2025 NFL Week 16 Late and Primetime Games Preview

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where it's time for a revenge game. Yes, the revenge of the ambush at Mile High. I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan Podcast studio with Jordan Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon.

00:00:19
Speaker 2: Wow, I'm so excited, so excited.

00:00:28
Speaker 1: It was a game when you were guys were just the wee lasses, you know, and lad in your case Patrick, when Mark Brunell and Natron Means and the Jaguars went into Denver and stunned the John Elway Terrell Davis Denver Broncos thirty to twenty seven in the Divisional round, one of the big upsets, big moments, I would say, of mid nineties football. And now it's back Jaguars at Broncos is suddenly like a monster game.

00:00:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, No longer this small franchise in these expanded NFL where you're like, oh wow, this expansion team, these the scrappy Jacks. Now they're a big part of this operation and have been for a long time.

00:01:13
Speaker 1: That was their first season. That is outrageous that they did that in their very first season as an expansion team.

00:01:18
Speaker 3: And and folks thought, you know, with a big game coming up against the Denver Broncos.

00:01:22
Speaker 4: Maybe this is a trap against the Jets.

00:01:24
Speaker 3: No, Trevor Lawrence had a game that no quarterback has had in the NFL history, And now after both quarterbacks lighted up, it's Bo Nicks and Trevor Lawrence.

00:01:34
Speaker 4: In the game of the year in the AFC.

00:01:36
Speaker 3: Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Denver Broncos, who were favored by three. It is Kevin Coogler and Moose Johnston on the call where Rick, I don't even know where to start.

00:01:46
Speaker 4: These teams are red hot right now.

00:01:49
Speaker 1: Well, if I was going to get on Fox forgiving you know, the battle for the NFC South Myers and schlera, I'll give him a little little like side eye for given this game Coogler Johnston, I mean, you're saying it could be one of the games of the year.

00:02:02
Speaker 2: That's their number three team, I believe. But this is what happens.

00:02:05
Speaker 4: We got, we got Joe and Greg on Saturday.

00:02:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, we got different doubleheaders and different things happen. It doesn't It's not going to change my enjoyment of this game, especially after I've watched the film and I wanted to circle back to something we talked about in the in the room in the newsroom on Sunday. I've now double confrom first I checked the PFF scores and now I've watched with my own eyes bow Knicks.

00:02:30
Speaker 2: He played well last week, very well.

00:02:33
Speaker 4: I'm glad several believe.

00:02:37
Speaker 2: I mean you need to see it with your own eyes.

00:02:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you were telling me he was playing well in the week's leading up and it was like that, you know that commander's game.

00:02:45
Speaker 5: And I said he was playing was the other one. Also in my community, we believe women. I guess that doesn't apply to my right Greg.

00:02:54
Speaker 4: Greg had to check the folks.

00:02:55
Speaker 2: I had to watch it.

00:02:57
Speaker 1: He was sensational. You get both that Bonnix and on Peyton Combo. Every week you're winning the Super Bowl this.

00:03:03
Speaker 5: I do have a request to make Greg a feeling a little that you owe me.

00:03:09
Speaker 6: Can I have this game?

00:03:10
Speaker 2: Oh well, you've already gotten your number one game.

00:03:12
Speaker 6: You gave me that game. You gave me that game.

00:03:15
Speaker 1: Patrick's involved, Shook's involved. I mean, you can't just hog it off for yourself.

00:03:20
Speaker 2: We'll see. I haven't thought about it.

00:03:22
Speaker 5: This is the This is a total like Unstoppable Force meets immovable object game for both for both teams, because the Jaguars are one of the most explosive offenses in the league right now, and Trevor Lawrence seems like a completely different version of Trevor Lawrence going against one of the top three defenses in the NFL right now, and certainly a veteran one, a savvy one, one that will pressure him, one that will try to turn him into pumpkin Trevor Lawrence once again. And also on the other side, a Broncos offense that, while not the most explosive in the league, has a quarterback playing like way up to his potential, has put together a most complete game on offense of their season. Is very very dangerous, especially against his own coverage and going up against a Jaguars defense that has been very respectable all season as well as taking the ball away in aggressive fashion through most of the year, especially with Devin Lloyd back in the mix.

00:04:21
Speaker 4: It's got everything.

00:04:22
Speaker 3: It's got the play caller matchup because Liam Cohen is super dialed in. Of course, Sean Payton in that performance against the Green Bay Packers was clearly like he saw the way bo was going all right.

00:04:32
Speaker 4: Playbook out the window, all right, ten.

00:04:34
Speaker 6: Training wheels up he did.

00:04:36
Speaker 3: But you know, you saw, and I think we can't necessarily extrapolate a whole lot from the Jets game where that was that was Liam and Trevor Lawrence doing stuff. Occasionally you had three passes to the running backs out of the backfield that go for six, where it's like, all right, the Jets are woeful right now, and you know Trev's dialed in, But how do you deploy Cirtan and Moss and tall know who funk who I think is a big part of if the Broncos can win this game. He's gonna have to play well because when this Jacks group is fully operational, everybody's back other than Basialtoton. So it's gonna be a lot of ETN and this one because students just had finger surgery. But in how you deploy your talent when Parker Washington, BTJ Jacobe Myers, like everybody's there, there's just so many options for Liam.

