The Around the NFL podcast.

We won't talk about an on-site kick this week.

From the Chris Westling podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. It is the flagship show. Sunday recap, week 15. Week 15. Dan Hans is here. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Cessler. Heros both. What's up?

I'm okay.

Yeah, we just learned, or Mark reported this.

I.

Reported it.

I'm okay. Actually. Who was it? It was...

Zach Martin told Mike McCarthy, if you watched the Cowboys-Bills game, the right guard exited with an apparent injury, but told Mike McCarthy afterwards, I'm okay.

Right. Then I was wondering how he said it because I thought that, Mike, relax.

I'm okay. That's how it was verbalized.

Or, Mike, relax. I'm okay. I mean, Mike, Mike, Mike. I'm okay. Which one was it? We don't know inflection tone matters.

Maybe it was like, Mike, I'm okay.

That's aggressive. But I think they have more of a bond.

Than that. I think the first one you did is probably closer to.

The truth. We could do this for an hour because I'd rather do that than get to some of the football today. I could just do this.

For 90 minutes. You've been doing it for five minutes, so I'm glad to have.

Started this show. I'm actually talking about myself. I'm okay. We have a lot to get to because, yes, we're coming down to The Wire here of the regular season. Only three games left for each team after Monday night. I want to say we got some clarity on this Sunday, but not really. We had a division that was clinched. We had a couple of playoff spots that are now officially taken. But otherwise, it remains, Mark, just a big old stew of confusion.

Yeah, it's a thick soup. Only four teams have been removed from the playoff picture.

Thank God Steve Carmake's back on the BBC Sunday nights to give us clarity.

All.

Right, let's get to it. Let's start. Yes, it was, at least on paper, the game of the week. It didn't play out that way, but it did, I think, teach us something about both teams to Orchard Park.

Cook to the left of Allen and the shotgun. Two receivers left, one to the right. Here's the snap. Give us the cook. Goes behind Dawkins through a hole, down to the 10, the 5, and he leaps into the end zone.

James Cook.

With his second touchdown of the game. One receiving, one rushing. It is a blowout here in Orchard Park as the cook has found the kitchen for the second time tonight.

Chris Brown. Bongos early.

Bongos.

Look, producer, of course.

Every.

Producer-it's his team.

It's his team. -every producer has the power of the bongos. And you use that power. Good job, Eric. Chris Brown with the call. Good call by Chris. James Cook had a career best 179 yards on the ground, a whopping 221 yards of a scrimage, and two touchdowns, as Mr. Brown told you. The Bulls dismantled the Cowboys 31-10 in Western New York, say bye-bye to Dallas's five-game winning streak and open up a whole can of worms about Dallas being vulnerable because they haven't been so hot on the road. With this loss, there's a very good chance they'll be on the road come the playoffs. Mark, you were in the pole position in the draft. You grabbed this game. The Bulls, man, look out.

Yeah, I think I locked this team up, too.

Oh, he's coming out hot.

I like it. Oh, he's hot. I felt like this was the moment for Buffalo to either wave farewell to this journey that's been real up or down and certainly the last 10 days been rough for the coach and everyone else. I'm looking at a game where Josh Allen completed seven passes. If I knew that ahead of time, I would have thought that sounds like a potential disaster. Or it tells a different story of a Bills team that found a weakness in the Dallas defense right away and never let up, running the ball 49 times at 5.4 yards per carry for 266 yards on the ground. It didn't require Josh Allen. James Cook, I think we've seen James Cook rise up and getting to the point where he's been a difference maker and changed their attack, dominant today, utterly dominant. You could feel the Dallas defense on a bad weather environment in Buffalo with no way to stop it. I mean, it's their past rush that you think could take over a game and maybe neutralize Josh Allen. It never existed because Buffalo just kept sending Cook and friends right up the gut of the defense, and it worked to the point where there was this one drive.

I mean, there were touchdown drives for 11 plays, 11 plays, 12 plays. We all sat there together watching that third quarter. This game started 25 minutes or something after the other two late games, and it caught up with them because of a third quarter March, where they just ran the ball over and over and over. A 15-play drive that I think took the heart, ripped the heart out of the Cowboys, and you knew that was over. Dallas had no way back into this thing.

It's funny, if the season goes long enough, sometimes you have storylines that are around early, then they go away for a while, and then they're back in December. Two storylines I remember honking about in September, early October was, Wow, the Bulls actually have a good offensive line this year and a good running game. A little more physical than they've been in the past. James Cook obviously has been playing great now for a month, but that really shows up today. Another concern very early for this Cowboys team was how tough they were when they fall behind in games, especially the run defense. They gave up 222 to the Cardinals, remember back in week three, and then 1-70 to the 49ers, and then that was back. Now, I don't think it means it's some fatal flaw that if they find their way behind that they are never going to come back. But it's those weaknesses showing up, and more importantly for the Bulls, their strengths showing up in a massive spot where they have a couple of layups now in a row before a week 18 game before the Dolphins.

Yeah, you got a floating chargers team, train wreck team on the road. Then you get the Patriots, another one of the worst teams in football. They are really set up here. You could also say, Man, we've been trying to trust the Bills all year long. They've kept on telling us, don't trust us. Yet this does feel different. You know, it's a great way to quickly move on from a frankly insane 9/11 controversy. Let that story leak on a Thursday night and then promptly beat the Chiefs and the Cowboys in back to back weeks. Right. It goes from Sean McDermott, the world's caving in on the guy to, wow, this team, listen, you can't call them the favorites because they still got work to do just to make the playoffs. But they are as dangerous as any team in the AFC as we go into the final leg of the season. On the Cowboy side, listen, I think we were all on the same page. Mark, you did a good job blocking it up. This felt like a tough spot for the Cowboys to go on the road against the Bulls team that was desperate, that was playing better, feeling itself a little bit.

Cowboys come down to Earth after two huge wins against big rivals. So it felt like a spot where the Cowboys could get knocked off. The one thing, if I have a Cowboys fan that I didn't want to see was this, a game where you get bullied, a game where you look highly vulnerable and you look like a pretender. Now, I'm not going to say that I'm out on the Cowboys, but I really did like this idea if you want to sell yourself on the Cowboys making the NFC title game, for instance, for the first time in a quarter century, it's like find a way to win that division, get a home game, and maybe you get some luck, you get the top seat. Listen, all that is most likely out the door now. That's a damaging loss, Greg, and you could do the I'm not sure look. But when you look at the Eagle's remaining schedule, we got to see what Jaylen Hertz' situation is for Monday night. They are in danger now. The Cowboys are being locked into that five-seed. And maybe I'm not feeling so hot about them in that spot.

Yeah, just tie-breaker-wise, Cowboys and Eagles both ended up clinging in playoff spot on Sunday. But yeah, the Eagles pretty much have all the tie breaks, which means the Eagles now even have a loss to either Seattle or I forget whether their other out-of-division game is maybe Arizona to play with. They couldn't lose in division to the giants necessarily, but that's a decent amount of wiggle room now for the Eagles. They could lose Monday night and still control their fate in the division.

Yeah, one thing I disliked about the whole cowboys approach to this game early on was a real lack of discipline, too, which has not been the way they've been. I think they had three killer personal fouls on Buffalo's first three touchdown marches. Each of those rescued Buffalo out of a situation where they could have been in hot water. I think we don't talk about this guy a lot, but Jonathan Hankins, who's on IR, I think that's not a Genga piece, but it's someone that when he's not in there, I think his absence was really felt today as a run-stopper. I mean, if another team can do this to Dallas, then their defense doesn't look the same as it has during other parts of this season.

They got the Dolphins next week or the number two running team in the League. All of a sudden, they're going to be tested here and we'll see how it looks. The fact that they put the game away by half time, and you could say, Well, Dallas is so explosive, nobody thought the game was over. It felt pretty over. The energy was lacking around the Cowboys in this game. We talked about Zach Martin. He comes out and you see him commiserating with Doc. It just felt like the team was just not in it. It's a bad one.

It's a tough one. I'm more surprised. I didn't watch it as closely as you, Mark, but just that the, Bill's defense got after Doc so much that the offensive line, and I know they didn't have Martin, which has been great for so long, ends up giving up so much pressure that the Dark in the passing game ends up with 106 net yards passing on something like 37 drop backs. That's insane. That's Carolina Panthers on a bad day.

Type of numbers. They're also, I mean, I know this annoys you, Greg, because you brought it up too, but it's like, they're totally out of this game. It's pouring down rain and they still have deck in there. When the thing is completely lost, throwing past this is CD-LAM, who was limping around at one point. I get teams do things differently, but why are we risking a Pyrrhex loss, not even a Pyrrhex victory?

I can take you inside the head of the attic.

Well, you've already done it with the.

Team already. I'll take you deep inside again. I think I was... I just wanted to put something good on tape at the end of the game. It's a turn-the-page game, but we wanted to end on a high note, and we did that. We're going to look forward to better days ahead. Yeah, it's dumb. Just like the the the genius, Kyle Schanaghan, sticking the ball in Christian McAfrey's basket up 20 points late in that game as well. There's just some reason these teams are reckless in these one-sided games. Anything else from this affair?

I don't know. I had real trust issues with the Bills, and it's starting to melt away. They've had a really good.

10 days here. Good. That's good. That's good.

I know that matters to their fan base that I'm back on board.

I mean, McDermott is doing a great job connecting this defense, considering all the injuries. They lost two more starters going into today. They are down so many players on that defense, and each week he's coming up with a good plan. It's been a good couple of weeks for McDermott. That's what I'm saying, though. If he loses that.

Game- Post 9/11.

-that could have been maybe the end of his time in Buffalo, depending on how it goes. But instead, his side of the ball, which has been criticized rightly that he was trying to get people off the cent when he made that offensive coordinator change, and we said that here, this was his dream game. His defense is happening and they're running the ball like he wants. -in the season. -everything's turning up in the derby. Maybe they only get over the hump finally in a crazy year where they have to be buried and almost done in the rest of the AFC is not there. I don't know. Just saying.

This makes no sense. This season makes no sense. We talked about it Thursday, how this is going to be an epic shootout. Josh Allen threw for 94 yards and they blew out the Cowboys and nobody got like….

No, connect those dots.

All right, let's move to, I think, the game of the day. Cleveland. It's a magic mark. There's some magic in Cleveland. Believe land, baby.

From the Browns, 45, fields back to pass up in the pocket. He rolls left. Times run out. He's going to look. He's going to look. He's going to launch. It's going down into the end zone. Knock it down. The ball is intercepted. It's intercepted by the Browns as the end of the bell. Got it. He got it. Ball game over. Browns win. Brown's win. Twenty to 17, it's.

All over.

Jim Donovan with the call, great call. Great call. Wk, RK. What you didn't hear there was that ball gets knocked down directly into the hands of who? Is it Darnell Mooney? Mooney. Who has it in his hands for a game-wining, Hale Mary completion from Justin Fields. But somehow it pops out and then turns into an interception. Yes, there's a little bit of that magic dust on the Cleveland Browns this season. Remember we were talking about it? It feels like a million years ago, Mark, or you thought maybe if this jet season has some magic to it, what are they called? Right Church, wrong queue. It's the Brownies have some magic to them after a 20-17 win, a game in which they dug themselves out of a 17-7 hole in the third quarter or fourth quarter.

