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CFP National Championship Recap & NFL Conf. Championship Preview
31 Plays4 months ago
The Goal Post is back after a huge weekend of both College and NFL Football:
Damien and Patrick start off the show by recapping a massive Monday Night for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the National Championship. Patrick is officially a National Champion. They recap the legacy and resume of OSU’s season, where Ryan Day stands now, and go through a full game recap - which ends in some choice words from Patrick to Michigan and their fans.
The Boys then quickly recap the Divisional Round games — the questionable refereeing in the Texans/Chiefs game, the Commanders Cinderella story, the snowy Rams vs Eagles game, and the Bills huge win over the Ravens.
To finish, the boys break down both the NFC Championship and the AFC Championship: Washington is in for a bit of a mismatch against Philly, but they don’t count Jayden Daniels and the Commanders out of this game, while the Bills’ Super Bowl hopes rest solely on Josh Allen’s shoulders. They finish with another edition of The Goal Post Playoff Picks!
Enjoy!
National Championship Recap: 0:00-33:50
Divisional Round Recap: 33:51 - 59:55
NFC Championship Preview: 59:56 - 1:12:15
AFC Championship Preview: 1:12:16 - 1:25:50
Goal Post Playoff Picks: 1:25:51 - 1:30:35
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Transcript
Ohio State's Championship Journey
00:00:20
Speaker
championship edition of The Goalpost. Because Patrick is officially a national champion, Ohio State 34 Notre Dame 23. We've been building up to it all season. How does it feel Patrick? Have you gotten your ring size yet?
00:00:38
Speaker
Yeah, me, ah LeBron James, Bryce Harper, three of Ohio State's biggest alumni, national champions. It feels amazing, man, especially just the the course of this season, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity. ah But this team, it was just amazing. That that four game playoff stretch, Tennessee, blown them out first game. Oregon, right at the ship after a one-point loss on the road, blow them out in the Rose Bowl.
00:01:07
Speaker
double digit win against Texas with just a highlight moment for Jack Sawyer. And then to cap it off, another double digit win over a tough Notre Dame team, the national championship to become the first ever 12 team playoff national champions. We just got to change this format every single year. Damien and Ohio State will never not win a national championship.
00:01:30
Speaker
Yeah, back to 2014, they win the first 14 playoff. Now they win the first 12 team playoff their resume to finish the year. They beat Oregon when Oregon was number one. They beat Texas who had been number one at some point.
00:01:45
Speaker
They beat Penn State who had been number three. Tennessee who had been number four. Notre Dame who was just number five. And Indiana who was number five. That is six wins over top five teams. And Ryan Day just completely changes his record over top five teams in a matter of months in the span of a season. Patrick talked about it last episode. He never called for Ryan Day to be fired.
00:02:13
Speaker
And and this was just a crowning moment. You see how far he tossed that headset when they had finally won that that to me just looked like a guy who had mountains of anxiety and stress pulled off his shoulders. Yeah, I think him more than anyone has been through the most on on this Ohio State team because, you know, he's had a little there's more backstory there. People were chirping him just because he was given the opportunity to become the head coach of Ohio State handpicked by Urban Meyer.
00:02:43
Speaker
the the born on third base narrative created by John Harbaugh, it's gone. It is absolutely gone.
Ohio State vs. Michigan Rivalry
00:02:49
Speaker
He is now one of three active head coaches in college football to have won a national championship, Dabo Sweeney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day. Not only that, but Ryan Day is now top three all time in winning percentage amongst head coaches who have coached minimum 50 games. So he, as of right now, is in an elite tier of head coaches who have coached college football.
00:03:12
Speaker
the the Michigan stuff is the underlying factor of Ryan Day and basically the only thing you can critique on him right now but it's that's in the rearview mirror it's in the past Ryan Day is now a national champion and I think he's proved a lot of people wrong um a lot of Ohio State fans wrong as well thankfully I i like thankfully I did not overreact to that game it was pretty much just a scrimmage with this new 12 team playoff because Get with it. This is the new norm. It's ah the the unfortunate part of this 12-team playoff is some rivalry games.
00:03:46
Speaker
and some of the regular season has become devalued. Because usually, Ohio State losing to Michigan in that last game of the year, especially with already having a loss on their record, would end their season. And they would be playing in a rely quest bowl like Michigan was this past year. But instead, they used that loss as motivation. They were already in the playoffs, were able to get a home playoff game, and then the rest is history. And to me, it almost makes like the national championship more sweet, just because of what they've had to overcome.
00:04:16
Speaker
I didn't cry like Chris or Kirk Herb Street did in the post game. The same guy who crucified Ohio State, the school, the fan base after the Tennessee game. um Yeah, he wants to get back in the good graces of Ohio State fans. I think that ship has sailed a little bit, Kirk, a little too, too little too late for him. But now like the ones who stuck it out with Ryan Day, this team, all those seniors that came back that could have gone ah To the NFL and came back this was their main goal to win the national championship and I think they all feel Vindicated and their decision to come back and I couldn't be more proud of those guys and most most importantly Ryan dead Yeah, you mentioned the winning perspective percentage.
Ryan Day's Coaching Success
00:04:57
Speaker
He is now 70 and 10 as a head coach For those losses came to Michigan but like that to me almost makes it more impressive because he's had six losses that weren't in like the biggest rivalry game of all time and
00:05:11
Speaker
He now has a national championship. I think it's like something like, oh, Ohio state has had three head coaches over the last 25 years or something. So close to that number. We had a one, the Luke fickle sanction year. Um, when the Jim trestle, that was just like, he was the in-between from trestle to urban Meyer one in a rum. Yeah. Um, but they were all in the building for that win and they all have a national title now. Like that to me, somebody pointed that out.
00:05:39
Speaker
And they said that's culture like that is you have a a line of head coaches who have been the mainstays for this program. And now they all have rings. Just it's got to be so cool to be a college football player 10, 20 years from now and just have a ring like it it is such a small percentage of players who can say that they've won a national title. And more than any other sport, it seems to me Like that is something that guys hold to such a crowning achievement. It's something other players respect about somebody who has won a national title. It's just, it's such a small group, which makes it even more sweet for those seniors.
00:06:21
Speaker
Yeah, and it's kind of just bragging rights. Once you go on to bigger and better things into the NFL, like your other teammates, you kind of have it over them. You can always you know run your mouth a little bit, have poke some fun at them. But yeah, if you like go back over the course of 10, even 20 years, it's it's not a lot of schools that win national championships and even have the opportunity to get into these playoffs. like If you look in the grand scheme, there's over 120 D1 college football teams. and you know originally it was in the BCS system, two teams were able to make the national championship, then four, now 12. But in the grand scheme of things, it's such a hard thing to win. And the reality is now with money and NIL, I think the, the, the pond of opportunity for these teams to win is getting even smaller. So to be able to win it in the first year of this era
NIL's Impact on College Football
00:07:10
Speaker
and, you know, just
00:07:11
Speaker
The a crowning moment on that on the season ah it's incredible and yeah these guys are gonna have that moment for the rest of their lives whether they you know go beyond go become an NFL Hall of Famer they don't play a game in the NFL they don't get drafted this is a memory that they'll cherish forever.
00:07:26
Speaker
and I don't think it could have happened to ah to a better group of guys that ah found a ah greater goal and worked towards it and it was just ah inspiring to watch this this four game playoff stretch. And I don't want to hear, as somebody who is who is unbiased in the middle here,
00:07:43
Speaker
I don't have a college football allegiance. I don't want to hear the 20 million dollar roster thing. To me, that is such a stupid point because especially in this era of NIL, everyone's buying rosters. ever Like, it is the ultimate pissing competition in terms of spending money on your players.
00:08:02
Speaker
It's an even playing field to the most part in that respect. It's not like Ohio State is some echelon above these other schools. Oregon gets Nike money. like I don't want to hear they they went out and spent $20 million. dollars There's the one argument that you know probably the SEC has been doing this for 10, 20 years. And then the other argument is that everybody can pay their players. like To me, that is such a moot point and I think it is just a It takes away from what how good that team was my man I could like the narrative around that is insane a lot of it comes from the yeah ESPN guys specifically Desmond Howard who you know will ignore that they just paid 12 million dollars for a high school recruit and This is not even the most expensive roster in college football this year. Like you said, Oregon had a more expensive roster, Texas had a more expensive roster, beat them both. And the thing where most of this money was spent was on guys returning. Yes, there was some transfer portal acquisitions and it like those guys were key. Will Howard, Caleb Downes, Seth McLaughlin, unfortunately couldn't
00:09:07
Speaker
participate in that game with the injury and then quench on junk into obviously had three touchdowns in the game. Those guys were key pieces, but the most, most of the money was spent on seniors are coming back and rewarding them for coming back, giving them the money. And it's just like, why don't understand why it is a narrative? Uh, people love to point it out. And like you said,
00:09:28
Speaker
Get with the times people if you're gonna keep using this at this as like a You know like an asterisk or trying to take away from what they built and what they are then you will never win a national championship because you have to pay to play in this new era of college football and Like you said, it's all legal and everyone should be doing it. Do I think there should be some, you know?
00:09:48
Speaker
We're like restrictions and rules. Yeah, guardrails, like something. Yes. But for now, it's the Wild West and Ohio State was far from the only team to do this. And the teams that weren't doing it really never stood a chance at all. So yeah, you know, the reality is you have to pay to play. It seems like, yeah, 20 million dollars is the rumor number.
00:10:10
Speaker
There's been no facts. Nobody knows what any of these guys are making. You know, the Bryce Underwood stuff, that's all still like hearsay. No one actually knows what his contract is, what his NIL thing, like what he's getting rewarded for. So it's all confusing to me. ah They seem to like be set in stone. This 20 million dollar number,
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Game Analysis
00:10:27
Speaker
the rumored numbers, they are tied with LSU for a third or fourth most expensive roster this past season. But yeah, I felt like Ohio State was the only team that had that narrative going around them the entire year.
