Hour 2: Jets at 2 & NFL Binge

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 2: “Jets at 2 & NFL Binge”

Episode Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Don La Greca, Peter Rosenberg
Podcast: ESPN New York

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Overview

Hour 2 of the show dives deep into:

• The Jets’ NFL Draft dilemma, particularly what to do with the No. 2 pick and whether to take quarterback Dante Moore after his lackluster postseason performance.
• Broader issues of quarterback development and organizational patience—all colored by the Jets’ checkered history.
• Lively breakdowns of wild card weekend action, including standout performances by Matthew Stafford (Rams), and the historic Chicago Bears comeback.
• Candid debate on sports journalism, prompted by a viral exchange between a Jacksonville Free Press reporter and Jaguars’ coach Liam Cohen.

The tone is classic Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg: passionate, debating, equal parts cynicism and sports fandom, and always poking fun at each other.

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NFL Draft & Jets QB Debate (00:00 – 21:33)

Setting the Scene

• The episode opens with recaps of the wild card weekend and focus on the Jets’ NFL Draft conundrum.
• Alan Hahn spotlights the stakes: “This is the year when the Jets need a quarterback… except we don’t know what Mendoza is going to be in the NFL. So now you start to say the Jets have the number two pick. It looks more and more like Mendoza is the runaway to go number one…” (03:27)
• The hosts launch into whether the Jets should draft Dante Moore or trade down.

The Dante Moore Quandary

• Alan Hahn: On Moore’s disappointing playoff game, “There's nothing he can do in a pro day that's going to make up for what he looked like in that game early in that game.” (04:01)
• He leans hard toward trading down and accumulating picks, not grabbing a “project” QB at 2.
• Don La Greca pushes back: If the Jets love a guy, why not take him—even if he sits? Cites Chiefs sitting Mahomes as a precedent.
• Peter Rosenberg and Don both raise the reality that, as Don says, “Pressure is all relative to how much you accept the pressure. Mendoza is going to come in as a star… Moore is the kid that got blown out by Mendoza… so there may not be a lot of pressure. But if you believe in him and believe he can mature… you can’t pass on that just because you don’t start him right away.” (07:31)

Notable Quote

• Alan Hahn: “I have PTSD about Zach Wilson. If you want to… it’s the number two pick. You don’t have to take him at two. You can trade out, get more picks, make your roster better…” (05:02)

The Jets’ Development Dysfunction

• Hahn: “I don’t trust the Jets to have the ability to develop a quarterback. Let’s start there.” (06:47)
• Don: “If I can’t develop a quarterback… then it doesn’t matter. You can have a billion picks. You can have the greatest football team in the history of earth with no quarterback. Where are you going?” (10:37)
• Hahn: “What I’m doing is compensating for the biggest negative this franchise has had in 50 years: the lack of developing a quarterback. You’re trying to jimmy-switch the situation, right? You’re trying to find a back door...” (11:21)

Historical NFL Context & Data

• Rosenberg brings up the risk with QBs with “fewer than 20 college starts,” recites a string of names including “Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Mitch Trubisky… The only star is Cam Newton.” (05:54)

Solutions & Philosophies

• Don argues: “If Kansas City had the same logic with Patrick Mahomes, well, he’s not ready and I already got a veteran quarterback, let’s not pick him. He ends up dropping to 10 and becomes what he’s become.” (13:16)
• Alan reflects: “I just don’t feel like this is playing the lottery every year and hoping to hit.” (12:57)
• Don: “You see the quarterback, you must draft him.” (14:23)

Damian Woody Weighs In (14:37)

• Woody’s Key Point: If you believe in the prospect and most importantly have a plan (include a veteran starter), draft Moore—but don’t play him right away. The Jets haven’t had “infrastructure and a plan” in a long time. (15:50)

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NFL Wild Card Recap – NFL Binge (24:02 – 37:15)

Rams vs Panthers – Stafford’s Heroics (24:18)

• Don: “Matthew Stafford… 12 of 15 in the fourth quarter and led his fourth career game winning drive in the fourth [quarter] in the playoffs. All of which have come since he joined the Rams in 2021.” (25:05)
• Memorable Moment: “I think it was Parkinson who said what he said in the huddle… ‘Let’s go snatch their hearts in the huddle.’” (25:35, confirmed by Alan at 27:19)
• Peter: “He’s a killer.” (27:41)

Bears Historic Comeback (27:41)

• Largest comeback in Bears playoff history, erasing a 21–3 halftime deficit.
• Bears HC Ben Johnson in the locker room: “Bleep the Packers!” (28:14)
• Alan: “The Bears pull off their largest comeback in franchise playoff history, outscoring the Packers 25–6 in the fourth quarter after trailing 21–3 at the half…” (28:16)
• Notable debate about Johnson’s language and decorum in the locker room. Don questions if he should have known the cameras were rolling (29:19), Peter is more forgiving (29:57).

Bills Edge Jaguars – Kindness and Critique (31:36)

• Josh Allen scores a go-ahead touch on a QB sneak with 1:02 left.
• Remarkable stat: Allen is the second player with a go-ahead passing TD and go-ahead rushing TD in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. (31:55)
• Viral Moment: Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones offers coach Liam Cohen heartfelt praise instead of a direct question post-game:
  • “You hold your head up, all right? You guys have had a magnificent season… Duvall, you the one. All right?” (32:16)
• The trio debate journalistic norms and the changing nature of access and fandom.
  • Alan: “It was a sweet moment that should have been private, right?” (32:44)
  • Don: “Are you a member of the team or are you covering the team?” (34:07)
  • Peter: Suggests small-market context but acknowledges it was a break from journalistic tradition (35:50).

49ers Knock Off Defending Champs (37:54)

• San Francisco beats the Eagles in a nailbiter.
• George Kittle goes down with an Achilles, WR Gabe Davis ACL—highlighting attritional toll on playoff teams.
• Chargers’ season ends as Justin Herbert is stifled by the Patriots.

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Sports Media & Fan Calls (44:00 – 49:23)

• Caller “Jose from Connecticut” agrees with Pat McAfee: “Sports writers… act like they're in the war zone… This is why print media is dying. Like, people like McAfee… are adapting to what's happening. So it's okay to have one there for a lady with 85, 90% of the regular [questions].” (44:00)
• Don pushes back: “That's not what it's for. That's not the forum. This is not a chance to compliment… in that particular forum, it's to ask questions about the game. That's what it's for.” (45:44)
• Rosy debate about whether adapted, more ‘human’ moments belong at the press conference mic or strictly outside of official team media time.

