In an NFL draft class loaded with offensive line talent, few prospects bring the blend of size, power, and versatility that Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea offers. At 6-foot-4 and just under 330 pounds, Savaiinaea possesses an ideal frame for a player who can seamlessly transition between right tackle and right guard at the next level. With his thick, well-proportioned build, he looks primed to carry NFL weight without losing any of the athleticism that makes him such an intriguing prospect. He could even add another eight pounds comfortably and still maintain his mobility and power.

Surprising Athleticism and Run-Blocking DominanceOne of the first things that stands out about Savaiinaea is his ability in the run game. For his size, he is surprisingly fast and quick, showing an impressive initial burst off the line of scrimmage. He consistently fires off the ball with good pad level, and when he gets his hands underneath a defender’s shoulder pads, those defenders are getting folded. His reach-blocking technique is excellent, allowing him to seal off defenders and create running lanes effectively.

Additionally, his raw power at the point of attack makes him an ideal fit for a run-heavy scheme. Whether he’s working in tandem on double teams or mauling defenders one-on-one, Savaiinaea’s strength and hand placement allow him to create movement in the trenches. His two-hand punch is devastating, knocking defenders off balance and opening up lanes for ball carriers. His double-team work is also a strong aspect of his game, as he excels in working with his fellow linemen to clear space efficiently.

Pass Protection: Strengths and WeaknessesSavaiinaea’s pass protection is a bit of a mixed bag. On the positive side, his kick slide is better than some have given him credit for. He gets solid depth, which will help him hold up against speed rushers who favor the outside. His experience in Arizona’s pass-heavy offense has given him a wealth of reps in pass protection, which should translate well to the NFL level.

However, there are concerns about his ability to counter inside moves. While his kick slide looks effective, there is some concern that he may be telegraphing it, making it easier for rushers to set him up and cut back inside. This is a potential issue because, in the NFL, elite pass rushers can fake outside and quickly redirect inside, which could be a problem if he struggles to adjust. His change of direction when dealing with inside counters is something teams will want to evaluate closely.

Another minor concern is his pad level, which is not always consistent. While he can make up for some of these technical inconsistencies with his sheer size and strength, improving this aspect of his game would help him maximize his leverage and control against defenders.

Projection and Best FitUltimately, Savaiinaea looks like a player who could start at right tackle in the NFL from day one but may also project well at right guard. His size, power, and run-blocking prowess make him an attractive option for teams that prioritize a physical ground game. While he has some technique flaws in pass protection, his experience and raw ability suggest he can be a reliable presence on the offensive line with the right coaching.

For teams looking for a powerful, tone-setting lineman who can provide flexibility along the offensive front, Savaiinaea is a name to watch come draft day. His blend of physicality, movement skills, and high-level experience in both pass protection and run blocking gives him the potential to be an impactful player in the league for years to come.

​By D. Smith, Offensive Line Analyst, Pint Glass Football

Super Bowl 59 is here! Can the Chiefs make history with a three-peat, or will the Eagles get their redemption? Hosts Brad Fowler and Alex Higdon deliver an extensive breakdown of key matchups, X-factors, and betting picks for the big game. We analyze the Chiefs' run defense, Philly’s ground attack, Mahomes under pressure, and the Eagles' dominant D-line. Plus, we’ve got multiple prop bet picks and our final predictions—can Saquon Barkley and the Philly defense be the difference-maker, or do Mahomes and Andy Reid find a way yet again? Don’t miss this in-depth Super Bowl preview!

You can listen to Pint Glass Football on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Pint Glass Football Podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Pint Glass Football Podcast."

Connect with Us
Get exclusive articles and subscribe to our FREE newsletter at Pint Glass Football.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive video content: Pint Glass Football on YouTube.

Sponsors:
Underdog Fantasy
Underdog Fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports! Win up to 20X your money in a single night. Sign up today and use promo code PGF to get your Special Pick + First Time Deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash!

SeatGeek
SeatGeek offers the best seats at the best prices. Never worry about overpaying for tickets again. Each ticket has a 0 to 10 score so you know if you're getting a good deal! Download the SeatGeek app and enter code PGFPOD for $20 off your first ticket purchase.

BetAlytics
BetAlytics is a predictive sports betting software platform that helps you win more single bets and parlays. Take back the advantage from the sportsbooks. Get 25% off any package with promo code PGF. Visit BetAlytics to learn more.

Bettor Edge
Bettor Edge is a sports betting platform that lets you create your own betting lines and prices for real money betting positions with no sportsbook fees. Use promo code PGF to receive a FREE $20 on your first order at bettoredge.com.

Zencastr
Zencastr is the ultimate all-in-one podcasting platform. Record, edit, distribute, and monetize all from one place. Use our special link Zencastr and code PGFP to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr Professional. #madeonzencastr

Transcript:
​Welcome to the Pint Glass Football Podcast.
0:15
I'm your host, Brad Fowler. What's up, PGF Nation? Super Bowl 59 is here. We've got the full breakdown for you guys. The Chiefs are chasing that historic three-peat. The Eagles are looking for redemption. We're going to cover the key matchups, X-Factors, and of course, we'll have our best bets.
0:36
I've got a bunch of prop bets for you guys as well. Joining me as always, of course, though, my co-host, Alex Higdon. Alex, what is going on?
0:44
Yeah, hey, Brad, I know we missed a week. Everybody's been like, hey, where you guys been? We had some personal matters to tend to, but we're back, ready to break down this Super Bowl matchup.
0:54
Yeah, personal stuff going on. Life happens, unfortunately, sometimes. And, you know, once in a while, there's things in life that are bigger than being on a podcast. Just to be honest, we know that. Family comes first. So I apologize, guys, for the short hiatus. But if you guys haven't already subscribed to the newsletter, I hope you did.
1:13
I did drop an article for you guys during the week just to keep a little bit of content out there. I put out some grades on all these new NFL coaching hires. So definitely go check that out, pintglassfootball.com. If you haven't already, you can see how I graded each one of these coaching hires.
1:30
You might be surprised by who got A's and who didn't. I'll just say one team got an F. You might be able to guess who that was, but definitely go check that out. But Alex, it's time to shift here to the biggest game of the year, the biggest game in all of sports, Super Bowl 59.
1:49
Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, they were kind of on a collision course all year, but it feels different right now, Alex, because the Kansas City Chiefs are now public enemy number one. And look, the detractors, they hate the way they walk, they hate the way they talk, they hate the way they dress, and They hate Mahomes' wife.
2:08
They hate Taylor Swift. Look, Kelsey isn't taking it serious anymore, it seems like. Mahomes is flopping. The refs are giving them all the flags. Look, I get it. Hate or love them, they're going for three straight.
2:22
I know I get it. You hated the Yankees. You hate the Warriors or Lakers or whoever's on a dynasty run at any point in time, whichever respect the sport. You hated the Patriots and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and everything. So I think this is the Kansas City. going into that phase.
2:40
And to be honest with you, people say that they're tired or they have fatigue. It's really hard to hate the Chiefs. You don't have Spygate. You don't have Tom Brady where people think he's arrogant or anything like that. So it's hard to hate because Andy Reid is like a what a Pillsbury dope boy that
2:59
walks around in Hawaiian shirts and want to eat cheeseburgers. But I guess, alas, they're into this where it's like I think it's more about fatigue. There's three P. I mean, hey, listen, I would like to see history, but I think that I think the hate is just more from fatigue.
3:14
Not that they hate any particular player or coach.
3:18
Yeah, and look, it's sports hate, right? It's different than real hate, of course. And that's what fans do. That's what people do. And I think you're right. I think you hit it on the head. I think there's a bit of fatigue here. You know, I think this team just winning and winning and winning and just, you know,
3:31
going for a third straight Super Bowl and being in these big games every single year, it feels like it kind of starts to wear you out a little bit unless you're a Chiefs fan. You know, it does get a little old. I think the Kelsey stuff with Taylor Swift has definitely annoyed a lot of people.
3:46
Look, myself included. I find it irritating every time there's a big play. We have to see her reaction to it. Pretty irritating if you're a football guy when we know that that's catering to a different audience of viewers. And I think the flags.
4:01
I think them getting the flags and all the talk around them getting all these flags – That is starting to get really noisy in the media and among fans. That seems irritating, too, to a lot of people. And, look, I get it because I talked about it recently.
4:16
I think it has gotten to the point where you've got to kind of question, like, why are they getting every call, it seems like. But if you can kind of get past that part of it, because, look, I don't think Philly, unless you're an Eagles fan, I don't know if they're the most likable team either, right?
4:29
Like, their coach... is yelling at fans. And there's a lot of people that are critical of him and his attitude and the whole demeanor. And let's face it, there's a history with Philly fans not exactly being the most classy. So I don't know if they're the most lovable team either. So this is a matchup.
4:48
It's kind of a weird matchup as far as there's not a lovable kind of national team in this one that people can put their arms around. But I do think we can put our arms around what could be a great, great matchup.
5:01
And I want to look at these different matchups and kind of look at this game in depth, Alex, because of course that's what we do here at PGF. None of this surface level stuff. We're going to go deep here. So for me, Alex, I want to start here. Kansas city's run defense,
5:16
I think could be a concern in this game because if we look at, if we go back just to that AFC championship game, They really struggled to contain James Cook. 85 yards, two touchdowns on 13 carries. Probably should have had a lot more carries in that game. And maybe that game plays out a little differently.
5:34
And here's another key thing I'm looking at, Alex. The Chiefs have really struggled this year against inside zone running schemes. And if you look at the Eagles, they're one of the best inside zone rushing teams in the NFL. I think there's no doubt about it that slowing down Saquon Barkley is an absolute
5:54
must for KC in this game.
5:56
Even just when you look at how the Eagles want to win and what their offense is about, they're at their best when they limit Jalen Hurts to 150 yards or less throwing the ball and they run. So obviously the game plan is defensively is, hey, man, stack the box and force Jalen Hurts to run.
6:14
I mean, excuse me, force Jalen Hurts to throw. Obviously, you have to worry about him running, but force him to throw and see what happens. You're more than likely going to get him to force a turnover. But yeah, obviously, stopping Saquon Barkley is number one in the game plan for what Steve Spegmola has
6:32
set up coming into this week.
6:34
Yeah, and I think it goes to something else that you just talked about here, because I think we know Jalen Hurts is limited as a passer, and we know they want to run the ball, and they want to continue to run the ball, and they want to use Jalen Hurts in the running game,
6:48
and they want to continually be ahead of schedule. They want to be in second and third and short. That is really where the Eagles are most dangerous. And the key to really slowing down this team is to force them into third and long. But that's a lot easier said than done.
7:03
Because if you can get Jalen Hurts in obvious passing situations, he's really struggled under pressure this year. And that's part of his game that has actually regressed significantly, Alex. I dove into the numbers yesterday. He's taken a big step back this year when under pressure.
7:20
And if you look at the Chiefs, they rank 13th in the NFL in blitz rate. So Steve Spagnuolo, we know this is a guy who not only dials up the blitz a lot, but he has an ability to really time the blitz. And he really excels at scheming those unblocked blitzers. And getting those free rushers.
7:40
But you've got to get them in third and long to really have that effect. If they're constantly in second and third and short, it makes it really hard for Spagnuolo to kind of utilize those types of blitzes.
7:51
That's the, as they say, the game within the game, right? Where you're looking at all these little intricacies of the game and this inside zone. And it's how do we obviously seal off Chris Jones? Because that's the guy that's going to cause the havoc.
8:05
If they try to do anything on the inside and trying to seal him off to get to the runs that they want to get to, and how can they stop Saquon Barkley? But I just think that what they're going to do, and I think there's going to be some key moments.
8:18
The game within the game is going to come on critical third down plays to me, because I always say, if you can withstand, it's like Mike Tyson's punch out of those of us. I'm aging myself, but it is what it is. if you can withstand the barrage that Saquon Barkley, because he's a home run hitter,
8:36
he can get a hundred yards, but there's a difference between getting a hundred, 150 yards, but there's a difference between your longest run being 16 yards and your longest run having a 50 yard run here and a 68 yard run here. If you can limit that,
8:50
and they methodically have to go down the field as opposed to big home runs, I think that's what their Chiefs are going to try to do. It's not about limiting Saquon Barkley and not letting him get the home run. Because if I'm not mistaken, the Chiefs are the surest tackling team.
9:07
If they're not, they're definitely top three surest tackling team in the league. So any of those normal plays that Saquon may bounce off of, like he did against Washington and a couple other teams, I don't think he'll be bouncing around the place like a pinballer than running free against the Chiefs.
9:23
Saquon Barkley is the most important player in this game on both sides of the field. And the reason I say that is because his success is so pivotal for the Eagles to win this game, and it's so pivotal for Kansas City to limit him if they're going to win this game.
9:38
I just think he is such a key, key part. And when you look at this Philly ground game, so they ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns. And look, it's not just Barkley. It's Jalen Hurts, too. And we know how much of a threat he can be on the ground,
9:54
especially in those third and fourth and shorts, the tush push, and just keeping drives alive and just moving the chains. This is a team that averaged just under five yards per carry. And to your point about Saquon Barkley and the home run hitting ability,
10:08
Saquon Barkley led all running backs this year with 10 touchdown runs of 20 or more yards. That's more than twice as many as any other running back in the NFL. So you want to talk about big time home run hitting the Billy? Absolutely. This guy gets to the second level. It's lights out.
10:25
You're not going to bring this guy down. That's really the danger. You cannot let this guy get going and get into the open field because once that happens, it's over. I mean, he's been so good and so explosive, and the Eagles led the NFL this year in time of possession,
10:38
and I think that really aligns with what they want to do and their game plan is just to have those long, clock-consuming drives. That's going to be the key to this game is, once again, slowing down Saquon Barkley, limiting his damage that he does in this game, and trying to make Philly one-dimensional.
10:56
Everybody has tried to do it this year. Nobody has really been successful. So that's going to be a major, major challenge. I think it's really going to come down to that front four for the Chiefs, those linebackers, Nick Bolton and company, Chris Jones and company, Carl Loftus. These guys, it's got to be a team effort.
11:13
And they're going to have to really try to slow down this running attack because I think if Philly can run the ball consistently this game, I think they have a pack to win this game. But another key matchup for me, Alex, in this game, the Eagles defensive front versus the Chiefs offensive line.
11:29
I think this could be a potential mismatch in this game. How do you see the matchup here? And do you think that the Eagles can find success against this Chiefs line that really has been spotty this year?
11:44
So the Chiefs O-line, the strength of the Chiefs O-line is the interior, right? It's the right guard, center, left guard. Tooney, Creed Humphries, and Trey Smith. We know Jawan Taylor, and they've been having issues at the left tackle so much that they've moved Joe Tooney from that left guard position out to left tackle. Now,
12:02
it remains to be seen how they're going to run that because the strength of the Eagles defensive line is in the interior. They don't get a lot of real pressure from the outside. I know Brandon Graham, says he may suit up. We don't know still. There's Nolan Smith out there. There's Bryce Huff out there.
12:19
Those guys haven't really been, you know, living up to the hype that people thought of though. Nolan Smith has flashed. It's really truly been coming from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. So that literally at that point, depending on what they do with the, at the, um, on the interior, um,
12:33
line for the Chiefs, that becomes strength against strength. I'm going to lean on those guys in these big games against Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. And Jalen Carter, who hasn't seen this before, Jordan Davis, who's really just a run stuffer. I'm going to lean on the Chiefs offensive line there.
12:47
So I think in order for this to work, they're going to have to get their pass rush from the outside, depending, again, really putting emphasis on, I don't know how they're going to play Joe Tooney because he's been playing left tackle the last maybe five to six weeks, I think.
13:01
So if they kick him back inside, that's now, now you're going to get strength against strength. And I don't know about Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff on the outside, if they're going to be able to generate enough pass rush, if those guys in the middle are, you know, in the trenches battling.
13:16
Yeah. I think this could be a mismatch here because this Chiefs offensive line has really declined this season. Mahomes got sacked 36 times this year. That's by far the most in his career. And a lot of it has to do with those tackles. Those tackles were a problem this year.
13:32
And they're going up against a pass rushing defensive front from this Eagles team that is not only elite, but they're deep. And Nolan Smith has emerged as one of the best and most disruptive edge rushers in the NFL. Jalen Carter has become unblockable. I mean, this guy is a wrecking ball in the middle of this defensive line.
13:52
Guys like Josh Sweat, Milton Williams. I mean, this team is so deep. And they rotate guys. They stay fresh. I think this could be a real problem for them. I think the Chiefs are going to have to be able... to run the ball and take some pressure off Mahomes in this passing game.
14:07
Because kind of similarly to what we mentioned a minute ago with Jalen Hurts and trying to get them in third and longs, I really don't like the Chiefs here. I don't think it's favorable for them to be in third and long. Now, granted, I think Mahomes is obviously a much, much better quarterback. than Jalen Hurts.
14:21
But if you let this team get in third, or if you get this team in third and long situations and obvious pass situations, I think it could really spell problems for that Chiefs O-line. Now, what about some key individual matchups? Who are some matchups that you're circling, Alex,
14:36
that you really are watching for in this game that you think could really, you know, help decide this ballgame?
14:42
So here's my thing. Zach Bond is up for defensive player of the year. I know Cooper DeJount is a bigger guy. You may try to put him and try and bracket Travis Kelsey or try and have him take Travis Kelsey one-on-one a few times, but N'Kobe Dean is out.
14:58
So now Oren Burks and now you have possibly Jeremiah Trotter Jr. that's going to get a lot of snaps at those positions. And I can imagine that Andy Reid is licking his chops when he decides to go out there and I'm going to put these speed guys out there and Hollywood Brown out there or whatever,
15:14
maybe kick Xavier Worthy inside and cause a lot of confusion for a lot of these linebackers that are going to be on the field, which is where you can get exploited at because that, you know, Zach Bourne coming in definitely tore it up this year, well-deserved to be up for a defensive player of the year,
15:30
but he's only one guy. So it depends on what the Eagles do on their side, and I know that they've really upped the ante on their secondary side, bringing in Dujan as well as Quentin Mitchell, who was, as far as I'm concerned,
15:43
should be second in rookie of the year conversations for the most part for how he played. Going up against an elite play caller, a guy that designed, that sees something, that goes with his finger in the dirt and draws up plays, a la what he did against San Francisco the first time they met,
15:58
or if he goes and makes halftime adjustments and starts exploiting things. I have to take that into consideration. Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore don't belong in the same room where Andy Reid and Spagnuolo are.
16:12
Yeah, I think coaching, absolutely no doubt about it. I think coaching, you have to give the edge here to Reed and Spags. You've got the best offensive mind in the game. You have the best defensive mind in the game. Now, Vic Fangio might very well be the second best defensive mind in the game.
16:27
So that's where this battle gets really fun. I think they, on paper, the Eagles still have the edge defensively, though. None of these wide receivers scare me for... for Mahomes and the Chiefs. I mean, this isn't an explosive offense at all. When you look at the matchups here with Darius Slay, Quinnia Mitchell, Cooper DeGene, Isaiah Rogers, C.J.
16:45
Gardner, Johnson, they have the secondary to absolutely slow down this attack that really hasn't been explosive all year. I think this is a game that probably leans towards the under, and I think both teams have the defense to make plays. Now, a pick six, a scoop and score fumble, something like that,
17:02
that could really be the difference in this game. It really could come down to A key play, a big turnover, something like that could really be the difference in this game because I really don't see either one of these quarterbacks lighting it up in this game.
17:16
Now, if we're going to go into a specific matchup that I'm really excited to watch, A.J. Brown versus Trent McDuffie. is going to be get your popcorn ready. Because what a matchup this is between two all-pro level players. And the thing I really like about this matchup is McDuffie is one of the rare
17:35
corners in this league that will travel. So I'll be shocked if he doesn't shadow A.J. Brown exclusively in this game. And I think the Chiefs, for two reasons, I think they're going to keep him mostly one-on-one with very little help. I think they have that level of trust in Trent McDuffie to begin with,
17:54
but I think they're also going to have so much focus on trying to slow down Barkley in this running attack that he's going to be on an island. Can the Eagles take advantage of some of those one-on-one shots downfield? That is going to be such a fun matchup.
18:08
Do we trust Jalen Hurts to make these plays? And that's where I come in. Even if it's a great call, I don't trust Jalen Hurts. I don't trust him because they don't trust him.
18:20
Yeah, I mean, between the two quarterbacks, it's clear, no doubt about it, who I trust more. Now, granted, Hurts did play pretty well the last time these teams played in the Super Bowl. And here's another key stat to watch here, because I talked about staying ahead of the chains in this game and how important it'll be.
18:36
I mentioned Jalen Hurts and how he's regressed as a passer, especially under pressure. He's really struggled. Well, Mahomes this year, his passer rating has dropped over 20 points this year. went under pressure, and he threw four interceptions when under pressure this season. So once again,
18:55
I think Philly being able to try to keep Mahomes in that offense one-dimensional I think is going to be pivotal in this game. I'm looking for Pacheco and Hunt. Those guys are going to have to be big in this game. I'm not saying that they have to be dominant. I don't think that'll happen.
19:11
I think this defense is too good for them to be dominant, but I think they're going to have to have balance to really slow down this pass rush and give Mahomes some easy opportunities down the field because I don't think this Kansas City team wants to be in third and long with these pass rushers up front.
19:28
Since he's transformed into this new Patrick Mahomes where he's trying not to make mistakes and trust his defense where he doesn't feel he has to go out there and make every play because the defense is now at an elite status where he can trust
19:42
that they'll get to stop or they'll even get a turnover and give the ball back to him. You know, so watching Patrick Mahomes, I think I've said it before. I think this is the best I've seen Patrick Mahomes. And when I say that means it's understanding the game that there's certain things that you can't do.
19:57
There's a lot of gunslingers because Patrick Mahomes initially coming out was a gunslinger. But there's a lot of things that gunslingers, they will still continue to try to make plays. no matter what. And in this instance, when Patrick Mahomes gets into the playoffs and then throughout the playoffs, continuing to the Super Bowl,
20:13
he curbs himself on how he plays the game. He doesn't take big time chances. However, he's making the big plays.
20:21
Yeah, he's clutch. There's no doubt about it. I mean, that's what makes this matchup so scary is because I think a lot of things on paper would actually point to the Eagles in this game. And And I went into this thinking that the Chiefs probably had the edge on paper. And quite frankly,
20:35
when I did the homework and really dove into this, it actually leans a lot more Philly. I think Philly has a lot more of an edge here on paper. But Holmes is kind of the ultimate X factor because as far as him being clutch and him being cool under pressure and making the big plays,
20:51
he's never been better. He's always had that clutch gene. But as a quarterback, I think he's actually regressed the last two years. He has not been able to elevate these receivers and elevate this passing game. Now, I think there's a reason why he's had to scramble more in this postseason than any other playoff run,
21:11
and I think it's because the plays down the field just aren't there. So that's something to watch for in this game, too, that is really interesting because we've seen him run so much. What do the Eagles do to combat that? How often do you see them spy Mahomes? How much attention are they going to pay to Mahomes,
21:28
especially in those certain longs where, look, most of his big plays have come on the ground than through the air in this postseason. But I said the word X factor. Alex, who's your X factor in this game?
21:41
Well, offensively, I'll say on the Chiefs side, offensively, it's going to be DeAndre Hopkins. I think he's been put on the shelf a little bit. I'll use that word. By Andy Reid, just waiting to pull out some of these plays that he's been wanting to pull out for him because he was with them for 10 games.
22:00
Three games over 50 yards. I'm looking at him and I'm saying to myself, okay, what does Andy Reid do? You know, one of our friends pointed out, Quick pointed out that they hadn't been using the end around a lot all season. And then all of a sudden against Buffalo, they pull it out.
22:14
All of a sudden against Buffalo, they pulled out that play with Piran that they didn't play. They went back because I went back and I watched a few people. Then I kind of charted over the last few games. He had not, they had not run that play.
22:25
They have been saving a lot of their plays and just really doing whatever they need to do over the past few weeks, hoping that they just continue to win and stay in position because they know, to your point, the receivers are just truly straight line guys. They don't have a route runner out there.
22:46
And then you pull out certain plays. You pull out the one play they did against the Bills with Juju Smith-Schuster. And those plays have just simply worked. It's just really on the defense to stop those plays or to figure out what's going on. And they simply have not been able to for now three seasons.
23:00
This Chiefs team is well-disciplined, well-coached, Aside from all the chatter that we keep hearing about the refs and everything, they're just disciplined. This is just obviously the Patriots 2.0. They're very disciplined and they execute at a very high level.
23:17
My X factor for the Chiefs is on the defensive side of the ball, and I think it's George Karloftis. Now, look, Chris Jones is going to get so much attention. We know that. He's basically a guy that demands a double team. But George Karloftis has been playing quietly at a very high level, nine tackles,
23:35
three sacks in the playoffs alone. So this is a guy who's really starting to come on, and I think he's going to be key in this game because I think they're going to need that edge pressure from him in some crucial situations. He's going to have to be a guy to watch in this game.
23:51
Now, my X factor for the Eagles is Dallas Goddard. I think that if you look at the numbers here, the chiefs are pretty average. I don't want to say they're bad. They're just kind of middle of the road versus tight ends. It's been one spot on this defense that you can really attack.
24:07
And I think once again, there's going to be so much focus on star stopping Saquon Barkley and, And the corners, of course, are going to have their hands full with even just the threat of A.J. Brown and Devontae Smith. It's going to leave some space in the middle of this field.
24:23
Dallas Goddard had a big game against Washington. I think he could be due for a big game here. I think he is a key player and an X factor to watch for the Eagles in this game.
24:34
Yeah, I can see that. And again, I think everything just comes down to how they're going to play the game. If you're telling me you're going to try and play everybody straight up and see what you can do against Saquon and leave a lot of one-on-ones on the outside with Jalen Watson and Trent McDuffie,
24:47
it'll be interesting to see how much room is truly there versus if they try to play their typical 4-3 defense or big nickel defense, whichever one they want to go with. You know what? Dallas Guard would be the X factor there because obviously A.J. Brown is going to draw attention. Devonta Smith is going to draw attention.
25:04
But on the Eagles side, I think that their X factor is going to be Jalen Hurts' legs. I think because they're going to make an emphasis to really put the clamps down on Saquon early, that that's going to give him... a lot of time to make some runs to the outside because everybody's going to really
25:22
be focused on Saquon and those I would I would me personally I would if I was Kelly Moore I would definitely have some of those bootlegs in there obviously play action is going to be a thing but I will have definitely have a lot of bootlegs to get him
25:33
outside on the on the edge by himself where he can use his legs to do something so I think specifically his not just Jalen Hurts Jalen Hurts legs will be the x-factor for the Eagles
25:44
If they can get the ground game going and Barkley can really be a threat on the ground, that is going to open up the play-action passing game for Jalen Hurts. And Jalen Hurts is one of the best play-action passers in the NFL. He has a top-five passer rating off of play-action. On the opposite side, the Chiefs
26:03
are one of the worst defenses in the NFL defending play-action passes. So that is something I am really watching for. But the only way you can get to those play-action plays is when you run the ball with success. So, once again, the ability to run the ball is going to be so big for Philly in this game.
26:22
We know... You said Jalen Hurts with his legs is always a threat, but I think if they can run the ball with the two of them and really stay ahead of the chains, that is going to set up some of those deep shots to guys like A.J. Brown, possibly Dallas Goddard over the middle, and Smith. So really,
26:37
really key here because that is something that this Chiefs defense has really struggled against. Did you know that Pint Glass Football is more than just this podcast? We have an exclusive newsletter. Sign up for free at pintglassfootball.com to receive articles and insights delivered straight to your inbox. But wait, there's more.
26:58
We're excited to announce our brand new YouTube channel. Not only can you listen to our podcast on YouTube, but you'll also find exclusive video content waiting for you. So hit the pause button right now and go subscribe to our newsletter and hit that subscribe button on YouTube to stay connected with the latest football news and our
27:20
exclusive content. Underdog fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports. We personally love the pick'em game. Just pick between two and five players to build a pick'em entry. Pick whether your favorite players will have a higher or lower stat total in this week's game for a chance to win big.
27:41
You can win up to 20 times your money in a single night. Download the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up today with promo code PGF. That's promo code PGF to claim your special pick plus first-time deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash. The official ticketing app of Pint Glass Football is now SeatGeek.
28:06
I can't recommend them enough, guys. I've been using SeatGeek for years. You want to go to a game this season? SeatGeek is here to take the confusion out of buying tickets, making sure you get the best seats at the best prices. With SeatGeek, you'll never have to worry about overpaying for tickets again. How?
28:25
They put a 0 to 10 score on each ticket, so you know you're getting a good deal. But here's the real game changer. You can get $20 off your first ticket purchase with the code PGFPOD. That's right, $20 off with code PGFPOD. This season, make every game day epic with SeatGeek.
28:47
Download the SeatGeek app and remember to enter the code PGFPOD to grab your $20 discount. Alex, we know the turnover battle is huge. I looked at these two teams and it's strength versus strength there because Philadelphia is plus eight in turnover differential in the playoffs. That is the second best ever entering a Super Bowl.
29:11
So pretty impressive what they've done there. And on the Chiefs side, they only have had one turnover in their last nine games. So they're doing an unbelievable job taking care of the ball as well. That Eagles defense, it has been taking the ball away as well as anybody in the league.
29:26
20 takeaways, 20 in their last six games. So once again, you've got strength on strength here. But I think who wins this turnover battle is going to be huge because I mentioned it a little bit ago. I think a pick six, a scoop and score, a big defensive play could be the difference in this game.
29:44
My thing is the game within the game. You know, where's Joe Tooney going to be playing? A player that nobody's thinking about. We're going to kick you back inside because that's where the biggest problem is. And we're going to trust, I guess,
29:57
the rookie from BYU out there or Wanya Morris out there on that left side and leave Jawan, you know, Jawan Taylor. Hopefully he's not kicking his leg up too early on the outside with those guys to see kind of what's happening there.
30:12
All right, let's make some betting picks here. Let's get into some prop bets because these are always fun, and we know Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest betting day of the year. So let's try to pick some winners here, Alex. I'll give you my first prop bet that I really like in this game.
30:27
Patrick Mahomes over 24.5 pass completions. I think they're going to have trouble running the ball, and I think Mahomes is going to have to throw more than they think going into this game. i liked the over on the completions for mahomes what do you think yeah i i actually
30:45
agree with that i think um death by a thousand cuts i think we're gonna see p ryan p ryan might be actual good prop bet i don't know what he's looking like on what you're looking at but p ryan might be actually a good prop bet you like p ryan over
30:57
on catches what's his what is the uh well yeah what is it i bet is that like what one and a half or two i'm gonna i'll take the over
31:04
I've got DeAndre Hopkins over 1.5 catches, and I like him over 11.5 yards receiving. I think he gets a couple balls in this game, and maybe one big play down the middle, key third down conversion, something in this game where I think he gets a splash play.
31:23
and gets over that 11.5, and I would not be surprised if he gets a couple catches. Like you said, he's been almost invisible, it feels like, in this offense. I think they find a way. I'm not saying he's going to be a Super Bowl MVP candidate or anything like that,
31:37
but I do think he's a guy that maybe sneaks into the stat line here and has some success in this game. I'll give you another prop I really like, Alex. How about Saquon Barkley over 2.5 catches?
31:49
Oh, yeah, I think that's easy. Real quick, just to take a step back, I would also take DeAndre Hopkins on an anytime touchdown. But yeah, definitely easily Saquon Barkley on a couple of dump-offs from Hurts for sure.
32:00
Yeah, what's the line on the anytime touchdown? What does that pay out? That's probably got to pay out pretty well.
32:06
It's plus 500 for DeAndre Hopkins.
32:09
You know what? Long shot bet, I like it. You know, you got to play some of these anytime touchdowns. And look, in the Super Bowl, It's weird how it works, but a lot of times it's not always the quote unquote star players that you think of. It's usually the third wide receiver. It's usually the backup tight end.
32:26
It's usually a guy that you're not really thinking of that tends to score in these games for some reason. And maybe that's just because the defense is so honed in on the quote unquote stars. Maybe that's why we see this so often in these big games. But yeah, I think a guy like DeAndre Hopkins,
32:40
kind of a forgotten man, I could see that for sure. Now here's another prop that I like here. Jalen Hurts, under 18.5 pass completions. And I also am going to take the under on 212.5 yards passing. And it's not even necessarily a bet against Hurts. I think they're going to have success running the ball here.
33:02
And I don't think they're going to have to throw that much. I think it's going to be pick your spots with Hertz. So I like the under on both of those 18 and a half seems like a lot. I think let's put it this way.
33:15
If Hertz has to throw over 18 and a half times, I think Philly's in big trouble in this game.
33:20
Yep, totally agree. That's why I'm taking over. He's going to have over 18 and a half.
33:24
Now, I mentioned Patrick Mahomes over 24 and a half pass completions. I also like the over 251 and a half yards passing. Once again, I like Kareem Hunt. I love Isaiah Pacheco. I just don't know how much success they have versus this number one defense in the NFL.
33:42
I think they're going to have trouble running the ball in this game. And I think Patrick Mahomes is going to have to, like you said, have to rely on a lot of short passing, a lot of underneath stuff to kind of keep the chains moving.
33:55
So I think this could be a game where he throws a little more than they'd like, and he hits that number here. And it's also why I like this prop, Alex. Isaiah Pacheco under five and a half rushing attempts. They're really going to struggle to run the ball in this game once again.
34:10
So shorting Pacheco on his rushing attempts.
34:15
I'm actually going to go up on his rushing attempts because I think the two weeks off has kind of – because I think he only had about maybe seven carries that Bill's game, if I'm not mistaken. He was just coming back, so I didn't use him a lot with Kareem Hunt.
34:26
But I think they're going to do a lot with those because those are really downhill runners, tough runners. I know Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, but I think they're going to have to – No, let me rephrase that. Andy V is going to force the run to make sure that they get their attempts because
34:41
they're going to have to in order to do the things that we're talking about Patrick Mahomes doing, at least from my perspective, in order for them to win.
34:48
Yeah, I can see that because we talked about it earlier. I am going to take the under, but I wouldn't be surprised if they run the ball, even if they're not having a lot of success. I could see them running the ball just to try to keep the balance in this offense
35:01
and to try to limit those pass rushers. because you don't want to turn into a one-dimensional offense versus this elite secondary and the pass rush from Philly. I think Andy Reid knows that. I think that's why we're going to see a lot of quick passing game, and we're going to see a lot of runs,
35:17
even if they're limited. We're going to see a lot of running, I think, possibly to try to offset some of that. So I don't hate that prediction at all, Alex. When the game gets tight, And it seems like it will. Look, Kansas City wins these tight games, and the Chiefs are 12-0 in one-score games this season,
35:35
that is. That is the most ever in a single season in NFL history. I get the feeling you're leaning Chiefs here, Alex. Are you taking Chiefs minus 125 on the money line? Are you laying the points here? What's your pick here for this game?
35:50
I'm laying the points and I'm taking the Chiefs. I just, I will not bet. He's entered that Tom Brady rare era for me where I'm just not going to bet against him in these games. And I'll go there. If I lose, I lose. And I'm okay with that. But Andy Reid, again, I am taking Patrick Mahomes,
36:06
Andy Reid, and Spagnuolo in halftime adjustments to beat the Chiefs.
36:10
Or to beat the Eagles. I'm sorry.
36:12
To beat the Eagles. To beat the Eagles. Beating themselves is funny. But yeah, to beat the Eagles.
36:17
Yeah, I'm going to go, man, I'll tell you, Alex. So when prepping for this episode, I already had it made up in my mind that I was taking the Chiefs because for the simple reason that, like I said, this team is just so good in these tight games. They always find a way to win.
36:36
It's so hard to bet against the coaching of Andy Reid and Spagnuolo and the clutchness of Mahomes. Even though, like I said, I'm not sure he's as good a quarterback as he was two years ago. But that clutch never left. And if anything, he's as clutch as ever. So if this game is tight, it's absolutely Kansas City.
36:55
It's so tough, Alex, because on paper, almost everything is telling me Eagles here. I feel like there's a lot more mismatches on paper that favor the Eagles, and I was kind of surprised by that, Alex. Like I said, when I jumped into this game and did a lot of homework for this,
37:11
I was actually surprised at how many matchups I saw that kind of favored Philly in this game. I'm going to go against the Chiefs, though, and I'll probably regret it because I think in a close game, I think the Chiefs are going to find a way to win this game
37:27
Yeah, you got no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That was not a 40 slip, but continue.
37:36
You're right. It was not. I'm going to take the Eagles money line plus 125. I like the value here because I think this is an even matchup regardless. And look, I won't be the least bit surprised if the Chiefs will win. But I think if I'm going to take a betting side,
37:51
I think there's just more value taking the Eagles because I think the Eagles can absolutely win this game. I really have a hard time picking them in this game because, like I said, the head coaching, the quarterback play, it's tough. It's really tough. But I think Saquon Barkley is the difference maker here.
38:08
This guy has just been completely unstoppable, and I don't know if the Chiefs are going to be able to slow down this running game. The last time these teams met in the Super Bowl, Miles Sanders really hurt Philly and just 16 yards on seven carries and a fumble. That was the difference in that game.
38:27
I think Barkley gives the Eagles what they were missing the last time they played. This guy has been so unstoppable, and I just don't think they have an answer for him. I think the other key to this game is I think there's an advantage on the line of scrimmage, and I've said it a million times, PGF Nation,
38:43
you guys know, I'll probably say it a million more before this podcast is through. The game is always won in the trenches. And I think the Eagles have the advantage on the D-line and the advantage on the O-line. I just, I can't bet against them in this one, even though I know
39:00
I'm going to regret it because somehow Mahomes will pull a rabbit out of his hat in the last moments. Andy Reid will have some play call that they're not ready for, and it'll be a walk-in touchdown to end the game. I can already see it. Man, what a Super Bowl this should be. Alex.
39:18
And look, guys, we're going to put a bow on season six. And I got to say, guys, it's been an absolute blast. I'm so excited. The season we've had, the growth we've had. PGF Nation, you guys have been riding with us. We started the YouTube channel this year. We've been slowly getting traction over there.
39:36
So I hope you guys are checking out the content on that side as well. Of course, the newsletter continues to get more and more traction, pintglassfootball.com. And guys, season seven, Alex is back, of course, myself, and we're going to have NFL draft coverage like we always do. We are going to be looking at all these prospects.
39:56
Alex, I know you're already looking at tape. You've been sending me tape. I've been looking at tape. I'm looking at all this stuff. I'm watching senior bowl practices, Alex. I can't wait. for the Super Bowl Sunday, but I also can't wait to shift gears and really get into these draft prospects with you in April.
40:13
Yeah, Brad, kind of, Senior Bowl just passed. That's all I have to say. Senior Bowl just passed, and there's, shout out to Arkansas State.
40:21
If you know, you know, but we'll be talking about these guys, man. It's going to be so much fun, guys. So if you haven't already, make sure you are subscribed to the podcast, guys, because after the Super Bowl, we're going to take a little break. We come back for season seven of PGF, like I said,
40:39
in April with tons of draft coverage and start to get ready for the next season. Man, it's been fun, Alex. I can't wait to do it again.
40:48
Thanks for listening to the Pint Glass Football Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at PGFPodcast.
41:26
Zencaster is the ultimate web-based podcasting solution. It provides high-quality audio and video podcast production and hosting. With a full suite of professional tools, podcasters can seamlessly record, produce, and publish studio-quality content all from one dashboard. Zencaster's post-production process takes the headache out of audio production. Set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a
41:58
click of a button. Coordinating all your guests to record in person is painful and tedious. Easily invite up to 11 participants per recording with one click. Go to Zincaster.com slash pricing and use my code PGFP and you'll get 30% off your first three months of Zincaster Professional.
42:24
I want you to have the same easy experiences I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.

