Reaction to Bills-Steelers, Bears-Eagles, Chiefs-Cowboys, Packers-Lions | Colin Cowherd NFL Week 13

Reaction to Bills-Steelers, Bears-Eagles, Chiefs-Cowboys, Packers-Lions | Colin Cowherd NFL Week 13

Welcome to the official YouTube channel for the Colin Coward podcast. Go on, hit that subscribe button if you’re new so you don’t miss any of our great football content this season. This episode is presented by Uber Eats. When football makes you hungry, order Uber Eats. I do every weekend. All right. Uh, it’s always weird doing the Sunday show after Thanksgiving because there’s like 32 topics and nobody really cares about discussing Rams Panthers, do they? No, not not really. Listen, I think we we’ve we’ve Let’s just address a massive college football story that you and I care about. So, college football, what you saw Lane Kein do, uh, feels a little different now because of the college football playoff. You used to leave a program, you know, and they were going to a bowl game. They weren’t playing for a national championship. And I don’t think Old Miss was going to win a natty, but it wouldn’t have shocked me with Lane Keifin if they won two or three games and finished in the top two or three. Um, so it does feel a little gross. But big picture is if you think about um if you really think about what happened, the NCAA four or five years ago was rigid um and you went from that the rigidity of the NCAA to pure unadulterated HGH infused capitalism and there’s no boundaries and it’s the wild wild west just like the wild wild west in the 1800s. You had territorial governors and you have commissioners of conferences, but everybody’s in their own self-interest. And so, listen, this is Harbaugh, Michigan, Lane Keven to LSU. It’s massive. It’ll be controversial. It’ll be great for the sport. And one of the little guys gets burned. I I I don’t lose sleep on this stuff because I’ve been watching it my entire life. But wasn’t this bound to happen if you hired Kein? Yeah. I just think there’s no easy way to leave a school anymore, you know? I mean, these schools now are paying $50 million for a guy to go away in the middle of October. So, you have LSU out to poach your coach for the last month and a half. That that that’s abnormal. You know, the these buyouts got so extreme. We’re like, you and I kept saying, “Well, these guys are safe.” Turns out they’re not and they’re getting bought out left and right. I I also think part of the problem for Lane is he’s a controversial and polarizing figure and he’s really done a lot to change his image, right? the documentary that he did. You just look at him physically. What do you think he’s lost? 30 pounds. Yeah. He’s politically he’s talked to Big Game, how this place changed his life, gets him into the playoffs, and then leaves him for essentially their big brother who I think it’s hard. I understand where their fans are mad. But like I I understand both sides. I I just think these things are these things are ugly. It’s pretty rare. Remember a couple years ago when Sabin retired right after the national championship game and Dbor just left Washington and it was a pretty seamless, you know, from Washington to Alabama cuz everyone was done. You’re seeing, you know, this cycle all these Penn State doesn’t even have a coach. Now, we can argue whether they’re a top 10, five, I don’t know where they land, but they could easily steal a guy in the next couple days and that could be weird. Who’s to say that it’s not a top 15 program that they steal a guy from? So, it’s just it’s a lot different in the NFL. Like you said, there are regulations. There are rules. The New York Giants can’t steal Shawn McVey, but LSU can steal Lane Keifin. Well, honestly, it looked like kind of easily. Well, yeah. And Rick Patino noted this on social media. He said it’s a calendar. Is that actually Rick Patino? I almost didn’t even believe. I thought it was like a fake account. I didn’t realize it was actually Rick. Yeah. And he said it’s a calendar issue. He goes, I wouldn’t build my team to be a number one seed with a chance to win a national championship. and you know a day before the tournament March Madness bail he said you couldn’t do that it’s a calendar issue and college football allows it for years and years I was on my radio show and TV show John I’m sure at least once you heard me say this it’s an$ 8 billion sport with no CEO it was boxing like of course every boxer was out for itself and every promoter Bob Arman Don King ran boxing the SEC commissioner ran the sport and then you have ESPN and Fox saying, “Guys, it’s an $8 billion industry. We’re going to make this more like pro football. We’re going to have like an AFC, an NFC, the SEC, and the Big 10.” So, I don’t I don’t If you are a college football program and you hire Lane Keifin and you don’t understand the reality of your calendar and understanding this can happen, then you’re naive. And I I I can feel for an Old Miss fan, but this is this is a calendar issue. And I said last week, aggressive men, if Wall Street did not have a regulatory board, you would see if you didn’t have regulations at companies. If we didn’t have an IRS, what do you think it would be like for aggressive men in this country? they would be taking big swings and doing something doing many things that felt and unethical. So until college football in the NCAA put up boundaries. I mean we put up some boundaries in the portal. We put up some boundaries in NIL. There’s no boundaries on coaches leaving. I I I think what people have a problem with, you know, and it’s mainly the Old Miss fans, not like LSU fans care at all. They’re they’re ecstatic, is that we have this team who in theory has a chance to win a national championship. I don’t necessarily agree they don’t play any defense, but then this guy kind of plays us. I plays us would be strong, but as he says in his outgoing statement that the that the AD wouldn’t let him coach. Well, yeah, Lane, no school worth their salt that has any respect. LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas. It’s very understandable why they wouldn’t let you coach, right? But then you steal Charlie Weiss’s kid who’s with Lane, the offensive mastermind. Well, this is an offensive juggernaut as a as a program, right? Going into this playoff, well, I remove Lane and I remove Charlie Weiss. If I am not like, if I could remove a little emotion and take a deep breath, I’d go, we have no chance in the playoffs, especially if we get a a decent matchup because they’re going to get dropped in the playoffs, you are ruining our dream season. I mean, it’s, you know, in college more than the pros, right? A bad program in the NFL, if they get the right quarterback, the right coach, they can immediately be good. You know, the Rams were a clown show. They get McVey, look at them the last 10 years, right? That in college, you get the right coach, you got to strike the irons hot because that guy’s probably going to leave. But now, I think, you know, fans would say, “Well, what the hell’s the difference? We’re paying these players. We’re giving you money for the coaches. We’re doing everything LSU tried to do and we’re kicking their ass every year. We We beat Georgia last year. Why do you need to go?” And I do think that’s a fair argument that we’re going to learn. Is there a big difference? And I know you said about I I think, you know, Lane would probably agree with you. the defensive guys. Like I can get the offensive guys to come, but for every Walter Nolan that I got last year, it’s going to be very hit or miss where if I’m at LSU, if I’m at Georgia, if I’m at Ohio State, I could get five or six of those guys. And then I think the other area that people have a hard time with is like Nick Sabin, you know, Nick, you fired Lane for causing problems inside your program. And it does feel very, and listen, I I have a lot of respect for Jimmy Saxon created this business from nothing and became what he became. It’s not his fault that academia struggles with negotiating with these guys and it’s a it’s a one-sided fight, but it clearly feels where in the NFL there’s a lot of push back. If you want to negotiate with Howie or you want to negotiate with the 49, like it’s not easy. And with these schools, it just seems like one couple guys have all this juice and are just playing puppet master within this in the sport. And that gets back to what you said. There’s no rules. There’s no regulations. So Bob Arum and Don King take over the business. They need a data watch. cuz UFC passed them, right? Cuz they got a Dana White. I think we’re still a while a while away from college football kind of having that structure though, right? I mean, it doesn’t feel like it’s tomorrow coming in. No. I mean, listen, if you look at prekin, Matt, Luke, Ed oron, Houston Nut, Hugh Freeze cheated like a you know what the bottom line, it was a losing irrelevant program. If they knew Keifin was going to burn him, if they knew it going in that he was going to do this, they’d still take 55 and 19 relevance in the number one scoring offense in the country by a wide margin. They would have signed up for it today. So, I don’t have any Their last SEC title is 1963. It’s an irrelevant program. and Lane may I watched four old miss games the last four this year four last year maybe I’d watch the Egg Bowl every year for a half like I’m sorry you were an irrelevant program Hugh Fes cheated to make you sort of interesting but Nick Sabin said he stopped recruiting his last couple years at in Mississippi