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Notable Quotes

• Alan Hahn (On Jets drafting Moore):
  "I have PTSD about Zach Wilson… You don't have to take him at 2. You can trade out, get more picks, make your roster better and take a quarterback later." (05:02)
• Don La Greca (On failing to develop QBs):
  "If I can't develop a quarterback… then it doesn't matter. You can have a billion picks. You can have the greatest football team in the history of earth with no quarterback. Where are you going?" (10:37)
• Matthew Stafford (per Devonte Adams):
  "Let's go snatch their hearts in the huddle." (27:19)
• Alan Hahn (On sports journalism standards):
  "It was a sweet moment that should have been private, right?... That's not the place for it, it's just not. And you have to have respect for those around you to understand that." (34:44)

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Tone & Chemistry

• Lively, adversarial—but affectionate—debate among Alan, Don, and Peter on strategy and philosophy, both on field and off.
• Frequent ribbing about each other's musical tastes, with Don feigning outrage at being left out of song references (40:18).
• As always, the show weaves in pop culture, humor, and inside jokes with deep football analysis, making for a rich listening experience.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|------------| | Jets Draft & Dante Moore discussion | 00:00–21:33| | Rams’ clutch win, Stafford’s leadership | 24:18–27:41| | Bears’ comeback & Ben Johnson's F-bomb | 27:41–31:11| | Bills-Jags finish & viral reporter moment | 31:36–35:48| | Don vs. Alan vs. Peter: Sportswriting & fandom | 44:00–49:23|

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Memorable & Funny Moments

• Don accuses Alan of “trying to invent fire” by wanting to change the usual Jets draft approach (20:43).
• Stafford’s “snatch their hearts” moment in the Rams huddle gets the hosts fired up (25:35, 27:19).
• Don laments, “They’re spitting up and wetting themselves at the same time,” referencing the Jets’ dysfunction (20:07).
• Peter joking about small-market press: “You're not going to hear that in New York. But like it was Jacksonville.” (35:50)
• Don mock-objecting to music choices and feeling left out (40:18).

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Summary Conclusion

In another classic “Don, Hahn & Rosenberg” hour, the trio applies their unique blend of sports savvy, New York cynicism, and lively banter to the key questions facing the Jets’ future—and the wild action of NFL wild card weekend. The episode features sharp, sometimes heated, analysis of team-building philosophies, a keen eye for the human side of football (and sports journalism), and plenty of playful chemistry.

It’s an essential episode for Jets fans, football junkies, and anyone invested in how teams (and media) build for the future.

Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don La Greca]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Alan Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. 401 in the big city with Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hunt. 800-919-3776 is the number. A lot more of your calls to get to. As we are rolling through all the football went through all the wild card games, we all had a take on each one of them. It was a very entertaining weekend of games that are setting up for even more entertaining divisional games that are coming up. One more tonight and it'll be very interesting. The Steelers, could this be the end of Aaron Rodgers? Because it'd be the end of Mike Tomlin. And the Houston Texans are coming in hoping to spoil the party. They have a great defense. We have seen the Steelers struggle against good defensive teams, so especially physical ones. So tonight, Monday Night Football, this, this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is a not to mention huge game. If Don gets it, he's six zero.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. In the first round I want to focus on that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And if I get it, I'm five and one.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's very good. Both against the spread and I'd be three and three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I'd be just close enough to still battle with you.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's the thing. You'd be annoyingly close, but not that close.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But annoyingly I'd be like I could still. Yeah, it could happen.

[Alan Hahn]

Not nipping at the heels, but annoying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it could be a week away from nipping at the.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what I mean.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we still have that.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what's annoying. I was hoping to bury you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's. It's in.

[Alan Hahn]

The Jacksonville game just killed me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was a weird weekend because I'm sitting there. I picked the Bears, Alan picked the Bears, Don picked the Bears. But because of point allocation, I'm rooting for the packers because I want Allen to lose his six point game.

[Don La Greca]

Big six pack and you're in great shape for the first 40 minutes of the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, you know, I feel bad. I actually sent Ballard a text like when it got to within like a score and I said something like how we doing over there? Like with wide eyes. Then I'm like this is a crazy game. You know, I wasn't trying to troll. I literally thought hahaha, this has gotten kind of interesting. Not you're actually going to lose Bush. And then yeah, it will happen.

[Alan Hahn]

Done. Oregon, like that gets lost also Friday night. Right. Oregon just gets at least just Trounced.

[Don La Greca]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You don't like that kind of loss?

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, you know, we thought.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know what that loss is like.

[Alan Hahn]

College Football Playoff has been good. Wow. Even the higher seat or the, the low seeds, would it be higher seed? Low seed, 10 seed? Like what, what do we.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's hard to say. I don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

What do you say? What do you say there?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Higher seed?

[Alan Hahn]

Is it a higher seed?

[Peter Rosenberg]

A higher seed is the better seed.

[Alan Hahn]

It's the better seed.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah. So.

[Alan Hahn]

So all right, so a low seed would be like the, the 6 or the 10, right? Okay.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, exactly.

[Alan Hahn]

So it was good to see that. It shows you expansion does work. It means like, you know, the, the number two doesn't always go on the run. But Oregon, I mean, my God, like that just absolute no show more. Dante Moore, who everybody's starting to get excited about, who is listed on a lot of people's rankings as the second best quarterback who could be available in the draft. And he did, he did not really do well for himself. And from there now you start to say the jets have the number two pick. It looks more and more like Mendoza is the runaway to go number one. Right. Heisman, best team in the sport. It looks like they're going to win the championship. I mean that's going to be that them and Miami is going to be unreal game because Miami's great defense and then that offense is Signetti has with Mendoza is off the charts. But of course this is the year when the jets need to quarterback that they have the number two pick. Which means it's the same as the Trevor Lawrence year, except we don't know what Mendoza is going to be in the NFL. So when a lot of people are wondering, well, that really makes that number two pick fuzzy for the Jets. What do they do? I think it makes it more clear, don't you think? I think it's. I've been saying, you guys have heard me say this, they should not draft a quarterback with the number two pick in the draft. Doesn't mean they shouldn't draft a quarterback, but not with the number two pick. And I think it's clear now.

[Don La Greca]

But why do you say it's so clear?

[Alan Hahn]

Because Dante Moore has potential. But I don't. There's nothing he can do in a pro day that's going to make up for what he looked like in that game early in that game.

[Don La Greca]

I get it. But again, I don't know how they feel about him. And not knowing how they feel about him, I don't know how much damage he did on Friday. I just keep circling back to how these quarterbacks seem to jump after the season is over and we put so much stock on their performance and I don't know if general managers think that way. So I don't know where the jets have him on the board, but let's say they're in full bloom love with the kid and they think he checks every box for them and then he does have a great pro day and they come in and talk to him and his Wonderlic is off the charts and they may not care about that performance. I don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

Well then you better have a veteran who's going to play ahead of him and so you're not forcing him in to start that. He can't be what they I guess what I have is the PTSD about Zach Wilson. That's what it is like if you want to and it's the number two pick. You don't have to take him at two. You don't. You can trade out, get more picks, make your roster better and take a quarterback later. I'd rather than take Trinidad Chambliss later than take a use the number two pick on a guy who you know is if you think he's got potential he's not going to be ready for if you don't want to. Trust me because I'm just some, you know, bobo a basketball guy. How about Rich Samini on the flight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Deck who's a bobo Football?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, he's been around for 40 years. He covered them when they were the Titans. This is what he said about warning you and the jets and everybody else about these quarterbacks who don't have a lot of experience in college.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you look at the recent first round quarterbacks with fewer than 20 starts, it is not a promising field. I'll read some names. Check out Anthony Richardson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Mitch Trubisky, Ryan Tannehill, Cam Newton. That's going back to 2011. All the first round quarterbacks with fewer than 20 college starts. The only star of that group is Cam Newton. Ryan Tannehill had a solid, you know, long career. The rest of them either busts or underachievers. So beware of the college quarterback with very few starts. That's why Moore is such a wild.