The NFL coaching carousel has once again delivered a mix of inspiring, questionable, and head-scratching hires. With the offseason here for most teams, let’s look at the teams that made the right moves—and those that may regret their decisions sooner rather than later.

Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys: Grade F
​The Cowboys completely botched this hiring process. After dragging their feet and missing out on their top targets, Dallas settled on Brian Schottenheimer—a move that is almost impossible to justify as an upgrade from Mike McCarthy. Schottenheimer, who was already in the building as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator, is an uninspiring hire that raises serious concerns about Jerry Jones' ability to put together a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Given the names the Cowboys were targeting, including Deion Sanders and Bill Belichick, this feels like a massive missed opportunity.

Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars: Grade C+
The Jaguars' decision to fire Doug Pederson while keeping GM Trent Baalke awhile longer before eventually firing him, hampered their ability to land a top coaching candidate. That being said, Liam Coen has intriguing potential. He did excellent work with Baker Mayfield and comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree however, his track record as an NFL offensive coordinator is mixed, including a season where the Rams finished dead last in yardage. Coen’s primary task will be elevating Trevor Lawrence from a disappointing No. 1 overall pick to a true franchise quarterback. The defense still needs major improvements, and the key will be how Coen assembles his coaching staff. If things fall into place, this hire could look much better in hindsight, but there are plenty of question marks.

Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears: Grade A
Chicago nailed this hire. Ben Johnson was the most coveted head coaching candidate this cycle, and for good reason. He’s one of the most talented play-callers in the NFL, though it remains to be seen if he can translate that into head coaching success. The Bears have built a solid foundation starting with Caleb Williams at quarterback, and Johnson’s offensive acumen should accelerate his development. His first major move—hiring former Raiders and Saints head coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator—is a savvy decision that gives him an experienced voice on that side of the ball. While offensive wizards don’t always become great head coaches, Johnson is stepping into a situation with enough talent to make an immediate impact.

Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots: Grade B+
The Patriots' transition from the days of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick has been a disaster, but they’ve made a strong course correction by bringing in Mike Vrabel. After promoting Jerod Mayo to head coach for just one season, New England quickly pivoted and hired Vrabel, who will bring toughness and an identity to New England. His in-game coaching is elite and he overachieved with the Titans who had organizational dysfunction with GM Jon Robinson. Vrabel has a talented young quarterback in Drake Maye to develop and he has proven he can build strong coaching staffs. The Patriots' roster is in desperate need of a rebuild and he’s an ideal fit for the situation. It’s reasonable to expect significant improvement in New England.

Aaron Glenn, New York Jets: Grade B
​Aaron Glenn has his work cut out for him in one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises. The Jets remain a mess, with one of the worst NFL owners in Woody Johnson and massive uncertainty at quarterback—including Aaron Rodgers’ future in doubt. However, Glenn is a strong leader who connects with players and has developed as a play-caller over the past four years. He played a key role in the Lions' defensive growth, transforming it into one of the league's best units. He’ll need to navigate a teardown before rebuilding the roster in his image, but the Jets do have a solid foundation of talent to work with. Given the difficult circumstances, Glenn will need time, but his ability to command a locker room gives him a legitimate shot to succeed.

Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders: Grade A-
This hire would earn an “A+” if Pete Carroll weren’t 73 years old. That being said, the Raiders made a fantastic decision bringing in Carroll, who is precisely the culture-builder this franchise needs. Las Vegas has been an afterthought for over two decades, and Carroll immediately raises the team’s floor. He’s likely bringing Russell Wilson with him, which is not an ideal long-term solution, but it’s still a notable upgrade at quarterback. Carroll will be working alongside new GM John Spytek, who has had success with Tampa Bay and Denver. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis leaned on Tom Brady to help make these hires and has said he will continue to play a role in the organization’s decision-making going forward; so far so good because Pete Carroll gives the Raiders a proven coach and much-needed credibility in the toughest division in football.

Final Thoughts
Some teams hit home runs with their head coaching hires, while others left us scratching our heads. The Bears and Raiders made the strongest moves, positioning their franchises for success. Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ hiring process was a disaster that could set them back even further. As the season unfolds, we’ll see which teams made the right call—and which ones will be searching for a new coach sooner rather than later.
-Brad Fowler, Pint Glass Football

Ohio State caps off an incredible CFP run with a dominant National Championship win. We break down their historic playoff journey, the expanded format, and what’s next for Notre Dame. In the NFL, we recap the Divisional Round games, dive into Lamar Jackson's playoff struggles, the Chiefs' officiating controversies, and whether the Lions' Super Bowl window just slammed shut. Plus, Jayden Daniels’ historic rise and more!

