The Saturday edition of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Peter Schrager, and Akbar Gbajabiamila asking Fmr HC Ron Rivera about the Bears making changes. The table looks back at Preseason Predictions to see how they're shaping up. Are the Eagles on par with the Lions in the NFC? Plus, a look at the best games coming in Week 11 in Mad Minute!
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Yeah, this is Good Morning Football.
It's our show that we know and we love and we love that you're here.
We're live in LA and New York. I'm Jimmy or at all.
This is off.
Barbaja, BM Miller, Peter Striker, Kyle Brandt, and Manteo at the table today. Here we go breaking news at the table on GMFB. And of course we have Ron Rivere here who at times you show up, things happen moments before you're supposed.
To be on the show.
And now we've got to talk about the Chicago Bears and they've moved on from their offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron. Is this a move that you expected? And why do you think they did?
You know it was something that was kind of expected. The big reason, more so anything else, is they've got to do something to liven it up. If you don't do anything at this point in time, players begin to wonder, do you care about us? You know, we need to do something, Do something that's going to be stark, something that's going to get our attention.
And let's go forward.
Look at what happened at New Orleans this past weekend had a lot of energy so on fgret, which one you guys mentioned the fact that this could be a spark that gets them going. That's important, it really is. And it's not just you know who you hire, but what do they do once you hire them? Okay, we went through this with the number one pick we drafted Cam Newton. Okay, Rob Saidzinski, Okay, Mike Shula, Scott Turner. They go down to Auburn, they meet with Auburn, they talk about what they did, how they did it, and then they took what they believe were the best things from that that Cam Newton did and integrated them into our.
Offense, the offense that we were going to use.
So we're taking guys and we weren't putting them in something that was new and different.
We were putting him in something that was familiar, and then.
We added to it as well, and he adapted very very quickly.
I'm not saying Shane didn't do that. Maybe he needs to do that.
Maybe that was something that you should have done because once you get there, now, how are you going to handle them? Are you going to try and put somebody into a into something he's not comfortable with and.
Teach them all over again. You know, it's interesting.
I had a conversation with with Cliff Kingsbury about what he did and how they things with Jay, and that's exactly what he did. He goes down to LSU, he looks at a bunch of their tape, talks to the coaches, and he took those things that he did there.
And integrated into his offense.
He also took the virtual reality stuff and they used that and got it for him as well. And now all of a sudden, you've got a young man who's growing and developing very very quickly because he's in some familiar surroundings, even though it's a new staff that he's working with.
Hey Ron, I look at the situation now. Look, Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown were together with the Rams under McVeigh, so they have a great relationship. And Thomas Brown was one of Shane's hires. He came in with him. Is there like I look at last year for example, when the Bills and Brandon Bean was the GM but of course Sean McDermott had to let go of Ken Dorsey.
But Joe Brady, who was assistant was elevated and they got a kind of a kickstart.
Is there as a coach, like a survivor's guilt when one of the coordinators is fired but the guy he brought in now gets the big job. What's the feeling in the building amongst the coaches when that goes down?
Well, you know, it really isn't that much of a feeling unless somebody feels somebody undercut somebody, And that's probably not what I'm not saying that happen here. What I'm saying, more so than anything else, is you have to do something to get it kickstarted. Maybe Thomas will look at things differently, look at from a different angle. I know I did that at one point in my career when I was in San Diego. We let the defensive coordinator go and they promoted me to defensive coordinator, And first thing I did was approached it differently.
You know.
We got together and we talked about the things we felt our players did best. We talked about things that we didn't feel they did very well, and we eliminated those things. And we also compacted the playbook. You know, we cut out probably two hundred pages and just say these are the things we're going to do, and then our approach was different because we talked about how we want to use players differently. So I think when you do something like that, you know, the focus really is on how are we going to handle it, how are we going to grow, how are we going to do things going forward differently? We can't keep doing the same thing, because Albert Einstein said, that's insanity if you're expecting something different to happen.
Yeah, Coach, there's something that I want to bring up that I'm not sure that most people are really aware of right inside the locker room, and you obviously can speak to this, the challenge of having a ricket quarterback with veteran weapons and the pressure not only on Caleb Williams to come in as a number one overall pick right, that pressure alone, but now stepping into that huddle and having failed no success at all offensively with veterans looking back at you, trying to figure out exactly why is it that you're struggling. Did they have to make this move not only for the lack of production but also to try to retain this locker room?
Yes, I think they did, because again, if you're not showing that what you're trying to do is win and we'll do whatever it takes to win. You're gonna lose people, and this is something you have to be concerned about. And you know you brought something of it.
Very interesting.
