The Around the NFL podcast. No floating trash bags this week. From the Chris Wesling podcast studio, it is Around the NFL, the flagship program, the Playoff Edition, the first of four of these bad boys. This one being... Well, that's not even right because we're going to have a double recap. We got four games to dissect today, two more tomorrow night, and that just gets warmed up before divisional round, Championship Sunday, and then, of course, the Super Bowl from Vegas, where we'll be, and the playoff weekend that we just enjoyed. Three blowouts and a tight one-point affair. It was a lot of fun. Dan Hansis, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sesler. Heroes, Greg, a lot of stuff went on this weekend. Some of it's surprising, some of it not, but the road to the Lombardi starts to clear ever so gently.

I know. It feels very strange that as we talk, there's 10 teams left that can win the Super Bowl, but we're coming off a high seeing the team of ATL from a year ago win that game. And that game, to me, it didn't save the weekend because I don't think the weekend needed saving. But we needed a game like that that was tight. And there's game management decisions to talk about because the other two were Sesler specials where there were blowouts. But to me, at least a couple of them were entertaining blowouts, and one of them, Blue Your Mind blowout. So it had a little bit of a-A Blue Your Mind blowout.

Yeah.

That creates very juicy story lines. Some of the wreckage, and there have been some floating trash bag operations this weekend, and there will be consequences.

Oh, that is certainly true.

In fact, Mark's going to take them out back.

In fact, let us get going here. We're going to start with... I was going to say the blowout no one saw coming. There were a couple of those this weekend, but the one that went down in Texas today, there will be reverberations.

I think so.

There will be tremors. There will be earthquakes. There will be dams breaking. There will be people swallowed by swarms of locus. That's that type of loss for the Cowboys. But on the flip side, the packers made an announcement that the glory Train will continue to ride unabated to to Jero World. First in 10 football at the 38 of Dallas. Play action of bootleg, left half bootleg. Oh, no. Down the right side. Musgrave. Enzo. Touchdown. Touchdown. Luke Musgrave. And a dagger. A dagger right through the heart of the Cowboys. Oh, my goodness. Bongs are nice.

This is fancy.

When we get, this is the official big funk theme song. The Randy Chavez behind the Glass. Diehard packers fan. There's another dude, seems like a nice guy that we watch these games in the theater here, who's a packers fan, and he came in up the steps during the late game, and everybody gave him a little round of applause because he's a diehard packer fan. And Oh, did you start wearing that packer shirt? And he's like, No, man, I lived through two and six. I was like, You lived through two and six? It must be so hard to be a packer fan. Try to walk a mile in these shoes, baby. All right. That's not the point. The point is the packers.

It's not the point.

The packers absolutely roll the Dallas Cowboys 48 to 32. And do not look at that final score as a proper indicator of what happened in this game because Green Bay The Cowboys offense from the initial possession, Greg Rosenthal, absolutely wiped the floor with Dan Quinn's defense. And the Cowboys' offense, conversely, had no way to match what was going on on the other side of the field.

I I bet that there will be a lot of Dack talk, and there should be, and we'll get to that, too. But it wouldn't have mattered. When you score six offensive shutdowns in your first seven drives, when you say we're not kicking the ball off, we're not deferring to the second half, we're We're taking the ball, and even when we can't run the ball the first couple of plays of the game, we're going to keep running the ball until it works, and we're going to eat up seven and a half minutes of clock and score a countdown on that very first guy, and we're going to keep piling it up. Then when we come out of halftime, when you think you have a chance because you just scored a touch, then to make it a little closer at halftime, that to me was the moment of the game. They ran right through them coming out of halftime. Then Stefan Gilmore tries to cut a route and ends up giving up a big play. It was just a Dallas defense that all day was trying to do too much, but also they were soft. They were soft and they were small.

No team plays more dime defense in terms of light personnel when other teams have two tight ends on the field than Dallas. They did it all day today When it mattered, Green Bay just lined up and they said, Michael Parsons, you're not going to get near Jordan Love, and you're not going to get near Aaron Jones in the second half. They made this Cowboys team look soft as hell, and they put up a 40 burger before the fourth quarter I started, I can't believe it.

Not a single sack for the Dallas defense. I think a big narrative was like, Can Micah Parsons make life incredibly tough for Jordan Love? I just saw wide open wide receivers over and over. I mean, Romeo Dobbs 100 yards before halftime.

Where was Parsons? He had one pressure the whole game.

Also, he got dinged up later on. But what we came to know and respect about Dallas's defense completely vanished today. What we thought Jordan Love could be, he tripled and quadrupled it today. I mean, it's like, how far can they go? I don't know. If they play like this, they can take anyone on. Even Aaron Jones, who had, I think, 30 yards in the first half, but you could tell he was running well. That has been a weakness of this Dallas defense, able to just run right up the gut. I thought he, down the stretch, was such a huge difference maker for the packers and really humbled Dallas. They come out of this with, as you said, Dan, tremors, earthquakes, problems, huge questions. We haven't even talked about Dak Prescott, But two picks in the first half, and the whole thing fell apart.

We're up to two Dak Prescott teases. We're getting there. Yeah, Aaron Jones goes over 100 yards with three touch downs, and Jordan Love through for three touch downs. With, I think, a perfect passer rating. You had the Darnell Savage pick six for 64 yards. This was a game that was 27-nothing going into halftime before the Cowboys got on the board on the last play of the second quarter. It bloomed up to what was it at its highest in the third quarter? I mean, this game was an absolute laffer.

48 to 16 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. There you go. When Jordan Love hit that little side pocket shot, just absolutely ridiculous into a pinhole.

I'll tell you what, a big picture narrative this weekend is that elite defenses are a myth because between what we saw from the Browns on Saturday and the Cowboys on Sunday, all the talk about these defenses to get shredded the way they did. And with Jordan Love, he is My goodness. What he has been able to do in these last two and a half months now, it really does evoke memories of the rise of Rodgers. If you're old enough, the rise of Barve. I thought it was so interesting that on that first drive that you referenced, Greg, which set the tone, obviously, for the whole afternoon, taking up half the first quarter and scoring a countdown after electing to take the ball when you win the coin toss. You knew just by his body language, he was moving in the pocket, that he was going be a nightmare. I talked about that on Thursday, that even though I picked the Cowboys, we all picked the Cowboys, this just felt like such a bad matchup for the Cowboys because the packers seemed so light on their feet. Conversely, I thought the Cowboys just seemed so tight as a drum.

I thought that what you heard from the Fox team of Burkart and Olson, and they keep on repeating this and pushing this narrative like, What's wrong with Dak and CeeDee Lamb today? There's something weird going on. What was weird was the Dallas Cowboys getting swallowed up by their own myth once again and playing tight as a drum, and the packers doing the opposite. It was crazy.

Love on that first throw to Dobbs, which I think was for about 22 yards, where it was the second and 13 on that first drive, and he's backpedaling, and he's about to get crunched by O'Diggiezuah, and he just makes it look so easy. There were about six or seven throws like that in this game that just reminded me when you go through this season and you of the best performances by a quarterback in any game all season. Jordan Love is on the list for a lot of them. The game he had in primetime against Kansas City a couple of weeks ago. Maybe not as many people watched it, but it was Sunday night again against Minnesota. The win that they had against the Lions. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and I don't think enough people have watched him enough to realize that, but it's just true. There isn't a quarterback playing better in terms of decision making, and Lafleur is setting him up. Dallas tried to go against type, and they talked about this on the broadcast, too, and play a lot more zone than what they like to do with man.

But it didn't make a difference. Dobbs was talented enough to go 6 for 151 in one, but you always had a feeling like Love would find someone else if he needed to. This was a day like Jaden Reid didn't even have a catch this game. They have so many young guys coming out of their wazoo here, but he always is making good decisions on top of being just so Physically.

He only had five incompletions. There was an incredible second half catch by Romeo Dobbs on a precise broken play, throw by Jordan Love. It's like he just was dialed in from wire to wire.

Here is Lafleur, the offer mentioned Lafleur, who had a wonderful game himself on Jordan Love? Jordan Love, wow. That's about all I can say.

He is wow.

And Mark, he's got another quarterback. And dating back to 1992 to present, and now in the beyond now, the packers feel set up with a potential, not just a star. This guy's playing like a superstar. And what makes the packers fascinating is that he's not alone. It's just not him. This is a team that's coming together. Even the defense showed up in this game. Never mind the lipstick on the pig in the fourth quarter by Dallas's offense.

