NFL Cover Zero: The Week of 4th Quarter Comebacks!

Podcast: KSR
Episode Date: November 24, 2025
Hosts: Matt Jones & Drew Franklin (plus regular contributions from Colin Coward)
Theme: A wild NFL weekend defined by dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks, improbable finishes, and shifting playoff narratives. The crew recaps the key games, memorable plays, and standout players, while riffing on NFL brother duos, broadcast quirks, and the broader state of the league.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into a thrilling NFL Sunday marked by multiple shocking late-game comebacks, focusing intensely on the Chiefs' season-saving rally, the ever-tense AFC playoff race, and a run through the major (and minor) storylines from around the league. The hosts bring humor, skepticism, and fan fervor to their recaps, peppered with stats, personal anecdotes, and the occasional tangent—from classic NFL siblings to the oddest family moments in football.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Game of the Day: Chiefs’ Overtime Comeback Over Colts

[02:55 – 09:48]

• Chiefs 23, Colts 20 (OT): The consensus pick for “game of the day” and possibly “game of the season,” with the Chiefs staving off playoff elimination.

  • Matt Jones: “If the Chiefs lose today, their shot of making the playoffs is low... now they win, their schedule gets favorable after next week... we may look back and say that into fourth quarter was a turning point of the season.” (03:36)

• Fourth-quarter Mahomes Magic Begins: Early struggles gave way to classic late-game heroics.

  • Drew: “I had the Chiefs in mind about that third quarter...the dynasty is dead... But now the Chiefs, they're still chiefin'—having that fourth quarter magic.” (03:53)

• Missed Opportunities & Star Moments:

  • Chiefs ran 91 plays to Colts’ 50, but struggled in the red zone.
  • Rashee Rice & Xavier Worthy - crucial receptions and "the play of the year" candidate on third-and-seven.
  • Chiefs defense: Held Colts to four possessions and just 12 plays in late stretches.

• AFC Implications: The hosts agree every other AFC contender “will rue the day” the Colts couldn’t put the Chiefs away when they had the chance.

• Notable Quote:

  • Matt Jones: “Last four possessions for the Colts: three and out. All four only 12 plays. That's as good as Mahomes was. That's the difference in the game.” (06:41)

2. Bears’ Narrow Victory Over the Steelers (& the Rodgers Angle)

[09:48 – 13:24]

• Bears win 31-28 over Steelers: Matt revels in a rare season where Chicago is winning close games and leading their division.
  • Drew: “Caleb Williams has been really great in this last stretch... they're calling him Cardiac Caleb.” (11:00)
• Rodgers Drama: Matt enjoys Aaron Rodgers having to watch from the sidelines during his team’s loss.
  • Matt: “There’s nobody I want... as much as I enjoyed winning, watching [Rodgers] lose made me even happier.” (13:49)

3. The NFL’s Great Brother Duos

[14:46 – 20:22]

• Jumping off from TJ Watt surpassing JJ Watt's family sacks record...

• Top NFL Brother Pairings Mentioned:

  • The Mannings (Peyton & Eli)
  • The Watts (JJ & TJ)
  • Barbers (Tiki & Ronde), Sharps (Sterling & Shannon), Kelseys, McCourtys, Bosas, and others.

• Broader Sports Examples: Discuss baseball (DiMaggio, Ripkens), basketball (Currys, Lopez twins), and note how in football, “brothers are equally good,” contrasting to other sports.

• Notable Quote:

  • Matt Jones: “If you have an NFL player and he's good and his brother comes in the draft, if you like the one you have... go ahead and pick the other one because they're going to be equal.” (20:01)

4. The Slumping Ravens Keep Winning

[24:24 – 25:06]

• Ravens 23, Jets 10: Slow start, dominant finish, winning five straight after a 1-5 start.
  • Drew: “As long as they can stay healthy...they can be a contender.” (24:53)

5. The Weekly Touchdown Parlay & Bills’ Letdown

[25:06 – 26:49]

• Playful banter about missed bets; shoutout to Texans’ upset over Bills.
  • Matt Jones, calling his shot: “One person on this show called it. That was me, calling the six point underdog money line.” (25:57)

6. Viral College Football Moment: Diego Pavia’s Mom on Camera

[26:49 – 29:13]

• Lively, comedic riffing on the lengths TV directors went to capture the antics of Diego Pavia’s mother in the stands—an unexpectedly “provocative” fan highlight.

7. Bengals’ Season Spirals—Flacco Era Ending?

[29:40 – 33:18]

• Bengals lose 26-20 to Patriots; questions loom about bringing Joe Burrow back from injury.
• Wild stat: McPherson hits a 63-yard field goal, prompting a discussion on how easy long kicks have gotten.

8. Titans’ Fan Apathy & Seahawks Ascendance

[34:39 – 36:56]

• Drew: Melancholic about skipping watching his Titans for the first time in years.
• JSN (Jackson Smith-Njigba) breaks Seattle’s single-season receiving record.
• Seahawks’ only three losses by eight total points—a stealth contender.

9. Trash Rivalries and Quarterback Alter-Egos

[41:13 – 44:49]

• Vikings claim their matchup with Packers is “the fiercest rivalry in the NFL”—the hosts are not buying it.
• Discussion about J.J. McCarthy (Vikings): His “Nine” alter-ego and penchant for “war paint” considered laughable and dorky by the crew.

10. Giants-Lions OT Thriller & the Rise of Jameis (“We Outside, But We Inside”)

[45:41 – 47:56]

• Lions prevail 34-27 in OT, but Jameis Winston’s play (and his pregame speech: “We outside, but we inside”) steals the show.
• Lions rookie Jameer Gibbs puts up 264 all-purpose yards.