If you take all these tools, all these weapons, and you surround the young guy around, did they give them too many? I mean, look at the quality of players that they've brought in, and can you keep everybody happy? Can you spread the ball around enough, you know, to keep those guys happy. So again, you could be putting pressure on your quarterback without realizing that you've got too many weapons. And one thing you got also understands they got to protect them better though, because if you bring in a quarterback and he's your franchise guy, you've got to be able to protect him, and then you got to have playmakers around him to get the ball to him.
Yeah, and they can't protect him right now, coach, I mean thirty eight sacks, like second most in the league right now, Like the dude just doesn't seem like he has an opportunity. But like I guess, you know, at the risk of sounding like you know, the cynical dude, Like it just feels like you know, sometimes coaches get fired and they seem like a scapegoat and it doesn't necessarily change it. I've been a part of these changes whereas is like you just elevated the homie and say, yo, linebacker coach, you're this, or offensive coordinator, and you just bring them in and it doesn't change, and it's just like, Okay, maybe for the next couple of weeks. Everybody's riding on the high that there's a change, but ultimately you're running the same offense, you have the same type of thing, and you're not doing the same type of teaching. Where does the teaching come in to take because there's a lot of teaching and correction that needs to happen if Caleb Williams is going to live up to the hype that came in, you know from the very beginning.
Well again, as one of the things I talked about earlier was are they doing too much? Are they asking him to do too much? It's interesting because you look at you look at what's happening and with the commanders and how they've handled that, and that's been spectacular early has and it's very simple though when you look at it and break it down on tape. So are they doing the same in Chicago? Is it too complicated? Is eliminating some of the things and saying, listen, you know, let's tighten up the call sheet and let's give him a limited number of things, and have asked him to do these things very very well.
Okay, Well let me ask this then, because when I'm watching Caleb, the one thing I always noticed, it just feels like he's always trying to make things happen. When you've got dogs around you, you got a bunch of star players around you, and yet he's he's dancing and wiggling around and just trying to make things happen. Like, where does that come from with the quarterback? Like when he's in that type of situation.
Well, one of the things that you know, we know to talking about young quarterbacks because again believing when we were in Washington, we were looking for him. You watch a lot of these guys and one of the things that you sit there and you say, man, you know, he extends plays, he starts moving around too soon.
He's not letting him develop.
If he hold himself in the pocket, just one more tick, that guy's going to come open. So again, part of it is as you said, is the development, the growth of learning, the understanding, just so that the offense as it goes and it's out there working, are these progressions being able to be completed?
Are the routes being run completely?
So now as I'm sitting there and reading through my progressions, I'm looking at the defense, I can.
Say, hey, I can wait for the spin dick.
I can wait for the guy to curl up in front of the linebacker so he drives down and then all of a sudden you've got to dig the in route coming.
In behind it.
So these are all these kinds of things that you've got to ask and you've got to go through. Now as the new coordinator, you've got to be able to have broken down this tape, understand what your quarterback needs, and then go out and it corrected.
Yeah, I mean you're all over this move.
To me, the Bears season is deeply secondary to some other things. Maybe they finished seven to ten eight, now, who the hell knows. The offense is broken, the team is broken. This is all about making sure the quarterback is not broken. Caleb needs to be protected and insulated and never mind passed block And of course yes, I'm talking about here. And if you saw this week, Bears fans, especially Daniel Jeremiah, who does this thing for a living, was watching all the Caleb tape and he's like.
He just looks super rushed, super.
Uncomfortable, as if it's being pounded into his head.
Don't mess up.
Okay, that is why you make a coaching change. We need a fresh voice, we need a fresh angle. And if the good news is for Thomas Brown, the bar is so low, so low. No one is expecting you to beat the Packers this week.
It would be nice if you could just get.
Sacked three or four times, and that's a massive improvement. It would be nice if you could score a touchdown. They have over twenty plus drives without a touchdown, go way back to that Washington game. So simple, baby steps. I think Bears fans have to take a step back from thinking we're gonna make the playoffs, maybe we can make a run at the North, to saying, let's just get this guy standing upright running the offense. Thomas Brown's background is I mean, it's interesting.
He's a really good college player. He was with McVeigh for a while.
I don't think it's some sort of Gangbusters thing where now they're gonna score thirty points a game.
I'm not blown away by the higher I think it's somebody.
But if they can just keep him upright and keep him in a sane place for at least one game, at least this improvement, I find myself angry about it.
This scot I go back, I go back to the draft, and they drafted a quarterback with the first overall pick and a wide receiver with the ninth overall pick, and they had DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. I don't want to hear about. You know, the offensive line isn't holding down. There is no excuse for this team not to be an offensive Juggernut. I know he's a young quarterback. I know that it has to be better than what it what's been. And I think even Shane would say this is as bad as it could have been, even though he had high expectations coming into this thing.