Right. Like the much maligned Joe Berry defense, which caused multiple turnovers in the first half. The final score is not indicative. I thought they did a nice job on CeeDee Lamb. He was doubled. You saw him tripled at certain points. I always thought that the key for Dallas to get off to a fast start was have CeeDee Lamb dominate this game. He really was not a factor until garbage time and a bunch of junk happened late. The 32 points Dallas put up, most of it happened in a zero non-factor, late flurry. The Joe Berry defense, which looked good against Minnesota, it looked good against Chicago. I know those aren't premier offenses, but it did its job today and made Dak Prescott and the crew very Can I ask a question?

How much do you... And this is not to take away from Barry or what Green Bay did today. But how much can you say is the packers in their scheme and their players, and how much, honestly, Greg, do you have to be honest and say the Cowboys choked in this game? Yes. They gagged and they played at a far lesser level than we saw for the entire season. That's going to be obviously be blown up in what everyone's talking about on Monday morning and beyond. But sometimes a narrative is a narrative because it's and the Cowboys seemed to choke in January.

Yes. After falling down early and then the first Dak interception, which Dak said after the game, he played poorly, that he played a terrible- Said I sucked. Which is wild because he threw for 400 yards in the end and they had 37 first times. But he knew that the important part of the game was the first half. That was a lazy route by Cooke's, and Alexander makes a nice break on the ball. But at that point, the Cowboys had already punted, and then they punted the following drive, too. They set up the packers for a short score. They're like, One play later or a couple of plays later, Aaron Jones just running through their defense for another score. So everyone choked. But CeeDee Lambs drop and passes. Dak slant to CeeDee, which is usually so money. They're off. And my guy Jair Alexander, who you talked about on the dreamatorium this week, even though he got hurt halfway through the game, he comes up with the big interception, not the pick six, but the early interception. And he was out there. I know they didn't send him out for the coin toss. Oh, they should have.

But He was out there. He was suited.

Well, they're not in Charlotte. What was the season? What's it like for you? Injuries and stuff you caught there? It was me. It was lit. For real, it was lit. Honestly, it was no better feeling. There's a few quarterbacks who have thrown me multiple pics in my career, and Jack is now one of them. So he's among my top QBs. I feel like Jair Alexander and my eldest son Jack would be good buddies if they hung out. So yeah, Dak is now on Jair's list, and Dack is going to... This is going to be one of those losses where it will continue to stick to the ribs of everyone associated with the Dallas Cowboys. You wonder if Mike McCarthy, the head coach, as an example, will even have a job after this. You wonder if Dan Quinn, who seemed to be a shoeing to get a job elsewhere, the DC, the highest paid DC in the league, after giving up a near 50 burger in this spot, does that cause teams like, say, the Seahawks to walk away? Here's Jera, who, no shortage, and I tweeted this, I would pay 7.99 in a month if you can give me a Jera box.

It's just a shot, one shot on Jera's luxury suite for the entirety of a playoff.Put.

That on Peacock.Put.

It on Peacock. Absolutely. Be worth it. Make sure if you're going to put it on Peacock, the picture is clear the whole time. Just something unsolicited advice. Here is Jerry immediately after the game talking to the media about what's next and how this was a loss almost like no other for him. It seems like the most painful because we all had such great expectation and we had hope for this team and thought that we were aligned in a great shape, in great shape, but it didn't happen for us. And it's as fresh on me right now as it is on anybody else. But I won't get into any of the addressing of any aspect of it, any part of it, from the coaching to the players, to what's around the corner. On a personal basis, I'm floored.

I mean, it's the Dallas Cowboys. They're an experience exclusive to themselves in all of American sports. It feels like it's an annual meeting with Jerry Jones discussing the disappointment that ends it all in January. It's three years in a row. As problematic as the past two exits for Dallas were, disorganized, discombobulated final minute defeats under the watch of Mike McCarthy, this is a bigger disaster because how many times will we be fooled? I was even saying a couple of days ago, this Cowboys team feels different to me, and the ending is completely not different. It's the same. It's like, because it's the Cowboys, because it's Dak Prescott, because it's Jerry Jones, I think that Mike McCarthy, obviously, is on a hotter seat than you could ever have imagined.

I think he has no chance of coming back. Everyone's being professional. I think there's no way he can about it because he's a good coach and deserves respect. But the way they talked about all year that his future was going to be determined based on how this year finished.

He said it. This was all that mattered, this game. I brought it up as a hypothesis critical on Thursday's show that you have someone like Bill Belichick sitting out there. I just wonder, if you're Jerry Jones, who already has a wandering eye in the past for someone like Sean Payton, does everything turn and change in a way where someone like Belichick winds up with Dells? We'll see, but Mike McCarthy's future couldn't be shaken.

Listen, Jerry Jones is turning 82 this year, and he just said it. This is a loss that really hurts, and they were certain this team was different. We visited this team back in July. You could just see the optimism just pouring out from every corner of the facility there. For this to have the same ending after the third straight 12-win season, yeah, I don't know, Greg. I don't know if it's going to be Bill, and I I don't know, but I also think Jerry Jones, at this point, he might come to a place where, yeah, not only do I have to get this guy out of here, I need to make a big splash because I'm running out of time, quite frankly.

Right. He said he was stunned. I read Calvin Walkies is one of the best Cowboys reporters out there, and he said the people that have covered this team, at least for 10 plus years, didn't see this coming, not at all. I do think that there is something about them being Charlie Brown and Lucy pulling the football away. I think part of the reason they never see coming is because they think that it couldn't be coming. It can always be coming. They get in their own little cycle of we're believing the hype. Of course, you could get blown out by a good young team that's coming if you're not on it. Nothing that happened about this season and how they set it up is going to make any difference when you get out there today. When you fall down in the game, they just showed who they were, which is in a spot. I think it's tough when you got the home crowd there, you feel that tension. They are the first team in history, Dan. It's so weird with McCarthy to win 12 straight games, to win 12 games in three straight years, but not make the conference championship in that ground.

So he's been incredibly uniquely successful. And then for it to What's happening against the packers who beat him in the Descata game, beat him in Dax Rooky year when they were the one seed, and have now won 10 of 11 games against the Cowboys makes it doubly painful. It's like, What do you do? This packer's team is going to be around for... All these teams are going to be around for a while.

I know the highly-educated membership of the football, Gagnazente, is going to say, This is ridiculous. But I really do think, and the ghosts have become a thing around the Cowboys, and I think it seeps in under the doors and in through the windows and down the chimney at the star. It's become this added layer of pressure now. When are things going to be different this year? I think the team takes it with them. I think you really saw a team from the jump pressing in this game. When they had the wrong opponent here, the team that's on the opposite end of that spectrum, it was a recipe for disaster. Quite frankly, I'm mad at myself because I felt it come up, but pick the Cowboys was too safe. But I don't find this overly surprising in retrospect. The Cowboys were set up for the fall and they took one.

I think that-Oh, Zaddy. Oh, Zaddy. That angst starts with Jerry Jones because he speaks about the team and the experience of losing in a way that not other owners would be as personally open about the. I like that about Jerry. I like it, too. But I think that's where the weight begins. But I do think it's a surprising loss in the sense that I get home and away splits. Maybe they don't mean much, but Dallas at home was its most dominant version of itself. I mean, it's like destroyed teams. For this to happen, it's completely atypical to anything else that we saw happening in Dallas to this Cowboys team.

Let me rephrase it. It is surprising, but maybe we shouldn't have been surprised in retrospect.

Sure.

Maybe the clues were there all along.

The number one clue is they were playing one of the best quarterbacks in the league who was playing free and could create in a way that Dak, who I'm always defending, but has in a big spot. I do feel like he held the ball a little too long. He wasn't seeing the field tonight. He's gripping the ball a little too tight in the first half. Love is out there making something out of nothing in a way that Dak just wasn't. But man, I still go back to the defense. It's supposed to be a defensive team. Zack Tom, who's led the League, by the way. It doesn't get a lot of pub, but according to NextGen stats and pressure percentage in terms of preventing pressure as a right tackle this year, they're really well-coached. A young offensive line for the most part who played great, didn't give up a single pressure in nine pass-reach snaps against Parsons. And Parsons, I think, only had one or two total, and he got it elsewhere. So it was just like everyone was in their head and they lost. Dax got a contract situation, which is sneaky interesting. Not that I think he would go anywhere, but this is the season where they have to give him a new contract because his cap figure is so big.