00:05:23
Speaker 1: Income Yeah, I think that's so key in this game because obviously the Denver's strengths are really strong up up front and how they are in third downs and how they are in the red zone. But they are a team you can move the ball on. I mean, the Packers started that game with sixth straight scoring drives. And they're a team I sometimes struggle with because they don't look like the best defense you've ever seen. Except when they're playing like terrible teams. They beat them down harder than any other team we've ever seen. But against good teams, they'll give you some and they'll take it back. You can focus on our guy, Riley Moss. That's a guy that will get thrown at a little bit. Drake Greenlaw in coverage, I think is a guy who you want to throw at, certainly when you can get one of their linebackers kind of covering. Alex Singleton's good, but also he's another guy. Riley Moss, though, had an answer I don't know if you saw this on Instagram this week, uh, saying he's lactose intolerant when you when you're trying to throw it in his area.

00:06:24
Speaker 2: You don't like that one.

00:06:26
Speaker 4: I here's the thing.

00:06:28
Speaker 3: I think maybe the lactose intolerant could be related to the cheese and related to yellow flags that have been thrown at Riley Moss, because there were a couple last week where I'm I'm with Riley.

00:06:39
Speaker 4: He is being unfairly Toak.

00:06:40
Speaker 6: You were ready to make the kickstarter because.

00:06:43
Speaker 3: We've seen guys get dragged down with one hand. Ley Moss lays a finger on somebody. That flag is coming out, and it's like he's got his arms out, and I understand, like.

00:06:53
Speaker 4: Justice for Riley Moss, you know.

00:06:57
Speaker 1: I think that's what I think he was getting at the other thing, that that that the officials here, they're they're seeing color.

00:07:04
Speaker 2: They're not colorblind. No, I mean when it comes to Riley Moss.

00:07:08
Speaker 4: And Riley Moss has every right, every right to field that way.

00:07:11
Speaker 5: Dan.

00:07:12
Speaker 1: I love though that the Jaguars like the Jaguars offense now that it has so many different elements and now that they are as healthy, and that Trevor Lawrence game yet came against the Jets, but it came because he's willing and is so confident coming off of multiple awesome performances. These two guys. I think Lawrence is coming off the best streak of his career. Nicks is coming off the best game of his career. And yet if you look at the numbers, and I kind of agree with the numbers, both these teams defenses are better than their offenses. Like Jaguars are a top ten DVOA team right now. They've been on a roll, and the Broncos, as good as they were offensively last week, it's been the defense that's carrying them. So it's a it's a really good test for these two young quarterbacks.

00:07:54
Speaker 5: Yeah, I love it, And and bo Nix is pretty solid against the blitz. I think they've got some really good outlets for him. That shot Peyton just historically has always built into his offense. The way that the Jaguars like to mitigate pressure and confuse defensive backs, which you'll see a ton of in this game, is they use motion on like over seventy percent of their pass plays. They also vacillate between their eleven personnel and twelve personnel. So two tight ends and two tight ends is their preferred like heavier package that they're in. And they've got some obviously with Breton Strange being the lead the lead canine there, like.

00:08:27
Speaker 6: They've they've got a lot of available.

00:08:33
Speaker 5: Formation changes and mixed looks that they can throw at a defense that is going to play them really really aggressively, and like I said, try.

00:08:39
Speaker 2: To mess up Trevor Lawrence lead canine.

00:08:41
Speaker 6: You went with, I don't want to say alpha dog.

00:08:43
Speaker 2: I feel like that's a cliche, right, lead canine, like you.

00:08:46
Speaker 5: Know, lead canine. And also that's a less that's a less sneadism.

00:08:51
Speaker 6: By the way.

00:08:52
Speaker 5: Interesting, Yeah, it sounds better, I guess when it's coming from a general manager of an NFL team.

00:08:57
Speaker 2: And not from everything sounds better from Greg did even.

00:09:00
Speaker 6: Trust to watch tape?

00:09:03
Speaker 3: The the biologists who actually coined the term alpha did come out and note that within the Wolf hierarchy, that was all wrong.

00:09:13
Speaker 4: He should not have not have done that.

00:09:14
Speaker 6: So people running around, they're more collaborators.

00:09:18
Speaker 3: They have a functional society. Yes, it's not organized from the top down.

00:09:22
Speaker 6: It was Wow, could have really changed a lot.

00:09:25
Speaker 4: Well.

00:09:25
Speaker 3: I think the people who lost that nomenclature would have just went with some other pseudoscience to benefit their worldview.

00:09:31
Speaker 2: This, uh, this is amazing.

00:09:34
Speaker 1: All of that information is a big moment for Anthony Campanile going up against Don Payton. Hasn't got a lot of pop, but has been pretty creative in what he's done, and it's a real test for for that defense. He's healthier. I really do think the Jaguars just having more guys available is quietly a huge part of why they're playing so well. I mean, if you think about it, at different points of the year, they were without Brian Thomas, junior, Arker Washington, he obviously didn't have Jacobe Myers, Breton Strange. That's that's a lot of more players and a couple of their interior starting offensive lineman.

00:10:07
Speaker 2: So they're all out there right now.

00:10:09
Speaker 1: Trevon Walker is out there and looking one hundred percent again finally, and Devin Lloyd. And this is a conference game, and so it's big for both teams, but especially for the Jaguars, who are one up on the Texans. And I did do some some stimulations and whatnot because the Jaguars and Texans don't play each other. But in a scenario where the Jaguars lose this game and the Texans win out and they tie, the Texans, you know, do win that tiebreaker, that they would win the division even though they both would be five and one inside the division. It's this conference game that would be the difference than losing this game.

00:10:47
Speaker 2: To the Broncos.

00:10:48
Speaker 4: And that's like four tiebreakers down right, how many from.

00:10:52
Speaker 1: The well you go you go head to head, so they split, you go division and then you go conference games. Then it's common opponents. After that, that's where it's beyond my pay grade. And you got to just check the websites that you can trust.

