Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to football Army. We're here to cut right through the noise of the NFL week. We're going to get straight to the critical shifts, the, the wild upsets and the injury reports that are basically reshaping the entire playoff picture as we head into December. If you want to know why the league looks so different this week, you are in the right place.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: It was a really chaotic week of football. I mean, it all kicked off right on Thanksgiving. We saw power dynamics just shift with this incredible energy, especially in the NFC North. And maybe the most stunning thing, we're now seriously questioning the future of the Kansas City Chiefs for like the first time in a decade.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: Okay, let's unpack that. Because the Chiefs losing to the Cowboys wasn't just a loss. It felt like a real tremor in that organization. The final score was 31:28, which was an absolute thriller for Dallas. But for Kansas City, the playoff fallout feels. Well, it feels seismic.
[00:00:51] Speaker B: Oh, the fallout is devastating. It really is. And the numbers, they really tell the story. The Chiefs fall to 6, 6, which is just a very concerning record for them. Before that Thanksgiving game, their playoff chances were, you know, hovering around 55%. Now, according to all the major models, their chance of making the playoffs has just plummeted. We're talking 35%.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: 35. Wow.
[00:01:15] Speaker B: Yeah. That puts their incredible 10 year postseason streak on life support. This is a team that's used to hosting the AFC championship. Now they're just fighting for a wildcard spot, looking up at teams they really shouldn't be.
[00:01:27] Speaker A: And on the flip side, the Cowboys couldn't be on a more different.
I mean, they are soaring. This team just beat the last two super bowl champs in five days. But back on the Chiefs side, if you just glance at the box score, Patrick Mahomes looked great. 261 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions. So the question is, how do they lose a game where the quarterback was that clean?
[00:01:46] Speaker B: And that's what we're calling the Patrick Mahomes paradox. This week he was executing at an elite level. He's doing everything he possibly could to drag that team to a win, but he was undone by just a staggering amount of self inflicted damage. The Most damning stat, 10 penalties for 119 yards.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: 119 yards, that's. That's enough to give the opponent almost two extra scoring drives.
[00:02:09] Speaker B: It's insane. And these weren't just, you know, your standard holding calls, were they? So many of them felt strategically debilitating. They came at the absolute worst moment.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: Total drive killers.
[00:02:19] Speaker B: They were and you have to look at what Dallas was doing on defense because the how here really matters. Dallas used this, a really exotic array of pre snap shifts and delayed blitzes. They were specifically targeting the Chief's less experienced guys on the interior line. And that forced all this miscommunication. You saw false starts, delay of game penalties, things you don't normally see from a veteran line. The pressure wasn't just physical, you know, it was manufactured chaos.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: And it sounds like it capitalized on what the Chiefs want to do, which is run these complex quick plays that need perfect timing.
[00:02:52] Speaker B: Exactly. They demand absolute synchronicity from the line and Dallas just blew that up. And then beyond the penalties, you had the same issue that's been plaguing them all year. The receiving core struggled in the biggest spots.
[00:03:04] Speaker A: Right.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: The drops, the drops were brutal. Again, we saw crucial ones from key guys, Rasheed Rice and Travis Kelce. They absolutely torpedoed a pivotal fourth quarter drive. They had amazing field position right near midfield, set up for a game tying drive and then two draws plus a holding call and boom. A golden opportunity just turns into a devastating three and out. You just can't overcome that. Even with Mahomes playing a nearly perfect game.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: It's just a painful way to lose a must win game. Yeah, and you look at Rice and Kelsey's combined stats, eight catches, 137 yards, three scores. They were productive, but they both made those drive killing mistakes.
It's the definition of an uneven performance.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: And it just speaks to the volatility of this Chiefs offense right now. They can hit the big play, they can score in the red zone. But that consistency, that reliability on third down, it's just not there this year. Especially in the fourth quarter when things get tight. That inability to just execute simple concepts in big moments is the key difference between the 6, 6 team and the super bowl contenders we're used to.
[00:04:05] Speaker A: Okay, let's flip back to the Cowboys. Because this win wasn't just about Dak Prescott being phenomenal, which he was. It was about the arrival of this, this truly new look dominant defense.
[00:04:17] Speaker B: That's the biggest takeaway for Dallas fans. This isn't just a defense that's finally getting healthy. It's a defense that has fundamentally upgraded its personnel in the middle of the season. They've effectively gotten six new key starters through trades and guys coming back. We're talking about huge impact players like Quinn and Williams, Donovan, Azarakuch, Davion Clowney, demarvi Novon. The list, the list goes on. That kind of midseason infusion just changes the whole dynamic of their unit.