So everything I feel like, is going to be on the table. And it's hard to sell Dan Quinn as the guy who would succeed Mike McCarthy. And Packers fans, we'll be talking about you all week. Oh, yeah. Youcelebrate. You can enjoy it. Celebrate.

I know you are. And the Cowboys weren't the only people having a rough Sunday. The Westling Brothers, or I should say, nick, continue their stumble. And guess what? They no longer occupy second place alone. That way, they locked up the Cowboys, and that did not work out.

Isn't this the guy who used to get on me for taking four or five-point favorites here? He would get on me for not being bold. Here he is taking a seven. Desperate time, seven and a half, and then he takes the L. It was seven and a half.

See, nobody saw it coming. Nobody saw it. They should have seen it coming because Jordan Love is a rising superstar, and we'll give him the last word before we go to our next game because It's noteworthy that Dak, a guy that's going to get MVP votes, was clearly outplayed in his own building by the kid in his first full season as a starter. This is how he, I think it was the final kneel down. Listen closely, you might find it familiar, Cowboys fans. For them to come into the house here in Dallas that no one's been able to win in almost two years. Here we go. Man, that's pretty impressive for this Green Bay team. It wasn't quite a Here we go, but it wasn't Here we go. You don't like that, Mark.

What?

You don't like that.

I don't have a problem with that. Oh, okay. Packers. Why do you think I would?

I don't know. I was like, what?

I think if you're going to mimic him, you put a little bit more effort into sounding.

I think he threaded the needle there where he had fun with it, but he wasn't being a dick to Dack personally. I think that's what he probably didn't want to mimic him.

Imagine Jameis Winston had that opportunity. I know it's hard to imagine him a final kneel down to win a playoff game, but imagine he would have won an Oscar for it.

I think he would have pulled it off in a different way.

Packers Niners is the Saturday game next week. That is a delicious divisional round game. It's giving me flashbacks that Colin Kaepernick back in the day against the Niners, I believe in this same round.

Oh, my. I don't need to tell you, football fans, divisional round weekend is the best of the year, but we're not through wild card round yet. Let's go to the other game on Sunday. It was the only game that was decided by less than a countdown. This one, just one point. It was going off at Ford Field on Sunday night. Here we go. Goff works out of the gun, second down and nine. Two minutes to go. There's Goff back, looking, looking, throws. It is caught. Robin Ross, St. Brown, first That's going to do it. That's going to do it. That's going to do it. Jared Goff delivers against his former team. Now, all they have to do is take a knee three times, and this game will be over. For the second time since 1957, for the first time since January fifth, 1992, these Detroit Lions are going to win a playoff game. Yeah. Dan Miller with the call. Of course, you bring the Bungos. Oh, it's playoff season for Eric Roberts behind the glass, too. Dan Miller, the voice of the Lions, who's been through the bad times. Like the Lions fans, he was there.

He was on the mic for 'O' & '16. And all those Lions fans that waited three decades to see their team simply play a home game in the postseason. Well, they got rewarded with a 24-23 win over a obviously extremely game-Rams team that came within a failed stop on third down there of getting the ball back with a chance to steal the game. So there you go. That ends a nine-game postseason losing streak for the Lions. Mark Sesler, that was the longest in NFL history. Dates back to January '92. And now they will get two home playoff games for the first time in franchise history, hosting either Tampa or Philly in the divisional round next Sunday. What a joy it was to watch that game in that building.

You had like, lions fans, and they cut to an 89-year-old lions fan, a very famous guy who's been going there for 60 years, that we're literally just shedding tears. Sometimes it's hard to gage the sound in the stadium, depending on how the mics are set up on some of these stations. It's like, this place was on fire. I found myself, I think the Rams have had an incredible season, and there's a valiant side to them, but I found myself just rooting for Detroit. The way that they came out of this game with three straight 75-yard breakdown marches. Greg, I think we were all watching this together. My takeaway is that both quarterbacks were absolutely pristine for so much of this. At one point, I thought Matthew Stafford literally had the life knocked out of him. Then five minutes later, he's back in the game. But instead of one of them completely collapsing, I love how this game wound up because Jared Goff, against his old coach, completely got the job done. The play that I'll remember is just outside of the two-minute warning. It's second to nine at the Detroit 32. The Lions need to get a first down to basically just salt the game away.

And Dan Campbell, the stamp that Dan Campbell has put on this team from wire to wire is that he goes absolutely nuts through the air, 11-yard completion to Amun Ross, St. Brown. It's like, they don't just Tried to go conservative. They do what the lions do. It paid off, and they executed the Rams in the final minute.

That's how they won the game, Greg. That was a chance. A lot of teams run the ball, take it to the two-minute warning, punt it away, and then ask your defense to make the stop. But Campbell has shown all throughout his tenure, he puts the faith in the guys that he trusts the most.

It was such a fitting ending for last year's Team of ATL. This was what we loved about this team, and then they struggled a little bit, and then they had it. It was right there. You're right in those final minutes because number one, it takes balls to throw the pass there. But number two, it takes intelligence to do it on the second down. Don't wait for the third down when they're possibly knowing that you're going to have a higher likelihood to pass in that situation, and they can run some games up front, or they can send the blitz or whatever they're going to do. Trust a guy—and I'm on route, St. Brown, to run a route that he said after the game. They've been running this for years. This is their bread and butter play. It's one-on-one. Trust Jared Goff, even though you saw a couple of little moments in the second half where you wondered, Is this going to go sideways? Ultimately, they only scored three points on three possessions in the second half before that. Like a lot of Rams games this year, there were not many possessions here. They tend to give up a lot of long drives.

They tend to have a lot of long drives, and that's what it was like. So every drive meant so much. So you win it that way with smarts and balls. But same thing on the drive before. Third and four, Aiden Hutchinson, the dude that, to me, rarely represents this turnaround in such a big way, beats Rob Havenstein, gets a holding call. It was the right call on third and four. The are in field goal range. We'll never know if Brett Maher would have hit that kick. What would it have been? I think it would have been about a 50-yarder. Oh, I know. Okay, what was it?

No, I know he wouldn't have hit the kick.

You know that he wouldn't have hit it. It would have been a 51-yarder or they could have gone for it on fourth and fourth. And that's the reason I think ultimately that Campbell said, No, we're going to accept the penalty, because I thought that was actually a very bold decision to push them back to third and 14, because I think he's thinking either they can kick the field goal or they go for fourth and 4. I'm going to go ahead and trust my defense to go make another play. And who wins again on the next play? The guy they took second overall, Aiden Hutchinson. I know Ram's fans will be complaining about that missed pass interference for a long time, and they did miss it. It was a bad miss call. It was a type of bad miss call, though, that happens.

Saints fans will tell Rams fans what to do about a missed call in the play.

It was a subtle play by Cam Sutton, I think, where I'm not going to go crazy. They missed call. But part of the reason that happened is because Kaminski and Aiden Hutchinson both won quickly and forced the difficult situation. That's big-time players, season on the line, stepping up in a big-time moment, Aiden Hutchinson.

You mentioned the sound inside Ford Field, and that was the first playoff game in the history of that building, which has not been around. It's been around for a minute now. La, they were down to one time out in the second half of the fourth quarter, and two of those time out. They're burning them in large part because of the crowd noise, and they're just dealing with the elements as they are. It's just like you could actually... That's one of the many reasons why playoff football is amazing. I think the fans and the atmosphere there absolutely played a role in the lines advancing in the playoffs. This is a game that they are chanting Jared Goff's name an hour before the game. This is showering Matthew Stafford, the prodigal son, with booze when he's on the field. We have sound here from Dan Campbell on Jared Goff, who is one of the most interesting journeys of any player of his generation as he goes to the next round of the playoffs after slaying the team that dumped him as a salary dump to get a trade done, to get the Stafford to Los Angeles. Here is Campbell on his quarterback.

Just really proud of him. And what he means to us and his play today. I bring it back again. He's one of the reasons that we won this division, and he's another reason why we just won our first playoff game here in 30 years. What a stud. I want more Campbell. Give me Campbell on the lines getting another home game. I know this. We were fighting for the two seed to get another home game, and we got another home game. It's awesome. We had to earn that, and we earned that with a win today. They sure did. By the way, all the drama around that two-point conversion that wiped out against the Cowboys, it's all gone because the Cowboys got their ass booted out of the postseason. The lines now move up to the highest seed besides, obviously, the Niners, which means they get this second home game.