Greg. What a magic carpet, right? I want to get to everything that led to that Hale Mary, but I think we got to start with that Hale Mary because the bears get in position after the Browns had to lose their minds and let, who was it? Tyler Scott run up the sidelines for a free 30 yards. The biggest play the bears had all day. The bears offense was dominated all day by the Browns. This was a deserved victory, I think, a deserved comeback by the Browns. They were the better team. Yet there the bears were over midfield, needing about 10 or 15 more yards to get in good field goal range. The Browns defense stands up again, gets a couple of stops to force the bears to kick or to go for the hail Mary because they didn't think Santos could reach on this type of day. That long a kick, it would have been over, I think, 60 yards. Beautiful hail Mary attempt to cross his body, and it's deflected into Mooney's hand. We have a tweet of it, of a picture of it, who's just literally on the ground, and it falls into his bread basket.

Squeeze the kid. In the picture, you could see at ESB Ed's Kimberly-Martin going crazy on the sideline. It wasn't like it got smashed down into him. It fell very softly. This would have been the craziest play of the season.

Also, Greg, that is a professional wide receiver. Right, well, that too. It wasn't like my seven-year-old son that was patted down. He was like, Oh, you almost caught it. I don't know how he doesn't catch it. It was a miracle. Then for it to pop up right to the right team or the wrong team, depending on your perspective, a little magic, a little dust, a little dust.

Each of these Browns nail-biters, and they went through at one point in the game, what's happened in the final couple of minutes to the Browns in the season. These were games that the Cleveland Browns have been losing for two and a half decades. Something is a little bit different. I know that Flacko, he had three picks today, and you're going to get that with Joe Flacko, but there's something about him. Just the veteran.

Nature of who he is. Also through for 374.

Right, that's the thing. I just think that you've got heads up and neck up. Flacko gives them something they've just been missing at quarterback, and you can accept the faults. The defense was so solid today because the Bear's touchdown came out, started the Cleveland 5 off of one of those intersections, and their field goal drive started the Cleveland 23. Other than that, they really accomplished very little on offense.

Yeah, I think it was the Cleveland 1 it actually started on, and that was a four-play. Cleveland 1. It even took four plays, including three penalties that knocked out two of those plays to score that type. Essentially, the Browns defense, I mean, the Browns offense gave up 14 points. The Bear's defense scored 14 points. Otherwise, the Browns dominated. It was such a great game, but I do want to take you back to the first play of the fourth quarter because I think that's where it started. It had craziness. I said, flacko throws for 3-74, a couple of intersections. And Joku has a great game. But that play, first play of the fourth quarter, the bears are at midfield. We're coming off a flacko interception, which felt like, oh, this might be He threw it at the goal line after they were driving, and the bears are up 10 points at that time. It's fourth and one at midfield and the bears are driving. It's Cameron Mitchell, a little known cornerback you haven't even heard of that makes a great play on a design run from fields where it looks like he's going to have the first down and Mitchell just dives and gets his ankles and he's stumbling and he misses it by half of a yard.

They get to stop because of a guy you never heard of. Then it's next drive, Alex Wright. Another guy you've never heard of making a big sack and has making plays all game. This defense was so good. After the bears went up 17-7, in their next six drives, they had a total of three first downs. They only had 70 yards in those six drives, and 30 was on that weird toe-tapping play on that last drive. They absolutely destroyed Justin Fields in this bear's offense the whole day, which is why even though I know Flacko through three interceptions, they were moving the ball and it felt very deserved. I would have been sick for the Browns if they had lost a close game here because the defense was another vintage were the best defense in the League type.

Of game. I'll point out the game-tying touchdown, Flacko to Cooper. That's one of the most throws of the year. I also want to point out when you have actual good coaching and play-calling, that's a great design play for Flacko with a beat-up offensive line to have a design rollout to buy him a little time to give him a good look down field, and then he just like turkeyholds it and Cooper does the rest. It was brilliant and also brilliant. My guy and Joke with two huge catches. He's been.

Really good. Then the joke of.

Science is happening. I mean, 10 catches career high in this game. He had the toe tap touchdown. He had a big catch on third down to keep the game-wining drive alive in the fourth quarter. Two catches to put the game away and to set up the short field goal. He is a certified weapon with Flacko. I don't know how much longer the Browns can sustain injuries because they continue to come in waves, but they're finding ways every week and they're a fun team.

To follow. I think that Kevin Stefanski came into this season with a potentially hot seat. I think there were questions about what the whole organization was doing in general. Through all the injuries, especially a quarterback, I think Stefanski has proven himself to Brown's to be a bit of a difference maker.

It might be to Sean Watson on the hot seat next year.

Well, I think Stefansky's proven two years in a row he can win with almost anyone at quarterback, it seems like. I think that says a lot about the offensive scheming.

Blackco head has the fifth most amount of yards in his first three games with the team in NFL history. This probably is obvious, but he's the number one in terms of a guy that just joined the team in the middle of the season. All those guys are either rookie was Cam Newton or guys who had come over and free agency on a new team. I think this could have changed a couple of franchises here because the Browns look like they're going to the playoffs here. I know they have a lot of injuries and the offensive line was bad today, which is a pretty big concern. I mean, Flacko was under total heat. But they play the Texans, Jets, and Bengals, and the defense is awesome. They're nine and five. I think they'll be able to get in, whereas The Bear, their defense, again, played really well, I think, for the most part. You see the vision of Hebrofluz, but I think this is a tough one for them to stomach that you're not turning around Justin Fields in this offense, and then you're probably not keeping Matt Hebroflux.

Just flacko behind a bad offensive line. It doesn't feel sustainable, but also this just feels like a different type of year. Let's give the last word to Kevin Stifanski on that there.

You have to move your mind when.

It's.

Set to this lap there.

I blacked out.

I don't know. How about you, Mark? What was your headspace on the Hill Mary?

I'm trying to watch all these games at the same time. When I saw that happen, I thought.

Well- In the one eye, that.

Was- That's probably going to land in.

The lap of the- Did it get spoiled by us on the other side or no?

Totally. The rest of the desks down there watching. I mean, it's eight seconds ahead of what.

I'm watching. Or maybe you're just learning about the outcome right now.

I don't know. Actually, to be fair, you were just shouting.

Something happened. I went over there to watch the ending. David and Jokey, I think, spoke for a lot of Browns fan. He was asked on it, and he said, I damn near shit myself, dog.

Fair enough. All right, speaking of pooping themselves, the Packers and their defense welcomed the Bucks to Lambo Field today.

Shotgun look, low snap, passed by Baker. Caught ball and a first down score.

That.

Is to the 40. Wild.

And then.

The 35 to the 30. More to the 25, to the 20. More to the 10 to the five.

David Moore has scored a touchdown to Hemel Bay. One-third, down and three. Wow, this is an out route and what a great catch. I mean, this is in a.

Group of.

Bodies, somehow Moore catches it, and then he's able to spin out of there and runs away from everybody to pick up the touchdown. It's a huge play.

Thank you, David Moore. David Moore on the touchdown catch Dave Moore on that color call. That was, of course.

Jean.

Deckerhoff with the call. Wf US Baker Mayfield through for 381 yards, four touchdowns, including that game, Clinchard and Moore. He had a perfect pass rating, and the Bucks won their third straight game. Who said nobody wants to win the NFC South? 34-20 over the Packers at Lambo. The Bucks keep pace to top the NFC South are seven and seven. Let's start. Well, let's give Baker his flowers because we've been talking about Baker for a couple of months on the show now about how he's had a nice little season. He's in a good spot. He's a little out of, not under the microscope, and he's allowed to just do his thing, and let's be honest, in a lesser division. He's just confident and feeling himself. This year, this game specifically was the high point of what's been a really good year for him in his career, where he's reestablished himself. I'm interested what his long-term future is in Tampa, especially if he keeps this up. Maybe it won't even be a question. But yeah, the Bucks deserve credit because they took this game early, go right down the field. They withstand an early Baker Mayfield turnover that sets up a Packer score early.

From that point on, they just dominate offensively. It was outrageous. I was talking to Big- talking. -big-funk behind the glass. I don't know, and I know Joe Barry is a figure of suspicion for Packers fans. I don't know how many games I've seen this year that were as poorly played by defense than what you saw from the Green Bay Packers. When you watch this game, you're going to be blown away by how many second and long, second and forever, third and long. Baker just sits back there, sets up a picnic blanket, looks for a wide receiver to get open, usually Chris Godwin, who was just rolling through the middle of the field the whole game, and just picking apart Green Bay's defense with ease. So it wasn't so much that Green Bay couldn't get the Bucks into bad positions. It was every time the Bucks got in a bad position, they couldn't cover anyone. Then Baker was hitting all the throws. This Packers team- When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous. He was dangerous in this game. This Packer's team—and they are such a perfect example of the season in a nutshell, Mark—this Packer's team that we're all so sky high on, they get beat by the the giants on Monday night and like, It's all right.

Then you let the Bucks come in here embarrass you, especially your defense, and you're like, Jesus, there's another pretender, that we started to believe in.

Well, and it's like we mentioned on Thursday that this past week seemed to be like the bubbling up where everyone who's watching these games started to look at Green Bay and say, We can't trust you because of this defense. Forget Jordan and Love and him being up and down. It's like he's in a terrible position when you're down 20 to 10 and the Bucks are going all over the place.

Love played well in.

This game. Right, that's the thing. It's just that they have a fatal flaw. It's a point where they're asking LaFlor about Joe Barry in every press conference.

I think we have that, actually.

Matt, would you ever consider.

In-season change at coordinator?

Yeah, now is not the time for that, to be honest with you.

There you go. You got LaFlor answering those questions and probably kicking himself because he was not going to admit it. They probably had doubts about Barry and the scheme going into the year, decided to ride with him and it might get them beat in the end.

I'm not stunned by the defense, but I am stunned that the Bucks had it in them. That's the most offense they've had all year. That's the first opposing quarterback to ever go into Lambo, the history of the stadium, and have a perfect pass rating. -wow. -baker. It's just wild.

Baker has been on 17 teams.

Funk, big, big, funk. Let me know about that. I didn't know they added him. I didn't know Chris Goodwin had a 10 for 150 in him and they're 7 and 7. The Packers, who understandably were getting some buzz of like, maybe they're going to win this division eight days ago. Maybe they're going to end up catching the Lions from behind are suddenly 11th in a pretty good-looking NFC wildcard picture where a lot of people won on Sunday and in a pretty brutal spot. I don't think La Fleur is going to... We'll see how the rest of the season goes because it's too early to bury any team. Who knows? The way this season goes, maybe they'll freaking win three straight. We got Todd Bulls going for multiple fourth thousands late in the game. Things can change in life. Todd Bulls, how about it?

