Caleb-ing Out: Recapping every Wild Card Game, Plus the Mike Tomlin News

13 Jan 2026 · 1 h 12 min · 25 chapters

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In short

Wild Card Game recap (Texans-Steelers, Chargers-Patriots, Eagles-49ers, Bills-Jaguars, Packers-Bears) plus discussion of NFL news, especially Mike Tomlin and Greg Roman being fired.

Guests

Dominique Foxworth (host of The Dominique Foxworth Show). He and Lenny analyze games, schemes, and quarterback/coach decisions.

Key claims

  • Texans’ defense dominated Steelers: no rules broken, just violent old-school Seahawks-style physicality; Aaron Rodgers had poor third-down success (over 10 yards to go on average).
  • Steelers’ path would require turnovers/fumbles; C.J. Stroud’s fumbles were the main negative, but he also showed third-down efficiency (8-for-12, 152 yards).
  • Steelers’ offseason debate: keep Mike Tomlin and/or Aaron Rodgers; Tomlin’s playoff win drought is noted, but moving on is “not obvious.”
  • Patriots impressed defensively vs Chargers; Drake May improved as the game went on, and the defense “bought time.”
  • Greg Roman firing: discussed as a likely consequence of poor offensive performance under pressure.
  • Eagles offense failed vs 49ers due to conservative play-calling and execution (run game issues, limited Hurts designed runs); Shanahan exploited matchups and versatility.
  • Bills-Jaguars: Josh Allen was “basically flawless”; Bills’ run defense concerns remain, but the defense’s disguise and Trey White’s coverage stood out.
  • Packers-Bears: Packers’ offensive line injuries were a major factor; Jordan Love played well; clock management and aggressive downfield throws were criticized.

Notable examples

  • Jalen Petrie “making the Guardian cap look cool.”
  • Nico Collins missing time with concussion.
  • Christian Kirk “turning back the clock.”
  • Jawan Jennings TD pass to Christian McCaffrey.
  • Brandon Cooks contested catch.
  • Trey White pass breakups; Bills defensive disguise.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Texans Defense vs. Steelers Offense Analysis

0:47 to 4:28

A detailed breakdown of the Texans' defensive performance against the Steelers.

“We're going to go in reverse chronological order.”

Discussion on Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers

4:28 to 7:39

The hosts debate the futures of Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers in their respective teams.

“I mean, they're not, you know, same with Seattle.”

Evaluating C.J. Stroud's Performance

7:39 to 13:08

Hosts evaluate C.J. Stroud's game, highlighting successes and mistakes.

“You know, his draft record is not bad, though.”

Steelers and Texans Matchup Discussion

14:03 to 14:34

Analyzing the Steelers' potential and the Texans' advancement in the playoffs.

“You weren't on first take this morning, were you?”

Patriots Defense Surprises

14:34 to 16:30

Discussing the impressive performance of the Patriots defense against the Chargers.

“Steelers fans also do this because I feel like I've picked against them a lot this year because of Rodgers and hasn't always been popular.”

Quarterback Performance Insights

16:30 to 18:59

Examining the performance and development of rookie quarterback Drake May.

“And the passing game is not difficult to stop per se.”

Defensive Strategies and Playmaking

18:59 to 21:26

Exploring how the Patriots' defense supported their quarterback and defensive strategies.

“And as Charlie from my show will point out, this is his first big game of his life, including college and high school because he went to a smaller high school and UNC in college.”

Greg Roman's Impact on Chargers' Performance

21:26 to 24:46

Analyzing the impact of offensive coordinator Greg Roman's strategies on the Chargers' performance.

“It's like you start out jumpy and jittery and the other team scores a touchdown.”

Herbert's Season Reflections

24:46 to 28:00

Reflecting on Justin Herbert's season performance and the challenges faced.

“Obviously, you know, the offensive line is what it is.”

Evaluating the Chargers' Season and Herbert's Performance

28:00 to 29:10

Discussing the Chargers' prospects and quarterback Justin Herbert's struggles.

“I think Khalil Mack looks like he'll keep playing.”
Show all 25 chapters

Coaching Disparities: Eagles vs. Niners

29:10 to 30:50

Analyzing the significant coaching differences shown in the Eagles and Niners game.

“Jalen Hurts, I thought, fleeing the pocket at times, all of that.”

Eagles' Offensive Struggles and Defensive Matchups

30:50 to 35:30

Examining the Eagles' conservative offense and missed opportunities against the Niners.

“Whereas on the other side of the ball, yes, the players all executed great, but that offense doesn't need them to be perfect in every situation in the same way.”

Bills' Performance and Josh Allen's Excellence

38:05 to 42:00

Reviewing the Bills' game and celebrating Josh Allen's outstanding play.

“The Bills dragged us, mostly you, on social.”

Analyzing Josh Allen's Performance

42:00 to 44:10

Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of Josh Allen and the Bills' defense.

“I think that's the thing that jumps out I'm not watching anything like they're really just like given the But especially with the pressure factor, it's amazing.”

Jaguars' Game Strategy and Missteps

44:10 to 47:30

Explore the Jaguars' game strategy and the confusion in their play calling.

“They were able to, especially as the game went on, move the ball through the air.”

Discussion on Jags Media Coverage

47:30 to 49:50

Understand the media's reaction to a viral moment involving the Jags.

“he should though damn it I screwed it up For those who are not terminally online, a Jags beat reporter went viral this week.”

Packers' Offensive Struggles

49:50 to 53:10

Analyze the Packers' offensive issues and coaching decisions in a recent game.

“That's how you get the intentional groundings, right?”

Bears' Defensive Adjustments and Performance

53:10 to 56:03

Learn about the Bears' defensive adjustments and standout plays.

“That was the other thing, I think, that kind of, like, played really well.”

Caleb's Ball Placement and Offensive Strategy

56:03 to 58:07

Discussion on Caleb's passing accuracy and offensive strategies around receiver Colson Loveland.

“He's putting it on the money, and the way he's getting to the same concept, which is probably pretty nice for Caleb as a quarterback because the defense is not really aware.”

Mike Tomlin's Surprising Announcement

58:08 to 1:00:08

Reaction to Mike Tomlin stepping down and speculation about his future and fit with other teams.

“Like, when Harbaugh got fired, Charlie asked me if I thought that Harbaugh would be a fit in with the Steelers.”

Coaching Predictions and Future Jobs

1:00:09 to 1:03:12

Predictions on where NFL coaches might land in the upcoming season, including Tomlin's potential destinations.

“harbaugh he just went from being the hottest dude at the party now tomlin strutted up in that thing taking some of the eyes.”

Rams-Panthers Game Analysis

1:04:23 to 1:10:01

In-depth analysis of the Rams vs. Panthers game, focusing on player performances and team strategies.

“In many cases, loved ones are left managing expenses, debts, or long-term obligations without a clear plan in place.”

Analyzing the Rams and Jags Performance

1:10:01 to 1:11:31

Discussion on the performance of the Rams and Jags during the season.

“or a team that separated themselves, and they really haven't.”

Reflections on Special Teams Issues

1:11:32 to 1:12:14

Insights into the ongoing issues with the Rams' special teams.

“Yeah, well, I mean, the Rams special teams has been an ongoing issue that almost caused them in this game, too.”

Wild Card Weekend Recap and Divisional Matchups

1:12:15 to 1:12:46

Recap of Wild Card weekend and anticipation for divisional matchups.

