Hour 1: NFL Divisional Weekend

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: NFL Divisional Weekend

Introduction In the January 17, 2025 episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve into the excitement of the NFL Divisional Weekend. The episode focuses primarily on the high-stakes matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills, exploring team dynamics, key players, and strategic insights. The discussion is enriched with listener interactions, offering a comprehensive analysis for both avid fans and casual listeners.

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1. Setting the Stage for Divisional Weekend At the outset ([00:51]), Don Hahn introduces the transition from Wild Card Weekend to the more intense Divisional Round, highlighting the entrance of powerhouse teams like Kansas City and Detroit. The hosts emphasize the elevated competition and the anticipation surrounding the "big boys" of the playoffs.

Notable Quote:

• Don Hahn ([00:51]): "And the teams with by Kansas City and Detroit join the party."

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2. Flotsam and Jetsam: A Metaphorical Insight The conversation quickly shifts to the phrase "flotsam and jetsam," with Peter Rosenberg questioning its relevance and audience understanding ([01:53]). Don Hahn provides an interesting take by referencing the 80s metal band Flotsam and Jetsam, linking it to his personal experiences with metal music ([02:14]).

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg ([01:53]): "But how many people out there really know what flotsam and Jetsam really is?"
• Don Hahn ([02:14]): "I played some Flotsam and Jets. So that's who I think about."

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3. Analyzing the Ravens vs. Bills Showdown The core of the episode centers on the upcoming game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills. Don Hahn expresses confidence in the Ravens’ ability to advance to the Super Bowl, citing the strength of their defense and Lamar Jackson's leadership ([06:26]).

Key Discussion Points:

• Team Strengths:

  • Ravens: Powerful running game led by Derrick Henry, robust defense.
  • Bills: Speed and finesse-oriented offense, reliance on Josh Allen's versatility.

• Player Performance:

  • Lamar Jackson: Don Hahn anticipates a breakout season leading to a Super Bowl victory and possibly a third MVP award ([08:13]).
  • Josh Allen: Peter Rosenberg is skeptical about Allen's ability to carry the Bills to a championship, emphasizing his tendency to make risky throws when under pressure ([06:21]).

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn ([06:26]): "I believe the Chiefs can be had. I don't believe they're going back to the Super Bowl."
• Peter Rosenberg ([06:21]): "This is the premier game. This is the one that builds up to the end."

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4. Defensive Strategies and Game Predictions The hosts engage in a detailed analysis of defensive strategies, debating which team can make the pivotal stops needed to turn the tide in their favor. Don Hahn critiques the Bills' defense, suggesting they might struggle against the Ravens' aggressive playstyle ([14:34]).

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn ([14:34]): "I just don't trust this Bill's defense."
• Peter Rosenberg ([15:50]): "I think this is going to be a shooterout."

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5. Listener Interactions and Diverse Perspectives Throughout the episode, listeners call in to share their thoughts, adding depth to the discussion. For instance, Danny from Long Island raises concerns about the Ravens' defensive schemes and their ability to counter the Bills' offensive tactics ([17:46]).

Notable Listener Contribution:

• Danny ([17:46]): "Buffalo coach doesn't get this Zubo, I'm not sure he has a job next year."

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6. Over/Under Bets and Betting Strategies Don and Peter explore the wagering aspects of the game, discussing over/under bets and the potential for high-scoring outcomes. They challenge each other on their predictions, showcasing their competitive spirits ([34:54]).

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn ([34:54]): "It's probably 51 and a half."
• Peter Rosenberg ([35:35]): "All right. You missed it. 55."

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7. Quarterback Legacy and MVP Conversations A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Lamar Jackson's place among the NFL's elite quarterbacks. Don Hahn argues for Jackson's inclusion in the top tier based on his performances and potential ([48:15]), while Peter Rosenberg urges caution, emphasizing that Jackson is still in the midst of his career and must achieve more to solidify his legacy ([49:36]).

Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn ([48:15]): "He's just turned 28 years old. So before he turns, you know, before he turns 29 years old, he could have a Super Bowl and three MVPs."
• Peter Rosenberg ([49:36]): "I just feel like we're shoving him into a conversation with all-time greats and he's still in the midst of his career."

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8. Cultural Musings and Personal Anecdotes Injecting personality into the show, Don and Peter reminisce about metal music and personal encounters with bands like Anthrax and Judas Priest ([30:07], [43:17]). These segments offer a glimpse into their lives outside of sports, fostering a deeper connection with listeners.

Notable Anecdote:

• Don Hahn ([30:07]): "He gave me. I got his number, and I called him, said, you got to come to the radio station…"

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Conclusion The episode wraps up with continued banter about upcoming sports events, including the New York Knicks' game against the Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. The hosts maintain their engaging and dynamic interplay, leaving listeners anticipating future discussions and analyses.

Final Notable Quotes:

• Don Hahn ([37:07]): "I'm rooting to be wrong."
• Peter Rosenberg ([37:32]): "This feels like the year they're going to finally knock off Mahomes and the Chiefs."

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Closing Thoughts "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" offers a compelling mix of in-depth sports analysis, personal insights, and lively discussions. This episode serves as a testament to the hosts' expertise and passion for football, providing listeners with valuable perspectives as they tune into the NFL Divisional Weekend.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's drive.

[Don Hahn]

Learn more about chevy [e-mail] safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver's responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Read the vehicle owner's manual for important feature limitations and information.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Time.

[Don Hahn]

One day you're not gonna play football anymore. And if there's a God up above, it'll be soon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Han Huge. No, but big yeah. And Rosenberg, I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg on 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York.

[Don Hahn]

App 3:00 in the big city. It's a football Friday. Don Hahn and Rosenberg. That's right, Football Friday Wild card weekend is over. You get rid of the flotsam and jetsam now you get into the divisional round of the playoffs and the big boys come to play in the second round of the playoffs. And the teams with the by Kansas City and Detroit join the party. Oh, we got so much going on today. Alan. How are you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm good. I'm at Madison Square Garden. Of course we've got a lot going on today. The Knicks played tonight against the Timberwolves. Little Julius Randle reunion party tonight at the Garden. So we'll talk about that. A. Of course. But I love that you guys always use that phrase and I'd heard of it growing up reading books and stuff. But how many people out there really know what flotsam and Jetsam really is? That's a very dated aged kind of description. But it's, it's fitting. But I do wonder if people who are, you know, the non boaters in the world have any idea when you say flotsam and Jetsam what you're talking about.