00:10:39
Speaker
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I again, I just think it takes away from how good that team really was and how good they performed. ah Speaking of performed, let's get let's get into the game recap here because the opening drive Ohio State decides to defer We were texting back and forth a bit. You said that I would have taken the ball um And you know Notre Dame then proceeds to go on. What was it a nine minute drive? ah something something close to that ah Riley Leonard runs it I think it was nine times on that opening drive they get into the end zone about as good of a start as you could have hoped for for Notre Dame and
00:11:18
Speaker
Except for the fact that to everybody watching, it was like, that is not sustainable. Riley Leonard throwing up after that much physical activity was the most relatable moment from the entire college football season. ah But after that, it was just an onslaught from Ohio State. But you had to be a tad bit worried after that opening drive.
00:11:40
Speaker
Yeah, I hated how much time they took off the clock. Like they almost killed the entire first quarter. Ohio State's first touchdown came in the second quarter and that was their first drive of the game. So when I'm seeing, you know, they're converting, I think it was two, maybe three, third, fourth down. Sorry.
00:11:55
Speaker
And it was just the same thing in Ohio state was, you know, just going for lineman to two line matters. I'm like, can we just stack the box a little bit? But I think they kinda, I couldn't tell if it was a rope, a dope situation. They're like, we're fine. And Friday Leonard runs the ball nine times. Cause like you said, it was not a sustainable, uh, route to win this game. And.
00:12:14
Speaker
Ryan Leonard was gas the rest of the game. Ohio State adjusted after that. I wasn't happy with that drive, but it was then immediately them going down the field in about two or three minutes, calm the nerves a little bit and the defense adjusted. But yeah, oh credit to Notre Dame because they had a clear game pay game plan coming out.
00:12:34
Speaker
start this game they had to get on the board first right I think if Ohio State got the ball they went down this narrative would have been a little different in that game and Notre Dame would have kind of had to Notre Dame playing from behind is not what they wanted to do so they executed their game plan went down the field killed almost the entire first quarter got in the end zone you know Riley Leonard was he had to suffer a little bit to get to touch him. That's what you got to do in a national championship game. So yeah, I'll credit Marcus Freeman for that game plan. And Riley Leonard is, is a gamer. He's a tough quarterback and you know, credit to him for just, you could set, you could see it. It was right before he's just hands on his knees. I think the broadcast was like, do you even do call a timeout now? Just so, cause he was clearly, yeah, clearly just like out of breath, had nothing left.
00:13:20
Speaker
But you know, he he talked it up and then got in on the fourth down and yeah, they got it to seven nothing lead and That was the last lead of their game. That's the last lead they had in the game Yeah, he he took some big hits on that drive It was like it was like a video game like where you like a fighting video game where you just see the health bar like continually going down and down and down throughout that entire game because Every big hit he took he got up a little bit slower and a little bit more gingerly and by the end It was like it looked like he kind of couldn't walk like it was what we can jump to it now and then jump back but When Marcus Freeman decided to kick the field goal down 16 to make it a game ah ah to make it two touchdown game a two touchdown game still and
00:14:10
Speaker
It to me that the play right before they kicked it. He looked like he could barely walk like Riley Leonard. He clearly had like a hip injury going on or something. That was the only devil's advocate I could really see for defending that play where it looked like he really couldn't go any longer on that drive.
00:14:29
Speaker
And I guess they were on, like it was the nine yard line and goal. So it wasn't you know inside the five where you could run a like a run play. You had to throw it. Riley Leonard, to his credit, was as good, I think, as he could have performed in the passing game in this game. And Notre Dame credit to Great House and their tight end, they were breaking tackles, taking the ball, and just you know making something out of nothing. And Riley Leonard, it was just, you have to go make a play. Marcus Freeman.
00:14:59
Speaker
Yeah, I go back and forth on that field goal. I i was happy, you know, I was like the opposing fan. I think that's the indicator of like, I would have been more nervous if they went for it and got it and got the two point conversion. If they got the touchdown to make it a one touchdown game, then, you know, they kick a field goal and cut it to 13. So i it I think that is,
00:15:19
Speaker
my in my head like why it wasn't a good decision and of course he rips it off the post to like yeah that's the issue like we'll never actually get the full vindication of the decision because he just doinks it and if you made the field goal who knows maybe Ohio State plays the game differently maybe they get their second turnover that they needed to win the game but they never got that because Jeter unfortunately hits it off the post and then it was when that happened it was a lot of the stress came off the shoulders and uh yeah it was i i don't agree with the decision but i don't think that was the reason they lost the game i don't think they were gonna get to 31 points at any point i think at that point he was just so battered up but like back to the first half they oh i would say it rips off three straight touchdowns to go up 21 to seven and a half
00:16:07
Speaker
it It was to me that first half was really a masterclass from Chip de chip Kelly and Ryan Day. When Notre Dame you know was refusing to go in zone, they were torching them in man on man. Jeremiah Smith showed the you know the most blaring glaring example of that on his first touchdown. Judkins gets two touchdowns. When they stayed in man, they got torched. When they would switch to zone, they would get torched and then immediately panic switch back to going on man. and and looked like they were calling that game in slow motion because they knew how notre dame was going to react to each thing they would then switch back and forth and you could not really script a better second quarter because Notre Dame took up most of the first quarter. um But you couldn't script a better second quarter from Ohio State. Yeah, quick scores. They executed Will Howard had one incompletion on half on 15 or 16 passes. It was just perfect on offense. And like you said, Notre Dame was so set on running man coverage. they And I don't
00:17:10
Speaker
I guess disagree with that because that's what they ran all year. That was their identity. But I don't think they had played a team like Ohio State with the athletes they had. I think you can make the argument that Georgia may have had the athletes, but then you're also going against a backup quarterback who probably the moment may have been a little bit too big for him. I think we've seen that Will Howard was a pressure player, played his best in the big games.
Championship Game Entertainment Critique
00:17:32
Speaker
And unfortunately for them, it was just, you know, if you, if you double Jeremiah Smith over the top of the safety, we got Carnell Tate, Emeka Igbuka, Brandon Anis was getting catches. It's just five stars throughout the entire wide receiver room and athletes all over the place. They were throwing screens to screens to quench on Judkins. It was just, everyone was getting a touch. Everyone was doing their part.
00:17:55
Speaker
And it was just the ability for Ohio State to kind of spread the ball around. It was too much for an Notre Dame where even if, you know, one guy did their job, the other guy wasn't able to just because the athletic prowess of the Ohio State wide receiver room and the accuracy of Will Howard was just too much for them to overcome.
00:18:14
Speaker
Yeah. And I think that by the end of the quarter, you know, they do the, the closing interviews with the coaches. That was the first time I'd really seen Marcus Freeman looked visibly rattled. Like the, the, the interview he had that the answers he gave, he was clearly frustrated and he looked like very, very, very rattled by that first half and credit to him. He came out in the second half and had a great performance. We talked about the adjustments he was going to make. He's a coach that seems to always be properly prepared, suited to have a ah strong second half. And that's what we got from Notre Dame. But before that, we had maybe the most underwhelming halftime performance of all time.
00:19:01
Speaker
from travis scott that was that was bonkers I think it was pre-recorded he was on the roof of mercedes-benz he was right on the edge of the building i didn't know what was going on with that i don't want to sound like an old man yelling at clouds here but like i'm one of the youths and and that that did not move me that halftime i youre don't be the only, we are the target audience for that and we hated it. You know what I mean? So I think that speaks volumes as to, and they advertise it so poorly where it was like going, leading up to the game and like you and I, I think, and, and like our, the rest of our friends were like, this is going to be like a halftime show. He's going to perform.
00:19:39
Speaker
Handful of songs is gonna be at midfield and you know, we're gonna get some sicko mode or you get some but birds in the trap We're gonna get some nice Travis Scott songs. We're gonna have a nice little halftime show It'll take away from the millions of commercials. They were shoving down our throat throughout the entire broadcast And then it's just like said a pre-recorded, I believe, lip-syncing performance on the rooftop of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I'm like, what what is happening here? I don't know. It was, I guess, to promote his new song. I don't know how Travis Scott and yeah ESPN got that deal together. But yeah, that was you know underwhelming, to say the least, I think, for that Travis Scott performance. No kidding. It was
00:20:20
Speaker
Suck like I they couldn't have promoted it to the people in the stadium like Travis Scott's performing at halftime cuz that would just be like a false Promise like I don't think you would be able to sell tickets like that because it didn't happen class action lawsuit coming up from everyone who bought a ticket. Yeah. And just like that had to be prerecorded. There's no way he was on the roof of the game. yeah It's impossible. Yeah, it was. He did a pregame interview
Notre Dame's Second Half Comeback
00:20:47
Speaker
and he had like these giant leather gloves on. It was crazy look, um but they come back from half a long halftime.
00:20:54
Speaker
You mentioned the commercials. They were unbearable. Like I found that was crazy after that 10 minute, nine minute Notre Dame drive. I think it was I clocked it. It was like 12 minutes until Ohio State snapped the ball, which is just like crazy to me. Like if you're Ohio State, you want to go as fast as possible to keep Riley Leonard tired and have to go right back into the game if you score quick.