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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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0:33Welcome back to the Minicime Show featuring Lenny. Wildcard Recap Edition. Dominique Foxworth is here, as always, of the Dominique Foxworth Show, to join me to break down all the weekend's wildcard games. We're going to go in reverse chronological order. So we're going to start with last night's massacre in Pittsburgh. Dominique, before we started recording, you were watching the show and thinking to yourself, Is that still legal? Which is just such a great encapsulation of the Texans' defense. Is that still legal? They don't let us play defense like that anymore is what I was thinking. But I watched the plays like nobody broke any rule.

1:12It's just no one plays that violently. And as much as I love, like, breaking down scheme and pointing out new wrinkles and whatever, that's one of the coolest things about the Texans' defenses. It's like those old school Seahawks defenses that I'm sure you love. Like, you know what we're going to do. we are just gonna do it so good that you can't be yeah it's funny because the texans and you and i talked about how like the texans the seahawks are sort of like the nfc afc version of each other i don't think that was disabused last night including the offense which we'll get to but um yeah they just they just line them up and kick ass um i'm trying to think like who our producer for nfl live was like was any of the players stand out to you and i was like well obviously Anderson Jr.

1:58and Hunter were crazy. I would say Petrie was the one where I was like, you were playing like you have. Greg Rosenthal, friend of the show, had a great post. I saw it on Blue Sky where he said, Jalen Petrie is single-handedly making the Guardian cap look cool. Like, he really, I mean, he's like flying around like Mighty Mouse. Like, just so throwback. Such a throwback player. I knew you were going to say that name because that was the name that I texted to most people. Like, he's everywhere. Where's Mike Dining Day? text me. I didn't text you because you were too busy doing something else more important and cool, like actually being at the game.

2:37We're never going to text you while you're sitting on the sideline. You know, I left before the game to come to the East Coast, yeah, but it was cold there. We were there. It looked cold. Alright, I mean, there's really not even that much to say about the Texans' defense against the Steelers' offense. It played out pretty much like everybody thought. It would play out. The thing that jumped out to me, just looking back at some of the numbers from the game, was that Aaron Rodgers had over 10 yards on average to go on third down. Just not how you want to live against this defense. And it's not how the Steelers want to or can live generally, right?

3:13This is a team that all year long, the offense won running the football, breaking tackles, turning short passes into intermediate ones. And the Texans just don't let you do that. It was always going to be a challenging matchup. Like, is there any world in which you feel like this could have gone differently on that side of the ball? I mean, no, because C.J. Stroud put the ball on the ground five times. Like, that's the world that you feel like it's going to go differently is they not only have turnovers but have fumbles that should kill the drives but aren't killing the drives enough. And, yeah, I guess they could have not.

3:48Sheldon Rankin could have been tackled and they held him to a field goal. But, yeah, of course, it's the NFL. Everyone can win. And there's a way that the Texans could or that the Steelers could win. But it's really hard to imagine, given how poorly the Texans played on offense, they still won with Nico Collins missing a bunch of that game with a concussion. Yeah, the formula would have been turnovers. And then I guess because we're going to talk about the Texans defense, obviously, in the divisional preview. And I'm already my mind as watching them thinking my mind was immediately spinning to like, where are they weak?

4:22What can you do? And there are things. and I'll get to that. They're just not things Pittsburgh could do this year. I mean, they're not, you know, same with Seattle. They're not impossible to solve. Quarterback mobility is a big thing against the Texans' defense, but obviously Pittsburgh didn't have that, which sort of brings, I mean, again, we don't have to spend time analyzing the offense. This is the offense that we saw for most of the season. There were flashes where against inferior defenses, they were able to move the ball downfield a bit. The Rodgers had better games. Now they're in a tough spot, right, next year.

4:56I actually think the – well, we'll get to the defense. But two things, everyone, you know, the immediate thought after. Do you keep Tomlin? And does Rodgers come back? Probably going to be yes, no, would be my guess, Dominique. Yeah. But is that the right – is that the right or both – is that correct for both? I mean, I think it's hard to make an argument to stick with Rodgers. And if you're going to stick with Rodgers, then you absolutely are going to stick with Tomlin. The argument for getting rid of Tomlin is a harder one for me to get on board with because it doesn't feel like it's. The argument is generally just like.

5:36Because we haven't had the success we expected, it's not because we need to get better in this area, which, like, of course, you can get better. but it feels as if the issue has not been Mike Tomlin as much as it's been like we can't find consistent offense which I guess you could argue is about his coordinator selection and roster moves but it feels a lot easier to or it seems a lot clearer that Aaron Rodgers is in the long answer long-term answer than it is that Mike Tomlin yeah so there's a world in which I could see Rodgers if he was in like a great ecosystem with a great offensive line still be productive But like, is that if you're that team, why would you go that route unless you have no other options?

6:18As far as Tomlin goes, look, there's things you can like I don't I think he's tends to be overly conservative in his game management. The roster stuff is tricky because we don't know, like, you know, in terms of like, how big of a hand does he have and some of the choices that they make in terms of the players. Obviously, the coordinators and I don't think Arthur Smith called a particularly great game, but pretty hamstrung there. So, but, you know, like they're, they're, the Pittsburgh Steelers, when it comes up, oh, Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game since, I think the last one I saw was, I saw the Obama administration.

6:53I think people are throwing out some mid-2000s references. I mean, they just haven't gotten the quarterback right for years, right? So, and it, there's no, like bringing in a head coach doesn't mean you're going to get the quarterback right. I think though what you have to figure out is, does Tomlin align with your plan at quarterback? Like if you're going to go for rookies and, you know, not, because to me, the approach that they have taken to the position, I mean, they tried to draft Kenny Pickett. otherwise they've gone the veteran route that feels like is that more about mike tomlin what he wants or is that just the organization constantly being stuck in limbo i don't really think there's a good answer there for you and i don't think you know moving on from him is obvious but i also don't think it would be crazy given the playoff track record yeah i'm on the same page with you it feels a lot more difficult to you can imagine a scenario much more differently if they had got the quarterback position right you can also imagine that going forward if you're going a young direction um that it would make sense to bring in someone else and kind of start over i think the hard part about having this conversation particularly with any coach like this that's had success and still seems capable is the things that should decide whether he stays or goes are things that we have very little insight on is like it's around the building stuff we have the outside facing behavior that seems like everyone still is on board but it's like to your point the decision making like is he part of the reason why we haven't like uh been able to develop a an answer at the quarterback situation and and does is there some uh like cultural block is there growth being inhibited from people around like it's all things that is there's some connection loss he doesn't have like a star star player in the way that harbaugh did in baltimore like that's a question it's like i don't know i'm not in the building every day and i'm not a reporter who's calling around asking so like that's that's the big question and it's hard to answer it does seem like the gm should be getting more smoke when it comes to the right like i mean um and also i think the roster overall you know we saw like how it was literally dk or nothing and you saw Pickens thrive elsewhere.

9:19You know, his draft record is not bad, though. I will say, like, they have hit on a lot of players, I think on the offensive line in particular. And, you know, like Derek Harmon looks good. Joey Porter Jr. has been great. So that's also not – it's literally – I think to put a bow on it before we get – I swear we'll move on. The Pittsburgh Steelers are an illustration of, like, how life in the NFL is basically impossible if you can't get quarterback right. Right? It's so hard, and they just haven't, and it's hard to find who to blame exactly. Other than I guess the GM is probably the most obvious one.