[00:04:43] Speaker A: Lets talk about Quinn and Williams. His presence in the middle has to be changing everything for Micah Parsons and the other edge guys.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Oh, his impact is massive. Against the Chiefs. He had a team high six pressures, but the number that really tells the story is this.
He drew 10 double teams on 29 pass rush snaps.
[00:05:02] Speaker A: 10 double teams on 29 snaps. So nearly a third of the time the Chiefs had to commit two guys just to stop them.
[00:05:08] Speaker B: Precisely. And that gravity just fundamentally alters the offense's protection scheme. By occupying those two interior linemen, it guarantees favorable one on one matchups on the outside for Clowney and Parsons. The defense isn't just hoping Parsons can beat a double team anymore. They're ensuring he doesn't have to. And that's how you get consistent pressure sacks and those panic throws that lead to turnovers.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: And we're also seeing the speed of the rookie DeMarvi and over shown really starting to pay off at linebacker.
[00:05:35] Speaker B: Yeah, his integration has been careful, but his playing time has just shot up. He hits 70% of snaps against the Chiefs. What he brings is that elite sideline to sideline speed that this defense was just desperate for. He can cover the flat, he can track down running backs on the perimeter. He's a huge upgrade over the more traditional linebackers they started the year with. That speed lets the secondary play tighter because they know he can clean up.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: Any mistakes underneath switching to offense for a second. Let's talk about one of those great feel good stories. Malik Davis and his breakout game.
[00:06:06] Speaker B: Malik Davis, undrafted guy out of Florida. He just seized his moment. He gave the offense that spark they needed. He had that spectacular 43 yard touchdown run, longest of his career, finished with 47 yards on just three carries. He was that home run hitter that the Cowboys rushing attack sometimes lacks.
[00:06:23] Speaker A: And what's always funny about these sudden explosive performances is the immediate reaction from the league office.
[00:06:29] Speaker B: It's practically a tradition, isn't it? And it's good for a laugh.
According to team reports, almost immediately after the game, Davis was called in for a drug test by the NFL. You know you've had a truly unexpected day when the league office is responding within hours to verify where that speed came from.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: And while we're on the topic of the NFL's monitoring, let's touch on the enforcement consistency we saw from week 12.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Yeah, this is where you have to raise an eyebrow a little bit. In week 12, the league decided not to find Chiefs tackle Juwan Taylor for a face mask. Penalty that literally overturned a Travis Kelce touchdown.
And in the same game, Colts defenders weren't fined for multiple roughing the passer calls on Mahomes.
[00:07:09] Speaker A: So we've got the league moving swiftly on a guy like Malik Davis for an explosive run, but a clear reluctance to find high profile players for penalties that directly change the outcome of a game.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: It absolutely raises a question about where the priorities are right. Infractions that impact competitive balance seem to get a pass financially, but a sudden statistical outlier in physical performance that gets the highest level of scrutiny immediately. It's a dynamic that the league really needs to be transparent about.
[00:07:40] Speaker A: Shifting gears now, let's move over to the nfc if Thanksgiving was chaotic, Black Friday delivered a legitimate seismic event. And it was pretty much all thanks to the Chicago Bears.
[00:07:52] Speaker B: The Bears announced their arrival with authority. Their 2415 statement win over the reigning super bowl champion Eagles wasn't just another win. It shot them up to an astonishing 93 record. They are now the second seed in the NFC. They didn't just win, they controlled that game from start to finish. They are no longer surprised. They're legitimately in the upper echelon of.
[00:08:13] Speaker A: The NFL and it seems like everyone agrees this cultural shift comes down to one person, head coach Ben Johnson. The vibe in Chicago is just completely different.
[00:08:20] Speaker B: It is a night and day comparison to previous years. Johnson came in with these huge credentials, right? Offensive mastermind, QB guru, and he brought immediate respect. Players have said he gave the organization this energy they had been lacking for years. Caleb Williams even said that Johnson instilled a contagious belief in that locker room.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Talk a bit about his messaging. How is he connecting so well with that team?
[00:08:44] Speaker B: His communication style is apparently masterful. He hits that sweet spot of being serious and demanding accountability but also having this genuine passion. It's not the monotonous lectures they reportedly had before. Johnson is intense. If he sees a great play, he's celebrating. If he sees a mistake, he's on you, demanding perfection. This high energy environment is getting results and you can feel the pride in that organization from top to bottom. I mean even the chairman George McCaskey reportedly delivered a savage burn to an Eagles fan on the flight over.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: That confidence is earned on the field though. So what was the formula against Philly? Because we have to admit it wasn't Caleb Williams's best day throwing the ball yet. The offense was dominant.