00:11:05
Speaker 6: That's good info. But in order to believe you, I think I'm gonna look that up.

00:11:09
Speaker 4: I mean, you have to go to the PFF.

00:11:11
Speaker 1: I think it's fair that you always want to have your eyes on a game before you just are are rolling with that assessment.

00:11:18
Speaker 3: You know a game that some of us were guilty of having our eyes on despite not being assigned it.

00:11:24
Speaker 4: Myself highlighting in that was.

00:11:26
Speaker 3: Philip Rivers playing against the Seattle Seahawks. And we get Philip Rivers in a game where we won't have to ignore any other game.

00:11:32
Speaker 4: Because it's on Monday night football in prime time.

00:11:35
Speaker 3: We're the San Francisco forty nine ers are six point favorites at the Indianapolis Colts. The over under is forty six and a half Jordan, they're playing at home. Philip Rivers has one game under his belt. What's it going to show us here on Monday night football?

00:11:50
Speaker 6: Well, I thought he played fine.

00:11:52
Speaker 5: Like it's not ideal It's not an ideal situation, obviously, but I thought he, you know, executed the offense fine, and and that defense played it's hard out and really gave him, gave him a shot. What helps him is that San Francisco cannot pressure. It can't get pressure. So I think there's there's an okay chance that we see Philip Rivers like last this entire game again.

00:12:14
Speaker 6: The layers of this, it's a low bar.

00:12:17
Speaker 5: I mean, I think everyone's kind of worried about the forty four year old out there on an NFL football field.

00:12:22
Speaker 1: Don't you think there's a scenario where he does look better each week that he plays.

00:12:26
Speaker 2: I think.

00:12:26
Speaker 5: So it's a totally different position, obviously, But I saw this with Eric Weddle, when Eric Weddle came back in again off the couch, and it advanced and age relative to an NFL player, and it took like a couple of weeks, and then he was the green dot calling the game for the Rams and.

00:12:45
Speaker 6: The Super Bowl.

00:12:46
Speaker 5: So it's I'm not saying it's the same trajectory, but it's it is like and obviously a different position, but you do need to get the wake those muscles back up and wake the synapses back up, frankly to make those decisions as quickly as as we know he can. I like, there's little like connective tissue layers to this. Gus Bradley is in San Francisco right now and he's like buddies with Philip Rivers, and they were on the phone and he was asking this is reported out of San Francisco's great beat over there. They were on the phone and Philip Rivers like, yeah, I'm thinking about doing it. Gus Brad's like, yeah, you should do it. Kyle Shanahan is in the room, intervenes, He's like, yeah, you should do it, and then realizes they've got Philip Rivers a week after and he said, no, no, actually you shouldn't do it.

00:13:31
Speaker 6: So I love that. I thought that was pretty great.

00:13:34
Speaker 1: I love that too, and I love for Phil the idea that he could be protected well. This week has a pretty big difference, playing in Seattle and then playing at home against this forty nine ers team whose best two pass rushers are definitely Cleland Farrell and Keon White. The last couple of weeks, which is crazy, Bryce Huff should be in theory, but just the last couple of weeks.

00:13:54
Speaker 2: He hasn't been productive.

00:13:56
Speaker 1: The problem is there's a million injuries and the Colts have been dealing with this all season, really down the stretch. But on the offensive line, specifically Braydon Smith, their right tackle, is not coming back. He is now out for the season, and so that's a disappointment. And then Bernard Raymond, who got hurt in that game in Seattle, their left tackle, who is hurt during the game. We don't know his Status's a Monday night game, so it's early in terms of practice reports. We have to assume Sauce Gardner's not coming back until he does. The same is true for Tarvarius Ward. I do have a feeling to Forrest Buckner could make his return this week. He did get some practices in before last week's game. They didn't activate him, so he might come back. But that's a lot of your very best players shorthanded that the Cults won't have, and especially if they're without their left if they're down both their tackles, that does worry me for Big Phill.

00:14:50
Speaker 5: Yeah, and I don't know how how much this defense can continue to hold up in terms of Indianapolis, because they've been they started out great and lou An Arumo has as I think, gotten the most out of a genuinely talented group of players, and they're getting better pressure than they have, but I don't know how much can actually affect the way that this forty nine ers offense is playing right now.

00:15:11
Speaker 1: It's like the best, maybe the best coaching matchup of the week because I think lou Ana Roumo can come up with a designer game plan. It doesn't always work, and sometimes they look bad, but sometimes they hit, and they were playing with their hair on fire last week. And Kyle versus this indie defense, you never know. They are eleventh right now in Dboa. Their defensive efficiency overall, like that's pretty good considering everything that's going on. And so it's a big time test against a forty nine ers offense that is rolling and might be without Ricky Piersall. Unfortunately, even though he came back and finished that game out the way Kyle Shanan was talking, it sounds like he's hurt again. So that would be a big loss for them. But there's still a lot to deal.

00:15:49
Speaker 3: With and they we have seen some success from coach lou against the tree, but it's the trunk I'm agree at this one, and you know the EU.

00:16:00
Speaker 5: I do want to say before we go to the next game. When I'm looking at the passing the advanced passing stats on next Gen, I'm like, tell me you're old without telling me you're old with Philip Rivers because he's got the lowest time to throw of qualifying quarterbacks at two point three six seconds, and also the by far the lowest.

00:16:20
Speaker 6: Play action rate. So it's like, get the ball out quick and please, for the love of God to turn.

00:16:25
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it was just phil I mean a lot of it was under center, some of it was shotgunned. Yea, was him knowing what he was going to do before the play and usually making the right decision, which is why they didn't have like a ton of three outs.

