Best of NFL News Part 2: Jaylon Johnson + Woody Marks TALK NFL playoffs with Unc & Ocho, Mike T STEPS DOWN

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Best of NFL News Part 2: Jaylon Johnson + Woody Marks Talk NFL Playoffs with Unc & Ocho, Mike T Steps Down

Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Co-host: Ocho (Chad Johnson)
Guests: Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears CB), Woody Marks (Houston Texans RB), Joe Ojo

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Overview

In this “Best of NFL News” episode, Shannon Sharpe and co-host Ocho dive into the thrilling narratives of the NFL playoffs with Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson and Houston Texans running back Woody Marks. They break down locker room moments, coaching culture shifts, and playoff mindsets. The show also addresses the emotional aftermath of the Jaguars’ playoff exit, the much-discussed departure of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, and includes spirited discussion about recent NBA trades and predictions for upcoming games.

The episode is marked by honest player reflections, inside stories from NFL locker rooms, and passionate takes on sports journalism, leadership, and team-building.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jaylon Johnson on Bears’ Playoff Mindset

[01:20 – 08:30]

• Halftime Locker Room Against Green Bay:

  • The Bears were down 21-3; defensive leaders pushed for focus and execution.
  • Coach Ben Johnson replayed footage of the historic Patriots-Falcons Super Bowl comeback, emphasizing composure and one-possession-at-a-time approach.
  • Both winning and losing perspectives (from players previously in that game) were shared to motivate the team.
  • Quote – Jaylon Johnson [01:44]:
    “It can't get no worse than this… At the end of the day, it's 21-3. ... [Ben Johnson] brought it back up: this is that moment. Think back to that conversation… just one possession at a time.”

• Ben Johnson’s Impact:

  • Lauded for offensive-minded, fearless play-calling and competitive locker room presence.
  • The arrival of key pieces like QB Caleb Williams shifted the team's culture, but Jaylon credits God and timing as well.
  • Quote – Jaylon Johnson [03:17]:
    “The only person get credit for that is God of course… but his leadership, his competitiveness has definitely changed the trajectory.”

• Caleb Williams’ Magic:

  • Recalled a critical 4th-and-11 conversion by Caleb, showing his composure under immense pressure.
  • Quote – Jaylon Johnson [04:45]:
    “He's more accurate going that way… when he threw it, it was just like, man, what the…”

• Composure in Close Games:

  • The team’s focus is “execution brings confidence”—finding ways to win in tough moments rather than ways to lose (the old Bears’ pattern).
  • Quote [06:16]:
    “As long as there's time on the clock, we got a way to win.”

• Viral Moment – Showing Empathy for a Fellow Player:

  • Jaylon described checking on Christian Watson after the game, applauding his resilience and recovery from injury.
  • Quote [06:59]:
    “I just wanted to take that time and tell him … I’m proud of you and how you bounced back.”

2. Defensive Mindset vs. Rams Offense

[08:30 – 10:36]

• Jaylon sets the tone for his matchup with star WRs Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, expressing pride in direct competition.
• Discussed the difficulty of “hiding” DBs—everyone has to step up.
• Observed Puka Nacua’s unique athleticism due to his family’s background and personal connection from college recruiting days.
• Quote – Jaylon Johnson [10:00]:
  “He got them Polynesian bones.”

3. Jaylon Johnson’s Injury & Recovery

[10:36 – 14:13]

• Detailed his core and adductor injuries, surgeries, and enduring pain management to stay on the field.

• Candidly shared the psychological and physical hurdles and the relentless pressure to perform through injury.

• Quote – Jaylon Johnson [12:11]:
  “...people. Oh man. Jalen's not healthy. You damn right I'm not all the way healthy. But I think, really, just for me, just continuing to attack the rehab...”

• Expressed gratitude for not being active on social media to avoid negative commentary about his health and performance.

4. Woody Marks on Texans’ Playoff Surge

[15:23 – 22:07]

• Career Game vs. Steelers:

  • Woody credited offensive line chemistry and focused, mistake-free practices all week.
  • Described the physicality and “bully ball” mentality, directly referencing advice from Nick Chubb.
  • Quote – Woody Marks [16:37]:
    “That’s what Nick Chubb told us we gotta do. So we coming straight at your face. They play bully ball, we gonna play bully ball too.”

• Difference in Playoff Football:

  • Emphasis on precision, intensity, and every play’s consequences compared to regular season.

• Playing for Coach DeMeco Ryans:

  • Praised Ryans’s hands-on, player-first leadership style and physical practices.
  • Quote [18:23]:
    “[He’ll] be over there on the defense side playing linebacker when we on scout team.”

• Handling Adversity & Weather:

  • Texans’ playoff journey will likely involve snowy weather in New England, but Woody stresses mindset:
    “We done played in the rain before. We done played in the snow before. … When we get there, we'll be used to it.” [19:43]

• Houston’s Vibe:

  • Woody likens living in Houston to Atlanta, emphasizing a similar culture and amenities.

5. Viral Video: Empathy in Sports Journalism

[24:07 – 30:30]

• Discussion of the viral video where reporter Lynn Jones consoles Jags’ coach Liam Cohen after a tough playoff loss.
• Quote – Lynn Jones [24:45]:
  “You guys have had a most magnificent season. ... So you just hold your head and... Duvall, you the one.”
• Debate: Is this appropriate for a journalist, or is compassion necessary in sports reporting?
• Shannon argues that, while the profession expects objectivity and lack of outward emotion, “journalists are human beings” and sometimes empathy is called for.
• Quote – Shannon Sharpe [27:37]:
  “... at the end of the day, a journalist is a human being. ... You might be, you’re might supposed to be able to contain your emotions. That doesn’t mean your absence of them.”

6. Mike Tomlin Stepping Down as Steelers Coach

[33:57 – 41:29]

• Tomlin ends a legendary 19-year run, marking the Steelers’ first coaching change in nearly two decades.

• Discussion about Pittsburgh’s lack of a succession plan for Big Ben, and whether Tomlin is ultimately responsible for roster management.

• Quote – Shannon Sharpe [42:51]:
  “A part of his job is to make sure they have [personnel]... He chose to go get a 42-year-old quarterback. I don't know what you were thinking...”

• Tomlin’s cultural impact, respect among players, and possible next landing spots are analyzed. Multiple panelists agree he jumps to the front of the line for head coaching positions.

7. NBA Trade: Trae Young to Washington

[43:49 – 48:21]

• The hosts and guests react to Atlanta moving on from Trae Young after seeing team chemistry and ball movement flourish in his absence.
• Jalen Johnson is identified as a breakout star, leading to optimism about Atlanta’s new trajectory.

