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A
Lets get out of pocket, right out the gate and challenge everybody to think deeper. What if the super bowl isn't decided by who's better but by who survives their own habits? Because on one side you got the New England Patriots, efficient, surgical in their quarterback, he might make history. On the other you've got the Seattle Seahawks. Violent defense, explosive moments in a quarterback who's living the greatest. Don't call it a comeback season we've seen in quite some time. We'll dive into the super bowl preview. Sam Jonas incredible comeback story. Why a Super bowl win makes Drake May and Mike Grable the new Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Why there aren't more black head coaches in the NFL and why the NFL's work life balance ethos still treats family like it's a penalty flag. All in 33 minutes or less. Think we can do it?
B
Yes.
A
All right, so come get in the huddle by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Follow us on social media and leave a comment on what you want to talk about next. Welcome to out of pocket with RG3, hosted by your boy and the lovely, amazing, incredible 109 time all American gruppe. All right, guys, today is a menu. You heard it. We were talking about super bowl breakdown, storylines, uncomfortable truce and the are you serious right now moment at the very end.
B
In translation, he means he's about to use football as therapy again.
A
Oh, baby, come on now. You know I don't need therapy. I got you.
B
They do the same. Milk does the body good.
A
Oh yes they do. They love that milk. Don't they love that milk.
B
Alright, let's move the chains and get to our first segment. The opening Drive Super Bowl 60 is on February 8th at Levi's Stadium, the Super bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Let's talk about the numbers that actually matter here. This is the first Super bowl since 1970s merger where both teams are ranked top four in scoring offense and top four in scoring defense in the regular season. The Seahawks and Patriots both average over 28 points per game and their defenses give up 18 points or less per game.
A
Yes. So that means both teams can score, but scoring on them isn't easy. That means efficiency is going to be the name of the game in this Super Bowl. And that takes us straight to the quarterback battle. Baby, talk to them.
B
Talk to them.
A
Yes.
B
How do the Seahawks stop Drake May?
A
Well, they have to put more pressure on him than a button on a medium shirt that you just put in the dryer. All right, that Thing shrunk on you. Drake May leads the NFL in quarterback efficiency in so many different categories. Completion percentage, QBR, passer rating. He also had a 31 to 8 touchdown interception ratio and threw for 3,000, 4,394 yards. That is what you call not playing like a second year player or a second year breakthrough. And he can literally make history. At 23 years old and 162 days, he'd be the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl. So when you talk about pressure on a guy off the field, there's all these expectations. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Super Bowls and New England. But on the field, you're talking about pressure and sacks that do a thing that we call they create drive, killer math. Right now, New England allows a pressure percentage up front from their offensive line of 38.3%. That means they're giving up a sack 8.7% of the time. That's bottom 10 in the NFL. Not to mention that they've already given up 15 sacks in the three playoff games they played up to this point. Now, pressure doesn't just cause sacks, it causes bad decisions. So when you talk about a, a, a, a, A defensive coordinator, how does he want to affect the quarterback? He wants to get him off his spot, force him to make bad decisions, get them behind the chains. And this Seattle defense, man, they're just not good. They're disruptive. You want to talk about a defense that has a sack rate of 6.81% and their blitz package is absolutely filthy. I played against this defense for three years in Baltimore because Mike McDonald was a defensive coach on that staff. And when they get up to the line of scrimmage, you think to yourself, oh, I know this guy's coming and this guy's coming and they'll just give the, the defensive players the freedom at the line of scrimmage to tell each other what the blitz pattern is going to be. So you're never correct. That to me is something that not a lot of people are talking, but they create pressure on blitzes at a rate of 56%, which is the best in the NFL. Which makes the Seattle defense the most dangerous pressure team in all of the NFL. 47 sacks, 25 takeaways. This year, Seattle has to be able to get home with four rushers. So they can be selective with their blitzers against Drake May and force him to look like a young QB in the Super Bowl.
B
So if you're saying if Seattle turns this into chaos, they can then steal possessions 100.
A
Exactly. And if you're looking for, like, a sneaky swing factor in this game, you know, you got a couple bets you're trying to put out there, or you just want your team to win. I want you to really pay attention to who creates extra possessions in this game. Short fields will. Will tip the scales in the direction of your team. So if they can steal a possession by getting a fourth down stop, still a possession by getting an interception, the ball back into their offense's hands. That time of possession is going to be so crucial when you have two teams that really value staying on the field and staying committed to the run game.