00:16:36
Speaker 4: Or anything like that.

00:16:36
Speaker 6: Oh yeah, you could see it all game.

00:16:38
Speaker 5: But it's just funny looking at those stats and being like, oh yeah, I can point out the old.

00:16:43
Speaker 3: Guy and highlighted in some of the worst tape of the game where Josh Downs wins with the lone of scrimmage calls for the ball, not knowing that the ball has already been thrown. Oh yeah, you ready, the ball's coming out Josh gotta get ready for it. It's time for the Sunday I presented by Toyota. Let's go places. The New England Patriots are on the road at the Baltimore Ravens, who are favored by three because Vegas likes action. Mike to Rico and Chris Collinsworth are on the call. Of course, there's going to be a Sims. There's going to be a florial. There's a whole pregame experience that we you know, of course, are podcasting during that time, so we generally missed that. So you guys are gonna have to let us know how that goes. But it's Drake May. It's a healthier Lamar Jackson. How do you feel about this football game? Even though we've already.

00:17:31
Speaker 5: Talked Lamar Jackson, who does have the fluid constantly constantly.

00:17:38
Speaker 1: I need Lamar to like, you know, teen people, you have them in your life, maybe even in your family. I do at least like they're just some people that are more sick than others. Lamar is one of those people apparently, although always.

00:17:49
Speaker 4: At the gas station. Maybe it's like you know, like hand sanitized.

00:17:53
Speaker 3: After the pump, Like don't like Okay, so I'm getting sick a little sick.

00:17:58
Speaker 1: But he not only is feeling better, he is telling everyone he's feeling better.

00:18:06
Speaker 4: Yeah, I believe I told you guys early on in the week I was feeling better, you know, like Thursday. Oh, but I guess you guys have to see it to believe it. I love that I was. We dispensed with the fiction that he.

00:18:16
Speaker 5: Was right before he's gone on a Wednesday with the flu, like that.

00:18:21
Speaker 1: Was from postgame. And he did have some really good runs. I thought he did two weeks ago too, but maybe they were even better last week. Like it's hard to judge explosiveness. He's still more explosive as a runner hurt than almost any you know runner out there. And he had a number of really nice throws last week, even though he only had twelve attempts, Like three or four of them were absolute dimes. And I think they're favored in this game because the numbers will tell you this is a bad Patriots defense.

00:18:53
Speaker 4: It just it just is.

00:18:55
Speaker 1: It's the worst, one of the worst red zone defenses of the last ten years, fourth worst of the last ten years in terms of if you get the ball, you know, near the goal line they are going to cave. It's been one of the worst rush defenses in the league for the last six weeks or so. In the Ravens running game has been better. So I kind of like the offenses in this game.

00:19:16
Speaker 2: Patrick.

00:19:17
Speaker 1: I know Baltimore's defense has been playing better, but it feels like it's the battle of the explosive play teams, like who can get more explosive plays. I think it could be a lot of fun because I think it could be a game with a lot of possessions where there are some three and outs, but there's also some two play seventy yard drives from both these teams, and I think the Ravens will be up for like a shootout.

00:19:37
Speaker 4: Yeah, this Patriots team said it for weeks.

00:19:39
Speaker 3: It is reminiscent of some of these Ravens teams where they got home run hitters. You know, the comeback is in play for the opponent because when they're constantly hitting home runs, like Kishan Budi catching touchdowns on upwards of twenty percent of his reception. I'm good Trevion the franchise history record holder in fifty yards touchdowns just nine games into his career, where he's actually playing and starting in these games where it's going to be back and forth, I think they're going to go up and down the field. I have wondered, you know, because statistically, you keep seeing the Ravens pop up near the top of these categories in rushing defense in past EPA, where it's like, how are they doing this? It's like you're having to materialize the pass rush in some games where I don't know if it's if you're going to be able to apply the pass rush that we saw against Burrow and the Bengals every single week. But the Patriots banged up up front. Perhaps you get the Kyle van neu revenge game, and there's some calls for optimism, but I see nothing but scorefest Jordan.

00:20:43
Speaker 4: That's all I can say.

00:20:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it has potential for that. I am curious though, because you would think when you look at this, it's who gets the ball last, that's who wins essentially. So with that in mind, I'm curious if the Patriots adjust and learn from a little bit of what happened last week and they deploy a little bit more ball control in a expert fashion or in a situational fashion less so a product of the defense that they're playing, and I feel like that's the way playing keep away has to be the way that you win this game. It only works if you can run the ball luckily for them. Even though they haven't run the ball well luckily for them, the Patriots run defense is certainly not up to par.

00:21:23
Speaker 1: Right, But they they're a hard team to figure out because they change depending on the week. Like they're they're rushing attack the last few weeks, and it granted one was you know before the bye, has been better. I think Ramandre has looked pretty good. Trevion Henderson's success rate like has gone up. I just think they're a team that really misses Milton Williams and like every team has a million injuries, but the Patriots are a thinner team where the drop off is significant, and they only play their front four like the Eagles do. Those front four aren't as good and so I think you're seeing some wear and tear from Harold Landry in calevon jason'sif those guys were at the center of a lot of the best Bills plays last week, where they're not keeping their rush lanes and they're not really creating much of a pass rush without Milton Williams, and so there's opportunities for the other team. And yet I still have a lot of faith in Drake May to bounce back, even if the Ravens defense has been playing better. The Ravens defense got a couple of key players back last week, Patrick ar Darius Washington safety who played quite well for them last year, and then ta Various Robinson that their names are just close enough to mess me up. But he had a big play early in that game too. So they are getting some guys who have been in the system before and played a lot of snaps for them in getting healthy there down the stretch run. And you could say this is a revenge game, not just for Kyle van Noy, but how about for John Harbaugh against Mike Rabel some big wins over them in the past, including that playoff game whenever that was I don't remember twenty nineteen, twenty twenty.