[00:09:24] Speaker B: The formula was pure old school smash mouth football. It was designed to control the tempo and just physically dominate the line. The Bears ran the with spectacular success we're talking 281 total rushing yards. And they hit this huge milestone. First time since the legendary 85 bears that they had two different guys rush for over a hundred yards in the same game. And more importantly, they almost doubled the Eagles time of possession. They held the ball for 39 minutes.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: 39 minutes. That level of dominance is just lethal. And that success is showing up in the overall numbers. Right.
The Bears offense is now top 10 in scoring, and they leave the league in explosive place.
[00:10:02] Speaker B: They do. But we have to address the elephant in the room. Caleb Williams's individual performance, it was definitely uneven. He finished 17 of 36 for 154 yards, a 56.9 pass Ser rating. That's his worst completion percentage of the season.
[00:10:16] Speaker A: That is an ugly stat line. So how do you square that with the fact that they're 93 and winning these huge games? Are they winning in spite of him or is he just managing the game differently?
[00:10:25] Speaker B: And here's where the coaching analysis gets really interesting. Williams, despite struggling in that game, has been incredibly clutch. He has led that team to five wins this year after trailing in the final two minutes. That ties for the most since the merger in 1970. He just finds a way to win when it matters.
[00:10:40] Speaker A: That clutch factor seems like it's just something he has. But his quarter by quarter splits for the whole season, they suggest something more systematic from Ben Johnson's staff.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Oh, it screams preparation. And in game adjustments. If you look at Williams splits for the season, his passer rating takes a huge nosedive in the second quarter, down to an abysmal 76.6. That's usually when defenses have adjusted and play calls get a little stale. But then he rebounds drastically in the second half, jumps to 93.2 in the third quarter and a commanding 99.7 in the fourth.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: So if he starts strong slumps in the second quarter, then explodes after halftime, that sounds like the initial game plan is solid. The opponent adjusts and then Johnson's staff just fixes everything at the break.
[00:11:25] Speaker B: It's the only logical conclusion and the rumored adjustment is that Johnson simplifies the play structure coming out of the half. They reportedly move away from complex passing concepts and go to simple half field reads, leaning heavily on RPOs with that dominant run game, it lets Williams use his athletic instincts instead of trying to process complex coverages.
The halftime adjustment isn't just a speech. It's a mechanical and strategic shift. Now, the big challenge for them is eliminating that second quarter slump entirely.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: So while Chicago is on the rise. The Philadelphia Eagles are clearly in a full blown spiral, dropping two straight big games. What's the most critical issue there right now?
[00:12:03] Speaker B: It's the sheer lack of execution. The offense has been described by multiple people as listless. Against the Bears, they converted only 4 of 12 third downs. They had four, three and outs. But the corner core issue is Jalen Hurts. We're seeing a regression in his decision making and his accuracy.
[00:12:18] Speaker A: The turnovers are the main problem, aren't they?
[00:12:21] Speaker B: They're the ultimate killer. He continues to be, as some have put it, scattershot and inaccurate. You saw it with the fumble and the interception against Chicago. When your franchise quarterback is making poor decisions and giving the ball away, it just kills team morale.
[00:12:36] Speaker A: He did take accountability, which is what you want from a leader.
[00:12:38] Speaker B: Absolutely. He pointed right at the turnovers, said that success is tied to protecting the ball. He told the team they have to stick together and trust the system. That's the right message, but the execution has to follow.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: The big controversy from this game though was about head coach Nick Sirianni and a very criticized late game decision.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Yeah, the Sirianni controversy is a fascinating look at situational football analytics.
So the Eagles score a touchdown to get within nine points. It's 24:15 with about three minutes left. Sirianni decides to go for two immediately. It fails. So the score stays 24:15, which is still a two score game, instead of kicking the extra point to make it an 8.1 score game.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: A lot of old school fans probably lost their minds over that. Did he admit it was a mistake?
[00:13:22] Speaker B: Not at all. The exact opposite. He staunchly defended it. He said it was based entirely on his prepared strategy for being down nine at that exact moment. He wanted to know right away what his deficit was. He said he's done extensive studies on it and he doesn't try to wing anything in situational football.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: What's the actual analytical argument for going for two there?
[00:13:43] Speaker B: It's subtle, but it's about clarity. If you kick the pat, you're down eight. You have to score a touchdown and then get the two point conversion to tie. If you go for two right away and fail, you're down nine. You know immediately you need two more scores. It removes the ambiguity from your clock management and play calling for those last three minutes, you know exactly what you need to do. It's about providing clarity. You even if the statistical edge is marginal.