[Alan Hahn]

Card in this draft. So if you don't believe me, what about where Rich mean he's at?

[Don La Greca]

Well, you're saying two different things, right? Just because he's not ready doesn't mean you can't draft him at 2 if you like them and you want them.

[Alan Hahn]

But Donnie, that's such a valuable spot. You know how many picks you can get for that? And let somebody else take him and then have the patience to. I don't trust the jets to have the ability to develop a quarterback. Let's start there.

[Don La Greca]

Well, then there's nothing to talk about. So then. Because then it won't matter. But if it does matter, if you like him, Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And you think his lack of experience might be the reason that he did not look good on Friday. But if you still believe he can mature into a be a great quarterback, he could be the perfect guy to take. Because there may not be any pressure to play him right away. If you take Mendoza, you got to play him right away.

[Alan Hahn]

Wait a minute.

[Don La Greca]

Because he's Mendoza.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don La Greca]

And he won a national championship.

[Alan Hahn]

Woody Johnson, you take a number two pick quarterback and there's no pressure to play him. There's nothing but pressure to play him.

[Don La Greca]

Well, first of all, pressure is all relative to how much you accept the pressure. Like Mendoza is going to come in as a star, galloping on a white horse, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

National championship.

[Alan Hahn]

He'll go to Las Vegas and that's what he'll be.

[Don La Greca]

So you're just. You might use him to sell tickets. Now, Moore is the kid that got blown out by Mendoza. Moore is the kid that you're not sure they should have taken him at 2. So there may not be a lot of pressure. But if you believe in him and believe he can mature into be the great quarterback. Quarterback, you can't pass on that just because you don't start him right away like the old quarterbacks that he listed were, didn't play a lot in college. If Moore decides to stay, just doesn't.

[Alan Hahn]

Sound like that's going to happen.

[Don La Greca]

Right. But let's just say he decided to stay at all.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don La Greca]

And now he puts another 12 regular seasons and now plays and wins a national championship, then that's clearly somebody who would have no problem taking at number one or two next year. Well, it's all about prognosticating where these kids are going to be. If you believe in him and think that if he stayed in college one more year he would be worthy of the number two, well, then why not draft him number two? Have him sit, have him watch, let him get into this for preseason games and mature into the quarterback that you want him to be. Why do you have to start these guys?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because the jets and here's The. Exactly.

[Alan Hahn]

That's what they do.

[Don La Greca]

How.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But also, is the jets the organization you want to develop a quarterback?

[Don La Greca]

No, not in. Not in the past. But has this regime proven it's not.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, how's Justin Fields look? Did he get better or did he stay the same?

[Peter Rosenberg]

He did not improve. I think he got worse. He did get worse. There's no Mike.

[Alan Hahn]

He might have gone.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He won games in Pittsburgh. He wasn't great, but they were winning football. He was worse.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Yeah. So I hope that.

[Don La Greca]

That obviously is a strike against the current regime.

[Alan Hahn]

If I'm Darren Muji, I've got to look at it like I. I am not a position to bring in a project quarterback right now. I can't do that. So he might in five years develop into something useful. But remember Trey Lance was one of the names on that list. He was taken third. He's still a backup. Like that? Never. And by the way, he was taken by a fight. An organization that knows what they're doing with quarterbacks. The 49ers. Kyle Shanahan Hand picked him, trade up, get that guy. I want him in my system. I want to teach him. And then they realize this was a mistake. Mistake. So I. The jets did it number two with Zach Wilson. And it was like, oh, he should start right away when everybody's like, you.

[Don La Greca]

Shouldn'T start him right away because they were idiots. That's all.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, nothing's changed, o'. Don. So I would rather take that pick, turn it into multiple picks, let someone else leapfrog up and say, I'll take Dante Moore because I can. I have a starting quarterback already and I want to develop this, this one. Like, the Rams might want him because Stafford's old.

[Don La Greca]

True.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. Like, so give me a couple of picks and I'll get a bunch of picks. And maybe I can take Chambliss a little bit later. That might still be high for Chambliss, but at least I got somebody that could feel good about. But I didn't have to use number two pick and I got extra picks for it. Do you understand what I mean?

[Don La Greca]

No.

[Alan Hahn]

You're.

[Don La Greca]

You're making perfect sense by. But what you're doing is compensating for lack of ability to develop a quarterback.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

So you're dead no matter what you do, you're dead. Right. So if I can't develop a quarterback, I couldn't. I couldn't work with Justin Fields. So I'm going to draft a quarterback later so there's not the pressure to play him. You still have to develop a quarterback. And if they can't do that, then it doesn't matter. You can have a billion picks. You can have the greatest football team in the history of earth with no quarterback. Where are you going?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I could use those picks to get a better quarterback. I could also use those picks to make my roster better while bringing in a veteran who could just be decent.

[Don La Greca]

Hey, how about going out and finding somebody? They could develop a quarterback, for God's sakes.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's hard to do when nobody wants to sound easier.

[Don La Greca]

Doesn't it sound easy?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, they thought they had that with Greg Knapp and then unfortunately that didn't work out, right?

[Don La Greca]

There's other Greg Knaps, God rest his soul. But let's not make it seem like that the quarterbacks aren't being developed, right? I mean, you, what you're doing is compensating for the biggest negative this franchise has had in 50 years. The lack of developing a quarterback. You're trying to jimmy switch the situation, right? You're trying to find a back door, like, right? No, I'm trying to avoid the same system.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no, but Donnie, I'm trying to avoid the same mistake. Like to me it's like it's repeating history, right? If you don't learn from it, you're doomed to repeat it, right? And we've seen over and over again Christian Hackenberg taking with a second round pick, although we're going to develop him. Guy never played right. But like, this is, you know, again, Zach was not a good Sam. They gave up on too soon. But because they didn't know what they were doing with him, they didn't know what they had in him. And then they let him go and they, and he became a good quarterback because once he got out of here, he figured it out. Like, that's. I, that's what I worry about. The recent history tells me this is not the right move, right? I'd have it, I'd be singing a different tune. If this was the quarterback draft from a couple of years ago and you felt like, all right, there's some legit like quarterbacks in this draft. This is not that we know. This is not that. There's a lot of inexperienced quarterbacks who are going to opt into the draft because they have a chance to get taken at a higher spot than they will next year when there's better quarterbacks available. That's a real thing. So give me either a more experienced one, that he might be older, but he might be able to play sooner because he's smart and he's been through a lot of systems, he's played a lot of college. Or let me turn these picks into other pieces, more assets that I can build up my roster which is not very good, and then find a middle of the road veteran who can just get me through it until I can get to a point where I can find a real quarterback. I just don't feel like this is playing the lottery every year and hoping to hit.

