2022 Thanksgiving Day Recap

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Speaker 1: The Around the NFL podcast. It's thankful for an excuse to get away from their families. Happy post Thanksgiving everyone in America and across the world. Happy Friday. It's around the NFL. We are scattered across the South Land and surrounding territories. Uh, the day after, the morning after Thanksgiving, Big day, Big sports Day. I've already said it, but in case you didn't hear, and it's gonna even sting more after the fact. All these English listeners that are very confident about how the soccer match is gonna go today. Wow, a lot of disappointment. By the time you hear this, the disappointment will still be soaking in from a USA upset for the ages um. So that's coming up later today. We got a full gate. We have a full slate of Sunday games, but Mark greg starting now, we're gonna go through the three Thanksgiving contests. And it was some fun football. This is one of the best football days of the year. We didn't have to do a show, which was nice. You can just watch the football. But I say we got one great game one uh at night, extremely entertaining game. I don't it was a great game, but it was fun, and then you know, the middle game at least was interesting. We had to come back. You know, that was as good as it was going to get. Well, what a what a different Thanksgiving slate than the last um to twenty six before it, because typically that early Lions game you got the families starting to get together, random relatives and it operates as a total energy stuck inside your house. Um, this was the complete opposite. And it was like sitting there in the earliest game of the day and it is a fantastic matchup between the Bills, and like, I just wish it had ended differently a kind of Um, I know that you think that I'm not really like on the Lions team of a t L thing, but I needed them to come to me, and I think yesterday they did and I got pulled in emotionally. And now it's like, of course, now that you get pulled in emotionally, they just cut your throat. So it's your fault, that's what you're saying. Well, you need them to come into you. So they needed to win three straight and then have a lead over like a Super Bowl favorite. And then Mark was like, okay, maybe my bar is high. He's also a Titans fan. Now, so the bar is very high in terms of what you need to do to earn his loyalty. Uh these days, yeah, I think, especially where we are on the West coast. The first game kicks off at nine thirty perfect, so you really I was one of the people that host Thanksgiving, my wife and I, so there's a lot of stuff to do. But the nine thirty kickoff beautiful. You get you have stuff that you're doing, but you're watching the game, you know, pretty much unbothered. Then the middle game comes and things get a little messy time wise, with people showing up, more things you have to do. So that was the one game where I wasn't as locked in, and that's fine because that was the least interesting game than the late game comes post dinner, You settle in, you enjoy the enjoy it all. So it was it was great. It was American, It was John Madden. I really like that the way that the NFL um played up the Madden side of things, because he really is Americana and and and he is football and he is Thanksgiving. So well well done by the NFL. Shall we get into the games, boys, please? All right? Justin Graver speaking of John Madden. Before we get into Lions Bills, let's hear from the legend boom, there's no place to go. Some people say that that stick. He says, boom. That's that's why I'm two good. Boom you hit. I mean that's boom boom, boom boom. He's right through there. That's the way football should be run. Second and goal from the five, Josh and shotgun. Two receivers right side to to the left. The snap Josh wants to throw fires left side, caught touchdown, step On Dicks, touchdown, Buffalo. They moved it all the way down the field and the Bills regained the lead with two minutes forty seconds lap. Yes, Josh Allen, Steph Diggs, you know that was a big play in the game, obviously, um. But the bigger play, the bigger digs allan connection for me and in terms of what it meant in the game was after the Lions, and we're gonna get into it how the Lions handled that final possession, settled for the long field goal, and then Josh Allen and I know, and Romo was all over this. Boys. He was saying that elbow is still a thing. There's certain throws that are gonna ding him, and it's something he's struggling with. He put that thing on a line forty five yards down the field to Diggs to set up Tyler Bass's forty five yard field goal two seconds to play. It was the difference in the Bill's win over the Lions on Thanksgiving from Ford Field. Greggy, let's start with the Bill's side of it, because again, I think this is the this is the stuff of champions. This is a team that rolled through the league, hit a lot of turbulence, and now, even though it's not as easy as it was, you see that in them, that DNA of the great teams that rise up when necessary, and they did it again in this game. Yeah, the two drives back to back. Yes, it ended with the Digs touchdown to take the lead with two forty to go. But I think of that drive as an example of how Alan's evolved. They were so patient on that drive they gave. You know, the Lions were backing up. The lines are not a great defense. They forced three stops in a row for really, because they had the interception to start the second half, and then three punts in a row and then Alan finally gets patient again and moves the ball slowly down the field. It reminded me a week one against the Rams, we've seen this development from him. He ran when he needed to, and he ran more in the fourth quarter once again when it was winning time, but it was mostly six seven yard passes going through his progression being patient, got protected well, and it ends with the the Digs touchdown and then you get it back with twenty three seconds left. And we're so used to these teams