I think everybody had high expectations, to be honest about it, But the truth of the matter is you also have.
To look at what are the play calls?
Is everything designed for him to get the ball out of his hands quickly? Are these routes being run in situations where now he can make a quick read and deliver the ball. You know, you go back and you chart this, and that's what I was doing for quite some.
Time this season.
I've charted the time to catch to release and Jaden Daniels has the best He.
Gets the ball and he's getting the ball out of his hands.
Why because Cliff Kingsbury's calling the plays that way. So now you've got to take a look at what are they doing. Are they trying to get the ball downfield in a hurry or are they trying to systematically grind it out quick throws let your receivers make plays. When you have these type of guys we've talked about, you talk about DJ Moore and Keenan Allen and rom and dooms Day. These are guys that you get the ball to them in space and allow them to work. I mean, are these the type of things that you're doing with your offense or are you asking the quarterback to go through a series of progressions and get the ball downfield and at the same time, you've got this pass rush that's getting into your lap. So again, are we doing what we need to do to give our guy a chance to be successful.
Hoot ballot ball all right, if you're online, there are millions of people who are just waiting for you to be wrong about things.
There's armies of people to point that out. And that brings us to our playoff predictions that we did way back in September before kickoff. All of us on the show predicted all of the playoff teams, the division winners, on and on and on, and we thought it'd be fun right now in November fourteenth, to see how are we doing. What are some good ones? What are some bad ones? So we have four different categories. It's the ones that the pick that we're proud of that we made before the season, the pick that we're really annoyed by, the one we wish you could change, and maybe the one that doesn't look good but we want to double down on. Let's go around the horn. Peter, you are known for making picks. Take us through those categories for your own picks.
I have great.
Success over the years of picking the right super Bowl matchup and the Super Bowl winner, and I stick by what I had. But if I can tell you what I'm most proud of this season.
I got a lot of slack from Dallats.
I didn't have the Cowboys in the playoffs for this season, and I said, I don't like a coach in the final year of his contract.
I don't like it.
They didn't sign any big free agent picks. The fact that I didn't have the Cowboys, You're not going to get an applause for that. No one's gonna say, hey, look, you did a good job. You didn't pick them as well. But everyone seemed to have. Everyone seemed to think that the Cowboys they went so far last year. Dak got the big deal, CD got the big deal. So I'm gonna say I saw this coming. I didn't like the vibes in August, and the vibes have been off, and now you've got Cooper Russian Trey Lance, and I don't see them turning it around.
So that's the one. I'm I'm proud of stuff.
What annoys you that you did?
Let do two seconds on this?
Okay?
There is a clip that Freezing Cold Takes will post every single Sunday when the Jets loose. There is a clip that I've been sent a million times this season. The clip is of me saying the Jets are gonna be the number one seed in the AFC, and Aaron Rodgers is going to be the most valuable player in the league.
I am annoyed by this pick. I am annoyed that I was so in on the.
Jets, and I feel let down because I, with my own two eyes saw it. I was there in August, I was there at the preseason.
And I thought this team was really good.
They're not.
They're terrible in their losses. This one was embarrassing.
They've lost games where they lose by a point on bad field goal kicking, in terrible penalties, and then they've lost games like this where they're just blown out and embarrassed, like against San Francisco and against Arizona.
I am mortified. And yet if I can get.
The camera to come back to me one more time, I would like to say something.
The stakes of this are not that high. Like I said, the Jets are gonna be really good, they're not.
Okay.
We had an election last.
Week and everyone said it's gonna be a coin flip, and it's gonna be and it was not a coin flip. And yet I don't see anyone wearing it like I have to wear it. On TV for a week and a season afterwards.
Where why am I the one I have to come out every day on Twitter and be like.
I'm sorry about the Jets, Like I was wrong.
You had people being paid a lot more than me on bigger networks in the NFL network saying I think it's gonna go this way, and there on the next day, like well, let's move right along with the news.
No, I am wearing it right.
Now, and I feel like I am unfairly wearing it all right onto the next day.
If those posters were going around every two seconds touting their prediction record.
No doubt they may have a little bit too much on it.
Okay, but I am saying this the thing I wish I could change.
I'll be quick with these. I wish I could have put the Steelers in there.
I really like watching this brand of football and their defense has always been good and they got better at quarterback. I should have had the Steelers in there at some point. I regret not doing that. They will be a playoff team.
And lastly, something.
I want to double down on, I would like to toss to my Super Bowl prediction, not the Chiefs winning it, because everyone can do that, but I still like my NFC pick and how they're gonna get there.