[Don Hahn]

Well, no, I, I will say this. The reason I use it is because, and not everybody knows this. There was a metal band in the 80s called Flotsam and Jetsam. And I don't know how familiar you are with metal, but the former bass player of Metallica was Jason Newsted. He came from Flotsam and Jetsam like that was his band before he joined Metallica. And they had a couple of songs that I like when I did a metal show when I went to Ramapo. The beast is unleashed. It was every Friday night from like 8 to 2 o'clock in the morning. We play some Flotsman Jets. So that's who I think about. I don't think about the whole, you know, I guess stuff after a wreckage. I guess it's what it was supposed to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's that it's basically. It's like things floating in the water.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Flotsam and jets.

[Don Hahn]

Right. And that's, that's where Michael was talking about. I'm talking Flotsam and jetsam, the, the, the metal band from the 80s. But either way, I think I don't know what you're talking about. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All. They just put out an album.

[Don Hahn]

They did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I Am the Weapon.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, cool. I lost track of them after like 89.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, exactly. No Place for Disgrace. That's the album you know about.

[Don Hahn]

That's the album. What year was it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

88.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, see? And just quickly give me the tracks because there's one track that I love, but I can't remember the name because it's a long time ago and.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Stand by. No, I'm on it now. They're a Phoenix, Phoenix based band, by the way. No, the title track, no Place for Disgrace. Right. Dreams of Death, Any Terror, Escape From Within. They covered Elton John's Saturday Nights, all right.

[Don Hahn]

For Fighting, which was not a bad cover.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They have a song that is called Hard on you, I Live, you Die, and Misguided Fortune, the Jones, which is an instrumental. And then there's a song that's just a, an acronym paab.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I, I, I, I think it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

None of these ring a bell.

[Don Hahn]

I, I, There's a couple of good songs on that. And they, and they actually do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got to hear the COVID for Saturday Nights. All right. For Fighting. Man, I got to hear that cover.

[Don Hahn]

Because, well, I'm sure Jacob will find it. But if you know the original from Elton John, I'm not saying it's heavy, but it's, it's got a, a faster beat to it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

So you can, you can understand the metal band covering it, but that's what I think of on a Flotsam and Jetsam. And for those of you who don't know what that means, I'm talking about the teams that really don't belong. You say goodbye to the Tampas, you know, you say goodbye to the Packers. And now we got, we're gonna have Vikings.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. It's like, all right, move it on. This is cute. You guys made your playoffs. You had your little moment. But let's get to now the big boys. Let's get to some real football. That's what we've got.

[Don Hahn]

And we've got this weekend. There are big boys playing. And I'm gonna stick to my guns on this one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is what I mean, man. I got a problem with it. Yeah. Like, you said this yesterday, and I felt like it was too soon.

[Don Hahn]

Okay.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was too soon to jump on you about it. Because I've heard this before, and a lot of. A lot of times we do this. Like, we see a game, we're like, well, whoever wins this one. And I've always laughed at that notion because I really would love to check and see how many times that actually happened. Because, Dom, think about this game for a minute and think about when you come out of this game. You're going to be exhausted, mentally fried. You are going to be beaten up. This game is not going to be an easy game for either team. It is going to be a grinder. That's why it's the last game of the weekend, man. This is the premier game. This is the one that builds up to the end. We're all going to be sitting watching. It will get the best rating. It will get everything that you expect. This is the best game because we all know this is the best matchup. But it doesn't tell me that this is all. The winner is going to win the super bowl. Because this is why you want the buy. This is why you want the top seed. This is why you make sure it does matter in the NFL. It does matter, because the Chiefs are going to have a scrimmage and they're going to be done early on Saturday. Scrimmage, day off Sunday, Chill, sit back, watch these two guys slug it out.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then come to Kansas City the week later. This is setting up for me to be one of those games that there'll be tons of narratives, and then years from now, you'll be like, who was it that lost to the Chiefs in AFC Championship? Yeah, forgot. Like, you're gonna get that. You know you're gonna get that because of the way it's setting up.

[Don Hahn]

But here's the thing. You know where I'm coming from. I believe the Chiefs can be had. I don't believe they're going back to the Super Bowl.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. I know you think they're for Gazi.

[Don Hahn]

That's why I'm looking at the winner of this game moving on to the Super Bowl. And I think they'll beat whoever's in the nfc because I think the AFC has been better than the nfc. So there's some logic to it. I'M not getting caught up in the moment. The best game of the weekend and all that. And. And buying into the hyperbole, I really feel this now. I could be wrong, but I'm not afraid to say. I. I always hate, as a talk show host when I have an opinion like that, and I'm like, you know what? I'm not gonna go there because it's gonna. It's gonna stir up a lot of stuff. It's gonna feel like an artificial hot take, and then it happens, and I'm like, oh, man, why didn't I just say it? But you know what? I'm feeling it and I'm good. And you know what? I'll be here on Tuesday because we're not on Monday because we got the Knicks. Knicks play the traditional Martin Luther King day game at 3 at the Garden. So we're going to be out on Tuesday. I will be here on Tuesday or whenever. You know, obviously it won't be answered on Tuesday, but if the Chiefs win again or the winner of this game doesn't win the Super Bowl, I'll be on the next day to answer your questions and be humiliated on the air. I'm not going to hide. I'm not going to call in sick, okay? I'm going to stand by my opinion. But I look at these two teams. I think these are the class teams. And maybe one of the reasons I'm feeling it is I love the Ravens, and I think this is a really difficult spot for the Buffalo Bills. I'm sorry, man. I know we got our picks coming up at 545, but I'm not gonna sit on my hands for three hours for our stupid picks. I love. All right, no, but listen. I don't, you know, listen. Obviously they're gonna cover the. It's a one and a half point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Spread, so the spread doesn't mean anything.

[Don Hahn]

But the thing is, is that, you know, when I do kickboxing and Kimball is my trainer and he wants us, he always say it's time to bully the bag. That means it's time. It's time to, you know, end the end. Usually we end our workout with just a minute flurry on the bag. Bully the bag.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Love it.

