The around the NFL podcast is ready for the playoffs. From the Chris Westling podcast studio, it's around the NFL. I'm Dan Hans's heroes here, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler and it is the 2023, I guess hyphen 24 super wild card weekend preview. And usually that would be all we talk about. We have a great slate of games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday night as the teams with of course, the Ravens and Niners on by one of these teams will win the Super bowl. About that, that's where we're at now. We have said goodbye. 32 -16 would be 16, but 14 make it so -18 teams out, is that right? That's right.

Yes, you are correct.

There was some extra math going on there, but I think 32 -14 would have.

Could you see the flash of panic?

There was some panic, but I mean, you tend to find your way out.

Of those 18 teams are Dunzo and also Dunzo. Ding dong, the coach is dead. Ding dong, Bill and Bill is dead. Bill Belchick is out and Gregy. That is what we have to start with. Bill Belchick and the Patriots mutually agree with much respect on both sides to part ways after 24 years. I am absolutely thrilled by this news, clearly, because in the back of my mind I always worried about him getting another quarterback and the pat's getting hot again. Now they're starting over completely. And obviously my feelings as a Jets fan are very different from Greg's feelings as a Patriots fan. So we're going to kind of dig into all of it. But first we start with Bill Belichick, who after the greatest run in the history of the NFL over 24 years, nine Super Bowls, six wins, the greatest QB coach combo ever with Tom Brady. Unbelievable ride. He steps up to the podium in Foxboro and talks about the end of the road. Seen this many cameras since we signed Tebow? I forgot about that. Robert and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways. And for me this is a day of gratitude and celebration.

Start with Robert and his family. Great. So much thanks for the opportunity to be that coach here for 24 years. It's an amazing opportunity, received tremendous support. We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here and that's exceeded my wildest dreams. And Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, who obviously made this decision ultimately to start over with New England, also spoke on this momentous day in franchise history.

Yesterday we met and mutually agreed to mutual part ways amicably.

Amicably and like a good marriage, a successful head coach owner relationship requires a lot of hard work, and I'm very.

Proud that our partnership lasted for 24 years.

I don't think in the NFL there's.

Been any other partnership that lasted longer and has been as productive as ours.

Bill was hired in 2000 by Robert Kraft, is that correct? Yeah. Replacing Pete Carroll by the end of the 2001 season. He was a Super bowl champion when Brady took over, and so many great moments followed. Greg, as a Pats fan, kind of where?

Kind of, I don't know.

Now you're a Pats fan, maybe tomorrow you're not, but where is your head and heart at? I know this was kind of expected in a lot of ways, but now that you actually see it happening and the Patriots are moving forward and Bill's moving somewhere else, where are you at?

Yeah, it was emotional, even though they didn't show a lot of emotions really up there. I think the one time Belichick showed just a little bit of a crack, was actually talking about the fans, talking about the parades and the send offs before all those Super Bowls, but this was expected, and I was just happy that they stuck the landing, that you're totally within your right stand to be a little cynical about ended and be happy that it's ended. I think your fear that things were going to change with another quarterback was maybe misplaced because this is, to me, a different Belichick, a different era. But I'm glad it just didn't end. I didn't need to see, I didn't.

Need to find out.

Right, put it that way. It didn't need to end in rancor and sources kind of talking about each other, although you're getting a little bit of that. There was an article in the Athletic, and these two men both have egos, as you would expect, and they both have had gripes about the others over the years. But I appreciate, as I guess in this case, the child of the many millions of children of this marriage, that they put a nice face on it publicly. So normally I would be cynical about the pr of it all, but I was happy that it did end that way. But I did note Mark and I thought it was really telling and in my mind, not the best move that Kraft had to go up there and talk at all, that Belichick talked for five minutes and then so did Kraft, and it ended on Kraft. And it's just like, I think that was just a little bit telling there that in this moment of all moments, you couldn't just let Belichick have the five minutes and say, goodbye. They didn't take any questions that then it turned into kind of what it all meant for Robert Kraft to sue.

I understand it. He's the owner. He's going to also speak with the media later today. But I did think that was just like a little bit of a window into this moment because I think we know from what Belichick said that it really wasn't all his choice.

I would rather that Belichick had the last word.

Exactly.

And I'm with you on that. That said, I really agree with something that you mentioned. Is that the tone of it, it was short and sweet in very Belichick fashion. But no matter what the whispers are and that there were clashing egos, that seems natural to me after a couple of really tough years and 24 years together, incredible success. But I thought the tone of it was genuine enough. They both pointed to each other as having helped each other completely exceed the expectations they set when they first partnered together back in 2000. It's funny that I feel like Mike Garafolo noted that Sean McVeigh was 14 years old when Belichick joined the Patriots back then. I mean, it's spanned lifetimes of football following, football watching. I was very into Belichick when he was Cleveland's coach. I think you guys know, it's like I wrote him letters. He was a fascinating figure to me. I don't know if I'd be covering football if it weren't for that early period of Belichick in Cleveland and kind of what he's been since. And it's like as much as this was expected over the last couple weeks and months that this was going to happen, it's still stunning.

It's still like I almost, in 24 hours we've lost Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick and they both could be somewhere else next year.

And Nick Saban.

And Nick Saban, it's just kind of like an incredible changing of the guard.

Absolutely. I mean, it's interesting how they've gone about the announcement. You said how it's Kraft that kind of finishes the presser. Five minutes each. Couldn't this have also been, and I know some of this pomp and circumstance you don't always need, but come on, you could have also done a thing where all the famous patriots are there and you play the video and you talk about the good times, but I think part of the reason maybe it was more cut and dry was because there is some bad blood and it's reported that's not the end, that there was no tension. It was amicable. At the end of the day, Kraft decided that he didn't want Bill around anymore and he wanted to start over. And Bill is now getting that chance and we're going to see what happens. So as we expected also, he's just free. There's no trade here. There's none of that. That could have gunked up some of the relation as well. So they made that decision to end this nice and clean. And now we see what's next for Bill Belichick because there is a what's next? This guy will continue to coach.

It's being reported that way. And you kind of always knew that.

That was what struck me, Kraft saying he doesn't look forward to watching Belichick in a cutoff hoodie of another team or that it's just going to feel funny and that he'll root for Belichick except for when he plays there. And Belichick was careful and I think it probably hit him in a special way, too up there that, wow, this really is the end. And he is reflective. He knows his place in history and I think he appreciates it. He said he was looking forward to coming back. And I think inherent in that Dan is having that moment with all the ex players and being celebrated. But it's a little hard to do that when he thinks he's at his Tom Brady leaving for Tampa Phase. He wants to go get that all time coaching wins record. It's either 15 or 20 something, depending on if you count the postseason or not. I don't know how we're going to do that, but he wants to keep getting it. He wants to get back at Don Shula for once, taking shots at Belichick back in the day, and he'll probably get that opportunity. I don't know if it's a lock that he's getting that opportunity, but I think he'll get that opportunity.

I think from that, like, it feels like it could invigorate Belichick. Something started to feel really stale about the New England thing, and Ian did mention that Kraft and Belichick really did spend time trying to decide if they could go on, like, even if it was a foregone conclusion and they just couldn't, and that Kraft is looking at New England's journey as a genuine rebuild. And so Belichick wasn't really the right guy for that. And if it's Jared Mayo or if it's Mike Rable or fill in the like, there's an understanding that, yes, you're going to get that quarterback. But it's not going to all happen. You're not just picking up where you left off from Belichick. There are some organizational changes coming, and the way that Belichick's been doing it for 24 years might look very different. They're going to allow the new coach to do it in his own way.

I do think it's worth. And we'll do it when he retires. Retires, who knows? He might just try doing it forever. Looking back, people talked about. We would talk about the show, Chris would talk about it. And I would love for Chris to be here on days like this. He has such a great sense of history. But how Brady had those multiple different kind of hall of fame runs within his Patriots run. But it's kind of true of Belichick, too, because to me, I look back at some of those old books I read. The two defining ones were the education of a coach and then Patriot reign. And if you're interested at all, one of them by Michael Holly. What a great read. And the other by David Haberstom. Like Belichick's first run, one to four. I mean, to me that was still his peak. That is the run where they won 21 straight after they were two and two in three. And we would talk about the Vikings last year. Oh, their luck in one score games. And I remember those teams were very unique because they weren't blowing anyone out. And the little margins that Belichick would have would get them to win those games.

They won 13 straight one score games within that run. And that was before Brady was really Brady. And that's the thing, is football. It's not just about one guy or the other. He would have never been Bill Belichick without Tom Brady. But Brady wouldn't have been the same without Belichick either. Pro football reference sent out a stat today that from the day Belichick took that job till today, the Patriots lead the NFL. And it wasn't that close in points per drive allowed that they've been the best defense, which Tom Brady has nothing to do with since the day he got there to the day he left. And that was so crucial to him going 30 and twelve in the postseason. And then there was that first run, which was the best, I think, coaching he did. But then there was also the 2010 to 18 run where they had eight straight years, where they had twelve wins and they had eight or nine straight AFC championship games. And there was that long period where you wondered, would they ever dot the I? Would he ever get another title. Despite all this success, it actually felt like they were underachieving.

And then they ended up getting three more out of those fights.

This is how I look at it, as someone that lived through it like a war that wouldn't end, where one side was just kicking ass the entire time. But you didn't even have the choice to surrender. You're just getting repeatedly shelled and you bludgeon. Stop it. So you have the starting with the Mo Lewis hit in September of one going, really? The way I look at it, Greg, is you go straight through to 18 and then you lose the Super bowl of the Giants. But that 2001 to 2008 was outrageous. Records all over the place, an undefeated regular season, and then Brady blows out his ACL week one after the 18 and one season, and then they're kind of finding their way for a while. You have the Brady year where he comes back and he's not quite himself yet. And you go through that little wilderness where you're very competitive, but you're not winning Super Bowls.

Yeah. Then they're the number one offense in the league with Gronk, but they can't field the defense for a year or two.