8. Playoff Picks & Predictions

[48:21 – 49:41]

• Panelists predict the path to the Super Bowl, with some bold takes:
  “New England, Seattle in the Super Bowl.” [49:28 – Joe Ojo]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On leadership and culture shifts:
  “His leadership, his competitiveness has definitely changed the trajectory of how we looked at approaching games…”
  – Jaylon Johnson on Ben Johnson, [03:17]

• On handling pressure in key games:
  “Execution brings confidence… With that, you naturally have confidence where it's like, all we gotta do is give them [offense] the opportunity to close the game out.”
  – Jaylon Johnson, [06:16]

• On empathy in sports journalism:
  “A journalist is a human being… You might be supposed to be able to contain your emotions. That doesn't mean your absence of them.”
  – Shannon Sharpe, [27:37]

• On Mike Tomlin’s resignation:
  “You can only coach what you have… but a part of his job is to make sure they have.”
  – Shannon Sharpe, [42:51]

• Playful banter on food and recovery:
  “I'm already on it. I just had me a McGriddle McMuffin the other day.”
  – Jaylon Johnson, [12:34]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jaylon Johnson on Bears' playoff mentality: 01:20 – 08:30
• Previewing Bears vs. Rams, injury talk: 08:30 – 14:13
• Woody Marks on Texans’ wild card win/prep: 15:23 – 22:07
• Reporter shows empathy to Jags’ coach video/discussion: 24:07 – 30:30
• Mike Tomlin steps down; legacy and replacements: 33:57 – 41:29
• NBA: Trae Young trade – Atlanta’s direction: 43:49 – 48:21
• Playoff and Super Bowl predictions: 48:21 – 49:41

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains the classic Club Shay Shay vibe—candid, humorous, insightful, and passionate. The hosts and guests speak like insiders but keep it real for fans, blending football IQ with locker-room camaraderie, empathy, and a no-nonsense perspective on the stakes and pressures at the professional level.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want the stories, insights, and best moments from this Club Shay Shay edition—no commercials, no filler, just the action and emotion that shape the NFL season.

Transcript

[Host]

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[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

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[Co-host]

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[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

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[Host]

All right, we got a very special guest joining us tonight. Ocho. What's up? Tackles, two pass defenders, defending, and he's a part of the Cardiac Bears. Here he is. Hey, corner CB1, JJ Jaylen Johnson. Jay, how you doing, bro?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

What's up, man? Good to see y' all again.

[Host]

Good to see. Hey, hey. When you come on Nightcap, you normally have to get to come back later this season because you had a Pro bowl all pro season or your team's in the playoff. That's just the way it pans out.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

No doubt, 100%.

[Host]

So that game is not going the way you want it. They're going up and down the field. Jordan Love, three touchdowns in the first half, 21 and three. I mean, so what's going. So walk us through the locker room at halftime. What did Ben Johnson say? What were some of the leaders saying? And then the start of that fourth quarter, what was the sideline like?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Honestly, it was, it, it was honestly a crazy turn of events. Like, we of course come out, we turned up, we ready to go, and then we go down 21 3. And it's like, man, everybody shut the hell up. Ain't no more talking. Yeah, now ain't no more hoorah. And I just remember Kevin Byer the whole time he was like, man, talking ain't gonna help us execute. Like, we need to stop talking and doing all this and settle in. And then really just at halftime, that was the biggest thing. Like, it can't get no worse than this. Like, I mean, at the end of the day, it's, it's 21 3. We almost 21 blow. But I think too, like, coach showed us a video like a whole breakdown during the, during camp of the Falcons and Patriots game when they went up 283 and all that and just shows like the composure. Yeah, he showed that, that to us early. So just like talking to Joe Tuney telling because he was on the winning side of it and then Jared was on the losing side of it. So having both of them give their perspectives on it and then it really just, he brought it back up like this is that moment. Like think back to the conversation that we had and what it took for, for them to get back into it just one possession at a time. Defense get stops offense start putting points on the board and that was really it. So when we came out on defense it was like, man, we got to get stopped if we, we figured if they didn't score no more then we'll win the game.

[Host]

So.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

But that's all we were focused on really on defense, just executing and playing more aggressive.

[Co-host]

Hey, what is, what has it been like that entire culture has shifted because of one man obviously having, having a, having a quarterback like Caleb Williams and you get someone, a coach, a player friendly coach as, as I like to call it in, Ben Johnson and coming in there. Is he the whole reason for the reason you guys are having, the kind of success you guys are having?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I mean it's hard to say. The sole reason I think for one, just the timing I would say of everything. And the only person get credit for that is God of course. But yeah, I think really just the timing of when Ben got here, when Caleb got here, won a lot of these pieces all got here. I think it'd be different if he got here three, four years ago. The team looked different, situation is different. But I would definitely say his leadership, his competitiveness has definitely changed the trajectory of how we looked at approaching games and again too. I mean you can be a good leader or you want, but you dialing it up on offense as well. And he's always been doing that. I think just the way he controls the game, even going into that game, he's like if we win it, we want to receive, we want to control the tempo, control the ball. And it's like no man, I never heard nobody say this. Oh, we want the defense, go out there and set the tone. It's like no, let us get the ball, let us control the tempo, let it take some of the time off and things like that. So he's definitely ahead of it.

[Host]

He's an officer minded coach, he wants to attack, he's an offensive minded coach, he wants to attack. He's like, oh, they think they got a defense now.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

We want the ball, no doubt, we want the ball.

[Host]

We gonna show them. We go. We gonna take this ball and go right down to their field. There was a throw, and I know you saw it on the sideline. That one, that Caleb, that's your season. If you don't make that, that's 4th and 11th. If you don't get that, JJ, your season's over. He fought. He's rolling to his left. He. He backs and stumbles and throws a dime for 15. You saw that.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

He's more accurate going that way. That's the crazy part. Like, it's almost like as backwards as it sounds. It's like you don't even want to flush him to his left because he'll still get it off accurate. But when he threw it, it was just like, man, what the.

[Host]

Ooh. Okay.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

It was just like one of those. Was like you thinking, like, man, it's over. He out here doing crazy stuff, and it worked. So I think I can't even say it works. That's just part of his game. Like, at this point, it's not even something that you can just say, is that just happens or magical. De. It's like, n. He's like. He's legit at that. And he does it in practice. He's been. Clearly been doing this forever. So it's just. It's just really who he is. And it's funny because I think it was yesterday came in. I seen him. It might have been a day. I seen him say, hey, man, sometimes I got to look a man in the eye and just say, say, good job. You doing a heck of a job. Because some of the stuff he does is. Is. Is crazy. It's not something you'll see every day.

[Host]

I mean, I'm looking at you guys. You guys were down with less than two minutes to go to the Raiders. 24:19. You win that game, you're down to. You're down to the. You're down to the Bengals with 19 seconds. You win that game. You're down against the Vikings with four seconds. You win that game. Second and goal, 27:16. Green Bay, 418 on the clock, and you win that game. How do you guys been able to maintain your composure when all seems lost? Like, damn, how we find ourselves in that situation? And somehow you guys make a play on defense, you get a stop, and then when you turn the ball back over to Caleb in that offense, they cash it in.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I think execution brings confidence, and I think at the end of the day for us, we've been able to execute it down the stretch over and over. And with that, you naturally have confidence where it's like, all we got to do is give them opportunity to close the game out or put it in our hands to close the game out. I think that's really the mentality and the mindset. As long as there's time on the clock, we got a way to win. So, I mean, it's just one of those things where it's switch force. I mean, for a long time it's been the exact opposite where we find ways to lose the damn game. So I think for us in this building and this culture and what we have now, we find ways to win.