[Don Hahn]

That's what the Ravens are to me. They're the big bullies. The Bills are the finesse team. Now, you don't think a buffalo is finesse. You think a buffalo is, you know, the big hairy creature in the snow and. But they're a finesse team. They're a speed team. Their defense is on the smaller side. They thrive on speed. This. This is a big, heavy, thick Baltimore Ravens team that's going to run it down your throat. They're not going to be caring about the cold and all that. And I think that the conditions help out the Ravens. Speed teams have difficulty in snow and in cold weather. And I love this Ravens matchup. I do. And I just think the Ravens are primed. I think Lamar Jackson is primed. He's going to win a third Super. He's going to win a third mvp, going to follow it up with a Super bowl championship. I think this is the Ravens time, and I want the Bills to win because I. I want the Bills to go. I'm sick of them losing. I want to see them win. But my head tells me this is the Ravens. The. This is the Ravens year, and this is the Ravens game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you think it's. It's finally time for Lamar Jackson? That's what you're saying?

[Don Hahn]

That's what I'm saying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The guy who. The guy who dominates the regular season and then you come playoffs, and then he turns into a pumpkin, right?

[Don Hahn]

I'm ready, like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But this is the year. That's what you're telling me. This is the year. And your belief in it and your reasoning for this is you just feel like it's time. Like, you're not giving me an analytical reason. You're more going off. Feel like eventually a guy this good has got to break through at some point. He's got to have his moment. Right? Like, like, you know, we've seen it throughout sports where, you know, this guy finally takes his team to a championship like this. You know, whether it's Matthew Stafford, although he had to be traded, but it's always like, it's. It's his turn. Does it feel like that for you? Is that what we're going.

[Don Hahn]

It feels like that, but there is some analytic view to it. I mean, he's always had a decent running game, but not, not, not this guy. I mean, not a Hall of Famer. And Derrick Henry, I think, has really helped. Now Flowers, we'll see if he plays. Doesn't look like he's going to, but he's got other weapons. But, but he. Dave Rothenberg asked a question that I thought was tremendous this morning, and I didn't like his answer, but I love this question. Let's question is, you know, who do you think and when? I think it's gonna be a wide open game and a lot of points are going to be scored that's why I don't really think it's necessarily about the play of the quarterback. It's about the play of the defense. Somebody's going to have to make a stop. Who do you believe is going to make that stop? And I believe it's the Ravens. I don't know if the Bills will be able to make the big stop. I keep thinking about those chief games back in the day. I keep thinking about that Ram game earlier this year. Like, I keep thinking about back and forth, blow for blow, who is going to come up with the stop, who's going to be forced to punt the football. And you're going to say to yourself, oh, God, this is where it all changes. Now they've exchanged touchdowns for three quarters and now somebody's got a punt from their own 10 and it's going to change the entire complexion of the game. To me, the Bills are punting that football, not the Ravens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I can see why you'd say that. And again, I ask you, it's. You're looking at this season and that's fine. I am looking at recent history with the Ravens and recent history with the Ravens. And I'm with. Look, first of all, and I'm on the record. You can look it up. I. I've. I loved Lamar Jackson at Louisville. I watched him closely there. I thought, this guy is going to be an NFL quarterback. That year I was so invested in quarterbacks because the jets were going to have a high pick and they needed one. I watched them all. And these two that are going head to head are two of my favorites from that year. Again, Anthony was there when I did the shows at night. After your show, Anthony, you can attest to this. How much did I talk about watching Wyoming football and watching Lamar Jackson and him showing off the ability. He's not just a runner. This guy's a pocket quarterback. Anthony, please stand up and let everybody know that I'm not making this up.

[Don Hahn]

Floor is yours.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got a lot. I'm not going to lie to you.

[C]

I just had a very riveting conversation with Richard. Thus, anything within the last five minutes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is a rumor to me. So what are we talking about? Well. Well, I just said you were there with me when I did shows at night for recruiting violations. When it. When it comes to location of Kenny and Dave. Wow. When it comes to Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, those are two quarterbacks I talked about the most that year. Well, you were watching Wyoming football on Saturday night religiously saying that you wanted Josh Allen. Yes, yes. Okay. And Lamar Jackson, I talked a lot about him, too. All right. So with that in mind, these are two guys that, like, I really was invested in and I have been in their NFL careers. So, Don, when I say this, it's not like I'm, you know, the hater in me and all that stuff. The problem I have with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens is that every year we expect it and every year they don't come through. They come up small in a big spot every time. And this year, while you've been talking about how it's their breakthrough, I look at Buffalo and this is Josh Allen's time. This is his time, and this is it. And that's why I feel like that I have more faith in them. I have more faith in them getting it done, executing properly. I do think Zay Flowers is going to play. The door is open that he could play. He doesn't practice, but he could. They're going to need all hands on deck. I don't know if this is going to be a game about defense. I think this is going to be a game about who scores last. That's what I think. And I think you're going to see these two quarterbacks having to do it all for both their teams. You know, Derrick Henry, they're going to load up on him. They can't. Like, this is going to be a quarterback battle. And I know it's going to be the whole idea that it's going to be snow and all that stuff. That stuff doesn't affect either one of these teams. They both are northeast teams. This is not going to affect either one of them. My opinion, I can't trust the Ravens because I tried to trust them the last couple of years and every time they let me down, I'm a bit.

[Don Hahn]

But I just don't trust this Bill's defense. And it's not about the defense. Because you think, all right, it's going to be a 10, 7. No, we know there's going to be points going to be scored, but where it rears its ugly head, like I said, is just coming up with that one stop in a back and forth game. That one stop, or maybe it's we're exchanging touchdowns, but the Bills settle for three. Like, look at the way the Bronco game started, right? Broncos march right down the field. They get a big touchdown of a seven nothing lead, and then they hold the Bills to a field goal. Yeah, but they weren't good enough. And eventually Cream rose to the top. You get a moment like that the very same start to the game and now it's instead of 7 7, it's 7 3. And now the Ravens got a ball and now all of a sudden it's 14 3. And then you're chasing that one non touchdown drive for the rest of the game like so that you might say, well, it's a game about offense. But you know what, that one stop, that one, you held him to a field goal. And the other thing that's really killed the Ravens when you look at their history, all right, last year when they were beaten by Kansas City, Lamar was sacked four times in the elimination game. He was sacked three times in the Houston game. He was sacked five times in the Tennessee game. A couple of years ago, the Bills got to him three times. I think they're protecting him better. I think they're going to trust him to run a little bit more and not be concerned about everything just because that's what he did in the Bills game, using his legs, which is his major asset. We can analyze whether that's good or bad for the future, but in winning a game, both these quarterbacks are going to be utilizing their legs. I think the line will protect them better. I think he's got a better running back to work with. I just believe both of these teams are due. But I just think the Ravens defense is just that much better and I think they're going to get it done. I do. And it's. Well, Don, Bills haven't lost a game all year at home. I'm fine. But you know what, what does that matter at the end of the day? If you can just go out there and play the best you can play. So hey is a point and a half spread. It's going to be a classic game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I do think I'm just going.