They can't get over the hump. They get beat by the Giants again. And you're asking that question. But then starting with that 2014 season when everyone else thought the Brady, well, I, for instance, thought Brady was starting to get old, they go twelve and 412 and 412 and 414 and 213 and 311 and 512 and four. And that ends the Brady era with what? Three more Super Bowls? And then what ends up the reason why he's not going to break the record as a patriot? Is he, as Greg, you've talked about and you've seen reported out there, he was the one that was ready to move on from. So Brady leaves and immediately wins a Super bowl, which I think Kraft probably still kills Kraft if that happened. And after that point, they have not won a playoff game. They made the playoffs once and got absolutely destroyed by the Bills and the Mac Jones draft pick, a first round pick, bottomed out this year. And Kraft made the decision that this was the sign of decline for the coach and his ability to build a roster. And I get it. I mean, Bill is just like we were talking about.

Carol, Carol, 72. What's Bill, 70, if not, he's turning 70 this year. And I get why Kraft, who's again, another owner that's not getting any younger, wants to take one more big swing and build it his way.

I think that's also what makes this incredibly complex and intriguing is Bill's next step because part of the decline was post Brady. You're looking at an entire offense that lacked weapons, that lacked ingenuity. He had the smallest coaching staff in the league. Half of them are related to him. It's like he had a bunch of yes men surrounding him and as a general manager fell off a cliff. Like, I can still coach defense, but it's like, what do you do if you're the next team? What do you offer him to do.

Organizationally, he modeled himself after Paul Brown and Paul Brown was. And this is how football used to be. Coach as know the only people he hasn't passed in terms of wins, depending on how you look at it in certain things, is like George Hallis. And that's when the guy would literally own the team and coach the team. The guy who could do everything and the amount of ability he had to do it all at once to raise these. I think there's 15 different guys from their personnel staff that are all over the league. Running teams. Like people get on him for his coaching tree. His personnel tree is running half the league right now. Nick Saban is part of his coaching tree, by the way. And the energy and the ability to do all that at once, that's a lot. In 2023, it's a different game. It's really a lot for a 71 year old at 2023. And it hit me with Carol in Belichick leaving two days apart. They were the two most powerful coaches in the league. They had the most juice where they ran the entire organization. It was a certain way that you could run a team.

Andy Reid is the closest to the now, but even he, I think, has a stronger personnel side helping him in a way that I think that would be very hard for Belichick to replicate. Is he willing to take a step back and just coach? Because I think he could do that well enough. But to do everything you saw, he didn't have any people to call upon in the personnel department. They're all gone. They weren't working there. His coaching staff is out of ideas. He's just running through Bill O'Brien and Bill and Matt Patricia. I think yeah, there's a bit of an issue.

I think he definitely gets hired, but that's going to be the challenge. He needs to evolve and maybe change some things. And Ken, a man that's turning 72 in April, do that. That's the risk of bringing in Belichick. But he will bring instant. If any head coach can bring box office, it's Bill Belichick. That fan base that he goes to will be completely revitalized and thinking dreams that we got this guy and he's going to pull a Brady with Tampa Bay. And I just want to share one personal memory about it, because when I was going to college, I was a senior at Northeastern University in Boston when that 2001 run happened. And it was a great time to be a New York sports fan in Boston because it was a dark era, era for sports in Boston. And when the Patriots went on that run, the whole city was kind of like, wait, is this actually happening to this? Because they'd been down for years, all the sports teams in Boston and the run kept on, the special things keep happening, and then even Brady goes out and Bledsoe comes into the playoffs and leads them to a big win and then the Super bowl, as magical as that was.

And I remember going out from the dorms and everyone was celebrating in the streets, and it was the beginning, Greg, of an incredible run for Boston sports. The Red Sox won. A couple years later, the Bruins won, the Celtics won, the Patriots kept winning. So Belichick, I'll always think he started that kind of Boston sports boom of the hate him for it, but also I do respect him for it. And good luck, sir, wherever you end up.

The one thing I think is interesting is when he was hired by the Patriots, his Q rating was very low. He had essentially split with the like, their first season in New England was a disaster. And there were a lot of people questioning if Bill Belichick was a good hire. And I kind of love that. Now there are doubters around Bill Belichick again. Is he too old? Can he do it? Is the game passed him by? And it's like that is the kind of thing where it's like the next chapter of Bill Belichick. And I can already see if for some reason he goes to a team where New England is on the schedule next year. Hello. Opening Monday night game, week one, it's going to be Bill Belichick going back to New England, and it's going to be incredible.

Like we said, the NFL is starting to take over days of the week and things like that. I don't care where he ends up or the way, because the schedule is kind of predetermined the day the season ends and all that. The NFL will maneuver this, whether it has to send him to a certain team or they have to change the schedule. Oh, there was a little glitch, everybody. Bill Bell, 17th game will be coaching against the Patriots. In New England next year.

I hope it. I just looked bucket. Dan, you just motivated me to look at their schedule. They do not have the Falcons on their schedule, so not yet. That's what I'm looking for. Chargers are there and it's in.

Possibly Belichick coming out of Southern California. No team with no fans.

He loves New England too. I think he would like to just.

He's an east coast bro.

Stay there forever. He'll hate all see him in the.

Deep south in Atlanta. I mean, that's not the most natural.

I'll never forget when he played Barcells the first time, more than here. This will be like that. When he played parcels the first time, it was the biggest deal you can imagine. It was them versus the Cowboys and it was pupil versus mentor and it was just built up the whole time. And there was a story of him telling everyone around the team and he was just like, what more are they going to say about us? We're just two aholes that haven't worked together in five years. We don't. And that'll be his approach if he.

Ever plays against the Patriots again.

All right. Okay, good stuff. Bill out. We'll see what's next and you know, we'll be tracking everything. New Horizons week. What is that called, by the way?

What is grandiose?

I don't remember.

Come on.

Glessando.

Blessando.

And if hit it again, Eric. If you hit it twice, I'll write it down. Glessandos.

Okay.

I'm not sure that's accurate.

All right, let's take a break and when we get back, we dig into super wild card weekend. All right, welcome back. Yes, super wild card. I called that super wild card weekend, but we're playing the sucker across three different days into Monday, so it's not technically accurate. But here's what we got.

Although it is a holiday weekend, so.

Kind of is accurate.

Here we go.

Holiday weekend. Nice.

Martin Luther King on Monday.

You're out Monday.

Beautiful. All right, let's go. Six games to get to. Let's start with Browns at Texans. My goodness. Hello, Dolly. Mark Sessler. You know what, now we're talking, Mark, because been doing this podcast with you for eleven seasons. I've known you, Mark, for 1314 years now and the Browns have made the playoffs once since we've known each other. Right. It just so happened it was in the COVID year and that was a wonderful win in Pittsburgh. But the building's empty. You know what, you. That whole year was weird, but now we got the Cleveland Browns back in the playoffs with Joe Flacco on the Magic carpet ride and Stefanski dialing up plays and the whole team playing at an elite level going into week 18. And now they're going on the road. And guess what? It's not an empty Hines field. It's going to be 70,000 screaming fans. Probably a lot of Browns fans, too.

I would predict they're going to take advantage of this opportunity.

I'm going to predict a good 15% will be Browns fans who have gobbled up tickets to get down there and they're going to face ya boy. CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans. The woulda, coulda, shoulda team of around the NFL. Wow. So we start right here. Two and a half. The Browns giving two and a half points on the road, which tells you so much about the excitement around your beloved Brownies.

I really think it starts with Joe Platco. Obviously, it's one of the more stunning sports stories around because he was their arch enemy for eons and has been completely embraced by the city. And it's not just the nature of who he is. Like four straight 300 yard passing performances in the long history of the Cleveland Browns, no Browns quarterback has ever done that. PFF noted that when they played the Texans a number of weeks ago when Amari Cooper exploded for 265 yards, that PFF has never charted a single game in their history of a quarterback recording more air yards than in that game.

A receiver recording more air yards. Blacko. Yeah, okay.

The quarterback.

I think also Cooper may be in the history of their site as well.

It would make sense because in that game you got what you've got from Flacco in a number of these performances, which is like electric downfield passing and it's like he's helped David Najoku level up. Amari Cooper, who's kind of worked with all their quarterbacks, surprisingly has leveled up. I guess the thing about that game, though, because it was recent enough where you could go back and track it, it's really hard to put a read on it. You don't expect like Amari Cooper to do that again. That just feels like an aberration. But there was no CJ Stroud. The Texans were banged up in that game, had no Will Anderson, although Will Anderson and half their defensive line are on the injury report right now. Tank Dell, or wide receiver is still banged up. Noah Brown is banged up. Robert woods is banged up. Cleveland had no kicker in that game and had to go for two over and over because Dustin Hopkins had a hamstring injury and still, so, I mean, it did help them because I think it worked. You don't want to have to deal with that situation again, but it does speak to how aggressive they were in that performance.

I think that was Joe Flacco's best game. Can you duplicate it again? I guess that's the question. Can you do it again? Because you're not going to get case Keenum. And I think CJ Stroud makes everything.

Possible for the totally different, totally different scenario. But to your point, the Flacco magic, that was legit and will Anderson, even if he plays, clearly wasn't the same guy who's going in and out on pass rushing downs, their last matchup. And since we're mentioning injuries, I got a little developing news here, and this is significant. Brown's pro ball cornerback Denzel Ward suffered a knee injury in Thursday's practice, putting his status in question for Saturday's playoff game against the Texans. Kevin Stefanski said that Ward, this according to ESPN, said that Ward was limited in the practice but offered no other details. The team officially lists Ward as questionable. This is a man that was just named to Pro bowl. He is a key contributor mark on the number one ranked defense of the Browns, and CJ Stroud is balling out at a historic level. So that would be big.

That is huge.

He's one of five players in the NFL to not allow a touchdown in coverage. Bart Emerson on the Browns also, but in games when Denzel Ward has not been on the field dating know before this season too, it's been a critical difference.

