It's time for this week's episode of the Split Ends podcast, What Up Splitches. Welcome to the Split Ends Podcast. Divisional Round Baby Colleen Wolf, Erica tamp Post producer Aaron All hanging out for the pod. Coming up. One of the great football minds covering the NFL our buddy from around the NFL podcast, Greg Rosenthal. We're gonna take them through a headline check that includes a pyrotechnic miscalculation, some dreams and nightmares, and dessert, plus our pop Divsional Round previous We got it all. But first, before we get into all of that, Erica, tough weekend for US. Eagles were embarrassed. The Bills, Well, they whooped up on the Patriots. How you do and how you're feeling? You know, I was good. It was a comical game. I was like at that point it was just nice to sit on the couch and sort of watch my playoff dreams, um, you know, just sort of fizzle away. But no, I mean the Patriots did not deserve to be there. The Bills completely steamrolled them. I think I you know, coined and not coined the term. I didn't invent this term, but they like pistol whipped the Patriots. So I even texted Aaron and I was like, heyt she made it up. Ladies and gentlemen, you can coin me with this word. So yeah, the Eagles lost. That sucked. But what really sucked, Colleen was watching um and not for you, not for me, because I loved watching the clip of the Eagles guy screaming go birds in your ear so good over the time. But how are you feeling? Can you hear? Okay, my ear is still on. I R that's okay. The Eagles fans they're very loud. I have am related to a majority of Eagles fans, so I understand what happened. I should have known what was coming when I asked for an Eagles chance slash Go Birds. Willie was basically my security. We didn't have any security, which we normally do, and so they just like popped up a tent in front of the stadium and had to sit outside, and so people were just like coming by, shotgunning beers like it was. It was a little chaotic. It was fun though, I mean, we we had a blast. There was like thirty mile winds, so that was cool. But luckily it was in the right direction, so it was sort of like a Beyonce fan, which I loved, but it was it was a wild day, starting with the man that screamed in my ear. But then there was an argument on my flight home. There were two guys that were like yelling at each other and one guy said that the other guy assaulted him and his seat. So I was like very worried that we were going to get diverted. I just wanted to go home, you know. I had to watch the tragedy of the Eagles lose to the Bucks. It was way worse than I thought it was going to be. And then it also became comical. Were you near that fight or was it back you know not? Oh no, it was in the same row. It was in the same row as me. I don't know what was happening, but American Airlines usually has these things totally under control all and nothing ever goes your stuff together. A yeah, it was. It was a tough weekend, so I'm I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but we both did so I guess in solidarity. It was great. It was Jet's birthday and we went axe throwing Colleen, which was super fun and actually harder act actually harder than it looks um, because it's like a tomatoes boo. It was horrible. It's really tough. But I was thinking, I was like, I would love to to see you do that because the act was like the size of you and so I just don't know. I'm just picturing you throw it. Uh. It was giving me a little bit of enjoyment here. Wait, I'm like very accident prone. I've actually thought about this before. Jesus, I've thought about going ax throwing before. But you've seen me throw corn and there have been times where I managed to hit myself with my own bag because my release point is just not great. So axe throwing feels like a dangerous activity for me to do. I'm gonna stay away. Yeah, it was really fun. I think you'd be okay with it, but yeah, there was that element of danger. So we had a we had a good time and it definitely like, let me blow off some steam from that from that massive Pat's loss that really hurt. But calling before we get to Greg, you were on the Pat McAfee show this morning. I was I was thanks for watching. Yeah, absolutely, of course I'd never miss you in a in a halftime show. Um, but actually I have a clip that I want to play for you. Um, and just I want to ask my worst nightmare. This is my worst nightmare? What is this? It's like, if you're in the spotlight, you kind of gotta take the heat and know it's coming. And also like, why are you so upset about this? I say disrespectful things all the time? Okay, so you said if you're in the in the hot seat, in the spotlight, you've got to expect that it's coming. So you're a pro, you should expect that this is coming. Right now? Did you plug our show this morning? You know, it didn't come up it There wasn't a bought for me to promote anything. And I also started the show by stumbling out of the gate. So it was just not not a good time for me. It wasn't a good time for me. Oh yeah, you know, especially when you're in more of a free flowing atmosphere. Me and my buddy Erico, we have this podcast split ends and we talked about this all the time and we got to walk stuff back that we say and luckily it's edited. So you know, just just a few notes for me. Awesome, good, you have notes? Great? Yes, So maybe next time, maybe next time. You know, it's just something you could you could work in. I think that we see this the show for me. Behind the scenes started off on the wrong foot because I sat and got my my computer all set up and my shot perfect, and then when they face