[Don Hahn]

I'm just going with what I've seen and I'm going Ravens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. All right, now, now the one last thing and we get to calls. 800 now 3, 7, 76 is does. Do you put any stock into the 3510 final all the way back in September? Of course. And I don't trust any football in September. I think all that stuff doesn't matter. September football, in the end it means nothing. It's either you're gonna. It's either we learn about you in October, we don't know about you in September. My opinion. So I look at that and I say I'm not even paying attention to that. But do you look at that and think, see the Ravens already, already dominated them Once. Does that have any factor in thinking.

[Don Hahn]

Or are you not for the same reason that you said I look at September football as a glorified preseason?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

Okay, so that's part of your equation in everything. It's there. I mean, it doesn't hurt my argument, but I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It doesn't, but it also, it helps mine because I look at that as, that's, that, that's plenty of tape.

[Don Hahn]

But I'm telling you, in everything that I'm feeling, everything that I've broken down, I have not put as much if any thought into the September meeting. Now, if they had met good two weeks ago. Yeah, that'd be a different story.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Like if, if the Vikings had won last week and they were going into Detroit again, then I'd be thinking about the Week 18 meeting and whether that, that applies to the divisional round. But this time, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, there's that. All you and I do agree on is that this is going to be epic and this is like Sunday night they do. I'm not doing anything but watching this game Sunday night. There's nothing going on in my life other than watching this game because this game will be the one that we'll be talking about when we get back together to talk about sports next week. All right, 800 now, 193776. Let's get some thoughts and calls on this and see what the people are thinking. I. Let's see, we got Danny along island. What's up, Danny?

[D]

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Alan, my condolences on your loss. And Peter, if you're listening somewhere, congratulations. You know, it's like this is like a great restaurant. You sit down, the menu looks great. But let's talk about the main course, obviously, which is Sunday night. And last week the Ravens came out and used a record low, two wide receiver sets according to my. The guy read.

[Don Hahn]

So they.

[D]

So not only did they come out in heavy run formations, a record setting time, but they also have a 350 pound fullback and instead of an extra tight end, they went with a sixth offensive lineman on 22% of the snaps. And the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in the defense and got literally ran over. So the question is, does Buffalo have the manpower to, to beef up the front, to slow that down? Because the simplest thing to do in football when you're good at it is to run the ball straight ahead. It's, it's weatherproof and that's what they do better than anybody. And when you combine that with the fact that if the quarterback pulls the ball down. He can run 70 yards. That to me is an almost undefeatable plan. And I, I do not root for the Ravens, but I see the Ravens winning this game. I think Josh Allen is capable of big mistakes when they are behind trying to force the ball and making throws that he should. There be a touchdown last week, that he should never have thrown the ball. And I think that's. That's still an Achilles here for buff Buffalo. But the thing is, when you think of these two teams, how both they could off. But then you add in the past playoff failures and how much pressure there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is, particularly the Buffalo, it's amazing.

[D]

If the Buffalo coach doesn't get this Zubo, I'm not sure he has a job next year. That's hard to believe, but he's. He's under pressure, too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know about that. I, I'll say this, Danny, and thanks as always for your call and your thoughts and everything else. You. This, we keep talking about defense. This. Both these teams are going to light it up. I mean, I, I don't know why we keep talking about this like it's going to be some kind of a, you know, 1714 grind. No, like this is take the over. Come on. This is take the over. And so, okay, maybe you could say, well, there won't be as much scoring because if the Ravens do what what Danny just said, Don, and they just do grounded pound. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. Like there's not going to be enough possessions in the game to score a lot. I completely disagree. I'm telling you, I don't think you. The Ravens can't just run the ball in this game. They can't do it. They're going to have to throw the ball. We know this. That's why. That's why flowers are so important in this whole equation.

[Don Hahn]

And if he comes back, it's big because, you know, he hit seven different receivers last week, Lamar. So they, again, none of them for really big yardage, but he did spread the ball around. He ran for a ton, obviously. Henry ran for almost 200 yards. Yeah, there's a, there's a lot of weapons there. He had flowers to it. It's even more. But no, I'm with you. I think it's going to be a shootout, but at some point, somebody's going to make a stop. And to Dave's question this morning, what defense is most likely to get that stop?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It is a good question and I, I hate being that guy. But my, my response to that is is I need to know the situation. Like, I can't just randomly say I trust their defense to get this done. What's the situation like? And when we talk about a stop, is the stop because you have to go on a fourth down because you're down by more than three points? Because field goal is also going to be part of this. And. And you know, field goal is no given for the Ravens these days, even though it used to always be.

[Don Hahn]

But don't. Don't overrate when I say stop. You know, when I say stop, you start thinking about like a big fourth down or a big sack. I'm just talking about a possession in which they don't score. Right? Just, you know, we move the ball.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The big stop is generally, you need seven or you need five. You can't live with a, you know, the 48 yarder. Right? Like. Like that's that. That's what I'm talking about. If you can get a field goal, I only need three. It's not a stop. If I get three and I'm down two or I'm up, down three and I get the field goal, there's not a stop.

[Don Hahn]

But like I said, it's the. Going the back and forth. And like the example I gave from the Denver game last week, it's 7 3. Ravens score a touchdown, I kick a field goal. That to me is a stop. Especially if the Ravens come back and then they score. And now it's 14:3.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you.

[Don Hahn]

Now. Now you have to come up with a stop because now it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So you're talking about anymore. It doesn't have to be fourth quarter, two minutes to go. You mean at some point in the game, the turning point is because you got to stop? I get what you're saying.