They are special on defense because they can play man coverage and there's almost no team in the NFL that does it like that. I would say they are the best man coverage team. They're the best at everything. You can slice up the stats and they've been excellent. Now, they haven't been as excellent in the back half of the year. They've been a little more reliant on turnovers and they've been able to do that, but they haven't been as stingy giving up yardage week after week. That first game matters to me because a it was only three weeks ago. I mean, it was very recent, and I do think it's kind of hard to beat the same team twice in four that I don't know if it's a disadvantage for the Browns, but I think it's a difficult thing to do to dominate them like that.

Yeah, Tamiko Ryan's a gifted defensive coach.

That gets study all exactly. You know, it goes both ways. But that was a woodshed operation and like you mentioned, Mark, some of those throws in that game were just so outrageous. I mean, there was the one where they were holding Flacco on fourth and nine or something and he just whips it to the sideline and it's a toe tap. I don't know what next gen stats percentage was for completing that play, but I'd give it like 2% and Flacco and Cooper made it happen. That said, since then things have actually worked out better. I think for the browns we got a little rest situation. The Browns got to sit last week. That's a bonus. And the Texans are more banged up. I know Anderson didn't play in that game, but he was ineffective last week when he played. What makes them unique on defense was they were able to get pressure. Rushing forward Granard Anderson were one of the best tandems in the entire NFL. Granard hasn't practiced this week. I don't know if he has an injury designation, but he hasn't played in multiple weeks and it seems like he is less likely to play.

And so the one thing he did do individual drills I'm seeing on Thursday, so that is a positive that he's going to give it a go. But also, they were bad up front and their right tackle is injured and that game really stands out to me that the Browns whipped them up front. There's a guy, Charlie Heck is their right tackle, juice struggs is their left guard, and they've just got some big time weaknesses which really stuck out to me last week. I mean, watching that Colts game, Danny, like their offensive line stunk. The only reason they won that game is because of Stej Stroud. But on a snap to snap like series to series basis, the Colts were tougher. And so if I look at a situation where I think the Browns might be better up front, certainly on their defensive line, and even though they're banged up on their offensive line, does the Texans really have the players to take advantage? I don't know.

Yeah, that's certainly fair. I mean, we like the Texans a lot. That AFC south game, championship game, as it turned out to be, was a dropped swing pass away from maybe turning out totally differently. And the Texans aren't even in the playoffs. Flacco is the guy I think everyone is most excited to see because the chance to rest guys is great. I don't love just putting him on ice for a couple of weeks because he was so red hot. Is he going to come out and still be that way. The only thing you could say in terms of criticism is he's been airing it out at such a lethal level. He's also turned the ball over. He had more interceptions with eight in five starts than stroud did in his 15 starts. Five. So I think it's pretty straightforward. If you could put heat on Flacco and he's going to force the ball, it could turn into is there a turnover that changes this game, but if they do not generate a pass rush. Houston, I totally see this going your way, Mark. And the Browns continue to be a huge story in the NFL.

Yeah, the Browns could not run the ball in that game against the Texans. I think they had 56 yards off of 27 carries by running backs. That's not the team they want to be. But I think that's when I made an argument for Kevin Stefanski being the coach of the year because the offense like an EPA and stuff through the air. Up before, Flacco was just not good, and he's found a way to win with this team without what his strength is. They haven't been able to run the ball like their passing game. Prefaco was a huge mess. It's changed a lot with Flacco, but I do think that at some point does the bow break when you've got so many injuries along the offensive line. But they have been using six offensive linemen at a higher percentage than any team in the league over the past couple of months. And Bill Callahan is one of those offensive line coaches who obviously is a difference maker. And I think in a different situation, a different coach. Some of these injuries start to create too much chaos, but you got to keep Flacco safe. Flacco has had a lot of turnovers as well.

He's thrown picks and it's the nature of being aggressive. But the Texans don't turn the ball over. They're the fewest giveaways in the league, and so you're going to have to find a way to even that out if you're Cleveland.

Right. I think focusing on the running game is a big thing because both these teams would be desperate. They would love to run the ball. They haven't been able to do it all season. The Texans, on paper, are a great run defense, but again, part of the reason those edges are good is they're both good run defenders as well. They have injuries on the front. Jerry Hughes is injured, too, who also made that big play a couple of weeks ago to help them get to this point. On paper, they're a good run defense, but both of these teams would be desperate. They would love to run the ball because most of the Texans offense this year has kind of been like, CJ Stroud just makes a magic on third down and it's tough to do, but it does worry me, mark, and I'm leaning Browns. They're -142 in terms of the money line. I'm leaning Browns. And yet this one to me, is the biggest coin flip of the week. And the thing that worries me is like, everyone's picking the Browns. Everyone is picking the Browns as like, hey, if you want one surprise team that could make it all the way to the Super bowl, it's the Browns.

I haven't seen. Almost no one's picking the Texans. Which whenever it's a close to a coin flip game and no one's picking the Texans, that worries me. Isn't this kind of a cousin of.

You and claibon with your momentum madness? Why would that affect the game?

Doesn't, obviously, but why does that matter?

But momentum is not real.

Those are totally floating in the course. It doesn't affect the game. But I think it's good to point out the way I've heard this game talked about and the way people are picking it is as if these two teams are totally uneven story, really. They're kind of, well, they're kind of like a two and a half point road favorite. That seems fair, but like a one point or a pickup seems fair, too. And I think the Texans have a chance here because they have the better quarterback.

I think they absolutely have a chance. This is the team. As a Brown supporter this season, I don't want them to play the Texans. I don't want them to play CJ.

Do you want me to pick the Texans to balance the scales for Greg?

Sure.

All right.

Texans win 27 24. Great game. Pick it.

I've gone back and forth all week. I think I've settled on the Browns. It makes too much sense, but I don't know. I don't know if I'm settling on it. I still don't have to pick for game debut yet.

Well, I don't know.

Wait, this podcast supersedes game?

Well, that's true, but that's kind of a final answer. We're not keeping track of any scores here, but I'm going Browns.

I'm going Browns score.

I think it's a little lower scoring than people expect. 1917. I will go.

Cleveland 28, Texans 27.

Very nice. Always one point game with Mark.

I don't feel confident.

Most importantly, where are you watching the game? What will you be wearing?

TBD. I haven't decided. I mean, I'd love that. It's on Saturday. If it were on, is this.

Are you going to be in your domicile? Are you going to go out?

Well, I still have to decide, but I think I'd make.

Where are you leaning?

I maybe mix it up and do like first half somewhere out and then second half.

Interesting.

Wow.

Very interesting.

And I do like that we've gotten past the drama of Brown's fandom and whatnot.

I don't want to hear. Oh, it's only because Joe Flacco.

Well, no, this experience is completely unexpected and it's a little bit different. And I'm getting killed all the time for saying that. You flip flopped on this or that. And it's like what I did not like about this team, I still very much do not like.

And let it be stated that Zezar always had a peg. You were never gone. You were just a little bit in hiding for a little bit.

That's a complex. Can't flush. That unrewarding situation to be put into.

It does throw me back to that 2020 run, that appearance, because Chris jumped on the podcast when the Browns won and it was maybe one of the most special moments we've had on this podcast. A lot has changed. We've changed since then. Everything has changed. These teams have changed the situation. But we do have Mark's heart back. Nice.

And by the way, you can watch us on fast channels across the world. Mark, you're wearing Brad Paisley today, and I want to remind everyone that on Wednesday's show, Patrick Claibon, we put out a formal request for a claibon theme song. And the winner of the Claibon theme song competition. Or if we might have multiple winners, depending on how the songs are, you get a signed Mark Sessler, eight by ten glossy, wearing Brad Paisley with Levi over it, leaning against an oak tree, looking brooding, intense. Think Luke Perry at camp happiness.

I'm not sure that's going to motivate the musicians out there to get going, but you sure about that? I just don't know.

All right, also, come back to me. And no disrespect to Noah Eagle, Tod Blackledge and Catherine Tappin with the call. An absolute disgrace that Al's not on this call. This should have been Al's game. They benched him, gave it to eagle and.

Weird look.

Yeah, you got even with Al. Good job, everybody. A joke. Greg's like, but I, like Noah Eagle and Tod Black, Al deserve this game. We deserve it.

I have no opinion on Todd Blackledge.

Noah Eagle is very.

Did I will say that?

Yes. No.

They did a game on Saturday a few weeks ago and I was just like, whose voice is this? And how many times are you going to retell the same story about TJ Watt and Alex Iceman?

Tod Blackledge, who squared off against the jets back in the playoffs in the.

Didn't even know that. But you were significantly older than me, so I didn't.

I'd say it's a historical note.

Noah Eagle, I believe, is the son of Iron Eagle.

Yes.

They sound exactly.

They look alike. They sound alike. It's weird how that works.

And Iron Eagle is an absolute stud. All right, let's move on. Next game. Oh, yeah. Oh, this is impossible. I'm telling you, it's impossible. First, Eric, behind the glass, give me a weather report in Kansas City for the game between the Dolphins and the Chiefs. This game is played Saturday, 08:00 p.m.. Eastern. Get back to me with that. But you have a Dolphins team obviously crushed by their inability to close out the AFC east. They get picked off by the Bills on Sunday Night Football and now they travel on the road instead of hosting the Bills at home. They are on the road in Kansas City, which Greg would tell me. Oh, lock it up. You got to lock up the Chiefs here. I know the weather. What is the weather, Eric? So the weather is on track to.

Be one of the coldest games in NFL history is what I'm reading for both franchises. A windshield of -13 guys.

Oh, man.

I saw some that they said it might be up to -30 all right.

So I want to say you're going to send the Miami team there. Give me a break. What a joke. Speaking of jokes, lock up the Chiefs. But the Chiefs just don't deserve any trust at any level. So is it to the point where the weather's so bad that it goes from favoring the team that plays in those conditions in their building to a complete leveling of the field? Because those are some raw bone cold weather conditions.