9:54Okay, so on the other side, I think the question coming out of this is we see that the Texans have an obvious championship D. Is C.J. Stroud going to hold them back, right, from making it to the Super Bowl and winning it? because it was he tried but dominique i would argue okay let me make it this isn't a it is a little bit of a defensive stroud so on one hand in this game he had some really dumb bozo turnovers right and you're watching you're like what are you doing like i just i don't know what the hell was going on with the snaps but then the him trying to make some crazy terrible decision making On the other hand, I just looked this up.

10:43He had the third highest drop back success rate of the weekend and hit on a bunch of really nice throws on third down. So it was kind of a weird game from him because while he was, you know, he made some really devastating negative plays, he also made some really impressive plays that if you're a Texans fan, you can come away with this feeling where at least our quarterback is capable of that. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing that's been with C.J. Stroud and his offense, frankly, all season long. And I think that Chargers game is kind of one of the illustrations of it where it's like, oh, we can have two enormous bomb plays against a defense that doesn't give those up and then just completely disappear.

11:24It's the hit or miss of it. And I think that's what's so enticing about this team is you have a quarterback who can play high-level quarterback. Has he done it for a long enough stretch? Even in his rookie year when we loved him, It was about what we thought it could become. And based on what we saw, it wasn't about him. He didn't like coming to league playing top of the league quarterback immediately. He was making top of the league throws. But all of it together was like, oh, this is great. This is amazing for a rookie year. It wasn't like Jaden Daniels, whose rookie year was like, oh, no, this is everything.

11:56We saw it all. And he just hasn't quite developed that consistency that we want for the quarterback play. And then you can point to the stuff around them that's made it difficult. But when I go through this, we prepare for all of this stuff. You just recognize that this year is unique and how flawed all these teams are. And if you have a quarterback that you know can reach the high end and you have a defense that you know is never going to – you're never going to be out of any game, it has to be exciting for Texas fans. I thought it was also encouraging that they ran the ball well. You know, the Sears run defense had kind of improved over the course of the season.

12:35But, I mean, Woody Marks and Nick Chubb combined 170 yards, decent success rate. And it felt like when you're watching them, you know, every time they wanted five, six yards, they were able to consistently. That's a big deal, right? Like this is, especially if you end up, obviously you're facing the Patriots in the next round, which the run defense, I will say, looked a lot better. But that's something you want to be able to do. and then especially if you end up going up against the Bills, who we're going to talk about. It's always the thing. So, you know, it's a hard one because I think if you just took out those insane fumbles and bad plays, he actually was pretty good.

13:14Like on third down, CJ Stroud was 8 for 12 for 152 yards. Yeah. I mean, I think this is a great game if you take this out as like a fraught place to be, except for when the things that you're taking out are absurd. You know, like, he doesn't have, like, a history of snap fumbles. You know? Like, he's not. He doesn't have a history of, like, flea flicker. Like, you know, so it's like I can get behind the concept that, like, he's actually going to be a lot better at it. It's not like with, like, Caleb where we're like, if you just take care of those early down accuracy things. Like, nah. It's, like, kind of always been a thing.

13:55Christian Kirk turned back the clock. Oh, yeah. It's a great weekend for turning back the clock. I think they liked the matchup on the Eccles, the Steelers. They definitely liked it. You weren't on first take this morning, were you? Oh, yeah, I saw the clip, yeah. Okay, okay. I was going to say, I'll wait. All my group chats have sent me. I think that had a hit rate on the group chats of like five or six. CJ on third down. Yeah, it crosses over a bunch of days. It really does. All right. Well, the Texans advance. Okay. Steelers fans also do this because I feel like I've picked against them a lot this year because of Rodgers and hasn't always been popular.

14:44It is a good situation for a quarterback. Like, all things considered, I actually, I know, I always say after playing the Texans, don't overrate any conclusions. It's a good young offensive line. um obviously if dk i think you're gonna need to add another skill player but like it is a good spot if you they they are really are a quarterback away it feels like next year um you know there's some big things about the future of that defense though like that's yeah the problem the pass rush is i mean i mean i know highsmith and um herbig yeah and sawyer seems like he's gonna be a contributor but like yeah he made a great play in this game he was the one who blew up the flicker yeah that was incredible benton's been really good but like yeah cam ward's getting yeah cam hayward he was amazing this year and jaylen uh also like i i like this season for jaylen i'm not sure how people feel about yeah he like moved to safety safety yeah he's always been a bigger corner and physical guy and like yeah it's he's awesome i think but we'll see what the future holds for this defense because we i mean they weren't great but they're super expensive and i think some decisions are gonna have to be made over there all right it's funny because we're working backwards the good games were at the beginning chargers pats whatever order you want you've seen the that meme that's like the horse drawing that like is yeah starts out it's like really good on one side and then gets worse and worse that was wild card weekend because it started so strong um so my main takeaway from chargers pats that i would like to share with you is i came away from this game much more impressed by the patriots defense than i thought um that was the biggest surprise because and that was my biggest concern about new england going into the postseason you and i did our rankings i was like i just don't think this defense has it right And obviously the Chargers offense has not been good all year long, and they are down to, you know, like I'm blocking out there, right?

16:54And the passing game is not difficult to stop per se. But I thought you saw some real genuine creativity on the back end and in the pressures, actually. And then I think like the return of a bunch of players, it made a big difference. Milton Williams, obviously, Spillane. I mean, they didn't have Tonga in this game, and they were still decent against the run, which was really impressive. That was my biggest concern. So I think I would start there. Like, okay, now I'm starting to feel better about the Patriots because it felt like a very lopsided team before this. And you think the whatever, you think the offense will be fine.

17:36This is like rookie quarterback jitters or like, I mean, I guess you didn't have as much concern for the offense as you did for the defense. So you're coming out of that game. That was my point, yeah. And it was a tough, the Chargers defense is a really tough matchup. I mean, I think I saw somewhere Jesse Minter, who's your defensive coordinator, is interviewing at every single team. And it's funny because a lot of the guys coaching this weekend are in the cycle, right? And I thought he made a real good case for himself because I thought they were outstanding. And it was a great chess match. I think May had some jitters, had some misses, but you saw him and Josh McDaniels as well, I think, over the course of the game, kind of solve the defense in a way that, if I'm a Pats fan, I find encouraging.

18:22I thought when they started, and this is something they've been doing, but the six offensive linemen, two back, when they were getting their bigger bodies on the field and forcing the Chargers to play base defense. I just pulled this for NFL Live.

18:37May versus when they got the Chargers to play, who don't love to play base. When they got them to play base, Drake May went 7 for 8 for 97 yards and a touchdown. That was, and you remember, both his shots were out of those six offensive line looks. So, anyways, I don't want to get, like, too granular about it. My point is just I felt like the offense solved it as time went on, but I didn't think the defense would look this good. they gotta go to Houston which I guess we shouldn't you'll do a whole preview show you'll be ready for that but that's in the of course that's in the back of all of our minds as we're watching these games and thinking about how to evaluate them it's like who's the next step and do they match up well and can they make plays against them so we'll see how it turns out for them but I think yeah ultimately it's everyone in this as we've said time and time again everyone has flaws and I think the the Patriots where they were weak on defense, like they seemed a lot better, and where their strength is the quarterback who played not his best game in his first playoff appearance.

