is, like Jackson Dart in one year of New York.

01:16:45
Speaker 2: Like it's a little he looks a little weathered right now.

01:16:48
Speaker 3: You feel that's the collective pressure of playing in the most important place.

01:16:52
Speaker 2: That's it.

01:16:52
Speaker 1: I think it's more playing for important place in organization that fired the one guy that was actually helping you and like sneakily, not that I'm like caping for Brian Dable, but they've been kind of lost on offense without Brian Dable and like that was his guy. Brian dable and if you want to develop a quarterback, it hasn't worked because.

01:17:14
Speaker 2: It was tough to watch.

01:17:15
Speaker 1: I know it was against Brian Flores, but he looked as lost as any quarterback all season in that game.

01:17:19
Speaker 6: Are you saying that Jackson Darts undergoing some sort of a physical metamorphisms?

01:17:23
Speaker 2: There?

01:17:23
Speaker 5: It is?

01:17:25
Speaker 1: You know who also wants to put some good tape out there? You know Smith for all the teams out there, probably a backup next year, maybe a one B in a certain scenario. I'd love him to be a backup like on a good team, and then you know, if anything happens, so'll be it. He's playing for a job and put out some good tape last.

01:17:45
Speaker 3: Week sounded like a threat for whoever's starting a energy you know from Kriig.

01:17:49
Speaker 2: I don't want to see him on the Giant. Don't bring him back. You lost your chance.

01:17:55
Speaker 1: They had fifteen runs in that That was the most preposterous game of the season. I know not many of you will watch, but they had fifteen in that game before they threw a pass the Giants kind of incredible.

01:18:03
Speaker 2: That was it. This has been incredible.

01:18:05
Speaker 5: They should have done sixty.

01:18:08
Speaker 2: There were a couple of.

01:18:08
Speaker 1: Past plays where he just didn't get the pass off. But yes, we did it. We did it. We're not tired, We're feeling great. Okay, everything is okay. Episode Patrick wrapped up his Fantasy Live.

01:18:25
Speaker 2: Yeah for the season.

01:18:27
Speaker 1: I know, mixed emotions there, but the host with the most on a great program.

01:18:32
Speaker 2: A congrats to the Fantasy Life.

01:18:34
Speaker 3: Yeah, a great that I was able to do a TV show where it was able to be me with really cool people, with an audience that gets us, and so a lot like this show. So I have an embarrassment of riches in the people in my proximity.

01:18:46
Speaker 1: Secret weapon at NFL Network for a long time. Fantasy Live. We will take a little bit of a break, but in the feed you will hear us a little later. Me Cynthia frielan to keep the greatest streak in sports going eleven or twelve straight weeks. I've lost count at this point. So that our picks will be up Friday. We're also going to recap the Christmas games. It's the last time you'll hear us. Merry Christmas, everyone, see you on the other side.