setting up for field goals and twenty three seconds left, but it's like not normal, and it takes something great like that Diggs throw that you mentioned. So you get the patient, you get the intelligence, but you get the athleticism and then the ridiculous arm. And on a day when the Lions almost felt like the better team, it's like the Bills still had the best player, and that that's Josh Allen. Yeah. I mean, just you look at what the Bills have been through over the last week, and it was notable to me the look on Josh Allen's face afterwards when he was just embracing and hugging Digs that, like Diggs is the one they talked about on the sideline kind of acting as like the spiritual center for that team, trying to lift them up because Tracy Wilson said they were totally flat, that Lions team had really taken the energy out of them entirely from wire to wire until the end. And I know, I mean Romo said it roughly seven hundred and forty times about the elbows still bothering Josh Allen, but you could see it, I think on a bunch of throws, but then he could still It's kind of like when these guys are down physically, like Allan still made those key throws when it mattered most. And we've gotten to the point with the Bills. I know they're a terrible red zone offense statistically, but when they had those twenty plus seconds left at the end, was anyone doubting that they were gonna go it down and kick the field goal? And it just happened automatically. I mean, we're used to it with him, and it should have never happened. It should have never happened the Lions. Who really, you know, I do feel an attachment to this team, um that that really does go beyond any other team of a T N we've had. I think some of it does go back to hard knocks and the Campbell is so likable. You know, there was a there was a out of halftime UM interview with Campbell. Let's let's play that actually justin you are efficient, you control the clock, you're aggressive. What more do you need to do to close this one out? A few things. Defense, we gotta get off the field on third down at least a couple of times. We're firing. I'm pretty good right now, which is good. We gotta do that. We gotta get a takeaway. On defense, special teams were about to pop and return. We need one of those. We might have to steal a possession. The other thing is offense, protective football, stirred, grossing. I mean, that's that's why Dan Campbell is so great, and so he's in a root for every other coach, those sideline reporters getting nothing, and he gives it a lot thought. He gives you actual information. Um. But with that said, the way it was handled down the stretch, that final drive, that the clock manage that they have all their time outs and tick tick tick tick, they end up putting them themselves in a position where they could have won the game, and I know Jared GOFFMSS is a past there um that and maybe we're not even talking about this. They could have won the game with a touchdown. They could have tied the game of the field goal and left no time on the clock, but they ended up in a situation where they set up for a long field goal and they had no business. Uh even to me at that point, I was like, they don't really deserve to win anymore. The way that played out. They got away with it and they lived for a few more minutes. But I was really disappointed with how the offense handled that final drive, and Lions Vans obviously know what I'm talking about. I don't hate that they were trying to take the time off because they were trying to make sure that the Bills didn't win the game, and they were trying to score a touch down there if they could, but they would have settled for overtime. The problem is the execution, the combination of the play call and then Jared Goffi execution on third and one with I think it was thirty one seconds left to not run the ball there and just get the first down. When you have three timeouts, you guarantee at that point that there's no overtime before you complete deep throw before the incomplete Also, Greg, before that, they literally just punted ten seconds off the clock before burning a time out. I thought they were second back. Ultimately, that was a roller coaster because of but but yeah, because but like you had that, I think if they play that aggressive and just go for it and are a little smarter, I think they could have stolen that game. And we'll never know, but I think they got put into a little position where they played it a little too cute near midfield, and then, like you're saying, got maybe a little too aggressive on that third and one and then did I think, Mark, how about we go for it on fourth and one? But you really couldn't because you didn't leave enough time at that point to really have an efficient chance analytically to get down to the end zone. I think it's another look at a team that's they're almost there, you can feel it, and this situational situation they completely if he makes the throw a chart, Like you said, we don't care because it kind of took away um from a really good day from Jared Goff in general. But a couple of plays before that too, golf had a bad throw to a wide open DeAndre Swift on first and tent that would have been a big game. It's just like it it took. He was really what he I thought it was his best game of the season up until that final series where it was a team meltdown situationally, and you know, Dan Campbell after tried to explain what was going through his head and and the ultimately if you're yes, they got at it with the time getting come put back back on the clock. There was no ten second runoff with the false start, but that said, like you cannot leave the bills that room to operate, and it's just it's just that's the difference here. But that's that's like it's more on golf than anything because ultimately, yeah, that you call the pass play there, and ultimately he's the one that decided to go to he hasn't wide open. He They talked about it after game. They all said like, we don't regret it because we had a guy more