B
So how did the Patriots then beat the Seahawks?
A
They beat the Seahawks by making the Seahawks beat themselves. And I know that sounds. All this football talk, it's. It's not football talk. Seattle has been a much more chaotic team this year than the Patriots have. So when you look at that in this type of game, that makes it extremely dangerous because they've had some issues protecting the football. So you get one fumble, one tip ball, one ball that doesn't bounce your way or bounces your way. If you're the Patriots and it completely changes the game, you could be down 10 points. And that is not where Seattle wants to be against this Patriots team. They will run the heck out of the football. They prove that in the AFC Championship game. They are absolutely built to win ugly games. Their whole playoff identity, people, has been, we're gonna win the game that you don't want to play. So if it means running the ball 35, 40, 45 times, we'll do it. If that means throwing it 35, 45 times, which I don't think they want to do, but they are willing to go to those links to make it happen. So the Patriots, their game plan will be determined by trying to force Seattle to play behind the chains. Seattle's got a top five running game. Yes. They don't have Zach Charbonnet, but they've got Kenneth Walker iii. He ran the ball extremely effectively in the NFC championship game. So the Patriots want to be able to get them in a second along and third longs and allow Kalevon Chase on Christian Barrymore, Milton Williams, Anthony Jennings, and potentially Harold Landry iii, who could come back in this game to create sacks and turnovers on the young guy.
B
What's a player matchup in this game that you think can decide the Super Bowl?
A
Yeah, listen, everybody's gonna say this, but it's. It's so true. You got Jackson, Smith, and Jigba Going up against Christian Gonzalez. So Smith and Jigba, JSN as we call him, led the league in receiving yards, 1793 receiving yards, almost 2, 000, if you can include the playoffs. So he established himself, in my opinion, as the best receiver in all the NFL this year. And he got his first All Pro nomination, or should I say accolade. And you look at Christian Gonzalez, he picked up his first ever Pro bowl appearance. He had 11 pass breakups in 14 games this year. He's a shutdown corner. I don't anticipate that both of them will be matched up for the entirety of the game because JSN moves around the formation so much. I mean, Seattle even put him in the backfield and he ran a corner route, a sail route, as we call it, from the backfield, just so you could hide him away from all these guys that are looking for him. But Gonzalez not following him around is also probably a good thing because if you pay too much attention to Jackson, Smith and Jigba, you've also got Rasheed Shahid, who is a nightmare. Please play single safety against Rasheed Shahid. And Sam Donald's going to be throwing bombs over Baghdad the entire game. But now if you, if you put too much attention on Rashid Shahid and Jack Smith and Jibba, you still had Cooper cup there. And Cooper cup has been extremely efficient for the Seattle offense, moving the chains and keeping them in favorable downs and distances. So Seattle had a top 10 explosive play rate this season. It's not just because of Jackson, Smith and Jigba, but he's a hard cover. So when Gonzalez is on him, if they can allow him to play him one on one and he can win that matchup, which no one's really won that matchup all season with him, then you can put some other attention and maybe double Cooper cup or put a safety over the top of Rasheed Shahid. And that's where to me, Sam Darnold's maturation during the playoffs has been really effective.
B
Maturation match.
A
You like. You like those big words, you know what I'm saying?
B
So good.
A
Oh, so, yeah, one busted coverage, one deep shot could determine the whole game. Busted thing wide open. If there was a blowout, I would see it as a blowout in Seattle's favor as opposed to in New England's because Seattle has more firepower on offense.
B
Okay, but does a Super bowl win make Drake May and Mike Rabel the new Tom Brady and Bill Belichick?
A
Yes. Yes, it does. May became a legitimate MVP candidate This year?
B
Yes.
A
Right. So he's probably going to finish second MVP voting to Matthew Stafford and that's something like winning an MVP is something that Tom Brady didn't do until his fourth year. But a Super Bowl. Brady was able to bring the Patriots super bowl in year two. So if, if Drake may is able to also do that, the comparisons will be inevitable because they're going to feel like they're reliving through. Through deja vu.
B
Yeah. Is Mike Rabel the best coach in the NFL right now?
A
He's one of the best. A Super bowl win for Mike Vrabel taking his team from 4 and 13 the year before he was there to 14 3. And a Super bowl victory throws him into the conversation with Andy Reid, nick Sirianni, Sean McVeigh, Sean Payton. So yes, if the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Mike Vrabel is now the best coach in the NFL and him and Drake may become the new Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England.