timed me, it wouldn't come through on my computer. It was only coming through on my phone, and then my air pods wouldn't connect to my phone, and then I was trying to like balance my phone on on my computer and dash are my dog was trying to climb into my lap because he doesn't like the sound of the FaceTime. Actually yeah, yeah, well you know what. He really hates slack, like the notifications and there's a new there's a new commercial vers and oh we have to mute it. It's so sad, and he starts like trembling. I don't know. He must have been like in some corporate environment in his last life, because it's very triggering for him. But regardless of that, we survived. I'm happy about that. Not all the teams survived. Our teams didn't. But wild Card Weekend it is over. It's in the past. Our next guest also survived the weekend he's a staple on NFL Network. You might know him from Around the NFL podcast or you know one of his seventeen other podcast or maybe from the musical stylings of his high school rock band Delaware. Greg Rosenthal joins the show Welcome, Welcome, Rosie. How excited are you to be here? On a scale of one to ten, ten because you're the only person almost left in my life that calls me Rosie other than like my best friend Dave Gonza first does. Yeah. In college, they only knew me as Rosie. I had a short lived girlfriend that actually thought that was my name. She didn't know your first name was Greg, right, She yeah, for three or four weeks or something like that, and I was like, no, Rosenthal is the last name. You know, these these things happened. She thought your first name was Rosie because that's all any by then. It was like late sophomore year and there are lots of people that only knew me as Rosie. The word Greg never popped up, and so she just, you know, that's what she thought, Like that, don't you think that'd be like first date sort of conversation, like so are you named after your mom? Or like where does Rosie come from? Just that never came up? Well, these are like New Orleans relationships that you know may start around you know, ten pm at at out at the bars and whatnot. You know, it's not not exactly a day culture. I would say dating is different in college, is what he's trying to say. I think right was dating a loose term. It's fine, we could talk about that later. Anyway, Rosie, you're gonna be very excited because you're gonna help us go through our headline check. Here. We reread some headlines and then you can let us know if they're hot or not. We'll chit chat a little bit about it, and then we're gonna get into some divisional round previews. Let's get into the headline check with our first one here, Rainy super Bowl champ Tom Brady posted and reel with Meek Mills dreams and nightmares of him catching the ball thrown out of bounds by the Eagles. Petty or not? I mean hot or not? Hot? Definitely hot. I mean it's not like tom Brady's in the control room like editing the tape. He he sent it in off his phone, he sent it to his social team. I'm not sure they even like, okay that with him, but I appreciate that because that was a painful night for for all Patriots fans and especially Brady. This tells me that the Eagles are still in Tom Brady's head and that's a win that I'll take that w I don't know about that after especially after this weekend calling, but all right. Also, it was like Brady's best Super Bowl ever, which Andy and he lost it right that it wasn't that great, right les. Baby Tweeters started tweeting pretty quickly that the Cowboys linebacker Layton vander Esh's name was spelled incorrectly on his jersey. The C and s were switched around. No, Biggie, just the first playoff game in three years hot or not, I'm gonna say not. I mean that this is a man whose career has started so high and it's kind of been on the downslope, and this feels like a kick in the in the pants, Like they wouldn't do this to Michael Parsons or Layton Vanderas three years ago, but now they're doing it too late. In vanderesh As someone who's dyslexic. I feel for the person that made that mistake. But also if only autocorrect, a good version of autocorrect, could follow us around all the time, that would be great. Okay, how about this one former quarterback for half the league? Really, Ryan Fitzpatrick unleashed his bare chest, rosie and sub zero win chills to party with the fans at the Bills game. Unclear if you learn this behavior at Harvard, because you know he went there and all, I mean, that's hot. I mean, that's amazing that he likes football enough. I don't like football enough to do that. And I think he's probably the most fun quarterback in the entire league playing right now. But he's the one that I would want to hang out with the most. He seems like the best time I'd go. Geno Smith still, yeah, of course said love a bear, all right. The NFL find Bucks head coach Bruce Arians fifty dollars for striking his own safety Andrew Adams. He's appealing that that fine, though very not. That was weird, he said he was like trying to prevent him from doing something worse, like getting the penalty by hitting him. Didn't He just sort of pushed him away like it's a lot of money. But it's a slippery slope. I think when when you're allowing that at all, you're allowing from coaching. My mom owes me a lot of money, then jeez, like, just like wow, I got hot pepper in my mouth for that's your mom, and that's a different conversation. But this is a grown man. It wasn't a great look, not at all. Rick Besaccia, he's interviewing with the Raiders for the job he's been doing since October, and he spent the night after the playoff loss to the Chargers