[Don La Greca]

No, I get it. But the idea is concerned that that shouldn't be what they're doing. What they should be doing is evaluating the quarterback position. And I say I think that guy's going to be great. I want him. I'm not going to miss the opportunity. I'm going to sit him. I'm not going to care what, what anybody says on sports radio. He's going to sit. Because if Kansas City had the same logic with Patrick Mahomes, well, he's not ready and I already got a veteran quarterback. Let's not pick him. He ends up dropping to 10 and he becomes what he's become. Right. You can wait until week 17 to play somebody. You can't ignore what all the pundits are telling you to do. You can ignore the booze in the stadium if there's anybody in the stadium to watch this team next year. But if you, if you see the quarterback, you must draft him. But what you're doing is I already know the guy can't see the quarterback. He's quarterback blind. So let's try to figure out a way to do it back door. Let's try to hack the system. How about getting people that can evaluate quarterback? And I'm not going to throw away this regime because Justin Fields didn't work out. It's possible Justin Fields wasn't going to work out anyway.

[Alan Hahn]

That's fair.

[Don La Greca]

So you know, so if they see the quarterback, you know, I understand you can't trust them. But you also don't want to see the next Patrick Mahomes slip through your fingers because you weren't ready.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Don La Greca]

Take them.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Like I said, I still can get a quarterback. I just don't think you take him as high as two in this draft. Damian Woody was on with Barton Carlin and he had this to say about whether or not the jets should or not trade or trade a draft. Dante Moore.

[Caller or Guest]

Dante Moore is 20 years old. He's 20. He's immensely talented. He's had a very good career at Oregon So far, the one knock is, you know, people talk about the lack of games, and that's a real knock. But if you, if you believe in the prospect, you've done your work, and I think. And most importantly, you have a plan. If you have a plan, then you take the young man. Now, if you were to jets and you take him, you know what I'm doing, I'm not playing him right. I'm not making the same mistake that I've made before with, you know, some of these other guys, whether it be Sam Donald or Zach Wilson. I'm not doing. Like, I'm going to bring in a couple of the veteran guys who know how to play the game so I can get my young quarterback time to ease into the game and learn from some pros. And then when the time is right, then you put them out there. But you got to make sure you have the right infrastructure and a plan for whether it's Dante Moore or anybody who comes into this organization at the quarterback position.

[Alan Hahn]

So two things that, that the jets have not had in a long time, infrastructure and a plan. That's again, those. That sounds like. Exactly. And Don, what you're saying is what a functioning franchise would do, right? Like. Like, well, take them and then just kind of stash him. Like, teach him. He doesn't have to play right away, but you feel like you got somebody that might have only gotten better in college, might have been a higher pay. How much higher than two can you be number one? Like, that's it. Like, so taking them two is pretty damn high.

[Don La Greca]

It is.

[Alan Hahn]

But I, I have seen this happen before. And we know Woody Johnson gets impatient. They did this with Zach Wilson, they did it with Sam Darnold. It's just to do this and then put it all on this kid's shoulder. As he said, He's 20 years old. He has very little experience in the college game. He has shown flashes, but in the big spot. The first time we see him in a big spot, his eyes were like. Like, oh, my God. It was happening too much, too fast.

[Don La Greca]

But doesn't mean he won't be ready next year. And that's why I think he should stay in school. But if he's itching to come out, somebody's going to draft him. And if he turns out to be that guy, you're going to probably kick yourself that you didn't take him. Well, I feel bad for Jet fans because I understand what you're trying to do. You're trying to end around, you're trying to Find another process when there's only one process.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, what's wrong with collecting draft capital when you're not a good team and.

[Don La Greca]

You'Re not a good roster and. But no, but that's not why you're doing it. You're doing it because you don't think they've. They've got the infrastructure. You don't think they can function as a franchise.

[Alan Hahn]

But I also don't think he should be taking it too. I think you can do better there. And you can get like, he's not somebody that like Zach Wilson shouldn't have gone to Trey Lance shouldn't have gone three.

[Don La Greca]

Well, Zach Wilson, last pick in the draft, I'm saying.

[Alan Hahn]

But. But they. This happened because teams a run on quarterbacks and. And everybody just starts making these crazy pickups. It's like, you didn't need to do that. You could have found a quarterback later on like the Giants did. They didn't get the guy they originally wanted in Camborge. They didn't have the number one pick. They ended up getting a guy they really fell in love with later in the first round. That can happen. And why? Because Jackson Dart actually played in college.

[Don La Greca]

Well, that's why. I don't know how they feel about Moore. But if they love more, then you take them.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but if they don't. I don't know.

[Don La Greca]

Then that's not even a conversation. You can't just draft for need. I need a quarterback. So I'm going to hold my nose and take this guy.

[Alan Hahn]

He always says that. Just take one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, well, because here's why. How often do you recall? And maybe I'll play myself and you'll give me five examples. A team that just started putting together the pieces first and then patiently waited and got the quarterback and plugged him into the team that they built. Or how often is it you find the quarterback, you go, oh my God.

[Don La Greca]

And.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you start grabbing other pieces and building around them.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, that's what Brock Purdy became. Brock P. They had so many pieces there.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's San Francisco.

[Alan Hahn]

And then they had injuries and he just fell into the position and worked.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, they're. They. San Francisco may be the only.

[Alan Hahn]

But I'm not saying they didn't pick him to be their quarterback.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, but that happened. But that you chose the only team in the world that you can say, I don't know if the quarterback matters. Everyone they plug in is successful. But like with normal teams, Jalen hurts, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Like, Wentz was supposed to be the guy there he got hurt and then when he came back, he wasn't the same. And then they drafted Hertz in the second round. Which second round? And once he started playing, they realized, we're better with this guy.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And that was the end of Wentz.

[Don La Greca]

And that does happen when they had.

[Alan Hahn]

A ready made team there. It doesn't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was a pretty previously made.

[Alan Hahn]

But what I'm giving you are two accidents.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And not only that. Hold on. You not only gave me accidents, you gave me teams with the best up top infrastructure in the league.

[Alan Hahn]

That's a good point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The opposite of the New York Jets.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don La Greca]

Because. Because you're looking at this infrastructure, this. This lack of being able to develop a quarterback. There's other issues too. Have they been able to develop a roster? I know everybody's loved their talent over the last couple of years, but how deep is the talent been? Does the talent win? They haven't to build anything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The talent has always been overrated. Let's be honest. The defense.

[Don La Greca]

Because Peter can honestly say. Can we. As much as they've needed a quarterback. And the quarterback has been the number one problem for the jets in forever. Have they been a quarterback away in recent vintage? We thought they were when they got Rogers. Right. Because the team was immensely talentable. Plug in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don La Greca]

And maybe that first year, maybe if he didn't get hurt, that team might have been able to challenge for a playoff spot, maybe make a run. But if you can't function, Alan, you can't function. All right. They're spitting up and wetting themselves at the same time. We're focused on sitting up because we see that.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

But then you. Then they stand up and go, that guy's been wetting himself the whole time too. A mess.