because Hugh Fes was cheating so bad players were getting paid at the end near signing day and they were losing him. So, I mean, you would have signed up for 55 and 19 when you had the coaching opening. If you knew he was, if I said number one offense, top five program, 55 and 19, he’ll bail on you. You’d have signed up for it. You know, you used to have that that statement that the thing that makes smart men dumb are women and money. And I think the hard part is for the program is that this not really money, right? Old Miss was paying him 10 million. they were willing to pay him 14. It’s almost a u you know a revelation from Lane and his belief that your program simply isn’t as good as LSU, right? And I think that hurts and that’s where you’re getting it really emot like you’re in the playoffs but big picture you know I’m the reason and t historically in college basketball and football you lose the coach you’re in major trouble. like the guy that’s replacing him. I remember when he was the off or defensive coordinator at Alabama, it was not going well as defensive coordinator and and clearly they were in a desperate situation, but I I think over the next couple years relative to what they’ve been if Miss was a stock, you’d probably short them and you would probably buy stock in LSU the next couple years, right? Yeah. All right, time to look at this weekend’s tastiest matchup in this week’s Sunday Night Food brought to you by Uber Eats, a company I use all the time. Yeah. All right, let’s talk. Um, as we do this, it’s in the fourth quarter, but um, Buffalo leads going away against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rogers got hurt. He got smoked by Joey Bosa. bloody bridge of his nose, left the game, came back. Um, you know, it’s funny because Shawn McDermott and Mike Tomlin are both defensive coaches, and I could make a strong argument that their message has sort of worn thin, like three points in the first half for Buffalo, making a mistake down near the goal line. Like it’s like guys, you got a veteran staff, you got a veteran quarterback, you got a veteran left tackle. You can’t be making these mistakes. But I I I do I look at Pittsburgh right now and they have no quarterback for the future. Aaron looks in cold weather really old. Aaron’s letting go of that ball, John, so quickly. I don’t blame him. He doesn’t want to get hit. He doesn’t run game. I thought this was a bad fit. I said he should go to Minnesota or he should retire. I never thought, you know, in warm weather early in the season, but Mike Tomlin’s teams, I haven’t won a playoff game, I I could be wrong, eight plus years. They’re not a viable franchise. They get really bad at the end of seasons. I don’t know. I mean, I Yep. Buffalo just scored. It’s going to be now 23-7. What do you do with McDermott and what do we do with Tomlin? Well, I think McDermott still, you know, these next whatever five, six games, then the playoffs are going to be huge for them. I mean, as of right now, it’s going to be an uphill battle for them just assuming that New England wins on Monday night to win the division. They were heavy favorites at the beginning of the year, not just to win their division. They they had the best betting odds with the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. I mean, they have one of the best players in the league. You know, I’d say Josh been a little up and down this year. Part of that to me is on the GM and I I think when you look at these two franchises, you know, Brandon Bean for the Bills, like Keon Coleman was inactive the last two games. He he was their essentially their first round pick last year, pick 33, right? They traded get a touchdown today. That helps. He did. He did. But I mean, it’s you’re in a position where you’re still like teaching them life lessons a year and a half in. That’s not ideal. I think the Steelers I’ve been texting around the league. Uh obviously Tomlin, I think it’s fair to say you’re there 17 years. back in the 60s they would have said that’s a long time let let alone modern day the internet age it’s unprecedented I don’t think we’re going to see that very often ever again but I I think their GM and their front office you know it used to be with Kevin Colbert the Steelers and going back to the Bill Cower days we just always had one of the best rosters in the league right defensively top to bottom offensively they always had multiple piece they always just had like super reliable people all over the place right and then star power they don’t even feel remotely close to that. I actually gained a lot of respect for Rogers today. He’s going to be 42 in less than a month. He’s out there with a cast on his left hand, which that’s a hand that you used to brace yourself. He’s made hundreds of millions of dollars. He does not need to be doing this. So, I I give him a lot of respect for It’s not like he has a lot of equity with this franchise that he needs to try to earn their respect. So, he’s trying. He’s giving them all they have. But Tomlin takes a lot of And I’ve been saying for a while it’s probably time for a breakup. If you’re Mike Tomman, you go to the Giants, you you would be getting a a standing ovation walking into that press conference, right? But the the the front office and the GM, when you look at the team, Cam Hayward’s been there for a decade and a half. That has nothing to do with this group. TJ Watt’s been there for 10 years, right? The the the talent on that roster and and the the philosophy of the moves. Like, you’re trading for DK Mechaf. Like, he he’s a number two guys and you’re going to pay him $150 million. Like, what are you guys doing? I know position. I’m watching the Bears make some seventh round running back go for 130 yards with his eyes closed and you guys can’t find a running back like you guys you’re the guy you draft in the third round can’t sniff the field your front office who is I would say the Steelers for a long long time just they were the most reliable franchise just doing it right year in year out for dec I I see like god that something’s offkilter there and maybe the the family’s getting a lot older you know it’s just things change they’re so rich now maybe you lose touch a little bit have the same chip on your shoulder uh but to me the talent on the on the ro and I’d say listen it’s not like Buffalo we’ve talked about this is some greatly talented they they had injuries today missing some players but even when healthy or I would consider them the 07 Pats no I mean the Lakers sold it felt very mom and pop and then they bring in the Dodgers group and it already feels they’re getting rid of bus family members I think with the Roies ever sell. They feel I mean that division now has the Brown family mom and pop. The Roies feel outdated. Little mom and pop. Baltimore’s got excellent ownership and management throughout. Cleveland bit of a mess. Although I like the coach. I like the GM. I like the roster actually. But it it’s just watching this today. You have two defensive coaches. You know, it’s it’s 73 or 103 at half, whatever it was. It was like, God, there’s just nothing creative. I mean, Buffalo basically, if you look at their game plan, they just it was pretty clear. They they were just wanted to get into a slugfest and they just kind of figured they would over the course of time score points. 20 points, you can’t match us. That’s what it felt like. It almost felt like what Ohio State did against Michigan. Like that first half, Ohio State was so conservative and their take is we got better players. We’re going to win this game. It’s just going to take three and a half hours to win the football game. So, I I you know, I I feel like I’m always beating up on the Steelers, but small market Green Bay is so smart, so cutting edge. Offensive coaches do a very good job in the sport of solving problems in season. I’ve said this, John, a McVey, a Reed, a Shawn Payeyton. I think those guys, Shanahan has done a great job this year. Solve problems middle of a season, takes a couple weeks. I feel like defensive coaches need an off season to solve problems. Pete Carol will need an off season. Tomlin, McDermott. When they when things go sideways, they don’t rebound quickly. I mean, you you watch Denver struggle struggle in their first half offense. Then they play the Chiefs and they get on the board in the first half and they kind of clean it up. I mean, Ben Johnson has an identity. They’re they’re they’re a number one seed now, Chicago. Like I mean, the defense leads in takeaways, the offense leads in rushing. They’re a number one seed. these offensive coaches come in. Ben Johnson has been tweaking this mother every two weeks. Like you’ve seen improvement. Pittsburgh league, you know, I feel like they think like, okay, you play the season, then the season’s over and then you take the wrenches out and you you fix it. You got to fix it every week in pro football now. The coaching’s too smart. Yeah. I I think also the organization like the way they view football is the defense can carry us. And I I still believe you need a good defense to win in college or the pros, but it’s an offensive sport. I mean, didn’t Sabin say this a decade ago when he hired Lane? And I had to adapt because of the rules. So, you can’t even the Texans. I mean, the Texans have what looks like to be an all-time great defense. I mean, their defense is fantastic, but if their offense plays like that, they’re not going anywhere, even if they make the playoffs. And that’s the one thing with I will