handwriting thank you notes to all of his players. This is so hot, I could cry hot or not. Yeah, it's very hot. Like, well, hot is a very strange word. I feel like to describe Bessaccio, who was kind of in leisure were too. That was my favorite part of it, Like he was wearing almost Raiders approved leisure ware. As he wrote it, I wanted to know who took the picture. Maybe maybe in they're helping him. But that's awesome. I do really appreciate people that write letters, which is very rare. But I do have one friend sometimes we sent some letters. How about that? During the Manning cast, the Mannings asked the rock Dwayne Johnson what he had behind him, and he had this to say that stand as a matter of fact, So stand was the h is the most complete t rex skull ever found by a paleontologist. A young pale intolligence in his name was Stan So this t rex head was named after him. Pretty cool and badass. Isn't it hot or not? Like embracing your passions and taking it all the way is hot, But a t rex passion, I feel like, just personally is not. But also too if it's the most put together t rex head, Like, shouldn't that be like in a museum? Like I don't think the rocks should be like, oh yeah, see this one, Like I was thinking about that, should that be documented? I feel like t rex is are well represented at museums though they're they're out there, yeah, but the most put like it is they're all they're all over the place. At this point, they're overrepresented. You know, some other dinosaurs not impressed. Other dinosaurs could use a little more representations. So I'm saying, what about this one. The Kansas City Chiefs, they scored so many touchdowns, Arrowhead ran out of fireworks and they alerted fans with a message of apologies on the big screen. I'm going not again because it's a good bit, but it's a bit like they they've done this before, and they do this. It's a nice track. It's a nice way to trash talk. So maybe I'm convincing myself. It is hot, but it's it's like two, it's kind of manufactured. It's like a little it's a little much. They could buy more fireworks, right. They should plan for this for sure, I mean they do. They plan for this to happen. They're like, if we go to this touch that, if we go this high, we're gonna I don't even necessarily believe it because they've done it before. How sad for the Steelers too, Like they're losing and then they have to see that though that part's hot. During the last wild Card game of the weekend on Monday night, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals didn't exactly show up to so far. So when Kyler threw that pick six, Booger McFarland reacted by saying, what in the Carson went into is that right there? Hot or not? That's hot? That's a good reaction. I think a lot of us were having that. Actually, I was having the reaction of just looking at my kids jumping up and down like the happiest people they've ever been at that moment. Wait, why were they so happy? They the Rams fan We were there and that was just like, that was the moment where I was like, oh, yeah, this is just going to be a party for the next hour and a half. Yeah, we were all that. That was awesome. Montell Jordan did the halftime show, This is how we do it. You would have thought that I was at the biggest concert of my entire life. Like there was a bunch of us from work there too. We had the time of our lives. Montell Jordan's still can get it. Wow, I didn't know that you were such a big Montel fan. Good for you. He wasn't. He was quite good live. I would say he delivered. He delivered, all right, This this headline is going to deliver. Andy Reid was asked if the Chiefs have the same championship hunger, and he responded with this, if you like chocolate cake, um, and you need a piece, uh, and then you have one dangling in front of your face, you probably gonna want to eat that too. Not much is gonna stop. So I mean that's how that's how you feel about the stupil. I mean that's uh, that is the chocolate cake with the ultimate frost. I love Andy Reid. It's definitely hot. I love any like he compares everything to food, which is it's just I appreciate I love food too, like I make food analogies. But when Andy Reid says that, you like really believe it so that that the hot or not is the quote unquote fun that they're talking about. Because I always see on when they put the Split Ends podcast promo at the bottom of you know, the screen on NFL Network. It always bothers me because it says, like, you know, Colleen Wilf and Eric at tempose talk about all things quote fun around the NFL, and I'm like, why is the fun and quotes the quotes make it seem I don't know what what it is, but it bothered me. The quotes bother me. Well, I don't know never to bring that up to, but that's terrible and that needs to change so much out there. Take those quotes down, and also like what that's the tease for it? Speaking of fun, Erica came up with a really fun segment. So we're going to preview the divisional round with it. Erica, you want to explain what's going on here? Okay, everybody, no offense. Like, there's a lot of other podcasts around the league in general that just preview the divisional rounds and we don't want to do that here because we're quotations fun, right, So we don't want to just look at a at this weekend coming up and just preview them, you know what I mean. So here's what we're gonna do, introducing the Pop Diva Divisional Round Pop Diva around. Yeah, it's just like that. It's just like that. So we're round Stevir Bengals at Titans. So Aaron and call mean mostly Aaron who can defend himself here wrote since you've been gone by Kelly Clarkson because Derrick Henry is coming back, and that would be sort of what we're looking at this game. But I was saying, I don't think Kelly Clarkson is included in these top pop category What why wouldn't she be? Well, why why would she not be? Because I'm just thinking if we're because we're talking Beyonce, we're talking Mariah Carey, Genie in a Bottle, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, I don't put Kelly Clarkson on that level. I mean, Kelly Clarkson's got bangers way better than Genie in a Bottle. Well, that's that's a hot take. That is a really hot take. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. I am not like pop. Pop music is not my preferred genre. I was also too old by then. I was in college. No one cared about Genie in a Bottle by when you were twenty one. I feel like it was it was for the twins, right like, well the I mean the hey, that's that's showing your age a little bit. That's fine. Um, jen a Bottle is a banger. But let's look at Bengals Titans. So, since you've been gone, Derrick Henry's coming back, it's currently ninth in Rushing Yards, hasn't played um since October and still holds that. Colleen, you were looking at some hip hop songs potentially to put towards this weekend. What do you got? All right, Well, if we're talking about Derrick Henry coming back, then the song should be running by the far side and That's exactly what the Titans have been able to do without Derrick Henry in the mix, which I feel like is really really impressive. They lost him, they still ended up the one seed, they got the bye, they got time to relax, chill out, fix themselves up a little bit before the playoffs start. And also they lost Arrick Henry and they really didn't change their identity at all, which was shocking to me. That was the most stunning part of it, because they were able to run the ball still with Donta Foreman and don Charrelle Hilliard and now Derrick Henry coming back. How will they use him? How much will they use him? He was asked today if he is returning this week, and he just a huge smile came across his face and he was like, we'll see what happens. We'll see how this week goes. So obviously he's coming back, but the just the presence of him alone on the field completely helps this passing game. Um, and I think a J. Brown right with a J. Brown, and for me, the matchup looking at in this game, Greg is obviously the running game for the Titans, and how the Bengals are going to defend it. Considering the Bengals just lost Larry Ogunjobi at defensive tackle, that's huge. Nobody knows yet about Trey Hendrickson. If he's going to be able to come out of that concussion protocol ahead of time, that would be huge if they don't have him to pressure Tannehill. So it's really like that d line for the Bengals banged up. Looking at that against the Titans run game. Yeah, Hendrickson was a practice so that's a good sign they need him. But I just feel like the Angles are a little overwhelmed upfront on both sides. I just want to believe in the magic of it. Although I feel like Joe Burrow and Chase and the skill position guys could overcome almost anything and maybe they'll just win in that they could win any games, certainly a Titans defense that gave up a big comeback to Davis Mills. It's not like they're totally unstoppable, but it feels like they're bigger. They're tougher on both sides of the ball, in terms of their offensive line, in terms of their defensive line, and in terms of their coach Like if Mike Rabel and Zach Taylor like wind up having to fight to determine the winner after they play like multiple overtimes. Like if that's the then then you have to go with the Titans. So that's when it's coming down for you. I'm just saying there. I think they're smarter, they're bigger, they're stronger. Is Joe Burrow like enough to overcome all of that? So are you picking the Titans this week? You do your picks show? I think I am, yeah, even though I don't feel good about it. Why don't you feel good all these games? Feels disloyal because I'm rooting for the Bengals. And what's the point of picking something you're not rooting for because you don't know what's going to happen. Anyways, That's generally my philosophy, but I in my heart, I do sort of believe the Titans might run run up and down on it. What about a j Brown in this game? Because I feel like it's a mismatch for the Bengals. The Bengals they were they allowed a crazy passer rating on downfield past attempts this season. I think I think it's like one oh four point five. And then you look at obviously what Ryan Tannehill has been able to do with A J. Brown on the field. That's his bread and butter. They've been so good eleven and two in the thirteen games that a J. Brown has played. Yeah, there's nothing really that special about the Bengals defense. It's just there. It's just kind of like slowing you down. It's kind of stopping. Julio Jones actually looked pretty good in Week eighteen. I thought when when he went out there that that was significant that they really tried to get him the ball and it was like, Okay, maybe Julio Jones has been a bust for the most part this year, Like will matter when it when it matters most? Do I need to come up with a song? Do you have? If you've got one? Six ft seven by Little Wayne? That's his song And that kind of feels like this Titans team, they're that team that our friend Daniel Jeremiah talks was like they look good coming off a bus. You know, they're just big team. That's true. They've been in the playoffs three straight years. Like they are. They are kind of like the Bills to me, and that like they've been building