[00:14:07] Speaker A: Regardless of the logic, the Bears win and the Eagles slide have caused a huge implosion in the NFC north playoff picture. Yeah, and the Detroit Lions are the biggest victims.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: The fallout for Detroit has been devastatingly fast. They're 7, 5 now. They went into the week with a 73% chance of making the playoffs. After the three worst possible outcomes for them happen, their chances plummeted to just 3.32%. That's a 41% drop in one week. There are now two full games behind the Bears and a game and a half behind the Packers.
[00:14:39] Speaker A: And beyond just losing, the Lions are showing signs of systemic sloppiness, which points to coaching.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: They absolutely like discipline right now. Dan Campbell admitted they need better detail and discipline after all the costly penalties. The worst one was getting caught with only 10 men on the field on a huge third down play. Campbell said. Those two words, detail and discipline, have bitten us here a little bit, which suggests these mental mistakes are becoming a real pattern.
[00:15:05] Speaker A: And to make matters worse, they got some bad news on the roster front.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: Yeah, they were trying to bring back four time Pro bowl center Frank Ragnow from retirement for the playoff push, but he failed his physical so he's not rejoining the team. That's a huge blow to their offensive line depth and veteran leadership down the stretch.
[00:15:22] Speaker A: Campbell did have a really interesting defense for his team's pass rush problems.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: Against Green Bay though, it was a very analytical take. Campbell basically argued that the speed of the packers quarterback getting the ball out made it almost impossible to get sacks. He wasn't blaming his players, he was blaming the opponent's scheme. He said after watching the film he could only count three plays where the pass rush actually failed when they had enough time.
It's his way of saying the issue was the scheme, not his players effort. But at the end of the day, they still aren't getting the sacks they need to win.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: Okay, let's smoothly shift over to the AFC where the playoff race is all about huge matchups and key injuries. We've got the Buffalo Bills going to a tough environment to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: This is a massive game for Buffalo. They're sitting at a precarious 74 and they're facing a Steelers defense who are 6 5. That is tied for second in the entire league and takeaways with 20. But here's the problem for Buffalo.
The Bills are their own worst enemy right now.
[00:16:22] Speaker A: And that comes down to Josh Allen and ball security.
[00:16:25] Speaker B: Exactly. They have this, this terrible streak of three straight games with three turnovers. They haven't had a streak like that since 2006. If they do it a fourth time, it would be their longest since 1986. You just have to protect the football, especially on the road where they've struggled to score all year against a takeaway focused defense that's a recipe for disaster.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: And on the Steelers side, their defensive coordinator Austin is playing this constant game of chess with the league. He knows their identity is the pass rush, but offenses are adapting.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Yeah, what Austin has realized is that offenses are countering their biggest strength, that ferocious pass rush, by using quick passing schemes, getting the ball out in under two and a half seconds. The Steelers traditional counter to that is to stop the run and create third and longs, but that isn't working consistently. For example, last week they held the Bears great rushing attack to just 99 yards, but it didn't matter because the ball was still coming out so fast.
[00:17:20] Speaker A: So if they can't just rely on creating third and longs, what are they doing on offense to try and help the defense out?
[00:17:27] Speaker B: We're seeing a really clear difference in their offensive approach depending on who's at quarterback. When Mason Rudolph played in week 12, the Steelers used pre snap motion on almost 50% of their plays. That was the seventh highest in the league. Compare that to when Aaron Rodgers was in where they were ranked 27th in pre snap motion.
[00:17:45] Speaker A: Why does more pre snap motion matter so much for a less experienced QB like Rudolph?
[00:17:51] Speaker B: It's a critical coaching adjustment. The motion does two main things for a young qb. First, it helps scheme guys open. Second, and this is probably more important, it often forces the defense to reveal their coverage man or zone before the snap. That just cuts down on the processing time the quarterback needs after the snap. For Rudolph, it simplifies his reads and lets him get the ball out quicker to neutralize the opponent's pass rush.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: Let's get to the big injury news for Pittsburgh though. A huge loss on the offensive line that's going to challenge that whole strategy.
[00:18:21] Speaker B: Unfortunately, this injury is much more serious than they first thought. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones has been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury and critically, he's going to miss the rest of the 2025 season. This is a massive blow to their protection and their future plans.
[00:18:37] Speaker A: Who's stepping in for him?
[00:18:38] Speaker B: They're turning to the veteran Andrus Peat. He's a former first round pick, but he's barely played this year. Only eight snaps at guard in one game. It's a brutal spot to be in throwing a cold veteran into a starting role against a great Bills pass rush. With guys like Vaughn Mil on the.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: Defensive side though, they are getting a potential reinforcement in the secondary they are.