say about the Bills is the AFC does look pretty wide open. I mean, there are a lot of random teams going to make it that as long as you got that quarterback. I I think we’d both agree they would have a chance in every game. If if the pass rushers are healthy and Josh is healthy, they would have a chance. Where the Steelers, I I’ve been saying this for the month. I mean, clearly they they are they they have been in a freef fall for a month. I mean, ever since Flaco beat him on that Thursday night game, they have not been good. But even same thing last year. Say 100, but this is even starting earlier this year. like the attrition of the age. Listen, it’s just it it’s not Tomlin will probably assuming that I mean they’ll get a divorce one of these days. It is an organizational thing and you bring up the Packers, they have a much better front office like Kudakin, I got news for you. I know Rogers buted heads with them, but he kind of was right on that transaction and he’s pretty good at his job. you know, like the power. I don’t know if football’s quite baseball, but your GM is pretty important because it’s not obviously the quarterback, but it’s a lot of auxiliary moves of, you know, backup defensive lineman, who’s your slot receiver, who’s your slot corner, you can make moves in season, you know, one thing, you know, Howie has done that I think a lot of Lions fans go like, where are trades mid-season? Like, you can be aggressive now in this modern day NFL. So, I’d say the Steelers just kind of ran into age, attrition, and just a coach that, you know, it’s it’s just time. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s Andy Reid was fired in Philadelphia. Ask him how that turned out. Yeah. Okay. I want to talk about um because the biggest games were Thursday and Friday in the NFL. Um I don’t think Cleveland San Francisco is a highlighter. We’ll get to that. That was this week’s Sunday Night Food brought to you by Uber Eats. When football makes you hungry, get game day deals on Uber Eats. I do every week. The official ondemand delivery partner of the NFL. Order now. I just did. I want to talk about Dallas beating Kansas City. Chiefs now six and six. And it’s very likely if you look at Jacksonville and Houston’s record and you you start looking at New England and Buffalo, it’s like Kansas City’s probably not making the playoffs. And I think some of that is the Chargers going to have eight wins after they beat the Raiders. So, I think Kansas City’s um listen, I said at the start of the year, I said Kansas City, the dynasty’s over. They’ll win a Super Bowl, but the dynasty’s over. Once you start paying quarterbacks 400 million bucks, you have to manipulate the cap. You have to let people go. They had to let Joe Tony go. The O line the last several years. It feels like it’s been patchwork and then it gets into later in the season, they lose somebody to injury. It’s a mess. Here’s the thing about Dallas. I can’t figure out why this is so hard for people to figure out. I said when they traded Micah, Jerry Jones is a dealmaker. What dealmakers need is flexibility. And if they sign Micah, and we know this the previous year they were waiting to. They had no flexibility. They couldn’t get Derrick Henry for $8 million at the trade deadline. They are a much better defense without Micah. Why? Because it allowed them to get Kenny Clark and Quinn Williams runs stoppers. When they had Micah, they were an atrocious run defense. The problem with that is you lose time of possession. Dak sits and watches the game from the sideline. Well, now with Dearvian overshy, they still have electric athletic ability on the edge. Sam Williams played well. Quinnon Williams, Kenny Clark. Well, now they’re still getting quarterback pressures. They’re going to go get an edge. Yeah, clowning. They’re going to go get an edge with their first pick in the draft, which is a edgger draft. And simultaneously, Micah was good for Green Bay. But it’s idea that you win the trade and we lose it. Dallas had no flexibility. You watch them play now, John. Their pressure is excellent. You can’t run in them. They’re healthy. They’re athletic. Like it’s like guys sometimes, you know, I mean, it it doesn’t matter what the company is. You lose a high-profile person and maybe they were high maintenance maintenance or maybe they were expensive or they were temperamental and they’re great somewhere else, but it allows you to elevate other employees, to show off other employees, to manage other lowmaintenance employees. Like I liked Micah, but he was a lot. And edge rushers are easier to find than Quinn and Williams. It just seems so obvious to me that Micah deal was good for Dallas, too. You get it, right? Like everybody gets this. I I just think oftent times in a trade, we want a loser and a winner, right? I I think you look at the Luca trade, you know, we love when there’s a loser and a winner in a trade. The the Bears and the Panthers, the big trade they made, it looks like Brian Paul’s won that thing, right? The Pakers would like a redo. Why can’t we just have a winner and a winner? I’m watching Micah Parsons fly around on Thanksgiving Day. Obviously, he’s been awesome for the Packers and they do not regret doing that at all. The other thing that someone in the league texted me, do you know where Jerry also deserves credit is? I I thought he was wrong for this. I’d be like, you know, I just keep rolling with McCarthy. He said, you know what, Mike, I’m not giving you another contract. I’m going to take your number two, replace him with you, and not skip a beat. And now you look at McCarthy, who I I’ve been saying like I think he’ll get a job. Well, the the Packers replaced him with ease. Haven’t skipped a beat, right? Have not looked back. And now the Cowboys replaced McCarthy and haven’t thought twice about it with Brian Shottnheimer. So like Jerry took a lot of I I was very outspoken. I know you were too. How could you not be when he hired Brian Shottenheimer? Looks like he’s done a pretty good job. You know, excellent offensive play caller. His rapport with Dak. A big personality in George Pickkins. handled him perfectly. Weird situations with Micah Parsons. I mean, he had nothing to do with that. Gets thrown on him. Handled that thing perfectly. And I is there How many teams are hotter than Dallas right now? The Texans. I mean, they Dallas looks I mean they that that has to be one of the better twoe stretches when you go Monday night, Sunday, and Thursday night of like Jerry’s last 20 years. Yeah. Yes. I mean, they absolutely destroy the Raiders. They historically come back on the Eagles and then they essentially kind of end the Chiefs little, you know, mini D. I don’t think the Chiefs are done big picture like you say, but they’re they’re not making the playoffs this year because of Dallas and really outplay him. Like you you couldn’t stop him on offense. And I I just think Jerry I think he puts himself out there a lot. He’s got a little lane tipping quality. So anytime you do that, you know, mo most owners don’t say a peep. Most owners do not interview or ever publicly say anything. maybe once a year, maybe at the owner’s meetings. Most GMs don’t even talk during the season. Jerry’s talking twice a week. He’s doing the radio interview and he’s talking postgame. And he’s he was right. And and here’s the other thing you got to say about Dallas. They’ve kind of been wellrun for a little while now. Like they’ve had good rosters. Now, they have not done well in the playoffs, but like the the McCarthy era, why they didn’t do it well in the playoffs was not because the front office. Dak kind of the bed. He played bad. 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So, if you’re listening on to this later, just open the app, check it out. Any day of the week, doesn’t matter. Download the Hard Rock Bet app right now. Make your first deposit. Baltimore is exquisitly run. They haven’t been very good in the playoffs recently. They had the Flacco year, right? They had the Trent Dilford year. Baltimore’s lost a lot of big playoff games. They’ve lost it to New England or a Buffalo or a Kansas City. They’re unbelievably well-run. It’s hard to win effing playoff games, right? It’s Dak was losing to I mean go look at when Dak and Dallas were losing a lot of playoff games. Well, you had the you had the Seattle team and the San Francisco Harbaugh team and you have Aaron Rogers in his prime and it yeah it’s hard to win playoff games. Um okay, let’s I want to talk about this game that happened on Thanksgiving. Green Bay 31, Detroit 21. Two big takeaways. One’s an easy one. Um, again, Matt Laflure, the Packers offense looked a little broken. Matt Laflur, this is what offensive coaches do. Fix in the middle of a season. And all of a sudden, Jordan Love, four touchdowns, no picks, 124 passer rating, go to Detroit and win. Jordan Love, 18 of 30. This is what I’ve said. This Green Bay offense was broken about 3 weeks ago and he fixed it. S the Pittsburgh has been broken for eight years. They can’t fix it. So, they got better offensive line play. But I think the bigger issue is something like Lane Keifin leaves, they’re going to hire somebody in the building. Mistake. Jim Harbaugh leaves, they give it to somebody in the building. You watch Michigan, they weren’t even competitive. I mean, they just no ingenuity at all with that offense. So, Ben Johnson is the most talked about OC in the league for three years. He leaves and Dan Campbell, loyal guy, you know, very relatable, almost a