That just feels just. I think for all of us, because that was a low moment, and it's like, we don't want the officials being the center of all this. I Just the Jared Goff experience, because Brad Holmes, who obviously came from the belly of the Rams to become the general manager of the Lions, showed incredible faith in Goff through a lot of ups and downs here, and also is the architect of a team that is littered with future stars and young players. To see a guy like Sam Laporta do what he's done all season, the way he came back from injury to do tonight, Goff opens 14 for 15. It's nearly pristine in the first half, and it almost overshadows the fact that Matthew Stafford, and we were watching this together, threw three or four of the most incredible passes you'll see. But Goff did, too. Goff made very few mistakes. I go back to one incredible looping, arching throw to Ammon Ron St. Brown with the team up 21 to 17. It's like, golf He can do it, and he's grown a lot before our eyes, and I think he's become a different person.

I think it's just a great NFL story to have the team put faith into him. He's not just a placeholder, and he came tonight and delivered and played one of his best performances of all time.

I mean, he played great. There is something about Dan Miller saying, Second time since 1957. That actually hits harder than a first playoff win since '91. I mean, that was seven years before the Civil Rights Act, 1957. It's only their second playoff, Victor. That is absolutely preposterous. You're right, sometimes you can win the game in the first half like that. They won it by winning in the red zone. Even though they did not run the ball well tonight, I was impressed by the Rams defense, pretty much stuffing the lions run after the first drive or two. The lions go three for three in the red zone. The Rams go 0 for three in the red zone. Mcvay got a little pass happy in the red zone, went away from the run. They were a good red zone team for most of the year, so it wasn't like a recurring problem. They kept going to Cooper Cup. Cup had nine targets in this game. He had 27 yards. Puukunukuha had one more target, 10 targets, 181 yards, the most by a rookie in the history of the NFL in a playoff game and a countdown.

Here's next-gen stats, Greg. 59 receiving yards after contact, the fourth most in any game this season.

He was a fifth-round pick that came into the league. I don't think you can argue this. This year was unquestionably a top five receiver in the league. It wasn't just like scheme gets him open or anything. You watched the tonight. He wasn't even that open half the time. He's just running over guys and making contested catches. As great as Goff was, if I'm going to give Goff an A minus for this game, maybe like a 92, I would give Stafford 100. He played incredible.

It went over three in the red zone, so you got to ding the quarterback a little bit there. I don't want to take away from him because he did play incredibly well.

Some of those, like the third and 19 early, where he throws it across his body to keep that drive alive when they were down 14-3. You just had so many throws that other quarterbacks couldn't make, and he was just getting absolutely brutalized. He finishes with 3:67 and 2. They finish with almost 100 yards more than the Lions. They were moving the ball. They looked like they were going to win this game in the second half. The Lions had two straight drives where they didn't do anything, and the Rams really were moving the ball. And that's to me why the McVay time management stuff hurts a little extra. Mcvay is obviously a great coach. But this was literally the subject of myIt was.thing on Thursday in the dreamatorium is these coaches blowing timeouts to use delay of games. We've been We're talking about it on this podcast for four or five years that McVay always is blowing these timeouts at the beginning. It was that, and it was the slightly conservative field goal decisions where at the time, I personally didn't have a problem with them, and they hit them all. For what it's worth, the ESPN Analytics all had them as slight go-for.

It's like, even though it was fourth and six, fourth and seven, that the way this game was turning out, he ended up trusting that they were going to get those points in the end. They didn't get it, but the timeouts, to me hurt even more.

They one more drive, and Mar somehow splits the uprights one more time. They win 26-24, and it all makes sense. But yeah, when you lose by a point, it looks much worse.

But the Lions, for instance, did hit a fourth down in the red zone for a breakdown.

That's what they do.

That's a seven-point play.

Well, I think that's the distinct different nature of these two coaches. You have to live with that with McVay for all the positive, too. But yeah, drive's ending at the 6, the 9, and 11.

Pukunakuwa, one more thing about him. Where's Walker Rosenthal, by the way? I'm sure he's He's upset. The Rosenthal house is upset. The Rams are out of the playoffs. However, it was a good year for the Rams. They're ahead of schedule. Puka, it's crazy watching this game because it's how clear it is that Puka is their number one odd receiver. It's Cup that's their number two after a couple of years of injury. Sean McVay, a guy that almost walked away last year, came out of this season, even after a tough loss. Reflective and positive about where he's at.

The finality of it is still it doesn't totally resonate, but man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group.

They helped me find my way again and how much I love this and love the people that I'm around. I was texting with Jordan Rodriguez of the athletic, of the Rodriguez. That's next. Of the Rodriguez. She's going to buy out the athletic from the New York Times. Just worrying or wondering when the ramps special teams gaffe will come that will destroy their season. It made me think of the crisping glover character from Hot tub Time Machine, when you know that he loses his arm, and then the whole movie is like, When does it happen? When does he lose the arm? You see all these near misses where he almost loses the arm, and Brett Mahers kicks the shadow going across the upright over and over again. Maybe think about that. So at least it wasn't some heartbreaking defeat in that measure, because I thought that's how the ramps were going to end.

They had that punt. I forget who the-The punt was juggled That was another- That was another almost- That's like when Glover's character threw the chainsaw up in the air when he was doing the ice sculpture.

There were so many moments that the Rams, it almost happened. But this is really ultimately, Mark, about the lions and a special day for them, and their journey continues.

No, it would have been a letdown for them after all of this to not pull out this win. I do think for the critique of McVay, and I hear what you're saying, Greg, in general, coaching is better ever. The McVay journey in this, too, matters to me because...

It depends what team you're talking about, but go on.

Well, no, I'm saying if you're a Rams fan, this season-You have one of the best coaches in the league.

You do. I don't want to get a twist. You do.

I think he's arrived, and I think this brought him a whole new breath of fresh air. This was five months ago where we were talking about the fact that Matthew Stafford probably or likely could be traded before the deadline, and we got the best Matthew Stafford season. The Rams, I think there's a lot of hope ahead because of the way they're rebuilding their team, too.

I think that's true. Before we go, and maybe this is the fan of me, I was definitely rooting for the Rams this going on, and now the lines are the team I want to win the Super Bowl the most. But I do know we've been in this spot after playoff losses and said that so many different times, and I think this one hurts for either team was such an opportunity. The lines are either going to get the Eagles or the Bucks. The Rams would have played the Eagles or the Bucks. Matthew Stafford, to me, is playing at an MVP level. Lamar will win it. I just don't think anyone's playing any better than Matthew Stafford. Aaron Donald is towards the end of his career. You have these things going right now. They had a really good opportunity to keep this thing going, maybe to the NFC Championship. Who knows if it ends there. You just don't know if you're going to have a healthy Stafford playing at that level at this point in the season. Again, you hope so, because to me, he added a ton of entertainment this year. They were one of the most fun teams to watch.

Greggy?

This was a heat check. Oh, Greggy. Like Payton Prichard, when he just pulls up from 30 after he's hit four straight threes, I did miss this one.

You almost got it. In this year of years, Greg, I bet you were thinking the whole time, it's going to come out Rosenthal in the end.

I thought the-Not this time. I really was convinced the Rams were going to win this game throughout. I was surprised how that thing ended.

All right. Lastly, before we take a break, two telecast notes. Loved Tariko, and he lives in Ann Arbor. He's a Michigan guy. He was juiced for this game. I like seeing that. I like emotion, and people like being real to them, true to themselves. He wasn't coming out right and saying it until Collins were teeing him up at the end of the telecast that he's from the area. But he had a line at the end. If you want to text a Lions fan, congrats on the playoff win, do it. It'll be the first they've ever gotten. Texting wasn't around the last time the lines won a playoff got them. The other telecast note would be when they're showing Detroit luminaries, it was like there was a shot. It was like, M&M, Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Big Sean. I was like, We don't need to give Big Sean any cry on. Big Sean. A little too much pop for Big Sean. Greg, be fair.

I mean, he doesn't land with the same ground as those other three.

It's like having a Mount Rushmore and then putting Gerald Ford as the fourth guy. We don't need it.

Big Sean taking strays in a big spot.

Gerald Ford, too. All right, let's take a break. We'll be right back. Flacko with a gun, one back after a motion. It's Hunt. Flacko to throw. Flacko is picked off. Here we go to the left, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5. Touchdown, Christian Harris. That's the second one. Second pick, six of the game. That's why they pay that guy. Welcome to Houston, Joe Flacko. The Texas G pouring it on in the third quarter with two touch downs. Sustog, we have a new sentient Powerade flavor down in Houston.