19:42And as Charlie from my show will point out, this is his first big game of his life, including college and high school because he went to a smaller high school and UNC in college. So we'll see. He'll be better in the second game even though it's against a tougher team. But I think, yeah, you find a way to get a win in the playoffs and no major, major injuries. They actually are getting guys back. It has to feel pretty good for them going forward. Christian Gonzalez went out with a concussion. He was really good in this game. He was. So that's one to watch, especially with Nico Collin. Well, he also got hurt too, so we'll see.

20:17Yeah, they got the same thing, right? Injury, yeah, exactly. Back to the quarterback, Drake May. Yeah, I think what I liked about this was even though he was a little jumpy early on and had some misses, he didn't panic and he got better as the game went on. I think that's really encouraging, right? And also, like, he – I talked about, like, how Josh McDaniels helped solve some of the problems. Like, the left side of the Patriots offensive line was having a lot of trouble with pressure, right? So he found ways to help them and get the matchups he wanted. I thought Drake himself also showed that problem-solving ability using his legs, which is a weakness of this Chargers defense.

20:57He scrambled. He had the huge scramble, but that's going to be big against Houston. Checking it down to the backs, you know, again, the Chargers defense, the way they were playing, there was like, they really like make you work for it, right? It's a lot of putting a roof on you, and he made the right decision most of the time, and then he took the shots when they were available to him. So I think I feel encouraged is all I'll say. I thought it was like an encouraging game. And that to me is also about the defense. It's like you start out jumpy and jittery and the other team scores a touchdown.

21:34The jumps and the jitters don't go away. Like the idea that the defense played as well as they did to like buy him the time that he needed, that he never really felt like under pressure, like pressing. I got to make something happen. I think that's scary for a young player in that situation. The defense was like, all right, we'll be here. Just don't blow it. Don't throw a pick six. We'll be here. We'll keep you around. Athleticism matters so much in these games, man. Like, just his ability to scramble in some of those situations. And because, you know, the Patriots are better against zone than man for obvious reasons, I suppose.

22:13Well, they're pass catch. They don't, you know. and the fact though that he can punish you well Kejon Booty was really good in this game though right yeah but the fact that May can punish you when you turn your back on him I mean how many times in the playoffs you see Patrick Mahomes on third down with those scrambles it's a big deal him and Josh um it's a bigger deal when you can go for 30 yeah not just right like not just eight yeah it's a lot of quarterbacks like he gets get us the first day keep it going that's awesome but But it's nice when you're like, I can give you an explosive with my legs.

22:44There were a lot of moments, too, during this postseason where I was watching quarterbacks who don't scramble and screaming, just run, like Jordan Love, who I love, who was amazing in that game. Obviously, Matthew Stafford's not going to run, but there were, like, first down. You know, it's just, it is a really big deal. Jordan Love, like, has the athleticism, I think, to do more than he does with his legs. Matthew Stafford, NAD, Sam Darnold, probably not, and obviously Aaron Rodgers, that was a problem. Like the biggest problem for, to go back to that game for one second, but one of the things about what?

23:17Chargers just fired Greg Roman. Perfect timing because we're talking about it, this game. Well timed. Hit what your Patriots point and then we'll flip to the Chargers. I mean, it wasn't a Patriots point. It was a running quarterback's point as much as like I'm watching the pass rushers from the Texans. And one thing about having an athletic quarterback is you can't, it takes away the inside move for a pass rushers. if we're going to rush for it, they're so unlikely to take an inside move to give you the edge. And I'm watching those pass rushes. It puts the tackles on so much more of an island because like the Neil Hunter does not give a damn if he gives Aaron Rodgers the edge.

23:49And so I have a two way go, a three way go because we saw that one sack when they just pushed everybody on to Aaron Rodgers. This makes it really hard. It's one of the things that I think you don't take into account about having a quarterback who can run a little bit. Anyway, Greg Roman. I mean, the big Caleb throw happens because Rashawn Gary inexplicably goes inside. Right? Like, so it's not just scrambling. It's playmaking. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of, I think, outside of Stafford, Stroud isn't a prolific runner. He can and will. But Darnold's output in the same bucket as Stroud. You know, he can.

24:27He's capable of it. It's a pretty mobile field. Okay, so Greg Roman was fired. not surprising I think after the game they were asked uh Harbaugh was asked about it and said not not the time which usually means it's a done deal yeah um I guess the way I'll phrase it to you is this because I don't think anyone's going to be fighting this one or protesting do you think there's anything the charge because it was a dismal performance from the charge the charge defense I thought was really good and did their best the Chargers offense was pretty bad in this and they were bad in a number of ways. Obviously, you know, the offensive line is what it is.

25:09Herbert was simultaneously under siege, but then also didn't hit some throws. It was one of those, like, how do we even describe, you know what I mean? Do you think there's anything Greg Roman could have done differently? I mean, Greg Roman's reputation is not one as, like, offensive innovator. So I'm not surprised that if, and it's a hard place to be in for anyone who had as many injuries as they had, but I'm not surprised that as a result of it, he didn't have the best answers.

25:44I don't know, off the top of my head, I think that you could probably try to find ways to take pressure off the offensive line with design quarterback runs, but you have a quarterback who has a broken hand. Sorry, go ahead. No, no. You talk about taking pressure off the offensive line. the way Leanne McConkie was used this year was odd to me like okay so if you just to point to one thing Roman here's one way to take pressure off the offensive line just throw it to him quickly yeah you know like he should be he should be such a high volume receiver in this offense as an outlet and he just wasn't and Keenan Allen ended up getting kind of like a focal point and he had a really bad drop in this game.

26:24So that was, you know, because he looked so good year one and it felt like this year with shitty pass protection and he took a step back and I would say I put a lot of that on Roman. I mean, the passing game, watching it back, like the Pats were just all over everything they tried to do. I mean, that's why it's like Justin Herbert played really poorly but on a lot of these guys were not open a lot, right? Or they were confusing them. So I don't know. I guess I'd spin it to final question before we move on. What do you want for Herbert? Obviously, a healthy offensive line changes everything. But in terms of play calling, is there anything you would want for him?

27:05I don't know off the top of my head. I think the big thing hanging around over Herbert the whole time was, can we get somebody that can stretch the field for him as a playmaker? And I guess with that would come an offensive coordinator who is going to design opportunities, assuming the tackles come back. And I guess it's kind of the opposite of what they needed to do in this game. But, like, you got to make people pay. If you have a special quarterback who has a special arm, the offensive scheme that's going to allow you to put that on display is who I'd be looking at. Probably going to have to replace the defensive coordinator as well.

27:44That's tough. He looks gone. Yeah, he's going to get a job. I mean, the defense has so much talent. Dermot James is just ridiculous. He was great in this game. They traded for Adafi Owe. He's been really good. The pass rush looks good. I think Khalil Mack looks like he'll keep playing. He still plays at a high level. So, you know, I do think they'll be back in it next year if the offensive line can stay healthy. But that's ultimately what undid them, right? And with Herbert, the thing I'll say is this. It felt like at the end, like the entire season of getting his butt kick just caught up to him.