[Alan Hahn]

It's.

[Don La Greca]

And you hide the mess by. I understand. I love what you're doing. But you're.

[Alan Hahn]

It's.

[Don La Greca]

It's almost a work.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you're.

[Don La Greca]

You're. You're trying to figure out another way to invent fire.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm trying to find a way to get a quarterback that I've seen teams do now. Because sometimes you can't get him in the draft. And you shouldn't just do it because. Well, that's what you're supposed to do. You just take quarterback and hope it works out. No. Why don't I use these assets smart? If I don't feel like this guy's going to help me immediately. And we already hear the urgency in their voices and. And instead we have seen Indianapolis, we have seen Seattle. We have seen teams a couple of years ago. The raid, the Raiders did it when they got Geno. I know Gino wasn't good this year, but the point is, is that you can still find some Tampa with Baker. You can do it a different way.

[Don La Greca]

No, I agree with you. But what I don't want to see happen is they love more and don't take them because they're afraid they're screwing up.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, you know, the quarterback if they love them. But I don't know how a pro day can change what you saw in that.

[Don La Greca]

But, but take a look, man. Look at the history, how, how these quarterbacks move after the season. It just happens.

[Alan Hahn]

It's crazy though.

[Don La Greca]

We put way more, way more stock in games than they do. Can we admit that at least?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Don La Greca]

I don't know. I don't know if Friday was a, was a, was a flea on an elephant's butt to some of these general managers. They probably didn't care at all. And it's everything to us because it's.

[Alan Hahn]

All we see that would concern me. Now. Again, this is. This is. This is Darren Muji's biggest moment right now as a general manager in his young general manager career. This off season is his biggest moment. And we saw Joe Douglas have a couple of good drafts. But then when it was his big moment to do the right thing with the quarterback, he made a fatal mistake and that led to him being gone. This is now Darren Moji's biggest moment this offseason. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By Rich Eisen here. You know that feeling of handing off your taxes and then hearing nothing? Total radio silence.

[Don La Greca]

Well, not anymore.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now your taxes are done for you by a TurboTax full service expert who checks for every deduction and keeps you in the loop with real time updates on your phone. Just match with your dedicated expert, upload your docs and go later. Your life confident you're getting every dollar you deserve. This is how taxes should be. Visit TurboTax.com today to learn more. Real time updates only in iOS mobile app only available with TurboTax full service experts.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don La Greca]

This is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're gonna rub football all over ourselves today.

[Don La Greca]

I did consume a lot of football.

[Alan Hahn]

Back in the day.

[Don La Greca]

Pre kids in my underwear.

[Alan Hahn]

The NFL binge.

[Don La Greca]

You watch every game.

[Alan Hahn]

Everybody. Are you watching?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It happened. I was watching the wild card weekend.

[Don La Greca]

That is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It happened folks. Football galore and an MVP like performance again from the guy, the MVP, the one time MVP, Matthew Stafford from the 19.

[Don La Greca]

Stafford has it helmet high, settles his.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Feet, shoots right side, leaping catch.

[Alan Hahn]

Touchdown.

[Peter Rosenberg]

LA wow. At the front right pylon Colby Parkinson gives the Rams the lead with 38 seconds to go.

[Alan Hahn]

An absolute dot from Stafford.

[Caller or Guest]

33, 31 and the try coming our.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Friends on 710 ESPN. LA.

[Alan Hahn]

How about the booth? Did you hear everybody in the booth? There were people off the mic that were going crazy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean you damn right. Rams beat the Panthers 34 31. Stafford 12 of 15 in the fourth quarter and led his fourth career game winning drive in the fourth rot in the playoffs. All of which have come since he joined the Rams in 2021.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you didn't have many playoff experiences.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He did not. The Patrick Mahomes is the only player with more such comebacks in the playoffs with six.

[Don La Greca]

That's not nobody.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Stafford's the man.

[Alan Hahn]

Dude. Did you hear? I think it was Parkinson who said what he said in the huddle. No, they say let's rip their hearts out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He said that? Stafford said that.

[Alan Hahn]

Wasn't that Stafford who said that? Yeah, you asking God, I'm asking anybody who could just confirm.

[Caller or Guest]

I didn't hear that.

[Don La Greca]

So no, I didn't hear the story.

[Alan Hahn]

I thought, I thought you.

[Don La Greca]

You did so I thought that's what he said.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, Now I, I just.

[Alan Hahn]

Isn't it like now I gotta look it up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There was an alternate.

[Alan Hahn]

Maybe I made this up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There was. It's just, it's just a funny like life story. I feel like, like there was a different version of the Matt Stafford story that did not include him dominating the NFC west and becoming a Hall of Famer. Like maybe he was always going to be a Hall of Famer, but it would have been one of those. Oh yeah, he put up great numbers.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like there was an alt version guys. A, A the one where he stays in Detroit or B where he ends up going somewhere else but it ends up Just being the perfect storm and he's going to end up being a pretty iconic quarterback.

[Don La Greca]

You know, it's interesting, like you just said, like he probably goes to the hall of Fame. Does he like how many quarterbacks made it to the hall of Fame that had no postseason resume?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, I mean, it's almost impossible. If he kept playing there and putting up huge numbers, he may have been undeniable. You know. You know, Philip Rivers will end up there with no major playoff success.

[Don La Greca]

I mean, there's a championship game. I mean, Philip Rivers almost won a championship game. So.

[Alan Hahn]

So you guys know this is not fiction. I did see this story. So when he in the huddle, Devonte Adams said that he said, let's go snatch their hearts in the huddle.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Stafford before he threw the game winner.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's what he said. And he said I. And I guess Devonte then said I smiled because I thought it was like those gangster things you say. You hear him say that, you look at his face and then he threw a touchdown. You look at his face after that and it's like MVP stuff. So.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It'S pretty cool. It's very cool. And not surprising. He's a killer. Let's go to Chicago. The Bears. The cardiac Bears with another comeback win. Let's go to ESPN 1000 in Chicago snapback form and rush Caleb with a double move throw down left sideline. DJ Moore inside the five end zone. Touchdown.

[Alan Hahn]

Touchdown Bears. They've taken the lead on The packers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With 143 to go 25 yards.

[Alan Hahn]

The same connection. Week 16, a walk off win. This connection.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A three point lead.

[Don La Greca]

Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

ESPN 1000 Chicago. The Bears pull off their largest comeback in franchise playoff history. I'll tell you the moment the Bears got Jim McMahon outscoring the Packers 25 to 6 in the fourth quarter after trailing 213 at the half, they went 31, 27. Ben Johnson, apparently not a huge fan of the Packers. He was the head coach of the Bears yelling bleep the packers in the locker room after the game. Here's Ben Johnson with more on that.

[Alan Hahn]

Like I said before, there's a rivalry that exists between these two teams. Something that I fully recognize and I'm a part of.

[Don La Greca]

I don't like that team.