I think it's very possible.

Mark's face when he said, Welcome to Houston, Joe Flacko.

Damn, pouring some salt on the wound. I found it unnecessary from Andre Ware with his play-by-play man, Mark Vandermeer of K-I-L-T. But you get their excitement because the Houston Texans absolutely dismantled the Cleveland Browns, 45 to 14. The Texans route Cleveland, a game that started close, started Looking like it was going to be a shootout. Then, yes, mistakes by the Browns. The back-to-back pick six has ended the game. But Mark, as you know, and I'm sure it was not a pleasant watch as a Browns fan, it was the Cleveland defense having no answers for C. J. Stroud, that really was what this game was about.

A complete disaster for Cleveland and an incredibly promising turn of events for C. J. Stroud and the Texans, who feel like the AFC's packers to me right now. I think Cleveland, everything over the past month plus in the Joe Flacko segment of this season that you could hang your hat on just didn't show up in this game. I mean, Flacko's turned the ball over a bunch, but not to this degree in the sense that it cost them so hard. Because when that first pick six occurred, the Browns were still in this. It didn't look good, but they were in it. You thought in the past, Flacko was found a way production-wise to get out of it. But in this game, the Amari Cooper that fried the Texans a couple of weeks ago, not happening this time. Miles Garrett was, I thought, taken to town by Laramie Tunzel, who's one of the few tackles that's had success against Miles Garrett. Really, really kept him out of the game, almost from wire to wire. I don't know. Cleveland just fell apart. If you're going to tell me in any of these games that your starting quarterback is going to go throw back to back pick sixes on the road, you're not going to win.

I don't know, Cleveland's defense at home has allowed the least amount of points per game. But quietly, this nugget that was sitting out there as a bit of a menace was that they've allowed the most points in the league on the road. There was some... It's a very strange breakdown, but there was some concern going in about which version of the Browns defense would show up in this. C. J. Stroud is the story of the game. He was beautiful.

16 of 21, 274, three touch downs, 13 yards per attempt, Greggy. Perfect passer rating. It could have even been crazier because he missed a 60, 70-yard bomb in the first half. Who was that? Nico Collins. Otherwise, it would have been even crazier. He was in complete command in this game.

Right. The pick sixes will stick in our memories, and obviously, they were massive to happen back to back, especially that first one when it's only 10 points. But that point of the game, I was thinking, Man, the Browns are lucky to be down only 10. Their defense no-showed. Much like the Cowboys game, there will be the quarterback for the Browns and the offense disappointed, no question. But I don't think that the defense gave the Browns a chance to win this game no matter what. And that's the side that you were counting on. Bobby Sloak got one over on Jim Schwartz. There was misdirection. There was big plays. They even had that big singletary run early in the first half on a very creative play call. They were averaging 9.3 yards per play They were averaging almost a first down every time they snapped the ball, the first three quarters. What? What? What?

What? Calm down, Greg.

Of this game, and you think back to his very first throw of the game, Stroud. Actually, they had to dump off that first throw, but then the second throw of the game, they are getting right into Stroud's grill, and he gets it 21 yards, layering it, leading Nico Collins into very tricky zone coverage. He had four or five of those type of throws. The second pass, actually, of that drive, that Schultz dropped, that was another missed opportunity. They actually had a first and goal from the two that they get nothing from. That was a missed opportunity. I kept thinking, Oh, they might get caught here. Because they're not taking advantage of us. He had four or five of those really special CJ stroud throws, and he only had to throw the ball 21 times. He had almost the exact same box score as Jordan loved, 16 for 21, three touch downs, and just five special throws that makes you think, wow, this guy's already a top five or six quarterback in the NFL.

I'm glad you brought it up, Mark. It's funny. It's like the Spider-Man meme, the Texans and the packers, two 10 and seven teams that just knocked off a They're favorite. Obviously, there was a bigger upset in the NFC side of things, but the Browns were favorite in this game. It's a team that's ahead of schedule with a first-year quarterback, in Houston's case, a straight-up rookie. It's the team that you do not want to face now because they are, again, just like the packers. There is no fear now because just making the playoff is progress. Now that you've won a game, it's starting to be like a freight train. Greg, you could tell me what their playoff scenario looks for next week if you have it on you and your calculations within your brain. From the love to stroud comparison, too, it's like these guys are young men that the entire team, everything's being driven through them and their potential for true greatness. It's pretty amazing to watch.

I think also they're both well-coached. I'm glad you mentioned Bobby Sloak, because earlier on in the year, one thing that it was noted that he did was their offensive line It was banged up, and he did a good job of creating certain protections for Stroud. Against Cleveland's pretty ferocious pass rush, they moved the pocket a lot. They found a way to nullify that pass rush. He was getting the ball out really quick, and they were aggressively striking downfield. I thought one of the bigger surprises was Cleveland's defensive backs who have been awesome. Completely, as you say, no showing in this game. I almost like, were they overconfident and just came in thinking a little bit too much because they were fried early and they were fried through the entire contest.

It was just a couple missed assignments. Then the Brevin Jordan play where Ouskur Moa, who was incredible otherwise, was the best defensive player on the field for either team. I think he had four or five tackles for loss and was the one guy playing. But him and another defender, they both flash at Jordan at the same time and run into each other. Jordan ends up running through for a 76-year touch. That was the moment where I was like, Oh, the Browns are really in trouble because you look at this final score and you forget, Oh, the Browns were leading in the second quarter, 14 to 10. They had answered both of Houston's scoring drives with touch downs to take the lead. And then the Texans just go right back. And they also had their share of long drives, too. I don't know what the heck would happen to the Brown defense, other than you can't trust defense. I've always believed in that. And that was true. The Browns this year, too. They would have a game here and there. As historic as they were, like Offense wins in this league, and there are some days where you're just going to get fried.

Almost all of that came at home.

Think about every defense that has been hoisted up at some point this season. They have had games where they weren't just bad. They were atrocious. I just wonder what that's all about. I wonder, I was thinking more like big picture. I was thinking about that. Does it have anything to do with the almost unprecedented loss of starting quarterbacks across the league this year? Did some of these defenses get artificially inflated? I think that's part of it. Then when the playoff's come, certain things come home to roost. I just want to put it in perspective. 45-14 final, but on second and 16 for Cleveland with 7:02 to go in the third quarter, Flacko hits David Bell. I feel like David Bell is target maybe 700 times in this game for a first down. They are first and 10 at the Houston 34 down by, at this point, what was it?

They were at 10, I think.

Ten, set up to make it a one-score game again when the Flacko pick six happened. So the game really did swing on But let's go to Demeco Ryan's talking about his young quarterback that has changed Houston. Cj is the reason why we're in this position. He's special. Special young man, special player, continues to shine no matter how big the moment is, our whole team is leaning on him, and he has the shoulders to carry that weight, and he shows up week after week. He continues to improve week after week. No moment is too big for him. When you have a young player here who can shoulder the load of your team and the way the team is behind him, the confidence that he gives our entire team, it's so cool to watch. Mark, I want to also give the floor here to Joe Flacko, because even though this game went poorly, and the pick sixes will be remembered. It was an incredible run for Flacko, who really electrified and ignited that entire fan base before the clock struck midnight. Here's Flacko on the end. This is why we love football. This is why we love NFL playoffs.

It's 14 really good football teams, and it's one game. And unfortunately for us, but just fortunately in just the general sense of everything, there's always a winner and a loser. And today, like I said, unfortunately for us, we were the loser. But that's what we love about this game. There's going to be a winner, there's going to be a loser. And you have to learn how to deal with it when you're not the guy. Mark, he's a free agent at the end of the year, and Deshaun Watson is obviously still the future of this franchise. Based on his play, you imagine he's going to search for somewhere where he can play next year, which means just like that, Flack Joe Browns. It seems like it's over. It's amazing how quickly just things change.

We have DeMar Hamlin sitting out there as the overt comeback player of the year, but I can't think of too many case studies where someone who's played a third of the season has an incredible case to the comeback player of the year. The Browns aren't in this position without Joe Flacko doing what he did week after week. Really, I think I felt like I saw a different version of Joe Flacko with a person came back from this exodus. Completely, I feel at ease with himself. He brought leadership to a position in Cleveland that has not had strong leadership from the quarterback. They've had chaos that make the whole to Sean Watson thing. It brought a nice feeling to Cleveland's season. It ended the way it did. It's It's almost easier that it ended '45 to '14. There wasn't a lot of what-ifs. The thing melted, but Joe Flack was one of the better stories for the Browns fans for a long time.