[Don Hahn]

Empty possession, I guess.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. Empty. Yeah. There might not be many in this game.

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go. Let's go to our good friend. Let me. This is working a little bit. Griffin in Connecticut. Hey, Griffin.

[C]

Hi, Don. I understand what you are saying, but I just. Maybe it's like. Alan, I'm looking at what happened the last couple of years. I'm worried about the Ravens, their game plan all of a sudden, when they're down, forgetting what their game plan is. Because last year I thought it was the Ravens here. Ben into the Chiefs. We're down all of a sudden, who's our game plan is. And Lamar's forced things into things that he shouldn't do earlier this year, in the beginning of the year, I know we don't look At. In the beginning of the year, but they, they all of a sudden don't use Derek Henry in that game. I just think sometimes in big games, the Ravens forget what their game plan is, and I just trust the Bills more. I believe this is a better build team than Josh Allen has ever had because he actually has a running game now and a great running back in game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A very good one. Yeah, that's Griffin. I'm glad you said that. Cook's not getting enough credit here. Griffin again. Griffin. That's a great call. That's a great call. Don, your thoughts? James Cook's good. You're acting like, oh, they have Derek Henry and the Bills can only rely on Josh Allen now. Josh Allen is more. Is this a fair statement? Josh Allen means more to the Bill success than Lamar Jackson. Is that crazy to say no?

[Don Hahn]

Because.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Meaning he. If he has a bad game, there's no chance they're winning. Lamar can have a bad game. They can still win the Ravens.

[Don Hahn]

Is that because you can't say that. Lamar Jackson was amazing. Against Pittsburgh, we throw for 176 yards, two touchdowns and a need to be. But Henry ran for 186 yards, like so. But, hey, listen, no better example, the Bills lost Stefan Diggs. That's not nobody. And they got better. So there's a lot going on there with this offense. I am not critiquing the Bills offense. I'm really. If I'm criticizing anything about the matchup, it's their defense. This, I'm not in love with this Buffalo defense and with the weather being poor and cold and it's a, it's a quick defense. It's not a heavy defense. I, It's. I. That's where it is. It's not about, I love Josh Allen. I love their offense. I just, I think they come up a little short in this matchup defensively.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, let's continue. We got Moose in South Jersey. Moose trying to hit him, trying to hit him. There he is. What's up, Moose?

[Don Hahn]

What. What's going on, Allan? Hey, Don.

[E]

How are you?

[Don Hahn]

Good, man.

[C]

Said basically what I was going to say, but like, everybody's talking about how the Ravens are going to run the ball and if it's not King Henry, it's going to be. Listen, I'm a fan. I watch second of every Bills game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to get Moose to call back, right?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, get him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Call back. I want Moose.

[Don Hahn]

Not going to lie.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Moose, if you're listening, call back. Yeah, your signal's a little choppy. At South Jersey.

[Don Hahn]

Click.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, obviously we on our way here on a football Friday. This is exactly what we were looking for. This is the fun football. This is. I heard Michael K. Say this earlier. I think he's right. This is the best weekend when it comes to playoff football. This is the best one because you get all the good. You get really good competitive games. It's divisional round, you get a lot of it. And then of course Monday you get the national championship in college. So you got all weekend of football. Like. So this is what we're talking about and everybody's into. Even though our teams locally suck, Everybody loves the NFL. Plenty here to certainly talk about. 800-919-3776. We have all that to get to. I do want to mention though, Don, the Rangers did get that win last night in Utah and that's five out of six points on this trip. So we got to get your thoughts on that. Knicks and the Wolves tonight at the Garden. You can hear where I am right now. The City Dancers are warming up, getting ready for tonight's game. So lots to get to. Your call is a big part of it. But Don, I think we have a little Samwell oh we do.

[Don Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

And this football season, UberEats has the.

[Don Hahn]

Best deals on game day food no matter what you're craving. From Two for One Pizza. To buy one, get one wings. UberEats will be dropping new deals each week all season long. Uber Eats official on demand delivery partner of the NFL.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Order now.

[Don Hahn]

Terms and conditions apply. See ya app for details. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like, you know, to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon.

[Don Hahn]

Sometimes the most painful part of getting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions.

[Don Hahn]

Delivered to your door. Thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Medical Health care just got less painful. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Wow. Lots of and jetsam in 1988.

[Don Hahn]

It's good, right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Saturday night's all right for. It's hard to ruin this song. So I'm saying it is pretty good though. I like it.

[Don Hahn]

The Elton John song is pretty upbeat and aggressive, so it's a great song. The only difference is it's. It's 11 o'clock and I want a mosh instead of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is that what he says?

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't hear that, but I like that. I like it. It's good. All right. 800-919377. And you knew Jake was gonna find it, right? Like, no shock there. Didn't take him but a minute. So we have that. I've been noticing a trend though, here, the last two days with Peter not here. I mean, we've been. We've been face melting a little bit.

[F]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And you're. But you're not. You're not a metal guy. Appreciate it. I guess.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am. I do. I appreciate metal. There's some Metal that I really do love. Like, I love. But then I realized when I mentioned some of it, you. You like. You spit on it. I have a. I have a funny quick story before we get back to calls, please. When I was covering the islanders, they had a couple of defensemen. So Roman Hammerlick, remember him, right?

[Don Hahn]

Yanni Nienama, I believe, was a death.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yanni Nienama, he was a death, right. So when they traded for Ninama, and he comes, he's around the team, he shows up and one, you know Chris. Chris King, who, you know, God bless him, salt of the earth. He's been their radio voice forever. He. He loves music. And so he knew that Ninama liked metal. So he's like bringing the two of them together and he's like, oh, you know. You know, Hammer, you know, Ninima is into metal like you are. And so Hammerlake was just like, oh, yeah. And then Nina right away goes, what? Like, what do you listen to? So Hammer like, named a bunch of songs and he goes, oh. He goes, the type of music I listen to would make you cry. Well, I was like, let's hear some. And you hear it, and it's just all there.