[Alan Hahn]

So George and I have talked and we're on the same page.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was also the packers largest blown lead in franchise playoff history. Chicago becomes the third team in NFL history with 25 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, joining the 1934 Giants and the 1992 Eagles.

[Don La Greca]

Listen, every Bear fan loves it, and I don't want to be that guy. I don't want to be the Michael K on the. On the new show.

[Alan Hahn]

But I don't know.

[Don La Greca]

Do you have to go? There you go.

[Alan Hahn]

But just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it was in the locker room. This was. It wasn't on the floor.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, but. But you know what? It was in the locker room. But now you know there's a camera on.

[Alan Hahn]

Yep.

[Don La Greca]

Don't tell me he didn't know there was a camera on him. Do whatever you want in the locker room. I get it. Worse things have happened. Here's some stories in the locker room, things that are said, things that are done to motivate the team. But he knew damn well that was going to go public.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know. I don't know if he's thinking that at the moment. I think he's got the team around him, and he wants to get fired up. Did you play?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What?

[Alan Hahn]

Play it. The clip. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Which club?

[Don La Greca]

Of the expletives.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't have the expo. Do I have the expletives club?

[Alan Hahn]

I do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, you do?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Ready? Like I said before, there's a rivalry. Okay. These two teams. I thought we had it. We can't use that. Huh? Okay. Because it's. He says it twice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I. Here's the thing. I'm going to. I'm going to disagree with Don. I do think that we, like, live in an era where people are too comfortable, like, while giving a speech or, you know, they're at the parade or they're on microphone on the field. I think there. People should really keep decorum. Even though there are cameras. I'm okay.

[Alan Hahn]

Handshake was a little nozzle which. Which handshake him with Leflore, the way he approached.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But Don specific to the ad, to the F bomb.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, but that's your huddle in the locker room.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it's gonna come out.

[Alan Hahn]

He's been like that all year. He rips his shirt off like, he.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Goes crazy, but when it comes out later. Here's the difference, Dom, between doing it like in a speech. You're doing it privately, so when it comes out, it's gonna get bleeped. When it's played publicly, like, I just. I just don't have an issue with it.

[Don La Greca]

I am not by any stretch being prudish and saying I words. I just. You just beat the Packers. You hate the Packers, But, I don't know, you have to. You have to take it to that level. You beat him, you Hate him. You won. You humiliated him in the second half of the game. I don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

There's been history here, though. When he was in Detroit, when he got the job in Chicago and they asked him about the pack, didn't he say, always love beating the Packers?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, there's a.

[Alan Hahn]

He's. This. Is this already something going on there?

[Peter Rosenberg]

And those. Those NFC north rivalries hit very hard.

[Alan Hahn]

Legit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, let's keep it going, guys. Josh Allen and the Bills also make a comeback to beat the Jaguars 27, 24.

[Alan Hahn]

Gilliam behind Allen. Here's the snap.

[Don La Greca]

There's the surge. And I think they largely let him score on purpose.

[Alan Hahn]

There was not much impedance there as.

[Don La Greca]

Josh Allen is in for the one.

[Alan Hahn]

Yard touchdown run to give the Bills.

[Don La Greca]

The lead with 102 left in the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's from the Bills radio network. Allen becomes the second player history with a go ahead passing TD and go ahead rushing TD in the fourth quarter of the same playoff game. All right, we're reaching now. Alex Smith in the 2011 divisional playoffs. Niner Saints. After the game, what caught the most attention was a reporter's interaction with Jags head coach Liam Cohen.

[Alan Hahn]

How you doing today? Lynn Jones, Jacksonville Free Press News.

[Don La Greca]

I just want to tell you congratulations on your success.

[Alan Hahn]

Young man, you hold your head up, all right? You guys have had a most magnificent season.

[Don La Greca]

He did a great job out there today.

[Alan Hahn]

So you just hold your head up, okay? And ladies and gentlemen, Duvall, you the one. All right?

[Don La Greca]

Keep it going.

[Alan Hahn]

We got another season, Okay? I appreciate it.

[Don La Greca]

Take care. Much continued success to you and the entire team. Thank you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Man.

[Don La Greca]

Not a journalist, a pretend journalist.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, not. Not a real sports journalist.

[Alan Hahn]

It was a sweet moment that should have been private, right? And I know that's not a popular opinion. I know a lot of people thought it absolutely is wonderful. She sounds very sweet. She hugged him with her words. Right. In a moment where he probably was depressed and he had a frown on his face, as he should. He lost a game. But I'm with Don. That's not the place. And she didn't have a question. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. So that's all I'm saying. Like, it's not anything. Like, she. It's very sweet of her. And all of us have had personal relationships with people we've covered where after something that you know is devastating to them, you see them later and you just be like, you know, like, keep your head up, man. You had a great teeth, but you don't do like, that's not what you do with the microphone in your hand and the assembled media all looking to write a story and finish the day. That's all I'm saying. It's. It doesn't make her bad. It doesn't make her evil. It's very sweet. And I know why I went viral, because it was sweet. And I know Pat McAfee's like, you know, all these reporters who hate their sport and hate the players they cover, and, you know, this is so much better. This is really, though, that's not the time. It doesn't mean you shouldn't do it privately, but that, to me is just not the time, see, or the place.

[Don La Greca]

I wish I had the quote in front of me again, because I can't stomach to hear it again to say.

[Alan Hahn]

Duval, just the whole we.

[Don La Greca]

Are you a member of the team or are you covering the team?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't think she covers the team well.

[Alan Hahn]

She was there with a credential. I mean, she was covering the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How hard do you think it is to get the credential in Jacksonville? I think she's like a local. She's from the Free Pass and she's. I think she does maybe. Maybe on television news or I saw her at least doing a hit on television news.

[Alan Hahn]

Fine.

[Don La Greca]

So that's fun. But. But as Alan said, you afterward, you go, hey, good job this year. But it's. It's not her job in the press conference to prop them up. You're covering them. You're covering the event.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

And then after the fact, if you want to have a personal relationship, but that just sounds like somebody that just, you know, waving the pom poms. And for anybody that supports that, like McAfee, well, that's what you want from your media. You want your media to be an extension of the team, to be an apologist for you, be rooting for you. That's not our job.

[Alan Hahn]

And again, that if she said in the beginning, hold your head up, you had a good season, now and then ask a question. But to say Duvall and to just not have a question, it just. That felt very out of place for that. That was for a press conference. Again, I'm not saying you couldn't do this privately, but in that situation, in that environment, that it's not a popular opinion, but it is a real thing. That is not the place.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just think we don't know the situation or, like, who she is and what the relationship.

[Alan Hahn]

It doesn't matter. That's not the place for it, it's just not. And you have to have respect for those around you to understand that. Like, I'm not asking a question, I just want to throw flowers. Great. Do that later. Yeah, that's not. This isn't a press conference. It is a question and answer session.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, is it small market?

[Don La Greca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're not going to hear that in New York. But like it was Jacksonville.

[Alan Hahn]

Could you imagine if somebody in New York did, did that, they would get eviscerated.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it would be the same thing we're doing, but much meaner.