It still adds up.
Chris our producer, Can we toss to the clip from September my Super Bowl prediction out of the NFC, I have successfully picked the last three Super Bowl champions with pinpoint precision and just enough arrogance where there are a lot of people who just root against me. The NFC will be represented by Jordan Love, Matt Lafleur, and.
The Green Bay Packers. I'm gonna go one step further here on this prediction.
Put this in print.
They're going into a wildcard team.
I have them as a wildcard team getting hot and being the team that comes running.
So the Lions will.
Be the one seed as what's going that way, But I still am doubling down on the Packers off their by going on a run starting today, and they are going to be a team that's going to be representing the NFC in New Orleans at the Super Bowl.
All right, Peter here uparkbar All right.
So I'm gonna make this quick. So the preseason playoff pick that I am most proud of has to be the Los Angeles Chargers. Especially you think about the season that they had the previous year.
It is what we thought it was going to be.
Jim Harper was going to make an immediate impact. He's got his young wide receive you see catching the ball there, who a lot of people is giving up on.
He's turned them.
Into a star.
So I'm okay with the Chargers right now where they are. I think they're going to be a strong wildcard position. Now the pick that I am most annoyed by, and this hurts me to say this, it's the New York Jets. I'm right there with you, Peter. I thought that Aaron Rodgers was going to be the savior. Like all is unfortunate, he tours Achilles. Look, I am not hating on Aaron Rodgers. What he's accomplished in his career has been outstanding. But this is about to come out of my mouth. We saw this happen when Kobe Bryant when he got older, and all of a sudden, it's like you're playing at a high level and then boom, Father time comes out of nowhere and just jumps on you. I think it's time to say that Aaron Rodgers might be too old to save the Jets. So there's that, all right, So that's the one, you know that's out of there. Now the pick I wish I could change. I wish I could change my pick for the Chicago Bears. I had them as a wild card team coming into the playoffs, going into the playoffs, and I think I bought into the hype. I saw the Caleb Williams stuff and I just fell in love with it. And I saw all the stuff from training camp and the videos and going yeah, but I had reservation. But I didn't trust my instinct the reservation. I'm going, yeah, I see some things, and I see the talent. I see the magic again. He's a talented young quarterback. But was he good enough to change it all around in such a quick time. Not sure that that's the case. So I wish I could go ahead and change that pick.
Now.
The pick that I wish I could double down on, I'm doubling down on the fact that the Detroit Lions will make it all the way to the Super Bowl, going up against the Kansas City Chiefs. So I'm doubling down. I'm absolutely in love with the way they're playing. I think a lot of people thought they last year was this magical ride. Everybody's saying golf, golf throughout the city. But there's no way they could come back with a repeat performance and do it again. Well, guess what, they're back.
They really are, and so are playoff predictions. We'll look at them at the end of the season. How they go.
I'll try to do.
This as fast as I can.
Most proud of it's the Arizona Cardinals, just because of the exclusivity of it.
You guys know that we've talked about that a lot.
When you do something like that, the comments aren't just well that's a strange pick or I don't have that, It's like vile, you're an idiot, You're a loser to do this. Ye die like the Cardinals in the playoffs die like. We may revisit some of those tweets in another couple of six weeks.
Very proud of that.
Most annoyed by this is very simple.
This is the Cowboys. I'm annoyed.
I just figured it's the same business as usual. Every single year they're good, every single year they lose in the playoffs, and it wasn't. And I'm also very annoyed that I didn't have the Eagles in because I thought last year they would have this hangover and I didn't like at the end of the season, I'm very annoyed with myself. Change one, same as you'r a z acbar. I will never pick the Hard Knocks team again. I had the Bears in the playoffs as a wild card. You know, you'd like to put Washington in. You'd like to swap out Caleb for Jayden like maybe the Bears do. But listen, it's a frustrating pick because of how bad they look. But who knows, Maybe they pull a rabbit out this week and I just don't expect it. And then lastly, my double down. My double down is a hand that I'm losing and I don't care. I'm doubling down on the La Rams. Let's go thos awful loss the other night. They've never looked worse on offense. I think six McVeigh took go. It looked really bad. And that's exactly why I say no.
I will not take and jump over the board. I jump off board. What am I saying?
Jump overboard?
I will stay on the ship. I will stay with the Rams.
McVeigh will find a way double down on them, jaming.
On So what I like about you, Kyle when you do this, You're just putting all the chips in on the Rams at this point.
It's how he feels.
About the Rams and the Steelers.
Okay. Thing I'm most proud of.