B
People are not going to like that.
A
Got to tell the truth. We speak the truth here, people.
B
Let's get to our feel good story of the week. Now that we know what decides the game, let's talk about the man who might decided with this wildest career plot twist in the league. Sam Darnold. Is Sam Darnold having one of the best comebacks of all time?
A
Yes. Sam Darnold is having one of the best receipts seasons ever. The NFL tried to put this man on do not disturb and he said nuh, I'mma turn it in to do not test me people. The NFL will humble you.
B
Hold on. I actually need that on my iPhone instead of do not disturb. I just want to put on do not test me.
A
Do not test me people. Okay.
B
Oh my God, that's good.
A
I'm a 8 year vet in the NFL. Seen it every which way starter. Back up, back up, back up. Out of the league. Back in the league. Fourth quarterback. Find a way to get a team to keep the quarterback for the three quarterbacks. For the first time in a decade, I've seen it all. The NFL will humble you extremely fast. One second you're the man, your top pick you the future. In a blink of an eye, you become a punchline. So for Sam Darnold, he threw 63 touchdowns in six years. His first six years in the NFL, 63 touchdowns. New York Carolina, you know, had a stop there in San Francisco with 49ers and now he's thrown 60 touchdowns in the last two years playing for the Minnesota Vikings. Playing for the Seattle Seahawks and almost over 8,300 yards. So when you look at that from a quarterback's perspective, he's basically eclipsed what he did in six seasons, in two years. And it's because he found stability, stability at the head coach position, stability at the. The weapons around him. And to see him grow and develop and not just sulk because it, it started tough is truly one of the best comebacks I've ever seen. And here's the crazy thing. In the super bowl, he actually has a chance to do something that everyone written him off for and said he would never be able to accomplish.
B
What is it?
A
Win the super bowl and become that dude. He's number three pick in the draft. Everyone knew he had the talent, but now he really has the pen to write his own narrative. So Sam Darnold has to do what he's been doing this entire playoffs. Take care of the football, hit the explosive plays when they're there. Don't give the Patriots any free possessions. His last two playoff games, he has not turned the football over. And this is saying that I. That you have I live and die by. Because a coach once told me this and it stuck with me. He said, when you're playing quarterback, it's just like life. You can't go broke taking a profit. So take what the defense gives you. If they're going to allow Jack Smith and Jibba to go out there and do his thing, throw it to him, they're going to take him away. Throw the Cooper cup, they're going to take him away. Get Rashid, she involved. They're going to take them all away. Run the football, do whatever you have to do to win the game. And then the story that will be written is that he's the first quarterback from his draft class, which included Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, to win a Super bowl, that would be legendary.
B
That's a crazy stat.
A
Football's biggest game is right around the corner and you can get in on all the action. With Underdog. Not on Underdog yet, then you're in luck because new customers score $75 in fantasy bonus entries. When you make your first $5 fantasy entry this week on Underdog, we're looking at Patriots quarterback Drake May to go higher than 222 and a half passing yards because whether they're ahead or behind, I think he's going to be able to throw for more than 86 yards like he did in the AFC championship game. And I'm also selecting Seahawks player Sam Darnold. To go higher than 229 and a half passing yards because one way or the other I think it's going to be a high flying passing football game. So what are you waiting for? Download the app today and use promo code RG3 to score 75 in fantasy bonus entries when you play your first $5 on fantasy, that's promo code RG3. Underdog make picks win money must be 18 or older 19 plus in Alabama, Nebraska, 19 plus in Colorado for some games 21 plus in Arizona, Massachusetts and Virginia and presentation in a state where underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com web play and getterms_dfs_html for details. Offer not valid in Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800- GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org. in New York, call the 247 Hope line at 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467369.
B
All right guys, viral spiral number one. Now let's talk about opportunity in the league that does not always get distributed evenly. Because when we see how fast some guys get promoted, it raises a much bigger question. Oh yeah, this NFL hiring cycle, there were 10 head coach openings. The Bills hired Joe Brady, the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, Ravens hired Jesse Minter, Giants hired John Harbo, Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski, Titans hired Robert Salah, Browns hired Todd Monkin, Cardinals hired Mike Leflore, and the Raiders hired clink Kubiak. Now nine white coaches, one Lebanese, but zero black head coaches. In a league that is 70% black players, there are only three black head coaches in the NFL today. D', Amico Ryan's with the Texans, Todd Bowles with the Bucks, and Aaron Glenn with the Jets. So why aren't there more black head coaches in the NFL?