00:22:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it was Lamar's first playoff game where things with the things.

00:23:04
Speaker 4: With the other ree.

00:23:06
Speaker 1: They also had some beef at the time where like the next year the Titans beat up on them and they played a couple of times. There was there was some stuff between them back in the day. Just two I'm gonna say it, Alpha Males and John Harva two lead k nines.

00:23:24
Speaker 2: Should we take a break?

00:23:25
Speaker 1: Let's take a break excited that these games are so good that Pittsburgh Detroit didn't even make it in the first block of the strip.

00:23:40
Speaker 3: That was the Sunday Drive presented by Toyota. Let's Go Places. Toyota is all in all season with another year of Toyota Game Day Giveaways, giving football fans the chance to win big every week at the NFL season. Terms of conditions applied to individual giveaways. Enter to win and learn more at Toyota's Game Day Giveaways dot Com.

00:23:58
Speaker 7: No purchase necessary, We're 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.

00:24:14
Speaker 2: Back on NFL Daily. Don't read text between.

00:24:21
Speaker 1: You know, our little break here, because sometimes you'll read a text and it'll really surprise you. It might be from your personal life, your business life, and then suddenly you hear the music and the show has started again. Oh no, and you're not calm, cool and collected. You're like Quinn yours back there in the pocket, You're like, what is going on?

00:24:42
Speaker 2: That's where I'm at right now.

00:24:44
Speaker 1: Everything's great, Everything's always great.

00:24:47
Speaker 2: Steelers Lions. It's the Jim Nansen Tony Room.

00:24:52
Speaker 3: Yes, and they the Lions are favored by seven.

00:24:56
Speaker 2: Wow. I haven't looked at these lines yet.

00:24:59
Speaker 3: Dan Campbell is calling the place, and they've been explosive on offense. They've looked great. The Pittsburgh Steelers. A couple of weeks after fire, Tomlin Chance in the Catburg seat in the AFC North and yeah, we get a chance to see this over under at forty nine and a half where Jordan do Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steels keep this hot streak going.

00:25:22
Speaker 5: Man, it would be hard to see Detroit kind of fall apart.

00:25:26
Speaker 6: I think because they are so well cooked, because we.

00:25:30
Speaker 1: Love them, we love them because they're America, because they want them to do well.

00:25:34
Speaker 5: You want them to be in pain, and they seem they're just hurting right now.

00:25:39
Speaker 6: Guys.

00:25:39
Speaker 5: They're they're having trouble consistently getting pressure. Outside of Aiden Hutchinson, They're decimated in their secondary Throughout their secondary and they are having trouble containing explosive plays. They the Steelers are running the ball pretty well these days, they're not faring well against as well as they want to against the run. This on paper, if you're taking the last week or so or a couple of weeks of Steelers and the last couple of weeks of Lions, on paper, it does feature of the Pittsburgh It does favor the Pittsburgh Steelers, and.

00:26:10
Speaker 2: Yet they're a touchdown underdog.

00:26:13
Speaker 6: Col guys at quarterback.

00:26:14
Speaker 1: That's a huge That's a huge number to me. It speaks to a couple of things that I do find interesting. You know, when you're talking about you know the numbers in Vegas and all that, which is that do you value what you've seen lately or do you value the whole course of the season. And it's like it's a push and pull when evaluating these teams, coaches look at the last four weeks. I tend to think that is what's more important. And I think the Steelers' offense has shown signs of I don't know if they've been transformed, but playing their best football now. And this is a really positive matchup against the Lions defense that I believe is twenty ninth in the in the last month or so, uh in terms of EPA per play allowed, Like they're just not a good defense lately, and so I kind of like this this one being a score fest as well.

00:27:02
Speaker 3: Indoors we got we got breaking news from NFL insider JJ Watt, who has some insight into the hell status of Little brother says he's quote working through it was I don't know if that necessarily that is a lot of confidence regarding t J watts status, which I think is huge here because the this this most recent edition of the two tongue of Ioloa Miami Dolphins, didn't really allow me a chance to evaluate how the Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense was. Okay, I understand the last four weeks a part of that evaluation that version of the Dolphins not necessarily inspiring the threat uh that jg And and JMO and aman rah Ejamier Gibbs do where seven makes sense to me, seven makes perfect sense.

00:27:54
Speaker 1: So yeah, Week twelve was the cutoff where they're twenty ninth in EPA per play the Lions and they're first in points by the way this season just like flat out points points.

00:28:03
Speaker 6: Per game someone tell Baker Mayfield.

00:28:08
Speaker 1: First, I guess Jared Goff's not letting his team down.

00:28:13
Speaker 2: He really is.

00:28:13
Speaker 3: He's pointing the fingers at the guy that celebrate in touchdown he just threw.

00:28:16
Speaker 4: That's who Jared pointing.

00:28:18
Speaker 1: Jared Goff has responded to being dismissed from QB Island by playing his best on the football of the season over the last month. Even when they were they've lost some of these games. I think he is playing outstanding and so that's that's a good point Patrick about the Steelers defense. It's more of the Steelers offense, which I I kind of felt like was dead on arrival almost all season long because of their passing game. And I still think the ceiling's relatively low, but I've raised it like if they can just be a competitive to decent passing game, then then they're a little more dangerous in a spot like this against a team that that will put up some points.