00:21:19
Speaker
And to me, that was like a benefit to Notre Dame was they immediately got like a 12 minute break. Yeah. TV timeouts are just horrible for game flow, horrible for teams with momentum. And it's just bad for the viewer as well in and the people in the stadium. Like, what do you think they were doing? Just sitting around for 12 minutes being like, can we get this thing going here? It's, it's unfortunate what college football is. Cause I think any of the bowl games, it was kind of the same thing where it's just,
00:21:45
Speaker
They turn what is so supposed to be about a three, maybe three and a half hour game. If there's a lot of scoring into four hours, and there's no reason for and a football game to be four hours long. You look at the NFL playoffs, which we'll get into the half times are so quick. You barely have time to go to the bathroom, get a drink. ah It's in the games back on. I've missed the opening kickoff on several NFL games because it's such a quick halftime or has college football, you know, we'll go to a quick prerecorded Travis Scott thing. We got Reese Davis, then we got a different panel. Then we run the commercials. It's just too long and needs to be fixed. And to me, it doesn't help getting casual viewers into the sport of college football. And then they smoke screen you like they'll come back from a commercial, but then it's like an yeah ESPN like produced hit like on, on whatever player. And then,
00:22:39
Speaker
the game. What are we doing here? Play the game. Let's get some game flow. You know, I understand like they got to find a way to do it kind of like NHL. I get it's different with the clock, but you know, NHL is two or three scheduled TV timeouts throughout a period. I can deal with that. It's perfect. And then you have the intermissions, which are a standard length. Nothing feels standard in college football timeouts and everything's just different and it changes for every game. And it's just very annoying for, I think everyone feels this way. I think we're preaching to the choir here.
00:23:24
Speaker
Absolutely. But once they actually started playing ah in the second half, Ohio State, you know, the the decision to defer comes back and helps them because they score on their opening drive. They go up 28 to seven. They stop Notre Dame, go up 31 to seven. And at that point, I think everybody in the building, everybody watching at home thought, man, this game is just completely, completely over.
00:23:50
Speaker
And then the tide started turning. Great House gets a 34 yard touchdown. He breaks like three tackles on the way and runs it all the way in. And I think that was the moment in this game where you could argue that this was probably the worst game that the Ohio State defense played all playoffs. And I think that was where it really started to break down a bit where they really started to shoot themselves in the foot a bit. They were missing tackles, bad penalties, stupid penalties.
00:24:19
Speaker
like chunk penalty, like holding like 10 yards at a time. And it kind of just opened that door a bit for a coach like Marcus Freeman to adjust properly and wiggle their way back into this game a bit. Yeah, Marcus Freeman, maybe the best second half coach or halftime coach in college football, it's You got to tip your cap to a guy like that who can get his team coming out of the locker room, make the proper adjustments. And yeah, Ohio state, the defense was, I think they were so focused on stopping the run and and they did. If you take that first drive away, like Jeremiah love had four carries for three yards in this one.
Ohio State's Championship Win
00:24:55
Speaker
And that's the guy who was kind of talking trash a little bit saying we want to play Ohio state. I think you probably would have rather play Texas Jeremiah, but
00:25:03
Speaker
it was, yeah, that great house breaking two tackles. Like you never see Caleb downs, miss a tackle. He made him miss one. I was like, okay, they're in this game. Then you had like a book is going for a chunk play off a running yard. And then I'm like, okay, this game's over. We're getting inside the 25 guaranteed. And at least a field goal. And then he fumbles the ball and the Notre Dame goes back down the field. They get a touchdown. That's when the nerves in the show or actually that might've been the field goal drive after that turnover. Um, but either way, nor didn just move the ball. They went down the field and I was like, okay, this is, this is happening. Like Notre Dame's finally getting it into the game. They're finally getting some rhythm on offense.
00:25:40
Speaker
and And yeah, like Davison Igbonos and I believe led all D1 players or corners, at least in secondary, in penalties. It came through again. Also some bad ones that extended drives on like third and longs and inside the red zone. It was just sloppy play in the second half. But I mean, they they hung on. Once I saw 31 points in my mind, I was like, there's no way Notre Dame gets 31 points.
00:26:05
Speaker
They came close, but in the end that kind of rang true and the defense just did enough to hold on and credit to the run defense. But yeah, the secondary was a little bit shaky and a little uncharacteristic of them in the national championship. Yeah, I had written down after that second great house touchdown. Did you clench a bit?
00:26:26
Speaker
I think it's an interesting way of putting it but yeah, I was Just it was weird cuz like you go like you said it was like thirty one seven Yeah, and I'm thinking all right bring the trophy out now, right? Like just pray in the confetti down we can just end this thing And then it all just started happening in slow motion time was standing still i'm like why is this comic? How much time in this game is left? Like why are we still? ah Why are we not at zeros and it just was going so slowly and like I said Nordam was moving the ball on ah offense And yeah, I was the stress levels got high in the in the fourth quarter, thank especially, and I'm kind of moving it along here, but on that last drive for Ohio State, I would argue that's when the stress levels were the highest, because they went into Michigan mode with the offense they were running. Will Howard was running powers. And I go, what are we doing? Because not only is he not the best at, like, you have Trevion Henderson and Quinn Sean Junkins. Quinn Sean Junkins had 11 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns in this game.
00:27:22
Speaker
Why is he not getting the ball? Trayvon Henderson can make guys miss left and right and break something. And then we're running Will Howard, who I also just don't trust to hold onto the ball. And there it came through once. It was like, they almost popped it out. They run it again on second and 10 goes for a one yard loss. And I'm like, either chip Kelly's a genius because they thought they were running the exact same thing on third and long. And it set up that home run shot to Jeremiah Smith.
00:27:46
Speaker
um man like were they rope a doping them into doing that like a bait and switch I that I don't know because I've seen them run the conservative ah offense all year they did against Michigan and that's a big reason why they lost and I was like oh my god they're gonna give Nora Dame a chance to like go get a touchdown go get a two-point conversion we might be playing overtime And then it was just yeah you left the best player on the field one on one once again. And like I said, the the second half game point was horrible. That was Jeremiah Smith's second target the entire second half. It's like, what what are we doing? Why did you go away from it? I thought we were going to get like 50 points in this game. ah But yeah, I'll take the I'll take the thirty four twenty three win. ah But yes, the the stress levels were pretty high in the fourth quarter, specifically on Ohio State's last offensive drive.
00:28:35
Speaker
yeah it was the conservative play calling like it was it was just not the time for that i think we saw we'll get to it later but the bills had a really conservative second half and then ended up working out well because they made the ravens have to play well and the ravens were the ones who made the mistakes and they got turnovers from it but the way that notre dame was playing in the second half the conservative play calling was only giving them a chance to get back in the game because they started really sharpening up on their tackles. They were given easier looks to to stop them and it just kind of snowballed a bit ah into letting them back into the game. But what a what a throwing catch to Jeremiah Smith on that long pass like just the perfect moment for like that type of player to come up with a catch like that. The fact that we
00:29:25
Speaker
As fans are able to watch that guy for two more years to me is bonkers. They they say true freshmen a million times throughout this entire college football playoff. But that to me is like when they say he's a true freshman. And I think about myself going into first year of university. That is like the craziest craziest thing to me. He is going to be some sort of star like in the NFL.
00:29:51
Speaker
Yeah, they they keep comparing them to Julio Jones. That's the like the big NFL comparison. Julio Jones had 15 touchdowns his entire Alabama career. Jeremiah Smith had 15 touchdowns this year. Wasn't named ah best freshman in the in the country and was not even named best offensive freshman in the country. So I don't know what's going on there, but, and yeah, he is a specimen. He is the best I've seen come through that wide receiver room at Ohio state. And I think that is saying something over the guys that they've, you know, put into the NFL over the past 10 years. ah He's clearly the best. He's the most pro ready guy immediately. I think he would be a wide receiver number one on maybe half the teams in the NFL right now.
00:30:36
Speaker
And yeah, it's just, it's special that we're going to have him for two more years. Caleb Downs for another year. I'm already thinking about a repeat. I don't know about like adding any other fans. My head is already thinking repeat. I think the team's good enough. I don't believe they're going to lose any key players to the transfer portal. No, thanks to let me call. I got to call a guy out. Brad Crawford.
00:30:57
Speaker
of two four seven sports you were a loser ah he asked goes i asked ohio stateide receiver carnell te about the transfer portal after the game he said he smiled and said i'm going to celebrate with my team you are asking this guy in the biggest moment of his career not even a day after, on the field, if he's going to transfer. What are we doing here? He is a sophomore. He was recruited from Ohio State. It's just insane to me that that, like and he tweets it out. like it's that's He's proud of it. You're a loser, Brad Crawford. Stay away from my boys. They will be back, and we're going to run it back next year. Back to back national champions, Ohio State.
00:31:38
Speaker
I'm already excited for next year in college football. Feels like this was just such a great year for it. By the way, do you know Michael Crabtree had 1900 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns as a true freshman?
00:31:49
Speaker
It came up in the I saw the graphic in the game. It blew my mind away because like I'm thinking Jeremiah Smith is generational and Crabtree is setting records out there at Texas Tech doing whatever he wants on off like those numbers. I don't know if you'll ever see numbers like that. Like those seem like unbreakable numbers to me in two seasons at Texas Tech, 231 receptions.
00:32:10
Speaker
3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. I get it's the Big 12, but like, come on. Yeah, and and I knew he was a stud in college, but I didn't know immediately as a true freshman that he was setting those numbers. they That is, that's absolutely insane. I guess that goes to show, like, that was the the run and gun, Texas Tech, Big 12 era. um Is there anything else I got to get off my chest here?
00:32:37
Speaker
You know what, yeah, good going off of the going off for the back to back thing, this is just one last shot at Michigan just for fun. You will not see Ohio State ever have a seven and five season after running a national championship back. And that's why Michigan is where they are because they can't sustain success. And Ohio State is the model of sustaining success. 10 years was way too long. ah Michigan's going to go another century to win a national championship. Their last one before this was like 1946.
00:33:07
Speaker
I believe they split one with Nebraska in the nineties, then they won one last year. Congrats. Great year. Undefeated on undisputed champions last year. It'll be another century for them because you can't keep up. You can't sustain, so sustain success. I'm struggling saying that and you can't recruit at the highest level.