Would be all out of the NFC East, which kind of funny the categories were going very division specific with the categories. I am most proud of the fact that I put the Eagles at the top of the NFC East despite all this Cowboys come run in. No, none of us had the Commanders, but the fact that you know, people really got Nick Sirianni Jalen birth sucks use ampip pick last season.
I just think the.
Team is fun and I put him at the top, and I feel great about where they are right now because they're not.
Armicular Night James.
They don't do it.
Don't do this to me.
So I'm very proud of looking through the smoke and putting Eagles up top.
That's miss.
I also am most annoyed by the Jets. Why are the Jets annoying to assault because we all just got drunk on the Jets wine, the New York media market blah blah blah that I have said the thing that I want to change so many times in my house to my husband. Honestly, he's like, can you just stop?
You did what you did.
You got to make your bed and lay in it or wherever the saying is. Because Kyle Brandt teaches us a very important lesson on the show is when you say something in August, you must live by it. And I did this in August. I put a team in and then their quarterback got hurt, and then I took them out. And I went to Kyle in the hallway and I said, do you think it'd be okay if I didn't put the Vikings in the playoffs? And he's like, do whatever you want. But I know Kyle well enough to know that he, in his heart would have said, no, you keep them in there. You stand by your cardinals, or you stand by your team.
And I shouldn't.
I regret not putting the Vikings in because they let me do the Galla Horn a couple of weeks ago, and I feel sick to my stomach that I didn't put him in the NFC playoffs all because J J. McCarthy you want, but I know that's not what you meant.
I know you.
You stand by what you say. I know you, and I also know Peter. I was on a Colts podcast recently that's for a different conversation, and I was and they asked me on the show on the on the podcast, who do you look at on the show, like who is the direction they follow? And I always call Peter Schrager our editorial north star. Okay, So when I saw in that clip that Peter just threw to that he had the Packers in the super Bowl, I was like, yes, I got something right, because I too had the Packers in the super Bowl. However, I also have the Packers losing the Super Bowl. So Peter, I just wanted to give you flowers because you're my editorial nurse start.
So anytime Peter.
Does something around like let's go, I put the Ravens as my double down team. I think the Ravens are still going to win the super Bowl. I doubled down on a Baltimore Ravens. I doubled down on everything that's happening them. And I actually feel proud as a show and the collection of Super Bowl matchups that we have put together. And I think we should all say that for this segment, but yeah, that's where it's my take is with the Baltimore Rabas.
Hey, Jamie, Jamie, I love that you were so complimentary of me as an editorial north Star.
I appreciate that.
I would like to also play your publicist. You could say no to some of these podcasts invites you don't have on the Colts pod game.
You're good.
You're going to work four hours a day. You got three kids at home. We don't need to be doing Colts dot com. You're good.
It was a preview of the Galla Horn experience because the Vikings were playing the Colts, and I got to talk about the Vikings, who I regret again to say not putting them in. I Well, do the Eagles now compete with the Lions as a top tier team? It's tier talk, Peter in November in the NFC.
They sure do, because they might have a defense that can stop that Lion's offense. You know, we always talk about styles make fights, like the Eagles have a dominant defense. And not only do they have the Zach Bond who he just mentioned and the guys up front, they might have a guy that is a goon, a dude, and an defensive rookie of the year if we talk about quiney On Mitchell, because Quineyon Mitchell has become a shut down corner in this league. Take a look at this next gen stats full screen that is going around and has been.
Said a bit here.
This is yesterday Terry McLaurin versus Quineon Mitchell.
They were matched up twenty times. Do you know how many targets he got?
Zero?
Receptions, zero, receiving yards zero.
And it's not just Terry McLaurin.
It's week after week after week we're talking about a rookie out of the.
Mac who could be the dude that gets the Eagles back to the game.
I'm looking at quiney On Mitchell.
We loved him in the draft process out of Toledo, and I'm like, does he have a nickname?
Is there something special about him?
And then I get a tweet this morning and I have to show this because I think this might go and be a thing. We had revis Island. Do you guys know about this? Can we see the tweet? Gina Chicken tweet love?
Do we have it?
Oh?
Yes, Quintanamo Bay, Yes, Oh my gosh, Okay.
Are we and Kyler Is that too extreme?
I think it's just it's right up to the line.
It's right up to the line. It's not a great moment for our country. It's not a great place. But I'll tell you what. It gives me some fear. You don't want to go there, Quentin Queenan Mitchell, I think I crossed the line. I apologize. It's a good one. It's a good twist.
Oh my gosh, talking about Quins probably better off bar.
To waterboard.
Terry McCory like me, he's a.
Good play you're a good guy.
It's a place you don't want to be. Let's just say that.