28:24And he because he was just jumpy, right? Like he that the line was bad, but he was making it worse and not making the plays when they're available to him. And I'm watching him thinking this guy is taking too many hits. And then he still got he got folded in this game. Some of the most violent hits on a quarterback. the final Milton Williams one where he beats the set oh my god was that the helmet in the stomach one was that I think so yeah I was just like I mean Drake May got hit a bunch this game too it was a pretty violent game for the quarterbacks defenses both played well all right Eagles Niners Niners Eagles yeah what do you want to talk about first I mean I feel like we have to on our show we did uh like a um a fall guy ranking like that's oh that's good yeah that's uh for the eagles yeah we ended with petula at one but i mean that's where the eagles conversation has to go i think yes okay i feel like sometimes when we nfl podcasters dorks talk about football we've placed too much emphasis on scheme and coaching and not enough on player execution however you will never see a greater coaching disparity in the nfl than watching this one back in part not because of just how bad the eagles offense looked and i'm talking about the offenses only of course but because kyle shanahan put on a clinic given the given the competition the likes of which I mean legendary stuff from the guy we are obviously very high on I'll get to the Niner side of it but as far as the Eagles offense and why they are bad I don't I also I have I'm kind of of two minds of this one of which is you can't put all of it on Petulo because the players all failed there was a lot of execution problems from the offensive line and this has been a problem all year, especially run blocking.

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30:32You had players making drops. Jalen Hurts, I thought, fleeing the pocket at times, all of that. But I would argue that those failures are magnified from an offense that's entirely based on talent. Whereas on the other side of the ball, yes, the players all executed great, but that offense doesn't need them to be perfect in every situation in the same way. And the offense is designed around their versatility and the opportunities, which like there's no better illustration as ridiculous as it is than like Jawan Jennings throwing a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey, who catches it, one of the more difficult catches of the weekend over his shoulders.

31:23Those are more extreme examples of the uniqueness of the players. But that's one thing that always stands out to me about Kyle Shanahan is not that he doesn't want good players. Of course he wants good players, but he wants versatile players. And you see Juszczyk, how he's used. It's a bit redundant, and I think obviously it's something that you're aware of. Is Juszczyk's smile? Is that what that is? No, it's just crazy that he was not going to be on the team. I would argue next to McCaffrey, he's been their most impactful offensive skill player. They lost Kittle and some, for whatever reason, kept going after Quinion with backup tight ends, which I assume that's a purdy thing.

32:07I can't imagine that Shanahan's like, we're still going to run that Kittle play no matter what, even though Kittle's out and Quinion's guarding that position. But that aside, I think back to the point about the Eagles, this is what we expected, though. This is how we expected them to lose. They play outlandish playing, I promise. The third quarter stressed me out watching the Eagles because they just seemed like they were playing to punt. And this is what we were saying about them all season, which I can't knock them because it's not like when they try to open offense up, they're better but it's like all season's like look if you don't try to win every drive sooner or later the the the plays won't go your way and you'll lose it's the Niners defense yeah right like okay it's one thing to like let's say it's second and long and then you run it you run a draw or whatever they by the way yeah so so second and first of all they ran second down the highest rate of any team in the playoffs this weekend on second along they had seven runs um all right so So just if they were playing Houston, I would be like, you know what?

33:20Okay, right? Like, I get it. Maybe you don't want to turn the ball over. You don't want to push it. You don't have matchups that you like. And you trust your defense. And to make it a rock fight, sure. It's the Niners defense. Like, surrendering on series versus that defense was so pathetic to me. I know it's something they've been doing over the course of the season I get it but like you have A.J. Brown, Devontae Smith and Dallas Goddard find a matchup you trust your do you not trust A.J. Brown against their it was crazy there's so many things that infuriated me watching them Hurts just not running the football two design carries outside of sneaks one of which was called back one of which was successful again they ran out of linebackers right like this defensive tackle they've given up so many runs between the tackles all year long like what I don't under I didn't I didn't get it at all yeah I I wish that I could give you I could explain it to you but it didn't make sense to me that it's just been an incredibly conservative risk-averse offense that's like especially the few times they got a little aggressive when they fell behind and then they got a lead Then they were like, it's third and 10.

34:38Let's throw a swing pass. Let's throw a check down. And it was funny because you're watching this game. It was like you saw that Purdy and this team that was not as good realized that they had to be aggressive. The man threw two interceptions. I think both of them were on his side of the field. And they're still in the game to no interceptions. Because they kept shooting. Yeah, and that's the point. That's the point. And it's not only because they kept shooting. it's because the Eagles wouldn't. Yes. They came away with no points on one of those drives, I think, or both of those drives maybe. Right.

35:12You won the turnover battle. Congratulations. Hang the banner.

35:20I dispute the idea that an offense with Jalen Hurts can't be significantly better with what we saw this year, but you and I have talked about it. I think the offseason they really need to prioritize fixing the run game because I do think that needs to be part of his a successful offense with Jalen Hurts is one where he can run the football. That's not to say he's not capable of throwing but then you create the kind of opportunities he likes to throw too. I mean, you know, the Eagles defense I mean, I think the Eagles defense was good. Shanahan just found ways. He found matchups. He went after Blankenship, safeties.

35:52They made plays. I mean, also like I mean DeMarcus Robinson opening the game, beating Quinia Mitchell to me was like this matchup in a nutshell where it's like they were just so outgunned and it didn't matter the Niners are like you know like in the Niners and the Eagles you you had friends growing up who had money but didn't look that good and then you had friends who had no money but always like had that on like you know like they're just like really good at like putting stuff together going to thrift shop or stuff that's how I felt watching this game I I was like, money can't buy taste, apparently.

36:31That's how I fell watching the Eagles. Well said. All right, let's take a quick break, come back, and talk about the good games. If you're looking to bring a little celebration into every day, Confetti Craze 5-Hour Energy tastes just like birthday cake. Think rich vanilla, buttery funfetti flavor, basically a party in a bottle. And here's what makes it even better. It's all cake, no sugar. So you get that big birthday energy without any sugar guilt. The bottle is small, portable, and easy to keep on hand when you need a quick, tasty caffeine boost to cake-ify your day. Confetti Craze is unapologetically extra, and sometimes extra is exactly the vibe.

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37:35Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Save money and get a better view of the road when you replace your worn-out wiper blades at O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Right now, save$10 on a pair of Rain-X Latitude wiper blades. They feature beam blade technology to improve windshield contact for maximum visibility. The professional parts people will even install your new wiper blades for free. Choose Rain-X Latitude wiper blades at your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or online at OReillyAuto.com. All right, Dominique. The Bills dragged us, mostly you, on social. They put together a video.

38:12It was like a super cut of you. They found like multiple clips of you. The thing about it is they couldn't actually find clips of us really. like the only clips that they had were us just saying the Jags were good not saying like the Bills were bad or the Bills were going to get smoked you know sometimes I feel like these teams when they're trying to find their like disrespectful edits they're kind of reaching because it's like nobody actually disrespected the Bills every single game discussion was like this is going to be really close and it was yeah sorry I picked the Jags 28 to 27 I'm never going to break a game again you know anyways um i think what's so remarkable about this game is that james cook had a 33 success rate on the ground and they still won yeah that's that i mean that was one of the things that you and i talked about like there there's ways to win that we can imagine and then the only way we could imagine that the bills could win was if they had uh if james cook had a good game he didn't and i thought the jacks defense played well yeah um the jacks offense also like they had some early issues but they also seemed to be able to do what they wanted when they wanted to so like ultimately they won so they get to make the memes and and roast us and have a good time by all means but i didn't walk away from that game feeling a whole lot different like about like the the teams like you won it wasn't upset right and it didn't seem like at least to me i it didn't seem like oh my bad you guys actually are much better than them it was like oh you guys won a game that you probably shouldn't have won which congratulations and you deserve it and dunk all you want if you want an apology you can have it i'm sorry congratulations you're awesome but still y 'all watch that game it was close yeah uh josh allen was basically perfect yeah that i mean i this was by far the best quarterback performance of the weekend to me uh this push is gonna die this offseason, right?