workingass feel to him, like he’s a guy’s guy, hires a guy in the building. Last year, year before, unbelievable third down team, fourth down team. They’re now with that offensive line, those weapons. Jir Gibbs 17th best in the league on third down. That’s coaching. That’s not personnel. That’s not golf. That’s not Omaron St. Brown or Gibbs. The I I’ll go back to it. It’s it’s the Colin was right, Colin was wrong. I said when you lose an icon, Harbaugh, you know, Lane Keifin’s offense that’s number one in the country by a mile, you lose Ben Johnson, you don’t go in the building. You You go on a domestic. If McVey retired tomorrow for the Rams, you don’t give it to a coordinator. If Shanahan left, you don’t give it to a coordinator. I think Detroit it’s going to get worse before it gets better. What say you? Well, I think Detroit’s season’s on the line come Thursday against the Cowboys. And I don’t know about you, but I like the Cowboys. Same. And I think once Detroit loses on Thursday, I mean, their defense is really falling apart. Offense isn’t quite the same, but defensively they they clearly have missed on some picks. Their scheme I I don’t know what’s going on, but they are they’ve been getting shredded now the second half of last year with the injuries and they kind of look the same thing all over again. They lose to Dallas, Colin, on Thursday, which I think most people with a brain are going to pick the Cowboys. I think the NFC playoffs are pretty much set. And the Bears and the 49ers are in, right? The Rams, Seattle are in. The Packers are in. Let’s assume Tampa wins the division. They’re in. And you know, the Eagles would have to have a full-on collapse, but the Eagles are probably in. That’s your playoffs. So, you know, the Bears and the Niners right now, I mean, the Bears technically are the number one seed, which I I don’t know about you, but after Thursday night, like what Mike Greyel’s doing is incredible. I got no problem every once in a while like Brett Favre, Barry Sanders, you share the MVP. I think those guys share the coach of the year. What those guys are doing where those two franchises have been, Vrabel didn’t take over the Bill Bichc 2018 team. I mean, they had been bad for a while and the Bears were a joke. Listen, Vrabel’s still on a rebuild. I mean, I would argue they’re not finished yet. They need another seven draft picks. They need another two acquisitions because Drake May is still in the rookie contract. New England’s not even a complete team. I mean, don’t just think about this for those who defend Shawn McDermott. How long did it take with Josh Allen? You’re still never quite sure what you get weekend to weekend, half to half with their offense. Mike Frabel’s turned it around. I’d say Buffalo’s got at least as good or better personnel-wise. I Yeah, Vull’s an unbelievable coach. I I I think I look at Detroit, they’re still going to be fine because I think the GM Brad Holmes is so good. I do like Campbell, but Campbell, Nick Serriani, similarly, are not known as great scheme guys. I think Campbell’s better than Sirani, but when you miss on a coordinator higher offensively, it’s punitive. It’s not for McVey, Shanahan, Payton, Andy Reid, they they move off those guy. Guys like Sirani and guys like Dan Campbell are much more coordinator dependent. I I think one thing has going for him is Howie’s aggression is really second to none, right? So, let’s just say that they, you know, go 11 and six and get bounced in the first round. He’ll do 50 things to try to improve where I think Brad Holmes, the he takes from his fan base is he can be a little conservative. It’s like, where were your moves? Right. And I think that’s fair. And I I think it’s very easy for a GM to always look big picture. And I I think Howie would say it’s easier for me to think more short-term now with a couple rings on my fingers, right? I have more equity, so I can be more aggressive. Look at the Rams. The Rams will always be in the mix. They got two picks that Atlanta Falcons pick. If you tell me they flip pick 11 for some incredible for Max Crosby, you know, just whoever insert star player, get ready cuz they will not hesitate to do that, right? But, but it’s easier for Shawn and Les to do that because they got a lot of equity in the, you know, with the franchise. So, I I I I think I think there are a lot of different variables in football. You’re very dependent on your GM as your coach and that working relationship. That’s why like listen I I’m not selling my chief stock big picture. Like they’ll be fine. Like they need a little bit of a reset year. And guess what? Drafting 18th in every round will be a little easier for Vich than 32nd. So they can go maybe in the first round all of a sudden you’re like whoa the Chiefs are now picking seven cuz they trade next year’s first and go from 18 to seven to get best player X, right? And they can do things like that. So the the other thing that’s on full display this year and you really saw it on Thanksgiving with Ben Johnson is obviously football. The power of a quarterback is speaks for itself. But I still think the the coach is equally if not more important and what Ben Johnson is doing in Chicago is that was remarkable that that game that felt like he’s the Midwest Kyle Shanahan. Chicago 24, Philadelphia 15. Right now, Chicago is number one in rushing, number one in the NFC North, number one in the NFC, number one in takeaways. That’s not just the roster. And he still has a quarterback who I think is a work in progress, who But again, this goes back to Nick Serani is scheme dependent. Philadelphia has been spiraling. This entire season offensively has been an uneven mess. He can’t fix it because he doesn’t have the right OC. Ben Johnson. We don’t even think the quarterback’s a great fit. We didn’t think going into this season, uh, this defense, it’s a magnet for turnovers. Nobody thought that. They’re number one in the NFL in takeaways. We didn’t even like their secondary. Jaylen Johnson got hurt. We were like, they’re screwed. No, they Nan Wright, they find all these guys. Now they like lead the NFL. Their secondary is just pansy picking it off, one-handed catches. So, I mean, I think I was I wrote this down during the game that Ben Johnson’s the best young head coaching hire since McVey. That’s what it feels like. Like Shanahan was a great hireer, but Shanahan’s been like winning season, losing season, winning season, losing seasons. And San Francisco always had a heartbeat because it’s got good ownership. Like, the Rams were with Jeff Fischer unwatchable. Two double-digit wins. I still think Caleb’s completing 58 and a half percent of his throws. I still think this has so much more room to grow offensively. See, I I would say it’s a combination of the two because Shanahan was much more heralded as an offensive coordinator, right, with Atlanta where McVey was coaching in Washington. They weren’t winning as many games. He was like this shooting star within the league, but everyone when he hired him was 31. But that first year, they were immediately awesome and in the playoffs. You’re like, “What?” After Jared Goff honestly looked like he was going to be out of the league his rookie year. Yeah. If if I would have told you that going into December that the Bears would be the NFC’s top seed with their quarterback throwing for under 60% of completion percentage. Not a soul would have believed you. Right. That’s the thing. They are winning all these games. Their quarterback’s pretty inaccurate. Now, the throw the touchdown throw that he made was like that was USC Oklahoma Heisman Trophy. He still has some remarkable highlight plays, but he still misses a ton of just like random out routes overthrowing guys. And it gets back to the thing that Shanahan did. And McVey did this early, too, cuz he had gurly. He would just run the ball, unlimited runs. The just his two running backs had 40 carries in that game where you you watched the other night against the Panthers, Canales, Rico Dao, he had six carries. It’s like the guy had like 900 yards coming into the game. It’s middle of October or middle of November. What are you doing? Bed Johnson can’t even relate. Shanahan can’t relate to that. They will just keep giving young McVey until he got Stafford will just hand it off, hand it off, hand it off. They’re your quarterback’s best friend and it makes the game so much easier on Caleb and then you can use Caleb’s legs. But the the running game, the scheme, I mean Vic Fangio is making56 million a year. I mean, they got Jordan Davis first round pick, Jaylen Carter, first round pick, all their linebackers. I mean, they got really good players up front and they had no clue what was coming. It felt like, you know, sometimes when you watch like a Navy, you know, and coaches always talk, hey, whenever you play one of those servicemies, it’s hard to practice for them because, you know, the the the different uh misdirection and they’re chop blocking you. The Eagles were just all they didn’t know where it was like they were playing the wing t and you could tell early on you’re like this is a pretty special game plan here from Ben John. He’s uh I’ve been blown away and I always say like going from a coordinator job to a head coach having seen it firsthand. When I was in Philly, Shawn McDermott was our defensive coordinator and Andy Re was the head coach. When someone got in trouble, Big Dom walked to Andy’s office, not Shawn McDermott. So as a as a coordinator, you just you’re not dealing with so many