Transcription:
Welcome to the Pint Glass Football Podcast.
0:15
I'm your host, Brad Fowler. What's up, PGF Nation? Ohio State takes home the title. We'll give you our reaction to that game and, of course, our reaction to the NFL Divisional Round. Another great weekend of playoff football, but joining me as always, my co-host, Alex Higdon. Alex, what is going on?
0:36
Hey, you know, Brad, just on the eve of my birthday, as we're recording this on a Tuesday, my birthday is tomorrow on a Wednesday. I'll be the big four nine, but looking like I'm two nine.
0:46
Hey, I like it, man. Well, happy birthday from myself and I'm sure from the rest of PGF Nation and all you guys. and gals who listen to the podcast, who check out the YouTube videos that we make, that read the newsletter. Look, all of you guys, we really do appreciate you guys,
1:01
and I'm sure you're all wishing Alex here a big happy birthday. Getting old, Alex. Man, getting old. 4'9". My goodness.
1:09
Hey, man, listen, I can get out there and box and play with the best of them still.
1:15
Yeah, I'm going to get you an AARP membership for your birthday.
1:19
Listen, I've never seen so many emails coming. It's funny seeing the mail that's coming in recently and what's on it. It's interesting.
1:30
No, all jokes aside, happy birthday, man, and excited to do this episode. Man, we've got three football games left. I can't even believe it. We're going to put a bow on college football. What a season, Alex. What a year for college football, the first 12-team playoff. I'm just going to say this.
1:47
This might be one of the best years ever for college football. I really believe the growth of the sport, where it's headed. I know there's a lot of people that kind of have some negative pushback that aren't fans of the NIL, that aren't fans of all the realignment stuff. But look, I thought it was a fantastic year.
2:02
I thought it was a fantastic playoff. And I thought it actually turned out to be kind of an exciting ending to that college football playoff game, even though it was definitely a blowout there early on, but ended up having some excitement at the end.
2:14
Yeah, I think the first thing is just to take it a few steps back to what you were speaking to before. The naysayers out there, listen, every time there's something new in any sport or any business, it becomes this whole thing.
2:28
And then what happens is they corral it and then they get it in order the way that it should be so that it works smooth and goes on the way that it should go on so that – everybody benefits i think one of the things you spoke about you have this 12 team
2:41
playoff matchup all of college football with the exception of the big 10 you all let an independent into the championship game so you know there's a whole big five versus everybody else and so on and so forth well the big 10 held their own with
2:53
ohio state but on the other side you know specifically on the sec side you guys let an independent in in notre dame
3:02
Notre Dame had an unbelievable year. And I want to just start by giving a hats off to Notre Dame and giving a hats off to that program, Marcus Freeman, and what they did here. But the credit right now obviously deserves to go to Ohio State. 34-23 win over Notre Dame.
3:17
And like I said a minute ago, this game was really out of hand at one point. And I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people changed the channel, found something else to watch, and then realized after a couple notifications on their phone, wait a second, this is a ball game. and maybe came back to this game.
3:31
But quarterback Will Howard, I think one of the big takeaways for me, Alex, was that he absolutely silenced any doubters with his performance, not only in college football playoff, but of course in the big game against one of the best secondaries in college football. He completed 81% of his passes, add on 61 yards rushing.
3:51
How about that third and long throw to put the game on ice? I mean, that was a big time play by this kid because look, if Notre Dame gets a stop right there, I think it was third and 11, if I'm not mistaken, they have a legit shot to come back and tie this game late.
4:07
I thought he was awesome in this game.
4:09
Yeah, you know, I can't say anything bad about Will Howard or anything as such. You know, what I really will talk more to is Notre Dame. And this is something, Brad, that we spoke about that, you know, I particularly was worried about with Notre Dame.
4:22
And critical plays, when you need to pass the ball, they were going to struggle. Because Riley Lennon, that really, truly works at Duke. And I'm not even going to say it didn't work here at Notre Dame because obviously you're in – The national championship game. So I don't want this is not necessarily a shot at him,
4:38
you know, who's very Tim Tebow esque in what he does. And we know what Riley Leonard is, but I have to be critical here because of the magnitude of this game and the magnitude of both of these players. I mean, hell, you had Lou Holtz in the house.
4:54
Riley Leonard's inability to throw a simple out was so glaring. And these are just a simple five and out route, a simple bang eight. He cannot hit these passes. And as a person who looks at things with a not necessarily a critical eye, but with a prospect eye on Riley Leonard, it's like, I don't know.
5:13
Where he truly goes from here, like I said before, he's really a poor man's Tim Tebow, in a sense. Had he completed some of those passes, I think some of those drives stay alive. It's just that his inability to make those simple passes is just terrible, but that does not take away from anything.
5:30
That the Ohio State Buckeyes did, I think, really in the trenches because their offensive line and their defensive line really held up strong, especially their offensive line, because Notre Dame does have a pass rush, but they were non-existent in that first half. They, you know, Ohio State ran off 21 straight points. In that second half, excuse me,
5:52
in that second quarter, that really kind of to Brad's point where we started to make the changes. And then Marcus Freeman's decision or he and I will say the defensive coordinator on how they decided to defend Jeremiah Smith was kind of baffling to me.
6:06
Yeah, it was one of the things that I was really circling in this game because we know Notre Dame typically runs a lot of man coverage. They run a lot of single high safety. And look, they have a great secondary, and they have some really good safeties, guys that are going to play on Sunday.
6:22
But we know the South Ohio State team is different, and they're loaded at wide receiver. They're really, really explosive. And I wondered – Would they be able to get away with that against this team? Because really no one's been able to play them that way. And we saw them kind of mix in some zone.
6:36
They played a lot more zone than we've seen in the past, but they did try to go man-to-man at times, and they got burnt a few times trying to play man versus some of these Ohio State wide receivers. Like I said, I got to give credit to Marcus Freeman, though,
6:49
because they fought back after being down 24 points in this game. Yes. And look, there's a lot of teams that would have rolled over, but this team showed a lot of grit versus a very good team. Look, Ohio State was just too good. You can't get down that big and make the comeback.
7:04
Obviously, that's going to be a tall mountain to climb, but they almost pulled it off here. Just too talented of a team. I think maybe the most talented Ohio State team I've seen maybe ever. They're certainly in the conversation this team is that good. But there's an addition that happened this offseason.
7:20
I don't know if it's being talked about enough because this might have been the biggest offseason addition in college football this year. That was Chip Kelly coming over to be the offensive coordinator for this Ohio State team because he really changed the identity of the way they do things. And look, as a head coach, very mixed results.
7:38
He's had some highs and some lows as a head coach. But as a play caller, And as a play designer, this guy is elite. And he had, I went back and looked, he had nine brand new plays that for the Oregon rematch in that college football playoff game that they never ran before that game.
7:57
Oregon was totally caught off guard by all nine of those plays. His offensive plays and his philosophies really changed football forever. I mean, this guy was way ahead of the curve on a lot of things he did that now are normal.
8:10
We see every weekend on Saturdays and Sundays a lot of the things that he brought to the game. And on Monday night, I thought, especially in the first half, it was a master class against the nation's number two scoring defense. Ohio State's first score,
8:27
that play where Jeremiah Smith faked the reverse and then rolled back into the flat. No Irish defenders in sight. Totally caught off guard. What a play call that was. And after the game, Jeremiah Smith said, quote, it was something that we put in this week. So... Hats off to Chip Kelly and the staff because I was really,
8:47
really impressed, not just in this game, but throughout the college football playoff, of just how good this offense has been since he took over that job.
8:56
I don't want to nerd out, but just for a moment, that specific play, because I was going to bring that up. I don't remember the defender's name that was standing there. He was jumping up and down, doing jumping jacks, trying to alert the rest of his teammates. Hey, this is, you know,
9:11
he's uncovered because he had a certain responsibility and Jeremiah Smith was out there uncovered. At that point, when nobody's making a move to the adjustment that you're calling for, you can't leave, for all intents and purposes, the Randy Moss of college football wide open because somebody wasn't doing their job. You didn't have to take that on.
9:31
I thought that was very poor, and I won't even say that's Marcus Freeman. I'll call that very poor awareness by that respective player who said, well, he's not my man. I'm going to go cover whoever he had to cover because that, to me, was just crazy. Jeremiah Smith at all costs.
9:47
Yeah, I remember what you're talking about. You're absolutely right. Or just to call it timeout. Yeah, just a really impressive performance from this offense, the defense, of course. I mean, just a all-around team effort here because this team is loaded at every position. That's why they were my preseason pick to win it all.
10:05
They go on and do it. And look, they won in impressive fashion in this college football playoff because this is a team that won all four of their playoff games by double digits. When you look at the teams they beat, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, now Notre Dame, I mean, unbelievable. And the expanded playoff to me, Alex,
10:22
really showed me in year one why we needed this format so much. Because in years past, this Ohio State team would have been out after that loss to Michigan. They wouldn't have had a chance to play for a national title, but they showed in this playoff why they are without a doubt the best team in the country,
10:40
and it's all because of this expanded playoff. So I think this was a massive success year one.
10:45
Yeah, absolutely. And I think there's talk about perhaps going to 14. Honestly, I believe 12 is enough. I know there were some schools that if they go to 14, well, Miami probably gets in and so on and so forth. No, no, no, that's okay.
11:00
If they should have won the games, they should have won in order to get in there. They had an opportunity. 12 is enough. We don't need to expand it anymore. The bowl games will still matter outside of the top 12. It'll be okay. But I like the competitiveness that we have at 12 right now. I hope
11:15
They don't move the needle any further beyond 12.
11:18
I think it's too much. I'm with you. I think at a certain point you water down the product. And I really hope that's not the case. Now, before we shift gears, I think I've heard some people kind of questioning like, well, this was kind of a Cinderella run for the fighting Irish.
11:32
And I'm going to push back on that right here, Alex, because this fighting Irish team is going to return eight. Of their 15 best players, they've got a strong recruiting class coming in. And from what I'm seeing right now, even though there's been some buzz about Marcus Freeman being an NFL candidate,
11:49
it sounds like he's going to be back with Notre Dame. So this team should be right back in the college football playoff again next year. Really, really believe that this was not a flash in the pan for this program. I think they are on the right trajectory to be a regular in this playoff.
12:05
Yeah, they look good, obviously, given that they don't belong to a specific conference. They can only go as high as five no matter what. I mean, you're going to get – I believe you'll get Gene Greathouse back. I don't think he was redshirted, so I think he's only a sophomore, so you'll get him back.
12:20
It'll really depend on who that quarterback is going to be. I'm not sure if he's already on. I haven't been checking what they're – Who's on the roster and who they may have been trying to pick up in a portal. But I think it's really going to come down again, similar to what it did, I guess,
12:33
with Ohio State. You know, who is going to be the quarterback or kind of determine where they'll end up next year.
12:41
Ravens, Bills, this game really lived up to the hype. And look, football, as we know, it's a complex game. But in this one, it's simple. Turnovers simply killed the Ravens in this game. Look, the excuses that I've been hearing from the rest of the sports media right now, I think is crazy.
12:59
Because I'm hearing things like fire Harbaugh and it's Todd Munkin's fault and all this others talk. Look, the coaches didn't throw a horrible interception. The coaches didn't fumble the ball and the coaches didn't drop passes. The players did. And right now, Lamar Jackson is about to win, more than likely about to win his third MVP.
13:21
Look, he's shown he's an elite player in this league. I don't think there's any doubt about that. And three MVPs, that's going to put you on a short list of really all-time great players and all-time great quarterbacks at that. But yet, once again, he goes into a big playoff game. with a top-rated defense,
13:38
a now generational running back, a better overall roster than his opponent, and he plays his worst game of the year. Look, he has earned the expectations that we're putting on him at this point. When Peyton Manning was winning MVPs and the Colts were winning 11 or 12 or more games every year, it seemed like,
13:59
but then they weren't getting it done in the playoffs, we killed the guy for it. The media killed the guy. The fans were killing him, saying, why is this guy so great he can't get it done in the playoffs? And he got destroyed for it.
14:10
But right now in the media, I'm hearing a whole lot of excuses right now. I don't know why Lamar is getting a pass because, look, he's not getting a pass from me. I'm sorry. I'm not giving this guy a pass. I'm not saying it's all his fault.
14:25
But he played a major role once again on why the Ravens are at home this weekend instead of advancing. Now, look, to be fair, he's 28 years old. He has time to change this narrative. But in this moment, right now, he deserves the criticisms.
14:42
Yeah, absolutely. I'm not going to hold any punches. I think Lamar had a great regular season, as did Josh Allen, but we're talking about Lamar. He had a one for the ages. It was really, to be honest with you, it was really Aaron Rodgers, like the touchdown and interception ratio that he had. He had a great year,
15:00
but again, in these critical games, this is where I say, this is where you separate why I have certain people respectfully like Patrick Mahomes in a class by himself than everybody else because it's the mistakes that you don't make. The Bills have had the least amount of turnovers in NFL history, eight.
15:19
They as a team have turned the ball over less than some of your favorite quarterbacks through interceptions. eight times so you knew coming in you're gonna have to be perfect the fumble I'm sorry that is on Lamar I understand you're trying to make a play and you are a
15:35
fantastic athlete but ball security trumps everything in these critical games because there is no neck well we'll bounce back next week no you're on you're on the cruise ship whatever with with us the Raiders and everybody else So you can't have those type of mistakes. The interception, I looked at it. I checked the 0-22.
15:54
I still don't know unless somebody tells me, did Rashard Bateman run the wrong route or did Lamar throw the ball into the correct – was he off? I don't know who's wrong on that play because –
16:05
I was watching the press conference after this game. Okay, good. And Lamar made a comment, and I don't want to quote him directly because I don't have it in front of me, but if I recall correctly, he said something along the lines of when he was asked about that play specifically, he misread the safety. Got it.
16:21
I believe is what he said. Now, to his credit, he took ownership.
16:24
Which he always does.
16:26
He was a real pro at the podium. Absolutely. And I tipped the cap. He took all the bullets. But yeah, I believe on that play, Alex, he said something about misreading the safety there was the explanation he gave.
16:38
Okay, so perfect. So then we know that that was on Lamar. So those two are both on Lamar. Mark Andrews, uncharacteristically, I'm sorry, fumbled the ball on the great play. I'd rather say a peanut punch by Terrell Bernard because the defense did make that play. And then he also dropped that two-point conversion, which he was wide open.
16:57
I mean, it wasn't like he was hit. He was just wide open and simply just dropped it. I mean, there's a culmination of things, but like I always say, because you are in the quarterback position. You get all the praise when you win. You get all the heat when you lose. So, yeah, you know,
17:11
to your Peyton Manning point, does anybody remember 41-0 against the Jets and Herm Edwards? The Peyton Manning that had Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Edwin James, they got beat 41-0 by the Jets. And there were a lot of similarities that were called to him, like calling him Dan Marino, all these stats, all these great regular season awards.
17:30
But when you get into the playoffs, you have a problem. You know, I'm big on keeping the same energy. This is going to be the same thing with Lamar. Now, Josh Allen, he has this on him as well. It's just the difference is he's made it a lot further. And a lot of people don't blame 13 seconds.
17:45
If you know what I'm talking about, you know, you know, they don't blame 13 seconds on him. But he's been in that AFC championship game. He's battled back. And this was a team. Remember, the Bills to now start to talk about the Bills. They weren't supposed to be here.
17:58
There were a lot of people in the beginning of the season that some of them did take the Bills, but there were a lot of people, myself included, on the Jets and what they could do and probably dethrone the Bills. And along with the fact that they got rid of Stephon Diggs as well.
18:12
So we have to on the other side now, as we transition to talk about the Bills, we have to give them a lot of credit. For the way they handled this, they really truly bear down on running the ball. 36 carries for 147 yards between all of the running backs,
18:26
including Josh Allen was really running back by committee. Once again, no Keon Coleman, no Amari Cooper. Amari Cooper had one target for zero yards. Keon Coleman had one target and one catch for five yards. That was their wide receiver. Once again, this was the Khalil Shakur show. And to top it off,
18:46
Josh Allen only threw four passes more than 10 yards the entire game on 22 attempts.
18:51
The reason I like the Ravens so much in this game is because I just thought they had a way better roster. I thought this was going to be a mismatch because to your point, this Bills defense is not very good. He doesn't have a whole lot of premier playmakers.
19:04
They have a nice running game, and James Cook's a good running back, but it's not a lead. It's not Derrick Henry. I thought this was going to be a mismatch. I really did, and it felt like if the Ravens don't turn the ball over as much as they do,
19:15
they'd probably run away from the Bills in this game. I mean, those turnovers kept the Bills in this game. And when really those two early ones by Lamar were really killer, because even though Lamar and the Ravens kind of bounced back in the second half, you can't get in that hole.
19:30
That's what really hurt them was you let the Bills get that big early lead, and now you're playing catch-up when if you don't turn the ball over in those spots, the whole game is different. And to your point, Alex... and you mentioned it earlier, they're way more balanced and buttoned up than they've ever been in years past,
19:45
and it's little things. Like you said, Josh Allen, the younger Josh Allen probably would have tried to make that pitch. He thought better of it. The younger Josh Allen probably tries to force some balls downfield, but he saw what the defense was doing, and he took the underneath stuff.
19:58
He played the smart game in this game, and they've been doing that all year. This team has been doing it all year. They only had one penalty. That offensive line only gave up one sack, and they had no turnovers. Those are the stats that I was really looking at in this game.
20:13
You know what? And before we move on, I know we're about 20 minutes in and we spent a lot of time on this game, but let me ask you a question because I've heard it a lot today and I've seen it on social media. Do you think the Ravens ran enough? And by that, I mean,
20:27
so they ran a total of 30 times for 176 in the touchdown, but really Derrick Henry, 16 carries, 84 yards, 5.3 a clip and a touchdown. So, Do you think they ran their, I'll call it Mack truck, enough in this game?
20:44
No, probably not. And look, it goes back to the way this team exited the playoffs last year and all the criticism they got from me and a bunch of other media outlets and a bunch of fans when they lost that game to the Chiefs was their lack of committing to the run, which is their identity,
21:00
and they went away from it and it cost them in that game. What did they do to try to solve that? They go and get Derrick Henry. And so they say, okay, we're going to fix this problem. We're going to lean into the run more than ever. We're going to be a run-first dominant team.
21:12
And they were pretty much all year. And then in the playoffs, they ran the ball well, but I felt like they probably could have utilized it more. Now, the only pushback I would have is that both of those turnovers – killed drives where they were moving the ball.
21:29
And so because of that, it kind of makes you wonder. The interception from Lamar kills a drive, fumble. They were near midfield. They were moving the ball. It kills a drive. And, of course, the Andrews fumble. They were in Bill's territory and moving the ball well. So, you know, those are drive killers. If those don't happen,
21:47
Derrick Henry's carries are probably closer to 20-plus, and we're looking at a completely different game. And once again, we're probably looking at a big Ravens win here. Chiefs win another just low-scoring defensive. Oh, wait. Hang on, Alex. Oh, wait. The refs just threw another flag on the Texans.
22:07
Look, nobody is even talking about the game, the actual game game. Everybody. And I mean, everybody is talking about the story once again with Kansas City and the refs. And look, it's not just upset fans on Twitter. This is getting loud, Alex. This is former players. This is current players.
22:31
This is respected media analysts that are going on podcasts, radio shows, and Twitter, and they are blasting the NFL for this. Look, you can't tell me that those officials... didn't let those guys in the Baltimore game play. When I say play,
22:46
I mean they let them play the game differently than what we saw in that Kansas City game. It was shocking. I mean, it was a completely different game as far as the way it was officiated. Josh Allen gets hit hard, helmet to helmet in that game, no call. Lamar Jackson gets tackled three yards out of bounds.
23:04
No call. Mahomes gets a slight shove near the sideline, and it's a flag. I mean, Jared Goff on that interception, when he threw the pick six, he took a shot to the chin. I mean, literally... takes the helmet straight to the chin. There's no flag. I don't know what is going on here.
23:24
But look, even Coach D'Amico Ryan said after the game, you know what it is. You know what it's going to be when you play the Chiefs. We knew what he meant. I mean, he could only say so much without getting fines from the NFL. So he was kind of biting his tongue here.
23:40
But I think we all know what's going on here. I mean, those terrible roughing the passer calls in this game multiple times. These are game changing penalties that you can't have, especially in these big spotlight games. And Alex, I think the competition committee this offseason,
23:56
I think they need to get together and put together a proposal where they can use replay assist on these types of calls. The calls that aren't challengeable because this is embarrassing for the NFL. And this is going on two plus years. where it's becoming a disturbing narrative that the Chiefs get all the calls.
24:19
And look, this game poured gas on that fire.
24:23
Yeah, you know, it's not even D'Amico Ryans. It was really Trey Aikman, who's usually very buttoned up and kind of straight-laced, where he just was like, I'm sorry. When it looked like you see some basketball plays where a guy will, when he's about to go for a shot,
24:38
he'll stop because the other guy behind him is running full speed, and he'll then just flail his hands because he got hit, and it becomes a foul. That's exactly what it looked like, Patrick Mahomes, and I was happy that Trey Kuhn called it out.
24:50
I will give them grace on one of those calls when it looked like the two Texas players, they actually ran and hit each other. But in real time in a bang, bang play, I thought Patrick Mahone was knocked out from just personally. So I know that there's some bang, bang plays that you don't put that.
25:04
But to your point, if you had that viewable, if it's reviewable, then you see they never touched him. He actually slid in under. So I can understand, depending on what a reference stand, it looks like and how fast the play is going because I thought he was hit too.
25:18
So I give them a pass there, but I get it being reviewable. But, you know, they don't want to stop the game. So we'll see how that goes. And I don't know if any of those players may have turned the game in any way, shape or form. But that Kansas City defense was phenomenal.
25:31
There's something about what Kansas City does when they decide that it's shut that second half, whatever Spagnuolo, not Andy Reid. Whatever Spagnuolo is doing in that second and when he goes into that locker room, they are there to shut you down. And if they decide to play like that,
25:49
this is going to be a very interesting postseason as we move forward. But I will say this. The Texans defense, very tough. I know Kansas City struggling on offense. They don't have, you know, I guess the Terry kills or a lot of consistency. But still, this Texans defense is tough.
26:07
This is a team that I have on my early, early list for Super Bowl bound. I can say that about the Texans. They shouldn't be ashamed about anything that happened. Refs and everything. We're just talking about the actual player on the field. They shouldn't be ashamed about anything. This team is ready. This team is primed.
26:24
You can still add more players. They can still add more wide receivers. We know Stephon Diggs. We'll get into that later on as we go. But I wouldn't be ashamed of anything from what I saw from the Houston Texans right here.
26:38
Eagles, Rams, not a ton to say about this game, Alex. Maybe you have more thoughts on it than I do, but I'm just going to say this. I think better weather and the Rams probably win this game. I think the weather was a big, big factor, and it's something we talked about.
26:52
We thought that it would play a factor in this game. Now, granted, I think the Eagles are the better team, and I think they were built better. For this game, and I think it is a roster mismatch, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. I mean, this team is just so big and tough up front.
27:09
They have the edge versus really, I think, everybody that's left in the playoffs when you're talking about up front. But what were some of your takeaways from this game?
27:19
Well, I'll say this. Just talk about the Eagles really quick. You said that you talk, you look at them the same way. I guess you look at Ohio State. They're the most talented team in left in this playoffs. Right. I think we would all agree that overall talent there, you know, Jalen Carter was a.
27:35
He did some Aaron Donald-like things. He shut the game down. I don't want to say he won the game, but he ended the game with some of his players. He was a wrecking ball, as he's been all season long. But I don't have too much. I mean, no wide receivers on Philadelphia side. A.J.
27:50
Brown, two catches, 14 yards. But again, like you said, the weather. And it's shocking because I thought Philadelphia should have won by more, given the weather and L.A. being a dome team from the West Coast.
28:01
Yeah, when the Rams got the ball back late and they started moving the ball and Stafford hit, I believe it was Pukin Nakua on the sideline with that deep shot that got them into the red zone. I thought they were going to win that game. I thought right there, I'm like, they're going to win this game.
28:13
And then to your point, Jalen Carter just takes over. Now, one of those plays, the center just makes a really bad read.
28:19
Yeah, he missed it, yeah.
28:20
Do you think the Eagles can win a Super Bowl with this passing game and what we've seen from Jalen Hurts throwing the ball?
28:27
Yeah, if you're going to get 200 yards rushing from Saquon Barkley at eight yards a clip, then yeah, you're going to have a chance. Because if you're running for 200 yards, that means whoever is on the other side, they're going to have to be playing. That person, that offense is going to be sitting on the sideline,
28:43
and that defense is in for a long day. And you're going to have to be pinpoint perfect on the other side and not make mistakes if Saquon is going to continue to run like this.
28:52
Did you know that pint glass football is more than just this podcast? We have an exclusive newsletter. Sign up for free at pintglassfootball.com to receive articles and insights delivered straight to your inbox. But wait, there's more. We're excited to announce our brand new YouTube channel. Not only can you listen to our podcast on YouTube,
29:14
but you'll also find exclusive video content waiting for you. So hit the pause button right now and go subscribe to our newsletter and hit that subscribe button on YouTube to stay connected with the latest football news and our exclusive content. Underdog fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports. We personally love the Pick'Em game.
29:38
Just pick between two and five players to build a Pick'Em entry. Pick whether your favorite players will have a higher or lower stat total in this week's game for a chance to win big. You can win up to 20 times your money in a single night.
29:54
Download the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up today with promo code PGF. That's promo code PGF to claim your special pick plus first-time deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash. The official ticketing app of Pint Glass Football is now SeatGeek. I can't recommend them enough, guys. I've been using SeatGeek for years.
30:19
You want to go to a game this season? SeatGeek is here to take the confusion out of buying tickets, making sure you get the best seats at the best prices. With SeatGeek, you'll never have to worry about overpaying for tickets again. How?
30:34
They put a 0 to 10 score on each ticket, so you know you're getting a good deal. But here's the real game changer. You can get $20 off your first ticket purchase with the code PGFPOD. That's right, $20 off with code PGFPOD. This season, make every game day epic with SeatGeek.
30:57
Download the SeatGeek app and remember to enter the code PGFPOD to grab your $20 discount. Did the Lions Super Bowl window close this weekend?
31:09
Absolutely. It closed, but they had their foot in the door. It hasn't slammed, but they definitely have their foot in the door.
31:17
Yeah, I think this window could be closing. I like your analogy about having their foot in the door because it's really going to come down to can Dan Campbell replace these assistant coaches, this offensive and defensive coordinators that most likely are both gone. Ben Johnson, of course. we found out is taking the job for the Chicago bears.
31:37
I think it's a great hire. We both thought Mike McCarthy would be the guy going and getting a more established coach, a guy with a proven track record of a head coach. But I think they went for the upside play. Definitely a lot more risk taking a guy like Ben Johnson,
31:53
but I think there's more upside because if you hit on this coach, He could be really special, and I like that they went in the direction of a young offensive mind to help develop this young quarterback in Caleb Williams. So I like the hire. It's not shocking,
32:08
but I thought they would go a little more of the safe route with Mike McCarthy, but that's kind of a side note here. I think when we're looking at this Lions team, the fact that Ben Johnson is now gone, Aaron Glenn, I'm hearing lots of reports that he could be the Jets' next head coach.
32:24
This is going to be such an important offseason for Dan Campbell. Yeah. I'm hearing rumors that they're going to stay in-house. I don't know if that's always the best choice. Kind of reminds me of what we saw in Philly a couple of years ago when they lost
32:54
both their OC and DC and they went in-house and it really kind of blew up in their face. And then of course this year, They go outside of the house and they go get more proven guys at those positions and they're right back in the Super Bowl mix. So very,
33:09
very interesting offseason that I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to jump into with the Detroit Lions.
33:15
You know, Dan Campbell is not a play caller. Dan Campbell is a motivator. So his his coordinators really truly matter because he leans on them a lot. So it'll be interesting what we see there. But in regards to the game, and I don't, you know, to be honest with you,
33:29
I don't really think they called a great Ben Johnson called a great game for it to be his last game. Honestly, honestly, there was a, there was a lot of questionable things that I saw there. A lot of, and then a lot of questionable decisions by some of the players, Jamison Williams, I am talking about you specifically.
33:44
That was crazy.
33:45
Why is Ben Johnson putting that ball in his hands, though? I mean, look, Jamison Williams makes a bad throw, but why are you having your wide receiver throwing in that situation?
33:54
I didn't understand. There was a lot of weird play calls during this game that I kind of scratched my head on. I was... I'm kind of confused because the commander's defense isn't this knockout defense. They only have recently become a bend-don't-break because they couldn't stop the run, which is why the Lions ran for 200 yards,
34:13
and it's their bread and butter. They probably should have stuck with it a little bit more to kind of slow things up, but I know that second quarter got out of hand. On the Washington side, I really give a lot of credit to that defense for just playing like their hair was on fire all over the place,
34:28
you know, getting three interceptions, getting three interceptions there, plus a fumble loss on a fumble by Jared Goff. So they have four turnovers in the game. And then Jaden Daniels, I mean, play after play, third down. After third down, whatever they needed, he made it happen.
34:45
And that's very uncharacteristic when you get a player that is that young, even though it regards how long he spent in college, a player that's that young in these positions to show that type of poise and control and leadership in that we have to give him advantage.
35:01
a lot of credit i know people have been talking about me and how i spoke about jane daniels i will continue to say i do not crown anybody after one year i called him a boomer bus pick what is he doing right now i guess for most people he'd be booming
35:14
so we'll see how his career continues but for right now he's playing i don't want to say he's playing out of his mind but he's playing like a 10-year vet right now that's leading this team and has them in the first year in the championship game. You know, Josh Harris bought this team.
35:28
I don't know if you saw, Brad, what I put in our group chat. I said, Josh Harris bought these 76ers in 2011. They haven't even gotten to a championship game, and they have some pretty big-time players on their team throughout those 14 years.
35:42
And here he comes into the commanders, which a lot of people would deem a mess. And in one year, just one year, one year, one draft, and they are in the NFC championship game 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl.
35:54
Yeah, I guess that's why you should buy an NFL team and not an NBA team to begin with. We'll just start and leave it there. But it really is, though, on a bigger picture, it really is just the difference of the two models, though, and just the difference of the two sports.
36:07
And I think it's one of the reasons that the NFL is king is because you can turn it around and you can turn it around quickly. And that's why so many fan bases go into every April and they go into every offseason with hope.
36:22
And you can sell hope to even franchises that haven't had a lot of wins or a lot of success because all it takes is hitting on a few picks, getting the right coach. And all of a sudden the ball starts rolling in your favor.
36:35
And we can, we've seen how quickly these teams can turn it around once that happens. And, um, This is a great story once again of that happening. So, look, as far as this game, look, we knew the defense for Detroit was still going to be the weaker side of the ball going into this year.
36:50
I'm sure they're going to address it again this offseason in April. And the injury bug, I mean, it bit these guys hard on that side of the ball. And sometimes that's just the way it goes in the NFL. It's unfortunate they lost a lot of key players on that side.
37:03
But they let a rookie and a great rookie, don't get me wrong, this guy's been unbelievable, but they still let a rookie and a roster with way less talent light them up at home as the number one seed. And it was alarming how bad they were on that side of the ball.
37:18
Now, turnovers, of course, big story this whole weekend. And Jared Goff was awful. This is a guy that really was playing at an MVP level during the stretch. There was a point in midseason, Alex, where we were talking about, is Jared Goff a real MVP candidate? I mean, he was playing that good,
37:34
and to see him kind of come unglued, look, he deserves criticism just like all these other quarterbacks. Herbert had to take bullets, and just a minute ago, Lamar had to take some bullets. Jordan Love took bullets. Look, all these guys, they're not going to escape the heat here because these playoff games and these big moments,
37:50
these are legacy games. And for a guy who's been really good, he really didn't show up in a big spot for his team. Now, I'm with you. I don't think Ben Johnson called a very good game. I think he tried to get cute way too much in this game.
38:04
And also to your point, I think they just needed to stick to their identity and run the ball. Because like you said, that's where Washington was weakest this year versus the run. Stick to that run game because it's elite. I didn't like the game plan at all. for the lions.
38:20
And as far as Jane Daniels, look, this guy has been incredible down the stretch. I mean, early on, you're right. Alex, we talked about it. Boomer bus prospect. Cause we thought he's either going to be really good or it's really not going to work. And look, he's been really good. So, I mean, we thought,
38:35
but even with that being said, right, early in the year, we thought, okay, athletic quarterback with some upside. And you had to like what you were seeing. But he's taking things to another level. And the maturity of this kid and the poise, I mean,
38:48
that's the kind of stuff that doesn't really always show up on the scouting report. Over the last 10 games, he's thrown 20 touchdowns, just seven picks. with a 98 passer rating. And those are against some really good teams down the stretch. His ability to just take over in big moments in different ways,
39:07
whether it's with his arm or his legs, I mean, it makes him one of the most dynamic quarterbacks coming out of college that we've seen in a really long time, and quite frankly, maybe ever.
39:18
This is the great thing about the NFL, Brad, that we talk about. Washington had the second overall pick. They had basically essentially gone from worst to first in the NFC because they're sitting here. For them to be in the position that they are, when you get to what happened with Dan Snyder and just the organization,
39:36
not the team, the organization and what came out of that, which eventually led to had a downstream effect to what happened in Vegas and where this whole franchise was, to enter Josh Harris, to enter Magic Johnson, which was, I'm not sure if you saw, but I did see Magic Johnson dapping up every single,
39:54
all 53 or 90 players, however many people were there, coaches, water boys, dapping up every single person as they came into that locker room. To see where this team is now, I know a lot of people, you know, I'll shout out my guy John included, as well as Breezy, where they feel they were destitute.
40:13
Two years ago, they were destitute into where they are now. You've got to be able to sit back and say, wow, what a difference a year makes.
40:22
If you enjoy the podcast, do us a favor and subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Once again, I'm Brad Fowler. He's Alex Higdon. This is Pint Glass Football, and we'll catch you next time.
40:36
Thanks for listening to the Pint Glass Football Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at PGF Podcast.
41:13
Zencaster is the ultimate web-based podcasting solution. It provides high-quality audio and video podcast production and hosting. With a full suite of professional tools, podcasters can seamlessly record, produce, and publish studio-quality content all from one dashboard. Zincaster's post-production process takes the headache out of audio production. Set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a
41:46
click of a button. Coordinating all your guests to record in person is painful and tedious. Easily invite up to 11 participants per recording with one click. Go to Zincaster.com slash pricing and use my code PGFP and you'll get 30% off your first three months of Zincaster Professional.
42:11
I want you to have the same easy experiences I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.

In this episode, we dive into NFL Wild Card Weekend surprises, discuss rumors of Deion Sanders as a potential Dallas Cowboys coach, and react to the latest College Football Playoff action. Plus, we break down Mike McCarthy's future, analyze standout player performances, debate coaching decisions, and explore the quarterback dilemmas facing teams like the Steelers and Vikings.