[Host]

There's a viral video going on where you're kneeling down, tricking on Christian Washington on the final play of the game. Walk us through that moment. What was going. What were you saying to him and what made you do that?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Yeah, I mean, of course everybody's seen the prayer video when I prayed for him when he injured his knee. But really, I think for me it was just really going back in. And I don't even say checking on him, but just telling him like, way to push through, way to battle back and come back from what he's. What. What he injured and all that. And of course, just competitive. I mean, he's still fast, still run, still blazing. I think it's just a. Just a blessing to just see him out there. So, I mean, of course after the second game and we don't. Or second and we don't have to see each other no more, definitely wanted to take that time and tell them, like, nah, like I'm proud of you and how you bounce back. And I felt like that was something I, I don't want to say owed him, but felt like it's something I had in my heart to do.

[Host]

A lot has been made about Ben in the locker room saying f the packers after the win. Yeah, I mean, and then you see him, I mean, he almost like. I mean, he ran up the hat. You know, normally the coaches, they run up there, they shake each other hand, they. They lean in. Good luck. Hey, wish you the best man. Be read that thing like this here. Like, hey, like he, like he stole the man TV earlier that day and didn't want the bad looking.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Yeah, I think, I mean, honestly, it's one of those things where it's like, it's good to see that competitor. I feel like people pick and choose when they want people to be competitive and they want the coach to be aggressive and competitive. And then when he shows it, it's oh, he's. He's this, he's that. It's like, either you want the competitiveness or you don't. I mean, at the end of the day, too, it's a rivalry. Coaches have, you know, hidden rivalries. I mean, they've been competing for a long time against each other. I mean, end of the day, it. It is what it is. He's embracing that Chicago nature too, at the end of the day.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Hey, you guys obviously have the Rams coming up and obviously not wanting to give a game plan away, but I think. What do you guys think defensively to be able not to stop, but to contain Devonte, Adams, P. Nakua and Matt Stafford and those boys?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Offensively, I think guys like me gotta strap up. I think it's kind of just as simple as that because, I mean, it's not only so much too high you can play, they gonna run the ball. So, I mean, it's not like you can just hide and try to just do all these things. I mean, at the end of the day, guys who get paid to cover or go out there and cover and shoot the rush gotta hit home as well. So, I mean, hopefully there's some. We gonna have something. I mean, it's Monday, so, I mean, we got. We got some time to figure out how we execute it. But I know, especially for me, this is a pride game. I go into this game more than. More than excited, more than willing and able to go handle whatever needs to get handled. So, I mean, for myself, I'm just preparing myself for that. But I know everybody on the back end, we all gotta. We all gotta step up and really take pride in this game. Because, I mean, it's gonna go through. It's gonna go through Puka, it's gonna go through devonte and the big boys up front gotta handle the running back and the quarterback. So that's really how I'm looking at it.

[Host]

Yeah. Because you. I mean, you look at it like, well, it ain't no. Like, well, I follow this guy, you follow that guy. Because both of the guys line up. Touchdown. So, hey, either one of these guys, you know, can go off on a giver. And PUK is so physical, people don't realize how big Puka is. People think because he lines up in the slot. Jay, is that. He a small guy? No, big as hell.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

He got them Polynesian bones.

[Host]

Yeah. Who could be out there with no tape? Who could be out there just, just, just, just rolling?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

And it's funny because it's like, for me, I was like. I went to school with his brother Samson, so I, like, know the family, been around him, talk to him at the Pro bowl. And it's like, if you knew his family, you know how, like, nice he is. And, like, it's almost like he has plenty of, like, athletic family members. They all play basketball. Super crazy athletic. And it's like, for him to be the youngest doing what he's doing, it's really no surprise to me. Cause, I mean, shoot, we was trying to get him at Utah.

[Host]

Yeah. Look, you dealt with a core muscle injury. I think they call it a sports hernia. Is that what you.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Because that's not what I had.

[Host]

That's not what you have until. What did you have?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

No, I had tour. So initially, I tore my, like, adductor. So it's, like, with all those things kind of connected from the adductor going into the pelvic and then the core going into the pelvic, once you kind of tear one, you're kind of more likely gonna tear the other one. So in Detroit, I end up tearing pretty much the core part of that connection. And then naturally, I had some damage leaking to my other side, so I really got both sides repaired. Growing and core.

[Co-host]

Wow. So you good now, though, huh?

[Woody Marks]

Yeah.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I mean, as far as, like, my surgery injury go, but it's like the rehab is. Is almost never ended, almost for about a year, because, I mean, all the scar tissue builds up and being the position that I'm in. Sliding, moving, lateral.

[Host]

You got it. Hey, you got it.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Breaking it all. So it's.

[Woody Marks]

It.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

It's been. It's been tough on me, honestly, because it's like, when you know you can't move how you normally move, you start overcompensating. Now your mind is messed up, and now you, like, man, do I got it? Like, what am I. So now it's like, for me, that's really what I was fighting, like, the first three, four weeks. I mean, being in pain, taking damn numbing shots, and the. For the games to be able to go. I mean, it's really been a lot. I've been. Hey, it's. No, it's been some stuff, and people. Oh, man. Jalen's not healthy. You damn right I'm not all the way healthy. But I think, really just for me, just continuing to. Just continue to attack the rehab. I just got off the massage table a few hours ago, so just trying to just continue to give myself the best chance to win. But I'm looking forward to a full off. Season to get really healthy, but, you know.

[Host]

Jay. Go ahead, Ocho.

[Co-host]

Hey, listen, if you talk about getting healthy in the off season, you.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

You might know. I know where to go for a look.

[Co-host]

Where?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Where to you. I'm calling you up.

[Co-host]

There you go. I got. I got you listen, on the field, off the field. But I'm also. I have a meal plan that you can hire me as your nutritionist. I had you, right?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I'm already on it. I just had me and McGriddle McMuffin the other day.

[Co-host]

See, that's why.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

See, I'm trying to tell you, I'll bring it to the facility, ask the guys about me. I bring McDonald's chick fil a breakfast every Saturday.

[Co-host]

You see? You see why he's so great at what he do?

[Host]

Huh?

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I've been taking notes for show. For show. You got to get people what they want.

[Host]

See, if he's eating the chicken breast and he was eating the, you know, grill stuff, he wouldn't have had that.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Oh, snap.