to this moment. I think they're they're a little more ready for it maybe than the Bengals will be with Derrick Henry and everything it's going to be. I feel like it's going to be a blowout, Erica, I think you're wrong that Kelly Clarkson is not considered a diva. But if you needed a different diva, I'm gonna give you two Miley Cyrus songs. So the biggest story for the Bengals this week has been Zach Taylor was in the local bars and he was celebrating. So the Bengals get party in the USA. Where because the Titans get Derrick Henry, A J. Brown, they have like these hulking yea. So those are those are your other diva options if you don't like Kelly Clarkson, but you should like Clarkson. Kelly Clarkson, I my cousin wrote her song Stronger and got a Grammy for writing that. For that song, that song is a banger, but you didn't get a Grammy for it. I have never gone to you, and you didn't point out that my song didn't make sense as a choice because it's not a diva song. Well, Colleen wants to throw in some rap to you know you famously love rap. So we're gonna we're gonna let that slide. Zack Taylor, wasn't he at Miami with Ryan Tannehill at some point? That's a good call. Yeah, they were un hard knocks together. Yeah. I got into NFL coaching with almost no experience because he was Mike Sherman's son in law and that was the coach of the Dolphins. So they look at him now a little back. How about that started from the bottom. Now he's here, let's go to the Niners and the Packers. So I was thinking, this isn't really a pop song, but you could do nothing compared to you by the great Ad O'Connor with Aaron Rodgers and his quest for his next m v P. Also, you could do boring to run for the Niners and their run game. Springsteen, Come on, I mean, these aren't divas either. They're not okay. So if you want to go diva, let's go Beyonce, irreplaceable. I'll have another you in a minute. Is that Rogers talking to the m v P trophy? You know he's going to have another one. Well, that's the thing we already know. That's it annoys me about the m v P because you can see the votes for the All Pro and he'd beat Brady thirty four to sixteen. So it's like, okay, yeah, but what if he gets knocked out and then Brady goes on another votes already happened. It's the same. It's the same people, it's the same. The only way you could be misled is if Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Cup wanted over him, which in theory I guess would be possible. But there's there's no way that Brady is gonna be over It's already basically written. Also, producer Aaron has this one. Rogers draft was drafted in oh five, same year as Pussycat Dolls. Don't you don't the forty Niners, which their quarterback was hot like Rogers, Um, that's hilariously bad, and you know what, not a bad call. Maybe the Niners will be watching Aaron Rodgers in this game with some with some regrets. We bring it up every year or every time that they play, so I don't know why this time would be any different. I found this stat which actually blew my mind, and it said that Garoppolo will face Aaron Rodgers for the fourth time in his career and the second time in the playoffs. Garoppolo has won two of their three prior matchups and has also done so with a higher passer ratings than Rogers Jimmy G higher passer rating two out of three times. Then Rodgers, like I think this forty Niners might be the worst possible matchup for these Packers. It's not a good matchup. But is that partially because they've been able to run the ball so well and he hasn't Jimmy G hasn't happen a lot. Make sure, I mean he's in the best situation past all, but that's true. Again, It's like, I think the reason for those numbers is he didn't have to play the forty Niners defense. But again, I think that's that's kind of true that the forty Niners defense is peaking right now getting after quarterbacks, and the Packers defense was sneaky bad for the last two months of the season. I don't know what to make of the last two months of the season. If if just because the Packers the whole point of their season was to get to this point, and there is absolutely a possibility they'll just be better. They should be better overall, but the forty Niners have been better the last month or so. Like they've they've just survived to playoff games. And other than Jimmy g who, by the way, um, you know, kind of doesn't work for that that song, the Pussycat All song, because he is hotter than Rithers. I mean, that's not like a think us just objectively, it's just like a fact. I don't think anyone is arguing that though they are they getting Darius Smith and Jaire Alexander back, it sounds like they'll have they'll have a Alexander. I don't know about Zadarius Smith, but you're right there. They're going to be healthier and they in there. They have players, but for the most part, they're kind of are a team that you can run against, right, That's true. So that'll help if they get at least one of those guys back, because those are probably they're two best defenders on the entire teams that areas Smith he's been out since Week one. He's still technically on I R. I don't think they have activated him. But Jai Alexander, he injured his shoulder Week three against San Francisco, so it would be a kind of a nice story for him to return and have a good game against San Francisco since that was the game that he was knocked out. But I feel like Rogers and the Niners, they just have it's like ghosts. When these two teams match up. They played three times in the playoffs, Rogers never won. It's just like Rogers has a better run game at a better defense, I guess now, but