[Don La Greca]

But it shouldn't be about small market, big market. It just, you got a job to do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but I don't, but I'm trying to say is, I don't think that's her job. I think she got a credential.

[Don La Greca]

Don't ask a, don't ask a question or don't take up time in that atmosphere because there's only a limited amount of time. There's questions to be asked about the game that, that took up, whatever it took up. And then the PR director is just waiting to say, thanks, coach. And then he's gone. And there's three other guys who wanted to ask about why this, why that from the game. And now they didn't because we wasted our time with this yo, yo. Stuff that you could have done after. You could have went up to the PR director and said, can I just get a second with the coach after. I just want to congratulate him on a great season. I did it at the World Series with David Wright. When David Wright lost the game, he sat there, answered every damn question. And then when it was all over and everybody left, I went up to him and I said, that's why you're the captain of this team. You didn't have to do that and you did. Good job. I didn't ask a question in the middle of the, of the scrum. Hey, David Wright, great job answering those questions, man. Go Mets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just think we're overanalyzing.

[Don La Greca]

They dragged me out by my, by.

[Peter Rosenberg]

My, my short hairs, but she's like a 75 year old lady.

[Don La Greca]

There's not small market, big market. It's now there's pretend land and then there's the real.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, it's not the most guys.

[Alan Hahn]

It's, it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. No, it's the NFL playoffs.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not like week seven in Jacksonville where it's Carolina versus Jacksonville. Nobody's really paying attention. It is, it's a playoff Game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

On the flip side, it's also not about the nuclear codes, okay. It's about the end of the Jaguars.

[Alan Hahn]

That's a whole other conversation. We all know we're playing in the toy box. We all know that.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, exactly. There are still going on the world right now. Why even have a press conference?

[Alan Hahn]

No, just play the game.

[Don La Greca]

All shake hands, we'll pray after and then it'll all be over. Don't have to ask any questions. Game's over anyway. There's more important things going on in the world. She's in this particular moment, you know, it's a big moment for Jacksonville. Playoff law jobs are won and lost. Based on what happens here, Peter, let's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Close it out with San Francisco and Philadelphia. Quite the day for Robert Sala and the Niners. Defense hurts.

[Don La Greca]

Shotgun snap her steps up middle.

[Alan Hahn]

Knocked away by erik Kendricks. The 49ers take over on downs. Do you believe in this team? What a play. The defense has time and time again. Two interceptions thrown by the 49ers. George Kittle's devastating injury in the second quarter and now the offense comes out on the field and they can put this thing away here in philly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's from KNBR. The Niners beat the Eagles 23:19 to take out the super bowl champs and advance to the divisional round game three lead changes in the fourth quarter. George Kittle torn Achilles. He will miss the rest of the season, of course. And also speaking of injuries, guys, we talked about how the Bills not at their best. Wide receiver Gabe Davis torn acl. Another weapon gone for Josh Allen. Now, speaking of dominant defensive performances, the Patriots defense smothered Justin Herbert. We talked about in our picks, guys. His O line has been struggling to protect him all year. They've had injuries, they've had problems. And that continued continued as the Chargers offense struggled and Drake may through the game's only touchdown. Here's Justin Herbert on why they weren't able to get that win.

[Don La Greca]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

We.

[Don La Greca]

I haven't figured it out yet and hasn't happened, so we'll have to reevaluate and see what happens.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, tough, tough day for the Chargers. That'll do it for your NFL binge wild card weekend, kids.

[Alan Hahn]

Very good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you.

[Alan Hahn]

Excellent.

[Don La Greca]

That was outstanding.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Now. I love this. I love the original, too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's the original again.

[Don La Greca]

Who is it?

[Alan Hahn]

I. You know, I. I know the song.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Happen.

[Alan Hahn]

Who is that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know the. The rapple. I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, no, I know.

[Don La Greca]

I know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Fast Life. I. I don't.

[Alan Hahn]

I know this is the. The sample of it, but the original is, like, surface. Surface was sneaky. Good 90s R&B.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don La Greca]

I don't know what I did to Jacob, but.

[Alan Hahn]

No, come on.

[Don La Greca]

I'm not a part of this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's in his own today.

[Don La Greca]

I don't know any of these songs.

[Alan Hahn]

You don't have to know them to feel them, though. Don.

[Don La Greca]

I felt nothing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's. Well, listen.

[Alan Hahn]

How do you not feel anything with that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

He didn't feel it. But.

[Don La Greca]

But listen, I'm not on the show today. I'm in Minneapolis now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There are days.

[Alan Hahn]

You are on.

[Don La Greca]

I'll be back tomorrow.

[Alan Hahn]

You are on the show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, and there are days when all three of us are in the studio and Jacob plays nothing but stuff that's up Don's alley. And I don't go, could someone play.

[Alan Hahn]

Some rap for me?

[Don La Greca]

No, no, no, no, no. Because we're analyzing every song coming out of the break as if, like, you're dancing on my grave.

[Alan Hahn]

Nobody's.

[Don La Greca]

You know, I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This is very Allen. Like, listen, you're being very sensitive.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, don't do me.

[Don La Greca]

No, you're still an Al.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're really being.

[Don La Greca]

Say anything the first three times it happens. Then, like, the fourth time, it's like, all right, we're gonna just break down every.

[Alan Hahn]

No, but he's playing, like, the greatest hits off Aussie's. You're going five years deep into an album. I talk about a documentary that nobody saw.

[Don La Greca]

No, I made a comment, but we just go, hey, Comment. Hey, nice choice. I don't sit there and go find somebody to engage in conversation and purposely about one third. Do what you got to do, brother.

[Alan Hahn]

Peter, we're not allowed to enjoy our music.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

We can't. Unless we can all like it at the same time.

[Don La Greca]

You can.

[Alan Hahn]

Or unless Don likes it, and we just have to tolerate it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This was put together.

[Alan Hahn]

It was not intentional.

[Don La Greca]

I was late to the meeting because I. I had a scavenger hunt for.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Lunch today, and what do you think we were doing? Hey, Jacob, what's the big plan? How can we leave Don out of the music?

[Alan Hahn]

Twisting our mustache is coming up with an idea like you're finally using, by the way. Here we go. You want some love? You're finally using my Christmas Gift. Look at you and you look gorgeous.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What a dead on shot that is straight on his face. I don't want to get all into Don's activity.

[Don La Greca]

That is quite the gift. I will say that is quite the gift.

[Alan Hahn]

Listen, I aim to please.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What are you doing?

[Don La Greca]

Well, you've got great aim.

[Alan Hahn]

But look. Does your iPad fit?

[Don La Greca]

It fits.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If it's sideways, it's supposed to fit. But that's. That's the right way. That's how you want the camera, the full shots. You look great.

[Alan Hahn]

But I think it looks terrific.

[Don La Greca]

And what I told. Because I left on Saturday for Winnipeg with the team which means I was able to pack as big a bag as I wanted to bring my big. You know that ABC bag that they. They gave us like 20 years ago.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know.