other things in the building beside I’m not even talking football. And clearly he’s able to handle the pressure of this city, the divisions. He’s now beating really good teams, right? It’s like, okay, he’s beating the Giants. Last couple weeks, like that Steeler game, even if they end up nine and eight, that that was a real win. And obviously the Eagles on the road in Philadelphia, a short week with Philly just coming off that loss. I mean, that’s to just I mean, they worked them. I mean, that was they kicked their ass. That that that was honestly one of those situations where you went, am I kind of out on Philly? Because something’s off. It does feel a little bit not quite as bad, but remember a couple years ago when they free fell something’s you can’t have a working situation with AJ and Jaylen having it be that public that palpable even if like well on the field we just put our head down eventually that stuff carries over to other people and creates some sort of rift right no and the other thing is Greg Kosell always he’s truth serum Greg Kosell watches film he doesn’t really have strong opinions based on anything other than film film and he always says this, the Philadelphia pass game is really very simple. It’s not hard to defend. They just have great athletes and there’s throws Jaylen Herz can’t make because he can’t see. So that’s why this offense is so uneven. So when Barkley Shaquin Barkley’s not getting these run gaps, it becomes very Jaylen Herz dependent. Well, that’s a limited offense. Yeah. That Saquon Barkley’s hum now it’s second and three. Yeah, the offense is better. But you put Jaylen Herz into have to throw situations. It’s a simple offense. He doesn’t see some stuff. I mean, he’s he’s better than Tua because he’s more athletic. He’s tougher, but um there’s limitations. And I also think we go back to Nick Serriani. When he got the job, I had two people I just say, “What do you think?” And they’re like, “He’s not ready to be a head coach. He needs to get great coordinators.” Well, he got Shane Stiken. and he didn’t let Stiken call plays. Remember that? You do. They were awful. Then he gave it up. Then they were fine. Now he hires Brian Johnson. It’s a disaster. Then he hires this his new guy Kevin uh what’s the last name? Patula. Kevin Patula. Kevin Patula obviously struggling with either relationships or play calling. There’s nothing Nick can do. Nick’s almost got an aggressive defensive coordinator mentality. He’s not remotely close to a scheme guy. So to me, they have problems they can’t solve in season. Most great offensive coaches can solve their in season. I don’t think Siri only solved it with Shane Stiken when he just handed over the play calling. So what are they going to do? Do we really think this team I mean John this has been a 9w weekek 11w week 12 week issue? This this isn’t going away. Daniel Craig returns as Benois blank in wake up dead man. A knives out mystery with an all-star ensemble cast for his most dangerous case yet. When young priest Jud Dupentesy is sent to assist charismatic fire brown man senior Jefferson Wixs, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Written and directed by Ryan Johnson, critics are calling it the sharpest knives out movie yet. Watch Wake Up Dead Man, a Knives Out Mystery in Select theaters November 26th and on Netflix December 12th, rated PG-13. The one thing they got going for them is I did this after the Bears game. They still got the Raiders, the Commanders, and the Commanders on the schedule. And even next week, they play the Chargers on Monday night who just have a lot of injuries and just are a beatable, you know, eight and four team, right? But to me, if you lose to the Chargers, they do feel fickle enough to lose Danny. You know, you you could get beat to a random Commander game. I mean, we’ve we saw it happen a couple years ago. So, I I would say next week, Monday Night Football in Los Angeles, which I would guess we’ll have a lot of Eagles fans there. Kind of must win, especially if the Cowboys because you go, “Oh, the Cowboys don’t have enough, you know, there’s not enough space for them to catch up.” Well, all of a sudden, you beat the Lions and they’re the hottest team in the league. The Eagles lose on Monday night, then they got a short week against the Raiders and all of a sudden this pressure and it starts getting weird and these guys, it’s going to be hard for AJ. I mean, he’s already not keeping his mouth shut, you know, during the week. You start he’s like, “What do I even care anymore? I’m not going to be on this team next year.” And and the thing in Philly, you know, they they started I I knew going into that game, I’m like, if this thing is like seven to six or something in the first half, that crowd is going to be on edge cuz they already come in with apprehension that we’re not actually that good. Like I know we’re the defending champs, but we feel way off. And then when you start getting physically shoved around, cuz the one thing you’d say Philly has, they had that stretch when Fanjo got a couple players back. He’s like, I they got one of the best defense in the league. And then you start getting worked on defense. You go, well, we’re going to have problems if we’re not holding you, you know, to 10 13 points. We’re going to be in for it. And then all of a sudden they’re up 103 and you go, I the Eagles team, I mean, if it wasn’t I mean, they fumble a tush push. I I don’t know. I They are the story of the game obviously was Ben Johnson, but I I do think that Kevin, but here’s the problem. So you’re gonna this season you go 11 and six, you lose in the first round, you fire your offensive coordinator, you just bring in another guy and you have, you know, it’s Jaylen’s whatever 10th offensive coordinator in 10 years or whatever the staff will be. It’s like and you just hope you get a Kellen Moore or Shane Sy. But I don’t know. Well, you’re saving on Sirani’s contract, so and and the Jaylen Herz deal is very team friendly, so you probably go spend $3 million and you go you out bid people for the best coordinator. Um, San Francisco 49ers 26, Cleveland 8, the 49ers 9-4 heading into the latest buy in the Kyle Shanahan era. I think it’s a great time for a buy. These late buys are perfect. I have said this. I think the coaching staff of the year is San Francisco. To be nine and four, that’s a good division. Even going to Arizona has historically been tough for all the teams in that division. Always been tough. even as wonky and weird and strangely owned and quarterbacked and coach. Um, I know everybody wants to talk about Shadur, you know, they had 253 yards of total offense. That’s about what the Niners had. Um, you know, Christian McCaffrey, 20 carries, four catches. Brock Pretty was more than solid. Um, you know, Cleveland butchered a punt. That helped a lot. But um you know my take was San Francisco this year had been very bad after wins and I know you can roll your eyes at Carolina but they thumped them and Carolina beat the Rams today and Cleveland won last week. So you can say what you want but going to Cleveland winning bad weather not built for Brock Pury I was really impressed. I feel like I have to reeval I picked the Niners for third now Seattle won and the Rams are going to win the division. Do you think San Francisco is a playoff team? Oh, yeah. I mean, I I I think the playoffs are set now. Like, like I said, I think all three teams in the West are clearly in. Rams, Seattle, the Niners, and and I think pretty much if the Lions lose Thursday, it’s the Bears and the Packers. And that’s in some order. Those are your three wild cards. To me, the NerS today was an organization organizational win. I mean, the Browns are such a cluster. You know what I mean? What an embarrassment of a franchise. It it really And the 49ers are the complete opposite. They’re playing their front seven is like a UFFL team. I mean, all their they showed the uh all the guys on injured reserve. I mean, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa made combined like $50 million. They’re two of Fred’s one of the best defensive players in the league. Bosa looked like Bosa early this season looked fantastic before he tore his ACL. Their first round pick, they had they were six and 11. They had the 11th pick was the kid from Georgia to his ACL. He’s 6′ 280 lbs. I mean, so you removing three. They’re playing with Cleland Frell who they let walk a couple years ago. He was on a practice squad and he’s flying around sacking Shador. Meanwhile, you got Stfansky and Barry have this quarterback controversy with two guys they’ve drafted in the third and the fifth round and the 49ers are just clowning him in a like you said, Brock Pury has not been good in weather. Even today he’s wearing something on his elbow that he hurt a couple years ago against the Eagles cuz in cold weather it kind of stiffens up. I’m like, did he hurt his elbow? No, that’s just a uh a hold over from his previous injury. It’s like Jesus, you know, but and Miles Garrett’s coming off a game where he has 25 sacks against the Raiders. So, you’re like, this guy I I uh Jim Schwarz, the stat was he was 8- one against Kyle Shanahan as a defensive coordinator or head coach against Kyle Shan. It was my second favorite bet. I had San Francisco winning 24-20. My second favorite bet of the day was Cleveland plus five and a half, six points. I thought it was going to be a dog fight. Yeah. I I I just think franchises and this is what I respect about Ben Johnson is you’re either a tough coach