00:33:24
Speaker
Unlike Ohio State and the other teams, Georgia, Texas will be there. I think Notre Dame's got a chance to throw their names up there if Marcus Freeman kind of keeps this up. But Michigan, know your place. The rightful kings are back on top in college football and it feels so, so good. That'll do it for our college football recap. What a season. What a way to send it off. Fantastic game.
00:33:48
Speaker
Congratulations to Ohio State. What a season. ah We will move now to do a quick divisional round recap in the NFL playoffs. It was a crazy weekend, even before we got to the college football. And then we will do a preview of the two championship games. Crazy to think that from week one to now, now we only have two games to preview.
00:34:13
Speaker
It's really getting down to crunch time. But before we get there, it started off on Saturday afternoon with the Chiefs going to seven and oh in the divisional round, a seventh straight trip to the AFC Championship game. Patrick, this was a pretty controversial game, a lot of controversial reffing. I want to start out by asking you, like, what side do you stand on? that The Chiefs derangement syndrome reaction or it This was just a better football team that won this game. I go back and forth like those two penalties called on my homes to me were absurd. And I don't think any other quarterback in the NFL gets that call. I think you actually saw that in some of the other games. Lamar Jackson doesn't even get that call as a two time MVP. And I I don't think that the one in that game, I'm jumping to that game, just using it as an example right now, it was like just a borderline. He was going out of bounds.
00:35:09
Speaker
tackled It wasn't a vicious tackle, but he was tackled out of bounds. I didn't think it should have been a penalty. Don't get me wrong. But if that was Patrick Mahomes, the refs are calling that 10 out of 10 times. And the hypocrisy about that is brutal, especially when you see that he's clearly flopping on some plays throughout the game. And every time he's getting the benefit of the doubt. So I don't know if it's chief's derangement system.
00:35:30
Speaker
sit I'm struggling with the words right now, but I don't, but I, I think it's fact that Mahomes gets more calls than any other quarterback in the league. But do I think the chiefs were overall just a better team and they know how to win and they don't make mistakes. Yeah. And I think they were beating the Texans and the Texans kind of beat themselves a bit in this game. Fairbairn like just.
00:35:51
Speaker
one of the worst times to have ah awful performance when he was pretty good all year long misses a 55 yarder misses an extra point and had a field goal blocked like it was just a mess of a game for him and they kind of just beat themselves where the Chiefs and Mahomes they just didn't make the mistakes they got some calls that extended drives that led to points yes but I think in the end the Chiefs are always gonna find a way to win this game yeah I think that is the rational take to take from that The first roughing the passer really fired me up because he clearly hit him in the chest. It was just, and Mahomes is so good at doing the the whiplash. He whips his head back. And Belchman calls in the NFL, man. My number one thing. not Not my NFL. It's it's tough because you know it's similar very similar to the treatment Brady got. like it's Brady got that treatment forever, and they've kind of just transferred that onto Mahomes.
00:36:48
Speaker
and I think to me brady brady complained a lot I don't think I can't remember I could be wrong I don't remember him embellishing a ton like or flopping like that I could be wrong about that but it it does seem to be a completely different standard for Patrick Mahomes in the way that the refs treat him. And that, to me, is like what makes this Chiefs dynasty feel different than the Patriots dynasty is like the Patriots. There was a level of respect there where it was like this is a well oiled machine that is just mowing people down. The longer this goes on with the Chiefs and the refs, the more and more people are just going to despise this team and this entire thing.
00:37:32
Speaker
Yeah, and I think going off of Tom Brady, I think him and guys like Aaron Rodgers, the tides started to shift in their era. And once, you know, Brady was winning MVPs, winning Super Bowls. And he took a lot of hits in the first 10 years of his career, like that Raffles, Berger, Breeze, Peyton Manning.
00:37:50
Speaker
That era, Phillip Rivers, Eli, that era of quarterbacks, they would get killed. And that was like real football to me. No one was getting the benefit of calls and everyone was kind of equal. And then once Tom started to get that respect and like pass Montana and was like regarded as the best quarterback of all time, I think that's when the tide started to turn. They started to protect him more than anyone else in the NFL. It was kind of unlike anything we'd ever seen. And then they brought that into my homes, into Allen, into Lamar. Like you see all these guys, Josh Allen is like complaining after every like normal tackles. Like these guys don't understand what it used to be like. And now, and now that they're protected.
00:38:32
Speaker
i heard someone say arian foster he says like the quarterbacks are playing a different game than everyone else like they don't have to suffer the same hits the same contact as everyone else and i think that's very true and It to me the second one on my homes when he's running around that one pissed me off more because at least you know He took a hit on the first one. Yeah, I may have embellishment this one He's running around running around and then just drops down. It doesn't even get hit the Houston guys hit each other And it's just why is that a penalty? There's he's a runner. He bails at the last second. It's just so frustrating and And I don't know how you change it, but something has to be done. ah That's why people get paid big bucks and I don't. So something has to change for the NFL rules and just the quarterbacks have to be accountable for themselves. Absolutely. I couldn't put it better. And and it gives us a perfect launching off point into the next game ah because Jared Goff took a very vicious hit right under the chin.
00:39:28
Speaker
on that p six and nothing right like it was it was crickets he ah learned something new that on a pick six a a quarterback is considered defenseless the entire time didn't know that ah at all i guess i like maybe did in the back of my mind, but to me that's like, that's kind of crazy to me. Like if, if you lay hands on them at all, it's a flag. They're playing a different game than everyone else. It goes back to their emphasis when they're legitimately playing a different sport than everyone else. And they have different rules for quarterbacks than any other player in the NFL. And I don't, I don't like that. Yeah, I don't love it either, but nothing was stopping the commanders, dude. The Washington commanders continue the Cinderella story. Heartbreak in Detroit.
00:40:16
Speaker
What a stunning game that was. Like I was glued to my TV on Saturday night just watching that happen. to hang 45 on the one seed in the NFC when you're this scrappy wild card team. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like that in my entire life. On the road too. It was just everything about their performance was so impressive and it wasn't like it was it was a fluke. They went wire to wire in this game. They got the lead. They went out. Jayden Daniels is just
00:40:49
Speaker
it's so impressive he is not a rookie to me he dominated the blitz once again Detroit couldn't adjust he didn't make any turnovers and then you have the Lions who were making all the mistakes and it was just it it it literally looked like it was the opposite it was like Washington was the one seed Detroit was the wild card team trying to you know make these splash plays, these trick plays to make an upset. Or Washington was just like, we're going to operate business as usual. ah Jane Daniels made the plays he had to. And it was just it was just so impressive to me to watch where they get to their first NFC Championship in 33 years.
00:41:24
Speaker
And it's just like this story, like the NFL kind of needed this when you got like the chiefs, you know, looking for their dynasty, the bills are like it's the AFC's business as usual. The NFC was kind of more wide open to me and everyone like the Lions wouldn't have been a bad story, but in my mind, the commanders and what they're going through with the rookie quarterback and how long it's been for them. To me, this is like the best story going in football right now. And I kind of, I don't want it to stop here, Damien. I want, I want more for the commanders.
00:41:51
Speaker
Dude, is this I had this later, but it's a perfect time to talk about it now. We said last episode that we would pick a team to throw off. And now I almost don't want to. out Because we have been you know cursing teams with our support of them. First the Cardinals, then the the Buccaneers. But out of these last four teams, I feel like it has to be Washington.
00:42:15
Speaker
They're the most fun team left to me. And and you know people are going to say the Bills because you know of where we live and everyone is just just a Bills fan. But to me, the most fun team in the best story left in this playoffs is the Washington Commanders. So let's let's just, we're cheering for the Eagles. Let's see if the reverse trick works. We're cheering for the Eagles big time. ah Jalen Hertz, Saquon Barkley, what a story. Those guys are animals over there. enough They can't be stopped. They cannot be stopped. Go Eagles.
00:42:44
Speaker
go Eagles go yeah it's uh Washington's just so much fun to watch they could do whatever they wanted on offense you know what a time for Austin Eckler and Bryan Robinson Jr to have their best game as a tandem they couldn't stop them on the ground ah Every time that they tried to stop Jane Daniels on the ground as well They couldn't like to me that last touchdown that Washington scored in this game where Daniels ran the bootleg on ah on fourth and one and Terry and Arnold just just crept in from being the spy on the boundary and he just ran for the easiest first down of his life that to me I was like, dude, they were never winning this game like it was
00:43:26
Speaker
They could not stop Washington. And even in that crucial moment where he's been running on you all game, he can't help but creep into the middle of the field there and bite on it. Yeah. And, you know, Dan Quinn stuck to himself. He didn't do anything too crazy, but says like, we went forward on fourth down all year. We're not changing that up now. They went three of four on fourth down in this game. That was a huge part.
00:43:49
Speaker
of them being able to put 45 points on the board because if they were stopped on, you know, maybe one, two more of those and they go one for four, this game could look a little differently, but they executed. They've executed all year long on fourth downs. And I just credit to the Washington commanders. They've like stuck to their game plan, their identity. It's, you know, Aaron Glenn in the Lions defense. I know that they're beat up. I know they've had a million injuries to this team.
00:44:14
Speaker
The fact that they just kept blitzing and didn't adjust at all in this game is is eye-opening. I don't understand why they wouldn't have adjusted ah at halftime. Like something had to change when the commanders just couldn't be stopped. Like you said, they're going up and down the field. They're not kicking field goals. They're they're getting touchdowns and it's just, you're going to stick with the same game plan and the commanders just continue to beat them. They didn't have to change anything. They just had to keep going.
00:44:38
Speaker
And it was just, it was, it seems so easy for them. We talked in our preview, we're like, we think the Lions will get more stops than the commanders. It'll be a high scoring game. It was flipped. The commanders were finding ways to get turnovers, stop them, and then they could just do whatever they wanted on ah offense. And the Lions were just lucked in disbelief really when the there's just touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. It was, it was so impressive to me.