00:28:58
Speaker 4: That's all. It has to be a big I mean Robertson game.

00:29:01
Speaker 3: Just the way that this defense consistently, regardless of which pieces are missing, have schemed up to bother opposing quarterbacks and be in the passing lanes where if you can make Aaron Rodgers hesitate, not trust what he sees. You know, the balls. First of all, it's going out of bounds. But if he can't get there, if he's still in the pocket, then there's an opportunity to have those negative plays. And maybe Aiden Hutchinson, despite not being able to cress nineteen miles per hour when he's running down the field by himself, is able to get some quick pressure on Aaron Rodds.

00:29:34
Speaker 5: I just think this is a high end, high potential game for the Lions to just be a explosively smothering group because it almost happened to the Rams. The Rams fought their way back in it, but hitting those explosive plays early almost put that one out of reach in a big way. And they can do it again against the Steelers. The third and fourth most explosive plays allowed this season. Third most is the Detroit Lion defense and fourth most is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

00:30:03
Speaker 6: And they're so close.

00:30:04
Speaker 5: Together, just three explosive plays apart, uh one thirty three for Detroit and one thirty for the Steelers per Next Gen Stats. That that to me shows me that the better, the more explosive offense will win this game, and that's the Lions.

00:30:18
Speaker 2: It should be.

00:30:19
Speaker 1: DK's finally gotten some big plays the last couple of weeks.

00:30:22
Speaker 2: It's good to see him a bigger part of the offense.

00:30:24
Speaker 1: I don't think of the running game as explosive, although it's quietly effective. The Steelers with with Jalen Warren, who's more likely to make a man missattackle than he is to like bust it for forty.

00:30:34
Speaker 3: Is it my fault that Kenneth Gambles is subtracted from your Steelers running back analysis?

00:30:42
Speaker 1: Maybe subconsciously that is true. He shouldn't be because having a great season. Yeah, he really is, And the Steelers are telling me, you ye, first to now running backs, that's easier, you know, I don't know.

00:30:55
Speaker 2: I don't even know what that means.

00:30:56
Speaker 1: Kenneth Gainwell, look he was the primary ball carrier on a team that put up over thirty points in a super Bowl. He's also the primary carrier like right now on the Steelers. Quietly he's playing a little more than Jalen Moore. Although it's a great it's a great one two punch. It's been a quiet three weeks for Jamiir Gibbs. Right since he had that nuclear game where he went over two hundred yards, right, or maybe it's just been two weeks, but he's had a couple quiet weeks, and you do miss Sam Laporta.

00:31:24
Speaker 2: I do think the culture of it all.

00:31:26
Speaker 1: Like they can't lose this game in Campbell, they could technically be eliminated. Remember I said at the like hours ago, years ago before I received life changing news by a text.

00:31:37
Speaker 6: And I'm joking everything, Okay.

00:31:41
Speaker 1: I pointed out only one team could be eliminated this week, and that was the Dallas Cowboy. There is a very unlikely scenario in which the Lions lose and the Bears and the Packers tie where the Lions would be eliminated. So, even though it wouldn't be official if that they would be eliminated, if they lose this game, likely they would be all but eliminated and would need an incredible amount of help in the final two weeks. If Detroit doesn't win, come on coming through, Dan Campbell, Mike Tomlin, I mean, how much more.

00:32:12
Speaker 6: Do it for America?

00:32:13
Speaker 2: We need it so bad? How much cooler can it get?

00:32:16
Speaker 1: In terms of like a head coaching matchup, I feel like Mike Tomlin walked so Dan Campbell can run.

00:32:21
Speaker 2: You know.

00:32:21
Speaker 6: Oh that's that's cool. I like that a lot.

00:32:23
Speaker 1: Well, I guess Mike Tomlin ran too. He won a lot of games and won a super Bowl. But you know what I mean, They're like, I feel like two guys in the same mold.

00:32:32
Speaker 4: Well you like cool head coaches? Greg? Yes? Can I interest you on now? Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders? Oh okay, Well, the Raiders are playing the Houston Texans, who favor.

00:32:43
Speaker 3: I wasn't ready to read this fourteen and a half boys, the over Hunders thirty seven and a half Andrew Catalog, Charles Davis, and Jason mccordy will have the task of making it interesting, Greg, because the Raiders are playing against the team that's significantly better.

00:32:57
Speaker 1: Than them, and they always do one of my favorite trios. I'm talking about Catalan Davison mccordy. I've had enough broadcaster.

00:33:06
Speaker 2: You know, hate lately.

00:33:08
Speaker 1: I want to give the good Cruise some credit and that the Texans offense, that's a good crew. I wondered aloud on that on that Cynthia pod last week where we do our picks, like do we really trust the Texans favored by like ten points last week, like ready to just like blow a team out. It didn't end up taking that game. It's like, yeah, we kind of do trust them. They've they've gotten through this gauntlet, and they could be ten and two in their last twelve games if they win this game, and they've done it against a top five, difficult schedule, and now they finally get to a softer portion. And you watched that game closely last week, Jordan. The offense look great and it just is awesome to see c. J. Stroud in rhythm. And one thing that stuck out to me watching is just he's.

00:33:53
Speaker 2: Moving really well.

00:33:54
Speaker 1: Yes, and he talked in the off season about really working on his movement skills, and I do think you saw that, like right at the beginning of the season, but then he got hurt in the offensive line has been bad, but he has been great, I think lately, and he's moving really well well.