So Wave they've got their dude, and it's a it's a it's a rookie.
He's the first defensive back taken. And if you have a dude, you can stop him.
On Ross saying Brown, you can stop Drake London, you could stop Cooper cup Quinnon.
Mitchell's that guy. And it's early on in his career.
And of course people will say he's exposed later on or whatever. For now though they're not throwing on him, and when they do, he stops him. I like the Eagles defense. I think they're the best defense in the NFC right now, And for that, I do believe they are one of the top teams in the NFC.
Yes, it's hard to argue with that, Peter that you know they're up there with the Detroit Lions. You try to think about how they line up against the Detroit Lions. You start to think about, Okay, what are the Detroit Lions weapons of Mona Saint Brown, Jamiir Gibbs, David Montgomery, and you try to think.
About how they stack up.
Well, last night, they did a heck of a job against that run game that the Commanders had. They did a heck of a job against the receivers that that the Commanders had. So they line up and they match up very very well with with this Lions team. The only thing I would question is with the head coach, Dan with Dan Campbell, what Dan Campbell has brewing over there in Detroit and that culture that he has. They're me knowing Dan personally, Detroit isn't worried about everybody else. All they're worried about is themselves. Now, when you have a head coach that has that personality where it's all about us, It's all about striving to be the best that we can. But you get the type of results that we've been able to see with the Detroit Lions. You get those five interceptions by Jared Goff. Yet they still find a way to win on defense, doing special teams, they still find ways to win.
The Detroit Lions.
For some time now since dan Quinn took over, the only weakness they had was in the second half. That's it. For some reason, when the second half came along, they'll just they just wouldn't show up as they did in the first half. What we learned in the twenty twenty fourth season is this isn't the same Detroit Lions football team now in regards to the Eagles. Their defense is the number one defense in the National Football League. Late in this season, they are starting to get their their stride catchers stride a little bit. So I'm really looking forward to when the day that these two teams meet, because that's going to be one of those matchups that we're going to be clued in on.
Yeah, you know, this game was so so cool to watch and just to see the dominance of this defense. And I'm not going to allow this, you know, to kind of like just you know, slowly start pushing the conversation of the Commanders out of the way, Like the Commanders are still very much a very good team. I know that they've had two back to back loss there obviously still in this you know, because of their record. But I want you to take a look kind of at the at the at the schedule. So there it is right there, We've got the schedule for the Eagles. And it's very possible now hear me out here, the Rams will learn a lot this Sunday about how they're playing. But the Rams, the Ravens, the Steelers, and then the Commanders, having taken this butt whoopen last night, they learned something, They come back and they end up winning. You could have a situation where the Comanders, because of their schedule, they went out and look at this, Look.
At the schedule.
Here, Look how easy this is for the Commanders. Not saying that they're just going to blow all the teams out, but they got the Cowboys, Titans, Saints, they come back to the Eagles, they end up win that there's a situation where the Commanders finish up thirteen and four and at that top spot in the in the NFC East. So just something to consider. That the Commanders. You're still in this. Everybody, slow down, slow down. The Commander's got this.
I think the Commanders have shown who they are and they're a pretty good team. They've lost two games in five days. They were seven and two six days ago. I have, I mean, if we're going to do schedules and all that, I have just in my own head some tiers in the NFC, in the lower tier. If this seems that matter, I got this scrappy up and comers. So you got Commanders, Falcons, Vikings, and Cardinals.
They're kind of interesting.
Then you got the old war horses, the old standbys, Packers, Niners.
Eagles, and then I think you have the Lions all by themselves. I really do. And if the question is are the Eagles the Lions are? Do you trust Nick Sirianni?
Still?
Are we gonna ignore that?
Like I know that they have a winning streak, But when it really comes blow to blow and it's January football and he's going against take your pick, Shanahan Campbell like one of those guys, and he.
Meant more of a made man than Dan cam Like, let's know, a made man than Dan Campbell.
I think with a big Stoggle did and took Detroit from where they were. I mean, Philadelphia has been to great heights before, Sirianni, they'll be there after, Sirianni. I think what Campbell did, especially in the title game, you had them winning.
Now he's made some mistakes, for sure. It's a good question.
I don't think with the bullets flying. But I also don't think there's the Lions fan base is just ready to pounce them at a moment's notice. They're in this crazy win streak in Philadelphia, Yet you still feel unrest against the Eagles fans, like it's like a coming back to burn them. Maybe that's unfair to Syriann. He's like, geez, guys, I'm ating too, What the hell do you want for me? Are you eighting too? Or is the team ating too? And there's a divide there. Still, I still think the Lions are on their own.