00:45:01
Speaker
Yeah, it was. ah What a way for that lion season to end. we You know, we talked about it like eight or nine weeks ago. I think I i posed the question to you like, is it starting to look like the Lions are getting too many injuries to really do something in this playoffs? And that to me kind of like when who was Armstrong broke his arm on or on the first ah offensive snap of the game for Washington, like I made my dad back it up on the tv and i paused it and he like his arm was facing the wrong way like and it was limp and i was like he just snapped his arm like when stuff like that is happening it really seemed like they were cursed in that sense where even if they had gotten to the nfc championship game like then you're playing again injured like It's one of those things in sports where you can have everything right and, and the injury bug can still take it all away. Yeah. And, you know, cursed, where do they go from here? They lose Ben Johnson to the bears. Aaron Glenn just named head coach of the jets. So it's just like, I don't know. You're losing your offensive and defensive coordinator. Dan Campbell, is he going to be able to be as aggressive as he is without the offensive play calling from Ben Johnson, who also called up.
00:46:14
Speaker
I can't tell if that's on Ben Johnson or Jameson Williams, but in the end of the day, I put it on Ben Johnson because you're putting the ball in a non-quarterback's hand to make ah a decision and read a defense, which yes he's not meant to do, and he shouldn't have thrown the ball, but it's just like... And he knew it too, dude. He hesitated, and he knew it wasn't there, and he chucked it up anyways, which you're right. You you put him in that position.
00:46:37
Speaker
Yeah, the second he hesitated, it's like, OK, you have to go if you threw it immediately and it was like a 50, 50 ball, he probably would have had a chance to go down and maybe worst case, incomplete. But the second you hesitate with his speed, he just had to take, you know, the three, four yard loss go on from there. But like Jared Goff had three interceptions in that game. Or no, I think, you know, two intercept. He had a million turnovers. He lost a fumble, was throwing interceptions. One of them got taken back for a pick six. It was just a mess on both sides of the ball for the Lions. And it's just, yeah, like you said, it's just the windows closed quickly in the NFL and you know Jared Goff, if i'm ah if I'm a Rams fan, I'm going, we that's that's the Jared Goff we know. That's the guy who lost it got us through a Super Bowl but couldn't win it. It's the guy who's good in the regular season but kind of finds a way to lose games in the postseason and yeah, it was just a tough showing on both sides of the ball for the Lions.
00:47:29
Speaker
Very true. We'll stay in the NFC and go to the Rams and the Eagles game, which came right down to the wire in the snow. What ah that was like a perfect playoff game to me. Like I felt like almost hungover by the time it ended. And we had Bill's Ravens starting in like 25 minutes because it was such a fantastic game. it The snow starts in the second half, like very picturesque. And that game like 28, 22 for the Eagles.
00:47:59
Speaker
It was getting hairy down the stretch there for the Eagles when Pukanukua caught that ball deep. And I thought that game was, was overdue. Like I thought the Rams were going to the NFC championship despite Saquon Barkley running for a zillion yards and two touchdowns finished with over 200 yards, two touchdowns that went for over 60 yards a piece. That game was just bonkers to me.
00:48:26
Speaker
Yeah, Seiko Embarkly owns the Rams. That's just two games he's played them this year, both over 200 yards. He's just dominated them. I didn't love the snow. I thought the snow added a level of sloppiness to a great game. You saw it with the Kyron Williams fumble, the Matthew Stafford fumble. It was just the Rams. like it was It was a tight game. It was a low scoring game. Nothing was happening until you know the Rams, I think, make uncharacteristic fumbles. I think for sure the Stafford one probably doesn't happen in a dome or in like a normal game. The Williams one, which is kind of a sketchy handoff that went bad.
00:49:02
Speaker
And then, you know, Jalen Carter also punched it out. So that was a great play by him. But to me, that snow, like guys weren't even able to run routes out there at points. It was just, it was kinda. I'm good for a couple of snow games in the regular season. Don't get me wrong. But when you're in the divisional round and so much is at stake and you got the snow raining down and guys can't operate as usual, it's like, okay. Like I understand Kurt Warner's points a little bit. I think, I think it's a little crazy to an extent to go domes everywhere. But I mean, I didn't love to see that that game decided in the snow.
00:49:36
Speaker
Thankfully the Rams scored some points and like, I don't think the snow was a factor in their last drive. It was just Stafford took an inopportune sack at of and it was just kind of game over after that fourth and a million. They weren't able to get it. And just the Eagles like Jalen hurts. He's just not playing good football, but the defense in Saquon Barkley are doing enough to help them and just continue to win games ugly. But in the playoffs, it doesn't matter.
00:50:01
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know if you saw his post game. He was he was Perk Rogers in that game. He looked to be on something in that post game interview. He took the bad hit and like went back, came back in the game, finished with a brace on his knee. But again, like the Lions, like he he continues to be banged up every week and it seems to be getting like worse.
00:50:24
Speaker
Yeah, I thought we were getting Kenny Pickett at one point in that game. He like went into the tent. Like I said, he put the knee brace on and then he came out. And then I think the next drive was the safety where it usually hurts to be able to kind of avoid that or at least run away enough to know throw an incomplete pass or something. But he just couldn't escape them. And I was like, OK, his mobility is clearly limited now. How much is that going to play a factor? He only threw for like 128 yards in this game.
00:50:51
Speaker
Like I said, it was just, Jalen Hurts has played far from his best football in the playoffs, but the Eagles are still winning games. I just think it's a testament to a full team that they have. And I think that's, you know, like they're just, they were better than the Rams overall. They had more guys than the Rams and it showed in this game and in their, and in their first game in the wildcard round, like it's just not great football, but they're finding ways to win. It helps when you have Saquon Barkley that just rips off 200 yard games though.
00:51:19
Speaker
yeah it absolutely does they they did very clearly just have more guys than the Rams did but you know a season recap or a season closing point on the Rams they were the first team in NFL history to have back-to-back seven plus sack games in ah in playoff games they have found the replay they have replaced Aaron Donald in the aggregate like Jared verse Byron young Braden Fisk like it's they They have a defensive line that will be punishing quarterbacks for the next five to 10 years. Yeah, and Fisk got injured like somewhat early in this game. They still found a way to get seven sacks on a mobile quarterback. I know he wasn't 100% in the second half. But to just get after him on an Eagles offensive line that is regarded as top three, maybe the best offensive line in football. And they were going by Lane Johnson. Lane Johnson was taking false start penalties because he knew he had to get a good jump on Jared first.
00:52:18
Speaker
the defensive line and, you know, Sean McVay and their defense coordinator clearly had a perfect game plan against the pass. They got to improve on the, on the run defense a little bit clearly because that's two games or sake on Barkley has just torch them.
00:52:32
Speaker
um You know, the last thing for me on like the Eagles, Quinn y'all Mitchell got injured in that game. That's going to be huge if he's out for the, the NFC wildcard or sorry, the NFC championship game. And the lastly, it's like Jake Elliott is going to lose the Eagles a game.
00:52:49
Speaker
I don't know if it's going to be in the NFC Championship. I don't know if it's going to be in the Super Bowl, but this guy can get an extra point for his life. And I think it's going to come down to, you know, a field goal against these teams like the commanders. That seems like it could be a field goal game to me. And then whoever, if they make the Super Bowl, that could be a field goal game. And if this guy can't make an extra point, I don't trust him to make any sort of field goal in a big moment. It's been a storyline all year. And I think Jake Elliott is going to find a way to lose a game for the Philadelphia Eagles down the stretch.
00:53:19
Speaker
very very possible the last game uh bills they slay the first of two demons also i'll put it that way josh allen and buffalo overcome lamar jackson and the ravens cold cold game at highmark and the bills finish at highmark stadium ten and o this year to me that is like the ultimate service to your fans you have this crazy fan base the Argos did it to two years ago where they went undefeated at BMO like when you can go to a home game and you don't experience a loss for an entire season at home that is just the ultimate salute to your fans and and the Bills just got it done by playing smart mistake free football in this game that was the name of the game here
00:54:07
Speaker
They did not make the mistake. And I think that is there's been so much of that. We talked about it last week and we talked about it in college football, where instead of praising the team that wins, you demonize the team that lost. It's hard to do that when Mark Andrews drops that two point conversion at the end. But the Bills were the one who played mistake free football in this game. And it's ultimately what won them the football game.
00:54:35
Speaker
It's usually what games come down to in the playoffs. Also the turnover battle and like the, you know, the last two minutes of the first half, last two minutes of the the second half. It's like, those are the crucial parts of football games, especially in playoffs and the bills, they just didn't turn it over. They basically made no mistakes. You're right. Like it wasn't flashy offense. They ran the ball 36 times across all their, all their players.
00:54:57
Speaker
So it was clear that their game plan was to keep the ball on the ground. Keep like run the clock, make this game longer, give Baltimore less time to work on ah offense, which clearly worked because Baltimore felt like they had to throw the ball. They had to have a higher urgency than Buffalo did because they were down. They were turning the ball over. Lamar had a fumble. Lamar had a horrible interception. Mark Andrews had a fumble, like he said, drop two point conversion. So Buffalo made no mistakes, won the game you know in a clean fashion of football, wasn't flashy, but like same similar to what I was just saying to Philadelphia, doesn't have to be flashy in the playoffs. It's a one game elimination and you just have to be the better team and you just got to survive in advance. Zach like March Madness, survive in advance. Buffalo did it on um behalf of Sean McDermott and, you know,
00:55:43
Speaker
Yeah, sorry, ah Josh Allen to rushing touchdowns. It was just mistake free football. They kept they had a game plan. It was Khalil Shakir in the passing game. And it was Josh Allen and James Cook and Ty Johnson and Ray Davis in the ground. And they were able they didn't turn it over and they won the game because of that. Ray Davis to me has been so, so impressive about this bill's team, the 42 year old rookie we mentioned earlier this year. ah And it would they were great on the ground like it was To me in that first half, that was what was really sustaining the bills was the fact that they were getting six, seven, eight yards of carry and they didn't have to pass the ball early in that game, which kind of limited their ability to make mistakes on offense. That was a and confidence inspiring game for me for Buffalo. Obviously a totally different beast next week. Um, but to get that win to move on to another AFC championship, I think they're rolling at the right time.