[00:18:58] Speaker B: They're elevating Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Son of the former All Pro. He's set to make his Steelers debut. He signed with them after recovering from spinal fusion surgery, which was actually done by a Steelers team doctor. So the organization has a lot of faith in his recovery.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: How does he fit into their scheme right away against a team like Buffalo?
[00:19:17] Speaker B: Well, the Bills use a lot of multi receiver sets, right? Three or four wide outs, multiple tight ends. Samuel Jr. S skillset makes him a really good camp to cover opposing tight ends like Dalton Kincaid, who's questionable for the game. If Kincaid plays, Campbell Jr. Can take that assignment, which lets their top corners focus on Stefon Diggs. It's a really important depth piece for them.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Moving on down to the AFC south, we've got two huge high stakes games this week, starting with the Colts and Texans.
[00:19:45] Speaker B: Yeah, this is a massive division defining game and the great news for Houston is that their quarterback C.J. stroud has been cleared from concussion protocol. He's starting for the Colts. Daniel Jones, who's been dealing with a fibul injury is also going to play. So both QBs are a go. But the strategic battle here is all about the running game.
[00:20:03] Speaker A: It's all about the Colts explosive run game against the Texans. Really good run defense?
[00:20:08] Speaker B: Precisely. Jonathan Taylor for the Colts has been on an absolute tear. 302 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. But the Texans defense is not a normal matchup. They operate with what's called a negative rush EPA expected points added, which basically means that on average running plays against them lose expected points for the offense.
[00:20:30] Speaker A: So what does that mean in practical terms for our listeners?
[00:20:32] Speaker B: It means the Texans run defense is constantly pushing offenses backward or at least neutralizing the game. They force a lot of second and long situations. Their success rate against the run is under 40%. They are just incredibly hard to run against. And on top of that, their defensive friend has been on fire fire lately with 16 sacks over the last three weeks.
[00:20:51] Speaker A: So this is a fascinating clash of styles. What's the path to victory for the Colts then?
[00:20:56] Speaker B: Our analysis suggests that for the Colts to win, Taylor has to have an outlier game. He has to beat Houston's season long metrics by at least 30%. If Houston's front plays like they have all season, their pressure is going to force Daniel Jones into more dropbacks on a bad leg, which could be a disaster. And you have to remember Jones has fumbled the ball eight times this year. Ball security is a huge concern against a front this aggressive.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: And in the Jaguars vs Titans game, Jacksonville takes a major defensive hit right before they face the most sacked quarterback in the league.
[00:21:29] Speaker B: Yeah, the Jaguars will be without their Pro bowl level defensive tackle Arik Armstead. He's on the inactive list. This is a brutal loss. His coach said Armstead had been practicing out of his mind since moving back to his natural position. They were expecting a huge second half from him.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: That's a big hole. But the rest of the Jags pass rush has been surging lately.
[00:21:47] Speaker B: They really have stepped up. They have nine sacks and 32 QB hits over the last two weeks and now they get to face Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who is literally the most sacked QB in the NFL. He's been sacked 45 times this season.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: So on paper this looks like a guaranteed feast for the Jaguars pass rush.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: It looks that way, but you got to look past the sack numbers. Cam Ward has actually been steadily improving his total QBR over the last couple of weeks. He was putting up sub 40 scores earlier in the year, but last week he was up to 70 75.1.
[00:22:15] Speaker A: And what does a jump to a 75.1 total QBR really mean for him?
[00:22:20] Speaker B: Total QBR measures performance on a 0 to 100 scale and it adjusts for opponent and game situation. A score of 75.1 is excellent. It means he's performing way above league average efficiency. It suggests that while he takes sacks, his decision making is getting a lot better. And there's another thing. The Jaguars have a major achilles heel. Their fourth quarter defense is ranked 29th in the league. They allow almost 10 points per game in the final quarter. This could be the exact week where Ward uses his improving play and the Jags late game struggles to lead a game winning drive. Jacksonville really needs to build a big lead early.
[00:22:55] Speaker A: Let's close out the AFC with some incredible return stories for the Denver Broncos who are somehow leading the AFC West.
[00:23:02] Speaker B: Yeah, we have the return of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Pat Certain, the second he's ready to come back from a partially torn pec muscle after missing three games.
[00:23:12] Speaker A: And the Broncos went 30 without him, extending their overall win streak to eight games. That's their longest streak since 2012 and.
[00:23:19] Speaker B: That strong record is what allowed Certain to take his time with his rehab. He said he was anxious to get back, but he credits the training staff for making sure he came back stronger without risking re injury. His return just instantly solidifies an already great Denver defense and the most inspirational.