[Don La Greca]

And I packed all of the stuff that I needed for the. Which what. Which I can't do when I fly commercial. I will bring this with me next week when I go to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle. So this is definitely a part it.

[Alan Hahn]

Doesn'T it make life easier? Like think about it. It just. You don't have.

[Don La Greca]

Never mind how life easier. Look at the shot, man.

[Alan Hahn]

Shot's gorgeous. Gorgeous.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Gorgeous shot like you're supposed to.

[Don La Greca]

It's a money shot.

[Alan Hahn]

Some would say as we put a bow on that one really, really tied it up.

[Don La Greca]

I wanted to bring a full circle.

[Alan Hahn]

And on the music front, how about Chris Stapleton, everybody? His all American road show is coming to Northwell Jones beach theater on Wednesday, August 26th. And ESPNY has your chance to score tickets on the ESPN New York app. Just find the contest tile. Submit your entry. It's brought to you by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am at Ticketmaster. Don's busy that day in case you wanted to go with him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was that true?

[Alan Hahn]

No, I just could tell by the way he was reacting to it. 800 now. 193776. Jose Connecticut's been on hold for a while.

[Don La Greca]

Jose, what's up, baby?

[Caller or Guest]

Hey, my guys love you guys, but man. And I'm gonna preface by saying I don't like Pat McAfee. I don't like anything about him. But this is the one time I agree with him. I'm gonna give you some quick, brief quick points. Why like number one? I agree with them. Like sports writers. And sometimes Kate will admit to this. They're you guys. They act like curmudgeons. Like they're. They're war. Like they're. They're in the war zone. Reporting on like, like foreign, Foreign, international. Like, no, you're right. And, and like, this is one 20 second clip of a lady, by the way, who actually has made more waves in all of these robotic questions that are.

[Don La Greca]

That too.

[Caller or Guest]

90 of the questions are like irrelevant. It's only like two or three questions that are important. And number three, and I'm sorry, like, I just got to say, I'm a consultant for businesses and I got always tell the same things. People gotta adapt. This is why print media is dying. Like, people like McAfee, who I don't like, are adapting to what's happening. So it's okay to have one there for a lady with 85, 90% of the regular.

[Don La Greca]

Just not what it's for. That's not the forum. This is not a chance to compliment it. I have a job to do. You might think the media sucks, okay? And I could tell by your tone you think we're all worthless hacks. That guy has a job to do, covering the team to find out information that he has to put back to his editor or send back to his radio station. That's his job. All right, I agree. Some questions are stupid because the quality of journalists obviously is in the eye of the beholder. Not everybody is good at their job, but they have a job to do. And that job is not to sit there and compliment the coach. That's not what it's there for. If you want to do it afterward, you want to send them an email, you want to make a phone call after. But in that particular forum, it's to ask questions about the game. That's what it's for.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Caller saying. But what the caller's saying, and it is compelling, is that maybe you need to adapt to what that time is for. Maybe to some degree it's also going to be for content creators who just ask other things.

[Alan Hahn]

I am just going to say, and you can go ahead and do the drop or whatever you want to say. You guys know I was a sports writer for a long time. I was in these situations. Yeah, exactly. I was in these situations. That's just not the time. It doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. That's just not the time. And what I don't want is this to turn into now, where all of a sudden there's just going to be now people that just go rogue and do it just to now be viral. And that's just that it can't be that way. Should it also be combative and curmudgeonly? No, I agree with what Jose said, it does feel like though, there are some people that are miserable and just love to be miserable and want to make everybody miserable and only focus on negative things. I agree. And there's some people that take it too far when it comes to calling out teams and coaches and all that stuff. I agree. I've been around it, I've seen it. But that particular thing, as sweet as it was, just not there. That's all I'm saying.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, I have. I don't have an issue with it. If all of a sudden it started becoming this is all press conferences are but a 75 year old lady from the Jacksonville Free Press, a market that doesn't have a lot of nice things when it comes to sports, who's just saying, hey, we got a coach. I just want to let you know we love you. I get it. If that happened all the time, not right. But in that moment, it was a nice moment. That was all the news that.

[Alan Hahn]

So now I got to be nice to you to get something. So now he'll. Will you be now nicer to her and get better answers? And I have to now kiss your ass to get better answers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We don't even know the information. This is the problem. We're also speaking out of school. It may be a thing where everyone in the town knows her and she doesn't normally go there and it was just a nice moment. He knows her. The other reporters know her. We don't know like we're speaking out of our aces, if we're being honest.

[Don La Greca]

But then that's a bad job. Out of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why is that?

[Alan Hahn]

No one explained.

[Don La Greca]

Because you're taking up time. People have work to do. I mean, you say, you mean they got their questions. You wear a bunch of hat. We shouldn't be credentialed. We're all awful at what we do, but we have a job to do. You cover a sport, then all these fans want to know, like how many times I'm calling a game. We'll find out for coach why he called timeout, why he pulled the goaltender. How do you think you find out this information? Why did you go for it on fourth down? Why didn't you go for it on fourth down? How's this, the health of this player stuff that we now can use in our articles and our shows. It's all called information. And the press conference is where you get that information or you try to get that information if it's gonna be taken up by stuff like that. And then the PR director goes, okay, thanks for the questions. And then I didn't get to ask my question. And then the fans are like, how come we never found out why he went for it on fourth down?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's why I hear you. Again, we just don't have context. It might have been the 23rd question. We just don't know.

[Don La Greca]

You just don't understand the point of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The no, I do understand. Of course I do. But I mean, not every moment of every press conference leads to ink on paper. That's not how press conferences go.

[Don La Greca]

Arguing more with the caller is like, well, maybe we have to adapt.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Adapt to what?

[Don La Greca]

So just change it all. This is the area of time. We only have a finite amount of time. I mean, I'm lucky I get to travel with the team, but there are people that cover the Devils that only get a finite amount of time with the head coach or cover the Rangers or cover the Yankees. And when that time is taken up by that, well, then it hurts me to do my job. As great as it was a beautiful moment. But now let's adapt. Now let's have everybody just whoever has a question or want it would be just as wrong if somebody asked for his job at that. That's a hackadoodle thing to do, too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, speaking of hackadoodle do's, I bet you there won't be a Hackadoodle do performance tonight. And if you want to bet on that final wild card matchup.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, we are.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, it's going down tonight. That's right. I already have Houston. You know that they're -3 and Fanduels turning on playoff mode. All customers get a profit Boost pack every NFL game day tonight you'll find a pack loaded with multiple profit boosts waiting for you in the app. All right, so I got the Texans to cover the number. You know that. Take your shot though. Maybe you want the Steelers with the upset or to build a parlay that fits the moment for you. So apply your profit boost and go after an even bigger payout while the playoffs get rolling. Visit Fandom Local, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL and grab your profit boost pack every NFL game day 21 and over. Fiscally present in New York. Option required. Bonus issues now withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply, including any token expiration to max wager amount. See [e-mail] for help with the yambling problem. Call 877-8-HOPE and wire text open y467.

[Alan Hahn]

369 thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. 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.