40:10That was the final straw. The what? Sorry? That was the final straw. Oh, the tush push. The tush push. Yeah, yeah. You know, I was watching that and thinking, like, Carolina, push your little guy a lot. Like, he was great. You can't do that. You of all people can't little guy him. You can't. He was great. I will. Okay, eventually, by the way, I'll do a podcast, obviously, where I talk about the, well, we're going to talk about the Panthers, so. Yeah. But I thought he was great in that game. As Bomani says, This little homie doing his best. Okay, so back to Josh Allen. Yeah, like they won because we'll get to the defensive side of it because Trey White turned back the clock.

40:50This was a great turn back the clock game with Brandon Cooks. Brandon Cooks made like a great – it wasn't even just like Brandon Cooks' open. Brandon Cooks made like a contested comeback. It was a great catch. But anyways, Josh Allen I thought was magnificent in this one. He was patient when he had to be patient. He got the ball out. quick game he was like 16 for 17 for 175 yards perfect and then when he had to make difficult challenging plays under pressure he did i mean all of his big plays a guy like leveled him the um talk about quarter i didn't beat up yeah without even getting to the the running the scrambling but um like the the cook's ball devon lloyd like just cuts him in half he's unblocked the I've mentioned the the whole shot to Coleman Armstead's in his face there's a there's a throw to Shakir where Josh Heinz Allen is like .25 seconds from decapitating him like you I mean and it's just you go back and you watch these throws Dominique and they're just like it they're they're so difficult I think that's the thing that jumps out I'm not watching anything like they're really just like given the But especially with the pressure factor, it's amazing.

42:09And you just watch him and you see his arm talent and how accurate he's become throwing downfield. But anyways, TLDR, Josh Allen was basically flawless. Yeah, I'm watching some of these plays again now as you talk about him. I mean, it's what everyone said. It was like, if Josh Allen is perfect, then they could beat anybody. Can he be perfect for the rest of the way? That's the question. well the flip side is and i've always said this about the bills my issue with them is not josh allen it's that i don't trust the run defense and nothing in this game should have changed i still don't but i have great news buffalo there's no good run games left in the nfl on the afc rather um you know we'll see i mean patreons and the broncos texans i mean they've been running the ball okay but there's no dominant run games I thought it was a really interesting game to watch The Bills defense, I thought was

43:12You showed a lot of the things you've seen all this year long In terms of the creativity They really do a lot of crazy stuff I feel like we don't really talk about that enough How unique they are with some of their disguise Yeah, I think that's the right point Because you said they do a lot of crazy stuff But I mean, from a disguise standpoint I mean, they are really good against the pass, and that's, I think, where disguises would have a tremendous amount of value. But, yeah, they're doing it because they have to. Like, we started the show with the Texans, and it's like, yeah, nobody's doing anything for fun.

43:48Like, if they had that defense, they would. I mean, because the Bills historically have been like, we do what we do. You're going to get a bunch of cover three. we'll mix in a little more man if we are healthy enough to do so but this week nah i i thought it was an excellent game plan i always feel like people are too hard in sean mcdermott also like you know all these josh allen you know it was so funny because i'm watching this thinking back to our discussion about josh allen and how you and i agreed like the under pressure discussion was silly but i'm watching this thinking like if this bill's defense chokes us away we're gonna do it right and then trey white said nope i'm gonna make first play he was so good in this game it wasn't even just like that you know one or two he had you know multiple pass breakups but the one where he was the cover three one i forgot who it was brenton strange saved touchdown um but he was good in coverage all day long and And I just feel like they're just a tough matchup because of what they – so the flip side of it, let's talk about the Jags for a second.

44:59Trevor was pretty skittish early on.

45:04They were able to, especially as the game went on, move the ball through the air. so I'm not gonna push too hard on the run thing but I was confused why they didn't run the ball more given how much of an they had like a 71 % success rate on the ground can I can I throw out a theory okay it happens often I feel like especially for like offensive minded coaches and is probably exacerbated by being a first-year head coach. And maybe this – I mean, not maybe. This isn't like some deep analytical theory. It's like, I brought it. I want to use it. And, like, your office of God has schemed up all these great office plays.

45:54And, again, office plays are working. They're open people that they don't get into because the ball gets batted down despite the fact that your quarterback is 6 '6". And those players are getting batted down. And the players are working. And I get why you want to keep doing it, but, like, this is – it's a hindsight thing, but oftentimes there has to be somebody that's just there for young coaches and offensive-minded coaches. And maybe there should be somebody there for defensive-minded coaches to say get aggressive, but there's got to be somebody for the offensive-minded coaches to say, hey, hand that shit off.

46:26Hand that shit off, especially when you come into this game knowing they suck at stopping the run, and they demonstrate that they still suck at stopping the run. Like, make me stop toting that thing. And also, like, you felt like the Bills defense, right? Like, they weren't afraid of play action because, you know, yeah. There was a sequence where it was in the second half. No, no, it wasn't. When they were down 13 to 7, maybe. Etienne broke off, like, a 26-yard run. And they got into, like, Bills field goal territory. and then they went gun pass Trevor Keeper, Trevor Draw from empty and then another gun pass I'm watching and thinking like you got him man ETN and Tootin were destroying them on the ground

47:21yeah look I'm not going to tell Liam Cohen that he should keep his head up but he should he should though damn it I screwed it up For those who are not terminally online, a Jags beat reporter went viral this week. Beat reporter? I don't even know. For telling Liam, like a nice lady, that he did a good job. And it became ground zero for... It was ridiculous. Of the ridiculous things, like, sometimes we look back and say that was a ridiculous thing. That one, as it's happening, like, we're really, this is becoming a thing that needs to be discussed? You know, I knew it was going to be a thing, though, because people hate the media.

48:06And so when the media started criticizing her, my take was just this is not a thing. Not everything needs to be opined on. Yeah, I don't care. I don't care. I really don't care. All right. Look, obviously for the Jags felt like a bit of a house money season. You know, you and I thought they were a complete team. And I will say this, I think you saw some of the weaknesses exposed, particularly the past defense. You know, we talked about losing Jordan Lewis. The good thing is they have an elite cornerback who's in the building who didn't play enough cornerback. Yeah. Honestly, I'm watching that game thinking, Travis Hunter, cornerback won.

48:51Let's just do this next year. We don't need, like, you know, come on. I mean, I think they made decisions during the season that suggested that they came to that realization also. Yeah. I mean, he's a great corner. We'll be, of course, talking about the Jags in more detail in their offseason. But Jags fans, arrow up. Exciting time. Okay, Packers-Bears. Woo! That's all. That's all. Caleb is so fun. This game is so dumb. It's so much stuff to talk about. Everyone should be fired. and Caleb is amazing. I have come to the conclusion that I really don't think Matt Lofler should have been fired. Or should be fired.

49:36It seems like he's not going to get fired. It does seem like, however, there's some kind of maybe contractual issues between them, like what he wants, so we'll see.

49:46Going back and watching the Packers' offense in the second half, Dominique, I think I came away with a different conclusion from how I felt in the moment in the moment I was watching them thinking why are they running the ball and then going back they really didn't run the ball they were pretty aware that they couldn't run the ball they just got destroyed in the trenches that was what I overwhelming watching them back I thought oh my god the offensive line injuries against what had been a bad Bears pass rush are really showing up. That's how you get the intentional groundings, right? Like one of them, I don't know what Rasheed Walker was doing.