A
Well, it's circumstance, comfortability and access. It's not a coincidence.
B
And that's the part that makes people uncomfortable because you can't call it coincidence just forever.
A
Like I said, circumstance, comfortability and access. What it really boils down to is the fact that NFL head coaching, the the NFL head coaching fraternity is hard to break into. With the amount of nepotism, back scratching and all the things that occur that makes it really tough for players to break into the profession to climb to the positions that are coveted as head coaches. You know, head coaches aren't really getting hired as, as the DB coach, as the, the, the, the only, the quarterback coach, as the offensive line Coach, it's offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators. Like the days of special teams coaches getting jobs like John Harbaugh did are very few and far between. So when you look at it from a former players perspective, if they can't climb into those positions, oftentimes, you know, owners in front office executives, they want to hire the people they're most comfortable with, who look like them, who they connect with best, right? That who they want to go golfing with, the people who have the similar life experiences as them. And. And on one hand you're like, I get it. I understand that if I want to go to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, right? I'm. Am I gonna. And somebody's gonna make that for me. Am I gonna go to Boston, Massachusetts for someone to make me some Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, or am I gonna go to inner city Houston? Am I gonna go to Compton or am I gonna go to Wyoming? And sometimes when it comes to this, it is a matter of circumstance, comfortability, and access. It doesn't mean that it's right. It means that there are clear examples of circumstance, comfortability and access when it comes to former players. So let me walk you through this real quick. It's not an opinion. It is an absolute fact that not all players are being treated the same. So as a fan, you might see something that says, hey, quarterbacks, you finished playing, boom. You can become a quarterback coach. You get an oc, you get a head coach, and you're on the fast track. But the fast track isn't available for everybody. For example, Kellen Moore went from playing quarterback to being a QB coach to an offensive coordinator in two years for the Dallas Cowboys after retiring. Then he became the head coach of the New Orleans Saints within eight years after retiring. That's what you call a fast track. Kevin O' Connell went from playing coach. He coached in 2015. He was an OC in four years by 2019, and then he was the head coach of the Minnesota vikings in year seven by 2022. That's a fast track. Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Manion and the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blow both went from playing to being on a coaching staff to being an offensive coordinator in three years. That is a fast track. So you say to yourself, what do all those quarterbacks have in common? Well, all of them were backup QBs, smart players, but they also happen to be white. So have we seen black quarterbacks go into coaching? Yes, we have. We saw with Byron Leftwich, Byron Leftwich became an NFL coach in 2016. Okay. In three years, he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bucks. And guess what? Had a lot of success. He won a Super bowl with Tom Brady and Byron Leftwidge. Although he got head coaching interviews, he never got a head coaching job. Now he's not even coaching in the NFL. So you have to ask yourself, is that just a coincidence? Did he bomb the interview? Was he terrible or was it circumstance? Was it him not making the right people comfortable that make those decisions? Was it him not having the proper connections to get the access to the job that he needed? Because I can tell you right now, if you're on Sean McVeigh staff, you're basically a walking head coach. Because all four of Sean McVeigh's last offensive coordinators have been head coaches.
B
Yep. You're gonna. Liam Cohen.
A
Yep.
B
Mike LaFleur, Matt LaFleur.
A
Yep.
B
And Kevin O'. Connell.