you’re not and not every guy is Jim Harbaugh or Mike Vrabel like an actual tough guy Dan Campbell. It’s about the way you practice to knock on Lincoln Riley. It’s like how do you practice? And you know you can be an offensive guy and be a tough-minded guy by the way you practice. And I the 49ers like I’ve been going to their practices for years like it’s just a tough old school franchise. And this was a year where honestly they should have been like last year. M Jones has to start seven eight games turftoe. Look at the Bengals. They they lose Burrow for a large portion of the season and their whole franchise just melts down. Like part of this is it’s you’re more than just one. This is a team game. Like you see today like you know it’s not Shadore, it’s not Miles Garrett, you’re a team. Like you’re kind of the special teams unit. You’re dependent on everybody. And I I I just think you just saw the 49ers or we talk about this a lot during the combine. You’re like, you can just tell these teams have no shot. And this gap now is it’s probably like 10 teams verse 20. And you got the Browns who spend all this money who got a couple Ivy League GMs and coaches. I you just like they’re always like four or five wins. It’s like I I don’t know. Maybe it’s the owner. the 49ers since they’ve gotten Kyle really beside the one year last year like they they’ve been pretty consistent now and this year how they’re doing it now they benefit from an easier schedule but man I mean they beat Seattle and they beat the Rams this year. Green River Weeded Bourbon was just named best bourbon in the world at the 2025 New York World Spirits competition. 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Carolina beats him 31-28. Basically, Rams had three turnovers. Carolina none. Uh Bryce Young, you know, he’s 15 for 20. Didn’t make any mistakes. Stafford, um whose number one target now appears to be Devonte Adams over uh at least in the end zone. The regression. I thought the Rams lost today. I was I was texting Jason McIntyre. I’m like, you can’t play 17 18 weeks without just have stepping in it. And it was just all those turnovers coming into today. I think I think Stafford had 30 touchdowns and two picks. That’s like me starting the year 18-1 on my blazing five picks. You’re going to do one and fours back to back like it regression of the mean. I don’t make I don’t take much from it. I think the Rams have it sewed up and I think the Rams defense didn’t play great. And I also think the Carolina team we saw today and I watched almost every snap of this game. They’re six and six now. That’s the team I bet on getting a touchdown at San Francisco. But San Francisco and Salah handcuffed Bryce Young against a healthy defense today. Bryce Young moved the ball. They were three for three on fourth down. I mean I Carolina is more than functional. Well, one thing they screwed up last week against the Niners is they did not run the ball today. I’m looking right now. Hubard and Dael had a combined 35 carries and they ran for 160 yards and Hubard had a touchdown on a wheel route which was essentially a run play. I mean they get caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage. So clearly like I I will say this about Dave Canales and the Panthers. They are a respectable franchise now. You know their quarterback would be very hit or miss but you know Stafford threw the pick six today. He had the fumble, which I I pretty sure that drive led to another touchdown. So, it’s like they just kind of unraveled. You could tell I I always give people a little grace of long travel if you’re a West Coast team playing that early morning kickoff, especially you looked up today and even my wife was like, uh, on the main TV in the living room, the Bucks game was on and she was trying to find the Niner game. She’s like, well, she started laughing because in Tampa it was 82° and people were sweating. Yet every other game that was outside was like freezing cold, 30°. In Carolina, it was a torrential downpour and some wind. Like the elements really, you saw it in college football the last couple weeks. You’re starting to see it in the NFL Thanksgiving night. Like even in Baltimore, it was 35°. I was telling my mom, it’s like, I know it doesn’t look really cold. 35 degrees in the Northeast with 20 mph winds is frigid. You can’t feel your fingers. You can’t feel your feet. No different in uh that Philly game that was, you know, in the 30s with wind. That’s really, really cold. So, you start getting these elements. The Rams are human beings. How could they take the Panthers that seriously based off the last week, short week, they they probably don’t have the best week of practice. All of a sudden, you find yourself not playing a great game and you’re losing on the road. And then like this is if you win, you know, 12 and five or 13 and four. One or two of those losses are going to be like probably like that one back. The Patriots lost week one to the Raiders. Like you’re just going to have some weird outcomes. I wouldn’t sell my stock on the Rams, but the one curveball always for them. And I’m Listen, I’ve been saying Stafford MVP, he is capable every once in a while of just having a Whoa. you know, yeah, hitting some guys in stride, throwing pick sixes, and he if he plays like I mean, they they’ll just lose. And he was, for his standard, I mean, that was a really, really bad obviously awful game. Well, he I’m looking this up. In their three losses for the Rams, they’re vulnerable to the pass. In their three losses, opposing quarterbacks went eight touchdowns, no picks, 68% completion percentage, and 117 passer rating. That’s Jaylen Herz, M. Jones and Bryce Young. Not exactly Brady Mahomes or Manning. So they this is the Rams do not have they have Kobe Durant who’s a really really interesting player. Emanuel Forbes they got from Washington. I don’t even know how they got him. Waiverwire some hell if I know. And and he’s actually pretty good. They don’t have a great secondary. Their safeties are good. Um but I but I do think if they if you can block their front you can pick on them a little bit. Um, here’s an interesting thought. Um, think about this. Eight teams had plus, 1100 odds or better to win the Super Bowl. The number one seeds this year are the Patriots and the Bears. They won nine games combined last year. Coming into the year, the consensus was Momes, Burrow, Lamar, Josh were the top four quarterbacks. It It looks like today we’re not sure if Lamar, Burrow, and Mahomes make the playoffs. Just just think about that. If I would have gone out and said Patriots and Bears are going to win their debate. They’re going to be the number one seeds. You’d be like, “That’s the craziest hot take I’ve ever heard in my life.” Folks, that’s the NFL. That’s what it is. By the way, Lamar, Burl, Mahomes, and Allen, you’re paying three and 400 million for a quarterback. You have to have sacrifices on the rest of the roster. What if I would have told you when you wake up on Black Friday that the that the you know late August I would have said the Cowboys and the Chiefs will have the same number of wins when you wake up on Black Friday. There’s not a soul that would have believed you. And you know college football is kind of you know there’s definitely way more parody with the transfer portal in the NIL. The NFL had kind of become topheavy these last couple years, right? It was really the Chiefs trying to fend off the Bills and the Ravens. You know the NFC was the 49ers have kind of dominated. The Eagles have kind of dominated. It’s been two or three teams now. I mean, you you could make a case for six, seven teams in the NFC. I I’m done saying the Bears have no chance. They just have some going for them. Their coach is really good. Their defense creates the Packers on any given day can look incredible. The 49ers have good coaching. Seattle, look at this, John. What does Chicago do? Run the football. You you think in January when it’s nine degrees and blowing sideways and you come in in the NFC and you’re like I’m Matt Stafford really Matt Stafford 9 degrees blowing sideways take Devonte Adams out of the game and puka it’s a run game even if the Packers end up getting him you know two of these next three weeks and let’s say the Bears are a wild card team who’s to say that that translates on the road they they couldn’t go to Seattle in a rainstorm and run it 45 times and just win a game 15 to 13. He’s clearly comfortable playing like that, right? And his runs, it’s like, well, they just have one. No, they’re running all sorts of plays and their quarterback can scramble. So, listen, Seattle, the wild card with them is, you know, after that Rams game, you just I would feel much more confident if I had unequivocal like confidence in the quarterback, but he’s just a little bit of a wild card to have a stinker. Well, they won 26 nothing today and Darnold didn’t play well. You almost can’t count the game because they were starting a rookie quarterback for Minnesota. But Sam Darnold today had one of those games where he was out of rhythm. Passes were getting knocked down. They went 26 nothing. It was not pretty. It was very close through three quarters. And the only reason I mean that was a classic example where Brian Flores put the heat on Sam and he got out of rhythm and looked bad. Well, because what does Minnesota have? They have an NFL playoff level defensive coordinator, a playoff level defensive scheme. Like that’s I I have a lot of respect for Flores because again these are human