I thought about that, Mark. What if it was the other way around? What if the Brown '45, '14, and then he plays well next week? What would Cleveland have done? In some ways, it makes it more cut and dry, which doesn't necessarily mean good things for the Browns because who knows what Watson holds in the future with this organization. But there's little question now where things go.

They had a fun run. I hate the I personally don't like the sports talk show attitude of like, Well, if you don't win a title, what was the point of it? The point is you're having fun along the way. That's what life is. They had some fun along the way. You're not going to get a title. One team gets a title at the end.

It depends where an organization is. When you keep on getting there and you can't get over the hub, it's different.

I get it, but you can at least-Team like this is different, though. But even if you can enjoy the process and enjoy the weeks, the wins that you get along the way, no matter what, This team was a special team because it had those wins, like the 49ers win, and it had the defense at times was so special. And Flacko, it's a thud of an ending. And unfortunately, the opponent makes you think about the long term of it all. It's crazy how little pop the Watson Trade got in all this. It's like, Oh, yeah. By the way, you're beating us with four or five draft picks that we just sent to you, and you've got a rookie quarterback on a rookie quarterback contract, and we've got the biggest albatross of a contract in NFL history. And oh, by the way, our draft pick just moved down about five spots because you beat us, and you have our draft pick this year.

Mark's in the room, Greg. Calm down.

Well, I'm just saying from a team building perspective-What are you, Andre Ware? It's crazy. A Houston legend, Andre Ware. Remember those run and shoot teams at University of Houston back in the day?

And you've got a coach, because I think this matters, too. You've got a coach that beat Coach of the Year candidate Shane Steke in a year ago and Coach of the Year candidate a week ago in Kevin Stefansky this week, two weeks in a row.

And the Steigen, that was a closely bought game. This game really looked so great on Ryan's resume because they were embarrassed by to the same Browns team a couple of weeks ago, and he showed Ryan all the adjustments that he made to take Amari Cooper out of the game, to limit Njoku, to make it a game where you saw Flacko repeatedly, like I said, targeting the Browns' fourth wide receiver in the second tight end. It was a master class all the way around from Houston in a big spot.

Right. Ryan's, who I think, if their defense had been a top five defense this year, he would have definitely won Coach of the Year. I think Stavancy is going to win it.

That should have been the Coach of the Year bowl.

We should adjust this. I know. It's.

We should also a vote on these things during the playoffs or something.

There is a case to be made to just vote on everything after the playoffs. It'd be a big disadvantage if you were on a team that, through no fault of your own, didn't make it. Like a defensive player of the year or something like that. But I think there's something to be said that wouldn't be crazy. But they mixed things up a lot. Stingley had not traveled all year with the opposing top receiver. He shadowed Cooper. Then I thought it really stood out when Flacko just had a straight drop back. He had no chance. The tackles finally caught up. Like, Grannard had that sack. Will Anderson had a ton of pressures. His pressure rate was through the roof in this game. Derek Barnet had a big sack. He had a ton of pressures. I really thought that stood out. It was a big play-action game where both teams could do play-action. But when Stroud dropped back to pass, he had the time that he needed, and Flacko really didn't. Both of those interceptions were on plays where he panicked a little, but it was also because quick pressure was right in his face.

Yeah, they didn't sack him in the first game. I know that Kase Keenum was the quarterback for Houston, so that was a whole different situation. But Flacko was protected well in that first game behind that same offensive line. I think you're right. All the injuries because they were so banged up up front, it It's a lot up to him big time.

Texans get the Ravens next week, the early Saturday game, if the Bills come through and win on Monday. Pretty simple.

If the Bills-It's like seven plus four.

Yeah. If the Bills lose to the Steelers as 10-point favorites, and what a gastly moment that would be. We don't need the Steelers. Then we would get Texans Chiefs, which would be a rematch of the divisional round a few years ago. You know the Texans, I believe, are the only team in the NFL that have never been to a conference championship game. Am I crazy?I think that's right.The Texans?

They are the only franchise to never run a road play off game along, the only one to never appear in a conference championship game. So they have now reached the furthest.

They're the patron state of West of us, which we just celebrated. One and done all over the place with the bangles through the years. All right. All right. So So, so, so. We have one more game to hit. I had one more thing I wanted to share there, but now it's gone. It happens. I was so caught up in Greg's comments.

It escaped your mind.

Here's the thing. Sometimes it comes back, but we've already moved on to the next game.

And that hurts, too.

Which hurts. But I think we've done this show a long time, Mark. I want to give Dan the grace to if it comes back during the next game, it's back. We can have an official time out or some a song, and you give us that. It's already back.Oh, okay.

All right. It's back, baby.

The only disappointment isIt's better to be good by the way. It's not. It's not. All I wanted to say was, respectfully, because I love the divisional round so much, Pittsburgh Steelers are not invited to my divisional round. No. We do not want any upsets. We want chalk for this Monday game to be played, maybe in a blizzard, maybe not.

No, I think that was worth it. I think it was. I appreciate. Respectfully. Just the You can't come.

You've issued your edict.

All right, let's move on. It's time now for the Sunday Drive presented by the first ever Toyota Grand Highlander. You know what? We want to hear something funny. My wife says to me, Oh, you know a car I like? The Grand Highlander. I say to her, I've been talking about that goddamn car all year on the podcast. She wouldn't know because she doesn't listen to the show. But I don't know. I could end up with a Highlander. You never know.

Has she ever listened to this show? No.

No, mine hasn't either. Highlander, people. Johnny Highlander out there. I know you love the show. Dan just gave you a free one minute pop. That's worth an actual.

My wife wants your car. Let's get it. Can you give me the car? I'll drive the car. I'll talk about how much I like the car. Let's get to the game. Without further ado, a game played in some of the most miserably cold conditions in the history of professional football.Cover. Clyde Edwards-Hilari is in the game now at Running Back. They fake to him. Mahomes, those right side. Kopp Rice at the five, England-Right. Touchdown. Kinsman City, rookie, Rochee Rice. His first postseason A touchdown. An 11-yard crossing pattern. And just like Germany, the Chiefs have an outstanding opening drive for a touch down to start the game. I thought he was talking about historical Germany.

I thought it was going to be like...

He was like, Don't get We don't need to tee Greg up for some old H talk. We catch my drift.

Just like Germany, an alliance will decide the future of our company, and we will have to take away the military. We don't need it.

We didn't need it, and now we got it. So thank you to you. Mark just passed out.Mitch Holtes with the call.It is high.

I'm just getting out of the way.

Wdaf with the call. Oh, no. Are the Chiefs going to rope a dope us here? Rashe Rice has a big, big game in his playoff debut. Eight catches for a buck 30 and a countdown. Another score called back in a dumb penalty by the Chiefs. And Kansas City easily takes care of business against a Dolphins team that, let's face it, come on. Put him in those conditions. Of course, I locked it up. 26-7 final. And quite frankly, it could have been a lot worse, but the Chiefs continued to have some struggles, boys, in the red zone where they would get in close. And like I said, a penalty wiped out, one breakdown. You had a bad Travis Kelsey drop, which seems to be an every week thing now, which is weird. A couple of them. That short circuited another drive. This is a game that could have easily been 35 to seven, but they still took care of business, and it was pretty clean bit of business from the Chiefs who are a battle-tested team that did not seem like the cold bothered them. I know we talked about it on Thursday, the Miami Dolphins.

Well, the players weren't born in Miami and all that, but you know what? Miami. They're a team that practices in Miami. They're a team that plays their games in Miami. They have a quarterback that's from Hawaii, for Christ's sake, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and they played like a team that wanted nothing to do with Arrowhead on that particular night.

Yeah, I thought it was an incredible case study on that front because this matters. Mcdaniel's teams were 4-10 in games played in December and January over the last two years, 16 and 6 in others. A lot of that has to do with you bring teams down to South Beach early on in the year and teams are not ready for in the reverse 100 plus degree temperature. Then you boat race them. You boat race them. They finished one One and six against playoff teams this year, and you're facing a quarterback because I thought that was exactly true. The Chiefs looked comfortable in this climate, much more so. Mahomes is 21 and six in his career in games played in 40 degrees or colder. That matters. They I think you could lean on one thing. You knew their defense would show up at home, and they absolutely did. I think the Dolphins didn't convert a third down until some part of the fourth quarter. Everything that you thought Miami could maybe do, they couldn't do. Then you've been waiting for this guy that wants someone to step up as a wide receiver, and Rasheed Rice did it yesterday.