or less wide open to win the game. And I saw on Twitter Ryan Clark, a former player now now with ESPN, was kind of just like, if golf decides, that's the throw he's gonna make on that play. If you're gonna you're gonna let it all hang out, you're gonna be like, I'm I'm going you gotta hit it like you can't miss it by a ton. And Golf's that after the game, just like I wish I had that throwback. I mean, he had a more or less a wide open guy to win the game, and he just missed the throw. So when you compare that to Josh Allen, like it's just these small things, you're absolutely right. Mark, he played a really good game overall until that closing sequence. But it's like you also just gotta have your players hit the shot. Hit the shot. Yeah, And I think with golf, when you look at kind of big picture for golf, um, I feel like he's played his role very admirably in Detroit, which is he is very much a bridge guy and in the last couple of years where they didn't have maybe the quarterback that they wanted in the draft, a guy that could hold the fort while you get better around him and maybe you go back and go find a quarterback that you could really get behind next year. I think he's done overall well for them, but Yeah, that's like, that's an example of the limitations of golf. He's just not a special player. Um and sometimes he because he did play very well, but he also through that like hideous like falling down, the falling away should have been an interception throw. You're always gonna get that with him. Um, but they did. You're right, Greg, I thought that for so much of this game, you would never be able to tell that it was the bills that I were eight and three and the lines that were four and six, and that again speaks to the progress of Detroit. So he said it after the game, Campbell that this game, this hurts, but we don't feel you know, we don't feel like we are in a bad place now because of this game. And I get that the confidences still be high for them. I I think so too, because it's like, look, are they a playoff team this year? That that would have changed things? Said, they won that game in a weird NFC. But that said, it's just little things and it's not just that golf throat, like the safety was a bit of a mess. Jamal Williams has the second fumble of his career, that roughing the passer call by Austin Bryant. I thought it was a totally unnecessary game changing scenario that helped the goals entirely. Yeah, it was, but it was just like you didn't need to do that to Josh Allen. So it's like a Lions team that is going to not make those mistakes when they get to that next level. And it's just like I thought, if anything though that they said that was the biggest, second biggest crowd ever in that stadium. It was loud, it was on total tilt on the halftime show. Was amazing. What let's talk about that halftime show? What was going on with that? Why do you have anything to say about bb REXA And I thought it was an intriguing thing to be airing in our house at like, you know, eleven twenty eight am. It's intriguing choice by the NFL. It wasn't quite as wholesome as a Creed two thousand three or that Jonas Brothers later later in the day. Yeah, that you're right. The crowd loves this team. It it was it was a missed opportunity. Like Jamal Williams to me, is the heart and soul that team. They need a pass rush Aidan Hutchinson. I was like, did he play in that game? He was literally not in the box score. He was not in the box score. Uh. They had a guy who played on Dan Sanders his team last year who had his first ever game. He's I think one of the first players in NFL history to have two sacks in his first game. That was James Houston, who stepped up Um as a pass rusher. But they just have no pass rush. The Bills are also sweating this game because they lost Von Miller what looks like a significant knee injury. The reports out as we're taping this are that it's going to be multiple weeks at the least, and it could be as bad as season ending, but they need more tests and it's uncertain. Can I help you with this guy, Um? Because ESPN's Adam Scheff the reported he did not tear his a c el, but he's out in definitely. What this is a sprain of the knee, which is also some moderate uh tearing to a ligament, maybe the m c L. So I see this as a four to six week injury. Can we get Dr Dan to your list of nickname? You would think that that that if you know, schefter has, you know, whatever the team has at this point. If they're not willing to get a little more specific, well that's why I'm here. Okay, he'll be back, but it's yeah, how is Dion Dawkins looking the left tackle? Who's incredible ankle injury incredible. No, I haven't been tracking Dion as much anyway, They're they're they're getting short suddenly. Russo has been hurt. Epanessas out. They were very good pressuring the interior with with that Oliver in their defensive tackles. But if they don't have Von Miller the rest of the season or most of the rest of the regular season, they're not the same. They're not quite the same Bills team. Now they've lost Micah Hyde, they've lost Miller. It's just getting to be like they're not them. Not being the same team doesn't mean they don't have a chance. But they've come back to the I think it's easy to say they've come back to the pack in the air and let me just be clear, because I don't think this would happen. But I don't want to be the subject of a critical Mike Florio post. That was just me around I know nothing about von Miller's injury situation. I got it, Okay, well, I know you guys did, but if anyone's listening, I was like writing a road a world blurb or I don't need that floating out there on Twitter that the NFL networks Dan Hansa's reports that von Miller has a sprained m cl and is that four to six weeks that would be an incredible event on the day after things an be dealing with that all the weekend? Um for entertainment value. All right, let's move on to uh the well, let's see what would be Well, my favorite Thanksgiving meal, ironically is after