[Host]

Nah, but. But that's. But that's the. That's the part that people don't see. Is that what an athlete does just to be able to go out there? Yeah. And then when you don't put up the numbers. You bet. When you don't put up the numbers or you're not playing like you're supposed to play, they the quick. The first thing, they holler, oh, he washed, bro. The man had surgery. He just came back. He's having to take injections just to get his ass out there. But you know what? All they see is one with Johnson on the back of that jersey. They don't care, but they don't care.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

How you got it.

[Host]

You could have drove a bulldozer to get to the game. You there now? Yeah.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Nah. And it's funny because it's like, that's why I'm glad. Like, I'm not on social media because, like, I don't see it. I just kind of hear from my people that are on it. But it's just like, for me, it's like I know what I'm going through, and it's like, realistically, I shouldn't even have came back. When I came back, like, I took every measure to try to push my body, push myself, and it's like, all y' all see, oh, yeah, Jalen's not healthy. It's like, yeah, but Jalen's also still giving the team the best chance to win, like, regardless of me being healthy or not. But, I mean, for Me, I ain't worried about it. At the end of the day, I know, I know what I can do and I know I'm getting better and you can see it on the tape. So, I mean, at the end of the day, that's all I can, that's all I can ask for.

[Host]

Well, we're glad you're back, man. Hopefully you get healthy, but hopefully the off season get you get to push that back a little bit.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I ain't going home.

[Host]

You got some big fish to fry right now.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I ain't going home right now, so.

[Host]

Man, congratulations on unbelievable season. Glad you got an opportunity to come back, stay healthy, go out there. Hey, you one step closer.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

No doubt.

[Host]

One step closer, man. Congratulations. Hey, when y' all take care of that, get to get that win on Sunday. Come to college, Come holl at us.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

I, I, I'll be back. Trust me.

[Host]

I appreciate it. Jalen Johnson, cornerback, Chicago Bears. They play Sunday, take on the Los Angeles Rams. He had a breakout performance in the Houston 30 to 6 win over the Steelers AFC wild card round. A career best 19 carries, 112 yards and a touchdown. Harry is the outstanding running back from the Houston Texans, Woody Marks. Woody, how you doing, bro? What's up, Woody, you muted?

[Woody Marks]

I'm doing good. What's up?

[Host]

Okay, we're good. That's if ISO. How you doing, bro? You good?

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, I'm good. Just living.

[Host]

Talk to us about that performance. You guys, you, your best game of your career and you had it on one of the biggest stage stages, the NFL, the wild card game. You're in Pittsburgh. You know, they, they do a really good job against the run. Why were you guys able to have such success running the football that night?

[Woody Marks]

Everybody started Wednesday. I knew, I knew it was going to have a big game. Just Wednesday, practice. When we first went out there, the guys was linking up and just moving people off the ball. And then it came on to Thursday. I was like, all right, it's carrying on. Then Friday, it's carrying on. Then we was like, our running back coach, he was like, yo, we gonna have a good night. Running the ball, it just came to life right there.

[Host]

It seemed like you guys wore them down. They had d' Amico on the sideline. He was talking about, that's what I'm talking about. Wear them out, wear them down. And you guys seem. Because that last touchdown, you broke like cellmate tackles. They were just like, what? The hell with it, it's over. You broke, you broke their will, you broke their spirit.

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, for sure. We was wearing down. We kind of heard it, them talking on, on the back end saying like, man, we running, we running straight at your face. That's what Nick Chubb told us we gotta do. So we coming straight at your face. They play bully ball, we gonna play bully ball too.

[Host]

Hey. Hey, Woody. You from the atl?

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, I'm from the A.

[Host]

Hey, what's up, bro? Hey, hey, tell me something. What's the biggest, what's the biggest changes from the, from the regular season to the post season that you notice in this year?

[Woody Marks]

The structure of it. You gotta be locked in. No plays off, every play matter fulfill extra points to kick off. How you, where you put in the landmark at Everything matters.

[Host]

Yeah. What high school you go to in Atlanta? Carver.

[Woody Marks]

Carver.

[Co-host]

Atlanta.

[Host]

Oh, okay, okay. Christian Kirk also had 144 receiving yards. What? What's. I mean, you guys have your, your best day on the biggest stage when it's needed the most. Did. I mean, could you. I mean, because your offense struggled a little bit early on. I mean you had three turnovers. Your defense kept, didn't, didn't bend and he didn't get, didn't concede anything. But you guys got it together. What was it about that week of practice that let you know that you guys had what it took to go on the road and get a very tough, hard fought victory, but you made it look convincing.

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, we ain't replay plays. I think we went. That was our fastest on Fridays. Not replay plays. So everybody was locked in. So I knew, I knew it was going to have a great game.

[Host]

So. Yeah. Hey, hey. What is like playing for DeMarco, Woody, considering, you know, him being a former player. And what's that? What's that? What's that been.

[Woody Marks]

Oh, it's kind of, it's good just seeing him. He'd be over there on the defense side playing linebacker when we on scout team.

[Host]

So you see how physically he was.

[Woody Marks]

He tried it, he tried to break it. Like you don't got no pets on.

[Host]

You better move out the way. Hey, what are you telling. Hey, d', Amico, bro, if I'd have been playing when you would have been playing, I'd have ran you.

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, for sure.

[Host]

Look, you got a very tough opponent. You got the New England Patriots and everybody knows what the Patriots represent, even though Tom Brady's not there. Mike Brable played a number of years with them. He brought, he brings that old school coaching. Kind of like you guys. Very physical in the run game. Play outstanding defense. Do not, do not Turn the ball over. Do not. Do not let them have big plays. And, and, and, and the weather prediction is indicating that it might be snow. Now, you guys play indoors, you guys play Indy, they play indoors. You play in Jacksonville. You is really nice and sunny. And Tennessee, I don't know when you went to Tennessee, sometimes Tennessee, it does get cold in Nashville. But this is what you. You one step away from being in the AFC Championship game. What is your thought process? What is Dico? Today was your first day of practice, if I'm not mistaken. So, no, yesterday was your first day of practice. What was the. What has been Dico's message?

[Woody Marks]

We take to play Houston ball? We're a tough team. No matter the condition, when they place that ball down, we're going to get the rocking. That's what we live by. Offense, defense, press the team. We all don't get the rocket when they place that ball down. We play inside. But we football players, we done played in the rain before. We done played in the snow before. Probably not football, but we done been outside in the snow just playing around as kids. We know the feeling of it. When we get there, we'll be used to it.

[Host]

You played for Cliff Kingsbury at ufc d'. Amico. What's the biggest difference between d' Amico and Cliff?

[Woody Marks]

I was with Link. Link, most of the time, it's really not a difference. Link kind of did the same thing. Be over there on scout team, but he was Lincoln.

[Host]

Lincoln Riley. I meant to say Lincoln ride. I said Lincoln Ride.