they have been a little suspect. If they get those guys back, that'll only help. And then the Niners run game, it's so good. They have the strong pass rush. But Nick Bosa with the concussion, don't know practice today. He's going to come back. And then what about Fred Warner? Fred Warner and Jimmy g did practice today, participate? But who knows as far as that. Who are you guys picking in this? And that's like a short week to which is a little annoying. I always kind of fall in love with one wild card team that wins and then just overrates them because you kind of forget about the team that was just on a bye week. And this is probably my game for that. Like the Packers are the biggest favorites of the weekend. There's six point favorites, and I love plus six. I don't really I haven't made a decision on who I'm picking to win either way. I love him the cover, but not so you're gonna go the Niners on a short week after back to back really physical games. I think it's like a coin flip game. So give me the six points. I'm not sure if I'm going to pick them to win straight up, but either way, I think I like them plus six better than any of the other lines. As Rams books, Erica, you're the you're the hook person here explain the song. Okay, So Ariana Grande a very very big pop diva, probably way higher than Kelly Clarkson. She has a song called seven Rings. So Brady has seven super Bowl rings already. Can he get his eighth? You know? Meanwhile, the Rams haven't picked in the first round in the last seven years, but are still chasing that super Bowl ring with McVeigh. He wanted, he got it, mm hmmm like it. See, I would have went. I feel like gang Star is a pretty big pop star. Um, he has star in his name, so I would go. Protect your neck because Brady's offensive line is now down some guys and the Rams pass rush is coming through the lack of depth on the offensive line and the fact that they're all Pro. Tristan Worf's he's been so good this season. He hadn't missed a single snap in the regular season or the postseason. Over the past two years. He's been so reliable, so durable. He's in a walking boot this week a game time decision. Bruce Arian said he has a chance to play, it's going to come down to the wire. That to me feels like he's not going to play. And then in the game against the Eagles, Josh Wells replaced Worfs, but he was playing with a significant quad injury. So Arians is obviously concerned about the depth at tackle because they almost had to put in their right guard, Alex Kappa, at tackle and then Aaron Staniott guard. They had Ryan Jensen, their center, sprained his ankle. So all of this is no bueno considering that von Miller has been so good five sacks in the last six games. But really, Aaron Donald, that's gonna be the main thing going up against Brainy. Yeah, they're gonna miss worst season all Pro assuming he doesn't play. It sounds like it was a high ankle spring, which is maybe something you could try to play with it. It might not go well, but like Brady makes up for so much, like you can. It's crazy that them getting not having Godwin in Antonio Brown to me, doesn't feel like that huge of a factor. As long as the offensive line is good, and now you know you're missing one piece, you can you can live without maybe one guy on your offensive line, but it's tough. I think it's gonna be a defensive game. Both of these defenses have looked awesome for all the things they've lost in Tampa offensively, their defense is healthier right now than it's been all year. Uh. Lavonte David being back last week, Devin White was Devin White. I think David being there kind of unlocks him. Uh And just generally you hear it from NFL defensive players too. It's a it's a long regular season and if if there's a side of the ball that can kind of crank it up for a playoff run, it's a bunch of like veteran defensive players. And that's exactly what happened with the Bucks last year. I mean, that's why they won the Super Bowl was a defense and they're basically all back and they're all healthy for the first time all year, so that if Am Matthew Stafford would would work. Brady is such a narrative guy too. You know, he does the social videos he has, he has even even if he's not editing them, Greg like you said, but he's sitting there being like, you know, I did the Lions wild card video and then we lost, like it's not about that, and he's like looking at camera like he's doing all of this kind of stuff. So there was all that talk Tom Brady's never won a game in California or l A l A specifically. Then they come to Sofi and the Rams beat them and so far so it's always like Tom Brady. Every talking head was like, it's l A. He can't win a game in l A. I think that this game, now that it's the Rams, has like he has that circled on the calendar, and I think he's gonna be like everyone says, like we couldn't beat the Rams. They already beat us. I feel like knowing him, you know just what he is and stands for. I feel like this game to him has more meaning than just a divisional round game. I'm gonna put on my Patrick Clavon hat and say, wait, so you think he's gonna try harder? Now, Yeah, I do. I don't know. I think he's been trying as hard as the whole time, of course, But the way that he is such a competitor, I bet he like has pictures printed out with people's faces on them, with tweets that are like Tom Broody socks like I feel like he is that remember to any of this, Like he hasn't won in California thing. I feel like that was that was a huge narrative that I do think it has some meaning, not a ton, but some meaning that the Rams will beat him twice in as a member of