11. Coaching Decisions: Kicking or Not Kicking?

[48:21 – 53:21]

• Matt: “There were three games today where teams needed points and chose not to [kick]...in all three situations they don’t make it. Is this a plague of going for it a little too much on 4th and goal?” (48:24)
• Drew and Matt scrutinize failed fourth-down attempts by the Giants, Cowboys, and Jaguars. Dallas’ was especially egregious—but they survived.

12. Eagles-Cowboys: Wild Swings, Wild Scene at Louisville Sports Bar

[53:21 – 55:10]

• Cowboys storm back from 21-0 down to beat the Eagles in the most dramatic afternoon game.
  • Matt describes watching the game at a sports bar with “the world’s most delayed, drunk Cowboys fan,” which becomes the table’s communal entertainment.
• CD Lamb’s key drop, Aubrey misses a crucial field goal, yet Dallas escapes.
• Noteworthy moment: Elijah Clark’s “football guy” effort on punt coverage earns universal football guy respect.

13. Around the NFL:

• Jaguars beat Cardinals; Trevor Lawrence with 4 turnovers, looking more Wayne Brady than Tom Brady (65:18 – 66:37)

• Falcons-Saints: Dull Game, Awkward QB Endings

  • Cousins’ Atlanta chapter pronounced “one of the worst endings of a career” (67:46–68:13)
  • Brief reminiscing about QBs ending their careers in odd jerseys (Favre as a Jet, Emmitt Smith as a Cardinal, etc.)

• Rams Dominate Bucs as Stafford Stays Hot

  • Rams establishing themselves among the NFC elite.
  • Teddy Bridgewater’s cameo as Bucs QB prompts nostalgia for his positive off-field reputation.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Mahomes, Chiefs Comeback:

  • "[Mahomes] didn't look like himself until the fourth quarter...He has Kelsey wide open and he overthrows him by like 10 yards...But at the end, they do what they do. I think the AFC is going to rue the day they didn't put the stake in them today." – Matt Jones (04:13 – 05:21)

• "Brothers in the NFL are equally good":

  • “If you have an NFL player and he's good and his brother comes in the draft…go ahead and pick the other one because they're going to be equal.” – Matt Jones (20:01)

• On J.J. McCarthy’s War Paint Ritual:

  • “First of all, he's a dork. I can tell. ...Don’t put on war paint. That would be like me putting on war paint. It's not. That's not your personality.” – Matt Jones (42:23)

• On the Vikings-Packers ‘Rivalry’:

  • “If the other team doesn't know they're in a rivalry, you're not allowed to even...Bengals-Browns is bigger, they're in the same state.” – Matt Jones (44:24)

• Lions 4th Quarter/OT Win:

  • “This would have been a signature Jameis win if they could have gotten it on the road in Detroit in a game that they didn't. Shouldn't have won.” – Matt Jones (46:58)

• Wild Cowboys-Eagles Scene:

  • "The best moment was...the TVs that had been on the other game were like 10 seconds ahead. My man...never realized it...the whole restaurant collectively decided the joy in the game would be seeing the Cowboys do something successful, waiting 10 seconds for him to find out and then watching him celebrate." – Matt Jones (51:46 – 52:09)

• On the Joy of Rodgers Losing:

  • “As much as I enjoyed winning, watching [Rodgers] lose made me even happier.” – Matt Jones (13:49)

Timestamped Guide to Major Segments

• Chiefs-Colts Comeback & AFC Playoff Race: [02:55–09:48]
• Bears-Steelers, Aaron Rodgers, and Caleb Williams: [09:48–13:24]
• NFL Sibling Deep Dive: [14:46–20:22]
• Ravens Keep Rolling, Betting Banter: [24:24–26:49]
• Diego Pavia’s Mom & Viral Moments: [26:49–29:13]
• Bengals-Patriots, Flacco’s Future: [29:40–33:37]
• Bears Special Teams, Kicker Rants: [33:18–34:07]
• Seahawks, Jackson Smith-Njigba’s Big Year: [34:39–36:56]
• Packers-Vikings Rivalry Silliness & McCarthy’s ‘Nine’ Persona: [41:13–44:49]
• Giants-Lions, Jameis' Wild Day, Field Goal Debates: [45:41–53:21]
• Eagles-Cowboys Instant Classic & Sports Bar Hijinks: [53:21–55:10]
• Jacksonville & Trevor Lawrence’s Turnover Troubles: [65:18–66:37]
• Falcons-Saints, Old QBs in New Jerseys: [67:03–69:13]
• Rams-Bucs Recap, Teddy Bridgewater Nostalgia: [69:34–71:39]
• Closing Picks, Shador’s Browns Debut, and Final Banter: [72:45–75:21]

Overall Tone & Style

Rollicking and irreverent, with plenty of self-deprecation, fan schadenfreude, and insider insight. The hosts jump from in-depth breakdowns to digressions about NFL families, television commentary quirks, and the misery (or fleeting joy) of various fan bases. Recurring themes are the unpredictable nature of the NFL, the consequences of coaching choices, the eternal comedy of quarterback careers and “football guy” mythology, plus plenty of offbeat humor.

Useful For

• Anyone wanting a smart yet light-hearted wrap-up of the NFL’s wildest week in recent memory
• Fans tracking the AFC playoff race, Chiefs drama, and the implications of 4th quarter magic
• Listeners who enjoy quick-hitting insights with comedic diversions on the side

This covers the essential content, major topics, insights, humor, and notable moments—allowing a non-listener to fully grasp the heart and highlights of this NFL Cover Zero episode.