00:56:43
Speaker
between those two wins, like to kick the shit out of Denver to then get a close win against the Ravens. Right. You survive in advance. And I think the role in going into this AFC championship, the the last thing from this game, to I think that that has to be Tony Romo's last game. Right. Like, I don't know who's calling the games next week, but I would assume I don't know. I actually don't know. but I would so I would guess that CBS is going to have one of these two games and I would probably bet it'll be the bills it knowing that they've basically called every bills and chiefs game this year. They're playing each other. Are you are you looking it up now? I don't I would assume it's announced. I know Fox has the Super Bowl. So I would think that we get Brady in the Super Bowl. How fucked is that? Yeah, I hope they go three man booth with awesome, but they probably won't know. Yeah, and I think I think I heard NBC is done for the year. So I think it's going to be Fox and CBS in the I would assume Fox gets the NFC championship and CBS, Nance and Romo get the AFC championship. That is just a guess from me. It is not fact. um Yeah, I don't know. i It's just Fox is doing the NFC championship. Yeah. One for one. And
00:58:02
Speaker
CBS is doing the AFC Bank. I it's just yeah it's so predictable. It's so predictable and it felt so wrong to have Tony Romo and Jim Nance calling a game at night. That's I need to just have it on the day. I can get through it and I need my Toriko and Collins worth at night or Buck and Aikman, you know, Al Michaels, the Thursday night games the day. They just don't do it for me either. But yeah, just Tony Romo and Jim Nance at night was just yeah i didn't enjoy it and i think we're gonna get it again cause i assume that's gonna be the night game right yeah it is that's such a shame that Aikman calls it like he sees it, and and I respect it. and it's my Those are my favorite like A-team broadcast crew is Buck and Aikman. Buck, they're just calm. They don't overreact to stuff. They don't use a lot of hyperbole like Collingsworth. Tony Romo and Tom Brady are like children out there. they They react to everything. It's like they're watching their first football game. It's just like, be a professional. you know Don't overreact to stuff, and then give
00:59:09
Speaker
Give just a real opinion. Don't actually see something that we can learn from. Tony, or no, Tom's the worst for it. He will never say anything critical of anyone at any point. it He's bad for that. Tony's bad for... He can't speak, man. like i I fumble on this podcast. I turn the ball over sometimes. I don't get paid 10 to $15 million dollars a year for this podcast. I wish I did.
00:59:35
Speaker
but I would you you could bet your ass I would speak a lot better if I was. I was going to say, if someone wants to give us that much money, for this I'll I'm guilty of it at times, too. I'll clean that up real quick. You better believe that. Yeah, but ah sorry to Bill's fans who will have to deal with that again. I'm sure even Chiefs fans aren't looking forward to that. um But without further ado, we will get to the championship game previews. The NFC Championship is kicking off at three o'clock.
01:00:05
Speaker
and the AFC Championship is kicking off at 6.30. We got a time here. like it These are two bangers of games. We'll start with the NFC Championship, Commanders versus Eagles. The Eagles are favored by six points at the link. Feels like it's been six or six and a half for all of their games.
01:00:29
Speaker
it didn't cover for me last week. Um, but this is the, the third time that a six seed has made it to the super bowl, the Oh five, Oh six Steelers and the 10 11 green Bay Packers. They both walked away with the Lombardi trophy after those post seasons commanders in the conference championships for the first time since 1991, the year that Washington beat the Buffalo bills in the super bowl.
01:01:00
Speaker
but Patrick similar to the national championship. This one is a bit of a mismatch and it's the Washington run defense versus Saquon Barkley.
01:01:12
Speaker
Yes. Uh, the, the Eagles running back, like Saquon has, he's had his way against the commanders his entire career. Like even when he was on the giants, uh, he's averaging over 137 scrimmage yards per game. It's a, he's the only player to average more, uh, scrimmage yards against a single opponent NFL history is Jim Brown. Uh, funny enough, like it was against the Eagles that he averaged that, but yeah, Saquon dominates the commanders.
01:01:37
Speaker
and and they split the season series. the The second one where the commanders won, that was the jail and hurts concussion game. It was 36, 33 final score, but yeah, the sake one.
01:01:50
Speaker
It's pretty clear what the game plan is with the Eagles and in what it has been over these two playoff games where Jalen Hurts has not performed up to his highest standard in the passing game and they've really relied on a rushing game and Saquon has given it to them and this offensive line give them the credit they're giving them the holes to hit the tight ends Dallas Goddard Calcutta they're just They're not making mistakes in the running game sequence not turning it over so I don't really see why that's gonna you know change here in the defensive line of the commanders I would say that's a weak spot in their defense they got some veteran linebackers that can make plays they got a decent secondary
01:02:26
Speaker
But the defensive line of that commander's team is definitely the weakest spot, and I think that Eagles definitely are going to be luck to exploit that weakness. Yeah, and and that's another mismatch. For a team that just got sacked seven times, for Jalen Hurst to get sacked seven times, this is like the defenders the commander's defensive line can't hold a candle to the Rams defensive line.
01:02:49
Speaker
Jalen Hurts, even though we got sacked seven times, completed 75% of his passes. He rushed for 70 yards in a touchdown. He finished the game with a brace on his knee, like we said. um But I think that they are going to be able to piece apart this defense. They got a great secondary. like they the The commanders are going to have to sell out on the run and hope that this secondary can really play a perfect game and can trust them to do a fantastic job.
01:03:18
Speaker
But again, like Ohio State, like I keep going back to that game is like, if they do sell out, then I Dallas Goddard has looked fantastic. This playoffs, you got AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. Like I, part of me thinks that it'll just be a back and forth. Like if they, if they sell it on the run, they'll burn them through the air. If they then switch sake one, I'll burn them on the ground. Kind of goes back to how they beat the Rams. It was just like, if you go down the list,
01:03:45
Speaker
The Eagles are just more talented at, I think, every position, maybe not quarterback. Right now, I think Jayden Daniels is definitely playing better football than Jalen Hurts is. But Jalen Hurts has played in bigger games more recently. He's you know been to a Super Bowl. Jayden Daniels doesn't have that. this is There's more pressure to me, and it may this may seem wrong because, like obviously, the Eagles are favorites. But to me, there's much more pressure on Jayden Daniels in this game than Jalen Hurts, who's been there before. The Eagles were expected to get to this point.
01:04:12
Speaker
You can also look at it as, you know, the commanders are a house money. It's, you know, they they should play with nothing to lose. The issue is the Eagles aren't going to blitz the way that the Rams or the the Lions did. It was the Eagles only blitz at an 18% rate, which is the fourth lowest in the NFL. So Jayden deals is really going to have to like slow things down.
01:04:32
Speaker
process this defense and, you know, over this, these first two games, Jan Daniels, I find that he hasn't relied on his legs as much as he may have in the, furt in the regular season. And especially what he did to them in the second matchup, he threw for 258 yards and ran for 81. and had five touchdowns, he's going to have to use his legs, I think a little bit more in this game than he what you like, because he's just going to have more time back there and he's going to have to make plays, whether it's three, four, five yard runs and just to get in second and third and manageable. so He's going to have to find a way to make more plays. Well, you know, I think he's got more time and just the Eagles aren't going to be blitzing as much as Lions is going to be a completely different game plan for him in this one.
01:05:13
Speaker
Yeah, and I think they're going to have to play with pace. I think that is going to be something that's going to be huge in this game. It's going to be a loud, hostile environment. You need points early in this game, early and often for the commanders is like the the game plan for them. ah The Eagles have struggled to get going in the first quarter for a lot of their games this year. you gotta to pounce on them early and put points touchdowns on the board if you're washington similar to last game you need ecklin eckler and robinson jr to have you know their best games of the season
01:05:44
Speaker
i think if they do get the run game going whether that's with with Jaden, whether that's with the running backs, I think it opens up a ton for this offense. That's kind of a key in this game. If they can get it going on the ground, kind of forces the Eagles to play a bit more conservatively on on them, even though they don't blitz a ton. Um, but Josh sch sweat, Nolan Smith, Jr. Jalen Carter, they can all get to the quarterback. They're all fantastic at, at applying pressure. Matt Stafford found that out firsthand.
01:06:14
Speaker
Jane Daniels is going to get pressured like crazy in this game. And and I think you're right there that he's really going to have to do something with his feet ah on the defensive side of the ball. You know, the the problem with me in this game is the Eagles don't turn the ball over like you're not getting five turnovers out of the Eagles offense. It's just not going to happen. And I think that was a huge part of why they won that game against the Lions. This is not a team that makes easy mistakes on ah offense like that.
01:06:42
Speaker
I think the same could be said about the commander's offense at least for the last two games they've been really responsible with the football they had like big reason why they beat Detroit was that they won the turnover battle didn't commit any turnovers Detroit was just playing loose and free and it it cost them but yeah it's this one the commanders really have to focus on you know managing the football not turning it over and that might mean Dan Quinn Am I crazy to think that like, I don't know it's yeah, I can see it both ways Let me know what you think where it the commander's has been a fourth down team all season long and I think this game could be like you said Turnovers and possession is gonna be key in this one where they may have to punt more than they would like to in this one and because if they don't get these fourth downs the momentum Philly at home and And like you said, they're not going to turn the ball over. They're going to look to run the ball, kill the clock and keep Jayden Daniels on the sideline. So I think the commanders might have to change their offensive game plan a little bit, but at the same time, you don't want to completely abandon what got you to this point in the NFC Championship.