the Buccaneers, especially that the Ram's offense both Jared Goff was okay in that game last year, but certainly Stafford this year like matched up well against this Buck defense that they didn't have a ton of problems. I think that I think that like matters. That was one of the reasons I was like very confident in that Rams Cardinals game. I know that Cardinals won earlier this year, but McVeigh had beat him like five straight times, and they were like schematic and personnel reasons for that, and I think it they've shown into these two Bucks games that like they're not particularly afraid or um overwhelmed by whatever the Bucks are doing. How do you think, though, this Rams offense matches up with the Bucks defense, because they've been pretty run heavy, like recently, just trying to I think mask some of the issues that Stafford has had. And obviously this Bucks defense is really good against the run. I feel like you can't really take anything away from the game against the Eagles, like what can you really learn? But before that game, there were a couple of games they ended the season back to back games giving up over a hundred yards rushing yards. I think it was four of their last six games of the season the Bucks defense gave up over a hundred rushing yards. So they were getting exposed in some spots. But with Stafford and the mistakes that he was making before, they kind of made the run game a little bit more of a focus. I'm just wondering how this will play out because Stafford only through what like seventeen times against the Cardinals. I think it plays out like a defensive game, Like I don't know, I don't I'm not gonna feel confident in whichever team I pick. Here, I'm leaning Rams just because Ellis. You're going I'm leaning Rams just because Ellis watches game debut every Friday, and like she gets upset if I don't pick the Rams, And she's like, that's my daughter who is a Rams fan, And she's reminded me of when, like when I'm wrong when I pick against them and they win, she just makes fun of me. Uh, And so that's more like what I'm concerned about than you know, becauince I have no idea. Who's actually gonna Greg feeling the heat from critics in his household? I love it. Let's go to Bill's Chiefs the evening game. What's the hook here? Erica hook here? No Scrubs TLC because this game has a lot of offense. Yeah, that that could work. I'm gonna go with bring the noise by public Enemies since it said Arrow had Also, we could do mass appeal by Gang Star another gang Star bank can't you can't bring gang Star up twice? Okay, So then really you're really like zeroing in on a certain kind of old person's rap that I also enjoyed. Okay, so I have like, my favorite playlist on Spotify is just all of those like what late nineties, early two thousand's, I guess rap songs, And that was the playlist I went through for this exercise, So that makes a lot of sense. However, when I look at this game Bill's Chiefs, they obviously played each other earlier this season, it feels like it was so long ago that that happened, and there's a lot of things that are different about both teams at this point. Kansas City didn't even have Chris Jones on the field in that game, and they've since they were toying with the notion of they sort of played them a little bit outside, but now they brought them back inside and that works way better for that defense. Also, Willie Gay, they didn't have Chavarious Ward. They didn't have and then on the Bill side, Devin Singletary, he's really emerged. They did not. The Bills did not have a run game at all on that first matchup. And then you kind of also have to consider the fact that the Bills don't have trade Avious White in the secondary, and but it feels like two different teams almost at this point. Right That was also the Daniel Sorenson game more than any other games. There was a few of them, but that was the one where Josh Allen just hit a couple big plays on Sorenson and they were targeting him throughout the game. And now they've put kind of they put Sorenson to the side. They are very different, but I think it was important for the Bills to win game, to feel as confident as possible going into this. They've they've played him a bunch. I don't think Josh Allen can play as well as he did. But one thing they did do, especially in the first drive of that game, I remember, was called design runs for Josh Allen, and Josh Allen ran the ball decisively when they're in man coverage, which is what they're almost always in, and he can kill you that way. And I feel like that's the biggest difference between the Bills now offensively and maybe the first twelve games of the year. Around halftime of that Bucks game, Allen was just like, I'm going full Cam Newton, except I'm in even a little bit better of a thrower than Cam Newton was back and he's just been running a ton and he's the best running quarterback in the league. I mean him and him and Lamar Jackson are and that that makes him if he's like playing like he's done against the Patriots, like almost unstoppable. But Mahomes is playing his best of the season two, which is a huge. Yeah, that's crazy. I mean they beat them pretty We were in London for that game, Greg, so it was like we were waking up and it was still an overtime in the following morning. But they beat They beat them thirty eight to twenty. And that's the largest margin of defeat in a home game for mahomes full career. So I think, like like you said, like Josh Allen, kind of riding this confidence boos, especially coming off of this past wild card weekend, Like I really think that the Bills are going to win this game. Feeling