Thanksgiving when you make the sandwich and you have the bread and you could put the turkey, some stuff in a little cranberry um, salt and pepper um, little gravy maybe, and you get the sandwich. So the sandwich. The middle of this Thanksgiving group of games was Dallas, New York from Arlington. Let's check it out. But first let's hear again from the legend John Madden. Thanksgiving is a traditional day and and our tradition as being at a football game and turkey and turkey legs and turdukins and you're great football players. And there's no place that I would rather be than right here with you at this time. And it doesn't get any better than this. This is our family certain goal from the two handoff coming on the side, shot out hand off to the tight end, and all of the titles turk gonna jump into the salvation army kettle like half my uncle's on the Finnegan side looked like Pat Summer. Also, I'm not completely certain that it in like at Wally Lake and Upstate New York at the family reunion that summer. All wasn't there on the party boat. What happens on the party boat on Whalley Lakes stays on the pontoon, just as the vikings about that, I would say it went that far, all right. Yes, The middle game was the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, and it was a game that the New York Giants started out strong. It looked like it was gonna be a game that went down to the wire, but it didn't turn out that way because Dallas took control in the second half. Dak Prescott through two scoring passes, the Dalton Schultz Zeke ran one in the Giants gonna score late a little lips lipstick on the pig to twenty the victory. Uh for the Cowboys who moved to eight and three, right behind the Eagles and look out and the Giants, Like we talked about Mark coming down to earth a little bit now. Um, in the last five days they go from seven to two to seven and four and they played pretty well. We'll get to the Giantsill start with the Cowboys. Uh, they're stacking wins and looking very dangerous. Yeah, and I thought, you know, it was not a pristine performance by Dallas. Obviously, a lot a lot of sloppy play in the first I think they doubled the Giants and penalties and some costly penalties. But then they're just like a team like this, And the reason you believe in in Dallas in general is that their star power and their explosive offense took care of business in the second half. I mean, and then you're on the defense. I think Micah Parsons, who last week destroyed Christian derrisaw before he went out with a concussion. UM. Andrew Thomas for the Giants, who was had a problematic early career, has been on fire this season at left tackle and he got taken care of. It's just like Micah Parsons is this unstoppable closers that is a completely different element for Dallas and seems to be the kind of guy that could just take them through playoff games. But when they play the way they did on offense in the second half and you get that version of Ezekiel Elliott with Tony Pollard on the side and Ceedee Lamb, I mean, they're just unstoppable. And the Giants for me, one little thing. I know sometimes you used to watch me watch those Browns games when I just say game over, like in the second quarter when when Daniel Jones missed that fourth and want to see Kwan Barkley and they were down fourteen thirteen. There's a ton of time to go. But it's like this thing is cooked. The Giants have they peaked in this particular performance that I think that was very much a game of like that's who the Giants are. They're not a bad team, they're well coached. But you can't deal with the Cowboys. M Yeah, I think you mentioned se Quan Well, I'll get back to the Cowboys. But since you're mentioning s Quan like since that thirty five carry game we talked about on the podcast, who wondered how he'd have to follow that up. He has sixty one rushing yards in two weeks, they've targeted him eleven times for twenty six yards UM, and they don't have anything. If they don't have sequence, it's definitely not all on Quan, But I thought he ran quite poorly against Detroit at yesterday. Didn't stand out to me. It just I think they were overmatched ultimately. UM. But if they don't have se Quon, and part of it is the injuries up front, and maybe part of it is him being a little more tentative, which when he doesn't have the blocking, or maybe it's the wear and tear of the season. I don't know what it is. But when they don't have sa Quan, they don't have much and that they're gonna have a really hard time winning game. Yeah, I and yeah, I don't want to make too much of it, but I think it's a good call. Greg. We talked about it in the moment and how he was on pace to obliterate his touch total from the previous two years combined UH this year. But I do think he he doesn't look quite as explosive these last two weeks, and maybe it's some decision making. He caught a little bit of criticism on the broadcast for um maybe looking for the home run when he should just be hitting the whole But early in the season he was like that two thousand eighteen guy where every time he touched the ball there was just kind of a bit of an electricity to it. I'm not gonna make too much of it, but it does feel like there's a little bit of a difference in him right now. Maybe he's playing through something that we don't know about. Right and they have a really hard schedule. They have one game left against the team that's under five hundred, whereas the Cowboys now have three in a row against UH three under five a f C South opponents, not the Titans, the other the rest of the three. So they're ready to go on and run. The Giants are gonna be tested two of those games against the Commanders, so you know, if you're a Giants fan, you hope you go in that. But things get hard, and now you look at Dallas as a team that has a chance, I think not just to you know, represent the NFC, in the Super Bowl, but there's an outside chance to be the one site see it if Dak Prescott plays like this. Did you say outside chance, Greggy, I