It's like legitimately dangerous. Like how cold it be if it's like negative 2030 degrees for the fans.

That'S what I'm sitting there like stationary in a seat.

I don't love that. It's hard to know how that affects the passing game. You would think it impacts the passing game, especially two of them might not.

Even get on the plane. I'd be like, I'll see you back in Miami in July.

You know, Al Michaels is glad he's not going to this game, at least.

Want to be there during the game. I think the temperature is probably like non wind chill, supposed to be somewhere under ten degrees, which is going to be like that Packers Giants game when.

Tom Coughlin's face almost classic peeled off 2007 NFC championship.

Yes, but when I think about how these two teams match up and I think back to that Germany game, which was really a defensive struggle for both defenses, dominated in that game. Chiefs offense had their best drive of the season to start the game, I thought, and then did absolutely nothing the rest of the game. They had one nice long drive where they really earned it. The Dolphins only had 14 points of it, so it's 1414 on offense. And then the Chiefs got a defensive touchdown and neither team really looked like the high flying team that we would expect. But I think like, well, what works in this cold, you would think would be the running game, which would be the way to attack the Chiefs defense. And if I have to trust in one of these two teams running games, it's the Dolphins. Hopefully Raheem Mostert's back. It sounds like he will be, but the Chiefs have a huge split in terms of their effectiveness versus the pass. One of the best in the league, a heavy blitz team versus their effectiveness against the run sub mediocre like bottom five to six in a lot of different run metrics.

And I think about like they've got all these injuries on the offensive line, too, Miami, but they've looked good running the ball all year. Even last week, the first half of that game, those outside runs with a chan and then you can get some of the more inside power with most dirt, like as good as Pacheco is and they can run the ball, too, and I think that's probably a good way to attack Miami. I don't mind that for Miami maybe taking a little bit of the air out of the ball. The Chiefs offense is so bad, throwing the ball in good conditions. I don't know if they're going to be able to do anything in bad conditions. I almost trust the Dolphins a little bit more offensively.

I really like that game plan. H Han and Mostert if you get a healthy version of Mostert and Mike McDaniel said that Mostert, Jalen Waddle and a flock of other guys would likely be questionable for this game.

But it sounds like they're playing, they'll play.

And I guess for me, I feel like if Raheem Mostert's in there, he's in there, and we're good. Why not at least try that? Why not run the ball 35, 40 times?

They might not have a choice. If the weather is as bad as it possibly. I mean, that's what I'm saying. It could be. If it's wind and cold at that level, that changes everything.

It is also that weather for the Chiefs, too. I know there's this assumption that because it's the Miami Dolphins, that they've all grown up since childhood in South beach. All these people were from all over the country and have played in different college systems and stuff, so I think it's just an equalizer and I don't know. Tyree kill played in Kansas City for.

Years, made big plays in cold weather.

And I think it's a fascinating matchup because no team knows Tyreek Hill better, too. And so it's like Tyree kill has been the absolute separator, and since he's been hurt, his production has been down and the defense is so banged up they've given up like 77 points or something in the last two weeks. It's like, I'm fairly concerned about Miami's defense in general, but I don't know if I am against this Chiefs offense because they've been as plotting and anti watchable as can be for weeks on end all season long.

I think this is the game where, you know who I do trust that will be able to make some throws not at the level of peak because of the conditions and the fact that the offense is down, but I know Mahomes is going to make some plays in this game. And I think even despite a down year where he didn't even clear a thousand yards, Travis Kelsey has made big type plays in January in cold conditions. We just need a couple, I think, big plays from those two guys. It's time with Pacheco giving them a nice day on the ground and Kelsey and the red zone making a play or two, and I think that's what's going to take for the bill. I'm going to lock up the Chiefs here. I don't feel overly confident about it, but I don't feel overly confident about any team this week, which is why it's such a fun, super wild card weekend. I just don't imagine, from what I've seen from Tua, that this season ends with him delivering a big performance on the road against a very good Chiefs defense in terrible conditions with his offensive skill players banged up.

I think it's going to be potentially a reckoning for Tua after this game where people are asking big questions. And that's why I like the Chiefs in like a 16 to seven type game.

I am one game behind you in the locks competition. I'm in last place. So it's like why not just start throwing hail?

You're only one back with four to go.

No.

Pick the one you want.

What's the most exciting way to approach the locks this weekend if you're in last place?

If I blow this, not only will Dolphins fans be giving me crow, right, you and I will be tied.

We'll be tied two weeks to play.

And that sounds fun.

And I also think it's like I'm down on the Dolphins. But that said, the weather aspect to.

This, hey, it's just whatever you total leveler tua and meltdown mode on the road in sub 70 degree weather -70 weather. You got to do it.

But this is like, so we are saying everyone thinks the Browns are going to win. I think it's just across the board people have written off Miami and because of the conditions, because it's in city like, it's just this assumption that Miami is going to go in and lay.

A giant egg and they're not going to, are they?

I'm going to lock up the Dolphins right now. That's a lot and I'm not switching out of it. I love it.

Give me those fish. Put them on ice.

How about a little Jalen Ramsey on Travis Kelsey? You shut down the one Ramsey on Kelsey.

Interesting.

I think that's what the matchup that you'll see so you can shut down the one decent player they had. I went and watched that first game. They had a little bit too, and I was thinking, it sounds crazy, but I actually think they need to break Cadarius Tony out of ice here. They have just no explosive ability at all. You just got to take your chances. You have no chance going the way you're going.

He made big plays in the playoffs, right?

He's a little injured and Donovan Smith might be back to their left tackle. For the know, Dolphins fans will point out, when are you going to mention we're the most injured defense in the like? That is absolutely fair to point out Van Ginkgo is not coming back. Chubb, Jalen Phillips, they're all we have talked, right? They're all not coming. Like the real in a normal world would be able to take advantage. Javon Holland, who's their great safety, has been out of practice. Xavier Howard is expected to miss this game. Jerome Baker. I believe their starting linebacker is expected to miss this game. I mean, they have backups everywhere on defense, so they were really asking a lot out of vic Fangio in that scheme. It's a tough spot for you, Mark. I don't know.

I don't care.

It just reminded me, though, that if you go back, that seems so long ago, that Germany game, the Chiefs offense has stunk since then. They have been bad since.

Dolphins are the pick and the four.

I'm taking the Chiefs to win this game, by the way. They're minus one or 225.

There's 16 and two guys behind me.

Too, Mark, if I'm not locking them up.

If this.

I was thinking about it, but now that you guys are doing this, forget it.

If this goes my way. Yeah, you're in a lot of trouble.

It will be the worst I've ever performed.

I believe that. You guaranteed you would not finish in last this year. A few weeks back and you'd be too down with it.

Means you shouldn't do this pick.

Yeah, but it's going to look all the more you're showing dolphins surprise Kansas.

City, an immense amount of respect for you.

Okay, well, that matters to me, too.

I want to see Tua now. I'm rooting for the Dolphins.

He's not getting on the plane just.

To prove you wrong. He's great against the blitz and they blitz a maybe. Maybe.

Remember when, like, CJ Mosley and others, they're like, it's Covid. Like, I'm out. I'm opting out. I'll see you next year. They're going to be getting on the plane and Tua's going to be sitting in the locker room. He's going to be just like, in his chair and, come on, man. Nah, man. I'll see you in July. They'd be like, I don't think that's going to happen. That's your choice. Who's the backup of the dolphins?

Mike White.

That actually makes me nervous.

One little footnote. I can't wait to see what Mike McDaniel is wearing in this weather, because.

He'S going to want to wear something swaggy.

Reed. I know Reed's going to be in a big puff.

We know.

What's he going to wear?

Like, Andy Reid's going to look like a monster, like a literal red monster. And then you're going to go over to McDaniels, who's going to be like, you nailed it in a very tough spot because he wants to be swaggy, he wants his calf out.

Remember last year he was walking around the practice facility in Miami, turning on the AC, saying he wants to be colder. I don't think he's going to be.

Shoot.

All right, I lock up the Dolphins.

Yeah, I don't think he's going to be doing like he did. There's some stat they've lost ten straight under 40 degrees games. So this is well under 40.

And Dolphins fans, I'll say it again, if I am wrong here, I will offer a detailed mia culpa on Sunday. What a guy. That's my promise to you, but you better hope I'm wrong. All right, let's move on. This is the other game that I was thinking about. I think a lot of people are going to be on this when trying to figure out what is the quote unquote lock of the week. The Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of three straight down the stretch to clinch a playoff berth, travel to Buffalo to meet the bills. Oh, those you. Can you figure out what is going on with the bills? Well, you know, the desert and the people that drive the numbers with the desert say, oh, this is going to be a route. They got the bills by double digits, favored by ten in this game. It's the Nance Romo Wolfson joint Greggy. And the Bills, obviously with that win on Sunday night, went from waking up Sunday, are we even going to make the playoffs? To the number two seed? So they're set up well right here in their building. I don't like the weather I'm hearing at western New York as well.

Eric, get to me on that. The heat lamps are going to be on in the lowe's, which I do not like. It does not suit the people of that region. And I feel like it has a.

Residual effect upon 25 degrees, guys, with a 70% chance of precipitation.

And also wet and high and like very windy.

Yeah, well, if it's 25, it's going to snow, right? Isn't that how it works?

Well, probably it's not going to rain.

No, they're saying nine plus inches or maybe a lot of snow, but it would come before the game. Who knows? I think I'm looking at a lot of overseas listeners.

I don't think they use the fahrenheit.

But no, they don't.

Under 32, if the precipitation is coming down, it ain't going to be wet.

25 degrees in a tropical rate.

Snow is literally wet. Just saying.

But wind, too.

You're saying it's not going to be wet.

Why is it going to be contrarian about snow. I'm just saying it's probably going to snow, right?

Yes, that would be great. All right, imagine living.

Let's talk Greggy, what do we got on this one? Do you give the Steelers a fight and chance here?

