NFL Gameday | Steve Mariucci on Detroit Lions’ playoff chances up after win over Cowboys
He is so remarkably good. And we show the NFC standings with Lambeau Field as a backdrop because the Bears who are in Lambo are the one seed going into week 14 Sunday. And there are the Packers just a half game back and the Rams in Arizona, the Eagles across the street against the Chargers tomorrow night. You see the Niners chilling on their by-week at N with nine wins in the seventh seed and the Lions on the outside looking in. Will they make the playoffs, Steve Maruchi? I like when you do it in the back. I try my best. Yeah. Will they just a half game back, Steve? Just back a little bit. Okay. So, they you know, you know when the fans are coming shoveling the Lambo field. That’s a That’s a good I know you love it. Yes. You got to answer the question though. The question is, will the Lions put up? I don’t think so. I It’s going to be hard. They might. What? I don’t think so. It’s going to be hard. They might. They might. Okay. Does anybody have a coin to flip to flip? Decision have a coin to flip. I’m flipping it. I’m going to just say no. I’m sorry. Detroit, you got a heck of a team. But you know what? Right now, all look at the tiebreakers. You got swept by the Packers already. Your conference record is five and four. Not very good with all those other contenders. Your division record is one and three. That’s not and and this you come to play the Rams. That’s a tough out. All right. They could win 11 games maybe and still not get in. and and it’s going to come down to the last game over there in Chicago at Chicago and and it’s going to be maybe win or make the playoffs. That’s how close this division is. It’s unbelievable. Strongest division I think in the National Football League. There are three really good teams, but it’s going to be hard. The Packers, I think, are sweep the Bears, man. I I don’t know what I just said, but you know what? It’s good for the Lions to win. Yes. No. Maybe. Uh I mean, and I don’t don’t forget the I don’t know what I just said. Yeah. Think about that. Yeah, but but I understand exactly why you’re you’re in that position. I mean, you look at all these games and I I think they’re going to finish I mean, the way you look at the schedule, I think they could finish with 11 wins as well. And you like 11 wins? I just saw them on uh Thursday night. They look so good. They’re a good football team. They got to be in the playoffs. I mean, that’s the way my mind says they they this team is good enough to be in the playoffs. But yeah, where does it come from? Do the 49ers lose a couple? I mean, the Packers, they’ve got that tie. I think that’s going to get them in. Seahawks are a really good football team. I don’t see them falling apart down the stretch. I mean, and so what you sit here and say is if it’s against the Bears, then the Bears are the number one seed right now in week 14. And they would have to fall off and get knocked out of the playoffs for the Lions to get in. If you look at the Bears remaining schedule, okay, they play the Packers twice, right? And they also have to go to San Francisco before hosting the Lions to finish up the season with a game against Cleveland. I know in the middle of all of that. Yeah. So, I mean, I just feel like they’re a good enough team and they’re going to find a way into the playoffs. I just don’t know how. I don’t know. I I don’t listen like Rich, you listen to You mentioned it. You mentioned it. Ben Mc Williams is incredible. Me and Benny go over this show every week and I would me and Benny spent so much time trying to figure this out because I’m like Yeah. How the Lions missed the play How would the Lions missed the playoffs? I’m like you, Kirk. I watched them and I’m like, there’s no way the Lions don’t get in the This team is really good. Yeah, but I just feel like they’re going to not make the playoffs because of the tiebreaker. San Francisco comes out of the by-week and has Tennessee. So, Pennsylvania with 10 wins. They have three of their last four games are at home. Everybody got to come west. I just I don’t know. I don’t see where it happens. So, well, I think you the crazy thing is and and this is why it’s a yes, no, maybe. Who who knows? Um I think you identified the path for the Lions goes through the Bears potentially and they’re the one seed coming into this weekend. So, and the reason why is again they 50 burgered the Bears in week two. The Bears have only lost once since then, so they’re a different team. But the Bears do have a very difficult schedule until they see each other again in Soldier Field. It could be for the second straight year the Lions playing in the last game of the year on NBC. Last year was just to make it as the one seed or the wild card team visiting the Rams across the street. This year it could be for the one seed or nothing. Yeah, it could be one seed or nothing. It could be for the division or nothing. It could be just for wild card or nothing. Yes. No. Maybe. So confusion is understandable