[Don Hahn]

Well, from Nina, because he. Because he was from. I forget exactly. Finland.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, finished.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, he was into Norwegian death metal, and I don't want to get into Norwegian death metal. And one of the band, I don't know if he liked them, but one of the Norwegian death metal bands was this band called Burzum. Their lead singer got arrested for, like, burning churches down, like, so it's really out there. So just to say you're into metal, like, I always ran into people. Oh, you like metal? Oh, man. Don't you love the new Poison album? And I'm like, that's my point. You know, even like, K one time said to me, oh, you love metal. You know, you'll love your metal. Yeah, like, what was. What was the. What was the Broadway show? What the hell's the name with the. Played all, like, the Def Leppard and the Poison.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, that's Rock of Ages.

[Don Hahn]

The Rock of Ages. Like, oh, my God. I go see Rock of Ages as a metalhead. You'll love it. And I did like it. But no, that's not metalhead music.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, there's hair band music.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, he was into Norwegian Death Leopard. You know the bands like that, right? Poison. Yeah. Pretty Boy Floyd and stuff like that. Then you go up to, you know, their average metal, like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, stuff like that. But then you get into my taste, which is merciful. Fade and Celtic Frost and Slayer and Exodus. Nuclear Assault.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The names alone just make you cringe.

[Don Hahn]

Hostile Rage. Torment. Blood Feast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Moose is back with us. We did get Moose back, hopefully on a better line.

[C]

Moose, can you hear me now?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes. We got you.

[C]

Thank you. So once again, I just want to get to it. Everybody's talking about King Henry and then they're saying, oh, Lamar runs the ball, too. So what are you guys going to do? I want everybody, as Michael K. Would say, get real close to your radios. Let Lamar run the ball. Let him run it, because what happened the last time the Bills played the Ravens in the playoffs and Lamar ran the ball, we hit him so hard he could. He became incontinent. He had a diarrhea himself.

[Don Hahn]

We're gonna have that conversation again. We close out two shows ago with this conversation.

[C]

So you know what? Let Lamar get his runs in because Milano's middle now and he's back. And we got, as Bart would say, two big beefy boys up front to stop the run. I am ready for this weekend. I cannot wait. We're going to the Patty Meltzer and we're taking it to the Super Bowl.

[Don Hahn]

I hope you're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's it.

[Don Hahn]

I'm rooting to be wrong.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's jumping through a flaming table right now.

[Don Hahn]

I'm hoping to be wrong. I do not want to be known as, like, Raven guy. Not a Raven guy. Not after what they did the Giants had done to them in Super Bowl 35. Okay, like, I've got no love for the Ravens. I'm just telling you what I see. I'd love the Bills to win this game, but please don't bring up a playoff game from 2020. That was 1, 17 3. Allen, how much of your livelihood would you bet that this final score is not going to be 17 3.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I, I, if I, like I said, we're going to do our bets later, you know, we're going to put our pick. Our may have our picks and we have six pointers and five pointers. Like we've. This is serious business. And that's a game that if we could add another bet, I would definitely take the over. I'm taking the over. That's how I feel about it. So I don't know how you feel.

[Don Hahn]

Just a side note to what you just said, I think when we do the picks next year, I, I, why can't our.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What do you think the over under is for this game? I'm gonna, I'm Gonna. I don't know if you've seen it, but what. What would you guess?

[Don Hahn]

It's probably 51 and a half.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That is. You nailed it.

[Don Hahn]

Wow. I swear I didn't look at it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nailed it. 51 and a half. It's the second highest over under. Do you. Can you tell me the other game in of the four that has the higher over under? So it's going to be over 50, obviously, but it's going to be higher than 51 and a half. Which game is it?

[Don Hahn]

Oh, probably Washington. Detroit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wow. Now here's your hatch there.

[Don Hahn]

Either.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. Hat trick. If you. If you get this, I'm throwing hat right out on the ice.

[Don Hahn]

All right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is the over under for the Commander's Lions game?

[Don Hahn]

Probably can't be much higher. I'd say 52 and a half.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right. You missed it. 55.

[Don Hahn]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

5. That's high.

[Don Hahn]

I might go under just because that's too much.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You think that's.

[Don Hahn]

That seems a bit.

[C]

I like the idea of over unders.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In the picks, though.

[Don Hahn]

But, but I do, like, seriously, like, we do the picks and it's like, all right, I'll tank the Ravens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, you could.

[Don Hahn]

But why can't one of my picks say be. I like the over in the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'd rather take the over than use the spread. Yeah. Like, I. That's how I feel.

[Don Hahn]

I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do I have to always pick the spread or can I take the over under? Because sometimes that's more fun and sometimes it's a better bet.

[Don Hahn]

And it's the same. Right. I mean, as far as like getting it right or wrong.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Don Hahn]

I just want. It's a brave new world, man. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I feel like we're starting anew. We can. We can change all the rules.

[Don Hahn]

We could change the point system around.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I like that too.

[Don Hahn]

We can already like what we're doing. We tried to convince Vince K. To have like a, you know, like an all star, like 10 point shot kind of thing where. You know what? I'm just gonna use all. I'm gonna use all. All.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm making one pick and I'm putting all my points on this one.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. I'm gonna say all five of my points are going on this game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love that.

[Don Hahn]

I can't do it every week. But you. Maybe you get like three of them a year. Especially with Goodell talking about an 18 game schedule, you could probably use 5.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No doubt. I love that. Yeah. All right, we'll have to bring Peter in on this conversation, but it's already 2 to 1. So we still win. It's still gonna happen because I'm for it, you're for it. So two, two versus one.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, we'll just be nice and let them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We'll ask him vote. We'll give. We'll give him the opportunity to disagree, and then we'll tell him we're doing it anyway. Ballard's picks, right, by the way.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, he's got a manager.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, they're in. Do we want to get more calls or do you want to hear about ballots? No, we'll do them later.

[C]

But ballots picture.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Everybody knows where to find them. Ballads picks are in. That's good to know. Well, John and Queens is in now. What's up, John?

[E]

What's up, fellas? How you doing?

[Don Hahn]

What's up?

[D]

So I'm.

[E]

So. I just want to preface this by, like, I'm not a Ravens fan. I'm not a Bill fan. Right. But I just so, like, the thing that I just find kind of weird with, like the narrative behind this game, right? And especially some of the calls already calling in saying, oh, this year just feels like the Bills year. This is, you know, Josh Allen, blah, blah, blah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I said it too, John. So it's callers and me, I said it too. I feel like this is. This is the year this they've been waiting for. This is. I'm not saying they win a Super Bowl. I'm just saying this is the year they get, you know, they find themselves in the. In the final four and playing for the chance to play for a Super Bowl. I think this is it.