beings. You know, if you’re on the defensive unit, you start getting to mid late November and their quarterback situation is what it is. How you stay focused like he’s those guys are still playing their ass off with a quart the quarterback today threw one of the worst picks you’ll ever see. And in fairness, he has no business playing. But it’s like Minnesota is a great example of like they have incredible coaching and their quarterback play. I I don’t I don’t watch much Titans football anymore, but could can’t be much. It’s got to be the worst in the league, right? For for the record. Um, go look at the mock drafts. Okay. Minnesota’s too good to get a top seven or eight pick. Dante Moore’s probably going to stay at Oregon where Phil Knight can write him a $4 million check and he can keep getting snaps and he loves it and they’ll win a bunch of games. Mendoza is going high. I don’t know if anybody else is a top 12 talent. I really don’t. I I don’t. I I think Ty Simpson at Alabama’s a second rounder, maybe late first. I I don’t see it. That seems high. I to me closer third, fourth. Yeah. Yeah. So, I like Jaden Mava. Late second, early third. Okay. The USC kid. So, my takeaway on this draft is you think I’m crazy. I would go get M. Jones. You may not have you won’t have to give up a first round pick because you do have to pay him a little bit. But I mean, if you’re Minnesota, you can’t go through this again. You have too good a players. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Anderson. I mean, I’m sorry. You have a left tackle that’s already had a major injur injury. How long are you going to be able to keep Brian Flores? If you’re in Minnesota, I’m watching today and I’m like, JJ McCarthy, forget the inefficiency. He can’t stay healthy. Yeah, you have to go get somebody. I would go get M. Jones. I really would. I think I think call Kyle Shanahan. You’re going to have to give up probably a second round pick, but um you can keep your first, but I I don’t know. I just I look at what Minnesota’s doing and I know that Kevin Oonnell, Shawn McVey, Shawn Payeyton, those guys are not the Steelers. They’re just not going to wait until July to figure out their quarterback situation. Yeah. Listen, they had faith in a guy that, you know, I’m with you. I I think everyone’s talking about his poor metrics that are comparable to Jamarcus Russell. His biggest issue right now is he missed all of last season where he couldn’t have played if they wanted and now he’s got three different injuries, right? And some of them I mean the longest ankle injury in humanity and then listen concussion sometimes guys fly back on the plane uh and clearly he’s out. But you know it does feel a lot of people go conspiracy theory and be like is he getting softbenched all the time which is kind of believable because of how poorly he’s playing. And you just can’t function with a high price team with high expectations with poor quarterback play. And the development I it’s easy to learn on the fly when my team sucks and we have no expectations, right? Jackson Dart once it was clear the Giants weren’t going anywhere. You can just figure it out. The Vikings won 14 games last year and we’re 60 minutes away from the number one overall seed. So even if they were going to take a step back, I think it’s very fair to go, well, minimum we should win nine or 10 games and be in the mix to get a wild card spot. and they’re not even competitive in these games anymore because they can’t they can’t get first downs. So, yeah, I I think the the power that the 49ers are gonna have, they they signed him to a two-year $7 million contract. You’ve been in more negotiations than me, but I’ve always heard the most powerful words are no. And the one thing the 49ers can keep saying is, “Nope, we’re good. We’ll keep him.” Cuz his value to the Niners is pretty high. He saved M. Jones saved the Niners season. So, it’s like, okay, Minnesota like to me a second round wouldn’t be worth it. Maybe a second, a player, maybe a fourth. I’m going to need a lot because his value to my franchise, given how little money he makes and how I know how well he can play in my offense, he’s worth more to me than he is to everyone else. And clearly, he’d be worth a lot to you because you could function. So, I think the 49ers have a ton of leverage with a backup quarterback who like we’ll see if can just make the rest of the year, you know, even this year. He’s wearing this brace on his arm like he’s he’s not exactly built like uh Josh Allen. So, uh I I think we got a long way to go. And if I’m the 49ers, I I it would take a lot for me to just send him your way to be your starting quarterback and and save you. So the JJ McCarthy pick got a chance to be an all-timer because that’s that whiff sometimes like Penn. I was high on PennX clearly he wasn’t as good as I thought. And then also the injuries like I had people texting me that like listen John that never liked him. The problem was is our doctors were very uneasy with the amount of injuries he had in college and then he hurts himself again. the same injury he had multiple times in college. Like he was off boards where JJ was just a polarizing prospect, right? When you play Yeah. the scouting meetings at Alabama in their heyday like M. Jones, he’s playing with four first round wide receivers and really every team he’s playing beside maybe one. It’s such an advantage to Alabama, Michigan. Even I saw Urban Meyer on Big Fox uh on the pregame show was like, “Listen, they went over each of the Michigan Ohio State games the last four years.” He said, “The one game that I can’t really hold against Ohio State was the game the year that they won the national championship. Michigan had the best team in the country. No one would argue that.” And they should have won that game. That’s what JJ won a game against Penn State where they didn’t throw it in the second half. That’s we used to talk, you know, a lot about Jimmy Garopppolo. Remember they won a NFC championship game. He didn’t even attempt a ball. That’s unheard of. That that’s not the way people play football anymore. So, I I don’t know. They They took a swing and it it looks like it blew up in their face really quick. Like, it blew up in their face fast. Yeah. And Minnesota’s always been a like the Kansas City Chiefs, a really solid, well-run team that’s always either in the playoffs or on the precipice of getting into the playoffs. They’ve won with, you know, they’ve won with a lot of different quarterbacks and a lot of different styles. But, um, I I don’t know. I think they would go big game hunting. I mean, I I’ll just say this. If I was an older quarterback, Aaron’s too old now and Stafford’s not going anywhere. Kirk Cousins feels washed. But if I was an older quarterback or a veteran quarterback, like I I’ I’ve said it on this podcast and on my show, I’m Joe Burrow. Can you force your way out? I mean, honestly, I it it’s I look at Joe Burrow sometimes and I’m like, “Oh, I feel so That’s why I always I mean, Carson Palmer and Joe Burrow are two of the greatest quarterback prototypical talents in the last 30 years. One got to a Super Bowl. What if Carson Palmer ends up with Andy Reid? What if Joe Burrow ends up with a Harbaugh? Like, I feel so bad. Even though Joe Burrow looked good the other night, I I I think Minnesota’s in a bind and I don’t know what you do. I I I Mac. Jones feels like the best answer in a dilemma that I’m not sure has an easy solution. The problem for Joe is that owner’s kind of proven to be pretty stubborn and his answer is always no. Ask Carson. Turns out Carson is, you know, the next Kyle Shanahan or Shawn McVey just dominating high school football in California at Santa Margarita. I I can’t imagine being a high school player being like, “Yeah, I know more than my coach.” And it turns out I’m playing for Carson Palmer. I mean, those kids got pretty lucky. Turns out Carson Palmer, I mean, I don’t know how he’s made a lot of money. But if he really wanted to dip his toe into doing this, he he’d be a big-time coach really quick in college football. You know, the Trojans, if Lincoln were ever leave, I mean, that I’d be all over that guy. Uh, by the way, Trojans’s won nine and three. If they win a bowl game, they go 10 and three with a number one recruiting class. It doesn’t feel right. But, you know, it’s hard to argue. I still feel four years in, I don’t trust their defense or their special teams on the road in a big game, but they won. So, and they have an unbelievable recruiting class coming in. Okay. Well, Lane Keifin is the new coach of LSU. It feels big. Ohio State looks like the best team in the country. Played conservatively. Still one going away. And I’ll say this, I I I said this on a brief uh podcast yesterday. I text two people on Julian Sy and I said footwork release and accuracy. He looks at 20 years old. Julian Sy looks like a guide book on how to set throw and deliver the ball. if he was available this year in the draft knowing that he’s 20 and he’s not ready to play and you had if he was available in the draft and you’re like Dallas and you’re like we don’t need somebody for two years and Dallas has two number one picks go get an edge with your first pick Rams although they may need somebody quickly I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic here I think Julian’s saying dude his completion percentage what is it over 75 it’s snowing it’s on the road it’s the second half after that early pick that kid and they the tight ends for this year really okay. The