00:34:07
Speaker 5: There's a more of a rapport with some of the younger players too, the younger receivers, the two guys out of Iowa State, and then Xavier Hutchinson coming in as well, and then you know, obviously Nico is Nico, but it's all of the young players seem to have grown up through part of the grueling nature of what the season has been. I was delighted to see now Woody Marx is kind of in and out with an ankle injury, so he's kind of if he plays, he'll be playing.

00:34:34
Speaker 6: Through a little of that. But I was absolutely delighted to.

00:34:38
Speaker 5: See that they promoted Juar Jordan off the practice squad again, and he should stay on this active roster for as long as they can keep him there because the burst that he gave them on the ground. You know, Woody marks Is clearly can be a very explosive player, but it was almost like a spark plug, just little like flashes with Juar Jordan. Who could who showed this burst that was awesome, that was badly needed. It was exciting to watch this Houston Texans offense move the ball and stay ahead of the sticks in such a functional way. You combine that with c. J. Stroud's ability as a quarterback making some of the highest difficulty level throws. It just it's all coming together, and it's coming together at the right time, and thank God, because they're giving this defense some help finally.

00:35:26
Speaker 3: And a opportunity where you can both rest Woody marks for this upcoming postseason run and get Jaward Jordan a chance to get more carries as far as NFL debuts. Yeah, fifteen carries over one hundred involved in the receiving game as well. I'd like to see more of them as well. And because again, you trust stuff against this team.

00:35:49
Speaker 5: I like how we've we're politely calling these miserable teams to try stuff against them.

00:35:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, but the Raiders are the Quinn essential. Yeah, they can.

00:35:59
Speaker 1: You can work on your offensive line Texans, like, you're not gonna have to worry about any crazy blitz is. These are two teams that both like to play that like to play bass defense. Having three linebackers on the field, it can work. I mean the forty nine ers do it pretty well.

00:36:13
Speaker 6: With one of these teams.

00:36:15
Speaker 2: And the Texans.

00:36:16
Speaker 1: I noticed with Christian Harris back last week or maybe it's the last two weeks, I'm not sure, but he's playing a decent amount of snaps and he adds a little bit of a different element, and I think they're gonna want him, like getting ready for the playoffs, to at least be like an important player for them. And yeah, that's what the types of stuff you can do against the Raiders.

00:36:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, and thank you for putting me on the Jalen Peatrie smelling salt yes situation, because I saw the video. Not only did he take a hit of the smelling salts, he no sold it like, no reaction, facial indications.

00:36:53
Speaker 5: And just casually drops it to the ground and then goes and sprints to.

00:36:56
Speaker 2: The That's just Wednesday for him. Yeah, that's just nothing.

00:36:59
Speaker 3: I'm up across from that sideline. Hey, on the top of my head.

00:37:05
Speaker 6: I love the sense so much.

00:37:07
Speaker 1: Uh, and yeah, if they if we don't know if Geno is going to be back for this game, we should have pointed out, by the way, Uh for the Jets it is Brady Cook.

00:37:15
Speaker 2: Again we didn't get that information. But uh, we don't know if it's you know or Kenny Pickett.

00:37:20
Speaker 6: You either way? Rip.

00:37:23
Speaker 5: Yes again, you were asking earlier on the show this week what players we think that Wes would have liked. I look at will Anderson Junior, and I think that the exuberance and the joy that that guy, that young man plays with and the uh the ferocity despite being like such a seems like just a joy for his teammates to be around. He just he's incredible watching him plays incredible.

00:37:49
Speaker 1: I think Wes would have really, I totally agree, loved loved like an edge with his hair on fire, and really realizing when they talked about will Anderson before the draft and when it came to that trade, there was this idea that the ceiling wasn't somehow quite as high as like top edge type of guys, that it was more like safe versus like crazy ceiling. I mean, this is the ceiling right now. He's a He's a first team All Pro. I think with Miles Garrett, I think those are the two. Speaking of which you mentioned Nico as Nico and I and I often think this when I'm watching Nego Collins, who I think is my favorite wide receiver in the league. Like we say, oh, he's one of the best receivers in league. It's like, but he's still better than you think. I'm thinking about if I'm making an All Pro team this year, I gotta I actually got to make a list, like how high are we talking If we're putting three receivers on, which I think they do now, it's probably JSN and Puka are the easy top two and then after that you could go Chase certainly having a good year. It's kind of tough to put Justin Jefferson on the team this year because he's not going to break a thousand yards. I don't think I think you're I would maybe put Nico right there on the first team, and if not, he's there on the second team with aman Ra and CD or whoever else George Pickens you want to put on the second team, But like, I think that's the floor for Nico, and I don't think it's crazy to have him right there number three.

00:39:15
Speaker 4: And that's why it was.

00:39:16
Speaker 3: It was so important for your call for the Texans office line to be normal, to be standard issue. Yes, so more people could appreciate how good of a football player, Yes, Nico Collins is, and thankfully more people are.

00:39:27
Speaker 4: Let's go to our final game, guys.

00:39:28
Speaker 6: Oh wow.

00:39:29
Speaker 3: The Atlanta falcon are favored by two and a half points, fresh off of the Kyle Pitts game on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. The over unders forty seven and a half. Jason By and Brady Quinn on the call. The Cardinals have looked like can kuon on three the past couple of weeks of Jordan. Do they provide the early season Cardinals scare where they lose this game by three points.

00:39:56
Speaker 6: I think the Cardinals can win this game.

00:39:57
Speaker 5: Oh, I think it's the vibes down horrendous in Atlanta right now, the kiss of death for the quarterbacks in any building. The theme this year seems to be everything is on the table if the head coach says that, And that is what Raheem Morris told the media this week when asked about the future of the quarterback situation. It bears repeating that Atlanta does not have their initial first round pick with which they could potentially go make a decision at quarterback. It also bears noting that they might not even be the ones in the building making that decision, nor the Arizona Cardinals. So this is a whose vibes are slightly less bad than others game.