50:34I do think the second to last drive, the four-minute mark drive, LeFleur was overly aggressive in terms of throwing the ball downfield. and then obviously the clock management was abysmal from the timeout into the delay of game then having to call a timeout when there's not enough men on defense all that is significant but after taking some time and like re-watching it my biggest takeaway was like uh they were just really injured yeah yeah that's it i mean and i so i agree with you about the my takeaway was Matt LaFleur has demonstrated himself to be the type of guy that other people want. Like he is the kind of the model of what everyone's looking for.

51:19Like he revived the end of Aaron Rodgers's career, which like maybe that wasn't him at all, but he was there. And Aaron Rodgers was struggling and all of a sudden he wins two MVPs. He ushers in the transition to Jordan Love, who I thought was incredible in this game. So good in this game. So good. Right. And like Matt LaFleur is responsible for that. It feels like the things that you want to fix with Matt LaFleur are things that can easily be kind of addressed or coast around or compensated for on the staff. Because you have what feels like the brass ring when it comes to hiring a coach is a play caller who is also on the same page with your quarterback.

52:04So like all this other stuff, we can get to it. We can figure it out. We can address it. We can, who was, that was, is that the Broncos who hired Jerry Rosberg because they needed. The game management. I know. I was thinking that as well, Dominic. I was thinking like, okay, so they obviously got to deal with special teams. But like, you got to play a caller who, even with all the injuries this year. I think Jerry's daughter was on the Ravens staff. Maybe she can come over and help manage games. this offense finished like fourth in epa per play and sixth in dboa despite like not having their quarterback and losing their best skill player early and like offensive like you can't you're not going to get that again you're just not you know he's not perfect but i just think it would be a mistake to like you said you're giving up the thing that everybody wants which is stability at play caller.

53:04He's good at it. But it was an epic choke job. On the other side of that, we're going to get to Caleb, but I do want to talk about the Bears defense, though. That was the other thing, I think, that kind of, like, played really well. And, I mean, mea culpa, because everyone knows I've been such a critic and doubter when it comes to the Bears' D, but I thought there was some really good individual plays. Grady Jarrett, I thought, was excellent. Tremaine Edmonds made plays. Jalen Johnson, et cetera. Montez Sweat. And then I thought Dennis Allen did some smart things. Like, what caught your eye? Well, I thought what they did with the edge of the defense, because they kept losing the edge of the defense in the first half.

53:50And then it was clear that, to me at least, the first half, the Packers were touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, missed field goal. They didn't really get stopped. So they went into the locker room and said, let's keep doing that. the Bears went into the locker room and was like touchdown touchdown touchdown missed field goal we stink what's killing us we can't hold on to the edge let's blitz off the edge let's be more aggressive about taking away the edge of this defense and force them to go up into the middle if they're going to run the ball and so that seemed like the biggest like adjustment to keep them in long yardage situations uh blitzing i feel like also um they ended up they you know played the variance game a little bit when it came to press and they got burned a few times but they were able to create some negative plays the other thing that caught my eyes when they didn't blitz they played man coverage like most of the time and i like i would not have thought that would have worked but that's how you get like the Jalen Johnson PBU right um there were a few I think Edmonds on Musgrave in the end zone and that was a big tendency switch from the last time they played because the two times that they faced Jordan Love uh during the regular season they would play almost exclusively zone and then they would play man when they blitzed and in this game they played way more man without blitzing and it seemed to take the Packers almost by surprise a little bit so you know Dennis Allen you know to your point though I think the key is just that he made adjustments and tried stuff right like that's you're outmanned on the other side I mean it was a pretty prototypical Caleb Williams in that like there's the efficiency wasn't quite there but the incredible plays were some of the most incredible you'll ever see I mean the the throw is that the best throw in Bears history it's gotta be yeah I mean he he has the top five I guess this one uh is bolted to the top because of the situation but like it wasn't as good of a throw to me as the the one to beat the Packers before but I guess yeah it was better I don't know it's it's definitely one of the best ever and he does it so routinely it feels like makes those throws without somehow being able to consistently make the routine throws yeah i i will say so colson loveland is their receiver one now right and it was like you know they kept hitting that corner route over and over and killed him with it but like they got to it a bunch of different ways which i thought was like you can tell ben johnson is calling the game around loveland now right like that's he is the focal point of the offense like dj moore is just clearing out the corner for loveland or um they would put him in line they would put him in the slot they line him up outside he'd be like one of them he was outside i think it was the flood concept where they sent off he was like outside on the bunch um but the thing that also struck my eye is caleb's ball placement was perfect on all those Yeah, I'm watching all these out-breaking corners now.

57:12Yeah, you're right. He's putting it on the money, and the way he's getting to the same concept, which is probably pretty nice for Caleb as a quarterback because the defense is not really aware. But he's like, I think about this as the same play that I just did last time. He's a real matchup problem for everyone, thinking about that, right? It's like how we talked about Kelsey. I mean, there's differences between the players. he's not you know but um when you talk about this team it's the first thing you're talking about now like i mean in terms of like your defense and who you're game planning for it it probably made matt lafleur miss tucker craft so much more as he's watching loveland be unguardable he's like we had one of them what's happening mouth agape are you okay mike tomlin oh just told the team he is stepping down 19 seasons

58:20him and John Harbaugh gotta go have dinner together or something switch jobs the prophecy is complete that would be hilarious kind of so he'll never do it but that would be like he is that's the kind of situation he should because yeah go back to what you're talking about i'm not he's not going to happen so we shouldn't spend too much time on this but like with mike tomlin you and i earlier when we're talking about him and whether they would move on we both express questions about him with a young quarterback yeah ideally he would be with a team that has a quarterback. I mean, the Ravens got a call, right?

59:03They got a call. Like, when Harbaugh got fired, Charlie asked me if I thought that Harbaugh would be a fit in with the Steelers. I thought, absolutely not. That doesn't make any sense. So I'm looking to the Ravens. I mean, and because the fans have hated him, it felt like, for the last so many years, like, that would be hilarious and incredible. I can't. I really wouldn't do it, right? I mean, probably not. Who do you think wouldn't do it? Do you think that the Ravens wouldn't do it, or do you think Tomlin wouldn't do it? Tomlin. I think the Ravens would do it. You think that Pittsburgh stuff is in his blood enough that he's like, nah, I would never coach the Ravens.

59:44Well, especially since he stepped down. He wasn't fired. You know what I mean? It seems like. That's a good point. It just doesn't seem like it ended acrimoniously. Yo. a few weeks ago we're like oh man who are they gonna have to go to like a you know college defensive coordinator for john harbaugh and mike tomlin are available in this and kevin stefanski was student coach in the year like this is a crazy coaching cycle i'm pissed at john harbaugh he just went from being the hottest dude at the party now tomlin strutted up in that thing taking some of the eyes.

1:00:24As a seven, there's nothing worse than when a nine walks in.

1:00:33Actually, that's not fair to John Harbaugh. He's not a seven. They're both... We're assuming that Tomlin is stepping down because he's not going to coach, right? Or is that... I don't know. He might be stepping down because the Steelers also were like, hey, we want to move on. Because you don't step down and go to another team. If it's his doing. Yeah. It's all going to come out. So we'll – now the Pittsburgh job is open too. Okay. So if I'm Pittsburgh, what I want, I would – I'd love an offensive guy. Yeah. Mike McDaniel in Pittsburgh would be so funny Hilarious It's like the opposite of what he was in Miami Steel City Am I wrong for feeling that way?