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, he was. He was more of an offensive. Offensive mind. That got Coach d'. Amico. He more of a defensive guy. So you kind of see the difference in between that. But both of them want to run the ball. I'm just hearing him say, we want to run the ball. You got to run the ball. That's. That's what people been preaching to me. You got to run the ball in the playoffs.

[Host]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Especially under them conditions y' all might be under, you know, this weekend. And you're gonna have your lump, your lunch pail ready, ready to go. Had a big boy pads on. Let me ask you this Houston, man, what's it like living in Houston? Oh, what am I living in? Hey, Woody. We're gonna come down there, hang out, Woody, but tell us about.

[Woody Marks]

You've been in Atlanta before. It's about the same.

[Host]

I live in Atlanta. I said that, man. I said it's like a big.

[Woody Marks]

It's a big Atlanta. About the same thing going on. She got good Food.

[Host]

Everything, whatever.

[Woody Marks]

Everything you got in Atlanta, you got out here.

[Host]

So I don't know. I think they got by a little bit more and used it. I ain't lying.

[Woody Marks]

Yeah, they probably got a little bit more.

[Host]

Yeah, a little bit. Hey, you gotta spread out there because, I mean, Ocho and Joe, we need to come out there, we need a dark place to. Place to lay our head. We gonna.

[Woody Marks]

I gotcha for sure.

[Host]

All right. That what I'm talking about. That what I'm talking about, y'. All. That's my homeboy for the crib. Oh, you know, homeboy link up. We go, hey, we go out, you know, grab a couple, drink, that's all. You know, we go Uber everywhere we go. We don't need to have no ride, just Uber. Yeah, gonna be good.

[Woody Marks]

Black truck.

[Host]

Huh?

[Woody Marks]

Black truck.

[Host]

Black truck. He say black truck. Yeah. Okay. Okay for that. I'm all for that. Huh?

[Woody Marks]

It's on you, though.

[Host]

Oh, I, I, I got, I gotta, I, I got. I gotta cover that. Yeah. What a hospitality.

[Woody Marks]

I got y' all the crib.

[Host]

Damn.

[Co-host]

I got you the crib.

[Host]

Okay, you know what? That's good enough. That's all I need. That's all I need. Beggars can't be choosing. You know what? You know what, Woody? We appreciate that.

[Co-host]

We.

[Host]

We go. We gonna have. We'll have. We'll do that. Hey, man, congratulations, man. Great work on Monday night, man. Carry it over. You guys look good. Tell d' amico I said, what's up, man? Wish you the best of luck. Good luck, bro. Yes, sir. Woody Marks, the outstanding young running back for the Houston Texas, had a breakout game. 19 carries, 112 yards, one touchdown. He ran extremely hard all night long. And at the end, it was that running, physical style that the Houston Texans offensive line and running backs played with. That finally wore down and the Levy burst. And when he rugged that long, that touchdown run, you could see that was the Pittsburgh Steelers. You saw something you hadn't seen from a Steelers defense in a very long time. They hung their heads because they know they had thoroughly gotten their ass kicked that night. So that, that, that run game and that defense, un. That's what kept them in it. Hey, what are we gonna get y' all on this, though? But y', all, you ran so hard, man. Mike Thomas stepped down the next day. He said, man, I want no more of this. That man, you saw that young man come in there and the other dude did that. The defense beat him like that. Deuces. But appreciate that with it, man. Enjoy. And enjoy this time, man. Hey, you got something special going. Keep it going, bro.

[Co-host]

For sure.

[Host]

Yes, sir. Appreciate you. Yes, sir. Oh, there's a viral video going around about a. A reporter having words of encouragement from Liam Cohen following the Jags playoff loss. Let's take a listen to what the video talks about. How you doing today? Lynn Jones, Jacksonville Free Press News. I just want to tell you congratulations on your success, young man. Thank you. You hold your head up, all right? You guys have had a most magnificent season. Thank you. You did a great job out there today. So you just hold your head and. Ladies and gentlemen, Duvall, you the one. All right? Keep it going. We got another season. Okay.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

Appreciate it.

[Host]

Take care.

[Co-host]

Much continued success to you and the entire team.

[Host]

Thank you, ma'. Am. While many see the. The video is very heartwarming, others have called her out. Now, Lynn Jones said that she's under criticism because she's black. I'm a member of the black press. I'm the editor of the Jacksonville Free Press in one of the. More than 230 African American papers support the black press.

[Co-host]

Oh, Joe, talk to me. Because. Because you're better. Because you're. You're somewhat in that space and understand when it comes to journalism, what you can and what you can do, what's professional, what's not professional. And for. For me on the outside, looking in, being that I'm not really in that space, being a player, not being a coach, but being a player and hearing words like that coming from someone who is supposed to be a journalist and ask questions on maybe why did you lose, what didn't go right? Stuff like that, and hearing something different for a change, to me, it was refreshing.

[Host]

Yes.

[Co-host]

Pressing to hear. I'm not used to it. That is my first time ever hearing.

[Host]

Someone approach probably the first time. Yeah. My first time hearing something like that.

[Co-host]

So I. I would love. I would love to hear your thoughts on what you did.

[Host]

Normally, media members are supposed to be independent. Yes. They're not supposed to support or criticize. I mean, you know, you could criticize, well, the plays here, the plays that. This. But she. It's not like she's a columnist. A columnist is different than a. A beat reporter. So from on one hand. Yes, yes. That is very out of the ordinary for them. For a reporter to say, you keep your head up.

[Co-host]

Yes, sir.

[Host]

You did a good job. We proud of you. Whatever. Whatever. All she said, there's next year. Normally, reporters coach, obviously was a tough loss for the season, but what. What did you think if you could do it over again. What would you like to have over? What would play, you know, things of that nature. So we don't normally. That's. I think a better word is that reporters are supposed to lack empathy. They're not supposed to show compassion in that moment. She can see that his head was down. She's probably covered him. She's probably been every press conference this man has had since he's been the head coach of the Jags.

[Co-host]

Yes, sir.

[Host]

She could see he was hurting. She would see he was down. The empathy that she showed in that moment, most journalists, like, I understand it's nice, but she can't. She's not supposed to do that. She's supposed to be Switzerland. She's supposed to be neutral. Right. So she's not supposed to be sad. She's not supposed to be excited. She's not supposed to be disappointed. She's not supposed to be angry. She's supposed to just ask questions and write.

[Co-host]

Do her. Do her job. Basically, matter of fact, for her, she. She is the outlet for what the fans want to hear. She's supposed to ask the question to the head coach in that moment so the fans can get the answers on why things didn't go the way they think it should have.

[Host]

That is correct.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Listen, I understand both sides. Obviously, the notion that it was unprofessional. I don't like that part of it, because to me, it was refreshing to hear reporter actually have empathy for head coach in that situation, with all the work that they put in, the success that they've had this season, and seeing that coach is obviously distraught in that moment. So giving him that praise in that moment, I don't see anything wrong with it. But I can see those that are journalists, that are columnists, that are in that space and. And do their job in a certain manner in a certain way, and finally seeing someone do it a little bit differently than what they're not used to hearing or seeing. I can see why they're upset.