Transcription:
Welcome to the Pint Glass Football Podcast.
0:14
Pint Glass Football. I'm your host, Brad Fowler. What's up, PGF Nation? Is Deion Sanders really going to be the next Dallas Cowboys head coach? Plus, of course, a huge weekend of playoff football, college football semifinals, NFL wildcard weekend. We'll give you our reaction to all the games.
0:33
But first, of course, joining me, as always, my co-host, Alex Higdon. Alex, what is going on?
0:40
What's up, Brad? Back again. You know, the college playoffs on top of the NFL playoffs, I think both entities have gotten it right. I mean, football is just rolling and steam rolling from Christmas on through the new year. There have been steam rolling the ratings.
1:00
Yeah, this weekend was crazy. Thursday night, we get a college football playoff game. Friday night, we get a college football playoff game. Saturday, we get the start of the wildcard weekend. That follows into a Sunday of wildcard weekend. And then we get the Monday night football playoff.
1:17
game to cap it all off that's why this episode quite frankly is coming out a little bit later than before because we just had so much football that we had to digest before we could get to you guys so glad you guys are here glad you guys are
1:28
listening but we've got some news that i want to get to first here alex before we jump into these games and i mentioned it there in the intro mike mccarthy of course out in dallas they couldn't reach an agreement it sounds like to come up with a new contract for him so he's out in dallas and now
1:45
There's a lot of rumors about who could be the next guy in Dallas, but the name that's getting thrown out there that everyone's talking about, of course, is Deion Sanders. And apparently that's a realistic option, according to several different news sources out there. Let's start here.
2:00
Do you buy this story that Deion is a realistic option for the Cowboys? Let's start with that first.
2:06
No, I just think it's something that I think I think Jerry is a master marketeer. And the fact of I need to get my team's name out there and I need to get everything on the front. Let me put let me talk to Dion because that's going to lead the headlines.
2:24
I'm going to get all the back pages. I'm going to be in the lead. of all podcasts, wink, wink, and all media outlets that my team is out there so I can really assess who's going to call me, who may reach out that wants the job. But I'll have a name as we get into this further.
2:41
I have a name who's going to, I believe, is going to end up being a coach. And I said it about maybe a week and a half to two weeks ago.
2:46
No, you're right. You're absolutely right about that because I don't think it's a very realistic option either. And I think you're right. I think Jerry loves being in the news. He loves kind of stealing some of the headlines here because here's the Cowboys not in the playoffs. But what are we all talking about? The Dallas Cowboys.
3:01
What are we leading the show off with right now? The Dallas Cowboys to your point. Us and every other media outlet and radio show and everybody else that's covering this sport is talking about the Dallas Cowboys, and that's exactly what he wants. That's why the news floats out there that Deion Sanders is a possibility.
3:16
Now, look, maybe it is. Maybe it is a realistic option. I don't think so, though. And for Deion, I don't think I would want this job anyway. I don't think it's that great of a job, Alex. I really don't. Other than the fact that it's the prestige of being the Cowboys coach,
3:32
I don't think it's a great opening. I think there's several other NFL openings that would be better than this one to begin with. But then outside of that, why would you leave Colorado? He's got a good thing going to Colorado. Things are rolling. He's got that program headed in the right direction.
3:46
And I think he's a better fit as a college coach. Now, could he be an NFL coach? Yeah, probably. I mean, he's a smart guy. He knows football, obviously had a Hall of Fame NFL career. There's no reason I think that he couldn't succeed. I just don't I don't see it being realistic. Now,
4:00
let's let's shift to McCarthy before we get to who some of these candidates are, because I want to hear this for sure. Where does Mike McCarthy go next? What do you think the best fit is for him?
4:12
Chicago. He's a Midwest guy by way of Pittsburgh. I know Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania, but Pittsburgh is closer to Ohio than it is to Philly, so it's the Midwest. But he's from that Pittsburgh area, you know, where I always love to get college players from. He's from that area. He's familiar with, you know,
4:30
the town and the whole Midwest flavor of things, and I think he fits. He gets a young quarterback. He gets to groom his young quarterback. He has a nice nucleus there, Montez Sweat, Jalen Johnson, uh DeAndre Swift he's got a nice wide receiver core there two tight ends so he's
4:46
got some weapons to work with so I think in terms of that where he should go I think that's the best place I think to me personally I think even worse than the cowboy job is the Saints job so I wouldn't want to go there so and other than that
5:02
I'm not going to the Raiders I don't want to deal with that I kind of want to Be in a comfortable situation where I can groom what I want to groom and do what I want to do. And I think that Chicago is the best place there.
5:13
Yeah, I agree. I think Chicago is the best job, and I'm not sure it's even close because I think Caleb showed enough to warrant the fact that he is a good young quarterback that you can definitely build and try to help groom to your point. And I think he is a perfect fit.
5:27
I think it's actually a perfect fit. for both sides because Chicago needs a proven coach and they need a proven offensive minded coach. They need to get away from the stale identity that they've been clinging to since, or the monsters of the midway and the 85 bears and defense defense. Look, I get it. That's great.
5:47
But in this era, you win with quarterback play and you win with offense. I'm not saying defense isn't important, but it's time to shift gears here. You finally have a young franchise quarterback who looks like he could be special. You've got to get him the right coaching around him.
6:05
Now, we both agree we don't think Deion is a realistic fit. Who should Dallas hire and who do you think they will hire?
6:14
John Gruden. I think that's the guy. I think that's the guy they want to hire. Jerry Jones has the gravitas within that ownership group, despite everything that happened with him, that he can go in and get a guy who he would give a five-year guarantee contract to, to come in there and write the ship with,
6:32
with what he has in a guy that wants to get back into the NFL to prove something. So I think, he will go in and hire John Gruden and then kind of step back. And I think John Gruden, AKA Chucky also on his end has the gravitas that he's not scared to go toe to toe
6:48
with Jerry Jones and Jerry Jones is not going to fire him because he's going to be, he would set this team back even further than what it is. And it also gives your team, it gives your fan base. I don't want to sound like a, We're talking about politics, but it galvanized the fan base.
7:04
You know what I'm saying? You get a guy that's going to come in and it's going to work with your quarterback. A guy that's going to come in and it's going to be hard nose and get your team together, rally the troops and do the things that you want him to do.
7:15
And he's going to coach the way that he's going to coach the way that Jerry Jones would like his team. Now, the personnel part, personally, if I'm Jerry Jones, I'd rather Jerry Jones take care of the personnel part rather than John Gruen. John Gruen is terrible at it. Sorry.
7:29
He has just go look at his Tampa Bay record. And if you want to look at the Raiders, look at the Raiders. He's not good at it. So you leave the personnel piece to Jerry Jones and his son and Will McClay, and then you'll be fine. And then just coach the team.
7:40
And I think that's that's the perfect fit for Jerry and the Cowboys.
7:45
Yeah, it's fascinating. I've heard some rumblings about Gruden. I heard a Dallas insider talk about Gruden as a possibility. It makes sense as far as Jerry's M.O., which is he loves proven guys with NFL head coaching experience and he loves guys that have Super Bowl winning experience. So he checks those boxes.
8:04
Man, that would just be a crazy, crazy fit in Dallas. But I get your point there. I definitely do. I mean, obviously the flavor of the month right now is Ben Johnson, the offense coordinator who doesn't fit that mold of what Jerry usually looks for. I also think Kellen Moore is a realistic possibility because we know the
8:20
relationship they had with Kellen Moore. and getting his guy back in house, so to speak. But it's going to be fascinating because I don't think it's a great job. I think with that Dak Prescott contract and with the cap situation they're in, they've got a serious lack of weapons on both sides of the ball.
8:35
Any coach that comes in here could be in some serious trouble, but it's always, always fascinating in Dallas, and they find a way to be interesting even when they're not. So... Alex, let's shift gears here. Let's get to this college football playoff reaction because, look, the wildcard weekend was all right.
8:51
I mean, it was fun, but we didn't get a lot of great games. But these two college football playoff games were instant classics. We had two great games. Let's start with that Notre Dame game. Wow, what a big, big time win and what a big time run that this team is on right now.
9:07
And when I looked at this game, Alex, one stat that really jumps off the page, Notre Dame going 11 for 17 on third down and holding Penn State to just three of 11 on on third down. Notre Dame was down two possessions at one point in this game.
9:24
I mean, the toughness and fortitude that this team showed, they go on a 17-0 run. Look, the James Franklin narrative, of course, that's going to continue here. 12 straight losses now versus the top five team. And on the other side, Marcus Freeman, right now in this college football playoff,
9:43
he is proving that he is absolutely the best coach in the country.
9:46
The one thing we need to do, the first thing I want to talk about is, Brian Kelly, you have to be sitting here and your seat has must have gotten harder by the moment. The final as the final seconds tick down out of this game,
10:01
because you said you left because you wanted a chance at winning a national championship. And here we are. What, Brad, what, two, three years later, two years later, correct? I believe two years, just two years later, two years later. Look where Notre Dame is. The team that you said you couldn't win with. Here, Marcus,
10:17
young Marcus Freeman has gotten this team not only in the college playoffs, but got them through. And, you know, it's the run that they want to look who they beat. Teams that you couldn't beat. They beat Georgia. You can't even be Georgia in LSU where you said you couldn't win in Notre Dame.
10:33
And you can even go to LSU and beat them. He beat them at Notre Dame. So that's the one thing. It's the run and then getting through this game to pull everything together and go back to this game. You're absolutely right. I mean, the fortitude with what they showed, that defense, tough, never giving up,
10:52
keeping his team engaged when there was a big hit by the Nittley Lions and then they came right back. And Riley Lennon, and you know how I feel about Riley Lennon, who tried to give this game away. But, you know, Jaden Greathouse, I mean, seven catches, 105 yards. But Drew Allar, as well as James Franklin,
11:10
but specifically Drew Allar, you had a chance to really boost yourself up in this draft, probably from maybe a third to fifth round to perhaps even a second round if you showed up in this game. And you were terrible, sir, especially that interception. That interception was horrible.
11:26
Yeah, I've got a few different thoughts here. For one, you're absolutely right about the Brian Kelly thing. I mean, no doubt about it. He ran from this job because he thought he had hit his ceiling with this program. He thought that, look, with the recruiting restrictions because of the academic standards that they have at Notre Dame,
11:42
he didn't think he was ever going to be able to get enough players to compete. with the big-time SEC and Big Ten programs. Well, you hit it on the head. He knocks off an upstart Indiana team, but a very well-coached team, then moves on and beats Georgia and kicks Georgia's ass. I mean, seriously, that was a very,
12:03
very convincing win versus them, and then gets another great win versus a very, very good Penn State team that was the runner-up in the Big Ten. This run has been more impressive than anything Brian Kelly did. And look, Brian Kelly took Notre Dame to a national championship. I get that.
12:19
But this being the playoff and these extended playoffs and the tests that he had to get through to get here, this is so much more impressive than anything that they've done prior. It's just unbelievable how good this guy has been. I talked about this on the YouTube podcast when we were previewing this game.
12:36
Notre Dame's got good players. But he does not have the talent that these other teams have. And this is why coaching is so important and why he is so good and why I'm so impressed with this. Because this guy has one five-star recruit on his roster. One.
12:52
going up against teams like Georgia and Penn State that are loaded with four- and five-star players and future NFL draft picks all over the place. Two picks called back in this game because of penalties. One that was an absolutely terrible call. Riley Leonard gets hurt in this game. I mean, it looked like season ends for Notre Dame.
13:12
It kind of felt like this game was going to slip away from them. But then the backup comes in. He goes, what, six for seven? Leads a big field goal drive. Keeps them in this game going into halftime. Their best offensive player, Jeremiah Love, was banged up, and it just felt like every big down,
13:31
they were the ones that made the big plays. That pick to seal it late, I mean, that was a great play by the DB. You're absolutely right. That was a terrible decision by Drew Aller, but I'm also going to put some of the blame here on James Franklin. what are you doing throwing the ball in that spot?
13:47
Why are you calling that play in that spot in the first place? I mean, Drew Aller was off all night. Just run the ball, go to overtime, and play this thing out in overtime. Why are you trying to make a big play there I didn't understand that play call at all,
14:02
and it comes back to James Franklin just making mistakes like this in big moments. It's not the NFL where you have this, what I consider, a terrible overtime format. Overtime in college football, it's a fair shot. You have a fair shot. Both teams get the ball. Line up and let's do it. But once again,
14:19
I just want to go back to Notre Dame because Marcus Freeman has been so, so impressive. Texas-Ohio State, this was another classic game, Alex. The final score, I mean, if you just looked up and saw the score, it does not indicate just how good this game was and how close this game was.
14:37
The Longhorns were one yard away from tying this game up late in the fourth quarter before Ohio State made those huge defensive stops. And, of course, the Jack Sawyer play, look, might go down in history as a top-10 Buckeye moment of all time.
14:52
There was a lot going on in this game. Let me just say it like that. If you want to talk about the back-to-back touchdowns, where I remember, Brad, we were on a text train where we were like, oh, wow, Texas. And then Ohio State came right back with the Draven Henderson 75-yarder.
15:07
I literally thought I said, okay, Texas scored. I'm going to go grab a drink. By the time I got back, Ohio State had scored and were kicking off, and I was confused as to what happened. So there was a lot going on. However, I'm going to give myself another pat on the back because I told you all,
15:23
unless Arch Manning gets in at quarterback, you were not going to win. This was the only way you were going to win. is that Archmandad was going to get it because Quinn Hugh was again through a terrible, terrible interception. Now he's a gunslinger and I don't have a problem with that.
15:42
You just have to be able to curb that in a way. So he is a gunslinger. That's not saying he's a bad QB. It was just about if you want to win. This chip, Arch Manning is the better quarterback. He's more mobile and everything, but I digress. But it was an exciting game.
15:56
Again, like Brad said, 20 to 14. It was 14, 14 in the fourth quarter. So this was a great game down to the wire until Ohio State took, you know, stepped away with those two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
16:07
Yeah, two great defenses, really stepped up in this game. I thought it was amazing to watch the game plan that we saw from Texas. They were just absolutely not going to let Jeremiah Smith beat them in this game. Only had one catch for three yards. And when you go back and watch, they were...
16:25
bracketing this guy every single snap. They had at least two guys on him. There was even a couple times where they had three guys with another guy over the top. I mean, they were taking him completely out of this game plan. And I have to give some credit to Will Howard.
16:42
Just continues, I think, to be the best quarterback in this college football playoff. Showed some real toughness. That golf ball-sized lump on his hand that they showed during the game was crazy. He pushes through it. I mean, the Texas game plan, I think, was really good.
16:58
But this guy still threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to go along with that huge fourth and two first down run on the way to that winning touchdown. I mean, just made some really key plays and just thought it was a really gritty effort from them and this Ohio State team.
17:16
So, Brad, do you want to talk about it or do we both want to talk about it? Because that goal line play, that goal line call with Arch Manning was a horrific, horrific call from a guy that people championed as one of the better offensive coordinators in college.
17:33
Man, it's tough. So hindsight is 20-20, right? And I get that. And it's easy to pick apart this kind of stuff. But I actually thought in real time, there was a few different calls in this game from Sark that had me scratching my head.
17:46
Because, you know, everybody remembers the Jack Sawyer play at the end of the game. And by the way, I agree with you. The Archmanny call was, I don't know what they were doing there. But what about the play right before the Jack Sawyer play when they tried to throw that pitch out and get to the outside?
18:03
I mean, were we watching the same game here, Sark? What made you think you were going to beat Ohio State to the outside? They had been covering up the outside the entire game in the flats and to the sidelines. This team is so fast and tackles so well, and they had been the whole game.
18:19
And you decide to run that play right there, you lose yardage. Because remember, we talked about they were on the one yard line and they lose yardage on that stupid play call. And then the very next play, Sawyer makes the huge strip sack and returns it for the touchdown.
18:33
So I thought the play calling in general when they got down there in the red zone just cost them.
18:39
Yeah, I'm going to say, Sark, you're cautious. Listen, I look at everything. You know, I'm a big top down person and Sark in this instance is at the top. The minute he said he allowed Quinn Hewars to come back, I said, this is a mistake. This is a mistake. This kid is the Arch Manning is ready.
18:57
Like, put him in. You have to know when to cut bait here. listen, kid, we loved you. You've been here four years already. It's time for you to go. Or if you want to stay in college, then you need to transfer. I'm sure Michigan would have loved you over there this season. Shout out to Worlds.
19:12
But I'm just making the point that there was just certain things I would have done to really unlock everything that was here that this team had. The other part is we talked about them shutting down Jeremiah Smith. Well, the top guy on Texas, Isaiah Bond, was shut down as well.
19:31
Yeah, the defensive game plan. And I had a feeling this might be a low-scoring game, even though both teams have a lot of offensive firepower. These defenses are legit. These might be two of the better defenses in the country. I think Ohio State obviously was,
19:45
and I think Texas has a lot of firepower on the defensive side of the ball as well. But, yeah, this was a crazy game. This was a great game. It was a classic. It didn't shock me that Ohio State went. I took Ohio State in this game, but these games lived up to it, man,
19:59
and the college football playoff to this point has been an absolute home run. I know there were some people that weren't a fan of the expanded playoff originally, didn't like the idea of it, and Look, we got to put that to rest because this has been awesome. I think it's been great for the sport.
20:15
We've had so many fun games, so many great matchups and great moments leading up to this. I can't wait for the national championship game. I think it's going to be a great one. And I think this entire cultural playoff has just been amazing. So, yeah, what what a year for college football. I mean, what a year.
20:32
And it's going to come down to, I think, a classic national championship game should be a lot of fun.
20:38
But before we move on, and I know we talked about it briefly last week, there's going to be a lot. This off, I guess you could say offseason for college is going to be very interesting because I, for one, am upset.
20:53
So I know the rest of the SEC is upset, regardless if you have a rivalry with Texas or not. They were our last hope for our foothold to talk a lot of crap to people because essentially – We're getting a Big Ten matchup in the championship game because for all intents and purposes, by location,
21:12
I know Notre Dame is, you know, by proxy there in the ACC, but by location, they are a Big Ten team. So as far as I'm concerned, this is just a Big Ten. This is just a Big Ten matchup. And the SEC has nothing to do with it at all. I'm mad, so I know they are infuriated.
21:31
Yeah, and we did. We talked about it last week. And look, I think it's worth mentioning. I think you're right. I think we've seen a little bit of a shift here. I really do. And I think the NIL and the transfer portal has really changed the landscape of college football.
21:46
I mean, look, we all knew the SEC was handing out bags of money decades ago. long before a lot of these other programs and a lot of these other conferences were doing that. And now that it's all equal and it's all fair and it's all above the table, we're starting to see a much,
22:03
much more balanced college football across the board. And look, I think it's better for the sport. I really do. Because I think there for a while, the SEC dominance was giving college football a very, very regional Southern feel. I think it hurt the sport from a national standpoint.
22:23
I like the representation that we got this year from multiple conferences and so many teams being involved in this. And there were so many teams that I think going into this had a real shot to win this thing. Because how many people pick Notre Dame for starters?
22:36
So that just goes to show you how wide open this playoff really was. And I think it's good for the sport overall. But I think it'll be really interesting to see what the SEC kind of does next year and some of these power programs and how they respond. Because you're right.
22:51
Because right now, it has definitely kind of shifted these last couple years. And it's starting to feel, like I said, I said it last week, I felt like the Big Ten was kind of closing that gap. Well, this playoff has certainly kind of stamped that. Did you know that Pint Glass Football is more than just this podcast?
23:09
We have an exclusive newsletter. Sign up for free at pintglassfootball.com to receive articles and insights delivered straight to your inbox. But wait, there's more. We're excited to announce our brand new YouTube channel. Not only can you listen to our podcast on YouTube, but you'll also find exclusive video content waiting for you.
23:33
So hit the pause button right now and go subscribe to our newsletter and hit that subscribe button on YouTube to stay connected with the latest football news and our exclusive content. Underdog fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports. We personally love the pick'em game. Just pick between two and five players to build a pick'em entry.
23:57
Pick whether your favorite players will have a higher or lower stat total in this week's game for a chance to win big. You can win up to 20 times your money in a single night. Download the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up today with promo code PGF.
24:14
That's promo code PGF to claim your special pick plus first-time deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash. The official ticketing app of Pint Glass Football is now SeatGeek. I can't recommend them enough, guys. I've been using SeatGeek for years. You want to go to a game this season?
24:35
SeatGeek is here to take the confusion out of buying tickets, making sure you get the best seats at the best prices. With SeatGeek, you'll never have to worry about overpaying for tickets again. How? They put a 0 to 10 score on each ticket, so you know you're getting a good deal. But here's the real game changer.
24:55
You can get $20 off your first ticket purchase with the code PGFPOD. That's right, $20 off with code PGFPOD. This season, make every game day epic with SeatGeek. Download the SeatGeek app and remember to enter the code PGFPOD to grab your $20 discount. NFL wildcard weekend, Alex, was not... I mean, it was great.
25:25
Don't get me wrong because we love the NFL and we love playoff games, but a lot of lopsided scores in these games. And what it got me thinking about, Alex, was it's never been more obvious coming out of this weekend just how important having a true franchise quarterback is in this era of football.
25:45
If you don't have a guy, you just don't have a chance anymore. in the NFL. And I think the lone exception to that is the Philadelphia Eagles. That's probably going to sound like a shot at Jalen Hurts. I'm not intending for it to be, but look, the Eagles are really the lone exception here.
26:01
And I think it's just because they have the best roster in the NFL. They're so loaded at so many other positions. I'm still not sure that it doesn't come back to haunt them in these playoffs because look, Jalen Hurts didn't look good at all.
26:15
And we're going to get to several other quarterbacks that didn't look very good in this playoff as well. But no one's really talking about it, Alex, because they won. He went two quarters without a completion. It's almost shocking. But like I said, no one seems to kind of be talking about it because this team wins.
26:34
They get a, you know, they overwhelm Green Bay in this game. They dominate on both lines of scrimmage. A lot of injuries to Green Bay. You can ask the Niners about what that's like. And then Jordan Love, of course, just continues to be a really streaky quarterback. And I think we saw this again in this game.
26:52
We've seen him play at a really high level at times, but we've also seen these moments where where he makes really dumb decisions and can really cost his team and can get a little reckless with the ball at times. You can't get away with that type of play versus this defense because this defense is absolutely legit.
27:08
They have big time players at all three levels. Like you always say, Alex, defense and running game is still going to win in January.
27:16
Yeah. Jordan Love is out there. He, like I always say, he, I get it. He's not a rookie, but last year was his first, you know, true starts of his career. He looked great, especially the second half. And then you go in and then you come back the second year,
27:31
they figured out what Mike LaFleur likes to do well with him. And there's things that he hasn't seen before. So they threw a couple of different things. And I will say something that Mike LaFleur said, I don't want to say it's going to come back to bite him,
27:43
but it may seriously sit out there and be untrue because his whole moniker was, we don't need a number one. We don't need a number one. Well, you sure look like you needed a number one out there because Quinone Mitchell is for sure a number one quarterback.
27:58
And if you don't have a guy that can make a play, That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have a Calvin Johnson or a Randy Moss. We're just talking about a guy that can make a play. Who is the playmaker? And all I kept hearing was Christian Watson.
28:12
Well, Christian Watson has not been healthy since they announced his name on draft day. Right. Because he came into training camp hurt and he's been hurt every single year. So, you know, he wasn't a guy that you could count on. If that's the guy, that's the excuse that I've been hearing around here. Josh Jacobs.
28:26
I saw that he, you know, didn't get enough touches. I mean, he was running for four and a half a clip. He had a touchdown, 18 carries for 81 yards. So he seemed like he was able to do what he needs to do just to get enough touches because of the score.
28:38
But then Jordan Love, you were just reckless with the ball. So there needs to be some cleanup there. It's fine. It's fine. People. People in Green Bay shouldn't be jumping out of the window or anything like that. On to the Eagles side of, I know we know what the excuses are.
28:52
He didn't, he was coming out of concussion protocol. He hadn't played in like, what, five weeks, four weeks, you know, for the most part with Jalen Hurts. So they're going to get, they're going to call it a lot of Russ, Saquon Barkley. Hey, that 25-119, had he had it the other game, he would have, nevermind.
29:05
But, you know, the Philadelphia defense did what the Philadelphia defense does. They kind of smothered the Eagles. And, you know, with the interceptions, we saw what happened in the defensive backfield and what the plays that were being made out there. I mean, really, this game was over from the first play of the game. Correct.
29:20
I don't know if you agree. You know, the first play of the game kickoff, they fumbled the ball in their own territory and then. Jalen Hurts this is really we know where this is going to excuse or I don't even want to say excuse but the narrative is simply going to be he himself just was
29:35
knocking off the rust and then the real judge comes against this next game next
29:40
week right let's shift to Bills Broncos I don't want to spend a ton of time on this game I don't think there's a whole lot to talk about but I do want to mention the fact that Bo Nix And the Broncos, of course, they get smoked in this game. I don't think it was surprising. Rookie quarterback,
29:54
first playoff start, going up against the Bills veteran-led team with a lot of playoff experience. Nothing was really shocking about this game. Just watching it, though, Josh Allen totally in command of this offense. Him and Cook in the backfield, and they found balance, and I think it's why this offense is playing probably the best brand of Bills
30:16
football we've seen in the Josh Allen era since they've shifted to this running game and running attack with James Cook leading the way and not relying on Josh Allen to run the ball as much. And I think Allen has just really gotten in full control of the offense and where to go with the ball,
30:34
when to use his legs and when not to look, they get rid of digs and Josh Allen just got even better this year. And look, they tied a record this season for the most players catching a touchdown pass and In the NFL with 13. So it's way more of a spread the ball around offense.
30:55
There is no like legit number one guy. It's just a lot of good receivers. There's no great players for him to throw to. He's got some good tight ends and some good receivers. He's got a really good running back. But man, they're just clicking and calling all the right plays.
31:11
And I got to give a lot of credit to Joe Brady because we've talked about some of these coaching candidates. I'm surprised his name isn't getting mentioned a little more as well.
31:20
Right. Well, I'll say this. There's another record that they broke that I actually think is even more important. I don't want to say they broke it, but they tied it. Fewest turnovers ever because it was 17 games, but they tied it through 16 games and With eight, this team only had eight turnovers.
31:44
You can ask any coach or any analyst worth their salt that talks about football, and they will say the number one thing that kills you is turnovers. And they only had eight all year long. Let me repeat that, eight. Very careful with the ball. But I think in terms of this specific game,
32:02
the number one thing that jumped out to me was that Amari Cooper... And Keon Coleman together, three catches, 13 yards. They were non-factors, quote unquote, in terms of actually, I'm not saying they weren't a distraction where other people were able to get loose, but just in terms of what their specific production was, three catches, 13 yards.
32:24
This was Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton K. Kincaisho, specifically more on James Cook, but as far as the receivers, it was them. And you know, one thing I didn't know about Khalil Shakur until they said it, he was second in yards after the catch. As far as Denver, I mean, there's not much to say.
32:41
There's no need to kill them. Again, a young quarterback, Peyton Braves found this man. The only thing I can ever say about Denver is that they just don't run the ball enough. But 31 to seven, you didn't have time to run the ball. So I'm not even going to kill them for that.
32:55
You know, Troy Franklin, there was the Oregon connection there, Bo Nix to Troy Franklin. They could have had another one, but I think Bo Nix might've missed it. So those are the things that I look for. Not that it's a mistake. He made the right read. He just missed it.
33:06
Those are the things that you hope you come back the next year and you can fix those things. So obviously the Broncos have something to build on. And obviously the bills are, Going forward. So I think both teams, I think, you know, I know nobody likes to lose or anything like that. But if I'm Denver,
33:20
I'm walking away from this game like, OK, I feel comfortable that I can move forward and address the other things on this team because I found my quarterback.
33:27