think it's better than that. Well, there are two games behind, so you are you gotta almost run the table at this point, um, you it's a must win obviously against the Eagles. You're gonna get a need to get a little help from the Eagles, who don't have like the hardest schedule in the world, but you're right they have. My point is you look at their their remaining schedule. I know the Eagles don't have the toughest schedule, but they're not playing very well right now. They've very nearly lost their second road of the Cults. The Cowboys have a head to head matchup with the Eagles. They take care of business there and they they're one game out and then they just gotta I think they have. Eagles clearly have the inside path, and the vikings can't be ignored in the conversation, but yeah, I think the Cowboys have a chance at doing that. You know what, though, I asked, I would also rather see this Cowboys team maybe not get the number one seed down the stretch and like have to grind their way through and remake what we think they are in January. This team feels different to me than last year's team. Mike McCarthy is not a liability right now in my in my book, I just think that there's something going on with this I'm not sure I enjoy the development because it's not a team I really want to deal with in super Bowl Week. But if that's that's what you get it, then Jerry Jones can say everything I've been saying for the last quarter century is valid when it's not the case. I just like I like watching them play football because they're a fun team, and I love seeing this version of Dak. I think that's been the most important development of November is Dak Prescott's playing like a top five quarterback. I know he had the interceptions early yesterday, I don't care. Heath through the ball unbelievably the last two weeks better than I think any quarterback in the league for two weeks, like the next gen stat's had a number two. He the the highest completion percentage over expected of anyone this year in that game, of anyone that's thrown thirty passes in a game. One player I wanted to point out was a spin that he had on second and long to start the second drive of the second half, and that's where he really caught fire and they were gonna sack him and it was gonna be about second and twenty, but he pulls a spin move ends up running for like six or seven yards to set up a third and short. And that's the athleticism that he's been showing. He looks so athletic, and he's throwing the ball great. Later that drive, he hits Shultz on the touchdown on the third and fifteen just when he throws it. Well, he's got it all. He's got the arm, and he's got the way to read defenses. And I just think if you blitz them like the Giants do, eventually he'll figure you out. And I love watching that Dak Prescott, and I know it's it's gonna happen because kind of what you're saying about the Cowboys, Mark, some of everything with Cowboys just seems so like Set and Stone. They just who are who they are. Odell Beckham is gonna be on this team and uh, maybe that will help them, maybe it won't, um but I wouldn't I would hesitate based on what I saw yesterday from Michael Gallop from UM bringing in a guy off a torn a c L that hasn't played a snap this season, and then minimizing Gallup because I think if Gallop continues to improve and show what he was showing yesterday, UM, I think that that will be also a big part of this offense. Having that guy at number two step up because Gallup, I think he's an underrated player. I think he wasn't the same guy initially earlier in the season, but if he if he finishes strong, this offense just gets all the more dangerous. I I really think this this cowboy team with Parsons lead in the d I think they have it. I think they have a shot. Yeah. The one thing I'd say about the Odell thing, because I'm with you, I think finally waited all this time for forget Michael Gallup to look like what you'd hope and he's there now. I mean we saw it, Yester, there was a different player. But look back at the Rams a year ago. Had they not gotten Odell and then Robert Woods goes down, I don't I'm not sure they get to the Super Bowl. Or win it. So it's just like, at why not add strength on strength at this point of the season. Yeah, I don't think they need him and and if they get him, great, but I don't think they need him there. Their numbers when they have two tight ends on the field are better than any team in the league except for Kansas City that we heard the highlight where it was that the four tight end play, which is like an old Mike McCarthy thing. They do make it very difficult to defend them when they have those two tight ends on the field because they run it so well with Pollard. Zeke isn't the same, but he's still got the instincts even if he doesn't have the juice. But Pollard so good. They just hit you with a lot of ways. We do have an update on the Odell Beckham situation. I wish I knew who was reporting this. I'll get that to you. But he is going on three trips and he's starting his trips with the Giants and the Cowboys are third in line. Uh, the Bills are second in line. Yes, that is development. It was. It was from Josine to Anderson of CBS Sports. So let's the Giants New York, the biggest media market his former team. Yes, that that is guaranteed to generate a lot of attention. The Cowboys the most highly publicized team in the sport. What's the other team? The Bills are in the middle there and the Bills the super Bowl. Everyone loves the Bill's favorite team. He's enjoying it. That's fine. You get you get, you get this. Go ahead, buddy, your little tour. We're in the middle of the season over here. We'll talk about O'Dell when he lands somewhere. Yeah, Giants and the Thoughts would be the team he would help the most. I mean, it seems like a strange move, but considering he's visiting them first, that usually means it might be a fit. He might he might be. He might just like the idea of New York and and going back there, and he's certainly you know this year