[Host]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm. I'm not surprised that she got the criticism that she got. I knew that was coming. I knew that was coming because like you said, like I said, journalists are not supposed to have basically any emotion. You're just asking. You're just asking questions because you are the. The link between the fan and the coach. Right. You're asking questions that you think the fans would want, that would want answers to and deserve answers to. So you're not supposed. If someone's down, you're not supposed to show compassion. Somebody's feeling so too good, you're not supposed to try and bring them down. You're just, you're there, you're just to ask questions. Right. But like you said, it is, it is, it is. It was different.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

And I, I think, I wish personally more people had empathy. I don't think we have enough.

[Co-host]

No, absolutely not.

[Host]

Actually, I don't think we have enough compassion. Right.

[Co-host]

Especially in those spaces. Especially in those spaces. I'm curious what the, what the chat would think. Chad, I would love to hear your thoughts, you know, on, on, on her, you know, taking a different approach as opposed to asking questions, but giving coach grace, you know, for the work he had done and telling him to keep his head up. I'm just curious to hear what you guys may think as well.

[Host]

Well, I think the thing is, I think for the most part the chat is going to like. Most people are level headed and they, they, It's kind of like Ocho. I look at it like this. When somebody else have surgery, it's minor. When you have surgery, it's major. So people don't. As long as if I get empathy, I'm cool with no one else getting empathy. Right. Or compassion. And I think the thing is that, you know, we've all been there and we needed to pick me up and, and I think in that space, as a journalist, that's one of the things that you're talking journalism. You're not supposed to feel one way or another or you're supposed to suppress those and not let people know. Do I think journalists have a liking to certain players? Sure. Do I think journalists have a liking to certain coaches? Sure. Do I think player, Do I think journalists have a certain dislike to certain players and coaches? Absolutely, yes. At the end of the day, a journalist is a human being. You might be, you're might supposed to be able to contain your emotions. That doesn't mean your absence of them. And I think that's the, the biggest thing is that people think, okay, just you're this. No, I still have emotions, I still have feelings. I feel, I still have empathy, I still feel sympathy. I still have compassion. I still have, you know, I get angry or get upset or whatever the term that you, you, you want to use. You know, at the end of the day, no matter what my occupation is, what my title is, no matter how much money, at the end of the day, when you, If I got $700 billion, if you got Elon Musk money, Elon Musk is still a man. He still Maybe the same thing that triggers, that makes him get upset doesn't make you get upset. Maybe it's the same thing that makes him happy, doesn't make you happy. But he still has emotions. Humans are not robots. They're, they're not devoid of feelings. But I thought it was, I, I, it was a, a, it was refreshing.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

To hear her say that. But I knew she was going to catch some criticism for forcing in that space. Now she had pulled him aside, nobody would ever heard, but she said it in a public forum.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Host]

And I think, you know, so I'm not, I'm not surprised of the criticism that she's receiving for what she said because I, I, I knew it was going to happen on show. I did, I really did. But it's over and done with now. I mean, I just, you know, sometimes I do wish we had more compassion in that, you know, But some people have more than others. That's just the way it is, Ocho. Yeah, we, some people just have more compassion than others. I mean, maybe, maybe it's a game, but I always give homeless people money and maybe it's a con. Maybe they're not homeless at all. Maybe, maybe they got a car parked across the street somewhere and they get in their car and, and change clothes or go home and shower and put on it.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Host]

And do, and do it all over again. But hey, it is what it is. They'll have to answer for that. I won't.

[Joe Ojo]

Right.

[Host]

That's, that's the way I look at it. That's, that's the way I look at it. So I like Liam Cohen. I think, I think the Jags have a very, very bright, promising future in front of them. Yeah, they got, they got a good team. They got a good team and the guy they took with the second pick in the draft really didn't give them anything. So when he comes back as a wide receiver, you saw Parker Washington step up. They got Jacoby Myers. Brian Thomas Jr. Didn't have the type of season that he had the, the previous year.

[Co-host]

Yes.

[Host]

So just imagine if he gets back to, to what he was. Ocho.

[Co-host]

Man, you know, you know what? And I also look at it. We're now with the way Parker Washington played this year. Brian Thomas Jr. Is probably going to be there next year. Jacoby's there now. I can see a role where now.

[Host]

Travis Hunter playing full time DB and a part time wide receiver.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Full time db, part time wide receiver. Yep. I think that's probably what it's going.

[Host]

To be Which I thought was the best case scenario for him anyway. But hey, you said that that'll be something that I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to talk about that once they get back into the OTAs again and once they get the training camp, we'll kind of see where and I'm sure the, the reporters that are at practice, they'll be. He's taking this many snaps on the defensive side, this many snaps on the offensive side and maybe it flow fluctuates up and down, but I think that's kind of the direction that they're heading in. I think probably where he gets the majority of his snaps on the defensive side and takes a few snaps here and there where he can help them on the offensive side. Big news of the day. Mike Tomlin, after 19 years, steps down for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And because he stepped down, that means if he signs with another team, they're going to owe the Pittsburgh Steelers compensation. So it probably was a mutual agreement. Look, you do your thing, we're going to do our thing. We're going to move in a different direction. But to make it look classy, we're not terminating you because that's three coaches in 50 years. Chuck Noll took it from 69 to 92. Coach Kywey took it from what from 92 until 2006, 2007 and then Mike Tomlin took it over from there. So they've only had three coaches and 50 plus in what since 1969. So you can't argue the success that the Steelers have had. But I think this was great for both teams because I do not believe the Pittsburgh Steelers were any closer be it with Mike Tomlin. Based on how their roster is assembled, the quarterback situation, the offense, I don't think they were close. And having a non losing season, that's not what you're really going for, ojo.

[Co-host]

And that's not the standard. It's never been the standard. When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they are a championship winning organization. If I'm not mistaken, they have what, five, six? Lombardi? No, they have six. So obviously with the standard being the standard, you can't be satisfied with just saying, okay, at least we don't have a non lose season. We above.500 this year. I told, we talked about it last night. I think they're gonna allow him to walk away. And lo and behold, today, you know, he walks away.

[Host]

It's shocking. I didn't think that what you think, man? I think, I think Mike Tomlin took a good Hard look at the situation and was like, you know what, maybe I should take some time off. But like y' all said, I think it was a mutual decision and I think he's gonna get a coaching job somewhere because there's so many coaching vacancies in the NFL right now and it's a lot of jobs that look pretty good. And I think, I think he'll definitely end up coaching again somewhere. Me personally, I think he moves to the front of the list. I think he jumps in front of John Harbaugh. I think so. And you look now what thought was, you know, Harbaugh has his pick. A pick. Yeah. Right now with Mike Tomlin on the thing, because you're talking about somebody that's been 19 years, that's been the multiple Super Bowls. Yes. He only won one. Yeah, he's won more division titles than John Harbaugh. So the Giants, that looks appealing. Atlanta, that looks appealing. Tennessee, that looks appealing. I think Mike Tomlin is going to have this choice where he wants to go. Where does he want to coach? Does he want to take a year off, just do tv or does he want to jump right back in it?