Yeah, listen, they deserve credit. This is a big win. Again, I locked up the Packers, and I got to tell you something, and I'll say it again. I don't care if I'm seven and eight. That was a fine lock. That was fine. It was good luck. How do you predict that-.

In Green Bay.

-that.

Type of performance that.

Baker would play at that level? The Green Bay Packers would be that bad because like I said, their offense was not the problem. Green Bay continues to move the ball on offense. I thought that there was a throw from Jordan Love that was one of the best of his young career on a scramble in the red zone, then he just throws it on an absolute line to, I believe it was Jaden Reed that once again reminds you that this dude has a very high ceiling and the Packers are right to be patient with love. The offensive side of the ball, okay, the defense.

Right there, top three receivers today, Wicks, Kraft, and Reed, who combined for 200 yards. First of all, no one had ever heard of any of them practically going into the season other than draft next. It's mid-round rookies. Our three mid-round rookies. I mean, that's pretty crazy. That's why I think you're getting that much production out of this often.

Right. Overall, there is a lot has happened good for the Packers this season. This playoff thing was not something we were expecting necessarily. You could say the world would be a sunnier place if none of these teams from the south made the close season. But Dan, like we've been saying my choice is the Bucks because I think you've got real star power on that team. You've got Mike Evans, you've got Godwin, Vitae, Antoine, Winfield, and this version of Baker, it's like, forget the rest of the team.

Well, this version of Baker, they won the Super Bowl.

We're all right. But even in games where they've not been productive, he finds a way late to do something crazy. I think when he is a quarterback that when he's confident, it's a completely.

Different version. Oh, sure. I think they have, to your point, the highest ceiling of.

These NFCs. There is a dark timeline where we get two of these teams because right now they're pretty close.

Listen, we're going to get to the Vikings.

He also finally benched Devin White, who's having a nightmare of free agencies. I know he was inactive, but they essentially benched him, it.

Sounded like. We're going to get to the Vikings. We're talking about the Packers. We had all these teams that we had high hopes for at the bottom of the NFC, and they're just not taking the reins. Let's move to Miami. Miami. Who will understand?

Back to throw, looking deep down the left side line, he wants Waddle, he's got it. Touchdown, Miami. There's a.

New Cheetah in town.

Well, Jayman Waddle just spoke DJ Reed on coverage, man to man on the outside.

Again.

Tool looked it off and.

Came back.

To him, so there was no help.

I couldn't really hear the song that they play, but I did see Stephen Ross and his suite doing the Waddle dance.

It's great. Yeah, it's hard to unsee that.

You can't unsee it. It's there forever now. Jimmy Sevalow with the call with Joe Rose, WB, Gigi, Raheem Mostard. Well, you heard of Waddle. And two or three for 2:24 in that one score. But... I mean, most of it had two more touchdowns. He sets a Miami single-season record with 20 on the year. It's December 17th. The Dolphins shut out the Jets 30-nothing. Yeah, without Tyreeke Hill. He was a game-time decision. They decided the last second, They'll be all right without him. And they were. They embarrassed the Jets team that didn't show up in this game. They seemed totally puzzled. The Dolphins, it wasn't just Tyra Keel either. They're missing key players, multiple key players on both sides of.

The ball. Nine missing starters overall.

Yeah, it didn't matter because the Jets, who looked so mighty or so it seemed last week against Houston, were unable to cross 100 yards of total offense until late in the fourth quarter. I give credit, Miami in general played a really sound game on both sides of the ball. It was a really nice bounce back for the team after the disaster on Monday night that collapsed. But they really won the game because of Bradley Chubb, who I think he had three or three and a half sacks causing turnovers and the Miami Passarach that didn't need a blitz. Miami. Absolutely put a clown suit on all the jets, makeshift starters on that offensive line. By the end of the second quarter, Zach Wilson was gone with dehydration. That turned into a concussion during half time. It was just basically coasting to the finish line from about the beginning of the second quarter on.

I think this Dolphins, because it's so easy just to laser focus on their offense and what Mike McDaniel has done and the stars on that side of the ball. But their defense has been really interesting. Even with the jail and Philips out the lineup, you don't get too many drive charts like this. The jets, fumble, downs, five straight pumps, an interception, another fumble, interception, end of game. They just never had a chance. I know they're not a good offense to begin with, but it's like Miami shut down the run entirely and you're playing bad quarterbacks, but they stomped them. I think that the Dolphins defense is not talked about enough.

No, they've been so much better in the second half of the season. It should give Dolphins fans hopes that they have a chance in this AFC. I know you have disappointing nights last week, but they're 10 and 4. This is a franchise that has not won a playoff game in 23 years. I mean, since 2000. They haven't won the division since, I think, 2008. Even though it's against the jets, it's like these type of bounceback games to try to set up winning that division, try to put yourself in a position where you can win a first playoff game, that's big. In the season where all these quarterbacks are getting hurt. Tua is out there every week making good plays. He's not the MVP or anything, but he's very consistent in what he does.

Yeah, Two is... I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't know if I still have my doubts about the Dolphins in the big picture against the big boys, but what they can do to teams that are in disarray that don't have their stuff together, it is a scary watch. This game could have been... Miami, even being injury depleted, I think they could have scored 40 points easily in this game if they were a little more aggressive in the second half and they chose.

Not to be. One thing I don't like is because I see that Austin Jackson, another offensive lineman left with an oblique injury. They're banged up along the line. They've had to go without guys week after week. I think that really changes to us game in some of these more premiere matchups, not today.

We'll see. Yeah. I saw Rahim Mostar is up to 20 touchdowns on the season. That is seven more than the jets have scored as a team, Mostar. But four more than the Panthers, a couple more than the giants, the same as the Stealers and the Patriots. Rahim Mostar.

It could seem unfair when you could just roll him out. I don't even think he's the best running back on the team. I think H-Han is a better player than him.

But he's healthy for once for the entire year.

I wouldn't put him in the same bucket as like Jamal Williams, what he did with Detroit last year. But it's not far off from that where they get inside the five and he's the guy and they have such a great scheming and the way McDanielals calls it an offense that most are like, it seems like he's jogging in on these tosses. I was like, what a nice setup for him. As for the jets, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, and that makes it 13 consecutive years, which is the longest streak in North American sports. We have been doing this podcast for 11 years. We still have not done a single show that involved the jets in the playoff. I think this season, now that it's officially over, is as disappointing as any in my 35 years as a fan. Just the abnormity and the consistency of the failure of this team, it's hard to wrap your head around. It makes me sad. It makes me mad. I think about my kids now are nine and seven in the window for them to get into the jets. That's shrinking. I think that I'm 43 and I still haven't watched the Super Bowl with my dad.

That window is shrinking. I know the jets are, as Don Draper would say, pregnant right now. They're in a tough situation because it makes all the sense in the world for Woody to say, You know what? Joe Douglas has got four and a half years to build this roster into a real winner. And Sala has a wretched record through three seasons. It looked like they quit in this game. It's just dark. You got to blow this thing up. Nathan, Nathan will hack it. Great guy, but you got to fire him into the proverbial sun. But you can't tell me that that's definitely what's going to happen because Rogers and the idea that the jets might just say, You know what? This was a lost year. Aaron's going to lift all the boats here. That is a frustrating thing because you feel like you're just handcuffed to a soon to be 41 year old quarterback. While I think they need to flush this regime, I just don't think it's necessarily what's going to happen. Then we have to just hope that Aaron saves the day come September. I hope. I would imagine, even though he's been cleared now, you're not going to see him next week or anytime.

Well, that would be stupid for you all. -now that they are mathematically eliminated. But honestly, when you're talking about a team like the New York Jets that have been a joke for a Baker's dozen of years now, I have my doubts to even assume that we won't see Roger.

But even in August and coming off of Hard Knocks and it's like, We're going to go get Delvin Cook. We keep adding pieces. We had this Super Bowl or Bust field, because you only have Aaron Rogers for two seasons. They're not a Super Bowl or Bust situation with or without Rogers. In fact, I think the one blessing for Aaron and all of this because it's like, Oh, if he were there, it'd be different. I think they'd be having a really rough season, even with Aaron Rogers. I think he'd be suffering a lot of punishment. Look at the.

Offensive line. Watch this game if you stomach to. Watch how non-competitive that offensive line is in front of Zach Wilson and then Trevor Simeon, and then tell me, even if Rogers's Achilles doesn't snap, that this season was going to be in a good place. That is all on Joe Douglas, who preached when he was hired for that job. In 2019, he preached that building a championship team is about building in the trenches, building in the offensive line. While he's built a very good defensive line, this is arguably the worst O-line in football, and it's been that way for a couple of years. Injuries have played a role, but it's not just injuries. Gross. All right, let's head to New England, where Patriots fans have been dealing with some gross things as well.

Second down, goal to go up to six. The Holmes with the pump faking now turns left. Chase floats it for the back of the end zone, caught. Clyde Edwards-Lear, touchdown. Kansas City, CEH, nine and a half yards deep in the end zone, went up the elevator to get a six-yard reception from Patrick Mohomes and the Chiefs lead.

By 13. Was Clyde Edwards-Lairer even active in the Super Bowl last year? He's targeted in the red zone with this Chiefs.

Well, they need him today.

I don't think he was active all of this season either, but injuries and he's back.

Mitch Holtis, with the call, Patrick Mohomes threw for 305 yards, two touchdown passes, two picks as well, including that score to C-E-H and the Chiefs Take Care of Business, classic TCOB game, 27-17 over the Maurabund, New England Patriots. Mark, there was the obligatory drop from the Cedarius-Toni that turned into an interception. But I think it was perhaps a good sign that the Chiefs even have the take care of business game in their arsenal still.

Yeah, I'd agree. It's not going to blow your doors off when you go watch it. There's still DNA shared with some of the Chief's problems from before. The second pick as well. Those two turnovers led to a touchdown and a field goal for the Patriots who otherwise would have been like an apparition in this game. Edward Solair did a nice job. It's like Pacheco, who I think he had surgery on his shoulder. I don't like that for this team either. But Jerrick McKinnon played a role. Rashee Rice, nine receptions, 91 yards, receiving touchdowns. We want to see more and more from him. I think the story for them, the one thing that's been a beeline in most of these games is the defense. It's not just what's up with the offense. It's like the defense, New England in the second half had 57 yards on 22 plays. 10 of their 17 points I mentioned were just a byproduct of the short field and turnovers. It's like they were completely nullified. Now, that's not a surprise, but this Chief's defense can keep their offense afloat. It's not like if that side of the ball were falling in or caving it entirely, I would just think the Chiefs are going to get picked off in the playoffs.

I still have a lot of suspicions about the way this offense is run, but they're doing what they can. There's not much they can do to change. You need guys like Rice, McKenna, and the rest of them to be the best they can possibly be.

They should win the division. Now, going into this week, there's legitimate concern about the Broncos who are coming in their rear view. Still, I think they have to be a little worried that a defense probably that was setting out to stop, Kelsey does 11 targets for 28 yards. He drops a touchdown. Canarius, Tony dropped a touchdown that was as easy as the one Kelsey did. People would be killing him, too. It's like-Kelsey.