[00:23:34] Speaker A: Comeback story of the week has to be Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
[00:23:39] Speaker B: Alex Singleton is set to return to the field just weeks after a shocking testicular cancer diagnosis, and his decision to share his story was to raise awareness for regular screening. It was elevated hormone levels during routine physicals that caught it. To get that diagnosis and be back on the field this quickly is just incredible. It's a massive emotional boost for that entire team.
[00:23:59] Speaker A: Moving into our quarterback crossroads and Coaching Chaos section, let's start with the huge dilemma facing the Washington Commanders and their franchise quarterback Jaden Daniels.
[00:24:09] Speaker B: Daniels is ruled out again this week with a dislocated elbow and what's really alarming is this is his third injury this season. He's already had a sprained knee and a tweaked hamstring. So the organization's focus has correctly, I think, shifted to protecting the franchise investment in what's become a lost 38 season.
[00:24:28] Speaker A: But it's not easy to protect a competitor who feels like he needs to be out there for his guys, and.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: That'S the core debate right now. The former coach Herm Edwards, who coached Daniels in college, said. He's just not wired that way to sit out. Edwards said Daniels is such a fierce competitor that you're going to have to tie him down for him not to play.
[00:24:45] Speaker A: But with zero playoff upside, is it even ethical to let him risk more damage?
[00:24:50] Speaker B: Well, Edwards just talked about the mindset of a football player. The season is now and he got to play now. Football players play football and that really highlights the tension between the modern long term organizational strategy and the immediate competitive mindset of the athlete himself.
[00:25:08] Speaker A: What's his status for next week?
[00:25:10] Speaker B: It's still unclear, but there's a chance he could play against the Vikings. Regardless, Washington does get a small boost this week. Terry McLaurin is coming back after missing most of the season, which should help whoever is playing quarterback Shifting to outright.
[00:25:24] Speaker A: Chaos the Las Vegas Raiders are a mess again. They just fired their offensive coordinator chip Kelly after a 29 disaster where they averaged 15 points per game, tied for last in the league.
[00:25:35] Speaker B: It's a classic organizational meltdown. Kelly was brought in to fix the offense and bring stability and the whole plan just collapsed and the minute he was fired, the reports started coming out about the dysfunction under head coach Pete Carroll.
[00:25:48] Speaker A: What was the main strategic conflict between Kelly and Carroll?
[00:25:51] Speaker B: The reports say Kelly was deeply frustrated by Carroll's heavy handed approach.
Carroll reportedly forced Kelly to use an under center zone scheme which basically limited all of Kelly's trademark creative shotgun runs and his preferred tempo.
[00:26:05] Speaker A: So by forcing that scheme Carroll basically neutered Kelly's entire playbook absolutely.
[00:26:10] Speaker B: Defensive coordinators who studied the Raiders offense said it looked just like Shane Waldron's 2023 Seahawks offense, which was Carroll's last unsuccessful year in Seattle. Carroll was trying to transplant his old familiar style onto a roster that wasn't built for it, and it created a complete identity crisis.
[00:26:28] Speaker A: And some of the specific details about Kelly's performance are truly embarrassing for a coach with his resume.
[00:26:34] Speaker B: These are details you just don't see at the insiders reported that Kelly was at times forgetting play calls and on several occasions he was calling plays that weren't even in the game plan or the playbook for that week. It just speaks to a total failure of organization and execution when the coordinator doesn't even know the playbook. You get a 15 point per game.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: Offense and this whole mess indirectly splashes some mud on the minority owner Tom Brady as well.
[00:26:59] Speaker B: It does. Tom Brady's judgment is now under a bit of scrutiny because Kelly was reportedly hired at his recommendation. Brady's influence was supposed to bring stability and that patriotism Patriot Way DNA to the Raiders. But the 29 disaster under the coach he supposedly endorsed it casts some serious doubt on the value he's providing right now as an owner.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: Let's switch coasts and look at the quarterback news coming out of New York, starting with the Giants, where a franchise cornerstone is making his return.
[00:27:26] Speaker B: Yeah, Giants rookie quarterback Jackson Dart, who's a legit offensive Rookie of the Year contender, has cleared concussion protocol. He's back for Monday night's game against the Patriots. He missed the last two games and he talked about the need for durability, saying being more available for this team is his top priority now.
[00:27:43] Speaker A: And the Giants Patriots rivalry gets a little extra drama thanks to a former Giant.
[00:27:48] Speaker B: Yes, former giants backup Tommy DeVito, who is now the Patriots third string QB, has made his loyalties very clear. He publicly said, I loved my time there, but now it's go Pats all the way. I hope we blow them out.