and long term would be of use to them. He just feels like a cowboy to me. Um based on stuff I said prior to this. We'll see, do we really a thirty year old wide receiver coming off of torn a c l do we do we give him the Peyton Manning two thousand twelve free agency treatment. He's given it to himself. Remember when everyone, uh, Grave Digger, we can welcome you in here. I thought the Peyton Manning was going to go to the Titans. That was like two days in NFL history or one day in NFL history. People thought Peyton Manning was going to join the Titans. Yep, that was a fun n good well the very reason why he didn't actually, but it's not we can't talk about it on the show. Justin is really good on Mike. He's got his own podcast of course on the Titans, which everyone should check out. But one of my favorite things is sometimes when you catch just Justin off guard, we get that answer, and that's almost one of my favorite parts of the show. Well, sometimes I'm I'm giving a stupid answer to Stall while I try to find the drop to play that makes a lot of sense, and then you with the logical thing on our behalf would be it will be like, well, you know what, why don't we don't worry about that drop anymore? But no, that that needs to stay as well. And speaking of Peyton Manning, the Jets had a doomed pursuit of Peyton Manning and just to make their quarterback feel better, Mark Sanchez. They gave him a huge contract extension that immediately backfired as a result. So that was if you didn't get Peyton, you were hurting in different ways. Anyway, Cowboys win. Giants have come back a little bit, and there are seasons that a little bit of a crossroads. Let's take a break and when we get back, we'll hit the primetime game. When I think of John Man and not think of the word big, John was a big man, big personality. From across him, the left goes to right, the right goes to left. Hall of Fame coach, really hall of Fame announcer, and has done so much to promote the love of football, A special special man. I wanted great ambassadors in the history of the game. First intent from the Patriot fifteen We're all Todd TWI Cousins under center play action to Dalpin Kirk's great drop. Looks yeah, good team yard touchdown pullets from Cussins to the and it's thirty two five games. Yes, that would be all for the Vikings and all they would need. Paul Allen with the call w k F A N I should say Kirk Cousins through for two ninety nine and three touches um for one game at least the spelling any notions that he can't play with the sundown and that go ahead score to Adam thelan with to play did lead. The Vikings passed the Patriots a game Patriots team thirty three to six on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Greggy, this was a game the Vikings obviously needed after an embat are some glow out at the hands of the Cowboys four days earlier. That kind of readjusted the way a lot of people looked at them. I don't know if this for me changes my feelings about the Vikings. Um. I kind of expected them to handle the Patriots, and I thought the Patriots would show up in this game. But at the same time, it's huge win for them because you bury what was the low point of your season pretty quickly. Yeah. I think it was a huge game for both teams. There were more lead changes to take the lead than any game since they showed a status I believe right, Yeah, it was. I think it was six. In the end, it like they were. It was up for either team to take control. So I think it's a heartbreaking loss for the Patriots, and I think it's a massive win for the Vikings because it was all about Kirk. Kirk started the game very up and down. He threw an interception, he had another one or two passes in the first half that made your one in the first half, one in the second that could have been picked. But other than that, he was throwing dimes. Justin Jefferson was the best player in this game, and sometimes it just comes down to that. Yes, Kirk like put it in a good spot for him, but these were tight coverage catches for him to get nine for one thirty nine in a touchdown. I think they put to bed that this Patriots defense is in any way special when they play against like a real quarterback in a real offense. But I think Kirk Cousins showed that he is that guy, and and they were good pointing out in the broadcast early that even though he started with those interceptions like he was making difficult timing throws again and again into that Patriots coverage, and he stood up in a day where they needed to put up thirty to win this game or else it wasn't gonna happen. They did it because I think that's their route to being relevant is being an offensive team, because I don't think this team is special at all. I think they're below average defensively in Minnesota, they're gonna need Kirk Cousins have games like this and that deal in touchdown. Why does it happen? Because all game long you had two or three people on Justin Jefferson and Jonathan Jones is a good cornerback. Gave up six catches for nine yards and a touchdown with Jefferson. I just think part of it is that the Cousins Jefferson connection. He just has so much belief in Jefferson sometimes triple and so it's like Cousins still, I think, you know, versus a different type of white out out. There are different cast of characters, like he just believes Jefferson is gonna make the catch and he does. And I mean, I just thought this was a weird game for New England because you, I think your best Mac Jones performance up until that fourth quarter where the offense just fizzled away, and a week after they essentially fried the Jets with special teams, and we were talking all week long about how much that's imbued and who they are and the Belichick experience. They had a terrible um running into the punter on fourth and four that set the Vikings up for New Life. They gave up the punt return obviously they had a thirty one yard punt themselves. It was just a sort of a complete meltdown at home. I thought that was unexpected for New England. They're