01:07:45
Speaker
I go back and forth, man, like you dance with the girl that that you brought there. Like it it to me, it's it's part of the DNA of this team. It's part of how I think they build their own momentum and especially on the road. That's a crowd silencer if you get a big fourth it down. But I lean the more conservative side where it's you got to play the possession game. And it's tough to to give the Eagles those opportunities like this. Like I said, they don't turn the ball over a lot and they're they pounce on defenses that give them the chance to like if you if you go for it on fourth and one fourth and two and you don't get it and the next play is is a twenty yard se ju barkly rush then it's the stadium is so loud you can't hear yourself think and then all of a sudden like the tides have completely turned Yeah, and like, just don't be afraid to kick a field goal. Don't be afraid to put three points on the board on your opening drive, and you know, you go down the field, say you're at the 31, it's fourth and two, fourth and three, on defenses that give them the chance to like if you
01:08:47
Speaker
Starting with the lead is a lot better than turning the ball over on fourth down and getting Philly out to the opening lead. like You want to get the first points and whether it's a field goal, whether it's a safety, whether it's what a touchdown, who cares? Don't let them get out to the early start. you the The commanders need to find a way to get on the board. Field goal, who cares? But yeah, I think Dan Quinn, you know don't completely abandon the fourth down thing and know know the spots in the game, but don't just blindly go for it. That's my thing where it felt like in the in the Lions game I know it was a complete shootout I don't think it's gonna be even close to the total that we saw in that game I think it's just he's gonna have to pick his spots a little more carefully as opposed to being you know the completely reckless Dan Quinn that we've come to know and nobody has talked about the fact that the Ravens went for that first two-point conversion and didn't get it like they would have been kicking an extra point to send that game tied like it
01:09:39
Speaker
you talk like it was that to me was that the stat guys go quiet on that and hope that everybody forgets it but it was like one one they should have kicked the extra point to they go for and throw the ball on both extra points when you have Derek Henry gashing them on the ground That to me was bonkers play calling. It was just too early in the game to go for it. they If they kick an extra point, they would have been down 21 to 20 with a over a whole quarter to play. It was late in the third quarter. And you're going for and a two point conversion with like you said, I don't agree with the play call either.
01:10:15
Speaker
and now you like you said they got the touchdown they needed on their final drive Lamar Jackson led them down the field and then they have to go get a two-point conversion instead of having to kick an extra point and they don't get it and it's just like man you got a little too aggressive know the play because also When you go down 21 20 as opposed to 21 19 with so much time left, if the bills got another touchdown, it becomes a two score game. Whereas if you just kick the extra point, you still would have had a chance to kick to go for two and tie it up. They didn't, they didn't get the two point conversion and it came back to bite them in the butt in that game.
01:10:52
Speaker
ah But yeah, like going back to this one, you've touched on it a lot. But just the commander's balanced ah offense has been really impressive to me. And some guys have stepped up. You mentioned Akler, Bryan Robinson. They've been great. To me, it's Dayami Brown has been insane in these past two games. He's got 187 receiving yards in two games and a touchdown. He stepped up massively. Zach Hertz has been a perfect safety blanket for Jayden Daniels. And then, of course, you got Terry McCloren.
01:11:19
Speaker
who's their number one receiver. So like you said, they just need to keep it balanced on offense. Everyone's got a chip and do their part. And I think if they don't turn the ball over, this is going to be one of those games that kind of comes down to that last drive, whether it's a ah touchdown win to cover the spread, whether it's a field goal to win on either side. i If the commanders can keep that balanced offense,
01:11:40
Speaker
I think they'll be do I think they'll be able to score enough points to stay in this game because I think we've seen the Eagles ah offense isn't as explosive and as dangerous as it was at points in the regular season just because Jalen Hurts is clearly not 100% and that passing game might not completely be 100% either. Yeah, you just got to give yourself a chance if you're the commanders here. You just got to hang around long enough for them to to lead a drive. Like we talked about it, they play best seemingly when the cards are stacked against them.
01:12:10
Speaker
And you got to play free and just and give yourself a chance to be in this game late into the game. um But over to the AFC championship The Bills versus the Chiefs The Chiefs are favored by two points in this one started at one and a half moved to two Chiefs like we mentioned back in the AFC championship for the seventh year in a row The Bills looking to slay the demon that has haunted them ever since that last AFC championship matchup against the Chiefs the infamous 13 seconds game and
01:12:43
Speaker
This one is is interesting. If the last one was a mismatch, this one is anything. But I think these two teams are extremely, extremely close in in talent, in performance, offense, defense. like I think this game just matches up extremely close on both sides. ah Starting out with the Chiefs offense, like this is not the sluggish or slow Chiefs offense anymore.
01:13:11
Speaker
like that was a narrative and it won for good reason for a lot of this season in the six games leading up to the chief's divisional win against Houston Mahomes generated 16 total touchdowns without committing a turnover 115.8 passer rating Kelsey in that game against Houston seven catches 117 yards and a touchdown Sets his ninth career playoff game with at least a hundred receiving yards. That's the most in NFL history now They're still finding yards and first downs whenever and wherever they need it Like that to me is that that narrative is gone. Like this is the Chiefs offense
01:13:50
Speaker
Yeah. And you know, like they've got the, I think some guys healthy, Hollywood Brown, they obviously ah added Deontre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy through the draft. they To me, it's just, they all look kind of refreshed. They have basically a three week break. They rested in week 18, had the bi-week, and then they played last week. It was just like Kelsey.
01:14:09
Speaker
just doubled his season average in one game receiving. And while you had like Hollywood Brown, Deontre Hopkins and Juju Smith Schuster all failed to record a reception. But to me, it was like they're almost used as decoys and like deep threats, especially with Xavier Worthy playing.
01:14:24
Speaker
the role he is right now. He's just spreading the field down. The safeties have to go back.
Chiefs vs. Bills Playoff Preview
01:14:29
Speaker
Derek Stingley's all you know he's enamored with him. And you just got Travis Kelsey underneath in the middle of the field wide open throughout that entire game. He made them pay and he's he's just steps up in the biggest times. and i You know, you got Brady and Gronk and Brady and Edelman, like all those guys, it's just there's some guys in the playoffs that you trust more than others and they know how to get the job done more than other teams do. And that's my homes in Kelsey. And they've been doing it throughout this entire time. They're looking for a three piece here. And it's got to be their focus of for the bills and the Chiefs. The Chiefs are definitely going to look to get the ball to Travis Kelsey in this game. And the bills have to find a way to stop it and make someone else beat them.
01:15:09
Speaker
And if they don't like I, if Kelsey goes up and puts like the exact same stat line he did against the Texans, I, yeah I think the chiefs win this game. Yeah. Yeah. i I agree. I think that it's tough because Mark Andrews, I thought like aside from the mistakes, man, he was playing a good game. Like there was so many times where the chiefs would be really concerned with covering downfield threats and similar to Kelsey Andrews would just sneak up in the middle there.
01:15:37
Speaker
have no one near him make a huge catch get a huge first down like that can't happen you can't let Travis Kelsey torture you in this game because it's gonna be the same script they're gonna then over rely on covering him then they'll hit one of those other skill guys deep and it's like to me that's why this Chiefs offense is so dangerous because once kelsey gets going man like it it really unlocks the entirety the ah offense it unlocks the running game like it it's it's something that the the bills have to be extremely extremely wary of and for this bill's defense like you go back to that week eleven game where they beat casey They held KC to a then season low of 259 yards on offense, forced two interceptions at Mahomes on Mahomes. They stopped the run game. They held them to 78 yards on the ground. Granted, that was when Pacheco was still injured. um But now with this Bills defense looking much more like it should have the whole season with those injuries, the own I give more confidence in the Bills defense going into this game. The problem is it's not at high mark.
01:16:45
Speaker
like it it is in Arrowhead. That is, to me, the toughest place to play in the entire NFL. Yeah, I don't disagree with that. It's going to be freezing cold. Yeah, like going off your point about Mark Andrews and everything, I wrote down like the bill's secondary has to be better because I thought the same thing. Isaiah likely had a massive catch on the first drive. I felt like Mark Andrews was running wide open and it was pretty clear that the bills were selling out to stop Derek Henry. Derek Henry, they held him to 84 yards rushing as opposed to, you know, 199 in their week four match ups. Like it was clear that the bill's like, we're going to stop the run.
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes Showdown
01:17:24
Speaker
I don't think the Chiefs have the same running threat and Kareem Hunt looks like their lead back right now. And I was shocked at at the way therere the the ball got distributed between the two. Kareem Hunt had eight touches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Pacheco had five touches for 18 yards.
01:17:41
Speaker
So it was clear that hunt is not only their goal line back, but he's going to be their feature back in this one. They probably trust him a little bit more in the receiving game. So the bills are going to have to have a different game plan, like you were mentioning, and it's probably going to be a lot of zone. If I had to guess, it's just going to be luck. Keep them in front of you, play a Ben, but don't break defense. And then when it they get to the other side of the field, hold them to field goals. Like they want to see a lot of Harrison Bucker coming out of there and not a lot of Kelsey. doing a celebration dances and Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark in the box going crazy like they want to keep this into a field goal game and then they have to be the ones to convert in the red zone and score touchdowns because if the Chiefs get going on offense and start scoring touchdowns and get like you said one of the heart like the best stadiums to play at going it's gonna be a rowdy atmosphere and I don't know if the Bills are gonna be ready for it.