And he confirmed he's giving the Patriots staff all the intel he could, cadence calls, player tendencies, everything.
[00:28:08] Speaker A: That is the ultimate turncoat move. So how are the Patriots planning to deal with Dart?
[00:28:13] Speaker B: Their DC praised Dart, calling him the ultimate competitor. He specifically noted Dart is accurate, elusive and a great scrambler who keeps his eyes downfield. The strategic challenge for the Patriots is going to be coordinated rush lanes. They have to focus on containing him, not just sending a spy after him.
[00:28:30] Speaker A: Meanwhile, the Vikings have to send out an undrafted rookie for his first first career start in a hostile road environment against the Seahawks. With J.J. mcCarthy out, this is arguably.
[00:28:39] Speaker B: The toughest debut you could possibly have. Minnesota rookie Max Brosmer is replacing McCarthy, who has a concussion and he has to face a Seahawks defense that leads the entire NFL in pressures with 140.
To make it even harder, he might be without two key offensive linemen. Guard Donovan Jackson is out and their star tackle Christian Derrissa is a game time decision.
[00:29:02] Speaker A: That much instability on the O line has to be terrifying for a rookie.
[00:29:06] Speaker B: It is absolutely alarming. The Vikings offensive line has been a patchwork unit all year. They've used 13 different offensive line combinations this season, which is the most in the NFL by a huge margin. If Derrisa is out, Brosmer is going to be under relentless pressure all day. The margin for error is basically zero.
[00:29:22] Speaker A: And on the Seattle side they have an offensive superstar who is quietly rewriting the record books.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: We have to talk about Jackson, Smith and Jigba. Forget the usual names on the receiving leaderboards for a minute.
He is leading the league with 1,313 receiving yards through 11 games. He's averaging almost 120 yards per game. He's had at least 75 receiving yards in every single game this year. He's only the third receiver in history to do that for 11 straight games.
[00:29:48] Speaker A: In a season and the pace he's on is challenging one of the most legendary records in the sport.
[00:29:53] Speaker B: He is projected to finish the season with over 2,000 receiving yards. If he hits that, he would absolutely shatter Calvin Johnson's single season record of 1,964 yards. And what's so impressive is he's doing it in an offense that's designed to run the ball and control the clock. He is just a master route runner and his success is forcing defenses to completely change how they play against Seattle.
[00:30:15] Speaker A: Let's shift our attention now to the college corner where we saw a huge NFL icon wrap up his first and very rocky season in the college ranks.
[00:30:23] Speaker B: That would be the short lived and deeply scrutinized tenure of Bill Belichick at UNCLE.
It ended disastrously with a final record of 4, 8, including a 26 mark in the ACC and the season ended with a 4219 blowout loss to their rival NC State.
[00:30:40] Speaker A: UNC started the year with so much buzz they even had college game day there for their opener. What went so wrong?
[00:30:46] Speaker B: The defining characteristic was just a total lack of competitiveness and cultural fit. Belichick really struggled with the transition from managing a pro roster to managing a college one. He was reportedly hesitant to embrace modern recruiting tactics and it showed up on the field.
[00:31:01] Speaker A: And the losses weren't even close, were they?
[00:31:03] Speaker B: They were shocking. UNC had five losses by 16 or more points. The team just seemed to lack motivation late in the season. When Belichick faced the media after that final loss, he was clearly in no mood to talk about it. He kept his comments very brief.
[00:31:16] Speaker A: What was his final takeaway on the 48 season?
[00:31:19] Speaker B: He kept it really minimal. He just described it as a rollercoaster, ups and downs, but a lesson. And when they pressed him for details, he just said he keep that between me and the team, offering no insight into whether he plans to come back.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Next year moving to another high profile college qb the draft stock of South Carolina's Lenores Sellers is now a big question mark.
[00:31:42] Speaker B: Yeah, Sellers is facing a lot of uncertainty after their 2814 loss to Clemson. He threw for two touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions, including a demoralizing pick six that basically sealed the game.
Some analysts had him as an early first rounder coming into the season, but now his projections are falling more toward the mid rounds.
[00:32:00] Speaker A: The big critique on him seems to be a regression in his decision making speed. How did he respond to that?
[00:32:06] Speaker B: He took accountability for the loss, but he strongly defended his play. He said people always look at the quarterback when things go wrong, but when he was asked directly if he felt he had regressed, he was adamant. He said, I wouldn't say regressed defenses get paid too.
[00:32:20] Speaker A: That's a fair point, but what are the specific mechanical issues that analysts are pointing to?
[00:32:24] Speaker B: The two main concerns are his arm slot inconsistency and his speed going through his progressions.