Yeah, no, I agree. I totally agree. This is a team that had really low expectations. I think if I remember right in the offseason when we were talking about over under season win totals, if I remember right, I think Denver was like five and a half. Something like that. Yeah, they definitely went over.
33:42
Yeah, they were way down there. I mean, people thought this was a team that was going to be picking in the top 10 in the draft. And here they are making the playoffs. They found a quarterback, like you said, and had a really nice season. So yeah, hats off to them.
33:55
I think they're heading in the right direction. No shame in getting blown out by a veteran team like Buffalo at all. Now, I talked about it a minute ago. It's such a quarterback and head coach league. I should have mentioned that because it really is. And it's just become more evident than ever because, like you said,
34:11
Denver hits on a rookie quarterback back in the playoffs. Chargers get a real head coach for the first time in years, and they have a big turnaround year one. They're back in the playoffs. I'm not shocked that they lost to the Texans, but I'm definitely shocked that they got routed the way they did and that this game
34:32
was as ugly as it was. LA on the road. Look, we both took LA to win this game. I think we liked this matchup on paper. And when this game started, I mean, they controlled the game for the first about 15 minutes or so, but they only had that 6-0 lead.
34:49
They weren't able to capitalize on the way they played early in the game CJ Stroud, I think – I mean, I'll have to ask you, Alex, what you thought, but I thought he should have been called for intentional grounding in the end zone, and it should have been a safety on that play.
35:06
I was a little surprised that they didn't call that. A few plays later, he escapes – from that big sack and makes that huge play downfield, it felt like that was really when the momentum shifted in this game. It was really a turning point because once that big play happened, it felt like he started clicking.
35:26
And then on the other side, Herbert just came unraveled. And the whole game kind of swung after that. And look, first player ever to throw more picks in a playoff game than he did in the entire regular season. And it was really shocking because this guy really took care of the ball this year,
35:44
had a really nice season, especially in that regard. I think he only had three picks all season. Just came unglued in a big moment here. And look, there's no way around it. It was a bad showing. Now, his receivers didn't help much. They had some bad drops in this game.
36:00
And there was a couple picks, or at least one that I know went right through a receiver's hands. But nevertheless, being really, really poor performance from him, I got to give some credit to the Texans. I think they have what might be the best young cornerback duo in the NFL right now.
36:18
I mean, these guys are playing at a high level. They were getting a lot of pressure on him. And in those corners with Derek Stingley, who is absolutely become the player I predicted coming out of LSU. He's an absolute stud. Kamari Lassiter. I mean, he's been absolutely awesome. This Texas defense.
36:37
This secondary is really something special here because we have to remember, we go back and look at some of the games these guys had. This team picked off Jared Goff five times. They had three interceptions versus Tua. Jordan Love threw two picks versus Houston. Josh Allen went nine of 30. Versus this defense.
36:57
So this secondary and this defense. Maybe we're flying a little under the radar here. And I got to give a lot of credit to D'Amico Ryans. I thought he called an unbelievable game. I thought they had a really nice game plan. And really executed it. After a slow start. But they got it rolling.
37:14
And a big bounce back for CJ Stroud. Who a lot of people talked about. Kind of had a quote unquote down year. I don't think he was terrible. But obviously didn't live up to what we expected after that. you know, kind of historic rookie year that he had. But here they are winning another playoff game.
37:30
And I got to give this franchise a lot of credit. I think Houston, one more really strong draft class away from really being a threat in the AFC.
37:41
Yeah, and that draft class is going to have to definitely include some receivers after we know, you know, Stephon Diggs is a free agent, though hurt, and Tink Dell's gruesome injury after coming, already coming off a previous injury, there's some issues there as well. But I will say, yeah, C.J. Stroud, you know,
37:57
he held his own this game, but it was really the defense that kind of smothered and did their job and did their job very well so I can't say anything too much about the Texans they looked like how they should look they gave Joe Mixon 25
38:09
carries which is what you want to do because CJ Stroud's kind of been streaky this season which is what I always say and I'll just keep reiterating it if you have a good year you usually end up coming up and having a mediocre year and then that
38:20
third year is kind of when you go in and you kind of figure everything out and the game starts to slow down is what you expect so However, on the other side, I will consistently tell all of you people, stop crowning people until you see them do it.
38:35
Justin Herbert has shown you nothing except in the regular season. The rules of football when you're a quarterback and people start talking about the way they talk about you is the playoffs. Troy Aikman is not a good quarterback. If I showed you his stats compared to his contemporaries, he's a quarterback you would never take.
38:50
You know why Troy Aikman matters? Because of what he did in the playoffs. You want to talk about Eli Manning? You don't care what he's done in the regular season. You care about those two playoff runs. Joe Flacco, same thing. So stop crowning people because you all crown Justin Herbert as this guy because of
39:05
what you saw in the regular season. And when he gets to the playoffs, he does nothing. I do not care about his weapons. I do not care about any of that. Justin Herbert, really good regular season quarterback. But what's the difference between, as far as I'm concerned, can anybody tell me the difference between him and Kirk Cousins?
39:19
I can't tell. When they get to the playoffs, they do the same thing. Sorry. Good in the regular season, bad in the playoffs. Sorry. So that's that. But I mean, I'm sure they'll go out and they'll get him some more weapons. Glad McConkie's a nice piece that they added. Perhaps they can. I don't know how that works.
39:34
A lot of people talk about tying T. Higgins to to the charges. You know, you get a T. Higgins, you get him some more some more weapons. specifically, I guess, the running game, because if Harbaugh is going to try and do some of the things that we assume he wants to do in Michigan, you know,
39:50
I like J.K. Dobbins, but I've said he's a good running back, but he just can't stay healthy and is short again this year. Gus Edwards also got hurt, so they didn't have the strong running game the way they like to play defense and not throw the ball and control a lot what they do with Justin Herbert.
40:05
in terms of keeping him upright for the most part, they weren't able to do that. So things kind of got out of control. They couldn't run their specific game plan, which is, you know, grind it out, fight in a phone booth type game and have the defense do their job. So they weren't able to do that.
40:18
So we'll see what type of, you know, draft class, because we know a draft class can change anything in the NFL. They get one of, they get one of those quote unquote guys that wide receiver, whether it be through the draft or or perhaps both, you know, and they'll be right back.
40:33
They'll be right back in the mix because at this point, they're going to start aiming there. They're going to start aiming their guns at the Chiefs and start trying to take down the Chiefs now that they feel comfortable. It's a weak division, but still they're comfortable.
40:45
But the Denver could seem to be right on their heels because they're in the same space of, you know, another draft. You can see some things change here.
40:54
Yeah, the only thing I'll say is I don't know if it is a weak division because all of a sudden, like you said, Denver's on the way up. Now the Chargers are definitely headed in the right direction, and we know the Chiefs are still the Chiefs. So, I mean,
41:06
it's actually – and all three are in the playoffs, obviously, so it's a pretty good division.
41:10
Why are you not talking about the Raiders, though, bro?
41:14
They're bringing up the rear. They got a top pick, so we'll see what they do with that. But, yeah, I think – Looking at the game, I think you're right. I think he deserves a criticism. He clearly has had two playoff showings, and he didn't show up in either one of these games and really,
41:30
really played bad in this one. So all the criticism of him at this point when it comes to the playoffs is warranted. I never was one of those guys that put him in the quote-unquote elite class. I never put him in that group. with Burrow and Allen and Lamar and Mahomes. I never put him in that group.
41:48
I thought he's always been in that next tier of quarterbacks. And after another poor performance in the playoffs, look, maybe he's not wired to play in big games. Because to your point, not everybody is. Because guys like Kirk Cousins, guys like Dak Prescott, these guys have great seasons now.
42:07
seemingly year in and year out and then crap the bed in the big games and maybe he's in that group and maybe that's what we need to come to realize and quite frankly fair or unfair that's going to be the narrative until he changes that
42:20
narrative and that's what I've said about Dak it's what I've said about Kirk and some of these other guys like look you're a really good quarterback but We know that legacies when it comes to quarterback are made in the playoffs to your point, Alex. And until he starts playing better in these games, because look,
42:35
if they would have lost his game, but he played good, I don't know if we'd be having this conversation. If he had a three touchdown, no interception, you know, 300 yard performance and they just came up light. I don't think we're sitting here crushing the guy,
42:49
but the fact that he came unraveled and played his probably his worst game as a pro, to be honest, he's never had a three interception game ever. in the NFL or college. This was his first one ever, and he had four. So it really shows up with his worst performance probably ever in the biggest spot
43:06
in his career. That hurts. That absolutely hurts. So I think this team, though, kind of taking a big picture step back, This team is exactly what I thought they would be this year. I picked them to make the playoffs. I picked them to win about a 10 or 11 games.
43:22
I thought they'd be one of the kind of surprise teams this year because I thought Harbaugh would absolutely get this team moving in the right direction. But I didn't think they had enough of a roster yet to make any real noise anyway. But, hey, better luck next year.
43:37
We'll see how it goes and where they go from here. And speaking of which, we've got to jump to the Steelers because now I think there's some serious questions about where do they go from here. Because, look, I know you picked the Steelers in this game, and I get it. It was a divisional matchup.
43:53
I never thought the Steelers had any real chance in this game. When you have, quite frankly, I think it's fair to say a washed-up Russell Wilson facing what – is soon to be, it looks like, the three-time MVP. This was a complete mismatch.
44:10
And I go back, I keep saying it and saying it again, but this is a quarterback league. And the Steelers are once again still searching for one. And I just think the home stretch of this season and then going into this wildcard game, it was more obvious than ever just how far they still had to go.
44:27
at that position if they were going to really compete. And then you add in the fact that they're going up against, quite frankly, the most dominant running back of this generation in Derrick Henry. This game was over at the coin toss. And look, the fire Mike Tomlin crowd is getting really, really loud right now.
44:45
And I get it. But you can only go so far in this league with mediocre quarterbacks. And look, like I said, I get why people are saying maybe it's over, maybe you've got to move on. I get it. But when you have mediocre quarterbacks or below average quarterbacks, eventually you run into a team with an elite quarterback,
45:06
usually in the playoffs, and you're done. And that's what this team is right now. And I don't know how they fix this, Alex. I don't know how they fix this issue because they're always just too competitive to take a top quarterback. They're always drafting in the 20s.
45:23
So they never have a shot at a guy like a true guy in April. Look, I think Russ is out next year. Maybe they keep fields as a backup slash like insurance policy. I don't know where you go from here, Alex.
45:37
Do you take a flyer on a guy in the second or third round and hope you find a diamond in the rough? I don't know. I don't know what they do at this position, but they're not going anywhere. I don't care if it's Mike Tomlin or Vince Lombardi that's coaching this team.
45:51
You're not going anywhere without a quarterback.
45:53
Okay, hold my beer. I have a lot to say. I have a lot to say on this because this is not even just about the game. Like you said, Brad, the memes and the booze and everything that came out about Mike Tomlin, who I didn't know had a no trade clause.
46:06
I don't even know if you knew that, Brad. He actually has a no trade clause as a coach. I find that funny. But let's talk about Baltimore really first. Lamar came in saying, listen, not this year. We're running this year. And he even ran a lot more.
46:18
then probably sometimes what he needs to do, he had 15 carries for 81 yards. Even though the game was 28 to 14, it was a lot further than really what it was as they were already up 21, nothing in the first half. You know, Lamar was 16 to 21 and two TDs.
46:33
This looked like Lamar really from some of the middle years where he ended up getting hurt, but he had to play a little bit more conservative. I mean, Derrick Henry was going, he was unstoppable. Actually, Derrick Henry, a la, you know, what, maybe six years ago when Lamar, when they beat the Ravens, Derrick Henry,
46:51
as he tossed Earl Thomas, you know, a fringe Hall of Fame player, he then in this game threw Mika Fitzpatrick, a person who was having a fringe Hall of Fame career. I mean, he picked him up and threw him the exact same way. You can Google it. I'm pretty sure
47:07
somebody on the internet has done a side-by-side of this because he did the same exact thing to Earl Thomas that he did to Mika Fitzpatrick on the Steelers. And then the Steelers were off and running and playing. You know, Zay Flowers was not in this game. So Lamar picked up a lot of slack on him.
47:22
As how I like to look, he picked up a lot of slack on him. And I think he also wanted to make a statement because if you look at last year's game against the Steelers, there were several opportunities he had a chance to run. He did not take off.
47:33
Everybody, like I said last year, I won't get into it again. People talk about they didn't run, they didn't run, they didn't run, but also Lamar didn't run when he had the opportunity to. And some of these were designers and some of these were just him making plays. So, you know,
47:46
applaud him because I think he wanted to make a statement and start this playoff differently to let them know that this is a different Ravens team. We've spoken on the Steelers. I mean, not a lot of us expected. I did take the Steelers. I will say that, you know, it's hard. It's still a divisional game.
47:59
It's still a black and blue game because they are rivals and things like that. But we don't need to get too much into what the Steelers are in terms of that. We know both. But what I will say is this before I get to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. Baltimore has a problem.
48:13
And I thought they cleaned it up and they haven't cleaned it up because that second half defense is still a problem. Now, Brad said, you know, Russ is washed up. Or if you want to look at its pickings, not doing picking type things as a guy that that guy that he believes he is.
48:31
because the Pittsburgh Steelers had opportunities to score. Now, there's a big difference in the Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers than Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. They're not going to make those mistakes. They're going to make some of those plays. So even if you get up, if you don't fix this second half defense,
48:48
because it's been leaking all season, you had a period about maybe four to five games where it got fixed. It's still not fixed. Because the Steelers, as far as I'm concerned, the way that you manhandled them in the first half, they shouldn't have had a chance in the second half.
49:01
As far as the Steelers are concerned, you're absolutely right, Brad. They're never going to be bad enough to be picking at the top of the draft. And when they have picked at the top of the draft, because I went through this, Brad, they picked Devin Bush number 10, and that was the Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins,
49:14
got rest of the dead draft where there weren't really any good quarterbacks. The only time that the Steelers have had a chance to truly draft a quarterback was was the year they drafted Chase Claypool in the second round at 49 and four picks later with some guy I don't know named Jalen Hurts,
49:29
who might probably fits the Pittsburgh narrative in a sense. That's really been the only time they've had a chance to maybe that they, if you want to say, quote unquote, passed up on one. You know, as much as everybody wants to yell at Tomlin, this is a front office. This is the front office's fault.
49:45
If, Brad, what you say is true, and let's be fair, Pittsburgh is no different than the Ravens. The Ravens retool. They don't go through four to five. They don't go through four or five years of rebuilding or 10 years of rebuilding. They have about a couple of years where they may win six,
50:00
maybe two years where they win six or seven, and they're right back up. They fix the issue, and they're right back up in Pittsburgh. in the playoff hunt, and they're competitive even when they're not in the playoff hunt. This is Pittsburgh for holding on to Ben Roethlisberger, letting Ben Roethlisberger hold the franchise hostage because that's exactly what
50:17
he did. I get it about Antonio Brown, but he's the one that got Antonio Brown up out of there when he came down there with the GM, and the GM told the whole entire team, it happened and it's documented by everybody on the team that was on that team, that they said this is Ben's team,
50:32
he's in control, and whatever he says is what we're going to do. And I don't think that's a good way to handle it, but you were beholden to him. So we're keeping the same energy with Aaron Rodgers. People doing it with Aaron Rodgers. We're going to do the same thing with Ben.
50:43
So you did not go and address your quarterback situation. And unfortunately, the quarterback, excuse me, the head coach is taking a hit instead of ownership in the front office because this is your fault. And they're not going to step forward. But Mike Tom, somebody should. Well, somebody in the media. Oh, wait, that's me.
50:58
Somebody should step forward and say it's your fault. It's not Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, a Hall of Fame coach. You're not giving him the weapons to do it. So he's been he's been basically taking shit and turning into sugar for all for the
51:10
for the last five years of Ben's career and all the way up until now. So basically for the last 10 years, he's been turning sugar into shit. And it's your fault. So you can yell fire Mike Tomlin all you want to, but this is a you front office problem, not a Mike Tomlin problem.
51:24
And I dropped the mic.
51:25
Yeah, I couldn't say it any better. I mean, and look at the teams that they're losing to in the playoffs. Josh Allen and the Bills, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and the Ravens. I mean, just like I said, they run into a team with an elite quarterback and it's a mismatch. And that's what this league is nowadays.
51:40
You have to have one. If you don't, you're done. And they haven't just had Average quarterbacks, they've had below average quarterbacks. They haven't had guys that can even come close to competing with the names that I just mentioned. So I'm with you. I think the fire Mike Tom the crowd, I think it's crazy.
51:55
I don't expect Pittsburgh to make a move. That's not how they operate. I expect them. to try to get aggressive in whatever way they can to try to address the quarterback room. It's just going to be interesting to see how they do it and how aggressive they get. It'll be a fun offseason, Alex,
52:13
but we're not there yet because we've got playoffs football right here in front of us, of course, and we've still got a couple games to get to. So I want to talk about this Commander's big... well, I don't want to say shocking upset, somewhat, somewhat shocking upset of the Bucs on the road. This game was crazy.
52:31
Washington kept going for it on fourth down. I thought, and Alex, like you mentioned before, a lot of times we text or we're in these group texts with a bunch of friends of ours talking about these games. And I said during this game that, look,
52:45
I think them going for all these fourth downs might just come back to haunt them here. And it almost did. And this was a close game. Obviously, if Baker doesn't cough it up late in that game on an unforced fumble that really just gift wrapped a score for them, there's a good chance they lose this game.
53:05
And we are crushing Dan Quinn right now. for going forward on all these fourth downs. And look, when the Lions and Bills played earlier this year, I defended Dan Campbell on this podcast for going forward on fourth down in that game. The reason I did then and the reason I'm being critical here is because that game
53:26
was a shootout. They couldn't stop Josh Allen. It was back and forth, high-scoring game. I felt like they needed to be aggressive in that game, but in a low-scoring defensive game like this, points are at a premium. Kick the field goals. They got stopped twice on fourth down,
53:44
and it was both times in the red zone when they had chip shot field goals. Look, they wouldn't have needed a game-winning drive and a doink field goal in the final seconds if they had kicked them earlier in the game. And you look at the Bucs.
53:59
disappointed in for this team because they just made so many mistakes in this game. There was a ton of key penalties in this game. Turnovers. I don't want to take anything away from, from what the commanders did, but I do think the bucks kind of shot themselves in the foot, several different points in this game.
54:15
But hats off to Jaden Daniels. The guy, look, he might have just had the best rookie season ever. The guy plays with poise, confidence, and he shows up in big moments and clearly showed up in a big moment in his first playoff game. His comp, of course, is pretty obvious.
54:32
Everyone talks about Lamar Jackson being the comp, and I get it. But here's the thing, Alex. I think it's safe to say he's light years ahead. of where Lamar Jackson was as a rookie and throwing the ball from the pocket, delivering the ball with accuracy. I think it's scary how good this guy could really become.
54:51
I saw a list that I have to dig into some more. I think they had Russell Wilson, number one, to have the best rookie ever, if I'm not mistaken. So I have to take a deeper dive into that, maybe look at it again when they add Jaden Daines.
55:05
But I believe he's considered to have the best rookie year of at least the modern era. I'm not going to go back too far. At least of what I understand is where he is. Like I say, it takes an off season for defenses to catch up.
55:18
I'll wait to see what happens when defenses catch up and see how you adjust to when they, when they adjust to you. And then we'll see as we go forward. He looks, he looks great. I mean, this is, this was my, my, my surmise of him. I said, he's boomer bust.
55:31
He won't come in and I'll just use a Kirk cousins. He, I don't, he won't come in and be Kirk cousins, like a really good quarterback, but needs a lot of help. He's either going to be great or, or he's not going to be good. So, so far he looks great, but, you know,
55:45
we'll give him some time to go through some, let's see how to, you know, as he gets to a sophomore, a junior, and then a senior, we'll just use it from a grade standpoint. And to see where he is two to three years from now, if he's still trending up, trending down,
56:00
did he just stay where he would, did he just stay where he wasn't in not get better at anything and defense is caught up. But I can't say anything bad about Jaden Daniels. He's doing his job, especially the third down. I think the key thing is the third and as well as you mentioned the fourth down.
56:14
As far as the Buccaneers, it's really two big mistakes because there's the mistake that That Baker made that he took responsibility for. But then there's that bad snap on that third down where they lost yardage and ended up having to kick the field goal because of that bad snap, that bad snap by the center. Nobody was ready.
56:33
Obviously, he wasn't on point in paying attention and critical in a critical time. I think it's Casey Bach is his name. wasn't paying attention because he hiked the ball and nobody moved except the except the commander's defensive line, which they were able to get in.
56:47
And then I think they tackled the running back when he handed it off. So that was another blown play that, you know, I don't want to just blame it all on Baker because they had another chance. And that happened as well. The Buccaneers, they had a chance to win this game and perhaps put it away,
57:02
but they weren't able to. So I'm not going to kill Baker. He's a fighter. He's he's a fighter. He's a dog. He's never going to stop fighting to get his team in the end zone to do certain things. It's just that those critical mistakes is why they're gone fishing, as they say, and the commanders are moving on.
57:19
Yeah, speaking of moving on here, I think Sam Darnold just played his last game with the Vikings. Complete and utter meltdown that we saw on Monday night. And this is really back-to-back huge games. When you look at Week 18, the one seed was on the line and now in the wild card.
57:37
And look, the guy had a great year. I was rooting for him. I know, Alex, you were rooting for him because, look, it was a great story. you know, to see this guy who was labeled a bust one, you know, I think he was a second overall pick if I'm not mistaken,
57:48
or maybe third overall pick guy that they thought was going to be a franchise quarterback for the jets. And we know the story, but for him to make this really big turnaround, I thought it was a great story, but it's, it's costing a lot of money.
58:01
I don't think there's any doubt about that because four or five weeks ago we were talking about not necessarily us, but the media in general was talking about the contract situation. What were the Vikings going to do? Were they going to trade JJ McCarthy and
58:12
give this guy a big deal and think these two games has really kind of sealed his fate with Minnesota. And I don't think there's any doubt that they're going to turn to JJ McCarthy. Maybe they bring back Sam on, on a more team friendly deal and kind of let JJ develop as a quarterback.
58:28
But needless to say, I mean, it's, it went back to the Sam Darnold that I remember playing for the Jets, you know, and you see a lot of tweets and a lot of stuff recently about seeing ghosts. Look, I get it. He didn't look good in this game. I mean, he looked jittery. He looked undecisive.
58:43
He looked uncomfortable. He was hanging onto the ball too long. He wasn't seeing open plays. And we talked about Herbert a little bit ago, you know, not showing up in the playoffs again, but look, Some guys just aren't wired with that clutch gene and whatever that is, whatever, you know, whatever that gene is,
59:00
whatever that is that some guys just don't have it. And I talked about Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins and guys like this that look, they're really good quarterbacks. They don't have it in big games. And now maybe, at least for the time being, I think we have to add Herbert to that list until proven otherwise.
59:16
And I think Darnold is obviously going to be added to that list. I mean, both had really good regular seasons. Both have a lot of talent. But look, Eli Manning was an average regular season quarterback, but he was clutch in the fourth quarter and in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers was unstoppable in the regular season,
59:34
but he fell flat a bunch of times in the playoffs. If you really want to go back in history, Terry Bradshaw was actually a pretty average quarterback, but in big games, he was lights out. And look, these big games, these playoff games, they define careers for quarterbacks, fair or unfair. That's just the way this thing works.
59:52
to be fair, the Vikings have a lot to discuss because if we want to believe the rumblings that we're hearing, there's talks about people trying to trade for Kevin O'Connell. So not only everything that the head guy on the field, the quarterback is a decision you have to make.
1:00:07
You perhaps even your head guy as your coach is a decision you're going to have to make a choice on as well. They actually have the six most cap space, just projected cap space ever now. They look to have about between 70 and 80 million in cap space. So if they wanted to Give Sam Donald,
1:00:22
let's just say, we were talking about three years 150 based on what we thought about the Baker Mayfield deal. Let's just say they wanted to do two for 80. I don't know, something like that. Two for 75, two for 50, whatever you want to look at.
1:00:33
I'm not sure if I would want to keep him if I'm going to turn to JJ McCarthy. i did pick the viking money was coming heavy on the rams you know they basically converted on every single minnesota turnover sam donald was sacked nine times for
1:00:47
82 yards you're 1000 correct it looked like the old jet sam donald just sitting in the pocket scared to make a move and not knowing what was going feeling like he looked like he didn't know anything that he had did during the regular season he
1:01:00
didn't apply any of that you could probably even go back to last week brad right against the lions like it I don't know if the Lions showed something or what happened because there was a lot of blitzes coming his way, and I think that's exactly what Aaron Glenn was doing,
1:01:12
and that might have been the recipe to upend this great Sam Donald regular season in terms of what it turned into in that last game of the season and then the playoffs. But, you know, no big surprise for a lot of people. The Rams moved on. But I will say this, and I'll say it again.
1:01:27
Cooper Cubs getting traded. And I don't know where they're going forward, but we can wait for that. But I want to get that out there before people start running around and trying to be first. I want to be first. But Cooper Cup had one reception on one target. What does that tell you about a guy,
1:01:44
what was that, three years ago, that won the triple carry-on and was looking like a top three receiver in this league?
1:01:50
Yeah, I'm going to end it with this here, Alex, because I'm glad that you brought up Kevin O'Connell because I didn't get a chance to really mention him I don't want to put this all on Sam Darnold because look, he did not play well, but I don't think Kevin O'Connell called a very good game.
1:02:05
And I don't think he set Sam Darnold up for a lot of success because he had to have seen what was going on there. Brian Flores bringing tons of pressure and Sam Darnold not responding well to that pressure. That's when you've got to be able to get some play calls in to give your quarterback some layups,
1:02:22
give your quarterback some easy reads, give your quarterback some layups and get him comfortable with run the ball for starters. How about, how about that for once? Cause this guy just goes away from the run. I know you're always really critical of Sean Payton going away from the run. Look, Kevin O'Connell is a McVay Shanahan disciple, right?
1:02:42
He's, he's, he's from that tree. Right. So the one big difference though, that, and I think Kevin O'Connell is a good coach, but the one big difference that I see with him is that running the ball is 100% in McVay and Shanahan's DNA. Right. And for some reason,
1:02:58
that didn't spread to Kevin O'Connell because this guy just continues to go away from the run way too often. Now, look, in the second half when the game got away from him, I get it. You can't really afford to run the ball there. But early in that game when they were still in the game,
1:03:12
He was abandoning the run and throwing on early downs and just allowing Brian Flores to tee off on this quarterback. And so I do want to put some of the blame on O'Connell because I don't think he called a very good game in this situation. And I did like the Rams in this game.
1:03:26
I didn't think it would be a complete blowout. But I did like them for the simple fact of kind of to bring this thing full circle, Alex. head coach and quarterback. I thought that that's where this mismatch really lied, is I just thought the Rams had the better coach and the better quarterback and more playoff experience.
1:03:44
And on a quick side note, man, I love that young Rams defense. If you enjoy the podcast, do us a favor and subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Once again, I'm Brad Fowler. He's Alex Higdon. This is Pint Glass Football, and we'll catch you next time.
1:04:04
Thanks for listening to the pint glass football podcast. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at PGF podcast.
1:04:41
Zencaster is the ultimate web-based podcasting solution. It provides high-quality audio and video podcast production and hosting. With a full suite of professional tools, podcasters can seamlessly record, produce, and publish studio-quality content all from one dashboard. Zincaster's post-production process takes the headache out of audio production. Set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a
1:05:14
click of a button. Coordinating all your guests to record in person is painful and tedious. Easily invite up to 11 participants per recording with one click. Go to Zincaster.com slash pricing and use my code PGFP and you'll get 30% off your first three months of Zincaster Professional.
1:05:39
I want you to have the same easy experiences I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.