It's like a team that had more drops than any other team in the league coming into this game, it looked more competent, and I'm willing to forgive a couple of mistakes here and there because it was like butt cold.

I know. I thought like, multiple things can be true here. The Dolphins could be not ill-prepared for this moment. This could be the worst game of the weekend. It was. It could also be the Chief's best game of the season. I don't even think it was a question. There was a game against the Chargers that they played a pretty complete brand of ball and finished close, but even that was a one-score game. They both raced the bears in week three when the bears were just a mess in the second. I'm not counting that. They completely dominated this game. Until those last couple of garbage time drives, the yardage was 390 to 151. If it wasn't for that 53-yard countdown by Tyreek, which was a great individual play by Tyreek Hill on a throw that was a little underthrown, but a nice play call. They were just killing them. They had a nine-play drive to start the game, which was the best drive they maybe had since Germany. A 10-play drive, a 12-play drive, a 13-play drive, a 14-play drive. You don't think of the Chiefs as a tough team, but But they looked like a tough team.

They got a tough defense. We know that, but they looked like a tough team on Saturday. They were very prepared for this game. They ground this Dolphins team into dust. You don't think of Mahomes as a tough quarterback, but man, is he tough? The throws that he could make in this weather and the runs that he could make were awesome. Andy Reid talked about it afterwards.

Pat had a nice day just right from the get-go. I don't think they were anticipating us throwing the ball quite as much as we did, but we were able to come out and sling. A lot of quarterbacks can't do that, what he did in that weather. Yeah. Talked about that on Thursday, too, that you have Mahomes and you have Kelsey, and it's like, they're going to make some plays in these conditions. Then it was like, Can the other team do that? It's a funny thing about Mahomes in general. He walks funny, and he talks funny, and he doesn't even move very gracefully for one of the great athletes in the history of the sport. And yet, obviously, his production and his career success, team success, and what you saw on Saturday night reminds you of he's special and he's an all-time player. They have a puncher's chance in the playoffs because of that. If they would have continued to pour it on after that Rice shutdown, I would have been just shaking my fist as someone who also drafted Mahomes for a fantasy team in this very strange year for them. Are they going to go put up 45 on the Dobbins?

They didn't do that. They showed a lot of their warts that have been an issue all season on offense.

But they had those sustained drives that I was talking about. To me, that was pouring out. They did get one more countdown. We didn't see a lot of 10, 12, 13 played drives out of this Chief's team for a long time. They had five of them. That was pretty good.

I agree with you. I can't because I've been down this road with this team this year, as we all have, where you buy in on them again. I thought the opponent was perfect for them. Mark, I could say it now, and you're a showman, and I respect you. I can't believe you locked up the Dolphins against me in this one. I can't either. This was a Kansas City team that just was... I mean, you couldn't have put it on a platter for KC.

Well, I did literally for the confrontation. But about four minutes into this game, I realized that was a done-the-head-the Dolphins, they could not wait.

There was a drive, I think their penultimate drive, where it actively seemed like they were trying to run out the clock. They We were a team that was ready to get on the bus. I think it's going to be interesting to see what's next around the Dolphins after this game. Obviously, McDaniel loves Tua, and I don't think Tua is going to be... We're not going to be talking about his job security in the near term, but they have to start talking contract, and do they want to make Tua one of the highest paid contracts in the league? He did lead the league in yardage passing, so he's going to command a big contract. I just wonder what the future holds to Miami, because it does feel like this is a soft team and a front running team and a team that's not built to play these types of games. Here is Mike McDaniel talking about a tough day at the office. Nobody on this team really harbored all the excuses, all the different variables that people talk about injuries, whether all that stuff we came here to win didn't happen. It is fair to say, point out not to make excuses because he's not making excuses, but they're missing so many key players on their defense.

In addition to the conditions not being conducive to what they like to do, they were just missing so many playmakers. That factored in the Kansas City success as well.

The defense of injuries, especially, gave them almost no chance in this game, in retrospect. I think it was six defensive starters. It was like their best. So many of their best defensive. I mean, six. That's a lot. And their offensive line because they couldn't run the ball. But ultimately, I think they had one shutdown in their final 16 offensive possessions. So that really wasn't where the... I know they weren't totally healthy on offense. Moster was coming back. Wada was coming back, the offensive line all year. It was a very injury-placed team, but things were relatively stable on offense, and they totally flatlined. Tua had a sequence in the first half, and they showed another angle of this play. It was a second and one. I don't know if you remember it where he just threw one of those. It was like a swing pass. Who was it to Moster? Is it when it hit the helmet? No, and it hits the dirt, and that was going to be a 40-yard play, and he just threw it in the dirt. Then the very next play, they got pressure on him, and he throws one of those two floaters where he tries to throw it over the defender that's in his face, and it ends up being an interception.

They made him hold the ball, and then there was the end of the sequence. I think that's what you're talking about, them almost running the playout. At the end of the game, he's throwing short on third and 10 and fourth and 16. Running the play clock down to five, four, three. He threw for a six Hard loss on third and 10 in the late hurry-up situation. Then he threw short on fourth and 16. It was just like, Man, whatever.

I'm not piling on here, although Dolphins fans, you know he's right about your team in the end. But is this the guy?

Well, I think if we're going to say it's hard to wonder if Dak Prescott needs to be reevaluated in terms of the moment that matters most, Dak Prescott hasn't lived up to it. Now, Tua didn't have a chance to play in the last year's playoff, but this is someone in big moments and mirrors the entire Dolphins, has not shown up when it mattered the most late in the season. I mean, this team just ran out of gas. You lose 56 to 19 to Baltimore, you crumble against the Bills a week ago, and you no show in the playoffs. It's like if everything isn't perfect for Tua and the Dolphins, there seem to be real issues.I think that gives Mike Nathaniel.That's not how the playoffs works. That's not how it works. You got to go into adversity. I know they're banged up, but every team's banged up.

He reminds me a little bit of earlier career cousins. I think he's definitely ahead of the Dalton scale. He's a top 10 to 12 type of quarterback, maybe higher. That would be on the lower end, but things are going to have to be right around him. But that's always the question with quarterbacks like that. I think Dax is even another little level above that. But I think that's where he is, that he's a good quarterback, but you're going to need to be tighter. They had four pre-snap penalties. I counted them up on third down and almost all of them were in short-yarded situation. That's just so sloppy. They couldn't really run the ball. The Chiefs were the better running team, which you wouldn't have expected. Mahomes, you look at this box score, and it's like 2 for 41 running. That's a Mahomes running box score if I ever saw one. He had two back-breaking runs in this game. So Tua was bad. He's going to need everything around him, I think, to be really good. I think that's possible, but he's not going to carry you.

Yeah, big decision. It's not possible, though. Big decision. Why not? Everything needs to be perfect around your quarterbacks.

Not perfect, but I just mean like- History isn't kind to this type of quarterbacks when you're trying to win Lombardi.

But everything has been perfect around Tua for Laura until the injuries mounted.

I mean, like the offense- This defense and the injuries and everything in the way. I hear what you're saying, but I don't know. We've seen some mid-level quarterbacks win Super Bowl or higher than mid-level, but he's probably not going to be the top five guy year after year. Dolphins fans have been trying to tell us that.

The Dolphins finished One and six against playoff teams this year with a minus 110 point differential. So, yeah, a positive season in some ways. The fact that two of us stayed healthy, played every game, including the playoff, was a great development. But there are big questions because they keep winning the Super Bowl in September, but that's not how it works in the big picture.

This is unquestionably, we knew it all season, but seeing it in the playoff is unquestionably the best Chiefs defense we've ever seen. We do have a Hall of Fame coach, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and the defense that they've ever had. It's why you got to say they got a chance. I mean, if they're in Buffalo, you're saying they don't have a chance against Buffalo. They certainly do. If they're hosting Houston, they're the favorites in that game. Not like they're a lock or anything, but either way, they got a chance. Karlaft has had a nice game. The whole defense showed up, played great.