[E]

I got you in there. But let me. Let me spin you a quick little yarn of last season, right? So everybody says since the Ravens had the number one seed last year, oh, it was the Ravens year to finally beat the Chiefs. And the Chiefs have finally got knocked off. But I think people are forgetting it's also the Bills chance to knock off the Chiefs too. They lost in the divisional round against the Chiefs in a home game up in Buffalo. And if everybody remembers correctly, they started the season six and six. The fe. Finish the season, they finished the season on a five game winning streak. Josh Allen had a better case to win MVP last year than this year, and they still lost. And I remember coming away from that game and a lot of people, not just myself, thought, damn, that was the Bill's one chance to finally knock off Mahomes and the Chiefs. And now I feel like that's being forgotten. And some people are just still rolling, like, granted The Bills had a great season. Josh Allen had a great season. I'm not taking anything away from them in, in there, but it feels like people kind of forgot about last season being the season that everybody said they're going to finally knock off the Chiefs, and then people are just ride rolling with the Bills saying they're going, yeah, they're going to beat the Ravens. This is their year. This feels like it. And I'm not saying you said they're going to win this.

[Don Hahn]

No, it sounds like we lost them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, we had them and then we lost them. I know the point, the point he's making. He's, he's just not feeling it. Like he's just, it's another, it's more doubt and there's reason to have doubt, right? Because you have it. Confidence comes from demonstrated performance. You don't have any performance here. All you have is. But these teams, you know, maybe we can agree on this one. Everybody. Okay, how about we agree on this? The Ravens and the Bills are two teams of destiny who have yet to reach destiny. Right? These are two teams with great quarterbacks who are MVP caliber. They're number one and two right now when it comes to mvp. And they are two teams that can't get past Mount Mahomes. And so I guess we're waiting for is to see which of these two will do it, right? Like, is that what we're waiting for?

[Don Hahn]

That's what we're waiting for.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which of these two are going to do it? I guess that's what it's about.

[Don Hahn]

And you, you, we got into it earlier in the show about you saying that. I'm not going analytical, that I'm just looking at who's, whose year it is or who, who's do. No, I, when I say I think it's the Ravens year, I, I, I'm saying I think they're the best team in football right now. Like, I'm, I'm not saying there's any kind of cosmic reason for it or do. Or anything. It's just that I think it's their year because I think right now they're best suited to beat the Bills, beat the Chiefs, and beat whoever comes out of the nfc. And, and I, and I just feel that way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And my fear is. I'm sorry, Don, but my fear is, is that because if here's, here's the thing. I might have believed this if they were the top seed and they were playing the Texans, but because they've got to get into this brawl here, I wondered how much of it does it take out of whoever wins this game? Like, how much is left of whoever wins this game that they can then go to Kansas City and slay the dragon?

[Don Hahn]

I will say this before we go to break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

That I would be more concerned about a Kansas City team coming off a buy and having an easy win to the championship game than whoever comes out of Bill's Ravens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don Hahn]

I like that they have a week off. You know, it's not like a series in the NBA or NHL where you got to maybe play in two days after you beat each other up for seven games or whatever. They'll get a full week off. They'll be primed, ready, and you could say to yourself, have the Chiefs really been tested at all in recent vintage, and will that make them stale?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's an interesting take. It's a. And it's a. It's a good one because of the situation that obviously it's setting up to be. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don Hahn]

Wow. A little anthrax.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love this song. Do you know the story behind this song?

[Don Hahn]

Yes, I do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What is it.

[Don Hahn]

From? From one of my favorite movies, Easy Money, right? The scene when he's. He's talking to his. His wife and. And he's got somebody in the bush trying to feed him lines. I'm so bad, I should be in detention.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Tension. So Scott, he tells the story that this was a B side and they did it as a joke. They were like. It was like they were doing this sort of like Beastie Boys sound that they thought was kind. They love Beastie Boy and they were like, let's just try it and have fun with it. And so they came up with this goofy Beastie Boy sounding song. I'm the man. I'm the man. Right? And it was on the B side. And they thought, like, nobody's going to care about it. We're just going to throw it. And everybody loved it. And it became like their. Their first, like, you know, I don't know, I want to say hit, because they were. They were.

[Don Hahn]

But it really got him a heavy amount of exposure. For sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's what it was. It gave them some exposure. Then, of course, they paired up with. Once that became successful, they were like, well, let's try another one. And they did. They did the song with Public Enemy and Bring the Noise.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that. Forget it like that song, when you hear that cover, that's speed metal. I mean, that's. That's the definition of speed metal. It was so good. Anthrax, one of my favorites.

[Don Hahn]

One of the best voices in the business is Joey Belladonna. And I did a heavy metal show in college. Just told you, like, the beast is unleashed at Rampo College. And my partner went to a Chinese restaurant in Suffern, New York, and ran into him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Really?

[Don Hahn]

And so he gave him. I got his number, and I called him, said, you got to come to the radio station, promote their. Their new album that was coming out. And he's like, all right, dude, I don't have a car. You got to come pick me up. So my partner was on the air. I jumped in the car, drove to Nyack, New York, to pick him up at the corner of someplace, but then it started raining. This before cell phones, and unfortunately, he wasn't there. And we never hooked up. Fast forward, I see Judas Priest over at the Art Center. The Garden State Art Center.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And he's sitting a row ahead of. In front of me. And I. And this is. This is like 20 years later. And I'm like. And I introduced myself, and I finally got the stories that it started raining and he. And he went in the house, but I didn't know what house it was, and it was before cell phone, so I missed. I could have drove Joey Belladonna back to the radio station and did, like an hour interview with him. I love those guys. I love Anthrax.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, no, they a lot of fun. Really talented. Big sports fans, too, by the way. So let's play this real quick. We love Chris Canty on Sportsman. Like, you hear it on the. On the ESPN Network. Great morning show that he does, but he. Sometimes he has a take where I'm like, what? So Lamar Jackson, as we know, he probably on his way to a third mvp. He's trying to win his first Super Bowl. What if he accomplishes both things this season? Here's Chris Canning.