The College Football Playoff National Championship is set, featuring Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish against Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. This matchup between two historic programs should deliver a thrilling showdown of contrasting styles and strengths, with the title on the line.

Notre Dame’s Path to Victory
Notre Dame’s success under Marcus Freeman has been defined by physicality and situational excellence. They’ve thrived in low-scoring games, leveraging their explosive run game and stout defense to grind down opponents. The offensive line, a cornerstone of this approach, has been terrific in the run game all season, but their struggles in pass protection create vulnerabilities against top-tier edge rushers like Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, two of the best pass rushers in college football. Keeping quarterback Riley Leonard upright will be critical to sustaining drives and creating balance on offense.

The Fighting Irish’s offensive foundation remains their rushing attack, which will face one of the best rush defenses in the nation. Ohio State’s defensive front has allowed just 62 rushing yards per game during the playoffs, setting the stage for a clash of strengths. If Notre Dame can’t establish their ground game, it may force them into long-yardage situations where Ohio State’s pass rushers can wreak havoc.

Defensively, Notre Dame’s secondary has been dominant. Cornerback Leonard Moore has excelled in man coverage, while Christian Gray, Jordan Clark, and Rod Heard II have played at a high level across other cornerback spots. Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler form arguably the best safety duo in the country, giving the Irish a formidable back end to counter Ohio State’s prolific passing attack. Their ability to match up with the Buckeyes’ talented group of wide receivers will be a major factor.

If the Fighting Irish can slow down Ohio State’s run game, it could allow them to drop more defenders into coverage. This will be vital against an Ohio State offense that excels at moving players pre-snap to create optimal matchups, making it difficult for defenses to key in on specific threats.

The Buckeyes’ Recipe for Success
Ohio State enters the championship with a blend of explosive offense and a dominant defense. Their receiving corps is unmatched in talent, consistently torching opponents with yards after the catch. The Buckeyes do an exceptional job of creating favorable pre-snap alignments, exploiting mismatches and creating space for playmakers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. Against Notre Dame’s disciplined secondary, they will need to find ways to separate to generate big plays.

One area of concern for Ohio State is their makeshift offensive line, which has had to adjust due to injuries. This unit’s ability to protect quarterback Will Howard and open lanes for backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will be crucial. If Notre Dame’s front seven can limit Ohio State’s rushing attack, it may force the Buckeyes into a one-dimensional offense, giving the Irish an opportunity to focus on defending the pass.

Defensively, Ohio State’s edge defenders, Sawyer and Tuimoloau, have been game-changers. They face Notre Dame offensive tackles who have struggled in pass protection at times this season. If Ohio State’s defensive line can dominate in the trenches, it could disrupt the Irish’s offensive rhythm and tilt the game in the Buckeyes’ favor.

Keys to the Game

1. Notre Dame’s Run Game vs. Ohio State’s Run Defense: The Irish need their explosive run game to succeed against one of the nation’s best rushing defenses. Winning this battle will be critical to sustaining drives and keeping Ohio State’s offense off the field.
2. Notre Dame’s Secondary vs. Ohio State’s Receivers: This is the marquee matchup. The Irish’s elite cornerbacks and safeties will need to limit Ohio State’s explosive plays while winning their share of one-on-one battles.
3. Pass Protection for Both Teams: Notre Dame’s offensive tackles must hold up against Sawyer and Tuimoloau, while Ohio State’s makeshift offensive line must protect Howard from Notre Dame’s front seven.

Prediction
While Notre Dame has the blueprint to make this a competitive, physical contest, Ohio State’s superior talent and depth may prove decisive. If the Buckeyes’ defense controls the trenches and their offense capitalizes on Notre Dame’s weaknesses in pass protection, they’ll likely hoist the trophy. However, if Notre Dame can execute their game plan, slow the pace, and capitalize on key situations, they have a real shot at pulling off the upset.
-Brad Fowler, Pint Glass Football

Welcome to the Pint Glass Football Podcast.
0:14
Pint Glass Football. I'm your host, Brad Fowler. What's up, PGF Nation? Lions get the one seed. How concerned should Vikings fans be right now? Gerard Mayo fired in New England after just one season. We're going to recap some moments from the NFL Week 18 and give some thoughts on the college football playoffs.
0:35
A lot to get to, but joining me, of course, my co-host, Alex Higdon. Alex, what is going on?
0:41
Brad, we're finally here. We're up against the, I won't say up against it, but we're going into the playoffs. A lot to get to really, you know, in the next couple of episodes, but just episode just really to kind of wrap this season and talk about a few things that we saw. And I think at some point,
0:56
Brad, some victory laps because last year, at least I know I wasn't good with a lot of my takes. But however, this year, a lot of my takes stuck.
1:03
Yeah, you know, absolutely, man. We're going to take some victory laps. And look, we take L's all the time. That's part of the job. I mean, that's when you get on the mic, you make predictions, you make bold takes and make statements about players and teams and coaches.
1:15
You're going to miss sometimes, but you're going to hit on some. And we've been hitting on a lot of them. And we're definitely going to take some victory laps today, Alex, no doubt about it. And I'm going to start with the culture while playoff, because if we want to talk victory laps, Alex,
1:28
for you guys that maybe haven't been checking out the YouTube episodes that we've done the last couple of weeks, we've previewed these college football playoff games. And I'm just going to say it. And I might jinx myself here, Alex. I haven't missed a single pick.
1:41
Not only am I giving you guys money line winners here, but also picks against the spread. I've been on forever. fire for the culture while playoff hitting every single game now let's talk about these games real quick though Alex because it feels like we haven't done an audio
1:56
podcast in a year it feels like we've been off forever but like I said I hope you guys are checking out the YouTube channel because we've been putting out some episodes over there happy to be back though with you guys and speaking of on fire Alex Ohio State man are they the team to beat right now
2:12
Because we saw them have that big convincing win against Tennessee. They followed up, destroyed Oregon. Look, Oregon came out, they looked flat 25 days off before this game. And I think it kind of goes back to something we talked about earlier. Alex, about the format.
2:29
And I think it's something that we might need to really look at here going forward. And I hope they look at because all the teams that had a buy loss in the quarterfinals, 0-4. And I think there's something to be said about the momentum of these teams coming
2:43
off of wins playing the week before versus these teams that had that extended rest.
2:48
Yeah, that's going to be interesting to look at. I think maybe the format, I guess, accustomed to maybe for perhaps even some coaching, because I think that's another thing. Because normally, you know, it used to end in December and then pick up in January. But now with the playoffs starting immediately and then having that week in between,
3:04
I think there's a coaching adjustment that's happening here versus... how it was previously. So now the coaches, the players have to adjust. And I think a lot of these coaches just didn't have their players prepared as opposed to the other teams that continuously just played on and they were already
3:21
in rhythm and they just continued to roll after they got past that first round and going into the next round.
3:26
Yeah, look, I don't want to take anything away from Ohio State here because that was a convincing win. They played absolutely lights out. But watching that game, there was no doubt that that was not the best version of Oregon that we've seen this year. This was a team that was the number one seed.
3:41
They ran through the Big Ten Conference undefeated. They beat Ohio State. earlier this year and then to come in this game with all that rest you know we often talk about the rest versus rust and we see this in the NFL too and we saw it
3:54
this weekend and we're going to kind of find out how it plays out we see it every year where a lot of teams that already have their playoff seed kind of locked up a lot of times they'll sit their starters in week 18 or week 17 back in the day sometimes those teams tend to come out flat
4:08
And it can really hurt teams. I know you're trying to get your team healthy and rested up, but it's not always the best thing. And I think it really backfired in this game for Oregon. Because like I said, they just came out very lethargic, no energy.
4:19
Ohio State came in, fired up, had a chip on their shoulder, and absolutely took it to them. Now in the second half, the Ducks actually outplayed Ohio State in that second half. But by then, the damage had been done. I mean, it was too little too late.
4:31
Regardless, I think Ohio State is absolutely a team to watch right now. And a team that we'll talk about tomorrow night when we preview. these games, but man, they've been unbelievable. What about Penn state, Alex? What are your thoughts on this team? Because this is another one of those things that we talked about with the formatting.
4:47
This is a team that lost to Oregon in the big 10 championship and somehow they get an easier path in the playoff. They beat SMU and Boise state. I mean, quite frankly, the weakest teams probably in this field. I'm not saying they don't deserve some credit for that,
5:00
but here they are playing on and the team like Oregon isn't. I think it's another thing they have to address going forward.
5:06
The other thing we need to talk about there, these are home games. These are not neutral site games. That's something that we didn't mention. These are home games for a lot of these teams. And one of the things that we did mention, just to take a quick step back and pat ourselves on the back,
5:18
was we mentioned the rushing. We said that they're going to run a little bit more, not make it a track meet. They're going to run a little bit more. And that's exactly what Ohio State did. 181 yards to negative 23. And that's because Ohio State sacked Dylan Gabriel eight times for negative 43 yards.
5:34
We know that counts as rushing yards when you get sacked. That was a big key thing that we talked about that did play a part in this game. But Penn State forever looked at as a good regular season coach can get you to a good bowl game, but then there's always the fear of him choking.
5:51
And in this one, he did not choke. He stepped up. He rather I don't want to say he stepped up, but rather he coached his team up and they showed up and were able to overcome what they overcame, which is just the stigma of not being able to win big games.
6:06
One of the things that I also said. Penn State was not going to let Ashton Gentry get that record, and they did it. They stacked the line. I mean, Abdul Carter, we saw a man out there today, and I think he's probably pushed himself up into perhaps the top five contention in the upcoming draft.
6:23
Did what they were supposed to do. They have an incredible game coming. They have a really good game coming up that we'll talk about later on this week, but it's going to be very interesting. And at some point, Brad, we probably actually need to talk about the bowl games overall because the SEC is
6:40
taking a hit and the Big Ten is really cementing themselves. and this whole Big Ten versus SEC thing. And I've sent you some things on the battles between the talking heads of the SEC versus the Big Ten. It's been very funny over the past few weeks.
6:55
Yeah, no, let's get to it. Because look, Texas gets a win barely. Georgia gets beat by Notre Dame. We'll talk about those games here right now. But on a broader note here, I think you're absolutely right. And this is something that I've talked about for a while now. Actually, the last two plus years,
7:11
I've been saying on this pod that I think the Big Ten is slowly closing the gap on the SEC. And we saw it last year when Michigan won the championship and they played Washington, who we know now is in the Big Ten. Texas and Georgia lose in the college football playoff, who are now both SEC teams.
7:30
And I said, I think we're starting to see a little bit of a shift here. I also mentioned how the top 20 picks in the NFL draft It wasn't the SEC. It was the Big Ten who had the most top 20 picks last year. So we were starting to kind of see this shift.
7:43
And I think this playoff, the Big Ten is flexing right now and the SEC is a little bit down. You know, we also saw Ohio State third place team in the Big Ten playing the third place team, Tennessee Vols. in the playoffs and got destroyed. And now we're seeing two Big Ten teams moving on.
8:03
Georgia losing to Notre Dame. Texas almost losing to Arizona State. It has not been a good look for the Paul Feinbaums and the Nick Sabans of the world and these guys who have been waving that SEC flag. You're absolutely right. This has not been a good look for them at all.
8:18
But I want to talk about that game, Alex, for a sec. What an instant classic that Arizona State-Texas game was. I mean, my goodness. And once again, like Alex said, we're going to take some victory laps here because I told you guys on the YouTube pod, I'm going to take Texas to win.
8:32
I'm going to take ASU to cover. And I told you that because I said all year this ASU team has been underrated and this Texas team lets teams hang around. They did it again in this one.
8:43
Yeah, and once again, I feel it's in my invisible contract that I have to talk and say the name's Cam Scatterbow. And people think it's funny. However, he said it for the leading up through every game. I am the best running back you guys are not talking about. 30 carries, 143 yards,
9:04
five yards a clip and two touchdowns and led them in receptions with eight receptions and another 99 yards and his longest 62 yards. So he's showing you he can do it on the ground and he can do it in the air. And I think that's something to be said for somebody in the year that Ashton Gentry
9:20
had for him to stand up. Even in a losing effort, he did every single thing that he could to contribute to to a win for this team. Alas, Texas did win, but I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about Scatterbow and backing up what he said, try and get Arizona State to the next level.
9:38
Yeah. Didn't he throw a touchdown pass too in that game? Yes, he did. A 42.
9:42
A 42. I'm sorry. He basically was LaDainian Thompson. Those of you know, know he ran for, he ran for one, he threw one and he, well, he didn't catch one, but he, he threw for one and he ran for two and then caught and basically had a hundred yards received. So.
9:57
Yeah, and look, Texas, as we know, we've talked about it all year, one of the best rosters in college football. That team is loaded with future NFL talent. And this guy, who basically was one of the most unheralded prospects coming out of high school, had to play at a lower level just to get noticed,
10:15
just to get on to Arizona State, to get on their radar, I should say. And this guy was the best player on the field. Absolutely. If it wasn't for that fourth and a mile touchdown late in the game that saves Texas' season, if they don't get that play and that really terrible non-call on the obvious
10:37
targeting on that fourth and long play that probably sets up Arizona State for a field goal try to win it... I mean, you could really argue Arizona State probably should have won this game. I want to jump into this Notre Dame-Georgia game before we get to the NFL games.
10:51
Because this, to me, out of all the games, and look, Ohio State's win was so impressive. But they were a slight favorite in that game. Notre Dame versus Georgia, I know the spread was close, but there was not a lot of people that really felt like Notre Dame could win this game. But this was a monster,
11:11
monster win for Notre Dame for this program and especially for Marcus Freeman because what a win for this guy. He took over this program for Brian Kelly. When Brian Kelly left to go to LSU, he not only has maintained what Notre Dame is, he has elevated this program. since Brian Kelly left. And look, Brian Kelly left.
11:31
Let's not mistake this for a second. He left because he didn't think he could get good enough athletes to win big at Notre Dame. He thought that there was a ceiling on this team with the type of athletes that they could get, and that's why he went to LSU.
11:46
And Marcus Freeman took a group of guys that, quite frankly... Look, a lot of the guys that play on that Georgia team would not be eligible to play for this Notre Dame team. They have one of the most loaded, talented rosters in college football. They've got NFL talent all over the place.
12:02
They've got five-star players that are backing up five-star players all over that Georgia roster. And Kirby Smart is considered by most to be, what, a top three coach in the sport? And he got completely outcoached in this game by Marcus Freeman. And I'm not saying Notre Dame doesn't have talented players. Don't get me wrong. They do.
12:21
They have a good team and they have good players. They have guys that are going to play on Sunday too. But I think it's fair to say Georgia has a better roster here, and they got smoked, absolutely smoked by Notre Dame. This was a convincing win and an unbelievable coaching job by Marcus Freeman. I was so impressed.
12:38
Yeah, I can't say more about it. Of course, I'm an SEC homer. I don't mind saying that. I did have Georgia to win this game. I thought Gunnar Stockton was going to be a better quarterback because Carson Beck just chokes in big games all the time. So I thought they actually had a better chance.
12:55
I am not a fan of Riley Leonard. Very simple quarterback, 15 for 24, 90 yards, and a touchdown, 3.8 yards per throw. That's crazy. But, and to your point about Marcus Freeman, perhaps that is just what they needed to do to maintain him not making the big mistake, was just keep everything short,
13:18
keep everything tight in the vest, and and run the ball, and as they did, 154 yards to the 66 yards of Georgia at that, and that's not good for a Georgia team who just, honestly, I could probably say, similar to how they talk about Ohio State and a couple other teams, they were a running back factory.
13:38
They're just used to churning out good running backs no matter what, but apparently this year they didn't have it, and it did not look good on on television or nor did it look good on film to your point that they were just they were outplayed and they were outcoached in this game and Notre Dame was well
13:58
prepared to win this game and again let's remember that is a home game for the Bulldogs that Notre Dame went into and beat them Alex let's let's shift gears here
14:10
to the NFL Week 18 in the books. Not a lot of big games. One big game that we're going to get to. But I want to get to this news here about the New England Patriots firing Gerard Mayo after just one season. And to me,
14:24
it really just shows zero patience from Robert Kraft in the management in New England. Because... Look, was he great? Did they have a great season? No. But, I mean, what did he expect with this roster? That they were going to have instant success when you've got a roster like this that still has holes all over the place?
14:44
I don't understand the lack of patience for this guy. And, look, I think Gerard Mayo... really was put in a bad situation. He was really kind of set up to fail. And I said it all along, nothing against him, but why would you fire Bill Belichick and then hire a guy who's only learned under Bill Belichick?
15:07
I mean, why are you going to fire the professor to hire the student? and that never really made sense to me. The hire from the jump never really made a whole lot of sense because if you're going to break free from the Belichick era and start clean, why not start all the way clean?
15:21
I didn't really think that it was really a great hire from the get-go, but to be fair to him, he really never got a chance either because one season is such a quick evaluation to say, look, you're not the guy. I was kind of shocked by this.
15:34
I think this really showed a lot of impatience from Robert Kraft, and I think that he thinks that they should just be winning Super Bowls every other year like they were when Brady was there. And look, he's got to realize this team is in full rebuild.
15:46
Even last year when they hired him over the summer, I didn't understand the hire because I said the person that's perfect for the job is the person that I wanted for my team at the time, Mike Vrabel. And I believe that's what they're going to end up hiring this offseason is Mike Vrabel. Let's get very clear.
16:06
There's this big misconception about Mike Vrabel. Mike Vrabel is not a part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree. He played under Bill Belichick. He did not coach under Bill Belichick. He did learn defensive coordination and things like that from Belichick disciples like Romeo Cornell, but he never coached under Bill Belichick.
16:32
He was in the Houston Texans organization under Wade Phillips and a couple other people that were coaching over there at the time. So he's not a Bill Belichick disciple. He's his own person, not connected to the Bill Belichick coaching tree as a player. Yes. As a coach. No.
16:47
So I think Vrabel is going to be the guy that's going to come that they're going to end up hiring to move forward with.
16:53
Yeah, I'm glad you said that. I'm really glad you said that because you're right. I think that does get mistaken. Look, this guy cut his teeth at Ohio State at the college level before getting jobs in the NFL and then, of course, becoming the Titans head coach.
17:04
So you're getting a guy with a proven track record of success. And that's going to be fun to watch here because Drake May... quietly had a really nice rookie season. And I say quietly because I don't know if enough people really paid attention nationally on just how good this guy was at times.
17:20
Now he had rookie moments, of course, but this guy really flashed. And I think it got lost a little bit in the shadow of what Jaden Daniels was doing and to a lesser degree what Bo Nix was doing in these unbelievable rookie campaigns. Not enough people really were talking about just how good Drake May looked at times
17:39
and how much potential there is for this young quarterback.
17:42
Yeah, I think they have a lot of things there. They don't have any weapons. That was the biggest thing. So expect, and we'll get into it later as we get into the offseason, expect big names like T. Higgins to be start yelled out for some type of huge bidding war because they were in on IU.
17:57
So they did a lot of what they did, and he did gradually get better and start to look better as the season got on, as he got more reps. But those are the highs and lows of getting a rookie quarterback.
18:08
Yeah, especially because this is a guy that we talked about in April. This is a guy that I really, really liked coming out of this draft because I thought he had a really high ceiling. Now, I knew he was a little bit more of a developmental prospect versus a guy like Jaden
18:21
Daniels or even a guy like Bo Nix or Pinnix who came in with a lot more starting experience. I thought those guys would be able to hit the ground running a lot more than a guy like May. But I loved the ceiling and the potential of this guy. And to your point, Alex,
18:34
I think we saw him get just a little better, it seemed like, every week. and really started to show that he could be a guy to build around. So now you get a legitimate head coach, a proven head coach, to really start to reshape this program.
18:45
And it's going to be really fun to see what happens here if Rabel does end up getting that job. But I do expect that to be the case. And look, the rest of those rookies, just kind of put a bow on this rookie class here, Alex, because I know you wanted to talk about this.
18:58
I think we're looking at a rookie class that could be historic. And when you look at this class, every single one of these guys right now, looks like they could be potentially franchise starting quarterbacks for years to come. And it's not very often that you get a class with this many guys. Look, Bo Nix has been great.
19:17
Jayden Daniels, we know, has had a really historic rookie season. There's been a lot of talk about Caleb Williams not living up to the hype. Look, I get it, but this kid to me has shown more than enough for me to believe that he's a guy you can build around.
19:31
We saw, of course, what Pennix did late in the season. Small sample size, but I think he flashed late in the year. I think we could be looking at a, and we just talked about Drake May, of course, we could be looking at a very, very good rookie class. Four or five years down the road,
19:47
we could be talking about this class being one of the all-time greats.
19:50
And the funny thing is with Caleb Williams, statistically, and I was only speaking specifically statistically, go take a look at Caleb Williams' numbers. And then I wanted you to go take a good look at one CJ Stride numbers and tell me what you see. I won't even tell you what you're going to see.
20:05
You go look for yourselves and tell me what you see statistically. And this is something, Brad, that, you know, I preach all the time. I don't jump out the window on quarterbacks on the first year. They have a great first year and I'm not out on them.
20:20
and I'm not out on there if they have a bad first year. So whether it goes good or whether it goes bad, I look to see, are you making the right reads? Are you doing certain things? Are you improving? Are you flashing? And Caleb Williams did that. Obviously, CJ Stratton had the year that he did.
20:32
And also, on the flip side, we can also talk about Bryce Young on how his first year looked and how he looked the last nine to ten games of the season where he had basically the Panthers in every single game. But you're talking about the rookie class. I just want to just mention some names.
20:49
You have Malik Neighbors and Brock Bowers not only fighting for – not only fighting to be – perhaps in the Rookie of the Year ballot voting, but also fighting for the most catches for a rookie. That was a great game. Malik Nabors passed Brock Bowers, and then Brock Bowers came in the later hours and passed him,
21:08
so Malik Nabors ended up with 109, and Brock Bowers broke the record with 112, and then also broke the record for tight ends with 1194 as well. And just for this year, just for this 2024 season, he was the most consistent and best tight end on the field. We could talk about people like Berkey Irvin,
21:27
who we talked about, who I said would be taking the job from Rashard White. He ended up with a total of 1,514 yards, 8 TDs. A guy that nobody's ever going to talk about, but except I'm going to continue to bang the table for him. One is Joe Ault. The other one is for Tavondre Sweat.
21:44
Anything that Tavondre Sweat did, you will not see in the stat. He had 51 tackles, one sack, and four tackles for losses. That does not tell the story that this interior defensive lineman had, who, if we were talking about the 90s, would be probably a top 20, 25 pick if we were playing that.
22:01
And I'm just going to run through something. Quinone Mitchell, Brian Thomas, 1282, 10 TDs, Ladd McConkie, 1149, 7. Jalen McMillan, a guy that we talked about now, he didn't have gaudy stats. But after Chris Godwin got hurt, his 461, his 37 catches, 461 and 8, touchdowns in that short span. You know about James Daniels.
22:24
Everybody was killing the Giants for getting rid of Saquon, this, that, and the third. They found the gem in the fifth round in Tyrone Tracy that ended up with 1,123 yards and six touchdowns, and he did not start the season. The starting running back for the season was Devin Singletary. He talked about Bull Nix and the quarterbacks,
22:41
and one last guy that I mentioned, I don't know if it's bad luck on the 49ers or anything like that, but Isaac Garendo was a guy. when he had to come in and play, he looked like he, they could move on. He looked like emphasis,
22:55
looked like they could move on from Jordan Mason as well as Christian McCaffrey and start with this guy. Cause in the three, he only started three games, 572 yards total and four TDs. Even the guys who had minimal on the field action showed and flashed when they got a chance. So you're right.
23:12
There's a lot of guys and there's a few other guys that I probably didn't even mention, but there's a lot of guy on, especially on defense, Kwame Lasseter to be one of them. There were a lot of guys that contributed, a lot of good players,
23:23
looked really well and were able to go out there and capable and step on the field right away and play and play at a high level.
23:30
I'll name another guy that you missed, which I know you haven't missed, missed, but just on that list. How about Cooper DeGene? Oh, yes. Yes. My goodness. I know you mentioned Quinn on Mitchell, who's been fantastic. Cooper's gene took over the starting role. I think what week five or six, he's been unbelievable.
23:46
PFF has him right now is the fourth highest graded corner in the NFL right now. As a rookie, pretty impressive stuff. So yeah, no doubt about it. This class has been unbelievable. And it's gotten me really excited just thinking about April. PGF Nation, you guys know, the NFL draft is something that we do as good as anybody.
24:05
We love the draft and we covered it at an incredible rate. And so it's going to be so fun to do it again because this class lived up to the hype. Absolutely.
24:15
Hey, Brad, before I move on, I just want to mention one thing, too. We talked about Gerard Mayo. I still I would just want to mention real quick that the Giants said they're going to maintain, which I think is very smart and keeping Brian Dayball and as well as the GM.
24:30
And I'm not sure what's going to happen down there in Jacksonville, but as expected, they did move on from Doug Peterson. And just really quick, when you start talking about coaches and everything, the top five picks ended up being Tennessee number one, Cleveland number two, the Giants number three, Pats number four, and Jacksonville number five.
24:52
Those first two picks, those first three picks are going to be very interesting and specifically Cleveland after they reworked Deshaun Watson's contract. So we're going to have a lot of fun in the offseason talking about where the quarterbacks and who's going to do what and maybe try and trade up in this draft
25:09
because it's going to be really interesting to see what some of these teams do.
25:12
Now, the big game, of course, in Week 18, Lions-Vikings. This game didn't live up to the hype at all. This was an absolute beatdown by the Lions. Really dominant performance by these guys. And look, Darnold was under pressure pretty much all night and couldn't adjust to it.
25:29
I think that was really one of the big takeaways here is that they kept bringing pressure. They kept bringing the blitz. They were getting home. And he absolutely struggled in this game to adjust to what they were trying to do defensively. They struggled in the red zone. There was a 60% pressure rate by this Lions defense.
25:48
And look, this is a Lions defense that we know is missing a lot of key players. And somehow they came out and had one of their best defensive performances of the whole season. I was really, really impressed. with Aaron Glenn and the job that he did on that side of the ball I mean he had a
26:04
game plan and he was dialing it up in this game Aaron Glenn brought the fight to
26:10
the Vikings he because the Vikings blitz a lot because you know on the back end they have a lot of issues Harrison Smith who had an interception in this game it has seems to have been playing since the 90s as far as I'm concerned but what they
26:23
did was they brought the fight they blitzed a lot and remember The Lions have a lot of injuries on. Aiden Hutchinson, gone. Aiden McNeil, their star defensive tackle, gone. So they're out there rushing and creating a pass, generating a pass rush with blitz. And this was,
26:41
and rarely do I get to say this about Dane Campbell in the sense of, he was out, he outcoached Kevin O'Connell. Because one thing, Kevin O'Connell never adjusted to the blitz and to get the ball out of Sam Donald's hands faster. He still had a lot of route concepts that were going down the field instead of saying,
27:00
okay, let's shorten some of these routes, get the ball out the hand, use caremakers in the pass game. Use Aaron Jones in the past game. Use TJ Hawkinson. TJ Hawkinson only had only had two catches for nine yards. Jordan Addison, one catch for zero yards, a non-factor.
27:17
Justin Jefferson guarded by 5'8 Amik Robertson, three catches for 54 yards. That's not good when you have those type of weapons on your team. And I'm not saying that that doesn't discredit anything Detroit did. I'm talking about the coaching and then taking a step back and say, let's shorten some of these routes.
27:35
Let's get the ball out your hands quicker. Let's do some wide receiver bubble screens. Let's use some running back screens to slow this pass rush down. None of that was apparent. in this game. And I think they just made a lot of mistakes.
27:48
And even on the fourth down plays, the plays that they chose, I just didn't understand. I haven't had a chance to look at the all 22 to kind of see, was it Darnold or was it the play calling or was it just simply the defense?
27:59
But what I saw in real time just wasn't really good plays called in those fourth downs when they were inside the 10 trying to make a play.
28:09
Well, I think I want to go back to Aaron Glenn because not only was he bringing pressure, but he was bringing it at the right times. He was bringing it in the perfect moments. He was going back and forth from zone concepts to man to man. And he had this Vikings team on tilt.
28:24
They did not know what they were getting here. They were disguising their looks. They were disguising their coverages. And like I said, bringing pressure from all different sides. Darnold in this offense, to your point, look, he got out-coached because I don't think they made adjustments. I don't think Darnold made adjustments.
28:40
I don't think the coaching staff made adjustments. Everything Aaron Glenn did in this defense, it seemed to work, and the game just got completely away from them. Now, on the offensive side of the ball, Jameer Gibbs, man, this guy was just absolutely lights out. Incredible, that offensive line. We've always talked about this offensive line, but seriously –
28:59
They're as good as it gets. Jared Goff was sharp for the most part. He had a nice game. The offense did its job. But when the defense plays like that, because, look, we have seen this team in several weeks now where it feels like they have to win in a shootout. But this has to be really encouraging.
29:15
If you're a Lions fan, to see that defense go out and play like that against one of the better offenses in the NFL, I thought it was really impressive. And look, they get home field advantage. They get the one seed, and it's a massive win because Ford Field, that place has become a serious home field advantage.
29:31
The fans were going absolutely crazy. on Sunday night, and that has become a very tough place to play. And look, if I'm a Vikings fan, I think I've got to be a little bit nervous going into the playoffs after what has been a great season from this team because Sam Darnold, comeback player of the year,
29:50
I think hands down at this point. But he struggled in this game, and he missed a lot of big opportunities in this game, and it has to make you wonder, this was really probably the biggest game this guy's played in since the Rose Bowl, and he really didn't show up.
30:04
Did you know that Pint Glass Football is more than just this podcast? We have an exclusive newsletter. Sign up for free at pintglassfootball.com to receive articles and insights delivered straight to your inbox. But wait, there's more. We're excited to announce our brand new YouTube channel. Not only can you listen to our podcast on YouTube,
30:27
but you'll also find exclusive video content waiting for you. So hit the pause button right now and go subscribe to our newsletter and hit that subscribe button on YouTube to stay connected with the latest football news and our exclusive content. Underdog fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports. We personally love the Pick'Em game.
30:51
Just pick between two and five players to build a Pick'Em entry. Pick whether your favorite players will have a higher or lower stat total in this week's game for a chance to win big. You can win up to 20 times your money in a single night.
31:07
Download the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up today with promo code PGF. That's promo code PGF to claim your special pick plus first-time deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash. The official ticketing app of Pint Glass Football is now SeatGeek. I can't recommend them enough, guys. I've been using SeatGeek for years.
31:32
You want to go to a game this season? SeatGeek is here to take the confusion out of buying tickets, making sure you get the best seats at the best prices. With SeatGeek, you'll never have to worry about overpaying for tickets again. How?
31:47
They put a 0 to 10 score on each ticket, so you know you're getting a good deal. But here's the real game changer. You can get $20 off your first ticket purchase with the code PGFPOD. That's right, $20 off with code PGFPOD. This season, make every game day epic with SeatGeek.
32:10
Download the SeatGeek app and remember to enter the code PGFPOD to grab your $20 discount. Another game I wanted to talk about here in week 18 was the Bengals-Steelers game. Because here were the Bengals beating the Steelers, fighting to get into the playoffs. They come up short, of course. They miss the playoffs.
32:29
But Burrow coming off of really a career year, putting up unbelievable numbers, putting himself in the MVP race on a team that is missing the playoffs, that alone is pretty impressive. Jamar Chase finishes the year with the Triple Crown, which...
32:45
Look, I've said for the last few years now, I think he's the best wide receiver in the game. And he has a career year. Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL in sacks with 17 and a half quietly. I don't know if a lot of people have been talking about just how good he's been this year.
33:00
So you've got all these stars, and this team misses the playoffs. It's pretty shocking. It kind of makes you wonder really what went wrong here for Cincinnati. But I want to shift to the Steelers here because they finished the season on a four-game losing streak, and they have looked absolutely terrible.
33:18
Not only do they lose the North, they fall all the way to the sixth seed. Russell Wilson, look, earlier in the year, we were giving this guy praise. We were talking about how he was playing some of his best football that we've seen in the last couple of years.
33:31
And he was looking like a guy that the Steelers might resign in the offseason. But now, look, I'm not so sure they will because his game has really eroded. This offense has really eroded. been terrible the last few weeks and he has just looked like a guy that went from
33:48
getting the ball out quick being decisive with where he wanted to go with the football to kind of regressing back to what we've seen from Russ in the past which is hanging on to the ball too long trying to ad-lib, trying to make plays off script,
34:02
and trying to make big plays down the field instead of just taking what the defense gives you. And I think it's really been hurting this offense because, look, those days are gone for us. That's not his game anymore. He has to be a guy who manages the game, takes care of the football, and makes good decisions.
34:19
And we just have not seen that from the Steelers team the last month.
34:23
Russ. Russ obviously can't carry a team anymore, so you need to have the full array. George Pickens, attitude aside, because there's an attitude issue there, and we'll have to see how that works for Mike Tomlin going forward. We know how he feels about the Diva wide receivers.
34:40
We said the back end, those last seven games, they're going to have an issue with. So they beat, they lose to Cleveland and they beat Cincinnati and they beat Cleveland. And then they lost the last four games. I'm not surprised about that. I expected you to lose to Philly. I expected you to lose to Baltimore.
34:57
I expected you to lose to Kansas City. And it didn't matter how they looked. It's just that's what I saw. I'm not surprised at where they ended up at. I'm not even surprised about the slide because that's what I expected, because that's what that's how we predicted it.
35:10
And that's how even the pundits on the bigger on the bigger platforms, meaning TV, not podcast with the biggest podcast. But we expected them to look like this in the second half. So we shouldn't be surprised that this is how they ended up, because that's what it looked like before they played game one.
35:28
It's not the slide. It's the way they've looked because they haven't even been competitive. I mean, their offense has been terrible. They're not moving the ball. They're not getting it done in the red zone. Way too many turnovers from Russell Wilson, not taking care of the football. To me, it hasn't been the fact they've lost these games.
35:45
It's the fact that they're not even competitive. Now, they were competitive against this Bengals team because for the first time in the last few weeks, the Steelers' defense actually bounced back and played really well in this game and held a really good Cincinnati offense to just one touchdown.
36:02
So when your defense finally shows up and starts playing like its old self, you expect, okay, this team should be able to get this win, and the offense could not do anything. I mean, they just could not move the ball at all. Now, you're right. George Pickens made some big drops, and he didn't look very good,
36:16
but I'm not going to put it on one guy here. because it's a team game and they just did not get it done. And I think they have a real decision to make going forward here. And like I said, mid-season, I was starting to think maybe Russ is the guy who's going to get re-signed here.
36:30
I really don't know at this point, Alex. I think there's a really tough decision for this organization to make because, look, they're going to be one and done. I don't think they have the horses to hang with Baltimore in that game. But with that being said,
36:41
I think this team has to really take a look in the mirror and say, what do we need to do to upgrade the position? Because I know they were aggressive, going and getting Justin Fields, getting Russell Wilson, and they did upgrade the quarterback room,
36:52
but it clearly wasn't enough if this team wants to get back to where they think they belong, which is in contention. Some final takeaways here, Alex, from week 18. How cool was the Mike Evans record? Yeah. Breaking, or I shouldn't say breaking, but tying Jerry Rice as the only players to go 11 straight seasons with 1,000 yards.
37:14
When you saw his teammates and Baker and the rest of the team celebrating with him, when you saw his reaction and what that meant to him, that was a really, really cool moment on Sunday.
37:26
really put Mike Evans over the top in terms of when people start talking about where he should rank and where he probably may end up ranking when his career is over. He has 105 touchdowns. This guy gets a lot. He has a lot of years with eight or more touchdowns every single year. A lot of double-digit touchdowns.
37:43
touchdowns at least half his career he's double digits and touchdowns and that's a feat because we can look at guys like julio jones who has the catches and has yards but will does not have touchdowns if i'm not mistaken i think julio jones may only
37:56
have like 85 touchdowns in his entire career and in mike evans career he's got he's already got 105 he had 11 this year 13 led the league last year And you talk about Mike Evans, I think that's really cool. And I just want to say this one thing.
38:13
I think it's very interesting to talk about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what Baker Mayfield has become there. 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns at 71%. I think this is the guy that was the number one pick in the draft that everybody was looking for. Granted, he did lead the league in interceptions, but 41 touchdowns, 4,500 yards,
38:37
72% completion percentage. That's the guy. He deserves a lot of kudos for what he's been able to do with his career and fighting through. This guy was a walk-on in two different places, and he's shown it again in the NFL,
38:50
the 4-2 to go through and also be a part of what he did for Mike Evans because who knows? I don't know if that was a play that – the coaching staff call or perhaps known Baker. They may have been a play that he called himself.
39:02
No, you're absolutely right. And him and Sam Darnold, who we talked about earlier, a few years down the road here, guys that were viewed as being bust, guys that were both taken in the same draft, very high draft picks. They get better coaching. They get better teams around them. And now we're seeing them flourish.
39:21
Playing the position has more to do with coaching, teammates, systems, and all the things around you, play calling. Those things really matter in this league. We talk about week 18 moments. Aaron Rodgers joins the 500 Touchdown Club. And look, it's amazing how good this guy was at one point in his career.
39:41
And it's amazing how bad things have gone. One of the most talented quarterbacks ever. I mean, absolutely one of the most talented guys. And in his prime, he was as good as they get as far as being able to make every throw and make it look easy. Incredible talent. But here's the thing.
39:58
When it's all said and done, and it looks like it could be coming to an end here pretty soon, we might have actually watched his last game. We'll obviously all be following that. You could actually make a case that this guy who's going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer has really underachieved.
40:14
And the reason I say that is because, look, when it comes to quarterbacks, it's the one position where winning really does matter. Now, look, the stats are great. And all that stuff matters. And Pro Bowls and All Pros and MVPs, that stuff all matters. Don't get me wrong.
40:30
But winning is really the thing when it comes to quarterbacks. We know that's what really separates the all-time greats. And it just felt like this guy didn't do enough winning. And yes, he has a ring. He has everything that you would want as far as a career resume. He checks all the boxes.
40:51
But we're talking about an all-time talent here. We're talking about a guy who is literally, some have said, maybe the most talented quarterback we've ever seen, and it never felt like he got the most of his ability. Even though, like I said, he's a first ballot Hall of Fame lock,
41:07
And I think about another guy who played in a similar era, a crossover era, is a guy like Drew Brees. Because I look at Drew Brees, and I don't hear anybody who's ever critical of Drew Brees for only getting one ring. But a lot of us, and myself included, and I know you as well, Alex,
41:25
are critical of Aaron Rodgers with only one ring, one Super Bowl appearance. Why is that? And I started thinking about this. Why is that the case? And I think it's because when we look at a guy like Drew Brees, Drew Brees, it feels like squeezed every drop from the orange.
41:44
You know, this is a guy that came in the league. He was short. He was a limited athlete. He never had a big arm. He never was a guy that could throw off-platform or off-schedule. But here's a guy that became an all-time great quarterback by working hard and really maximizing his ability to play the position.
42:05
It never, ever felt like Rodgers did that, fair or unfair.
42:10
Fair. But I'll say this. The thing about, you know, my thing on the Saints, that's a Sean Payton thing, not a Drew Brees thing. When Sean Payton decides to lean into the defense and run a bounce attack, they make it to the NFC Championship game.
42:24
When he decides to throw the ball 800 times a year, they go eight and eight. So that's why Drew Brees doesn't get the blame. Because when you look at it in totality, that's on coaching. I said his football obituary is going to say all of the all of the MVPs and all of everything.
42:40
There's going to be a huge but that says he did not win enough. Your defense intercepted Tom Brady three times and you did not convert. And if you're one of those ones, the way that he wants to be considered one of the ones,
42:53
the way that other people like to talk about him as one of those ones that you have to convert. The only thing we have is him being mad that they didn't go for it on fourth down when he had a chance to run for the first down.
43:03
or the end of the other game when he just refused to throw the ball at anybody else and just keyed on Devontae Adams and only throwing the ball when Aaron Jones was running wide open down the field, as well as I can't remember what the tight end that was running wide open down the field.
43:18
That is an Aaron Rodgers problem. So there's a distinct difference between those QBs and why they're going to be looked at. And then not only the fact that Aaron Rodgers comes off as an asshole. Sorry, he does. So your attitude plus the gameplay and what we saw in its recent, so it's very fresh in our memories,
43:39
is why he's going to get the criticism.
43:42
If you enjoy the podcast, do us a favor and subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Once again, I'm Brad Fowler. He's Alex Higdon. This is Pint Glass Football, and we'll catch you next time.
43:56
Thanks for listening to the Pint Glass Football Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at PGF Podcast.
44:34
Zencaster is the ultimate web-based podcasting solution. It provides high-quality audio and video podcast production and hosting. With a full suite of professional tools, podcasters can seamlessly record, produce, and publish studio-quality content all from one dashboard. Zincaster's post-production process takes the headache out of audio production. Set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a
45:06
click of a button. Coordinating all your guests to record in person is painful and tedious. Easily invite up to 11 participants per recording with one click. Go to Zincaster.com slash pricing and use my code PGFP and you'll get 30% off your first three months of Zincaster Professional.
45:32
I want you to have the same easy experiences I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.