running back Jackson’s pretty good, but this is not Ohio State I thought was better offensively last year. They’re better defensively this year. I could be crazy on this, but I think we’re looking potentially I text somebody that knows him well and has followed him from high school. They’re like, “He is Stafford. Keeps it simple. Totally focused. Good dude. Teammates love him.” literally came out of the womb, let it rip, ball comes out easily, seamlessly, accuracy, accurately. That kid blows me away. Yeah. I mean, I I I would say that the experience watching that game with watching the two quarterbacks be on the polar opposite side. I mean, Bryce, there’s no disputing his talent, like his physical gifts. He’s got a long way to go to play quarterback, you know, and you watch, you know, saying does benefit. I mean, Jeremiah Smith, one of the best, you know, college players we’ve potentially ever seen at the position. Tate’s pretty damn good. Their offensive just they’ve been pretty dialed in offense now for a while. I I give Patricia a lot of credit. I mean, this guy had been a lifelong NFL guy, espec specifically in New England, right? left for a little bit in Detroit, but to go to college and you know in the pros think how many guys you know from High Tower to McCordi these guy he had been around him they’re 30 32 like they’re old that he just knows exactly what they can handle and I get Ohio State’s getting the cream of the crop but defensively that he is pretty seamless transition it’s not as easy you don’t get as much time with the kids you know clearly Patricia’s you know he’s a rocket scientist to begin with so he’s pretty sharp coming from what he’s used to in New England to be able to transition to college. I’ve been blown away by how good he’s been. And I I I could be a skeptic of Ohio State, but I give Ryan Day a lot of credit for that hire. I I don’t think there was much carryover, but it’s not like those guys knew each other, like worked on similar staffs. It would have been easy for Matt too to go with Bill to UNCC to go to, you know, go to Ohio State, get away from Bill. He’s really kind of pretty big muscle flex by Matt Patricia this year of like, you know, I’m pretty good at this. For the record, they brought in Vrabel to be a coach for a while, Chip Kelly, and Matt Patricia. It tells you a little bit about Ohio State’s reach and kind of the respect it has in college football where you can a lot of these college programs would call an NFL coach. I’m not I’m not doing that nonsense. I mean, Chip Kelly left a head coaching job to go to Ohio State. He and Ray Ryan Day are buddies forever. Um, but it’s Ohio State. I’ll say this, in past coverage, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a secondary that good. There’s no windows. Nobody’s open. And this is a this isn’t your typical Michigan team in the last 10 years. This team has real stars at wide receiver. Harbaugh teams did not. They were tight end, running back, O line. They didn’t have great receiving, not deep receiving. This Michigan team, Marsh, they got real players. There’s nobody open. Like nobody open. I I also thought on Friday night, you know, one thing a lot of these young guys have, you know, even Shadore, I mean, the guy takes a lot of He gets hit all the time. A lot of these young guys are pretty mentally tough, you know, and I I do wonder if growing up in the social media age, they’re just used to more noise. Arch could have melted this season. It was getting pretty ugly. He was playing bad. I can imagine in the insular bubble in Austin, it was pretty negative around the program. And I just thought it was a pretty cool moment just seeing his dad che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che che cheer him on that place rocking him taking Texas&M hadn’t lost right that’s that’s a big game and he he made some I mean that run he had for a touchdown he threw that touchdown pass in the back of the end zone they just they kind of kicked their ass in the second half I just thought that was a cool moment for you know these guys even it’s why I wouldn’t bet against Bryce Underwood these guys are kind of used to the way they’ve grown up if you’re a big five star the way people are talking about You know, it’s not just a little newspaper article like the kids that I grew up with in the ‘ 90s. Like these guys are used to a lot of noise. They’re kind of unfaced cuz I I I think a lot of kids that my era would have melted like an ice cube if I Arch Manning, all the negativity surrounding me and he’s kind of just held his head high and kept swinging. So I I I he earned my respect on Friday night. Yeah. I think I think um listening to my kids, my son, my daughter, and my stepkids is I think a lot of what’s on the internet, it it it either melts you or you just think it’s funny as hell. And I think Arch Manning’s got really smart parents and he’s a really good kid. And I think he sees it as folly. Like, you know, there was one article about him. It was so bad. It was by the guy who created Dead Spin. Um, called Called him the worst prospect of all time or whatever or the biggest bust of all time. It’s like, dude, you spent too much time in New York. Do you follow college football recruiting? If there’s four fivestar quarterbacks annually, two are whiffs every year. Like total whiffs. I could give you I mean, in Southern California alone, USC’s last 10 five-star signings. Like half have just not played at all, not done anything or transferred or so. Like, it was just such a bad article. It’s like, yeah, give me a just don’t write it. He’s a freshman. He’s a Manning. There’s a lot of pressure. By the way, we now though, we now know that Arch Manning opened up against arguably the best college defense in a decade. Well, look, look at Dante Moore two years ago at UCLA for Chip. I mean, his his freshman year couldn’t have gone much worse. He looked like this is not going to work out. Two years later, he’s one of the best players in college football. So, I I’m guilty of this. You know, I think now because these guys are getting paid and there’s just I mean Arch there was so much hype on them. Your expectations are pretty high. It’s pretty hard. These these are difficult spots. It’s there more people watching college football now than ever. Lot there’s a lot of money on the line. Just there’s a lot going on and these guys that are able to kind of battle through it. I mean Dante Moore is a good example. Kind of put his head down, went to be a backup. He’s going to end up if he comes back to Oregon. I mean there’s probably a 50-50 shot he’s the number one pick in 2027. All right, New England at home. Drake May, number one seed, verbal coach of the year candidate, minus seven against the New York Giants. Listen, I saw the NerS a week ago at home, feel big and flex. I think this is an opportunity. This is this is a standalone game for Mike Vrabel and Drake May. They’ve done some 1:00 window stuff. I mean, for a number one seed, John, they’re not getting a lot of play nationally. They feel like a regional story. They’re the Dunkin Donuts of the NFL. They’re huge in the New England area. This is a flex moment for them. I’m going to take New England to win and cover. I will say this about the Mike Cafka led Giants these last couple weeks. They have been very frisky against the Packers two weeks ago. Last week, they easily could have beat the Lions. So, there’s just a lot of points. You know, even bad teams on these prime time games late in the season. It’s kind of their Super Bowl. Uh I I’m going to take the Giants with the points. I just think these these prime time games with bad teams who actually have a little momentum can just be pretty frisky. So I I’m with you. I think the Patriots win the game, but that’s a lot of points. Jackson Dart’s supposed to play. Yep. John Middlev, former NFL scout, three and outs his podcast. Nice work, buddy. See you.

Colin Cowherd & ‘3 & Out’ host John Middlekauff react to Week 13 in the NFL. They start off though with Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU and discuss if it’s the right move. Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, gives give their takes on Sean McDermott & Mike Tomlin if they are the right coaches going forward. They talk about the Thanksgiving games next. Are the Chiefs going to miss the playoffs for the first time with Patrick Mahomes? Are the Dallas Cowboys getting hot at the right time? Packers sweep the Lions and they hit while they are worried about Detroit going forward. The Chicago Bears are the number 1 seed in the NFC with Caleb Williams & Ben Johnson but are they buying their Super Bowl chances. How worried are they about the Philadelphia Eagles. They also react to 49ers-Browns, Rams-Panthers & Vikings-Seahawks. They go back to college football to hit Julian Sayin & Ohio State beating Michigan. Lastly they give their picks for Monday Night Football between the New York Giants & New England Patriots.

Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc with an all-star ensemble cast for his most dangerous case yet. Watch Wake Up Dead Man. Only on Netflix December 12. https://www.netflix.com/title/81458424

TIMELINE
0:00:00 INTRO
0:00:16 Lane Kiffin to LSU
0:10:38 Bills-Steelers
0:20:04 Chiefs-Cowboys
0:26:55 Packers-Lions
0:33:16 Bears-Eagles
0:43:15 49ers-Browns
0:49:06 Rams-Panthers
0:56:02 Vikings-Seahawks
1:04:04 Ohio State-Michigan
1:11:32 Giants-Patriots

All lines provided by @hardrockbet

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