Well, that weather makes me think ten points is too much. That the winds could be 2030, 40 miles an hour. That makes it too much because who's the better running team here? That the Bills have done a good job of late getting their running game going. But the Steelers have had a nice identity on offense ever since they brought their first round pick into the lineup and their right tackle, and he's just a big mauler and that's kind of who they've become. Last week was a Najee Harris game, and I think you'll see some of that. But I also think you saw it last week against the Dolphins. Jalen Warren getting to the outside of this Bills defense in bad weather, that's what they're going to try to do. They don't have TJ Watt. They're going to try to shorten the game and avoid turnovers. And Sean McDermott is as wild a defensive coordinator right now as any in the league, is creative every week. He's got these designer blitzes and mixing their coverages and changing things after the that maybe more than any team in the NFL and very different than they used to be.

The Bills, like McDermott's, done a great job, but the one way you kind of avoid all that is like, if we can just hand the ball off and we can run, and not to just sound like the simplistic basic football guy, but that's what I think Mike Tomlin is going to think about it, that actually we think our defense can maybe force a couple of mistakes here and keep this thing close into the fourth quarter.

Yeah, I think it's like Pittsburgh's mission. Hang around, hang around. Buffalo has blown four fourth quarter leads. This, if the weather is chaotic and it reduces explosive plays for Buffalo, get.

Them a little tight at the end.

I think so, too. You get into Buffalo's head. I like that. I think the though absence, you know, there are certain players like this, like TJ Watts. Absence is immense. We're talking about stripping a defense of 19 sacks, 36 quarterback hits, and someone that could make life very dangerous for Josh Allen and someone who seems to always have a magic spell near the end of close games. So you're leaning a lot on Alex Highsmith, who's having a career year. Marcus golden is going to have to step up. Guys like Nick Herbig, you're going to need to get pass rush. You're going to need to be able to contain that James Cook in the ground game, too. I mean, I think like Buffalo when they get hot on the ground like James Cook has been a big difference maker outside of the drops, which have been a problem. But I see a game right now in this weather that is low scoring, I think. I don't know if the spread changes because of what the weather situation is, but ten feels a little rich.

The over under is down to 35, which means they're projecting a 20 515 score like it's hard to win.

I don't know, someone's scoring 25 points in this, but you never know.

And this is important to keep in mind, too, because it was a nice finish by the Steelers, but they beat the Ravens backups in the rain in week 18. And when you look at their greater season, first of all, Mason Rudolph is the quarterback of this team. Been good. With all due respect, they had a -20 point differential in 2023. That is obviously the worst among all playoffs. All playoff teams. There are four teams, this is from the research team to make the playoffs of the -20 point differential or worse since 2018, which seems a little high, by the way. All three of those teams lost in the wild card round, including the Steelers in 21. And that doesn't necessarily mean this team will go down, too. But I do think this team has a defined ceiling and I think the only thing that saves them, honestly, is the Bills doing what the Bills have done this year. Shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly. But if they play a smart, kind of disciplined brand of Bills football, I don't think this game is close. I think they do cover the spread and I think they find a way to put points on the board.

So I feel pretty good about the Bills.

The only thing though, I get the -20 scoring differential and a lot of that, that tracks through a lot of bad offense. For Pittsburgh. They've been a different offense passing wise with Rudolph. I don't know how that translates into.

Matt Canada, even if you throw in the Trubisky numbers, I think their offense is top ten success rate since getting rid of Canada because they've had a good running game. We always say, well, Mike Tomlin, great coach. He's a defensive coach. Can he gummy it up? You've got Joey Porter. They've changed their team since they started playing Joey Porter Jr. As a starter. It's kind of crazy. They weren't for so long, because now he's not only a starter, he travels. And there's very few cornerbacks that do this with the opposing team's best receiver the whole game. So him versus Diggs, how physical that will be. Like, that's fun. They have another rookie, Keanu Betten, who's been really good inside. Can he get some pressure up the middle? You got herbig you mentioned will probably replace TGy. So they have some young players. They're also possibly getting their two starting safeties back. I mean, that seems like it's a big deal. Minka Fitzpatrick is practicing Demonte KZ, remember, was suspended for that hit against Michael Pittman. He is back for this game. And they're important because the Bills love throwing to their tight ends and their running backs, and those are the types of players that you have on them.

So to me, I think it's just like it's all Josh Allen. If Josh Allen is ready to just go on a magical tour like it's 21, then he's going to be fine. But if he's doing some crazy stuff like last week, he won't be. And I just like that he runs so much more at the end of the season. Remember, he did this as a rookie. It changed their mind about who he was. He did this in 21, and then the last two weeks are the highest he's run in terms of rushing attempts all season. That's not by mistake. It's like end of the year, it's go time. And that's what I want to see out of.

I think Fitzpatrick makes a big difference for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh leads the league in red zone takeaways. The Bills get a little funky in the red zone sometimes, but I would ask you this, when is the last playoff game we've ever seen between two teams that both fired their offensive coordinators midseason? That is a rarity.

That is the 1987 Redskins against the Broncos. There you go.

That would have been Super bowl, but.

Unbelievable to see both those teams thrive that way.

All right, money lines minus 485, by the way, getting that in there. And yes, this would be the obvious lock, it seems, on sporting, but this.

Would be right gutless.

All right, let's keep moving. This is my favorite game of the week, the one that I'm most excited for, and to circle back because even though I do like Stroud a lot, the Texans never really grabbed me this year. I don't really love the AFC south and Houston's backstory. I wish the packers. In retrospect, we spoke about more as a team of ATN.

But we almost forked them at one point.

Yes, because this is a team that fascinates me with a young, on the rise quarterback in the post Rogers era going to Dallas where, man, it is, all the pressure is on the Cowboys in this game. This is a game that's going to be played at 04:30 p.m. Sunday. And I think about the 2000 World Series was Mets versus Yankees and there was so much pressure on the Yankees. They had to win. They could not lose. George Steinberger was going to fire everybody if they lost to the Mets. So when they finally won, all those players are like, we weren't even excited. We were just relieved that it was over. That's how I see the Cowboys this week. We have to win this game. If we don't win this game, we could get fired. We could lose our jobs. Like, let's listen to Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys after a huge Cowboys season as division champion, talking about his head coach, Mike McCarthy and where he stands about his future coach.

McCarthy's under contract for next year and so that's not an issue. Secondly, I couldn't be more pleased.

Not an issue with what he's done.

And how he's coached now, apart from sitting down and going over the daily receipts and going over the detail of everything we do out there, I don't know how you can answer a question any different than that. I certainly haven't sat down here right in the middle of the playoffs and.

Started talking to him about something like.

A contract or something like that.

Why would you do that? So here's what I think.

I just love his voice.

He's the best. Shannon RJ on 153 the fan this is what I think. Greg. I think Zaddy, oh, Zaddy is out. If they lose this game, I think Zaddy's out. If they win this game and get blown out next week, I think they either have to make the NFC title game or at least have a good fight in a division round loss. But if they lose this game, after everything they've been through, after all the hype around this team, after stealing the division from Philly, I guess I'm making the point in a very long, winding way that there has to be some tightness around this team potentially going into this game. And the fact that they're playing a very good, on the rise Green Bay team doesn't make it any easier.

Not at all. That quote we just heard from Jerry Jones was him trying to walk back these comments he had made I think it was over the weekend before their week 18 game where he's like, well, we'll see how each game goes with someone. And then afterwards he's like, oh, I'm surprised that became such a big deal. I thought everyone knew. I like firing guys based on one game sample size. I think it doesn't make sense because they've proven that they can win consistently under Mike McCarthy and they never were able to do that before in the entire Jerry Jones era since Jerry Johnson. Jimmy Johnson. And that deserves some credit. That said, seven and a half point favorites here. -360 if they lost, it would feel terrible, and it would feel especially terrible against a Green Bay packers team. That's sort of everything that the Cowboys aren't right now, which is a surprise and incredibly young and no expectations. And I think the Cowboys defense and Dan Quinn is out there as a possible head coach in a lot of places, including like, they've been giving up a lot of yards in the second half of this season.

And Jordan love to me has shown in the second half of this season he can beat you no matter how you attack him. Like if you want to play it safe, he'll take what you give him. If you're too aggressive, he'll hurt you deep.

Yeah, I mean, we talked about it last week that since week eight you're looking at a quarterback with an 18 to one touchdown to interception ratio. I mean, he's been pristine. Jordan Love, and he's growing weekly. What I also really love about this offense right now is that the return of Aaron Jones and who Aaron Jones is right now for them has been huge. He has led the league in rushing since week 16 and the Cowboys, and we saw this against the Bills. We've seen in other spots since week 15. They're allowing 160.7 yards rushing per game. So you can run on them. And as dangerous as Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are and the potential of wreaking havoc on Jordan Love, there are ways to attack this defense. And we've seen it tangibly over a number of weeks. I mean, I think the question comes down to beyond. Like Rashawn Gary, like, the Joe Berry defense for Green Bay has been better the last couple of weeks, but that's against the Vikings. They played the you. There's another world where the Cowboys just simply explode and terrorize this defense.

That's what I'm curious because I think this game can go one of two ways. The Cowboys score in their first three possessions and they're off and running and Green Bay is left after the season frustrated that Barry once again has let them down and they have big changes to make on side of that ball. But the other side of is what I said, that there's maybe a little tightness with the Cowboys and you're playing a Packers team. This is a bad combination. A young, fast rising Green Bay quarterback on a team playing with house money. I don't like the matchup for the Cowboys and I think I'll pick the Cowboys just because the talent difference is substantial. They're a more balanced team and I have a lot of respect for the bounce back year that Dak has had and how amazing CD Lamb has been and Ferguson's a playmaker and Pollard maybe finding his way here in the playoffs. We'll see Brandon Cook stepping up in recent weeks and becoming a real guy again. So I'm picking the Cowboys, but I would not be shocked at all if this is what we're talking about. Leading our recap on Sunday, the Cowboys.