[F]

If Lamar Jackson can beat Josh Allen this week on his way to winning Super Bowl 59, then all of a sudden, you're talking about a guy where a lot of people doubted if he could win a championship playing the way that he plays, vaulting into the conversation of being a top five quarterback of all time. And I know people don't want to think about that, but I'm going to just give you some numbers, just some things for considerations. There have only been eight quarterbacks to win multiple MVPs. There have only been eight quarterbacks to make three first team all pros. There have been only two quarterbacks to be named unanimous MVPs. The two quarterbacks whose names is on all of those lists, Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson. That is the company that this man is keeping. So when we start having these conversations about Lamar Jackson, that's how we have to view it. When we look through the annals of NFL history, Lamar Jackson can make a quantum leap in terms of the perception around the caliber of quarterback that he is. All of a sudden now you're talking about him being in the class of quarterbacks with Brady Mahomes, Montana Manning, Johnny Yu, John Elway. That's where he belongs. If he's able to win a Super bowl this year and beat Josh Allen and beat Patrick Mahomes on the way to doing unit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, what name was he missing? This is what got me. All of that makes sense. And of course it's always the, you know, we don't know how it's going to work out. So it's all the big if stuff. But what name did he, did he leave out of that conversation? Who has, yes, four MVPs and a Super Bowl. So you're gonna, he's gonna be in the conversation with top five all time with three and, and one. The guy with four and one, you can't say his name. And then, you know, top five, you just, but he just, you name like six or seven people here in the conversation. Yes, but I don't, I don't like that we do this like right now. We live in the now. We get prison of the moment about a player who's right now he's had a great stretch here, but we have to see it all play out before we start doing this.

[Don Hahn]

True.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, that's not the craziest take he had of the day. Another one we'll play later. But what do you think of this? Don't. Real quick.

[Don Hahn]

Well, I, I, I think the better way to put it, I usually disagree with like 80% of what Chris says, which I think would make for a good show. But this one, I'm kind of on his side. You know, three MVPs. He's not even 20. Was he 28? Is he, is he even 28 yet? Just turn, actually, he just turned 28 yesterday or the seventh or whatever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Last week.

[Don Hahn]

Last week. So he's just turned 28 years old. So before he turned, you know, before he turns 29 years old, he could have a Super bowl and three MVPs. And we're talking about Aaron Rodgers having four MVPs and he's going to play next year and turn 42. Like that's the difference is, is that Lamar.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, his four were stretched, were spread out. Yes.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, and Lamar's a four time Pro Bowler, Rogers a ten time Pro Bowler. But that goes with the, the compiling and the longevity. So listen, if he continues to do what he's doing for another five, six years, plays till he's 35, 36 years old. Because I honestly, with the body type and the way he plays, I can't imagine Lamar Jackson playing into his 40s. But if he plays 35, 36 years old, plays another seven, eight years, compiles another five or six, you know, pro Bowls, even if he doesn't win another MVP or a Super bowl, would he eventually be in that conversation? Yes, but he's definitely on the way, Allen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But yeah, on the way is one thing, but really his career, I mean, again, there's a lot that has to happen which includes winning the super bowl, which is the hardest part of the whole thing. But it's just like, like, all right, so now we're gonna put him in the, in the top five. It's just like it's too soon. Like you said, he's 28. There's so much more career left that we don't know what way it's gonna go. There was a time we thought Russell Wilson was going, was heading in that direction and all of a sudden things fell off. Now, Russell Wilson never won an mvp, so I'm not saying that. But he did get to two Super Bowls and won one. He should have won two.

[Don Hahn]

But for a guy that, like I said, is just turned 28, so he's done all this. He basically got his MVP that I think he's going to get at the end of the season.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I agree.

[Don Hahn]

As a 27 year old. Right. And so there's no reason to believe, other than, God forbid, catastrophic injury that he is not going to compete at a really high level for at least the next four or five years. Like, how could he not be? How can he not end up being in the conversation now? He's got a lot of bad playoff losses, but so does Aaron Rodgers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I just feel like we're shoving him into a conversation with all time, all time greats and he's still in the midst of his career. That's the only thing I'm saying.

[Don Hahn]

We got no problem.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Again, I'm a big fan of his.

[Don Hahn]

You know, we had no Problem doing it with Mahomes because he's a multiple.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Super bowl going for three in a row.

[Don Hahn]

But we've been doing it for a few years now. We didn't just all of a sudden start doing it after the super bowl win last year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I gotta feel like that conversation only started after the second Super Bowl. That conversation started after. After the second one.

[Don Hahn]

But if he does. And again, this is. If he wins the mvp, which he hasn't officially yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but.

[Don Hahn]

And he hasn't won the super bowl, you know, so if for some reason Josh Allen wins the MVP and they get beat by the Bills, you know, conversations. But I think. But, but to be fair to Chris, he's saying, assuming he wins the mvp and if he wins the super bowl going into next year at the age of 28, having that on your resume and making the case that he's still in the midst, if still not 100% in his prime yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I mean, how.

[Don Hahn]

Honestly, I think the better conversation would be Allen. Would you be disappointed if he didn't end up in the conversation at that point?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, but you'd have to. Then do what we do with LeBron and Steph Curry, where we start naming. All right, who do you take out? If you name five of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, who you taking out and who does he replace and that becomes the fun, you know, summer conversation that we have. But it all has to play out. I just. What also caught me though is that Chris, Chris conveniently leaving out Aaron Rodgers in that when he named all the quarterbacks he named was a little, I don't know, caught my attention.

[Don Hahn]

Was it strategically just absentmindedly not mentioned. We have his number. Text him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I actually am going to, but he's got another take later that we'll get to. All right. Lots more to get to the Knicks and the Wolves tonight at Madison Square Garden. We'll get to that. But I want to introduce you to an SUV where everything for every passenger feels just right. The all new 2025 Infiniti QX80. Infiniti's most luxurious full size 3 row SUV full of customizable and advanced features, individual audio. It isolates calls and directions right to the driver's seat. When you take a private call, you keep your business personal. It has two rows of heated and cooled massage seats. The ultimate relaxation and luxury. It's got all kinds of great features. It really is an amazing suv. I love it. My family loves it. The all new Infiniti QX80. So discover you just right. Visit infinityusa.com to learn more about the all new Infiniti QX80. Availability of features may vary by trim level, packaging and options. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.