[Co-host]

What if it's not even NFL? What if he takes a college job? What if some vacancies in college? I'm not sure if he wants to have to deal with the nil drama, but still, I think Mike Tomlin is going to be able to go anywhere, whether it's the college level, whether it's.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

The NFL, but he's going to have.

[Co-host]

To go to a situation that's advantageous for him. But if you don't have a quarterback, you can be right back in purgatory like you were with the damn Steelers.

[Host]

Right? I agree. I don't see. I don't see college for Mike come. I don't either. I don't see. And first of all, there's no college vacancies open currently that hiring cycle. I mean, LSU's gotten filled by Lane Kippen. Penn State's been filled. So all the coaching vacancies has been filled. But they have a lot of them in the NFL. Arizona is available. Atlanta's available. Tennessee is available. The Giants are available. I like the Giants. But hey, now it's been reported that LaFleur and the packers are trying to work on a long term deal. You got one more year left. You got one more year left and you don't want to be a lame duck. You want some, some security and you want the team to realize like, okay, because a lot of Times the players will look like, man, you only got one year. We ain't listening to you. So give him some security. Let him, let the team know that he is in charge. But Mike Thomas, this shocked me. And now you said it last night that you thought the Steelers would allow him to step away. Away from it. I didn't see that coming. I did not see that. No, I didn't.

[Co-host]

I mean, honestly, the writing was on the wall. The writing was on the wall. And the, the, the, the fire Tomlin stuck. You know, the noise, it got louder and louder, Joe. It got louder and louder. Fans becoming, you know, kind of dissatisfied with just me. Mediocrity. That's never been a standard for the Pittsburgh Steelers. So at some point, understanding. And the problem is. This is the problem. When you had been Ro Burger, you should have already had someone.

[Host]

They didn't have a concession plan.

[Co-host]

They should have had it in place.

[Host]

They didn't want to step on his toes, though. Green Bay gave you the blueprint.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

They had Brett Bar still playing at elite level. They get Aaron Rodgers. They get Aaron Rodgers still playing at elite level to get Jordan Love. Now you got a succession plan in place. But you wait. Well, I don't want to step on. And bro, you can't worry about his feeling, cuz guess what? He's happy. Man. They ain't drafting quarterback, but now look where you, look where it left you. Right. So because, you know, Ben started to get older, you could tell Ben wasn't the same guy.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

So you, in order to be a head coach, that, and this is, I think, one of the reasons why coaches don't get close to players. Because at some point in time, you're gonna have to let your best player. You're gonna have to let him go. You would have to make very, very tough decisions.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host]

And so that's why I, I'm, I'm, I'm really surprised that, that Mike Tomlin decided to step away. But like you said, it was a situation where the, the, the noise, it has started to get louder and louder. I mean, like really fire Mike Tomlin. Yeah. You never heard. I don't think you heard. I mean, like I said, I wasn't. But we didn't have 24 hours of social media like with Coach. No. Or Coach Coward. I know early on when Coach Cow didn't have. But Coach Kyle went to the super bowl in his third year. Mike Tomlin won the super bowl in his second year. Yeah. So he's had success and went back again. Three, I think Three years later, ended up losing to the Packers. But since then. We talked about it last night, guys. Joe Ojo and I was talking seven straight losses in the playoffs. Tied for Martin, tied with Marvin Lewis for the longest in NFL history. Look, we love Marvin. I was. He was the defensive coordinator when I was in Baltimore. Orchestrated a historic defense. He was your head coach. Seven straight losses in NFL history as long as the NFL's been going on. That ain't a record. That's not something you want to be a part of. Not in the post, not what you want to be a part of. But I like Mike Tomlin, though, for a number of reasons. First off, he's a culture changer. Yeah. You know what I mean? Absolutely. And not only that, y' all know this because y' all play the game, but he's gonna get the respect. Absolutely. Any other players? All the players on the team. He walks in instantaneously. So wherever he goes or whatever chance he get, like Unc said, he probably jumped. He'll probably jump hardball, jump to the front of the line, man, get a job. But, man, they know he'll come change the culture wherever he goes.

[JJ Jaylen Johnson]

So.

[Co-host]

Okay, I'm looking forward to it, but if anything. Shoot.

[Host]

We got a special guest joining us for boys night out. Good friend of mine. I've been knowing this dude, man.

[Joe Ojo]

Do, baby. Huh?

[Host]

He owe you. Yeah, he know. Oh, wait, Okay.

[Co-host]

I owe you.

[Host]

Remember?

[Joe Ojo]

We bet a thousand and so.

[Co-host]

For real.

[Host]

Oh, he. He developed some amnesia. You do.

[Co-host]

I got you. I got you.

[Host]

Thank Jo. I've been knowing this dude. This dude and I, we used to work out together, run track together, go break bread together. So it's always good to see him. Even though every day, once in a while, we'll text each other, man, you in Atlanta. Y' all in Atlanta. Let's go break bread. So it's good to see you. Oh, no. Stepping down. Are you surprised that the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are parting ways?

[Joe Ojo]

I'm surprised. You know, he was there for so long. One of him and Harbaugh, the two coaches, two decades. And like you say, you only can coach what you got.

[Host]

Yes.

[Joe Ojo]

And if you ain't got it, you know, sometimes fans want you to have more. And I think he got a lot out the team he had. They were still missing some offensive pieces. You know, he tried, made the playoff. And, hey, they ran to a juggernaut last night. Houston is the best defense in the league. So you got a 40 year old quarterback.

[Host]

Yes.

[Joe Ojo]

That's gonna be hard to Beat them young guys it is.

[Host]

But the problem, and you're right, you can only coach what you have. But a part of his job is to make sure they have. Yes, he's in charge, he's in charge of the roster. He chose to go get a 42 year old quarterback. I don't know what you were thinking, how far a 42 year old quarterback is going to take it, especially in the cold. Most quarterbacks, as they start to get age, as they get older, they like warm weather, they like Miami, they like Tampa, they like to be indoors. Second of all, when he had an opportunity, I, I think the thing is he allowed his relationship with Ben Roethlisberger not to, not allow him to draft a successor to Roethlisberger like Green Bay did. They had a successor for Brett Favre, they had a successor for Aaron Rodgers. You, you've got, you've got to thinking, you got to project down the road. You can't like think Ben Roethenberg is going to play there for 30 years. And so I, I, I think that's what really happened because in the, the way the NFL is set up now, it used to be bring your run game, bring your defense and you can get away with a marginal quarterback.

[Joe Ojo]

Right.