Hasn't had a good year. -it's not been a.

Great year. He has not a good year.

You want to talk.

Your shit? It's funny.

Which is true.

Look at the data point. No, it's true. But I think he literally leads tight ends and yards this year. I hear what you're saying, but I agree.

It's just not his... It's relative to Travis, Kelsey.

Of the past. Yeah, and I saw in this game how Bill Belichick was punting fourth and three at the 50, down 17, and then down two touchdowns late. They were just eating up all the clock when they're on their own goal line. They weren't trying to hurry up at all. They were trying to end the game, even though they were down two touchdowns. It was.

Just like, man.

That was a...

If there are people that saw their fantasy seasons ending the playoffs today, and you're like me, was a Patrick Mahom's fantasy manager, this was a perfect distillation. Their first touchdown drive is a trick play where Jeric McKinnon shovels it to Rasheed Rice. Then the season ends, your season or their game ends with the Chiefs kneeling it out to kill the last basically two minutes inside the Patriots Five. Not only are they not just like, getting that extra touchdown, they're also little minus rushes from the home, taking you down a little bit. This has been the worst experience I've ever had. I'm about to declare some type of Jihad, like Matt Ryan style after this my home season.

Matt Ryan and you were never the same after that fantasy season from.

About-he's not aware, but things are weird between.

That and that. You can feel it in the atmosphere. Yeah.

Anything else on this game?

There was that report from Argy at Ian that the decision hadn't completely been made on Bill Belichick's future. I thought it was interesting on Sunday morning.

I'm ready to just stash that story until January.

eighth or whatever. Let's do it because I think the keyword was no final decision had been made, but that indicates that a preliminary decision had been made.

They did just wait for-One little newsletter, they did whack Andy Reed, 100 grand and Patrick Mohom's, 50 grand for their outburst from a week ago.

Yeah, makes sense. Heads up.

I mean, if you're Patrick Mohom's, that 50 grand, you don't even know that's just coming out.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye. All right, let's take a break and then we will continue on with The Pipe. All right, welcome back. All right, let's now keep going. The week 15 recap, let's head to Nashville.

16, 16, two seconds to go overtime. 54-yard attempt left hashmark. Here's the snap. Here's the spot. Here's the kick by Fairband. And it's good.

The Texans win.

Legendary. Fairbair knocks it through from the.

Back to the score. Where's your hat now, Fraywall.

The Texas defeat the former Oilers.

Put.

Those uniforms back in the trunk.

Yeah. Put that on your call of the year list.

Oh, Mark Van Damme and Andre were all sorts of pumped up, K-I-L-T. Kyami Fairband kicked a 54-yard field goal. Time expired in overtime and the Texans. With Kase Keen on the QB, rally from a 13-point deficit to beat the Titans' 19-16 on the day, Titan's leadership deemed it necessary to wear Houston Oilers and go back uniforms. Let's welcome in nick Shook, the Pipe, who watched The Texans Find a Way without C. J. Strauss.

No better way to recap someone piping a field goal than by bringing in myself the Pipe. Good call. What did you say? Guys, Kai. I mean, Kaima Fairband drills a field goal to bring some excitement to an otherwise dull game, if you really think about it. I mean, Case Keenem outplayed Will Levis, but that's statistically not really visually. The second half was really the story and the difference there. But the big story was Mr. Devon Singletary, the outcast from Buffalo carrying the load for the Houston offense without C. J. Straud, involved 26 carries, 121 yards. No touchdowns, but he paced that offense when they certainly needed it, unlocked it, allowed them to throw the football a little bit more in the second half. They consistently out gained Tennessee, and I keep trying to say Houston and Huston because they were wearing those uniforms. So a little bit of revenge, I think, because of the uniforms for the Texans who get a much needed win in a game that for about a quarter and a half, two quarters, looked like they might get blown out just because they didn't have their quarterback. Texas is still right in the thick in the.

Afc South. Shuggy, single, Terry. He did have a walkoff touchdown and overtime as well. They got brought back by a holding, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, he had a big day. He's picked up to slack for that backfield.

A little peek behind the glass, it was during the fourth quarter that I realized that this wasn't my game, that there had been some rotating. I watched it pretty closely on the uniform front. I thought it was a little bit ridiculous that they showed that Mike Vrabel was walking around in a bum, Phillips, cowboy hat before the game. They really leaned into all that. They got there, come up and... I thought that essentially the Texans did a really nice job of Bobby Sloak of not playing around, K-S-K-N-I-N-I, but putting him into a position because of the way they used single-tarry to thrive down the stretch. There were a couple of moments where I thought the defense, too, isn't even done with the Grainard. It doesn't get talked about a lot. This is a really well-coached defense, and I thought that they punished Levis, who left with an injury at the end. It sounds like he's going to be okay, but he was limping around. I thought he was gone for the year initially when he got whacked.

Yeah, this is a defense that I'm sure Greg would like to point this out because I know we've talked about this in past weeks. They've given up a ton of points to different teams in the past. They've been a siv at times. I think about the Baker Mayfield game where CJ Strat had to outplay him to get them that victory. They haven't been consistent. But I was pretty shocked and very impressed today by their performance because it was an offense that struggled to get going and the defense had to keep them in the game. And they were able to do that and allow them to get their footing in the second half, again, playing around Ks Keenem to a degree before he was able to find a bit of footing. But overall, I love that you brought up Grenard. This is a game in which Jimmy Ward was lost pretty early because he got dinged a little bit of a friendly fire situation, and yet they were able to overcome. So it's a good win for them because of where they came from last week. I felt like even in the first quarter of this game, I was very conflicted about your team of ATN PIC.

You went with the Vikings over the Texans. And from afar with no voice in there, I thought, man, they should have gone Texans. They're the more enjoyable team to watch. And in the second quarter, I'm going, You know what? I'm glad I didn't say that on record, but they're not looking very good right now, but luckily, they turned it around.

I mean, it was 13-nothing. The defense pitched. They gave up a touchdown drive. The first drive of the game for the Titans. They pitched the shutout the rest of the way because the only other points came off of turnovers in their end where they held up 10 straight drives. I mean, Singletary had 170 yards, the Titans had 204. That's a pretty dominant day by then. And Kase Keenem just starting for another franchise. I know he used to start for this franchise again, but getting another replacement win in a spot I didn't even know he was going to play all week. We thought it was going to be Davis Mills because he's been the backup all year. Then afterwards, he's quoted saying, I'm built for this. You know what? He is right. He is built for winning a week 15 start against the Titans wearing oilers uniforms. That actually is exactly what Kase Keenem is built for. Maybe nothing else, but that's it. It might be the difference between the make of the playoffs and.

Not the year. In fairness, they're probably like the rest of us, where Davis, Mills and Kase Keenem are the same person. It's fine.

They're.

Very different height wise. Neck wise, they're very different, but yes.

If one guy understands Houston, it's who went to the University of Houston. There you go. There you go. You got some ties there.

Anything else on this game? Shouq-a.

That defense again, last four drives for the Titans. Punt, punt, go to overtime, punt, and another punt and overtime. That's a great way to get a win on the road.

Thank God, Kaimi, shout out, because we didn't need a tie in the mix. The last thing this season needs is a tie to muck up the standings any further.

We got a nice- 54-yarder.

It's a 9-win. That doesn't even matter anymore. The Matt Prater hit one from 58 today and nobody even battered an eyelid. We don't care anymore. Shuck, you had a nice dinner this weekend, as I understand?

Oh, yeah. We went out a few times this weekend. My fiancé graduated with her doctorate from Cleveland State. She's now Dr. Bridget.

Cheers.

Wonderful. Good for you.

Too, buddy. Every time you see her, I require anybody who sees her, you must refer to her as Dr. Bridget from here on out.

That's the rule. When you get married, can you take her name? So then we have to call you Dr. Shuck? I think that's how it works.

The transfer. I don't think he becomes a doctor.

I think the official title, I think you can get away with it legally.

I don't know. I was never good at math, so I don't quite understand the transitive property. But we'll have to double check on that. But yes, that dinner. That dinner, guys, I'm sitting there, Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland, right? Having a nice time, go home, pull up Twitter about five hours later, and I see I have a mention from someone who happened to be in the same setting. He said, Hey, me and my buddies almost took your table from your party. Wanted to stop by and say, Hey, but didn't want to interrupt you. I would like to buy you a beer, but you are the pipe. I don't know if you have time. You've got to get back to the weight. Thank you guys for making me a minor, the smallest.

Of Cleveland's tooth. Oh, not the smallest, but one of the biggest.

You know what? The universe is growing because Zomwall told us he was at, I think, a soccer game over the weekend, and an ATM listener came up that Jay is the voice of the podcast now. The friend was like, or the guy in the soccer field was like, Can you do the intro for me?

I mean, how did they even know it was him?

That's amazing. Well, he must have explained in some conversation.

He must have had.

A call. He's wearing a T-shirt that said, I'm the voice of the around the NFL.

That was the other thing. Do you think he's going to get that more than the fact that he voiced a video game character in one of the largest video games of.

About a decade ago?

Kazan, yeah. Kazan, Nico. Would you like to go bowling?

That is currently Jason's claim to fame, but I don't know, he's starting to make some inroads here at NFL Media. Shuki, thank you, buddy. Thanks, guys.

See you.

All right, so thank you to Shook. Let's hit up these Saturday games. Let's knock these out. There were three played on Saturday of week 15. Let's start in Cincinnati.

This will be from 29 yards away from straight away, shorter than an extra point. Looking for the seventh walk-off field goal of his NFL career and his second in a span of three weeks. Robbins, ready to hold the snap, the placement, the right-footed kick. It is good.

Oh, yeah, baby.

And the Bangles are still alive in the playoff hunt as they rally from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat the Minnesota Vikings in overtime.

I'm talking about the Bangles. That's what a real team does. At the very least, I don't even need you to win a Super Bowl. Don't even make the playoffs, but at least get me to Christmas Eve. Give me a Christmas morning where my team is still in the mix. That's what Bangles fans can say after another memorable Jake Browning afternoon. He led Cincinnati to three fourth quarter touchdowns and directed the game-wining drive and OT that led to that field goal that allowed the Bangles to knock off the Vikings, 27-24. The Bangles are still alive in the AFC playoff race. They got to keep winning. They don't have a lot of tie-breaker help, but they got to keep winning. That's what they've been doing. They've also put, Greg, the football world on notice that they are more than their injured superstar QB.

I was so impressed how they came back. This was the game of the weekend by fire. It was actually, I think, one of the most entertaining games of the season just in terms of things happening that were crazy. The Vikings hadn't allowed a touchdown for almost three games by the time they got to the fourth quarter. Then they give up three in the fourth by Browning. I just think of the plays that he had to make that they had to make to go win this game. There was a third and 21 conversion to Jamar Chase before Jamar Chase left the game with a shoulder injury. Great throw to Chase. You got to get on the Brian Floris' defense for struggling to finish off some games this season. This has been a bit of a trend. Chase goes out with injury. They also lost DJ Reader, unfortunately, for the season to a quad injury right off.