A
Boom. They had the right circumstance, they made the right people comfortable, and they had the right connections to get access to the job. So I asked myself, well, why didn't Seneca Wallace get that opportunity? Why didn't Jason Campbell get that opportunity? Cleo Lemon, Teddy Bridgewater, Randall Cunningham. Yeah, I know Michael Vick is now in the coaching profession. Cause he's the head coach at Norfolk State, at the hb, know everything that Michael Vick had to go through. And I know that there's some players out there that have had some things happen off the field that would make people uncomfortable with them being the head coach. But these other guys that were mentioned, what is there? Why. Why weren't they given that same opportunity? Because I can tell you this. Not everybody wants to coach. That's a fact. All right, but if you told Randall Cunningham, Jason Campbell, Sen. Wallace, Cleo Lemon, Teddy Bridgewater, if you told them, hey, man, you'll be on the fast track, you could be the quarterback coach, and in three years, you'll be the offensive coordinator. And then inside of eight years, you'll be a head coach in the NFL. Every single one of them would have taken that job for sure. 100%. So it's not just a coincidence. They just never had access to the fast track lane to that fast track pipeline. So if you're the NFL, we can't say we want the best leaders while we continue to recycle the same leader profile. You got coaches that have been coaching for 20 years, that get 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 head coaching opportunities and a league comprised of players that are 70% black. You can't Tell me that there's just not enough qualified coaches that want to do it. They just feel like they don't qualify for the position because they don't have the right circumstance. They don't make the right people comfortable and they don't have the access to the good old boys club. They don't have the family lineage. They don't have the dad or the uncle or the grandpa who was a coach here and did that. And that's why they're not getting the opportunities. They are competent. They are the best men for the job. Why do we have 10 head coaching opportunities anyway? Well, it's because those other guys weren't the right guys for the job. So why do we keep recycling the same guys and giving them 2, 3, 4, 5 chances? I'm all for second and third chances, but I think that there's a lot of players out there who are black that would love the opportunity to get on the fast track pipeline. Of course, let's give them an opportunity and see if they can get it done.
B
Viral spiral number two. All right, let's bring it home. Because it is not just about who gets hired. It's about what kind of life the league expects you to live. Listen to this clip from the Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald.
A
You know, on Thursdays, you know, I don't get to see Jack throughout the week as much. So Thursdays I try to get, which is today, I try to get home pretty quick, like to be with him for maybe a half hour, hour before he goes to bed. And then I got a setup at my house where I can go and then I work on the game plan. But it's able to spend some more time at home and be with Jack. And also it kind of lets you, it lets you kind of get away from everything and kind of see things from a different perspective and it keeps you fresh, you know, so it's been helpful.
B
Now listen to this clip from the Buffalo Bills head coach, Joe Brady.
A
I definitely can't look at you now. This job demands sacrifice, right? I'm calling you on the way to a game while you're going into labor, right? And I find out after a game that you go through, you give birth by yourself. This, this game takes away time and energy and presence from you. And you've carried the weight that comes with this job as. So that I can pursue my calling. Man, that's, that's tough to hear. Like, and it honestly makes you feel for, for both the families when you listen to those clips.
B
Well, Minnesota Vikings general Manager Kwesi Adolfo Menza was fired after a slew of failed draft picks missing on the QB this year, choosing JJ McCarthy over Sam Darnold, who is now in super bowl and going 98 this season after going 14 and three last year. But now it is being reported that back in 2023, he took two weeks of paternity leave to spend time with and take care of his newborn son and take care of his wife. And the discourse around it in the NFL circles is that it was frowned upon. Yeah. Is the NFL's work life balance toxic?
A
Yes, it's toxic because football is the job, but your family is your life. So if the NFL can clown you for being a father for two weeks, what does that really say about, like, what we're really worshiping here? Is it football or is it ego? Now, some reports are saying that, you know, former, now former Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adolpho Mensah took two weeks of paternity to leave, like you mentioned, after his son was born, worked remotely, still was doing his job, helping the team, but some people in the league reacted to it like it was a scandal. Oh, my God. I can't believe he's not helping with wins and losses. What about the wins and losses with his family? What. What if something catastrophic had happened? What if there's some information that we don't know, HIPAA laws and all that. We don't know exactly what's going on. What if his wife had complications? What if his son had complications and he needed to be there for his family? We don't know all that information. But what I do know is that your. If your job requires you to abandon your life to prove your commitment to the game. That's not commitment. That's dysfunction. There's a. I ran off the field at a football game live on a broadcast because I wanted to be there for my wife and my kid. They will always take precedent over the job. And the funniest lie to me, the funniest lie the NFL tells you is they'll remember your sacrifices. No, they won't.
B
No, they won't.
A
They won't remember sacrifices. The NFL will replace you on Tuesday. Your kids will remember you forever. I'll always have that moment of running off that field at that game. The Fiesta Bowl.
B
Yeah.
A
My. My. My daughter will hear about that story for the rest of her life. It will continue to go viral because that's how important they were. I gave my knee for my team in Washington, and some people treated it like I didn't like they didn't care. So the NFL will not remember your sacrifices. Ask anyone who's going through the process of trying to get their medical clearance and all that. They're doing everything they can to make sure you don't remember your sacrifices. So never sacrifice your family, in my opinion, for the job. What do you think about that?