very too, But I'm worried that everyone thinks that that. But you know, sometimes everyone's right. Everyone thought the forty niners were gonna win that game last week, and it made me go to the other side just because I'm a pain in the butt, and you know, I should have just gone with everyone. Maybe everyone's right about the Bill. Maybe it's it's tough with the Bills I don't think that they're going to be able to put together an effort like they had last week against the Patriots. That was just absurd. No punts, no field goals, no turnovers. They scored on every possession and it was a perfect hilarious game. But sure there had been moments where the Bills did not look like that this season. They lost to the Jags and they lost to the Steelers too, So it's a great confidence boost coming off of that game. For sure. I'm wondering on the other side with Kansas City in this run game, if they'll be chocolate, if they'll be able to yes the chocolate cake, if they'll be able to run the ball. And it's always a thing with Andy Reid whether or not he's going to run the ball. People are always wanting him to run the ball more and more. But Clyde Edwards, a Layer, Darryl Williams, Dejerrick McKinnon, Derek or like whoever they decide to go with in that game. I'm just wondering if they'll have success because I feel like in this game, like the run game is going to be really important, and also both offenses can come back if they're down like, it's not like they're built in such a way that if they fall behind, they don't have the firepower to come back. Yeah, I agree. I think McKinnon too could be a big factor. He looked incredible last week. And they're built to run, like they spent their whole off season trying to fix their offensive line and they did it like it's great, especially unblocking. And they did run the ball pretty well against the Bills the first time around. And if you're gonna beat this Bill's defense, they're probably more vulnerable that way than they are just throwing. It always bothers me to pick against Mahomes, so it seems foolish. I don't know. I'm wavering just to call back to our news items from earlier. What is it hot or not? I'm hoping this is not the case. But Katy Perry has a song called Firework. I'm hoping this game features very few fireworks. As a Bills fan, But you know, last year in the playoffs, quite a few Travis Kelsey receptions that really hurt us. So that's that's what I'm most concerned with. Well, how about just like metaphorical fireworks, because there will be This feels like it will be fifty four to fifty one or something like that. That's what we deserve as football fans after this, So, Greg, which underdogs are you taking? I think I'm leaning all of them except except the Titans. That's what I'm leading. Yeah, Titans. Are you picking the Titans? Right? Yeah? Titans are three and a half point favorites. I think I'm going the other underdogs. Yeah. God, these games are so good. They all feel like they could be championship games. They all. It's so weird the way that it that came out. I mean, there were so many duds wild card weekend. So I'm getting rid of getting rid of the riff raff exactly. So now it's amazing football from here on out. One last thing though, before you go. It's a very important question. It is our split end of the week. When those drums come in, it can only mean one thing. It's time for the split end of the week. Hit me with the sexophone, all right. Rosie Baker Mayfield he's having surgery on his tour in Laboram and it just begs the question, now, have we seen the last of Baker Mayfield? And commercials? Is that it? Oh? Commercials? I thought you were going to say Cleveland, no correlated. I don't think so. No, I think he's too good at it. I think I think like his play is up and down, but his commercial performances has only risen. And I think the ad executives like he could be mediocre and still be catching them checks. I think the rest of his career. So maybe he should pick that lane. Who knows what could happen. Skuy's the limit. Commercials like a pitch was going to get rid of him. I don't think so. If he's cut or if he's like, all of a sudden the backup, well, he's not going to be a backup. He'll either be their starter or be someone else's kind of pot committed. With Baker, you could do a whole bit of him, like having to move towns and get some different insurance, some house insurance, yeah, movers and shirts. I'm sure that Rosie, you should go into marketing. I'm just saying they're not getting getting rid of that. We're talking about it, like what what what insurance ads do you ever talk about? He can he can stay right in the middle of the NFL quarterback hierarchy. I feel I can still get paid. I don't know insurance like is kind of crushes guy Coos. Commercials are amazing. Flow, she's funny. The new one with her sister, that's out. That's her dot. If you guys saw that, Um pretty, that's a good one. Yeah, that's a good one. Mayhem the Mayhem guy, Mayhem. I don't insurance probably has the best commercials out there right now. Big Insurance getting it done, just like Greg Rosenthal right here on the Split Ends podcast, and you can see him all over NFL network. He's on NFL Now, he's on the A t N podcast, He's on the A t N Show. What else are you doing? Game debut on Fridays and Sunday mornings. How about that too? Game debut? Get it everybody. Greg Rosenthal, thank you very much. We'll see you and talk to you soon. My friend, Thank you, Greg. There he goes Greg Rosenthal, And now it's time for us to go Erica. So there's only one last thing to say. Ready, let's let's later, everybody,