The bat. He's blown both quads.

Now in his career. It's really sad because he's entering a free agency year and he was playing great and that is devastating. But Browning gets that third in 21, they get a touchdown. They need a touchdown on their last drive, and T. Higgins makes one of the plays of the year by bossing the defensive back of Caleb Evans at the catch point and then reaching across with 34 seconds to go. That was outrageous.

No.

Look reach. I would say that's like if you looked at the catches of the decade, past 10 years, that's in the top 10. It was incredible.

That was there. Before that, it got lost in the shuffle. Joe Mixen got absolutely stoned on a fourth and goal at the goal line. They weren't going to get any points at the two-yard line, and he somehow runs over Ivan Pace. Then the final one, Browning on the move, and this is the one that I give him the most credit for, a dime to Tyler Boyd when they were in a long-yarded situation and it looked like they were going to punth the ball back in overtime, and that sets up the game winner. I don't think it's that fluky. I think Jake Browning and the way they're playing offense is really effective right now.

I have bad eyesight, obviously. On our NFL, plus things have to wear glasses to even see the monitor over there. I was watching this one.

If you haven't seen the show, think Junior Soprano, really like a Coke rim thing.

Well, they're terrible. You shouldn't be wearing them on screen because they're not the reflective. It just looks like I have light burning out of my eyes. But anyways, I was watching this from a distance initially, and from a distance-From a distance. -like Jake Browning to me, if it was just like that's actually just Joe Borough, I know they're not exactly the same physically, but it's like what they're doing with the offense and who he is, it's like, I don't feel this is a big step down from Joe Borough. I really don't. What we've seen over this small... I'm not saying universally or that's his career or everything.

The ball doesn't have the same zip, but he has got the moxie.

There's something about him where it's like, and I think if we're going to credit Stefanski for what he's done with backup quarterbacks. Zach Taylor in the last three games and what he's done with Browning, and part of it is just Browning and who he is and he's extremely confident. This is working. The Bengals are an absolute factor and a mystery factor to me. I don't want to deal with this team down the stretch. Cleveland plays them in that week 18 tilt. I think that's going to be very important for both teams.

Here's a good stat from ESBN. Browning completed 10 of 14 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns to his wide receivers on the final six drives. We said, we don't know how serious this Jamar Chase injury is, but it obviously is something to keep an eye on. But like the Browns who you just brought up, this team is showing that they find a way to keep it going. I think we've talked about it because we got to get to the team of ATN. But we talked about T. Higgins has had a really rough contract year. It's funny how almost like one game, island game in a lot of ways could restore his prospects and free agency because he showed in multiple points in this game what talented player he is and the instincts on that touchdown. Incredible.

You're right. It was a tough one for the team of ATN here. You have 17-3 in the fourth quarter. You have a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter.

We.

Have Cursed.

This operation. 24-17 with.

3-48 to play. Then you give up two touchdowns. You respond, nick Mullins, who had a overall, even though he threw for 303 yards and 26 for 33 had a regrettable day, probably the worst interception of the entire season, wherein he was falling down and just gave it to the defensive lineman. I mean, that.

Was-did you see Desmond Mitter today?

He somehow was like, I'll see your touchdown, Josh Dobbs, when you were falling down and throwing it, and I will top you in all-timer. The defensive line for the Bengo said, I couldn't believe what he was doing when he was doing it. But then he drives them down the field, even though they dropped, there was a pick six that got overturned at one point. He could have thrown four or five, but he drives them down the field, responds, makes a crazy pass that he never should have tried to on the call line, where Kevin O'Connor made a curious call. Our guy, Chris Rose, had a great call on it where he was like, What are you doing? But it works out. They're up seven points before that and they get a possession in overtime where O'Connor just feels like he got in his own head.

I don't like the prospects. We'll talk about the Lions in a minute, but they got the Lions twice sandwiched around Green Bay. They had a win. They needed to. They were in a great position to stop the bleeding because they've lost three or four. Some of it's on the coaching, some of it's on the decisions. You've got flip flopping quarterbacks left and right, and Mullins is Mullins.

Right. He has one of the worst interception rates in the history. I think he has the worst interception rate in the history of pro football for anyone that's thrown over 500 times. But I didn't think he was like-I.

Was going.

To say-that crazy man. I was.

Going to say he wasn't terrible. He's a second-string quarterback, really is almost a third-string guy. That defense who we've been pumping up has two chances to close out the game and they can't do it.

Right, but when I was I think O'Connor got in his own head, they get the ball in overtime. They move it to the opposite 41-42. They're on the edge of field goal range. They need about a yard to get a first down. Ty Chanler, who all day has been making O'Connor look bad because he looks so good. Twenty-three for 132, and all the Vikings fan and media who all season have been saying, We've seen Ty Chanler. He has so much more juice than anyone else on the restaurant. Why don't you give him the rock? Finally, they're forced to because Madison's out. He goes 23 for 132. They need a foot on third and one, and they call a tush-push with mullons with 180 pound Brandon Powell behind them and one of the worst run-blocking centers in front of him, and nick Freaking-Mones, the quarterback, and it doesn't work. You're like, Okay, it's now fourth in a foot. At least we get another try at this. It's overtime. They call the same play again. It doesn't work. They're going home six.

Plays later. That's the second time in three weeks that Minnesota coaching gaffed and yacked on their own shoes in a big spot in the game. When you are a fringe team, when you don't execute and you don't call the game the right way, that's how you get beaten. Now, only thing I'll say about team of ATN, because we got to keep moving here. It's the seven and seven. That's an out-of-conference loss. Tie-breaker-wise, not his killer. But geez. Jeez. Come on, guys.

They are still in the playoffs as of this recording.

Well, so are 28 other teams.

No, actually, the exact amount of teams that will make the playoff.

I'm saying they're just some part of this like milktoast, middle of the road soup.

Keep calm and carry on.

I'm agitated about this.

Team right now. Listen, we're all upset.

This one was deaf.

We're all upset. This one was deaf. We're all.

Hurt.

And vulnerable, but we're in this together.

What if the Bengals were a team of ATL? What if the Bengals were?

We can't do it, Mark. We can't do.

That to ourselves. Sorry. I did find myself enjoying this Bengals experience, if nothing else. They were fun.

We can't speak.

That out loud. Okay.

That's inside the house talk.

Well, get us to.

The next game then. All right, to Indianapolis.

Good job locking up the Bengals there, West Pros. They were sweating it out. They've had a few like this.

Letting that one out. They've won that one out. All right, let's keep moving.

Trey Serman in the back left of Gairdner, Menchu drops the throw on first down. Over the middle, Zikson. Got it. And it's a touchdown. Moe, Ali, caught. Touchdown as he walks across the goal line. Touchdown, I-N-D-Y. One play, no problem. 18 yards to the tight end, and the Colts lead 20 to 13.

Backup QBs everywhere you look. That is Matt Taylor with the call W-F-N-I. Gairner, Meanshoe matched his career high with three touchdown passes. His team ran for 170 yards. I'll tell you, help out a Gairner, Meanshoe type. The Colts stay in the playoff picture with a 30 to 13 win over the who, to quote the great late poet, Thomas Earl Petty, are free-falling out into nothing. Mark, the Colts spotted the Steeler's 13 points early, didn't matter. Didn't matter. To matter. It wasn't even close to matter. The Stealers, the last three games have been absurd with this team.

Stealers are cooked. We talked about the Colts a couple of weeks ago, and I know that the response in general was, Well, yeah, okay, they're around, but they're not doing a lot for me. But I would just say this. There's a lot of teams like that and they're consistently really well coached. They didn't blink when they were down 13-nothing. When you get the version of Minsu that can produce and you're getting... They have no Anthony Richardson. Jonathan Taylor is not in the lineup right now. They lost Zach Moss in this game. Michael Pitman goes down. Guys like Trey Serman and Tyler Goodson are coming in and carrying the ground game. I think that Shane Styken week after week has a good game plan. It's like there's something about this team that I trust them to find a way into the playoffs. Who knows what will happen? But a lot of these guys are the same players who were on the roster last year when that thing free fell into nothing. It's the.

Same way. Wait, you can't take Tom Petty's line. I just said Tom.

Petty's line. You hear it? I was connecting it to what I said in the air.

Did you give him credit?

That is not the first time that was ever said in human history, but he made that phrase.

Very famous. Did he give anyone credit during the song? Because he probably wasn't the.

First to get it. You would sigh against Tom Petty. This is your lowest moment, Greg. I understand everything you're.

Saying, Mark. I was like, Psyking as forno against Mike Rable, Bill Bellichick, and Mike Tomlin this season. That's good.

Who are the teams? Not the coaches. Who are.

The teams? All right, but-I'm just saying. -he's just going up and.

Not-they are good at beating.

The fakes. No, no, no. This is why Shane Styke and Will Win Coach of the Year, if he goes 10 and seven, in a day like this where it is Trace, Serman, and Goodson, and you lose your two best players. You mentioned Pitman and Moss, two of your best players. You, at a half time or in the second half, have a drive where you run it 13 straight times that take up 8:57. We're not even going to let Minchu throw a pass. I think eventually he did and it didn't work and then they kicked the field goal, but didn't matter. They ended the game that way. They out, Steeler is a Steeler. They were tougher than Pittsburgh on both fronts. I mean, their offensive line did a really nice job in this game. I think Minchus had his best two-game stretch of the season. I know they only scored seven points offensively, but I thought he played well last week. They lose Mink of Fitzpatrick for the Steelers. The Steelers are out of ideas. They're punting in spots. They need to take a field goal. I think in Pittsburgh, people are wondering, is Mike Tomlin totally safe?

That's a question for another day. But it is impressive to me. To Mark's point, he's taking all these same players. I think he's going to win Coach of the Year at.

This rate. To what you said before, they ran the ball on 20 of the final 21 plays, and it worked.

That's crazy. I just don't have to take him seriously, though.

Right. I don't think they will make it. I give them credit because- There are five, eight, and six teams right now. Only two will get in.

There are so many teams that we've talked up more. I'll use the Vikings or the Packers, for example, is like, Oh, this is a game you should take care of business against the team that you're better than, and then they go and get beat. The Cults are a team that have proven they're a step ahead of the real mediocre in the world.

I would just say there are fan bases like if any of them exist, they're thinking like, We're in a lot of trouble. Cults fans could be like, We've got a coach that is going to be around for a long time.

By the way, their defensive line, like Odingbo and Abukom and everyone, it's easily the best of the entire Chris Ballard era. E. J. Speed had a big time game at Lineback. They have things they can feel good about for when Richardson gets back and they might just get into the playoffs, five teams again at eight and six. At this point, only two of those five would get in if the Browns do make it.

Let me see. Let me look at this. At Falcons.

Home.

Raiders, Home Texans. Okay. They'll be playing on Saturday.

Two and one.

They'll be playing on Saturday.