[Host]

In today's NFL, you got to have a stud to play that position. If you want to go far, you can make the playoffs. But if you talk about going far and winning and challenging for championships without, without that piece, it's, it's not happening. I heard you and Joe talking earlier. Trey Young, right, got traded. I'm surprised, but I think what happened and Joey, we talk about this in his absence. You saw Jaylen Johnson go to another level and you're like, hold on, this kid, young, he's 6 foot 9, he can handle the ball, he can dish out assist, he can rebound, he can score. Trey, we love Trey, but we're talking about a guy that's six foot tall, that really doesn't rebound, that doesn't play defense. Yeah, let's move in a different direction. Let's see what we can get as far as that set. Joe, let's go to you first. Are you surprised that they finally moved on from Trey? No, I'm not surprised. I thought the writing was on the wall because they played so great when he wasn't in the lineup. And then you put the ball in the hands of Jalen Johnson. I didn't know he could playmate the way he does. Like I told y', all, I just told Oak in the month of December, he Averages triple double. Yeah, like, that's rare for a guy six, nine, handling the rock. He can score the ball, he can make guys around him better. And then the guys that surround him, they all lock in, play defense. They gritty, bro. They gritty. So I think that kind of showed when Trey was absent out the lineup. And obviously they was. They. They was ready to move on from him. That's why you don't let nobody get. Get your spot.

[Joe Ojo]

And that's why when you buy a Bentley, they said, when you buy a Bentley, keep low miles on it. When you sell it, you get your money back.

[Host]

Exactly.

[Joe Ojo]

So I guess Atlanta trying to sell Trey get his money back and give.

[Host]

It to somebody else, but they really didn't get much. They basically got CJ on an expiring contract. Yeah. That seemed like the way they wanted to go to have some maneuverability this off season. So, I mean, Trey was the face of the franchise. I don't think Atlanta ever forgave them for swapping. You had Luca. You traded Luca for Trey. It. And I think Trey was perfect for the city because Atlanta. But you look at what Luca doing. Luca, Right. Yeah. Well, neither one will play defense, though.

[Joe Ojo]

Neither one play defense. But I think Atlanta didn't go to get the pieces that fit with Trey. And LA would get the pieces that fit with Luca.

[Host]

Correct.

[Joe Ojo]

But Luca's still a problem too. He's six.

[Host]

Six.

[Joe Ojo]

Trey's five, 11, six feet. But my thing is both are going to shoot the three. I think Luca maybe get the guys involved more than Trey. But Trey's small.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Ojo]

So in Washington, he can be okay. Because they need somebody to bring the fans in.

[Host]

Yes.

[Joe Ojo]

And then his contract, they're gonna pay him for the next three or four years. He gonna get his money. Yeah, but they gonna see what it can involve with the team.

[Host]

Right.

[Joe Ojo]

That's gonna be the thing.

[Host]

I think the biggest thing is also, Joe, is that being a great player on a bad team. They're a bad team. Yeah.

[Joe Ojo]

Let's get your number.

[Host]

That's. Yeah, that's what you go get your.

[Joe Ojo]

Numbers in the NBA now. Guys getting their numbers, they're getting paid. Teams when they pay you, that's 30, 40 million, they want to see something.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Joe Ojo]

Most time a lot of these guys get that 34 million. They game going the other way.

[Host]

Yeah, they're not really. They're not look and look on really good teams. You can't be paying a whole bunch of guys. You got to, like, settle in Now. Oklahoma City, you saw what they did. They gave Shay his money. They gave J Dub his money, they gave Tre his money. But at some point in time, you can't pay everybody. Everybody can't be on the max contract. So they're going to start losing some of those auxiliary pieces. Kind of like what happened with Golden State. Yeah. Retired. And these other guys start going different places and start branching off. So it cuts into your depth. But you look at Atlanta, I still don't think Atlanta is a contender, even without. Even with C.J. and Johnson and Dyson, Daniels and Walker, I don't. I don't think they probably need about another piece or two. Meaning as far as Biggs, another rim protector. Yes. A guy who can move great in pick and roll, things of that nature. But I think they on the right trajectory. As far as you know where they're trying to go now. Are they going to get there? I don't know. But I like, I like the team that they have. Those guys, blue collar workers, they got some guys who can score. And like I said, big fella Jalen Johnson, he makes all those guys better. So they're a fun team to watch. Though he definitely should be. He definitely should be an all star. Oh, he'd be all NBA. Yeah. All NBA. Yeah. All NBA. If he keep up what he did.

[Joe Ojo]

In December, he got a good chance.

[Host]

Yeah. I didn't know he.

[Joe Ojo]

But this brings something else to Atlanta. The ball flowing.

[Host]

Yeah, there you go.

[Joe Ojo]

Guys stand around waiting.

[Host]

What, what, what trade going to do Dominate the ball, Right.

[Joe Ojo]

So now they gonna have more team chemistry. And they. When you get more team chemistry, everybody gonna like, okay, go out and fight.

[Host]

Everybody feel like they're part of something.

[Joe Ojo]

They gonna go out and fight every night. So now they go to Atlanta. Like I said, the fans might be mad at trading, but they gonna see you like on the floor.

[Host]

That's when you're gonna see the difference. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That ball hopping. Oh, I know you follow football. So what you think? You see the first game on Saturday, you got the Broncos, Buffalo, and then you got the 49ers who went into Philly and pulled upset. They take on the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks beat them the last game of the last game of the season to take over that division. And then you got the Patriots take on the Texans. And then you got. Yeah. And the Broncos and Buffalo. Who you like?

[Joe Ojo]

I don't know. It's gonna be tough. I've been saying, you're saying some of the. Probably the best football in years, right, Guys, you know, going down to the last possession and the defenses, you know. Yeah, I don't know that. I know they want Buffalo to be there, but, you know, you got to win the game to get there.

[Host]

Exactly.

[Joe Ojo]

But I think I'm gonna go with the young Dogs. I'm going with Houston, and I think even Seattle is playing great, but I think New England, Buffalo. I probably take New England. New England. New England, Seattle in the Super Bowl.

[Host]

Wow.

[Co-host]

I like that.

[Host]

I can see that.

[Co-host]

I like that.

[Host]

A re a rematch of Super Bowl 49. There you go. Maybe it'll be a different outcome.

[Joe Ojo]

You got a baby Tom Brady.

[Host]

Yeah, New England. And they got that defense in Seattle.

[Joe Ojo]

Defense in Seattle.

[Host]

Yeah. Yeah, man. Oh. Appreciate you joining us, football.

[Joe Ojo]

No problem, man. Thank you, guys.

[Host]

Boys night out. Appreciate you, man.

[Co-host]

All I'm going get that money to you.

[Host]

Oak. So let me go ahead. I'mma collect oak money.

[Joe Ojo]

I a let nobody owe me this long.

[Host]

Oak say he a long shark.

[Joe Ojo]

10,000, 40,000 you got.

[Host]

He don't cover. Yeah, okay. I'm saying appreciate you, old man. Thank you for stopping by, man.