01:18:32
Speaker
agreed I think the one thing that the bills have going for them as an edge in this game and it's not I'm not breaking any any news with this it's Josh Allen like if there's one person who has been able to really gash this Chiefs defense it's Josh Allen he's playing out of his mind this season back in that week 11 game he put up the bills put up 30 points he had 262 yards and a touchdown in the air and a touchdown on the ground 55 yards rushing the rushing touchdown on fourth and two with 217 left like it was like his Heisman moment up up to that point in the season he's four and four against the Chiefs all time including the playoffs if Josh Allen is is at his best in this game
01:19:19
Speaker
The Chiefs defense is going to have a lot on their hands. Like that there's no secret that the Chiefs defense has been the foundation to this team all season long. They sacked CJ Stroud eight times. There's dogs everywhere, whether it's Karloff this, whether it's McDuffie, whether it's Chris Jones. But to me, the the key to this game for the Bills is getting.
01:19:42
Speaker
the Chiefs defense off schedule like it and making them have to scramble around and really not know what's coming next because I think that's the best part about Josh Allen's game from seeing him crush the Dolphins so many times. It's the unpredictability at times. It's like guys on defense sometimes have no idea what he's going to do next, and he'll run for a big first down. He'll look like he's going to run and then hit you for 15 yards. yeah Josh Allen's the key in this game.
01:20:10
Speaker
Absolutely. And, you know, to me, it's why I believe he's still he's still my MVP because he has been the reason the bills are at this point. He hasn't had a ton of help. And that run that he had against the Chiefs to me like that was the that that won them the game. It was like his Heisman moment, his MVP moment. And it was just he stepped up. And to me, like you said, it's like Josh Allen is going to be the feature in this game. I think on any third and fourth and short, he is going to be the one that gets it done with the legs.
01:20:40
Speaker
to me it's on first and second down where they they're gonna have to change their game plan a little bit against the Ravens where the Chiefs have that run defense where I don't think they're gonna be able to run it 36 times and be successful and someone else other than Khalil Shakir is gonna have to help out in the receiving game Shakir at 52 more receiving yards than any other Bills receiver against the Ravens like that is not sustainable because, like I said, McDuffie's out there, they're linebackers. They can cover Shakir and almost take him out of the game. ah And someone's like, whether it's key uncle, Amari Cooper, where are you? It's my Cooper cup call out of last week. Cooper comes stepped up for me. I'm calling out Amari Cooper this week. Where are you, man? I barely even saw you out on the field. Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel are getting more action than you out there. You were brought in as an as like a deadline acquisition as a veteran receiver to help like
01:21:30
Speaker
I'm not a great receiving room. You would have been you boost it You're definitely a top three receiver on this team and you're just invisible out there He has to step up and basically like Dalton King K Dawson Knox like Shakira's been in their safety blanket. He's going to need another one in this game to continue to get ahead of the chains on first and second down and become less predictable in third and longs. But yeah, it's it's just crazy to me. And another thing that the Bills have going for them, which has kind of plagued them in the past, they're finding ways to close out games. It's Mahomes 3-0 against Josh Allen in the playoffs. And it's always been close games. And it's just Mahomes has found the way to close these out. And Allen has always been on the losing side.
01:22:12
Speaker
through two games, like they blew out the Broncos, but that game, it felt like the Ravens were kind of maybe moving the ball a little bit better on ah offense and maybe had a little bit of momentum. But like you said, they just didn't turn the ball over. They did what they had to do. The defense got stops when necessary and they found a way to close games out late. It's no secret that this is probably going to be a one score game and the bills and Josh Allen are going to have to find a way to close this game out once again.
01:22:37
Speaker
Yeah, that's put perfectly like you got to have secondary scoring like this was hockey. You need secondary scoring here from this bill's ah offense. Like it can't just be Shakir. You need a Mark Cooper in there. You need Dawson Knox, dude, like he came on the scene so hot and now has just cooled off to a ridiculous amount. Like you need these guys. these these This is the type of game where you need everybody chipping in to take down a team like the Chiefs.
01:23:07
Speaker
I'm excited, man. and Like it it is. It is going to be a fantastic, fantastic game. I can't wait to watch it. the The last thing you mentioned, Josh Allen is still your MVP. Based on how a lot of reporters and people who have MVP votes reacted to Lamar Jackson losing that game, I think Lamar Jackson is going to win the MVP.
01:23:30
Speaker
I know and it's on I agree with you. canney He was the first team All-Pro and it's that it's the same people who vote on the All-Pro team are usually the MVP voters. I like i agree that Lamar Jackson is probably going to win it but I think that it's it's insane how they change the narrative year to year because last year It was Lamar Jackson had not good stats and Josh Allen had better stats in it was the turnover thing that killed them But he had way better stats. He had a better team now this year Lamar's got the better team He's got he's got Derek Henry who helps him immensely do whatever he wants in the passing game And then Josh Allen is single-handedly in my opinion Bringing the bills to an AFC championship and it's a shame that you know They have to vote it for a regular season award
01:24:15
Speaker
because it was clear that Josh Allen was the better and he wasn't amazing. But Lamar made the mistakes and Lamar is I bet would much rather be in the AFC Championship game right now than win his third MVP. But yeah, I don't like how they changed it. Go ahead. They were justifying their votes like the way that they reacted on the timeline. Well, I didn't see a ton of it, but I know I was going off like the AP team. Yeah.
01:24:40
Speaker
Just everybody from Emmanuel Ocho to Ryan Clark to two members of the media being like Lamar, this wasn't your fault. Keep your head up. You played a great game. Like just the sentiment. i I have never seen a player get coddled so much than Lamar Jackson after that loss. Like it was to me, it felt like people were kind of defending the fact that they most likely voted him for MVP.
01:25:05
Speaker
And Lamar, while he did what he had to do and drive them down the field on that last drive, had two brutal turnovers that resulted in points. yeah So Lamar, it was just you know whatever. I'm not going to hold it against you. But that narrative kind of holds up as the playoff Lamar, he he finds a way to turn the ball over. He has a losing record in the playoffs, three and five. it's it's just you know The narrative is kind of lazy at points. And I don't think he was the sole reason why they lost that game.
01:25:34
Speaker
But I mean, Josh Allen is single handedly, in my opinion, took the bills to this point. And I don't see that changing. And if the if the bills go to the Super Bowl, it's going to be because of Josh Allen. Stamp
Playoff Predictions Debate
01:25:48
Speaker
that.
01:25:48
Speaker
Somebody clipped that, I agree. ah And we'll move now finally to our goalpost playoff picks. We're headed for a disaster here, folks. I was one and one, I am now two and two. Patrick was one and one, he's now two and two. We are just headed for a stalemate here and we now have two games to pick from.
01:26:10
Speaker
this I still hold serve here because I started this whole picks thing and we've been dead even. I can't tell if this helps you or hurts you going first. I think it hurts me because is tough by I had the eagles I have no in the chiefs on the spread the chiefs did the job for me eagles one by six I had them at six and a half idea where to go whatsoever.
01:26:44
Speaker
um
01:26:47
Speaker
This is tough. i am so split dude yeah i mean it's you go ahead yeah i'm gonna go with my initial lean here which is over 47 and a half in commander's eagles i know you said earlier in the episode you thought it was going to be far under that or or it wasn't going to be close to their second game which i think was 69 points nice i Yeah, I just I was gonna be different game than like the 76 points scored in the commander's Lions game. I just said I don't think it's me a different style at game So you got about 30 points to work with there. I think he you'll you'll be alright Yeah, I just I I see the commanders being able to put up enough points like I think the Eagles win this game But I think the commanders put up enough points to to get over this number.
01:27:38
Speaker
Yeah, no, i'd like I said, i don't I can't disagree or agree with any of them because I'm in a similar spot to you where it's kind of like yeah i'm just shooting in the dark right now. I'm going to go with a pick that if it loses, I can rest my head and say, oh, well, I mean, I don't look like an idiot. And that's going to be the Chiefs minus one and a half. I can just live with that pick if they lose. They've proven that they can find ways to win this games. Well, I think Buffalo is playing a little bit better football right now. The Chiefs and their blood magic i might as well be on the right side of the blood magic for once.
01:28:12
Speaker
Yeah, I, uh, I don't hate that. I, the problem with me is I think I've gotten every single bills game that I've picked on this program this year wrong. Like I've been on the wrong side of them every single time. So I couldn't touch that. Uh, I am going to go, I'm going to stick and be a total merchant here and go under in chief spills under 47 and a half.
01:28:38
Speaker
I like how the totals are the exact same in both games. yeah Um, man, should I go against you and make something happen here? Cause like I said, i nothing's jumping out at me. yeah You know what? I'm going to go with my gut here. I'm going to take the commanders with the points six and a half. So law in a, in a division rivalry game, hopefully they can keep it within a touchdown. I think they have a chance to win. I really do. Uh, Jalen hurts. Like I've said throughout this has just not been playing great football. Maybe this is the game that it comes back to bite them.
01:29:06
Speaker
ah So I'll take the commanders with the point six and a half's a lot in a playoff game, especially the NFC Championship. Yeah, and there's something about that six and a half number after getting burned on it last week against the Rams that makes me really think that is possible for the commanders to cover. I looked at it. um Certainly wasn't much to choose from here. We're were getting down to the bare bones here, um but that'll do it for us on the goal post this week. Get out there and watch some football this weekend. We don't have many weekends left.
01:29:37
Speaker
to two precisely. Yeah, I don't count the Pro Bowl week either because it's just become a bit of a I don't even know what to call it. Yeah, it's it's it's a mess now. A once proud event has has gone downhill. But yeah, it's you know, this is the weekend. ah Three o'clock, six thirty gets your TV, maybe mute the night game, maybe mute both of them with Brady and Nancy. It's find an alternate broadcast, Spanish. They got a million different languages now. Get after it and just enjoy the games.
01:30:06
Speaker
Yeah, enjoy the games, whether they're on mute or with the sound, ah but we'll be back next week to break it all down for you. Until next week Patrick, I'll see ya. See ya Damien.