Getting picked up right the packers plus seven and a half is, I think, my favorite. I'm not going to go rainmaker on it, but my favorite line of the week, just that this comes down to the end, seven and a half feels too much. The Cowboys are at -360 in terms of the money line because maybe I'm falling for the banana and the tailpipe, but the packers defense has shown something in the last few weeks and then you're reminded, oh yeah, these players are like they should be better. I know they're not well coached, but they dominated the Bears because Wyatt and Rashaun, Gary and Kenny Clark were all winning and not many defensive lines have won against this Cowboys offensive line and they probably won't, but that gives them a chance and I expect at this point Jordan love to score points. I expect this to be a really high scoring game. He is the number one ranked PFF passer since week eleven. He is number one in the NFL in terms of big time throws since then. And when I watch him, I just can't believe he's this good because it's everything. It's the brains.

I think he's got good eyes of where he looks and goes through his reads. It's the decision making in terms of sometimes he's aggressive, sometimes he's not and it's obviously the ability and it's the surrounding the Dantavian Wicks we've reached now the playoffs and I don't think this is even a hot take. Christian Watson is to me their third best receiver moving forward. He's obviously the third or fourth right now and he's been unavailable. But, like, Dantavian Wicks is a real dude. Like, he's done enough to me where he is a quality starting receiver in the NFL. Jaden Reid is a real dude. Whichever tight end is in there, Musgrave or Croft are great. And it's kind of crazy that they did this all in one year. Guda Kunt should be winning these executive of the year awards. I think you get a little pop for staying with Jordan. Love all these years, even the contract they give him. And then this class is just crazy. I expect them to put up like 25, 30 points and this just be awesome. I like the Cowboys to win, but I love it.

32 to 31.

Yeah, exactly. Something like that. It reminds me of that game I went to back in the day, Dak's rookie year. Aaron Rogers versus DaC winning on the road. I think that was 35 31 with Rogers with one of his classic finishes.

No, Aaron Rogers is the media conspiracist. He's not an actual player.

He was great back then. Richard Rogers.

Wait, Aaron Rogers?

Remember that footage he was running on the sideline? Remember they used to send me to games? I don't know why, but I kind.

Of like that this game, whatever they.

Say about Aaron Rodgers on tv, is a lie.

What about what he says on.

Okay, like, I guess in theory, if you're a Packers fan, you'd want to have to have a team come into Green Bay and play in terrible weather and stuff. But for the way that this offense is, I kind of like Green Bay going to Dallas and putting up a ton of points. Their four highest point totals this year have all come on the road. But you can't ignore what Dallas has been at home. And I don't really share your suspicion, Dan, that Dallas is going to stumble here. I think next week. That's very much a possibility and probability. They've had 377 yards at least in every home game. They've blown people's doors off at home. They have outscored their opponents by 172 points at home. I think it's going to be high scoring. I think it's going to go right down to the end. But I got Dallas winning it in overtime.

Wow, you got them in overtime. They're literally tied at the end of regulation. So you're kind of just.

Yeah, but I think that the next level is Dallas. Dallas falls apart and Mike McCarthy's fired the next morning.

I don't flur like crushes and picking on those linebackers.

I don't see that happening.

He's already. Again, you're hearing the whispers. Dan Quinn's going to be the head coach if he loses this game. Zaddy's out. So, Zaddy, I have one question.

Do you think if you're Jerry Jones because you did this with Parcells, is there a little bug in the mind of like, oh, if I get rid of Zaddy. Bill Belichick coming to coach the Cowboys, a set to go roster. You don't have to worry about the GM thing because I kind of am the GM. I can work with Bill. I respect Bill. I respect Bill Parcels.

I respect that you're going down this road. The idea of Jarrah and Bill working together. I guess Jarrah worked with Parcels and Bill, he didn't like it, though.

But Bill isn't. Yeah, but Bill Parcels was paying off his divorce when he did that, so he didn't.

But also Bill.

No, I'm saying Jerry Jones didn't like it.

Clearly he was not that. He also didn't want to be a fan.

Bill also, I could see Belichick being like, I want to go to Dallas to do what parcels failed to do. Yeah. Win a chip.

Go back to the NFC where you can face off against the Giants. They're going to go to the.

Carolina wants to poo poo this.

I'm going to indulge you on this one.

I like it. It's like the NFL dream scenario. Cowboys and Bill Belichick.

I would love it.

It would be great, I think, for Bill Belichick. I just don't think Jerry Jones. I don't think Bill would want to work for Jerry Jones like it had none of.

Oh, the zoo. Yeah.

Guys, before we get too far away.

Just a game up now.

By the way, what do you mean? The zoo is four games back. Let's throw up those standings. You know, he's a little concerned about us. I know, but the listener would not know. Oh, five games back, we don't need to look at. We're showing this locked standing.

All right, Greg, the floor is yours. Go ahead.

I'm just saying the listeners probably wouldn't know. He's one.

I almost completed the sentence, but not quite.

Eleven and seven for the westbrows, ten and eight for Dan, and nine and nine.

I am one game back of second place, which matters a lot to me. The actual standings are 16 and two for Rosenthal. He's clinched everything, Wes. Eleven and seven. Zuzzer, ten and eight and mark, nine and nine with a huge lock off.

By the way, it's not easy to come in last. And by that, I don't mean that it's unfortunate or it feels bad.

It takes skill to lose as many.

Of these as losing from another point of view.

Sure.

I know Greg doesn't agree with that, but it.

No, I mean, I see what you're saying because you're not trying to lose. If you were trying to lose, I think that would be easy.

I would say it's almost well, true. It's equally as difficult, I think, to your point, to go 16 and two as it is to go like eight and ten or eight and eleven. They're equal skill set. Yeah.

Greg and I have showed an equal amount of skill this season.

All right, the zoo, what do we got? Like, in terms of likelihood?

Right.

It's hard.

That's all I'm saying.

Do that. Yeah.

Well, here you go, guys. This is the zoo. There you go.

Okay.

Good afternoon, gentlemen from Cincinnati.

What is happening?

This is what the common men have to do. We have to take time out from our busy schedule, do a video shoot back by the dumpsters. We're not in our Armani suits that are paid for by the NFL, custom tailored. This is real men work. And the real men this week are.

Going to be sitting in a dumpster.

Packers have had a good run, but it's going to come to an end. Love, Jordan.

Love.

But he doesn't have enough to match the firepower of the Dallas Cowboys. I really wanted to take Tampa Bay, but I didn't have the guts in the end. So we're going to go with the easy pick.

Dallas Cowboys.

Lock it up. By the way, why are we playing for second?

I think taking the idea of common man to the extreme now by just sitting in a dumpster wearing liquor. Is that what a common man is? I don't know. A man that sits in a dumpster in an alley?

He had like a welder's apron on or something. I don't know if. I guess that's. I'm not sure what his day job is. Yeah, he hit us up.

He runs a restaurant.

It looked like a factory worker.

I thought he was going to pull the metal face mask down.

He attacked us on text about a week ago about the nature of our common man standings. And I have to say I don't really disagree with some of his major points.

He's got some very strong takes about common men and I think he put, I think Wes right in the middle of the westling pack and he put himself at the top, I believe. Did he put himself at the top?

Well, he allowed his brothers to chime in with some rankings, too, and then.

They just started sniping.

He put you at the bottom, that I remember. Of what his common man rankings.

That was what he said. In terms of who?

In terms of his rankings with you guys. That's what he said.

Two guys with the jewel seat.

He said Wes long said that too.

I didn't walk around like saying, I.

Think Wes long said that.

What are you talking about?

You even responded to that text. You said, well, you must have been joking.

Wes long said that?

That's what he was. I'm just quoting the text you responded to. That's all. He was trying to get you going. And it worked, apparently.

I think he was trying to need, but everyone has a different pov on what no one was agreeing what a common man is. So it's just like you're atop your own rankings, each of us individually, because you fulfill.

I only saw wes as my only competition as a common man in the.

Well, that's fine, right? That doesn't mean we have to agree to that.

That was where I came down on it. And the Wesling brothers, they existed in their own realm in the western side of mean. The man was just sitting in a dumpster.

I think they fulfill many of the boxes to be checked in the common man rankings.

I agree. Yeah, I totally agree with that. All right, let's take a break and when we get back, we'll hit the rest of the games and a couple other items and then we're out of here. All right, welcome back. It is time for the game of the week presented by draftkings. We are going through the wild card weekend and this is a banger indeed, worthy of game of the week Rams at Lions. It is the first ever home playoff game at Ford Field and the Lions are given three points to the Rams. And I think everybody knows it by now. This is the Tariqo Collinsworth game, by the way. Everyone knows the overall big narrative points here, that it's Matthew Stafford of the Rams playing against the team that once drafted him first overall. And it is Jared Goff playing against the Rams, the team that once drafted him first overall. So you have that nice setup and it's going to be, I think, a party in Detroit now. Is it going to be a winning party? That is, I think, legitimately fair to wonder because the Rams should not be seen as a pushover, but that place is going to be rocking.

I don't think there's going to be a better atmosphere on this first round of the playoffs than Detroit.

I don't think there has been all season. To me, they are the best home crowd in the NFL. I love them.

Yeah, I'm with you. The Rams are rested. I think that helps. The Lions forced to play, obviously, in week 18 and you lose Sam Laporta and it sounds like arrow up on him improving. But I don't know. We're not sure he'll play. We're not sure how healthy he'll be. He had a hyperextended knee. That doesn't sound like a real joyride. I think this is like if we think the Cowboys packers is going to be high scoring, I see that in this.

I really do.

I feel like one little thing that I like doing some study was that Sean McVeigh is four and one. I think Detroit's defense is obviously vulnerable. Their secondary is vulnerable. We know that Sean McVeigh is four and one as a head coach versus Aaron Glenn coached defenses with 26 plus points in all five of those games. And I think that kind of stuff matters because it's the same scheme and it's like, I think that we already know that if you study up on Detroit, if you're McVeigh, that the Lions are going to give up points.