00:40:39
Speaker 2: That is absolutely all true.

00:40:41
Speaker 1: And yet when I think about this game versus let's say Bengals Dolphins, this is this is fun. This is the sort of chaos that I'll embrace on the field. Off the field, You're right, the vibes are bad.

00:40:52
Speaker 5: I liked I liked both of these teams Schematically on defense at least on the field, and I know the defense for the Cardinals hasn't been good, but I still I.

00:40:59
Speaker 6: Still hold for the possibility of what could be.

00:41:02
Speaker 1: I mean, Kyle Pitts is coming off one of the most legendary fantasy football performances of all time, if not T and f performances of all time. That's fun. Drake London sounds like he could be back for this game. We got to give Kirk Cousins credit for playing very well in that game, and I think it's been a steady incline where he's looked better each and every week.

00:41:22
Speaker 2: I think it's a little crazy to talk about.

00:41:24
Speaker 6: Do you think he's playing himself into another job?

00:41:27
Speaker 2: No, but there are only thirty two jobs. Yeah, I kind of.

00:41:31
Speaker 3: Very notable one in Kansas City where maybe they need somebody to play three or four games.

00:41:36
Speaker 2: I get see you.

00:41:37
Speaker 1: I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too here, Like wouldn't it wouldn't surprise me if he has a starting quarterback in Week one next year. But I don't think he's going to get like a starting quarterback like contract. So that's where I would separate him, Like maybe he's paired with a rookie or he's paired with.

00:41:53
Speaker 5: A Yes, Michael pennant to be a bridge guy again.

00:41:56
Speaker 2: Well that's what Well, what is he gotta do?

00:41:58
Speaker 1: Like he just accept I think Raheem is just too honest, Like, of course they're considering everything. Michael Pennox is coming off of attorney CL. He might not be ready for the start of next season. And if he is, he's coming off at TOURNEYCL. There's no they think that he was.

00:42:12
Speaker 6: Not playing well before the injury too.

00:42:15
Speaker 2: So for sure.

00:42:16
Speaker 1: But I mean even if he was playing well, I feel like they would have to be, you know, readying as an organization for that position, considering his injury history. And yeah, it would surprise me if Raheem is there, But you never know.

00:42:30
Speaker 5: Jacoby Brissett might throw it a hundred times this game, another player goes to injured reserve.

00:42:35
Speaker 6: I think Bam Knight this time.

00:42:38
Speaker 5: Cardinals have just had the worst luck with their running backs room all year. They down they'll be down to like their sixth starting running back this in this game, and is the season.

00:42:50
Speaker 6: Creaks to a close on the Arizona card.

00:42:53
Speaker 1: I keep going back to that their defense is not that injured. In fact, up front, they're as healthy as they've been all season, and they are somewhere between twenty fifth and twenty seventh and basically every defensive stat and he's a defensive coach and he's been there for three years, and so you're starting to hear the national of like well, like Tom Pelisera said this week, they they want to keep them, but the results right, like.

00:43:19
Speaker 2: Basically they've been planning to keep them, but at a.

00:43:22
Speaker 6: Sid point, last three games matter.

00:43:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, if at a certain point, if the results continue to be really lopsided, yeah, I mean, it's not gonna be great for Jonathan Gannon and I do I do want to finish. You mentioned that it's been a sign all season. It's been kind of a trend when they talk about their young quarterbacks that way. I'm not overly comfortable with the fact that Shane Steichen is more or less saying going back to the Colts that like, oh, yeah, Anthony Richardson might be cleared for activities, but yeah, we're we didn't bring in Philip Rivers for anything but to start. I'm not surprised by that, but it sounds like they're not even gonna let like Anthony Richardson be a backup and just being weird about it.

00:44:01
Speaker 2: I don't I don't know.

00:44:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, they've not handled that. Just be honest about it. Maybe like we don't see him as the few whatever it is. He's like refusing to answer questions. Anthony Richardson, was I think cleared to for football?

00:44:13
Speaker 6: Yeah he is, he's cleared for football activities, but he's not the backup.

00:44:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they probably aren't going to. I don't even think put him on the active rosters. That's another quarterback that'll be available for someone this offseason. We have a whole three weeks to get through before we get there. We also have a really exciting addition to the feed. Tell us about this week's NFL Power Players, which is coming up.

00:44:36
Speaker 6: Yeah.

00:44:37
Speaker 5: Yeah, we talked to Chad Alexander, the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers this week, and I love we talked about the Chargers earlier.

00:44:45
Speaker 6: What was that the other show?

00:44:47
Speaker 2: Right, they're all they're all one show. I just consider this show.

00:44:51
Speaker 5: We talked about the Chargers earlier today, and I love what you said because you have not heard the interview yet, Greg, but you talked about winning ugly and no style points. And that's exactly what Chad Alexander was talking about as well as just like really rebuilding what it means to have an identity as a football team in that building of late.

00:45:11
Speaker 6: It was a pretty cool interview. I'm excited for people to listen to it.

00:45:13
Speaker 1: Okay, so that is going to go up on Thursday. We will also be back Thursday Night Jordan and I recapping Ramseyahawk Big.

00:45:24
Speaker 6: Best Thursday Night football game of all time.

00:45:26
Speaker 1: Greg, that's right, no Hyperboley here, I think so, I'd have to go through the records.

00:45:33
Speaker 3: But the legendary seventeen point Baker Mayfield, I'll see then