I mean, two and one right now, I've been saying all along, if you win 10 games, you're probably in. That's still true, like probably meaning more than 50 %. But the way it's shaping up, some 10 and seven team or two might be sitting at home watching because a lot of these teams are winning right now.

All right, let's hit the final game on Saturday. To Detroit, we go. Goal takes.

Wants to.

Throw on fourth and two. A lot of time. Throws and zone. Hot touchdown. Number three on the night for Sam Laporte. On fourth down, Goal came up throwing. Found 87, running wide open in the end zone. It's now the Lions 41 and Denver 17.

Blue.

Dan Miller. Old team of Atale. Let's bring them back.

Can't do it without we set them free. What a mess. Dan Miller, WXYT. Jared Goff matched a career high with five touchdown passes. Three to rookie tight end, Sam Laporte. The Lions hammered the Broncos 42, and 17. Greg, exactly the type of the game the Lions needed.

Swagger restored. Yeah, I did not expect this. They were stopped on their first few drives, and at that point, they had gone 10 straight drives without scoring at all over the last couple of games. Then they went five straight touchdown drives. These weren't just touchdown drives, they were fast touchdown drives. All of them, four minutes or less, just like, We're going to go right down the field. It's a little unfair to Russell Wilson, but I saw this idea in the athletic and I thought it was really smart. This matchup was what the Russell Wilson trade wrought in some ways. It's not Russell Wilson's fault, but they haven't had a top 50 pick in the draft for years because of the Russell Wilson trade for two years. Who's scoring all the touchdownes on the other side? Jameer Gibbs, who that planned to sit him early in the season? It's worked. He's right now a top five running back period and is as explosive as anyone. Another top 50 pick, Laporte is going crazy. All these young guys in Detroit showing what you can do when you build around draft picks in their quarterback who's a mid-level quarterback versus another mid-level quarterback.

They don't have any picks. I just am so impressed with the Lions. I know they're not perfect, but they've taken that next step in the way they're building.

This team. They're the opposite of the team we just talked about the Cults, because all these guys you mentioned were not on the roster last year. They're drafting well. They're organizationally well built. When you get golf playing like you did yesterday, that's the Lions team that could hang.

With anyone. They had all five of their offensive linemen stay healthy throughout the whole game. I think that might be the first time all season, actually. They're getting healthier. They might get Seedy Deuce back, Chaunsey, Garden, and Johnson. They might get Eilidh McNeil back, and then James Huston in pass pressure. On defense, they told the broadcast crew, We're going to be way more aggressive. We've been sitting back. At least for this game at work.

They blitzed time. You did get Sean Payton getting into it with Russell Wilson.

That was spicy.

I didn't see that.

What happened? Scaming at Russell Wilson on the sideline.

He did. Do we have the sound of Sean Payton talking about that Russell Wilson back and forth? Because it was nice.

I was upset about the call. That's all. Simple. That's it.

No, I was.

Upset at the call. If you're upset with the call, why are you not.

In your business?

Listen, when I talk with Russell about it, it's none of your business.

Yeah, I'm sure it was a frustrating night for Payton and company. You thought maybe this was your chance to announce yourself in a prime time game as take it seriously, just beat the chargers, get over 500. Instead, you're back into dropped into that beefy middle class again. You do get the Patriots next week, but that was not a good showing.

They could go three and a no. They will need to possibly make it, but their schedule allows it. But this, I think, was an eye-opener that- A lot of reveal. Yeah, we maybe can't really hang. I give Aaron Glenn some credit. All of Fon with their safety who came in off the bench had a career day and they were just way more aggressive, trying to take it to the Broncos with a lot of blitzes, a lot of crazy stuff. The Fumble by Russell Wilson early was big.

Yeah, that was a great, great, great weekend for the Lions who say bye-bye to the Packers and the division race. Jared Goff has a good pick-me-up game, five-freaking touchdowns. So very nice for the former team of ATN. Let's take a break and finish out Sunday. All right, welcome back. Time now for the Sunday Dry, presented by the first-ever Toyota Grand Highlander. Let's head to the desert where the Niners kept doing Niners things.

Now they're going to spread them out. Brock goes into a shotgun. Now, Hughes goes out wide, right, watched by Antonio Hamilton. Joan Jennings goes in the right slot, watched by the safety, Jaylen Thompson. Purdy looks right, now comes back middle, wide-open McAfrey. Touchdown, CMC. With a beautiful calle route, what.

A play by Christian McAfrey.

Greg, Papa, and Tim Ryan with the call, KNBR. Some of the touchdowns of the Niders scored today were just totally uncontested. There was a Debo touchdown to start the scoring. Debo Samuel, who's the most dangerous offensive player in the sport right now, you could argue, I think he's up to, I don't know, I got a 39 on a state mandated test back in '96, but I could tell you he's had a lot of touchdowns, multiple touchdowns all month. He goes completely unnoticed in motion and just rolls out. Purdy just turns and goes, Yeah, all right, here we go.

Why pay attention.

To Debo then? Essentially, Joggs into the end zone to get to the scoring going in what was another blowout win for the mighty Niner. It's a 45-29. It clenches the NFC West title, moves their winning streak to six consecutive games. The Niners, like I said last week, are simply inevitable right now. Christian McAfrey, two interesting things here in the MVP watch. Daq melts down in Buffalo. Purdy has another crystal clear, clean game with four touchdowns. I think he takes a big lead in the MVP with Christian McAfrey now coming off just one of those games when he goes into the Hall of Fame one day, if his body allows him just to hang around for a few more years at this level. He's a Hall of Fame player. He was just absolutely a nightmare. This was a bad match up for Arizona's defense and the type of defense they play. Mcafrey is a guy who just absolutely savageages teams that play a lot of zone. He went for 115 yards on the ground and a touchdown. He had five catches for 72 yards through the air with two touchdowns. It was just outrageous what you got from McAfrey and a reminder of the power of this team.

The biggest scare mark would be, Brock Purdy takes a nasty shot to the face and neck. It was flagged for a penalty and he's down on the turf, writhing, and you're like, Oh, my goodness, not Purdy. He goes into the blue tent, but he ends up just missing about three plays. This is in the first half, comes back in and goes right down the field and then throws another touchdown pass. The Niners.

Keep rolling. Yeah, if you're a Niners fan, you just hope that you remain charmed on the injury front. It's been pretty good for them overall. Just to your point on Debo, Samuel, the touchdown to George Kiddle, it's like, I'm sorry. Is anyone on defense wondering that George Kiddle is involved on this play? It wasn't even a great throw because he had a little leap for it, but it was wide open. These guys are just like the way that they create passing route for them. It's like they are a wide open.

I think it was... I don't know. Kiddle didn't have a score in this game.

Well, it was one where he run for it after he caught it. Listen, I get it that no one cares about QB rating, but just as a relative mark of where Brock Purdy is, he has 1,300-plus Passer rating games in his first 20 appearances. Only Patrick Mohomes and Kurt Warner had more. Yes, it's an environment of the Niners around him. But we just say it every week. It's like, Purdy is like he stirs the drink, and they're this absolute, unstoppable machine right now. It's like the Cardinals put up 234 yards on the ground. If I knew that ahead of time, I thought maybe they were finding a way to stay on the field and keep The Niners' offense off. It's like, I don't think so. The Niner's put up 45 points and there's an effortless nature to it.

I mean, this game was the case for and against Purdy because his numbers are going to be so off the charts now efficiency-wise, and it was absolutely perfect. Then as he pointed out, three of the touchdowns, there was not anyone in an area code, and that's just how it worked out. But I don't think they're sweating it. I think McAfrey is going to, if he keeps it going and gets, let's say, 20-300 yards from Scrimage and 26 touchdowns, he's going to get some votes too, and he should. He's that good. He's at 20 touchdowns now and over 1,700 yards from Scrimage, but I don't think they're worried about it. They're pretty psyched. They won the division. You could hear it in Kyle Shannon's voice just saying they are pumped. They were real. It's just the first step. Yeah, they really want to get to home games, and I think they are on track to do it.

Oh, yeah, I think they are the heavy favorite for that one seat. I don't know what Kyle Shane had said, but I almost am certain someone said, Hey, this is just the first step.

Yeah, they do love to say that.

You got that Coach Speak Down. I think you've got a.

Beat on that. Thank you. We've been doing this podcast a long time. The only thing I'll say as we move on is, should I get a little bit nervous about giving up 234 yards on a day when you were playing a little shorthanded? Maybe. But I almost sense, Mark, last week maybe a little bit too. This is so easy for the Niners right now that they're not even playing at their peak sharpness right now with some of these lesser opponents, and they're just just buzz-sawing everybody.

One little thing about that. Eric Armstead, Javan Hargrave, both not active today. Nick Bosu looked banged up, too. I don't know. The periods were like, they didn't have their full cast and crew out there. Arizona has been a good county.

It didn't matter. It's a league-wide trend right now. All these defenses, which are great, and most of these teams are on teams that are leading by the way. The way to beat them is to run. It's true for the cowboys against them. It's true for the 49ers. It's certainly true for the jets, which have a great defense. It's true for the Ravens. I would even say as good as the Browns are, it's probably true for the... All the best defenses is if you're going to beat them, you'll probably do it running. They'll give it up there. That is a little bit of a concern. But I don't know who's going to expose it in the NFC. There's not right now that you will-We.

Have to fish deep into the sea for a concern about the Niner.

They're an average rush defense in general, but for what it's worth.

If they stay healthy, the only way to beat this team literally is to do one of those games where you keep the time and possession way in your favor and running the football. It's a good way to do that. That was the Sunday Drive by Toyota. Let's go places. Learn more at toyota. Com/grand-highlander. Let's head across the sidewalk here.

That's it. Up to the 38 with a first down on the first snap in the third quarter. Stafford from a strong right set. Playfakes, set up to throw. Full send. Deep down the.

Left side. No one has caught. Where is the coverage? -out of touch to the end zone.

Don't look now. Joe Barry on this staff too?

Hes a thack. Cooper Cups for the third week in a row, 62 yards from Matthew Stafford.

Sorry, J. B. Bucked over at a cup line there.

I think you seem to want to jump into some of these booths.

I'll see J. B. At the barber shop maybe. Yeah. I'll offer an apology. All right, Cooper Cup all alone down the sideline against the worst pass defense in the NFL. Matthew Stefford hits him. Stafford throws for 258. He also hooked up with DeMarcus Robinson for another touchdown and the Rams the hang on for a 28-20 win over the commanders who, like I said, haven't won in multiple months now. Who was on this one?

I was. Greggy, talk about it. I think you could use the word moribun to describe this Washington team at least until Jacobe Preset came in about 10 minutes ago. Because the Rams totally dominated this game. It was encouraging to see that.

Slides me off a piece of that.

Jake.

Brisk. Brags, always welcome.