I do remember this matchup in 2021 now that the Lions were in the middle of their long losing streak to start Jared Goff's run, I think. How many did he lose straight to start? Ten, something like that. And the Rams, we had this sort of storyline back then because it was Goff returning to LA and it's interesting now, two years later to even. And they didn't make Goff look great in that game. He had a couple interceptions. It was close for a while, but then the Rams pulled away and won. It was interesting to hear McVeigh talking about it now, even with a few more years removed, like how completely regretful he is about how he handled everything there, that he basically didn't feel like he handled the human side of it with Jared Goff at all and that he's like mature and that essentially he was too focused on his obsession with winning and getting to the Super bowl and all this stuff, and that he's grown up from it. I don't think Jared Goff has really forgiven him for any of that. And so this is a true revenge game. It's more for Jared Goff than anything because what a moment it would be for him.

The supposed throw in, the supposed guy that actually you have to take Jared Goff to get him off our books to make this trade work and for him to find a way to win because, yeah, of course no one thinks he's as good a quarterback as Stafford, but these two teams are really mirror images when you look at the numbers and what they're good at in that they're a top five to six offense and that they're a middle to lower the pack trying to be opportunistic defense. And Goff is at the head of that now. He has a great play color, but he had one in LA, too. I think he's gotten better. I think the Rams are going to want to move him off the spot. There's no secret like interior pressure. And what team is better suited to provide some interior pressure against a good offensive line than Aaron Donald and my defensive rookie of the year, Kobe Turner, is he your the conductor?

You gave him the first place.

I did give him the first place, yeah.

Wow. Interesting.

I think he has a chance to win it, actually. I mean, he led all rookies by far in sacks in the second half and his name was fire in the last ten days.

Matthew Stafford passing to Cooper cup and Puka Nakua against Detroit's defense that is going to be he does Walker and he set rookie records obviously with catches and receiving yards and defense pass defense for Detroit. Fair to wonder like are they going to be able to handle that? They gave up nearly 250 yards through the air per game last season. That was near the bottom of the league. And listen, is there a reality where Stafford goes nuts with those two guys?

Absolutely.

And then it puts the heat on Goff. I think Stafford is the more physically talented player than Jared Goff. I agree with what you were saying, that they're not the same type of player, but if Goff gets into one of those grooves, he's as productive and as good as any quarterback. And the question is, will he be able to do that if Sam Laporta doesn't play? Losing the tight end to that knee injury? What is his latest status?

By the on, they were saying he was very unlikely to play this week.

Campbell said, sounds right.

Every day getting better.

He said every day we're going to do more with him. He's improving, but it's going to come right down to the end. And again it's like, is he out there as like a real threat? Is he a decoy if he's on the field?

And that's where Goff wins, though. And that's the thing with this as great as this offense is, and I think they'll be able to run the ball against the Rams. The Lions actually, their numbers, and they're big and beefy up front, like they stopped the run pretty well, which is important against this Rams team, one of the best running attacks in the NFL. But when they win in the passing game, it's over the middle of the field and I always watch with them. It's just like, man, if you took one part out, are they going to be okay? And this is a good test of it because they rely so much on St. Brown and La Porta and they just want that little extra speed juice and they wanted it to be Jameson Williams. He missed the last week's game, but he should be returning this week, which is great because they lost Khalif Raymond to injury. He's usually that, like they really could use winning something on the outside because that's where the Rams to me are vulnerable. They are not like a great secondary. They've had some miscommunications. They can give up big plays on the outside and I think keep an eye on Jameson Williams, maybe having a bit of a breakout game.

Yeah, and like Aman Ross, St. Brown, who is just eternally underrated, has had 100 plus yards against zone coverage and the Rams play a very high percentage of zone. So it's like, I kind of feel like the vision I have of this game is like one of the two quarterbacks is going to make a critical error in the final minutes in game over. I just get a sense that one of these two quarterbacks is heading towards a fateful conclusion.

Wow.

The over under is 51 here. The Lions are -166 to win, and yet I just think this Rams team is playing so well at the end of the season, as well coached as Ben Johnson and their offense is, to me, Dan Campbell talked about biting kneecaps and making this team tough up front, and they certainly are on the offensive line and they can stop the run. But this Rams team is sneaky tough, too. They are a physical, mauling running game. You have that, plus Matthew Stafford, to me, that is tough to stop. I'm going to lock up the Rams on the road.

Pretty gutsy.

Well, not when you've clinched the title.

Well, no, but I mean, I think.

Like, if I think Dan knows how.

But I know Greg wants to continue to compile an incredible.

I do.

But at this, I mean, and also.

With Rams front office officials, he's working his game with them, too.

No, I mean, I'm definitely rooting for the Rams in this game. These are the two teams I'd most like to win the Super bowl, though, of all the teams in the playoffs. So if the Rams lose, you have.

A personal connection to the Rams? Your daughter loves the team, right? Yeah.

Amica, my wife as well. I'm definitely getting on board, but if they lost, the Lions are the team I'd most want to win the Super bowl, too. So I like them, but I kind of do think they are playing their very best right now and not that the Lions would.

Another good game?

Sure, but I think they can get it.

Another good game. I think it's a coin flip game. I got the Lions. Let's go 30 to 27. But yeah, these are tough games to pick this week. And if the Rams win, that means our budy JB long goes deep. Good for playoffs as well.

Ricky Hollywood.

Ricky Hollywood.

Maybe she's going to the game.

Think she gets any guap for that? A little cheddar?

Do you get a Super bowl ring if they make it all the way?

I mean, knowing the way know Ricky fashions these contracts, I'm sure there's something going on there.

All right, the last game of wild card. Excuse me, super wild card weekend is the free fallen, out into nothing Philadelphia Eagles traveling to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers, the NFC south champions, and being the NFC south champion, it don't mean much because it's not a good division. But you know what it does mean? It does mean you host a playoff game going nine and eight beats going eleven and six the way the playoffs are set up. So you have the obvious storyline here is really around the Eagles. They are the defending conference champion here. They were ten and one in December at one point and then just completely flatlined, finishing eleven and six, blowing the NFC east. There's idea and speculation about dysfunction behind the scenes. The Matt Patricia move to let him take over the defense has not worked out. Jalen hurts, seems miserable. Everybody seems miserable. However, this is the playoffs and they flip the switch. Mark, this is the best wild card.

Round that I ever can and they flipped it.

I'll tell you why.

Because this game seems like, oh, it's just going to go to Tampa Bay.

Yes. And to it.

I'm getting to it. I don't think so. Can they win? Yes against this, but flip the switch. I'm kind of over the concept of both of last year's Super bowl teams were waiting for that to happen and they're just fundamentally different teams. And the Eagles have allowed more points than any team in the league since week twelve. And when they played back in week three, I remember praising the Eagles, their offense in general, for working themselves out of a jam. They ran for 201 yards on the Bucks, a good run defense had almost 40 minutes of possession and they showed it seemed to be able to win games in different ways. And now they're just losing games in different ways. They're also banged up right now. AJ Brown was limping off the field last week. Jalen hurts, dislocated finger. I mean, they're going to play.

Brown is okay now.

It's just that they're hurt. DeAndre Swift was banged up. Devonta Smith was banged like, so what condition are they in? But on the flip side, I think I'm pretty suspicious of Tampa Bay. But Baker Mayfield is the kind of quarterback, and we talked about a little about this on Sunday. He is dealing with an ankle injury, a rib injury, who knows what else. And I think that Baker Mayfield is not like the most. I respect him playing through injuries, no doubt about it. But he's not the kind of guy where if he's banged up, it seems to affect his I they were horrendous to watch offensively against Carolina and it's just like we're a week later. It's a bad defense. The Eagles in free fall. But to answer your question, finally, then it's like, I think the Eagles kind of nip, they nip, they survive, but it doesn't provide a ton of optimism about who they are.

Gotcha. I can't feel that.

I take back what I said about Browns Texans being the hardest one. I think this is the hardest one to pick because the logic, it all says Philly finds a know the talent, and yet this seems like it's bigger than any sort of logic. It's bigger than like this is such a football thing where it's a vibes off. As much as the Bucks have had bad games in the last two weeks, Baker Mayfield's looked awful, probably his two worst games all season in a row. That's very concerning going into the like they're a team that I believe is together and it's a good locker room and all this stuff. And there's just something ineffable about the Eagles right now that you can't even put a finger on. And that makes me like, after all the years we've watched football for, just makes me think, well, the Buccaneers will find a way to win. They found a way to win nine games, and it's just more that the Eagles are looking to be taken out to pasture by someone, anyone, and then it might as well just be the Bucks.

Yeah, but I see what you're saying, Mark. Just because if it was almost any other, would I'd be on board with. Yeah, the Eagles are a team that's already dead.

I think these are the two worst. If I put them on neutral fields, I'd take the Steelers right now over these two.

They just get their doors blown off by the Giants.

Yeah, I think the Eagles against the Cowboys, against the Lions, against the Rams, against the Packers, I would say, oh, they're done. I think they can survive this. And I think Baker being banged up is a big part of that because I think the Bucks will struggle to score points if Mayfield is playing the way he has been the last couple of weeks we saw him. And then the question is, Greg, if it goes the other way, though, if it really does, the Eagles really are done, man, there's going to be some very difficult conversations in those headquarters on Tuesday morning. And I just wonder, flashpoint focus was ready, as was Eric producer, that's real nice.

Made Dan so happy.

If that is what happens, man, maybe they want Belichick.

I know this coaching, it was like fairly quiet on Monday, and then each day we get rable one day get Carol, the next get Belichick, and who knows? We still have McCarthy and maybe or Sirian get to that number ten, say, now there's been eight, I think, back to their first playoff game in the Jalen Hurts era, which is against the Bucks. And it's been such a crazy journey in just two years since then. And the whole takeaway from that game was like, Jalen Hurts. Is he basically, can he handle the blitz? But kind of not said in that is like, is he like a real quarterback? Can he do the quarterbacky things? Can he go through his progressions? Can he do this and that? And then he proved every sort of doubter wrong last year with the season he had, and I think for the most part has played well this year. But last week was a not. They were a total disaster against the Blitz. Their numbers this year against the blitz are crazy bad. They've been blitzed more than any team in the league. AJ Brown is not practicing Thursday, so that is a concern.