in this situation. That is correct, Steve. But it’s your job to unconfuse it. Oh. As opposed to what you just did. Sarah Walsh, take it away in Jacksonville. Perhaps the secret sauce for the Jags was just a little rest. Since coming off their week eight buy, they more than 29 points a game. That is third best in the league over that span. A win today would give them the lead in a very tight AFC South. It’s why Trevor Lawrence this week said these opportunities are getting less and less and this one is huge. And for all the talk that has been made about the league’s leading rusher coming to town in Jonathan Taylor, it could be Travis ETN that makes the difference for the Jags. He said he grew up playing football in the rain. And with these sloppy conditions in Jacksonville, he said the rain works in his favor and he’s ready for this moment. [Applause] Jags showed up dominated. How good is that? All Jaguars all day long. Are you kidding me? The sack machine. Boy, this team’s playing terrific. [Applause] [Music] Most rushing touchdowns in Colts history. We had the knockout punch. We got the freaking knockout punch. Houston has won its fourth straight. That’s what it’s about. Coming in, winning a divisional game. Now on to the next. [Applause] Rock and roll. in DY. Pull these cardiac cats. They entertain a dangerous division leader. [Music] In the spirit of well, I don’t know what I’m about to say or whatever Mooch just said there. I do know what I’m about to say, but this one’s also a big maybe. That would be the odds to win the AFC South. Right now, it is literally anyone’s division. I have the Indianapolis Colts ending up in the third slot, though. Why? Well, with two divisional matchups left against both the Jags and then one against the Colts, that could be game 272 for sure. They have a difficult schedule, also facing Denver. When I’m looking at the Texans odds other than the Kansas City Chiefs in this week, they have the easiest remaining schedule. And as far as the Jags, they fall somewhere in between. So, my vote for game 272 will very likely be the divisional matchup that we see for the South. Rich, your standings. The bi-week Patriots are chilling and rooting for the Raiders today because if the Broncos beat the Raiders and the Broncos would have in their back pocket a straightup tiebreak on the Patriots common opponents because the Patriots somehow someway lost the Raiders in week one. Take it away in snowy Orchard Park. Camwolf Rich Jamar Chase said this week, “Joe Burrow’s like Captain America, here to save the day.” And the Bengals are not afraid to talk about running the table, winning five straight, defying logic, and potentially getting into the playoffs. Look, Burrow, who is typically quiet, was emotional this past week talking about coming back from that turf toe injury and how much this game meant to them. That had an impact on people inside the locker room. Chase Brown said this is a quiet guy, but seeing that, why wouldn’t you want to play for him? They have a different offense with him. Chase Brown said he changes everything. Protections, control over the offense, and this will just be the second time we see Jamar Chase, Joe Burrow, T. Higgins all suited up together. They think that makes this Bengals team different. And it certainly makes round three versus Joe Burrow special. The return of Joe Cool. Miraculously, they are still in contention. Last year’s MVP. Eight and four. Backs to the wall. Let’s go down memory lane a little bit. The first meeting between two of the best quarterbacks in the league. Two scores on Cincinnati’s first two drives. He’s going to launch it deep downfield. Intercepted. A disappointing end to a special season. Back then they were saying if it wasn’t snowing they would have beat us. In the key moments it has been Joe Cool getting it done. Touchdown Bengals into the end zone to D. I know they made it one score but you never felt like it was that close. Burrow two Allen nothing. It’s time for twoinut drills presented by Lowe’s. You’ve earned a Sunday football. Joe Burrow has had the better half of the games against Josh Allen and the Bills. 2 and 0 as we heard. As you’re fooling with all these tools back here, thanks to our friends at Lowe’s. What tool does Josh Allen need to beat? Josh Allen wrench. Okay. Oh, Allen wrench from Lowe’s over here. But look at this thing. It takes a village. It takes everybody, not just a wrench. All right. This big guy right here, that’s Dion Dawkins. All right. He’s coming back. He’s going to be healthy. That offensive line’s got to protect him. And how about the run game? James Cook, that next guy right here, he’s a great one. Control the game on the ground. This guy’s from your school, Keon Coleman, over here at Michigan State. If he shows up, he scores touchdowns, but he’s got to show up. All right. And this guy over here, Shaquille, uh Shakir, is he he works inside. He’s in the slot. He’s over here. And then
NFL Gameday | Steve Mariucci on Detroit Lions’ playoff chances up after win over Cowboys