It's too long since we heard them. They were doing everything. You had the Stafford trick shots. You had the whole shots. You had the arm angles. You had it all. But one thing I like about this at Ram, this Ram's team is that when they need to run, they absolutely can. Like short yardage, they're a very good team, just handing it to Kyrin Williams. This game got so stupid late because they gave up two touchdowns to Jacobi Preset, who came in for Sam Howell, that they had to pick up a first down or two to close off the game. They didn't get fancy. They just handed off to Kairen Williams four times for 20 yards game over. That's a part of this Ram's team. I don't think nationally, people have caught up to quite as much that they are a very good straight ahead power running team.

Howell get benched?

Howell got removed, but Ron Rivera said-That.

Sounds more serious.

-he got taken out of the game, but Rivera said he's still our starter and he's going to start next week. But he was terrible in this game, I would say, and he's been bad for about three or four weeks. I think his worst stretch of games has been the last month, 26 passes for 102 yards. Then Jacob Perset comes in there, 8 for 10, 124, two touchdowns. He probably won some fantasy leagues for peoplewho started, who started.

-no.

But starting him anymore, right? -started Terry McClaren, who finishes 6 for 1, 41 for one, or he frustrates the hell out of the Terry McClaren owner that gave up on him finally.

You got scary, Terry, sitting on your bench tonight with 38 points or whatever. That's a rough one. Hey, that incredible sequence, McLaren 48-yard catch to the L. A. 1.

Oh.

My God. 4:47 to play. A touchdown is taken off the board by an offensive pass interference. Then the drive gets extended on a pass interference, call on fourth down. The commanders take eight snaps without scoring before Briskett hit Samuel. More than three minutes had passed on the clock. Then on top of it, Greggy, obviously, we see it all the time now. Remember, you just said it on Monday night that finally it's going to be official, that everyone's always going to do it. They're down 14. They decided to kick the extra points because, of course, Ron O'Reary is probably not even aware that that's a thing. The kick gets blocked and just a fitting way for Washington to lose.

Yet again. That was the worst game management I think I've seen all season because the touchdown was on the board. It was 28 to 20 with 4.55 left, then it's reversed and they have it first to go at the 1. They bled the clock down to under five seconds for their next three plays. They bled three.

Minutes off the clock. Do you think that's on... Do you put a little bit... Because I would say that's not just Ron Rivera, you've got Eric B. Enemy involved in that. You've got Berset, who's not been on the field in.

Months ago. I think that might have been part of it that it was Berset, but it's more on the offensive coaching set, but it's Rivera. It's everything. That was ugly, but nice to see Stafford who leads the NFL in EPA and success rate since week 11, according to Next Gen sets, when he's in rhythm. I like that. Like 2.5 to 4 seconds letting go of the ball. You know.

What else Stafford leads? What? Greg Rosenthal, newsroom moans.

I mean, his throws are crazy.

At certain points, I have to check to make sure Greg's pants are still on with some of these...

The best throw of the game was when Kairon Williams dropped. Stafford's under pressure. He has to let it go about seven seconds early and just throw it up as high as possible to get rid of it. Kairon Williams dropped that one. But my God, is this guy.

Playing- Also, I look over to Mark when all these just men moaning, they'll look for his reaction. Mark just stone-faced looking straight ahead. Maybe not out of the ordinary. I don't know. You tell me.

I'm very plugged into my job, but I don't know if Itry to think too many things on the football field elicit the same reaction that you get from Greg when he's deeply wound in something.

To the Superdome.

Far back to throw.

Looking for the end zone, and he gets the touchdown to number 80, Greg Graham.

The.

Touchdown man.

Can you say wide open?

He was wide open.

First thing, goal.

Just.

Makes you.

Scratch your head.

I'll just leave it at that. Can we just stop complaining? If you know you're not- Shut up. Saints Nation, stop complaining.

It does even a touchdown call. If only Jimmy Graham was playing 80... Jimmy Graham was like 50 years old. If Jimmy Graham was playing more Snaps, maybe the Saints would be better this year. You just won another game easily. You're in first place, okay? And maybe my team hasn't been to the playoffs in 13 years. And we're banging on the Saints coaching staff after Jimmy Graham scores a touchdown. Enough. Derrick Carr passed for three touchdowns. And the Saints took the sauce and the moots off Tommy Cutlets and a 24-6 win over the giants at the Superdome. The win keeps the Saints, as I said, tied to top the NFC South with three games to play. Good job, Saints. They're absolutely in the mix to win this division. A back-to-back, one-sided wins for the much derided.

Hometown team. I would say that any Saints fan would have to say it in the knowledge like, This was the Derek Carr game you're waiting for on some level.

Let's hear from Dennis Allen. Sure. I don't.

Know if I'm getting questions about the.

Quarterback this week, but I thought the quarterback.

Played really well. Make sure we get that on record.

That's.

A troll job of all these people in and around the Saints, both people that cover and the fans of the team. I see you, Dennis Allen, because I get it too.

Yeah, but that one, it's also like, let's calm down. You're 7-7 against statistically the easiest schedule in the league by far with the most expensive roster.

I'm sure there's going to be a column about that.

I'm just saying they got to go in against the Rams. That is a big game. Both are 7-7. The Rams are technically the wildcard right now and the Saints are one spot behind them. They're trying to win the division too, but that is a big game. This was their best game of the season, no question. Defensively, they did not allow the giants into the red zone. They destroyed them. They sacked Tommy DeVito seven times before a couple of garbage time possessions when it was 24-6. The giants only had 101 yards. It was outrageous. The offense was really efficient, 24 points and only eight drives. Car was spotless. Camara goes for over a hundred... He was for 110 yards, and they won these two games 50-10, two-to-eight to your point against the bad team. They have set themselves up to save their season. I do think it is funny, him peacock and everything when they've been incredibly mediocre. But that's the thing. I heard De Mario Davis in the locker room talking about all the outside noise. We got to shut it out. He's talking about his own fans. That's the outside noise, which is.

Pretty weird. There's been something extraordinary about, and the coach doing that is in part of response to this team specifically for whatever it is. Sometimes there's just a team. This is fine because I think we've all been in this situation. Saints fans are in it this year. There's just a team that gets on your nerves in a way. If it's the coach and a quarterback tandem that are leading the way, that will make it even more pronounced. The St. Sans are just fed up. I think Allen's frustration because he's been in the crosshairs and so has been the quarterback, that's him letting off a little steam more.

Than I think -This game will get their hopes up and this game will get them happy, I think.

This was the best game that I have no problem with St. Sans fans being non-plus with Dennis Allen. I mean.

That's.

Obviously, Mark. I know, but I don't want to keep having the Derek Carr conversation over and over. These are people. These are people. He's frustrating. But the idea that Derek Carr should be praised more than he's been is also ridiculous. He's not had a good season. The one guy who has been awesome, and you mentioned him, is DeMario Davis, who has been on your team and mine in the past and they let him go. Great player. He has week to week, I feel like in year to year, this is the dude that shows up. He had 10 tackles today, a sack. He was all over the place. You can count on him every single week.

He shows how much smarts can make a career because he's not quite a Hall of Famer, but man, he's a Hall of Very Good. He's getting closer. He's lost a step clearly this year, and he's not quite the same in past events, and yet he's still a total difference maker. Passing had three sacks in this game. Bryan Berseiter, rookie, had a couple of sacks. They just strangled the giants offense. Barkley, Tommy, Davito, everything. It was really good. If they can be that type of defense and they haven't given up a touchdown now and how long? I don't know. Nine quarters, I think, right? They didn't give up one last week. If they could play like this, then you just need a mistake-free type offense, and that's how they played today.

Just flush it. Try to have a nice end of the season. Passing you all, by the way, I liked what he said. He did the Tommy Cutlet's pinch finger gesture after one of his sacks and his quote, I'm from Philly. We got a whole bunch of Italians out there, so we're used to Italian. It's a good line. Let's move to Charlotte.

The ball is between the hashes. It is a 23-yard chip shot for the win. Jensen to snap. Hecker puts it down. Eddie swings the leg. The kick is up. It's good. Que up, Neil Diamond. We haven't heard it in a long time. I love it.

In.

A season where so much that could go wrong has gone wrong and on a day where the elements conspired, Mother Nature gave us her own metaphor. Here is the rain. Here is the doom. Here is the gloom. Here is the wind on the field. A little ray of sunshine.. Put it in.

The file. Wow. Christ, put it in the file. That is a man that has been through it with the Panthers. Little ray of sunshine. Aneesh Roff with the call Wto RFX. Steady, Eddie Pineiro. Got it done. Booting a 23-yard field goals, time expired. Panthers beat the Falcons. Come on, guys. 9-7 in that steady downpour. The Falcons' playoff hopes now on life support with the and the loss. Mark, good for the Panthers and interim Coach, Chris Tabor, and their play-by-play guy. Bad, very bad. The latest inevitable crushing turnover from Desmond Ritter. Take us back to that moment.

This is the game that if you had your doubts about Arthur Smith and you wonder about the actual overall plan here, here's your evidence. Desmond Ritter had, I think, maybe the worst interception of the day, a Red Zone disaster, which seems to have come to him on a weekly basis. This is a team that says our identity is to run the ball against a Bad Panthers defense. You run the ball 31 times at one- But.

That moment, take me to that moment. What's the score? What's the situation? They're in the Red Zone. Because I remember looking at the box score and saying to myself, Oh, they kick a field goal, the game's over. Instead, they have Ritter rolling out on a pass.

I don't have an answer for why they're doing that. That's close my mind. This is meant to be an offensive-minded coach that would never put you in that situation. I mean, all your skill-business and players have been invisible the entire way. It's a low moment for this entire team. Bryce Young didn't look great either, but they're the one team that found a way to have Bryce Young seal up a game-wining drive when he's not been able to do this the entire season. It's like this.

Team- Had a nice throw in there to mingo. He did.

Build that once a week. The Falcons completely fell apart.

I mean, that is this crush. This is game that gets you fired, potentially. It's a cry for help type of game. I trust Steve White saying that he thinks when he was here that there was no way Arthur Smith was going to lose his job. Now they've lost a couple of games since. One of them was to the Panthers. To your point, you were saying what? 31 rushes for 52 yards. The way the game ends is that ridder interception happens when they could go ahead and there's still seven and a half minutes left. You figure, okay, we'll get the ball back. No, the Panthers end the game with a 17-play, and a 85-yard drive. I just think on the levels of losing, that is the worst possible loss there is. That is the way you don't make the play out.

Unless the quarterback audibled out on his own there. When you have a chance to go up, that would have put them up what?

They were second and ten there. They were just inside the red zone. I'm not going to kill them for calling a pass play. Don't throw the interception. It was a terrible play.

No, but you can't-They could have gone to 14 to six.

You're just running the ball twice and with eight minutes.

To go. The score at that point is what?

Seven-six? Seven-six.

You play a conservative, you beat the clock, you kick a field goal that put you ahead four points against the Panthers team that was not going to score a touchdown.

This is basic stuff. I just mean on the blame pie chart that's still player 90 % there.

But you have to understand your personnel and understand who Desmond Ritter has been all year to put him the ball in his hands to win that game. To me, that is a coach that doesn't understand, is just too stubborn for his own good. That has been a case with Smith all year. Can't lose that game.