Ohio State Sends a Message in Dominant Win Over Tennessee
​Ohio State made a resounding statement in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, dismantling Tennessee in a 38-17 rout. The Buckeyes looked every bit the national championship contender and erased all doubts following their loss to Michigan. Playing with a chip on their shoulder, Ohio State came out laser-focused, delivering sharp execution on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Will Howard led the charge, completing 24 of 29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith showed why he was a 5-star recruit, hauling in six receptions for 103 yards and two scores. Ohio State jumped out to a commanding 21-0 lead after the first quarter, leaving Tennessee reeling.

The Volunteers showed brief signs of life, cutting the lead to 21-10 at halftime, but the Buckeyes responded swiftly. A third-quarter touchdown extended the lead to 28-10, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava flashed his raw talent but demonstrated why he still has plenty of development ahead. While the Volunteers had a solid season, they ran into a buzzsaw in Ohio State.

The Buckeyes' defense was relentless, delivering big hits and forcing mistakes. This was the Ohio State team everyone expected to see all year—arguably the most talented roster in college football. Based on this performance, the Buckeyes should be considered the favorites to win it all.

Texas Survives Clemson's Push, Advances Behind Dominant Run Game
Texas appeared poised for a blowout early, jumping out to a quick lead over Clemson, but the Tigers fought back to make the game more competitive than expected. Quarterback Cade Klubnik showed tremendous improvement this season and kept Clemson in the game despite facing one of the most talented defenses in the country.

The Longhorns loaded roster was too much for Clemson. Texas rushed for 292 yards on 6.2 yards per carry, wearing down Clemson's defense. Quarterback Quinn Ewers delivered a mixed performance, throwing crisp passes in the red zone but continuing to struggle when pressured. Ewers' hesitancy to leave the pocket and his inconsistency raise questions about his readiness for the next level. Backup Arch Manning saw action in some key situations, hinting at a potentially larger role moving forward.

Clemson ends the season with questions about how to address its defensive struggles, but Texas' sheer depth and talent proved too much. With their offensive firepower and defensive strength, the Longhorns remain a dangerous contender—provided Ewers can elevate his play.

Penn State Exposes SMU in Blowout Win
Penn State left no doubt about SMU's lack of readiness for the playoff stage, cruising to a 38-10 victory. This game highlights why many believed the committee made a mistake including SMU, a team that capitalized on a weak schedule in a weak conference.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings had a nightmare outing, throwing three interceptions, including two pick-sixes by Penn State linebackers Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead before their offense even got going and never looked back.

Penn State showed why they belong among college football's top programs despite James Franklin’s 12-25 record vs. top 25 teams. Penn State boasts NFL-caliber talent on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, SMU's performance underscores their need to build through NIL and recruiting plus impact transfers to compete at this level in the future. While the Mustangs have deep-pocketed boosters and now a spot in the ACC, they remain far from ready to challenge top-tier programs.

Notre Dame Overpowers Indiana
Notre Dame's 27-17 win over Indiana showcased a stark talent gap between the two programs. Despite an incredible turnaround season under Curt Cignetti, Indiana was overmatched by the Fighting Irish's physicality and team speed.

Notre Dame leaned on its proven formula of running the ball and playing stifling defense. Quarterback Riley Leonard didn't light up the stat sheet but managed the game effectively while the defense held Indiana to just 138 total yards and three points in the first half.

Indiana managed some late scores to make the game appear closer than it was, but the outcome was never in doubt. For the Hoosiers, the focus now shifts to building off this year's success on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal to elevate their roster going into next season. Notre Dame, meanwhile, advances with a formula that works in the postseason. Their ability to control the clock and dominate defensively makes them a tough matchup for anyone moving forward.

Final Thoughts
The opening round of the College Football Playoff delivered dominance and a clear picture of teams that are true contenders. Ohio State's dismantling of Tennessee and Penn State's blowout of SMU reaffirmed their status. Texas showed flashes of what might be the most talented roster but left questions at quarterback, while Notre Dame has their own quarterback questions, their physicality on both sides of the ball proved too much for Indiana.

Ohio State appears to be the team to beat, but Texas, Georgia, Oregon, and Penn State have the talent to challenge them. The path to crown a national champion is heating up, and the best is yet to come.
-Brad Fowler, Pint Glass Football