B
I absolutely agree. And like, we know a lot of people think that, that Tom Brady sacrificed his family for the job because they. Now, we don't know what the truth is, but in a lot of cases, they said that, you know, Giselle was just kind of done with it and gave him an option. Hey, it's either us or you're gonna get out of, back out of, out of retirement. And, you know, he came back and lost his family. Now, whether that's true or not, I don't freaking know. But it was out there. So I, I think any job that requires you, like the first video we watched say that the dude, he gets on Thursday nights, he gets 30 minutes with his kid. Like, that is heartbreaking. And no, your kid will not remember your sacrifice. He will remember that you weren't there for any of the bedtime stories. He'll remember that you weren't there for any of the basketball practices, any of the football games. That's what the kids will remember. Because kids spell love. T, I M, E time. Kids don't spell love. Oh, dad went to work and made money for me so I can live in this house. All right, Kids want your time.
A
And I think that's powerful, you know, coming from a mom as you're, you got your, your three year old baby Gia right here behind you. It's like, yes, this is our home, right? And this is, this is our studio. We're shooting this show. We're talking to you guys at home. But we're never going to not embrace our kids because we're in the middle of our home environment. So they're always welcome on the show. They're always going to be welcome to be a part of this. Because if we can take 33 minutes out of our day to shoot a show and talk to you guys and hope you leave comments to let us know what you think about our takes about Drake May and Mike Vrabel and the coaching environment and what's going on, we're not going to stop them from coming into here. I just, there's. There's so much more to life than, than just the job you do. It's something I learned just through my own process of when you play in the NFL, you'll hear a lot of players say, I'll die for this. And do they really mean that? I don't think they do. But it's a Persona that has been built up by the NFL, that we are gladiators. And don't get me wrong, we are football players, some of the toughest people on the planet. They can overcome so many different things. But are you really going to die for your teammates on that football field in the same way that you would be willing to die for your child? I don't think you are. I don't think you'd be willing to die for your teammates in the same way that you'd be willing to die for your wife. I don't. I don't think that's true. And it's hard for guys in it to understand that. And they say, oh, you just not focused on wins and losses. You. That's a loser's mentality. No, it's not. I want to win at everything I do. You want to win at everything you do. But I also understand the value of being there for my kids and being there for my wife, and that should never be treated as a scandal. Any player that wants to go and see the birth of their child and miss a game for it, I applaud you. They say, well, what if it's the Super Bowl? That's a different question.
B
The birth of your kid is a Super Bowl.
A
That's a different situation. But if you made the decision to miss the super bowl because you wanted to see the birth of your child and be there for your child and your wife, I'd applaud you. I wouldn't criticize it. That's a tough decision. Preseason game, regular season, game number 15, Super Bowl. None of them will matter when your kid turns 15, 16 years old.
B
And like, and like you're saying, like, the guys say that they're willing to die for this, but. But look what happens when they do die, right? Take an NFL player that has died. The league moves on. The league still goes on as it. As. As normal. The league still plays their games and they say their thoughts and prayers, and they keep moving. The only people whose life stops is your family.
A
Yep. So shout out to Quezzi Adolfo Menza. I think that takes guts. Yeah, man. It didn't work out as a gm and maybe some of the draft picks weren't. Didn't. Didn't pan out. And maybe the decision at quarterback, maybe JJ McCarthy ends up writing that ship and he does become the quarterback that they thought he would be, but it didn't work out for Quezzi. But I'm not gonna knock him while he's down because he made a decision to put his family in the very position that they should be in, which is first, like I said, football is a job. Family is life. And your kids will remember what you do for them forever. Your profession will not. They're gonna go get the next person. So I'm not telling you, don't give it your all in your profession. What I'm saying is make sure you have your priorities in order. So that's it for us today. We appreciate you guys. I think we got that in 33 minutes or less. But if we didn't, we appreciate you guys for sticking with us. Let us know in the comments what you think about all of our takes. Let us know what you want us to talk about next. And we will see you guys next time. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, like follow us on social media, go find us on Spotify, Apple podcast, and we'll see you guys next week. Enjoy the super bowl, baby. Peace.
Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: Robert Griffin III (RG3) & Grete Griffin
This episode delivers a high-energy, insightful preview of Super Bowl 60, pitting the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks. RG3 and Grete break down everything from quarterback battles and coaching legacies to pressing cultural and league issues—including the massive comeback of Sam Darnold, the lack of Black head coaches, and the problematic work-life balance culture endemic to the NFL. The discussion is punchy, personal, and unflinchingly honest, laced with both humor and hard truths.