You can't lose it. You can't lose that. To Greg's point, too, though, because the Falcons on defense have been... There's things to like about their defense, like a 17-play drive that started on Carolina's own five. You never get the ball back to kick the winning field goal.

A quarterback that's.

Not shown zero signs of development all year long. Rough. It's going to be a lot of heat on him this week. It happens in a week where the Bucks are winning game that they weren't favored by. Falkin, still because of the schedule and because they still have division games and they have all the tie breakers, they're not out of it. But this was the lowest moment of the Arthur Smith era, no doubt. They got the Colts, then the At-Bears, at New Orleans. In mean, they.

Could lose all three. I know it's 2023, so they could win all three, but this feels like... Steve White is obviously really good at his job. He used to work with the Falcons. He's plugged in with that team. He's not working with them anymore, but knows a lot of people, so I'm sure he wasn't pulling that out of thin air. But that was also.

At the beginning of this month.

If this season, Crater's, and he's three years, Smith, on the job without a playoff appearance. When he got... You got.

It wrong. We're losing the.

Script here with the Falcons. It's like, what are they about? I think you have to feel that if you're the owner. B-shon Robinson.

Was a non-factor.

In this game. Seven for 11. The big fucking- The conditions, when I saw those conditions today, I actually thought, Oh, well, that's perfect for the Falcons. They're a rugged- I think so. -team that they should.

Be able to run the ball.

And you end up with Bichon seven for 11. Cordale Patterson, five for negative two. Ritter, five for negative 2. It's like, What is what is happening? All right, to Sunday Night Football. Camara, the shotgun on second out on six.

Takes.

The snap, sets his feet, steps up, hits, spins out of a sack, back panels to the 45, going deep, look out trouble, but it is caught at the five-yard line.

Coming down with a ball as Isiah Lightly.

In between a pair.

Of Jacksonville defenders who looked in position to pick the ball off.

That was a- A tiny six-sharp game. No, no, don't throw that ball. Yes, yes, yes. Great catch. A signature play from Lamar Jackson, the call, Jerry Sandusky and Rod Woodson, Ravens Radio. Listen, do the Ravens win games with same Hanash as the Niners, for example? Or when the Cowboys are going right or even the Bills that they're in top gear, maybe it's not as sexy. But they don't care. Nobody cares because the Ravens keep winning. They've been doing it all year and they continue to do it. They did it on Sunday night football, a 23-7 win over the Jaguars who just didn't… This is like, Come on, guys. We're supposed to be trying to take this seriously. They were frustrated. Seriously. I mean.

Who wouldn't be frustrated? Imagine you're.

A Jaguars fan.

Anyway, so the Ravens.

Moved to 11 and 3 and one step closer to that number one seed in the AFC. Mark, this is the game in which Lamar Jackson did a bunch of magical things, even if it wasn't his most gaudy statistical game. The Jaguars repeatedly shot themselves in the foot and looked pretty small in a big spot. Yeah, Jacksonville is shrinking on both sides of the ball. I know number one, you don't have Christian Kirk. That's hurt them a lot, more than I.

Think people would expect. But I'm watching their defense also just cave in. In The Ravens tonight, you're right, they aren't maybe the flashiest of outfits that come to memory or mind, but they ran for 251 yards at six yards per pop. I mean, you're getting a Lamar Jackson, a version of where he ran for almost 100 yards tonight. They imposed their will. They didn't make mistakes down the stretch. Where the Jaguars are a team that they're getting close and they're frustrating because they missed two field goals, which is unheard of in today's NFL for the most part. You got two fumbles for Trevor Lawrence, one a strip sack, but one a pretty bad fumble in the first half where he just dropped the ball. Yeah, and a drive that basically ended inside the Ravens Five right before the half. It's lost opportunities, missed opportunities. They've lost three.

In a row. It's been.

A terrible, terrible run through the AFC North. Right, they got to their part of the schedule, which for the most part was soft. They had that nice win against Buffalo in London that really turned their season around.

But mostly it's been soft. Then you get to the tougher part of the schedule and they don't get any W's against the Bangles Browns or-La Raville Magnifico, what we call it. It might not end up costing them, it might. They're eight and six. It's now a three-way tie. La Raville Magnifico.

Always welcomed that, Frank. That's so good.

We got her in twice. We got the day. Greg has done this twice where it takes a.

Lot of courage. You get Frags and.

Everyone's transported, and then Greg speaks next.

I know, but it's a jarring juxtaposition. Hit Frags again, and then let's just let it breathe just for five seconds. I know it's late. You couldn't do it. I just feel good.

You honkaholic. You couldn't do it. I did. We're supposed to have total silence. -just think of this, mm-hmm. -just felt... -chief, mighty honk.

That's not honky. A hum isn't a honk. That just, you felt so free. We couldn't do five.

Seconds without a silence.

-all right, let's do it again.

Let's do it again.

All right.

One more time. Let's do it again. You're the worst. Yeah, it is unbelievable.

You are. What did you say to me last week, Mark? You have to be the.

Most annoying man in.

The world. All right, go ahead. That wasn't even a conscious thing.

I know, it wasn't. That's why.

I can't be mad. Look, Trevor Lawrence needs to play better in these big spots. It's weird to.

Start with him.

Because he also made.

A lot of good plays in this game that's typical of Trevor Lawrence, but I think of the first drive where he just sails a third.

And sixth that ends the drive.

I think of those two fumbles.

Then I especially think of the end of the first half where he makes a nice throw down the sidelines, but it's inbounds. You're in a hurry-up situation. He makes a throw that you just can't make if you're a quarterback in that spot. I'm sure he thought he was leading his receiver to the sideline and was going to get out of bounds, but you just have to know you can't make that throw. The half ends after missing so many points you mentioned, the field goes and the fumbles to not get any points in that situation, that's totally on the quarterback. There's just different leaks springing up every week with Jacksonville, who I thought played pretty well defensively tonight, but in the second half just got run over by Keaton Mitchell and Gus Edwards and Lamar, and unfortunately, Keaton Mitchell left with what looks like a serious knee injury. Yeah, the old injury is so serious we won't even show it to you on replay. But in real time, you saw it really bad, the angle and everything immediately carded.

Very likely we don't see Mitchell again this season and hopefully he'll get healthy because he was a really explosive, exciting player when he was on the field. That's another running back in that cursed, running back room of the Baltimore Ravens dealing with injury. On the positive side of it, that going back to the highlight that got us into it, this was a really fun Lamar game, a really fun Lamar season. He's been just a really, really good all around quarterback. Even if the numbers aren't crazy this season, he has absolutely been a star. I'll once again say it because we went through an entire summer talking about it, and now it feels like it's forgotten. The Ravens dared anyone else to take him from us. I don't know if they would have ultimately matched any offer sheet and it was all just a game of chicken, or if the Ravens were actually serious about losing Lamar, but we'll never know. And nobody ever actually... All these teams looking for a quarterback, none of them made a serious play to try to get Lamar Jackson. This is the player that could have been had by many teams, or at least they could have been in service, had a chance to have his services, said it's the Ravens.

I'll give a shout out to Isiah Lakeley. He's the one who caught that wild pass from Lamar. He also had another touchdown when Mark Andrews went out with that injury a few weeks back. That seemed like really bad news for Baltimore, but likely has done a really nice job filling that tight end spot and making it not be a major issue for them. With the Ravens, Greg, you watch these games and their ability to always make the big play, the big conversion, the big third down, the big stop, that's a sign of a good team. Right. They hit you at different levels defensively. Kyle Hamilton was back from the injury, looked good. Matt Beake had a huge sack. They're just a team.

Without a lot of weaknesses, and so something steps up during the game at some point. The something, the last couple of weeks, has been Lamar's running 12 for 97 on the night. I thought those scrambles, he had that one bad interception. This is a very typical 2023 Lamar Jackson play game where he has one really bad play, but outside of that, the touchdown drive was electric and he goes 12 for 97 on the ground. Last week was the most he scrambling all season, and now he followed up with 12 for 97. I think it's like, hey, it's go time. I'm going to start running more. I do think that Keaton Mitchell, presuming he's gone for.

A while. I mean, that looked bad. We'll see. But he was adding this whole other element because likely also, I think, is something that they didn't expect to have in this format. It's happened because of Mark Andrews. But Keaton Mitchell made them special on offense in certain ways. He really was emerging. They're going to have to work.

Around that. There's a reason they were favoring him over Gus Edwards, really. Look, you can just look at it tonight. Gus Edwards's average is 3.6, Keaton Mitchell, 9 for 73. They just don't have that explosive element. Now without Edwards, you'll see a little more.

Justice Hill without Mitchell. My last take on this game is, hey, Terry McCleary. Terry McCleary? Take the L, my guy. That play, they're down 16, the Jaguars. They're going on a Nothing-Burglar drive to cosmetically make it a one score game, but they're really struggling. It's almost like Baltimore is saying, All right, we'll let you have this garbage time touchdown. They still can't find a way to do it. There's a throw in the back of the end zone who is at Ridgeley, I think, bobbles it, collects it, rolling out of bounds. It's ruled incomplete. Mccauley is really strong on the NBA telecast that it's a touchdown. The call stands as an incomplete. And McCauley is very upset. He's a big mad. And that was funny. We were remarking on that. We go from the theater here where we watched the games on Sunday night back to the studio, throw the game back on the tablet here and they throw it back to McCauley said, I've now called the League office. They said it didn't rise to the level of reverse to the call. It's like, Terry, big terror. Just take the L, move on. Right, because call the League.

Office if it's something that all of us sense is a pressing concern that truly impacted the end of the game. It's like none of us were roiled up about it and he's going nuts. How is that indisputable evidence?

Anyways, it's like they're slowing it down frame by frame. Oh, if you see it had just stopped rolling with the thigh, it's like, no. You just had a bad first in thing, then you stuck.

To it. No. Anything else? No.

Oh, there's something else. Oh, yeah, the other one. I fucked it up. You should.

Have stayed in the nest with me. I know. But to.

Nick's point, there's not a lot of excitement with Lock and the Ravens, but you've done it probably eight times. That's not true. It seems to be very effective. Like four times. But yeah.

A decent amount of things.

We're going to watch the Ravens grind out another 23-8 win. Let's high five each other. I get what Nick's saying. That's all I'm saying. They were three and a half point favorites.

On the road against a first place team. Let's go. What are you-I know, but I know what we're about to do? At 11 and 3, they now gave themselves a little bit of room here where they can lose next week. If you don't.

Stop talking, Mark is literally in the middle of your throat.

I know, but I think we get it. I think we get it. You have to understand, Greg, you were in mortal danger right now. Cessna has got to.

Get out of the studio. It's been a long day. I find great enjoyment in these Sundays. As the day creeps towards 9:00 PM on the West Coast, it's like at some point hit me with.

A.

Brick. All right, well-Can you.

Imagine living with me? That brick is the closing music, hurtling toward your face like Marv from Home Alone. I welcome it. All right, well, we got more coming up on Monday, game of the week on NFL+ and Monday Night Football news recap. Until then, heat the call.