Great Girlfriend work, too, by Taylor. Going to the game, being open air with the glass. It was crazy. In fact, we're going to do the dreamatorium this week. By the way, that's, I think, three. That's the Hattrick dreamatorium references. Do you not have NFL Plus? I know the league's making you get Peacock and everything now. But NFL Plus gives you the dreamatorium access on Thursday, which we're having fun every week talking Dreamatorium. I'm going to cook something up this week. What? Nothing good. I'm going to cook something up this week about just the conditions in Kansas City and how wild it was. So shout out to Taylor. People get mad when they even show her on TV, which is toxic.

She emits super loyal girlfriend vibes. She's a growing football fan, and it's like the critique is annoying to me.

Right. Show her like, Oh, what? You showed the biggest star in the world who's dating one of the biggest stars in the game.Oh, five or six.How dare you? Calm down. That little picture with the snow beforehand, that was from a movie. That was amazing.

The anger that I see on social media. What do you expect? What Greg just said is true. It's literally the biggest star in the world with Travis, Kelsey in a relationship.

It's fine.

It's fine. How does television work? This is how it works.

This is how culture works. It's part of the story of the Chief Season, whether you like it or not. Stop being such a boring football head and wake up. There's a whole world in front of you.

Okay, sometimes you get on me for contrarian takes and whatnot. Sometimes. I was laughing because I'm going to hit you with a big one here. Hit me. People need to calm down about Peacock. I mean, number one.

You going Company Man is not surprising.

It's not Company Man. This is how I really feel. Number one, everyone goes out to bars to go watch these games. It's like, how much you're putting down?

What do you mean everybody goes out to bars?

I'm just saying you go out to the bars, you watch a game or whatever. How much is a beer?

Just one single beer. Are you trying to get me in trouble right now? You want me to get into a debate that gets me fired. What I'm saying is-This is Greg hosting the show.

I'm saying you don't even think twice about drinking, putting down however much to go watch the games. You're putting down six bucks or whatever for Peacock. Now, it's like an NFL playoff game. It's incredibly entertaining. Then on the back end, it's like, Oh, do I want to check out Season 10 of Top Chef again? Maybe I do. Maybe I do. Maybe I want to go check out I hear you. It's like it's six dollars. Calm down. People pay six dollars for a coffee. There's lines out the door in Santa Monica to pay six dollars for something.

You're projecting your financial situation on everyone else. I think the thing is, if you're going to a bar, you're choosing to. When they tell you you have to.

You could choose not to watch it or go to the bar if you don't want to watch it. If you don't want to pay.

This is a lot of people who don't want to go to the bar. And by the way...Go.

To your friends.Yeah.

Make me... What if you don't have friends? What if you just want to sit home and watch the game? But maybe you're not great with a smart seat.

I guess I would venture to say in that scenario, $6 is fine. Calm down.

$6 a month.

No, but you just cancel it. It's not a lifetime rate.

Don't throw me directly to a Ted, the Talking Teddy Bear, reboot immediately after the game. I didn't ask for that. Nobody asked for that. Go check out the box office that Ted 2 did. Ted had a moment. It was weird. I was talking about with my buddy Bob on text today. It's weird, the whole Ted phenomenon. Then everybody was like, All right, we're done with Seth MacFarlane. Ted 2 came out. It's stiff. He made a cowboy movie of some kind. Nobody wanted to see that. Then everyone moved on. Then all of a sudden, Ted shows up again. The Talking Teddy bear. Didn't ask for it. Don't want it. Don't stick it in my TV.

It's funny because when that popped on, Walker was like, I want to watch that. I was like, I don't know. That's a hard R.

Don't eat it.

Holdovers available on Peacock. Great. Great movie.

What is your financial stake in Peacock?

Just finding this.

I don't care.

All right.

I'll give you the last word on that one, Mark.

I'm very happy for Greg and his over.

I went and paid It's $20 to go see Holdover. Who asked for Ted?

Who asked for more Ted? Honestly.

Not a human that I knew.

What was Mark Wahlberg like in 1993? Well, go read some stories about that.

Now, if you want to say Jason Garrett popping out of nowhere after not announcing games all year. Maybe he had one or two, and he's suddenly in one of the biggest games of the year. He's saying to go for it on their own 35, by the way, down 12. Good job by Jason Garrett. It's like, you would have never done that as a That was a big moment for analytics in general that Jason Garrett is saying, go for a fourth down on your own 35.

Maybe he's had a Mike McCarthy-esque epiphany during his time away from the game.I.

Would like a little Perhaps. Deeper bullpen there.

Okay, real quick, before we say goodbye. We didn't talk Steeler Bills, of course, because there was a nasty blizzard in Western New York. That game was pushed till Monday, and the governor-I mean, if you don't know that, what are you doing? Big pop for the governor, by the way. It's a woman, right? She's getting a ton of... Kathy Huck. Yeah, Cathy's getting a ton, ton of publicity out of this. She said today-Not Huckley, not Huckle. She said Huckley's wife, Cathy. It won't be pushed back again. So that game happens tomorrow, of course, also the Bucks eagles tomorrow, and we're going to have the recap tomorrow night. A couple of other news notes. The Chargers are going to meet with Jim Harbaugh, according to ESPN, a report. And also the-Egown. The Patriots, They quickly move and hire a new head coach. His name? Gerard Mayo. Gerard Mayo. And we're going to get into that in a little bit more detail tomorrow night. So that's what's happening in the news. And that's it. Anything else? What's big What's the song doing to celebrate? I'm curious. The packers. The guy, very nice guy in the theater. But when he says, I lived through two and six.

Mark, it used to annoy you so much.

They were two and five, so I don't know where he thought they were two and six.

You used to hate the idea that they got Rodgers right after Fav. That used to bother you so much. Now here we are, and this team is better with Jordan Love. Does this annoy you?

I felt going into this season that it was an exhaustion with Aaron Rodgers that I'm experiencing. This is different.

Will this bother you, Mark? If we put it in this perspective because I tweeted it because it still bothers me.

If we start talking about Peacock again, I'll start to get annoyed.

Brett Fav, 1992 to 2007. Aaron Rodgers, 2008 to 2022. Jordan Love, 2023 to 2038, followed by a disaster of stay with the Jets. My entire existence.

So you'll get one Super Bowl title, about eight divisional round in conference championship losses. I'll take that. It'll be fun. A couple of MVPs.

Big funk.

Look, I know it's weird to say it because a lot of people would consider themselves lucky to have what the packers have had, but we've had some really tough losses.

So to be here now, I feel great. I feel good. One second, Randy. Turn up this music. Let's just groove to this, and then I want you to come back in, Randy. Turn it up all the way on my headphones. Oh, Big funk. He's got another QB. Big Funk all the way till 2040. Big Funk. Come back in, baby. What's happening, guys? I'm feeling good. I know you all, baby. Oh, yeah. I'm feeling really good. Congratulations, Ben. I'm happy for you. Randy is a really good dude. I haven't met too many jerk packer fans.

No, it's not their fault that they've had this fortune. They're not an unlikable fan.

They know Ball. They know Ball. They have a good group covering the team, I feel like, which helps. They're 10-point underdogs, by the way. In San Francisco. So your house money.

Give me all the points.

I don't know. I want it. I love it.

This game really was like, we were just happy to be there. I think going in humble, going in just Zen. That's been my mood all week. Just Zen. I'm just happy to be here.

I'm happy to watch the game. If I'm the Niners, I'm thinking like, wait, how did we get stuck having a deal with Jordan and love in the packers next week?

Early prediction, either the packers or the Texans, and God damn it, maybe both win next week.

I love that. I would not. I've been saying for a long time, I think Texans, two playoff wins. I think it's not even a remotely impossible concept that they could challenge the Ravens.

What if- You're hoisted on your own petard there. Well, that guy. You were right. There's something cruel about the football gods, you getting behind one other team this year, the Texans, and then they dismantle the Browns.

What is up with the football gods? Why can't they just be cool?

I never liked the fact that Cleveland got Houston at all, and it came to fruition, those concerns.

Then the team of ATN, he may be the Texans and packers, the two teams that maybe should have been the team of ATN meeting the Super Bowl. That would be It's all in play.

We made a grave error with the team of ATN.

I blame Tyler Goodson for dropping that fourth and one pass.

All right, time to go. Great job behind the glass. Great job, listeners. Thank you to Sky Sports for having us on this week. We'll be back next week on Sky with Neil and the Gang. And Domenican Su, he goes by Sue when he introduces himself. He the call..