I would say this too, because Saquan's been awesome and they did put up enough points. Jalen Hurts still leaves some plays on the field and still leaves a lot to be desired, and I hate being critical on the morning after he valiantly won another game and they've won six.
In a row.
But it's like, to your point, Jalen Hurts of that Super Bowl hit this Apex, he got paid right afterwards, Like I want to see that version of Jalen Hurts again.
I haven't seen it this season.
Maybe he'll get there again, or maybe they don't need him to get there again.
The Eagles are very good.
I don't think they're as good as that Super Bowl team that went there a couple of years ago.
I mean, Peter, if Jalen Hurts gets back to that apex like, then we're having a different conversation about the Eagles and the Lions. Like if that's the kind of thing you're going to piece together in terms of puzzle piecing NFC teams, it does make my brain go to places of like home playoff games in Philadelphia or Detroit, and what those challenges might unfold for the teams that have to go there.
Good football.
We are out of our minds crazy for the schedule that's on tap this weekend.
In the NFL.
Therefore, of course, is a time for mad minute. Let's go tee up sixty seconds on the clock. We're going to rifle through all these games that we must talk about.
We just hit.
Lamar Jackson heard from the Ravens quarterback about his hatred he has for an AFC North rival and the Steelers. Peter, where do you take.
Us for this one?
Let's get into this Baltimore versus Pittsburgh. I will say this, we have seen this game sixty different times, sixty different times, and I don't know if there's ever been a regular season game as big as this one. Seven and two, seven and three, The Russell Wilson story, the Lamar Jackson story. I've heard from a lot of Steelers fans and no Shrieker like, we're good in the division, We've got this. This is a home game I think is almost a must win for these guys.
Yeah.
I like the Steelers.
They look like the more complete team right now. They're deep. I know the Ravens are having struggles on the defensive side, but if you look top to bottom offensively with Russell Wilson, they're doing very well, very well.
In the past game.
Defensively, they've been good and special teams we've talked about on this show. A lot of that special teams are making some key plays. So they're looking like the more complete team.
Steelers one this thing. Russell Mania runs wild. I haven't blown away again. By the last month of the season. The biggest story is Mike Tomlins's decision to start Russell. Wilson hasn't lost since, has looked incredible.
Lamar's the MVP. I'm looking at Russell in this game.
I mean it, well, I'll just say this, Mike Williams, George Pakers. I mean I'm seeing them attacking that Ravens secondary defense. I can see Mike will I think a big game on that one.
All right, here we go. I'm curious what people are going to say in this one because we're going to do spotlight players later. Kyle and my player comes within this matchup Falcons Broncos Kyle ti us Off.
It's one of these teams that whoever loses this game, it's gonna be like we got problems may day may Day. Now, maybe you don't say that about the Falcons because you're not that terrified of their division. Tough, tough loss last week against the Saints.
I would just say this with Bronco.
I want them to get back in this race.
I think they're a fun story and if they go to five and six the FC, it might be tough.
You know, I'm looking at Drake London, Drake London going up against Kate excuse me, Drake London going up against Patrick's Certain. Those two guys and how Patrick Saint Certain has been playing this defense is outstanding. I expect them to put a lot of pressure and certain to Kay Dot Drake in this one.
Look, I look at this, The Falcons remind me of like the Texans of the NFC South. This is like, you're gonna win your division. You're okay, like you're safe, But what do you want to be? Do you want to be the fourth seed or do you want to actually do something? Atlanta spent a lot of money on Kirk Cousins. They brought in Simmons from Broncos. They brought in Judan What are you, Falcons? Are you a four seed they're just gonna lose in the wild card round? Or you guys actually challengers in the NFC, go win this game.
Yeah.
I like the fact that after the game, champagne them, we're saying that guys are being up. They knew they outplayed their opponent. And so I like the tree of the Denver Broncles and where Sean Payton has this team going.
You may have just heard Kyle say, like, we gotta be better. Okay, fifteen seventy, it's mad knitted fifty fifteen to fifteen, get it. Okay, off bar, you're first. The Cardinals sit atop the NFC West, all right. The Seahawks and the forty nine ers are playing each other's weekend.
Go.
Christian McCaffrey is probably now trusting his body. He's got his feet wet in that first game last week. Now he's feeling comfortable. I want to see this offense get back to where they are because they still in this race to get the top of that a excuse me?
The NFC West? Nice?
Yeah, CMC is back.
See Seahawks. What are we doing here? Peter jumped in. Now my fault. Let's go forty nine ers. Look at this.
Forty nine ers are five and oh against Geno Smith since he joined the Seahawks as their quarterback. Five and oh Gino again. Same thing I just said about the Falcons. What are the Seahawks right now? Lose another one here, season might be done?