sitting at six and five right now and out of the playoff picture. Yeah, well, I thought in general. And now they have, you know, at Buffalo, uh their next game. So we're gonna we're gonna learn really where New England sits. Um. I thought they hung well in this game. You're right. The it is ironic coming off what happened the previous week that the turning point in the game was a special team's play. Because the the Patriots takeover at halftime, they go right down the field Mac Jones, the hunter, Henry and let's talk about Henry again a little bit later. But thirty seven yard touchdown, they're up sixteen, and then to give up um the ninety seven yard kickoff return to uh, who's gonna help me with this? Ken A No? Angu mm hmm, you're no, that's I list. I went back and listened to it. It sounded similar that is that that was a crusher um for the Patriots. But I thought it was really important to see mac Jones on the Patriots side build off what I thought was a pretty good game against the Jets. Now to throw an attack down field and make make plays. Um, it should have been another touchdown pass. You should have finished with three touchdown passes in this game if not for a very very strange call. I thought, uh on a Hunter Henry target and near the goal line on third down? What was the situation where what at what point in the game where we act? It was third down and they had to settle for field goals mid third quarter? So is the ensuing drive after the kickoff return right? So exactly so you have the touchdown out of the half, you have the kickoff return by the Vikings, and the Patriots, to their credit, take the ball back and they don't go three and out and the game gets away from They go right down the field again. Mac Jones hits Hunter Henry for what is to me a clear touchdown that would have put them up by uh seven UM in this game. And it's with sixty three to go on the third but instead they challenge it and they rule that Hunter Henry didn't maintain and survive contact on the ground. I could hear Chris Wesling go nuts about this right now? Uh, this call on the field. And and because I thought this could be something, because I, even as a Jets fan, was outraged by the call. What does Zolac think about this? Over on w b Z, Let's listen what he had to say, Chris DAILI could rolls. You can't have more crystal clear indication of the figures under the ball. Did the ball come up? Yes, the corroll didn't force the ball and never touched the ground. What worst case scenario it should be at the one foot line. Well, there's the thing. Then play review outlasted the television right, they're looking for stuff. Now. You know what annoys me? It's funny the sentient power raid bottle. Everything he said is right there. I guess, yeah. I mean that was totally sober minded, crystal clear take on things. I thought. I agree with the Zola I think Terry McAuley got this call overturn. I continue to believe that the broadcast team Jim Nance often gets them to replay it their all watching the broadcast and macauley came in and was weirdly confident that this should be overturned from the beginning, and and Zolex right, you can see the fingers under the ball. But I think because McAuley was so clear, I really think that's what does it sometimes And it's like the first view it's supposed to be reviewed though, where it's like in you know, incontrovertible evidence to overturn it. So that was crazy, and it was part of like, you know, they were on the end of some some tough calls. They also played a lot of made a lot of bone headed mistakes. It was just like a really sloppy one. I think they'll they'll regret because of those. UM, that's an interesting comic. Greg Terry McAuley is a employee of NBC and if if he's if he's the one responsible for I mean, this is by me. But we know that when Nance says they got to look at this, then suddenly they stopped, they start looking at it. So that's saying I disagree. I'm just saying, if that's actually what's going on here, you're using UM and outside the league, UM employee of the broadcast to uh make major game shifting calls. I would hope that we're just letting it influence you, because I other I was trying to come up with a reason why that that that would have been overturned otherwise. I I think Greg is a point in the sense that is that triggering it automatically? No, But is there this idea that there's this bubbling up perception of something having having gone wrong in the game. Twitter is going nuts everywhere, It's becoming a talking point, it's becoming a subject for shows the next day, and it's like, quick, let's get on this and maybe even have our our decision influenced by the reaction in real time. So some calls went against the Patriots. There was also like a missed face mask um on mac Jones on the second to last drive, a tripping call that they could have made on one of those sacks of mac Jones. All that said, the Patriots lost this game more because they struggled in all the way is that Belichick hates, which are not unique. This year, they were way negative on penalties this year. Their number one in the league in terms of net penalties, so like they have more penalties than their opponents. UH their second in the league in net penalty yards. This was another one that that killed him. They're terrible and situational football. They were owed for three in the red zone. They're one of the worst red zone teams. They blew the clock situation at both the end of the first half and didn't have time for a couple of extra plays to score a touchdown because both mac Jones and Hunter Henry made mental mistakes. You mentioned the running into the punter thing, which led directly UH to seven points. They kind of botched even the final drive situation UH there in terms of clock management. They've just not been a smart team. And this isn't a unique thing to this last week. They've been a very sloppy in the way that Belichick hates type of team all year, and they lose the turnover margin. It's like this team, this seems