[01:35–05:46]
Historic Matchup Stats:
Key Theme:
“Efficiency is going to be the name of the game in this Super Bowl.”
—RG3 [02:06]
Quarterback Showdown:
Drake Maye (Patriots):
“He can literally make history… not playing like a second year player or a second year breakthrough.”
—RG3 [02:23]
Sam Darnold (Seahawks):
Defensive X-Factors:
“That Seattle defense… absolutely filthy. [They] create pressure on blitzes at a rate of 56%, which is the best in the NFL.”
—RG3 [03:35]
[05:46–07:27]
Patriots:
“If you're the Patriots… you could be down 10 points. And that is not where Seattle wants to be.”
—RG3 [05:50]
Seahawks:
Key Point:
“Their whole playoff identity has been, we’re gonna win the game you don’t want to play.”
—RG3 on the Patriots [06:20]
[07:27–10:00]
Jackson Smith-Njigba (JSN, Seahawks) vs. Christian Gonzalez (Patriots):
“JSN moves around the formation so much… you could hide him away...”
—RG3 [07:41]
Big-Play Potential:
“One busted coverage, one deep shot could determine the whole game… If there was a blowout, it would be in Seattle’s favor.”
—RG3 [09:46]
[10:00–11:16]
Is Drake Maye the new Tom Brady & Mike Vrabel the new Bill Belichick?
Maye: Legitimate MVP candidate, would be the youngest QB to win the Super Bowl since Brady.
Vrabel: Turned team from 4–13 to 14–3; a win vaults him among the NFL coaching elite.
“If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Mike Vrabel is now the best coach in the NFL and him and Drake Maye become the new Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England.”
—RG3 [10:41]
Notable Quote:
“People are not going to like that.”
—Grete [11:13]
[11:19–14:43]
Comeback of the Year:
From being cast off (“NFL tried to put this man on ‘do not disturb’… he said, ‘do not test me’”) to 60 TDs and over 8,300 yards in two years; eclipsed his total from his first six NFL seasons.
“He found stability at the head coach position, stability at the weapons around him. To see him grow… is truly one of the best comebacks I’ve ever seen.”
—RG3 [12:26]
Darnold’s Super Bowl Opportunity:
Can become the first QB from his draft class (Mayfield, Jackson, Allen) to win a Super Bowl.
“He really has the pen to write his own narrative.”
—RG3 [13:31]
QB Life Lesson:
“Playing quarterback’s just like life. You can’t go broke taking a profit.”
—RG3 [13:59]
[16:15–24:51]
Alarming Statistics:
Core Drivers:
Circumstance, comfortability, and access determine who gets on the “fast track.”
—RG3 [17:13]
Examples:
“If you’re on Sean McVay’s staff, you’re basically a walking head coach… Why didn’t Seneca Wallace, Jason Campbell, Cleo Lemon, Teddy Bridgewater, Randall Cunningham get that opportunity?”
—RG3 [18:58–21:52]
Systemic Barriers:
“It’s not just a coincidence. They just never had access to the fast track lane… they don’t have the dad or the uncle or the grandpa who was a coach here…”
—RG3 [22:10]
Blunt Assessment:
“We can’t say we want the best leaders while we continue to recycle the same leader profile.”
—RG3 [23:21]
[24:51–32:34]
Coaching Life, Family Sacrifices:
Cultural Critique:
“If your job requires you to abandon your life to prove your commitment to the game, that’s not commitment. That’s dysfunction.”
—RG3 [27:11]
“Your kids will remember you forever… The NFL will replace you on Tuesday.”
—RG3 [28:22]
Memorable Moments:
Reflections on Priorities:
“Any player that wants to go and see the birth of their child and miss a game for it, I applaud you.”
—RG3 [32:57]
“Make sure you have your priorities in order… Your profession will not remember your sacrifices. Your kids will.”
—RG3 [33:25]
“We appreciate you guys… let us know what you think about our takes… enjoy the Super Bowl, baby.”
—RG3 [33:00-end]
For those who missed the episode:
This is an honest, hard-hitting, and ultimately inspiring discussion of not just who might win the Super Bowl, but how legacies are built, what really matters in football and life, and why true change in the NFL requires both opportunity and perspective.