Yeah, what are the Seahawks right now? See CMC is back. I'm excited to see him back in the Niners. Spans are excited to see him back. Drake green Law is on his way back. So this this forty nine Ers team is getting back some key pieces.
I'll tell you what you know another one. Forty nine Ers are watching this game, Jake Moody. Watch the forty nine ers kicker, guys. The Eagles have kicker problems, the Falcons have kicker problems, The Packers have kicker problems. All these NFC teams we expect to be in the playoffs, do not show up with the kicker who's in his head and long snapper who has to fight the wide receiver.
Don't show up like that. They need a big kicking game. That's my spice to take.
Hey, the Rams are feeling like Manti just did little speed bump there after a loss to the Dolphins on Monday Night football.
We can do this.
That was very close, Peter, start us off. Start the trend. What are we expecting from Sean mcvah and the Rams against the Pats this week.
Don't look at this one as some sort of easy one. I mean, I look at this.
They just lost to the Dolphins on national TV and they looked flat. Do not go into New England and think Drake May is not going to give you hell. This Rams team is still very much alive. At four and five, you lose to New England and to the Dolphins, you're at four and six heading into the heart of the schedule. No, no, no, this has to be a win, no matter where it's being played and how away it is.
This is the game la offense. I like to think that was a fluke last week. So this is a game. Let's get things going in the red zone. This turn those field goals into touchdowns.
I can't wait till the playoffs.
And Peter's gonna say they had that game against the Dolphins where they looked flat and they lost, and then they turn their season around. I think the Rams win this game by two touchdowns and they go on a winning streak. I will not abandon the Rams. They will be in the playoffs.
Wow, yeah, they better not.
They better not, because this is a win that they're supposed to get. But remember, we can't sleep on the Patriots. The Patriots coming off that win against the Bears, who I think a lot of people thought that the Bears were going to bounce back on the Patriots. So don't sleep on this one, and it's very easy to play down to your opponent.
Nice, very good, everybody, all right again, all right, that was the best one. Like ot other teams like, we got to start stronger earlier. Okay, Bengals looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Man, we're still saying that about the Bengals, which is so amazing to me, because they've lost bad games and they've won weird games.
They head to La.
Right across street here to take on the Charger, who have won their last three games. Mantai Chargers practice yesterday.
Goo.
Yeah. I love the Chargers for obvious reasons. But they are a team that doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I said that yesterday. But not only do they not make a lot of mistakes, they are really good at capitalizing on the mistakes that the other team to make. And we saw that in the Browns game, so expect that to continue on Sunday.
Well, I think it's.
Nice that the Bengals are going to be here in Los Angeles.
There's a lot of great ports and.
Marinas because it might be gone fishing time for Cincinnati.
Don't go where we can't follow you. We can't follow you to four and seven. I love this Chargers team hitting their stride.
Yeah, they're hitting their stride too, because that defense, that defense has been playing so well. They've been really kind of the ones that are stable and anchoring this thing. I like to see them dominate against the Bengals.
You know, Cortes Kennedy wants one Defensive Player of the Year on a two win team. Tim Tebow once won a Heisman on a team that had like four.
Or five losses.
I look at this Joe Burrow season and what he's doing tearing up the league. Is there a way that he can still win the MVP even if it's team is sitting at four and six going into week eleven?
I think so the award is still wide open.
If Burrow continues on and gets this win and goes on a tear, Joe Burrow with a six losses, seven losses, eight losses can still be our league MVP.
He's been that good. So Joe Burrow, National TV, do your thing.
I'm supposed to do another game, but no, Peter, we got to circle back to that. So what's making you say that now is the time that you bring that up? And the fact that has there been anything established before that would make voters go towards a team that might amass a couple more losses this season.
I just think Joe Burrow's been outstanding this year and he's thrown four touchdowns three different times. A couple of those games were losses. He's been lighting it up. The defense has been terrible, and they have had some issues stopping teams in big moments. That said, it's a wide open and we're talking about Taquon Lamar. You start going through it, You're like, it's not really Mahomes. Even though the Chiefs have to be the best, Burrow's been the name and he's been the most viable player in his team. I'm going to make the argument that if the Bengals going around.
Burrow could be, then I love it. I'm gonna go way back.
Give you a Paul Horning won the Heisman Trophy on a two and eight team.
Manti, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It is the only.
Time in the history of the Heisman that a losing player has won the Heisman two and eight and what that was in the fifties, though, guys bir doing it would bring the house down Manti get in here on this.
Yeah, that's a hard one.
Go ahead, So it could be a storied MVP season if you have Joe Burrow or Saguon Barkley.
Good mon football,