not good enough to win those that type of way. They're just not But Greg, do you do you not think some of this charts back to the fact that UM in an avant garde approach to coaching staffs. They have this miniscule coaching staff that includes his son and a defensive coordinator and a special teams coordinator of old running the offense, and they spent the first two months of the season totally disjointed on that side of the ball. We're finally getting a little bit from Mac Jones, but it's like there's no robust, uh like voice in Belichick's here and on these sideline situations like there there. This is a typical of the Patriots. I think it's a little bit because of how the coaching staff is constructed. I agree, although they were very sloppy a year ago too, so maybe who knows, Maybe it's just like maybe the old man's getting old. It wasn't that different a year ago outside of the offensive court. Mac. You're right though, and that was mac jones best game by far this year, so that was Yeah, I'm more I guess I'm a little more optimistic about going on out of this game. That was a huge moment for them to throw for three a two. I know there was a little garbage time at the very end, but he was over three by that point. A lot of big players down the field. Uh, He's thrown it accurately. Two weeks in a row. He was hyper accurate and bad conditions against the Jets mostly short game, he attacked down field. I think it bodes very well the Patriots. To me, I still I kind of see him as like a tenant seven team, and I think that it will be enough to get it in. But they gotta right now, they can't get They have two games against the Bills. So if you got that puts you at seven right there, Well when the win the next one, because you got at Buffalo and we well, you don't know what Buffalo needs or doesn't need by week eighteen, but the game will be in New England, just to correct myself, Thursday Night Football UM on December one, and on the on the on the Viking side of it, it's crazy the way that the season is played out. But the Vikings can clinch the NFC North next week with a win over the Jets at home and a little bit of outside help. So they have put themselves in an excellent position here. They're right in it with the Cowboys and obviously the Eagles still leading the NFC. And yeah, I'm feeling Kirk Cousins this year. I'm feeling continuing to stack some big games and put some ghosts to bed. Why is no one talking about Kevin O'Connell is Coach of the Year. I mean, especially after the way they bounced back this week and what they are in general. I mean, I get choice for the Coach of the Year. I'm just saying he's in the mix. I'm not saying he use my choice right now. Like a top five I want top five lists for all the awards. By the way, they're just doing it for m v P give It the Year. Well what about top five for Assistant Coach of the Year. I don't know why that has been like a priority number one? Why I feel like the lighting has changed in your room in the prison. I am next to a light, I'm next to a window, and uh I Typically when we do this on Fridays at ten am, I have to cover up the open space with a lot of garments and I failed to do that, and now I feel like I have, like, um, the sun burning the skin off. Are we putting this up on YouTube? Justin God? I hope not. We are. We are People shouldn't be checking out our YouTube show, as I know some of you guys like it that way. You see the facial reactions We've noticed the previews and the recaps. Especially, people are starting to watch him. So do it. If it gets us paid more in the long run, let's do that. By no, if you if you enjoy the program in that way, please do that, and you know, don't get us paid more development. I'm just having a little fun. I'm having alright. I thought they almost didn't make a big enough deal the fact that Kevin O'Connell was drafted by by the Bill Belichick to be a backup for Tom Brady like eight years into his career, and here he goes and beats the guy that drafted him. That's pretty cool. I feel like everyone at some point in their lifespan was drafted to be a backup to Tom Brady. That was me in two thousand two. Actually didn't work out, didn't didn't see the field all right. So there you go. Those are the Thanksgiving Games. Thank you to everybody, uh for listening. Like we said Sunday, we're right back on our usual schedule with the flagship program. Remember also, if you're in the Los Angeles area, the Homecoming show coming up in January January from the Bourbon Room UH in Hollywood. UH. It is going to be a great show, So please get your tickets and join us. Uh, check out our socials for a link for that anything else boys to share before we say goodbye. I mean, I'm just a happy Thanksgiving to you guys. You know, I know that we got the whole weekend here and let's go us. The problem with your confident way you started this y podcast, Dan, is you know the game will be over by the time most people are here, said, I know, I know. I'm just saying shot got beautiful. The timing is tricky. Yeah, the time we can addit. I will take the slings and arrows. If by some shock to the system, England actually beats the US in a World Cup match, which has literally never happened. Um, So I don't expect that to change, but if it does, I will on Sunday give respect to the Three Lions. Yeah. Great, it's a great move Dan, to antagonize, um what is essentially like th of our listener base. So, um, I hope that goes well for you. But there's other countries out there. We had a listener from Norway who wanted a shout out to shout out to Norway. So that leads right now. With the way the light is hitting your face, can you just stop we keep talking. The game will literally started you all right, everybody. Thank you to everybody. I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving, have a great weekend. We'll be back Sunday night. Until then, Dan hands a signing offer. The Ghoulish Mark Sessler, the Quiet storm Uh, the Old Boss, the great digger behind the glass. Remember he the call