1:01:31I feel like I don't care how old or whatever But I just feel like you want to play caller Yeah For Tomlin Okay, so let's throw out Baltimore Of these jobs, which do you think is most likely? Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland, Vegas, Miami, New York, Tennessee.

1:02:03I don't know. I mean, I could see him. There are places I can't. I can't see Arizona happening. I mean Miami he has carte blanche if he wants to do whatever down there like that could happen New York Giants um Joe Shane's still there so I I would doubt that as unless you're talking Jets I mean yeah they love uh defensive minded coach up there so could see Atlanta yeah I mean Atlanta yeah that seems but still have the quarterback issue yeah so let's make some predictions let's say if the Giants go Stefanski Miami goes Harbaugh Atlanta goes Tomlin Tennessee McDaniel Baltimore Minter those are that's it for now those are my predictions for now i just fancy i have to the giants okay yeah that sounds okay those are my predictions for now we'll see holy mackerel what a crazy day quick time out some breakfast intel you want to know about kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings heat it eat it and you're out the door no long prep No complicated game plan.

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1:05:24That's E-T-H-O-S dot com slash sports. Application times and rates may vary. The games. Anyways, Loveland, Caleb, awesome. I think Loveland will give that Rams defense trouble, by the way. Yeah, absolutely. So I'm going to keep an eye on. Okay, speaking of the Rams, we wrap with Rams-Panthers, which ended up being an awesome game. so first of all it's Carolina Panthers I will do the Jags reported thing and say you should be proud of yourself you should be you should be you really should yeah and gave everybody's favorite a hard time um yeah I I I just thought I thought Bryce Young was so impressive in this game man he made so many good throws and third downs and like I thought it's kind of funny because going into this we were like all right the Rams are way better than the Panthers but the Panthers have an edge at their wide receivers versus the Rams DBs and that really proved to be true I mean they went after um Lake who had come back from injury a lot Kobe Durant had an all-time DB moment where he basically shoved a guy out of an end zone it was like yeah never I mean um but they went after him a lot too um McMillan and Coker Coker was I mean that's that's your future and you know and I think you still need like a tight end and there's but obviously I don't think they're going to extend Bryce Young but I think you you come out of that feeling really good about the fifth year option yeah it feels a lot better I mean it's those it's funny how those games just change their offseason feels a lot better than I think I thought it was going to feel as they backed into the playoffs and thought they were going to get their doors blown off a little bit by the Rams.

1:07:19And we'd look at an offseason with a lot of big questions, like who are we bringing in to do this and who's going to compete? What's our future plan? Is Canales on the hot seat? Like all that stuff feels like it's gone away a little bit where it's like, all right, we'll see. Maybe it'll come back pretty quickly, but it's a little bit more optimistic for that unit. You still need to add to pass rush, you know, But it's nice that you're good at receiver and the line's trending in the right direction. And so it's a good way to end with feelings of like, this is manageable, right? We're going to address some of our issues next year.

1:07:57I did come out of this feeling more concerned about the Rams defense, I think. And this has been now a multi-week trend where they sort of come back to earth. But I thought you saw some real weaknesses that teams can attack. On the flip side, I thought it was a weird game plan from Sean until, like, so the other thing, we didn't say that the Panthers corners were a matchup advantage because the Rams have Puka and Devontae, but scrolling outside the numbers at them is not. Especially when you're a team that like Can do everything else so well Yeah, that was the shocking thing That they decided to keep going at Mike Jackson in that way It just Mike Jackson It's his fault Quietly like one of the five best players of Wild Card Weekend Yeah, I mean he had an awesome season too, yeah Awesome season Yeah, it took them I feel like there was some Like the middle of the field was so obviously the place to attack against this.

1:09:07I was surprised they didn't use the tight ends more. I don't know. I was wondering if it was just kind of like, oh, we got Puka and Devante back and, you know, or Devante back, Puka's been here. But yeah, I mean, Nakua was, you know, excellent as always in this. Stafford was kind of an odd one because he was kind of up and down and then he hurt his finger, but then at the very end of the game, when it mattered most, he looked like Matthew Stafford. I think I come out of this feeling better about the Panthers and enthusiastic and a little worse about the Rams. Yeah. Yeah, Mike Jackson squatted on that.

1:09:48That interception he got was ridiculous, and Baffert threw it right. Right. I mean, you got to come off of that, I would assume. But anyway, I think, yeah, we want to make the Rams into – I speak for myself. I want to make the Rams into a front runner, or a team that separated themselves, and they really haven't. And so I think this game was a reminder that there is nobody that separated themselves in any meaningful way this season. I tried to make an argument that the Jags were that team. They obviously are not that team either. So it's a real bad situation right now. So they got off to such a hot start.

1:10:27I mean, I guess I just expect their front to do better defensively, to dominate a little bit more defensively with Burson Young. Got a tough matchup with the Bears offense. That one could get a little – I just think that – well, obviously I'll preview in depth. The Rams offense versus the Bears defense. I know we said the Bears defense did some heroic things, but it was a different animal. However, again, great. This is not – I'm not trying to sound patronizing here. I was legitimately impressed by the Panthers in this game. I love the resilience too, right? Like, because that first drive, we're like, well, go do some chores.

1:11:09I might get in a run. Watch Heated Rivalry, episode two. And then Bryce said, nah. Also ran special teams. Actually, I'm done talking about special teams. I'm never doing it again. Did you see I posted a clip? I was like, the Jags kicker is a huge advantage over Buffalo. One of the wrongest takes. After that, I said, you know what? I'm done. Kickers are dead to me. I'm not even going to talk about it. Yeah, well, I mean, the Rams special teams has been an ongoing issue that almost caused them in this game, too. So you don't have to talk about specific things, but you can say their special teams might find a way to mess up.

1:11:45They were showing their kicker, Mevis, on the sideline practicing, and Nick, who, of course, listeners know, my husband does not watch football, he walked by because it was it was like 2.30 or something our kid was napping he looked at the TV and said that seems wrong and then kept walking big leave I was like it is not not not the norm like alright Drew okay sorry anyways that's it for this week wild card weekend it was a great one for the most part I like this I like the divisional matchups I like how this shook out I'm excited for all of them I think I was kind of hoping we'd get Bill's Pats I like the rematches but maybe we will in the championship we'll see but overall Josh Allen versus the Broncos defense come on that's fun that'll be a really good one alright thank you Dominique I will also divisional preview with Bill Barnwell It's coming out later this week, and then I will be joining Dominique's show from home.

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From the publisher

Mina and Domonique Foxworth break down every single game, from the biggest statements to the most head-scratching moments, and what it all means as the NFL playoffs roll on. Plus, they react to the shocking news of Mike Tomlin stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons, unpacking his legacy, impact on the franchise, and what’s next for Pittsburgh.

(0:00) Welcome

(0:15) Wild Card Recap 

(0:35) Texans Dominate Steelers 30-6

(15:35) Patriots Cruise Past Chargers 16-3

(24:00) Chargers Fire Oc Greg Roman After Loss To Patriots 

(28:33) 49ers Upset Eagles 23-19 In Philadelphia

(36:08) Bills Outlast Jaguars 27-24

(47:15) Bears Come Back, Beat Packers 31-27

(55:55) Mike Tomlin Steps Down After 19-Season Run In Pittsburgh

(1:01:30) Rams Top Panthers 34-31
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