Welcome to the Pint Glass Football Podcast.
0:14
I'm your host, Brad Fowler. What's up, PGF Nation? The Eagles dominate the Steelers. Are they the best team in the NFL? Josh Allen proves once again he is unstoppable. Bill Belichick shocks the football world, but will he succeed in college football? And Travis Hunter wins the Heisman win. Where does he rank among the all-time greats?
0:40
We've got a lot to get to today, but first, joining me as always, my co-host, Alex Higdon. Alex, what is going on?
0:48
Nailed about it tonight. Got scared by my Raiders from them trying to win, but everything is all good. We lost to the Falcons, and first overall pick is still intact.
0:58
Really kind of a dud doubleheader. And these games were both pretty lackluster. So let's jump into it here. Eagles destroy the Steelers. The Steelers are a good team, but they were never a real contender. And I think this game really solidified that. George Pickens out of the game. Passing game falls apart.
1:18
I'm going to take a quick victory lap here on Pat Fryermuth. Because on the YouTube episode last week, I picked him to have a big game. But look, the Steelers defense, in this matchup, it was clear. The goal was to stop Saquon Barkley. And they did a pretty good job of that.
1:33
They really limited Saquon in this offense. But then Jalen Hurts, I think, had maybe the best game I've ever seen him play throwing the football.
1:41
Whatever has been going on between he and his, I would say just A.J. Brown, but I'll say his wide receivers got apparently worked out because A.J. Brown ate for 110 in a touch and then Devonta Smith 11 for 109 in a touch.
1:54
And then, you know, Jalen Hurts did have a key run in this game, too, that I thought was very key. Now, I won't say that they blew out the Steelers. This game was pretty tight. There was that mishap that they had where it was basically a 10-point swing with
2:09
the fumble by Najee Harris when they were driving down to basically make it a three-point game, and that was a 10-point swing. So I won't say that they blew them out or whatever. I did not come away impressed with Philly at all. I mean, I respect the fact that their defense made a play,
2:27
but I came away saying, you know what, a healthy Steelers, you know, injuries happen, so that's not an excuse. They'll take it away from their victory, but a healthy Steelers team, the Eagles are in trouble.
2:39
Yeah, I don't agree with you on this one. I think this was clearly a huge mismatch. I think Pittsburgh's a good football team, don't get me wrong, but Philly had their way. And anything, when you're talking a double-digit win in the NFL, it's a blowout because the average margin of victory is really only three, three-and-a-half points.
2:56
So anytime you're in that double-digit or more, to me that is a blowout. This game was never really that close. You're right. The Najee Harris fumble was big because if they're able to score there – Maybe they hang around in this game, but they really never put anything together in this game.
3:12
It never really felt like they had any chance to win this game. I mean, they never once felt like, okay, Pittsburgh can make something happen here. They were playing from behind the entire game. I think Philly really flexed in this game. Look, Russ... Russ is good, but he's not great.
3:30
And I think the Steelers are in a real predicament here because they're probably going to have to re-sign him because they're not going to have a shot at any of these real quarterback prospects in April unless they're going to take a flyer on a guy. But any one of those guys is probably not ready to start.
3:45
So you're probably bringing Russ back. But where does that leave you? I think it kind of leaves you right where you are. You're a good team. You're not a great team. And let's face it, Pittsburgh... doesn't hang AFC North banners. They hang Super Bowl banners.
4:01
This is a franchise that has a different level of standard for what they expect their teams to do. They expect their teams to be a contender, and I don't think this team is. Even though they're good, I don't think Russ puts them over the top. Now, he's clearly made them better.
4:14
There's no doubt about that because the quarterback situation has been a mess the last two years. But he's clearly not good enough to get over these elite teams like Philadelphia, these tier one teams, as I would call it, that are true contenders. And look, after this game, it really had me thinking.
4:31
So the Lions are kind of beat up now. And I'm starting to wonder, as good as they are, I think they might have peaked because they've just had too many injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But it's really got me questioning, is Philly the best team in the NFC right now?
4:47
Because this roster is loaded and they're playing some great football.
4:51
Yeah, and we'll get to that Detroit game later on. But yeah, I would have to say that Philly, as of right now, I guess followed by Minnesota, right? For the most part, in terms of the top two teams in the NFC, just because of the injuries and everything that happened to Detroit in this most recent game,
5:10
I'd have to look at Philly as number one. And then if I was ranking them, in terms of opportunity goes who i would say philly and then minnesota and then i would actually probably even go tampa bay before i get to detroit wow yeah we're
5:22
gonna have to talk about all these teams for a little bit here and let's jump into this bill's lines game this was a huge huge matchup definitely the game to circle last week we previewed this game made our picks for this game on the youtube podcast of course
5:37
Bill's offense, I mean, my goodness, Alex, they were absolutely unstoppable in this game versus Detroit. Josh Allen continues to pull away from everyone else at the quarterback position. He's become the toughest player to stop in this league, hands down. The dual threat ability of this guy, not a single turnover-worthy play In that game, 23 for 34,
6:00
362 yards, two touchdowns, 68 yards rushing, and two more touchdowns on the ground. He has really developed into a player that knows exactly when to use his legs, when to air it out. I mean, he went 9 of 15 on passes of 10 or more yards for 270 yards. So he's not just making the plays.
6:21
He's making those big strikes down the field that really kill defenses. I think what's even more impressive about this, look at this guy's wide receivers. Not a single one of them is a legit top 20 wide receiver. Now they're a decent group. They're not bad, but you don't have any legit top 20 guys.
6:41
He doesn't have a Justin Jefferson. He doesn't have a Jamar Chase and a T. Higgins. He doesn't have A.J. Brown and Devontae Smith. Look, he has two good tight ends, but they're not Kelsey. They're not Kittle. I mean, it's simply incredible the level of play we've seen from this guy this season and
7:00
where he's taken his game to.
7:02
I'm going to push back on that because he does have Amari Cooper. He's 1,000% a top 20 receiver, even though I'm not a fan of him. And I get that Josh Allen's doing everything that he did. And we'll have to save it for another conversation because what Lamar Jackson's doing is far exceeding what Josh Allen is doing.
7:19
That's the first thing. But the second thing is the Bills won this game. Josh Allen was on display doing Josh Allen type things. Nothing that we can't take any of that. Nice play by James Cook, too. I think there was a nice in this game.
7:31
That was a nice compliment to what Josh Allen was doing through the air and with his legs as well. But I will say what I've always said is Bill's defense is Swiss cheese. And when you get in the playoffs, you are not going to be able to play like this against the better teams.
7:46
It's not going to work. So I'm happy for Josh Allen. He's probably on track for this MVP. But Bills, no, sorry, don't believe in you. With the Bills, like I said, it's not that – this is not a Josh Allen thing. This is a team thing. And when I look at what they're allowing on defense,
8:02
they're just not – they're not going to be good enough. And they're not going to be good enough in the playoffs to get past teams by trying to outscore them when you don't even have a bend or don't break defense. You just have a broken defense. And it's just Josh Allen up to Josh Allen to outscore everybody.
8:15
And I just don't think he's going to be able to do that in the playoffs. On the other side of this, though, I mean, Jared Goff, I mean – This was basically the battle. This was basically a shootout, to be fair, across on both teams. You know, there was no defense in this game.
8:29
I mean, Jared Goff was out of control. He basically threw for 500 yards and five touchdowns. But the story of this game is really David Montgomery in terms of David Montgomery. And then on the defensive side, Aleem McNeil, who. really was coming along this season are now out for the season.
8:46
There's been a narrative that I've had around Jameer Gibbs. He is Tony Pollard. I know he's fast, but he's an east-west runner and not a north and south runner, which is that was the job of David Montgomery for when they got in tough games to
8:59
go out there and get tough yards and have a fight in the phone booth. Huge, huge loss, but they're going to be facing some tough games coming up, some tough matchups coming up. So we're going to see how this defense moves going forward.
9:11
some more advanced analytics on Amari Cooper. Not a chance he's a top 20 wide receiver. Right now, PFF has him 58th in the NFL. His stats are not very impressive. He's only 481 yards on the season. He's a bigger name than he is an actual playmaker at this point.
9:31
I don't think they're a great defense by any means. I'm with you there. That's definitely the biggest question mark for them. But when you've got a quarterback that nobody can stop and this guy can win in a shootout, They're still going to be a really, really tough out.
9:43
And look, a lot has been made about the Dan Campbell decision for the onside kick in the fourth. Look, do I agree with that decision? No, I wouldn't have done it. I think it was a big risk and it clearly backfired on him. But look, he was watching the same game we were.
9:59
And I think he was starting to realize their only chance to win this game was to steal a possession late.
10:04
I get what he was trying to do. He knew that he recognized this was a back and forth game. Defense was just completely out of it.
10:11
Don't get me wrong. I'm with you. I don't think the defense is great by any means. I just don't think it has to be. It's kind of similar to the Kansas City Chiefs. Their offense is terrible.
10:20
Mm-hmm. It's terrible.
10:22
And I don't think anybody wants to mention how bad it is because everyone has so much respect for Reed and Mahomes and everything.
10:28
Oh, no, we've mentioned it for sure. We're going to mention that.
10:31
Yeah, they're horrendous. I mean, but yet, you know, they keep winning because their defense and because they make just enough plays.
10:39
Right, and that's the key thing. It's like, okay, the bend-don't-break defense means that your defense comes to your aid and they make a play. So, for instance, Pittsburgh is a good defense, but just for argument's sake, let's just say they were around 18th. However, you have that one guy in T.J. Watt that can make a play.
10:57
The Bills don't have that guy. It ain't Von Millis, not Ed Oliver, overrated Ed Oliver. And Greg Rousseau doesn't seem to be the guy that he was last year. So they don't, that's the thing. To be a bend, don't break, you have to be making those key plays, which is conversely with the offense, with Kansas City,
11:14
the defense has been really good. But when they need Patrick Mahomes, who will throw an interception, who will make bad plays, when they need that third down play, that critical play in the fourth quarter, he makes that play. So as for all, how bad that offense is looking, the 1,000% has looked bad.
11:31
Patrick Mahomes is the X factor. When you need to put that cape on and you need to play, he's going to deliver that play, even though they've been terrible on offense.
11:40
I feel like... the Chiefs and the Bills are almost polar opposites in that way.
11:46
Yeah, they are.
11:46
Because, like, Josh Allen has been – Josh Allen on the offense has been so good. I mean, unbelievably good that when the defense gives up points, for the most part, he's kept them in those games and won most of them. Whereas with the Chiefs, it's the exact opposite. We're like, the offense has been so bad,
12:03
the defense keeps them in them, and then Mahomes and Reed dials something up late. Tampa Bay Bucs absolutely destroy the Chargers. This was a shocking outcome here because I think looking at this game, most people thought this would be close. Vegas had this line pretty close. Thought this should be a good game on paper.
12:20
But look, LA, look, they've been easily one of the most improved teams this year. I don't think there's any doubt about that. From where they were last couple years with Staley, Harbaugh has this team moving in the right direction. I don't think there's any doubt about that. I think maybe two...
12:34
I would say good, maybe one more great draft class, and I think this team could be really good. But when you look at Tampa Bay in this matchup, it was kind of obvious that Tampa Bay, when they're healthy, they're just sneaky good. I mean, they just won this game on both lines of scrimmage.
12:52
They had the better weapons. It was clear that they just could not slow down the weapons for this Tampa Bay's offense. And look, the Bucs are playing some good football now. They've won four straight. I don't think they're in the same class as Philly or even Detroit, who we both have admitted is really good.
13:07
But I think those injuries are catching up to them a little bit. But even with that, I wouldn't put them in that tier. But I do think they're good enough come playoff time. They might shock somebody in the playoffs and knock off one of these good teams.
13:20
Yeah, I agree with you. I think they're a team that you don't want to play. I mean, I wasn't too shocked with this loss because the Chargers are a running team that plays defense. They no longer have running. So now you're focused on Justin Herbert to throw, and Justin Herbert doesn't have weapons,
13:39
with the exception of Lab McConkie, right, who looks like an emerging weapon. Quinton Johnson was probably really a number two. They only ran for 32 yards. And this is what I kept saying about the charges and J.K. Dobbins is not about wishing anybody get hurt. I said, when this running game stops and I said, J.K.
13:54
Dobbins, I'm sorry, he has not played a full season over three years. Right. And he missed the whole season last year. So I said, coming back to put that type of load on this kid is not going to work. and he's eventually going to get run down,
14:06
and then that's when we're going to find out what this team is. So I wasn't surprised. They were due for a loss like this simply because they can't run the game and control the clock and play defense. So now you get into a shootout.
14:17
Now I want to unleash Justin Herbert to throw 33 passes, but 33 passes to who? Stone Smart? Anybody? Anybody start him on their fantasy team? Oh, okay. I'm just checking. So this was they were due for a loss like there's no different than how Detroit was due for a loss or at some point in time,
14:33
Philly's going to be due for a loss before the end of the season. But they were just due for this type of loss because of how their team is set up. But they don't have the horses, meaning the running backs, to complete the task against other teams like this.
14:45
When you have a Mike Evans and, you know, apparently a Bucky Irvin and Rashard and Rashad White. who were able to, you know, really, they ran for 223 yards on six yards per carry. And they were playing catch up the whole, the entire game.
14:58
So, I mean, I get it, but they were going to run out of gas. As soon as the running game ran out, they were going to run out of gas, but still a playoff team though. I think they still have enough to make the playoffs.
15:06
Like I said, I think they're clearly moving in the right direction. They just don't have the talent of this Tampa Bay team. And that was what really stood out to me in this game. Like I said, on the line of scrimmage especially, it was glaring. Herbert was under pressure constantly.
15:21
They were able to run the ball down their throat. They were winning on both sides. And like you said, The Chargers being a run-first team, you can't run on Tampa Bay. This run defense for Tampa Bay is so good. They just take away the running game.
15:35
And when you're a run-first team like the Chargers who are limited on the outside, it really puts a lot of pressure on you. And when your offensive line isn't giving your quarterback time, it's just a recipe for disaster. Kansas City gets a blowout win. But I'm still concerned with this offense.
15:51
And really, we've talked about this a lot on the show. The defense is winning these games for them. Only 21 points for this Kansas City offense. What has happened to Patrick Mahomes? Because, look, we know this guy is great. But 50% completions? 159 yards?
16:09
Two touchdowns is good, but look, he's played this year and really going all the way back to last year. He's really been like a borderline top 10 quarterback, top 10-ish quarterback. What happened to the guy that everybody put in the top three quarterback all-time list?
16:26
What happened to the guy that people were trying to push Brady aside for? Because I don't see that guy anymore. I mean, look, he makes plays when they matter. And I'll give him that. But this offense is not any good. And we're way too far into the season. And like I said, even going back into last year,
16:43
this is a big enough sample size now to realize this offense has some real issues. Now, they're lucky the defense is elite. They're lucky Spagnuolo is one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time. Otherwise, I think this team would be in serious trouble.
16:57
Yep, I agree with you, and I'm going to continue to say something I said a few weeks ago, and it seems small to everybody. I'm telling you, the piece that's missing from this offense, and this is not to say that the offense is going to go back to Patrick Mahomes scoring 50 touchdowns.
17:10
I'm saying that the piece that's missing from this offense is that little outlet of a Jerick McKinnon, which will cause a line, which now causes your defense. You have to pay attention to him with one of those linebackers, and that opened up the middle a little bit more for Travis Kelsey. That's a piece.
17:27
They have a lot of hammers. They have Kareem Hunt, hammer. Isaiah Pacheco, hammer. Samaji Pirine, hammer. They're missing that James White, a la Jerick McKinnon, That little wrinkle kind of eases up for Patrick Mahomes because he doesn't have that check down. Who's the check down when he calls Hike? Doubling over on Worthy and they're bracketing Kelsey.
17:47
I know there's the 50-50 guy in terms of DeAndre Hopkins, but I think DeAndre Hopkins is not necessarily a good fit. He is a 50-50 guy, something that we talked about before, Brett. Him in Baltimore makes way more sense than Deontay Johnson in Baltimore. And then actually,
18:08
Deontay Johnson might actually fit Kansas City a little bit more because he's an intermediate guy. He's a slot guy. The things that they lost with Juju, Deontay Johnson can do. Now, his attitude is a whole other story, but we're just simply talking about fit. And that's not to diminish DeAndre Hopkins.
18:23
But I do want to thank Jameis Winston for continually giving us the Jameis Winston show, three interceptions. He made it very exciting for us and pregame speech. Thank you, Jameis Winston. You are a treasure in the NFL.
18:39
Yeah, I just I look at this offense and you're right. I don't know. Like on paper, D-Hop, we know that he's a guy that's really probably a borderline Hall of Fame player. He's had a great career. You would think they'd find a way to make it work. It hasn't really. And I'm with you.
18:54
It's not really the ideal fit for this type of offense. If Mahomes is really in the GOAT conversation, he has to find a way to elevate these guys. Because to the point I made earlier about Josh Allen, we've seen Josh Allen take a mediocre group of wide receivers and elevate them and
19:10
play like one of the best offenses in the NFL. We've got Mahomes, and we have the greatest play caller and the greatest offensive mind in the history of the game. And this is all they can do? I mean, a couple weeks ago, Derek Carr... shredded this Browns defense. The Broncos lit them up for 41 points.
19:26
Herbert passed for almost 300 yards on them. Jaden Daniels gave them all kinds of problems. Lamar Jackson carved them up. This isn't the Browns defense from last year. They can be had, and yet this is all we see from them. I know it was a convincing 21-7 win, and they haven't had many of those.
19:45
But I'm going to continue to say I have real concerns about Mahomes and this offense because unless that defense continues to play at a completely elite level, I don't know if they can win in a shootout. I don't know if they have that kind of firepower and that kind of offense nowadays.
20:01
And that's pretty hard to believe considering what we've seen from these two guys. Did you know that Pint Glass Football is more than just this podcast? We have an exclusive newsletter. Sign up for free at pintglassfootball.com to receive articles and insights delivered straight to your inbox. But wait, there's more.
20:21
We're excited to announce our brand new YouTube channel. Not only can you listen to our podcast on YouTube, but you'll also find exclusive video content waiting for you. So hit the pause button right now and go subscribe to our newsletter and hit that subscribe button on YouTube to stay connected with the latest football news and our
20:43
exclusive content. Underdog Fantasy is the easiest place to play fantasy sports. We personally love the Pick'em game. Just pick between two and five players to build a pick'em entry. Pick whether your favorite players will have a higher or lower stat total in this week's game for a chance to win big.
21:05
You can win up to 20 times your money in a single night. Download the Underdog Fantasy app and sign up today with promo code PGF. That's promo code PGF to claim your special pick plus first-time deposit offer up to $250 in bonus cash. The official ticketing app of Pint Glass Football is now SeatGeek.
21:29
I can't recommend them enough, guys. I've been using SeatGeek for years. You want to go to a game this season? SeatGeek is here to take the confusion out of buying tickets, making sure you get the best seats at the best prices. With SeatGeek, you'll never have to worry about overpaying for tickets again. How?
21:48
They put a 0 to 10 score on each ticket, so you know you're getting a good deal. But here's the real game changer. You can get $20 off your first ticket purchase with the code PGFPOD. That's right, $20 off with code PGFPOD. This season, make every game day epic with SeatGeek.
22:11
Download the SeatGeek app and remember to enter the code PGFPOD to grab your $20 discount. This is old news, but we haven't had a chance to discuss it. So I can't wait to get your thoughts here. Bill Belichick takes the UNC job. Absolutely shocking news.
22:30
I mean, this created a ripple effect throughout college football and the NFL, of course. Before we dive into this, I'm just going to ask you, do you think this hire works in North Carolina with Bill Belichick?
22:44
Well, according to the gunshots I heard, which happens after everything between the UNC and Duke game, I think they love it here because I am in the North Carolina area, and that is a thing. Whenever UNC beats Duke or vice versa, they let off a few rounds, legally, let off a few rounds.
23:01
But it was 4th of July over here when it was official that Bill Belichick took the job. We know we're going to hear a lot of... The comparisons to Deion, they're polar opposites in terms of their attitude. I mean, I can imagine it was even uncomfortable for Bill to be out there at UNC during the
23:18
basketball game and announcing that Bryce is going to still come to UNC and kind of rally up and rally the troops and things that we've seen Deion do. I can imagine it was very uncomfortable for him. for him to do that, the four-star recruit. That's actually about maybe 20 miles from me in Bryce Baker, East Forsyth,
23:37
and that's in North Carolina, and to still commit to North Carolina. So I think that's a big thing. But as I've said before, Brad, the number one thing I need to know is who are his recruiters, And who's going to be his staff?
23:50
I've seen everything from Josh McDaniels, but I think that's just people saying that's his guy. He's not working. But I've seen the most recent thing I've seen from Ian Rappaport is him poaching our, meaning the Raiders or current offensive coordinator, Scott Turner, to come to UNC. So I'm interested to see.
24:06
I'm not worried about the defensive side because he's got that. But I'm interested to see what he does on the offensive side to get this team together.
24:14
Yeah, I've been giving this a lot of thought the last few days, and I think college football, I think, has never really moved closer to what the NFL is than it currently is right now. We've seen this shift, and the two sports are more similar than they've ever been.
24:31
With the NIL, which, look, that's basically your salary cap, but with less restrictions. The transfer portal, which is basically free agency, but it's easier to navigate. So I think there's some things working in his favor here with his NFL background. Can he recruit? That's the big question mark. I don't know. And maybe, but will he want to?
24:56
Is he built to recruit? Because we've heard recently a lot of his former players and guys that know him have said in the media that this is really shocking. A lot of them have come out and said, look, I can't see him being a recruiter.
25:09
it's just going to be fascinating to see if he's really going to be the guy in living rooms of these high-profile players coming out of high school and trying to sell them on him and his program. But I think it's kind of an easy sell.
25:25
If you're talking to a kid and say, look, I know the NFL better than anybody. I know what it takes to get there. And my program is going to be closer to an NFL program than any other program in college football because I think it will be.
25:39
Now, is he going to lean into the transfer portal more than recruiting? I think most likely that'll be the case because I think about his history in New England. He was never great in the draft. We know that. A lot of swings and misses in the draft.
25:55
But the one thing he was always really good at is he could always evaluate talent once they've already played at the level that he's coaching at. So he was always great at finding guys that other teams cut or they didn't want, guys that he saw potential, guys that he coached against and would say, you know what,
26:14
let's bring this guy in because he could fit our system or he could find ways to utilize that player and to what they do well. And with all that being said, do I think it will work? I No, I don't think it'll work.
26:30
I think this is a big reach as far as what he's done in going into this college football world. I think it's very, very different. But this guy knows X's and O's, and we know that. He's one of the greatest football minds of all time.
26:45
It feels to me, Alex, like he wanted a new challenge, and maybe that's what this is about. And when you look at the ACC, this conference isn't very good. Alex, I don't know. I'm not saying it won't work. I'm saying if I had to bet, I would bet against it. But who knows?
27:01
In that conference and with his reputation, they might be in the mix quickly for a college football playoff because there's not a whole lot of big powerhouse teams that they really have to get through.
27:14
So I'll say this. I think the whole thing, which is why I mentioned specifically his recruiters, because Bill is going to he's in a position similar to Deion. Not that they're the same person because that's been a big mix up.
27:26
But similar to Deion is the type of person that he sends his recruiters out and then he closes the deal. I look at this as similar to Pat Riley. When it's like, okay, you want to go here, you want to go there, but look what I have.
27:38
And he throws his seven rings on the table, five rings, excuse me, his five rings on the table. And that's something that Bill Belichick can do is say, this is what I do. But North Carolina has a wealth of talent and they consistently lose it every single year to either to Florida, somewhere in Georgia, South Carolina,
27:59
or Clemson. They consistently lose those guys right now. Currently, right now, the 2020's number one quarterback in 2026 is playing at a high school in Grimbley, and he's committed to Tennessee, soft commit to Tennessee. You know what I'm saying? And I'm not saying anything about Bryce Baker,
28:14
but I'm just saying that there's a level of talent in North Carolina that consistently gets poached because this is a basketball area in terms of UNC, North Carolina, Duke, as well as NC State. It's a basketball. It's known as a basketball area. But if you're telling me now you're putting the money into football,
28:31
as we saw that they're now up to 20 million in terms of the NIL conglomerate or whatever you want to call it, and you're saying you're bringing in Bill Belichick and they're going to give him whatever coaching staff that he needs in three years, because I don't think he's here for the long haul.
28:44
I think he's gone in two to three years because I think the NFL is going to come calling again. But I think he can flip this university, which in the state, has a lot of talent alone because all he has to do is win the state. And excuse me, let me mention App State as well as ECU,
28:59
which poached a lot of people from the Raleigh and the Greensboro area where there are a lot of players that come out of this area.
29:06
The most fascinating story so far in the offseason. We're not even really in the offseason. We still got games being played, obviously. We got the college football playoff right around the corner. We've got the NFL heating up and headed towards the playoffs. And here we are talking about Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest...
29:23
NFL coach of all time, taking a college football job. The ratings for those Tar Heel games are going to be bigger than they've ever seen because people are going to be tuning in to see what this guy can do. I know I'm going to be watching closely. It's going to be so much fun this offseason to see,
29:39
like you said, what kind of staff does he put together? How does he do on the recruiting trail? What are his transfer portal rankings going to look like? It's going to be so fun to follow as we get closer to next year. I want to wrap it up with this, though, Alex. Travis Hunter wins the Heisman.
29:55
And look, it might be one of my better picks here. I take victory laps on this show. Alex, I know you like to take your victory laps as well. And look, we take L's all the time. That's part of the business. But I've been talking this guy up on this show for... quite a while now.
30:10
And really since I made him one of my dark horse Heisman picks when I wrote the article back in July, before we jump into it, I just want your thoughts on Travis Hunter winning this award because look, the Heisman is special every year. Absolutely. But this was a unique Heisman year for a guy that plays both ways.
30:31
We really haven't seen anything like this in really ever in the modern era.
30:35
Yeah, I mean, I think, well, I'll say this, we know that there's been a huge back and forth in our spaces, Brad, and probably through, I've seen a couple of podcasts on it as well, really with Gentie and Travis Hunter, like the debate, because Travis Hunter, I believe, I'm not sure,
30:49
you can probably tell me if he was a unanimous winner or not. But I think that I didn't have a problem with Travis Hunter winning. I thought the feat that he had was incredible. I think also what Jente is doing is incredible as well. But I wasn't dead set against one.
31:02
I mean, if you Jente to get it over Travis Hunter, I think he did some incredible things this year. I know that he wasn't the number one wide receiver. However, he was top three in every category. Most well, the important categories, catches, yards and touchdowns. He was top three.
31:18
In each one of those, he was third, I believe, third or fourth. There were a lot of people that had three interceptions. There were a lot of people that, you know, so there were a few people. So he's third, you know, amongst like maybe about,
31:28
I think I saw about 10 people that had three interceptions in all of college as well. And then there's, of course, the wonderful argument of who played the best talent and so on and so forth. You can play who you play. Colorado is not a powerhouse team.
31:40
where they're going to be able to get whoever you deem should be this team they should have played. And then Boise State, another team they got, they ended up playing Oregon. So I don't know about the talent level for each one of them, but each one of them did their job when it came to doing their job.
31:54
Of course, maybe Jinty got, you know, had a low yards per carry average and maybe Travis Hunter got scored on or he only had maybe 50 yards receiving or whatever it was. But I think overall, these were the two guys that should have been talked about. And Travis Hunter, excuse me, Travis Hunter,
32:10
ultimately won although there were bigger stories going off that stage than there
32:13
were on that stage if you know you know yeah Alex I think you know where I stand on this because I've been talking up Travis Hunter really this whole offseason and really during the entire season I've been talking about how special this guy was I
32:25
was saying he deserves this award he should win this award and I'm happy to see him win this award and you mentioned wondering how close it was actually look the vote was very close Very, very close. It was separated. Him and Gentry were only a couple hundred votes apart,
32:39
which is one of the closest races we've seen in a really long time. And look, I don't want to take anything away from Gentry because Ashton Gentry was a guy, if you guys remember, on week one, of college football I said circle this guy's name because he's going to be a good
32:54
one deserves all the recognition that he's gotten and I think he'll be a good pro by the way as well but we'll get into that more in April but here's my big takeaways we've seen what Alex at least a dozen guys in college football run for 2,000 yards and really if you go down that list we're
33:11
most of those guys did it in better conferences, by the way, too. And look, I'm not trying to take a shot at Mountain West and all that. I know people get upset about that stuff, but look, it is what it is. This is a conference that's only produced a small,
33:24
small number of NFL draft picks in the last couple of years. Now, you can say whatever you want about the Big 12. Are they the SEC? No. Are they the Big 10? No. But they are a heck of a lot better. Thank you. in the country, a guy who also plays special teams, returns kicks.
34:03
Look, Alex, I thought about this for a while, and I really racked my brain around this. I think he is the best college football player I've ever seen, period. And I'm saying that because, yeah, I know. I'm not trying to be a prisoner of the moment here,
34:21
but this guy played both sides of the ball and not only did it, but basically was a full-time starter on both sides of the ball and did it at this level to be one of the best in the country at both of his positions. It's completely unheard of, and it's unheard of for a reason.
34:42
And I think it deserves the kind of recognition that he got with this award because it's nothing short of absolutely incredible.
34:50
Yeah, that's big talk from Brad. I'm not sure if I was, I don't know if I would go there. That's something I would actually have to think about because I'm sure there's somebody I'm forgetting that I saw at some point in time. But he's definitely on the top. I would definitely say he's on the top.
35:07
He's on the top 10. But that's something I have to think about. But he would definitely be in the top 10. Hey, and before we close out of here, I know we're not talking about tonight's games, but there was, I think, an important moment and something that we don't really need to talk about. But, you know,
35:19
we just want to send out some prayers to Randy Morris, the one of the greatest, and to some of you, the greatest wide receiver of all time. We know he's battling liver cancer at this point in time. There was a nice tribute before tonight's Minnesota game.
35:32
Yeah, really sad news. Really, really sad news. I had heard that story recently too. So big prayers and our thoughts, of course. Not just one of the greatest players. I think he's one of the most fun analysts on ESPN. He's been so fun to watch these last several years since his playing days.
35:49
I miss seeing him on ESPN with the crew and all the things they do over there. Just a very, very likable guy. And so... Very, very sad news, of course. And we are all hoping and praying that this guy makes a recovery and can beat this. If you enjoy the podcast, do us a favor.
36:07
Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and of course, YouTube. Once again, I'm Brad Fowler. He's Alex Higdon. This is Pine Glass Football, and we'll catch you next time.
36:19
Thanks for listening to the Pint Glass Football Podcast. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Twitter at PGF Podcast.
36:56
Zencaster is the ultimate web-based podcasting solution. It provides high-quality audio and video podcast production and hosting. With a full suite of professional tools, podcasters can seamlessly record, produce, and publish studio-quality content all from one dashboard. Zencaster's post-production process takes the headache out of audio production.
37:23
Set the right podcast loudness and levels while reducing background noise with a click of a button. Coordinating all your guests to record in person is painful and tedious. Easily invite up to 11 participants per recording with one click. Go to Zincaster.com slash pricing and use my code PGFP and you'll get 30% off your
37:51
first three months of Zincaster Professional. I want you to have the same easy experiences I do for all my podcasting and content needs. It's time to share your story.