They were kind of saying it shouldn't be a big deal, but he's not practicing. Devante Smith is back at practice. He missed last week with injury, so that's a good sign. But here he is against Tod Bowles. When they played in week three, they blitzed them 75% of the time and you think, oh, that was a pretty easy win for the Eagles. But you go back and look, it was actually one of his lowest PFF grades of the year. Jalen hurts kind of struggled in that game. It was one of those where we were like, oh, we're starting to wonder, is Jalen Hurts playing well even though they're winning? So will the Eagles just do the thing like Brian Baldinger and everyone's been asking for week after week, it's just like, just lean on those guys up front and run it down the Bucks throats. I know teams don't do that. They love to throw against the Bucks because on paper the Bucs are historically good stopping the run, they're better stopping the run. They give up a lot of big plays in the past, but I don't know, just focus on your strengths and just like let Jalen run.

You run with DeAndre Swift and avoid all those crazy Tod Bowles blitz.

They got the better players, they got the better roster, but are they going to be the better team?

Does it matter that your quarterback, who is a running quarterback, has a dislocated.

Like hand, hasn't been moving as well.

Just generally doesn't heal in 4 hours.

We have a friend, Greg, that we were texting with and know that Jalen hurts great leader narrative has been walked quietly.

I think that's unfair.

I think that's been, he's looked very frustrated week after week on the sideline, but I don't think it's changed who he is as a person. All that stuff was real last year.

What I take from that is we make too big of a deal of all that stuff. Probably is a fair point to say, but I don't think it changes who he is as a character. That their defense is historically bad. They were the worst defense of the league.

This was a report or a no?

Is this our friend?

What I'm saying is that might be dimmed a little bit because all those dramatic post game interviews when they were having all those comebacks before this slide began and he was the confident face of the team, talking about, we never had any fear. I was born for these moments. It seems to me they need somebody in that locker room to get this thing on track, well, to maybe deliver some type of message, to say, hey, we are badass. We can be what we were last year. Is there someone in that organization, whether it's the head coach, and it's not the head coach, it's the quarterback that is getting a message across that the wires have been cut.

No, I'm with you on this.

I also say, I'm not saying he's not.

No, but you could be saying, is.

There someone that can stop the bleeding? Because I think this is mental as it is physical. What's broken?

That's the most sort of stunning aspect to all this for me because you could be hours away from Jason Kelsey not being on this team anymore. A lot of veterans maybe.

I mean, they have a billion of those guys. That's why I just feel like it's not going to. They can't flip the switch. They would have done it by now.

I thought when they were coming back in those games during that stretch of time, they were resilient and they had confidence in just who they were. I don't see a team right now that has that same confidence. So that does speak to what's happening in the locker room, coaching, leadership, et cetera. But it's like, do they trust they can get out of a jam if they get down in Tampa Bay? I don't know right now who's under.

More pressure, Sirianni or McCarthy this week?

Siriani? Well, I don't know. Eagles are minus three.

Depends how those games go. I mean, if they were to lose, what kind of losses they are and.

Stuff, but they're minus three -155 and, oh, by the way, the Buccaneers, they have a lot of veteran leaders. They have a lot of Super bowl champions on this team trying to make one last big game. I don't think they're going to go far, but one home playoff win would be nice. Step up in a big spot.

I wouldn't hate having a little gene dagger off on Monday night in my life.

Not at all.

Would it be bad? Let's pick the game and then we got to close up shop. Hit a couple more things. I am going to say Eagles survive barely 24 to 21.

I've got Eagles surviving also, as mentioned. 20 317.

I'm leaning Bucks here. I hope Baker is healthy. I actually don't hope it. I kind of want the Eagles to win, but I just think they've shown us who they are. And who they are right now is a myth.

What do you got for score?

Let's go 24 20.

All right, a couple of things. First, I have an announcement involving our overseas listeners. They love it. They should love it because the National Football League coming to their house. The National Football League today announced the designated team set to play in London and Munich as part of the 2024 international games. The Bears Vikings Jaguars will each play international games in London during the 2024 regular season, while the Panthers will head to Munich, Germany. Each team's opponent, along with the dates and kickoff teams, will be announced when the 2024 schedule is revealed this spring. And guess what? Our guy, Henry Hodgson, who runs the show for the uk side of things for the NFL, I asked him a couple of days ago, you can do some media around this announcement. He said, maybe I will. And he did. He sat down with Will Gavin, our buddy from talk sport over there. And here's a snippet of that about these announcements.

I think the near term focus will be on finding new markets and really kind of how do we. The footprint that we've established in the UK, which is really seen as a blueprint for how you enter a market, how could you do that in some other markets around the world? We've obviously announced that we'll be playing in Brazil in 2024, and so that's kind of the next market up. I think that's the most likely near term outcome, but I could certainly see the UK having the opportunity to host more games as that program expands over the next ten years.

Henry kind of made for television taking over.

Yeah, that's the commissioner. One day I see what he's doing.

Too, sending the Panthers to Germany. He's very loyal to the UK. Just saying.

And finally, so make sure you get your tickets for that and hopefully we'll be back overseas. You know what?

We used to joke that he was going to become the commissioner, but now.

It just starts to feel making material gains toward that.

Now I know it's coming a real possibility. The commissioner gets paid pretty well from like that would change Henry's life.

Oh, I'm absolutely living in his castle if it happens. All right, finally this happened after we signed off, wanted to give a little more floor to Pete Carroll, who, of course, the Seahawks and Carroll parted ways, at least as a head coach, he's going to remain in the organization and he spoke to the media and as you might expect, was emotional about the end of an incredible run. I think it was, what, 14 years with the Seahawks as their head coach. Here's a little bit of that.

This is worth crying for, Glenn. Nobody would ever understand how significant.

She.

Had been through all of the stuff that we've been through and how important she is. She's just been the angel in my life and I owe you everything. My boys, Brennan, Nate, you guys would have no idea how valuable they've been to me because they were the ones that would give me all the crap about what I was doing wrong and what I was screwing up. They were harsh and their critiques were rash. And the whole thing, it was perfect because I needed that loyalty, and they were the epitome of it for me.

And I just want to play one more portion of the press conference, which struck a chord with me and other people. I saw on Twitter, Carol, talking about advice for whether it's who's following him or in general and finding success in life.

Yeah, well, it wouldn't matter whether it's football or whatever. To me, the essence of being as good as you can be is you got to figure out who you are, and you got to figure out that in a relentless effort to try and get clear about what's important to you, what uncompromising principles do you stand by? What makes you who you are to maximize your authenticity and being connected to that true essence of who you are. That's what's crucial. Without that, you're going to be sometimes.

And you're going to be sometimes good dude, great coach. And he will be missed in Seattle.

There are football coaches through the years who kind of go cut against the grain in terms of really wearing their heart on their. And, like, carol's always been that guy, and it's not surprising to see him fall into tears. Talking about, I think, you know, coaches, NFL coaches especially, but it puts a huge weight on marriage, on family, on parenting. You're not around. You're just not around that much. And he found some sort of balance in life, and he seems to just keep evolving and changing and growing, and it's like, I can't wait to see what he does next. And when he's giving that advice about being authentic, being yourself, I mean, coming from someone else, it would sound like hot air, but from him, it sounds like sage wisdom, because that's exactly like who he's been as long as we've known him, right?

He did it differently. It's hard not to compare how his tenure ends and then Belichick's end, and they're totally different in both hall of Fame coaches. But I think of his introductory press conference and what he said he was setting out to do and what he said here, and he was so consistent and how loyal his players are to him. He went out and partied with a bunch of the great Seahawks of all time. Russell Wilson, not surprisingly, is the one that sent out the picture. And Russell was there last night in Seattle, and they all went out, and you could see the emotion. You see Gino and Lockett and fant and all these people in the crowd that looking like they want to cry. And one thing Carol just stressed, we wanted to come here and make it as fun as possible and then focus more than anything on what makes each player great and just focus on that and accentuate that. And I think that's why he said success, like bringing out the best in people, the tweets and stuff, he is winning in terms of the game of life, just like connecting.

I think in terms of relationships, it's not just hot air at all. Like all those people he means so much to in a way, I don't think maybe any NFL coach that I can think of has been quite the same. Andy Reid is another one. One last thing I wanted to listen to from Carol before we go.

It's been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program, and I've loved every minute of it and you've watched me love it in particular. And it's exciting that there's such a future here and you can see it and we know what's happening and it's bright and the club's got great places to go and there's great chances it'll never happen automatically. There's a lot of work to be done and all of that, but the future is bright.

It's amazing. He said that and he said how excited he was for John Schneider and was really saying how they had this marriage while knowing in the back of his head that John Schneider very likely helped to push him out and that Pete Carroll made it clear it was not his choice that he wanted to continue coaching, that he even may continue coaching. He didn't really want to entertain that, but he made it clear it wasn't his choice. And yet to have the humility to be like, this is how it works sometimes. This is life. We've had this great relationship and to be like, do it with so much grace is amazing.

And the difference between that press conference and the New England one, it's notable. And you have Carol Belichick and Saban all going out the door in 24 hours. And like I've said before, you never want to be the guy who replaces the guy. You want to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the guy.

That's right.

So it's going to be good luck. Good luck in Alabama, good luck up in New England, and good luck in Seattle because they have big shoes to fill. All right. Thank you, everybody. It was a big, action packed show. Huge games to talk, huge NFL news. And if you made it to the end, well, bully, we love you.

Bully to you.

We'll be back. You know when we're going to be back? Sunday night, the flagship program, and then Monday to cap wild card weekend. Till then, heed the call.