Early in the year, his arm slot was high and consistent. Late in the year, under pressure, his arm slot started dropping, which led to inaccurate throws. And while it's true that defenses get paid, the top draft picks are expected to beat those defenses with superior processing speed, which he struggled with in big moments.
[00:32:48] Speaker A: So what's the timeline for his decision on the NFL draft or the transfer portal?
[00:32:53] Speaker B: He's focused on his final exams right now. After that, he'll make his decision in December or January. He said he'll choose whatever's best for me. Given the number of QBs in the portal, his decision is going to have a huge ripple effect. And finally, we saw a classic Big Ten battle in rivalry week between Ohio State and Michigan.
[00:33:09] Speaker A: Ohio State got the 27 down win, covering the 9.5-point spread pretty easily. The big strategic question going in was whether Ohio State's defense could stop Michigan's dominant run game.
[00:33:19] Speaker B: That was the whole ball game. Last year Michigan won by dominating time of possession with their power running game. If you let Michigan run the ball like that and impose their will on you, you just can't win this time. Ohio State completely shut that down.
[00:33:33] Speaker A: What was the specific defensive adjustment they made?
[00:33:36] Speaker B: They prioritized filling the interior gaps. They shifted away from a traditional four man front and used more five man surfaces in short yardage situations. This forced Michigan to try and run outside the tackles where Ohio State's superior speed at linebacker and in the secondary could track them down. They basically sacrificed some pass rush on obvious running downs for total integrity against the run. And it was a gamble that paid off perfectly.
[00:34:02] Speaker A: And the aftermath of that game created a whole different kind of chaos for the broadcaster.
[00:34:08] Speaker B: It really did. The huge snowstorm that hit right after the game caused travel chaos everywhere. It impacted a lot of the analysts, most notably Charles Woodson. He got stuck in the snow and couldn't get back to the Fox studio for a show the next morning.
[00:34:21] Speaker A: So who filled in for the Michigan legend?
[00:34:23] Speaker B: Fox had to use this rotating cast of stars including Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw to fill his spot. Strahan, who was pulling double duty all morning, even joked on air, charles, please get stuck in more snowstorms.
It was a funny moment that just highlighted the logistical nightmare of college football travel.
[00:34:41] Speaker A: That's a great note to end the review on. Let's bring it all back together now and talk about the huge implications of this chaotic week.
[00:34:48] Speaker B: We have seen just unbelievable chaos in Week 13. The Bears are undeniably real contenders now up to the second seed in the nfc. On the other hand, the Chiefs are spiraling. Their decade long playoff streaks is in real jeopardy because of these systemic self inflicted mistakes. And we have major injuries dominating the AFC with Broderick Jones out for 2025 in Pittsburgh and the incredible inspirational returns of Singleton and Sir 10 in Denver.
[00:35:14] Speaker A: And what this week really highlighted is the severe price of football on the players bodies. Which brings us right back to Jaden Daniels in Washington.
[00:35:21] Speaker B: The Daniels dilemma really captures the central conflict in the NFL right now. It's its player health versus competitive needs versus long term franchise needs. We saw the commanders shift their focus to protecting the franchise investment by ruling him out in a lost season even though he's a fierce competitor who as Herm Edward said you'd have to tie down to stop him from playing.
[00:35:42] Speaker A: And yet in other places you have guys like Daniel Jones playing through a fibula injury and Baker Mayfield trending to play with a serious shoulder injury. All for teams that are just trying to win games.
[00:35:54] Speaker B: Which raises this really serious ethical and competitive question for you, the listener, to think about.
When does that competitive spirit turn into a reckless risk for the long term health of the team? Should the league or the teams themselves enforce a mandatory future over now policy for high value players on teams with no realistic shot at the playoffs?
[00:36:13] Speaker A: The financial implications alone are just staggering. If Daniel suffers a career altering injury In a meaningless Week 15 game, that whole franchise investment is just gone.
[00:36:23] Speaker B: Exactly. And when you look at the projected 2026 draft order, which is currently led by the 110 Titans and the 210 Giants, there is a clear, tangible benefit to losing for draft position.
Is it really fair to Daniels, or even to the fans who are waiting for a rebuild to risk his health for a win that only results in a worse draft pick setting the franchise back another year?
The decision to sit Daniels isn't just about health. It's a strategic choice to invest in the future.
[00:36:50] Speaker A: It's a massive conundrum. We'll be tracking those draft implications, the shifting playoff race and all the injury updates next time.
[00:36:57] Speaker B: Until then, stay committed to understanding the strategy behind the wins and the losses.
[00:37:01] Speaker A: We'll catch you next time for more football Army.
