Championship Sunday, Fred Smoot, SB Champ Mitchell Schwartz, PFT vs Max and Fyre Fest

Summary

Summary of "Pardon My Take" Episode: "Championship Sunday, Fred Smoot, SB Champ Mitchell Schwartz, PFT vs Max and Fyre Fest"

Release Date: January 24, 2025

On this riveting episode of "Pardon My Take," hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter delve deep into the excitement surrounding Championship Sunday, offering comprehensive previews of the NFC and AFC Championship games. Joined by special guests Fred Smoot and Super Bowl Champion Mitchell Schwartz, the episode is packed with insightful analysis, heated debates, and engaging banter.

---

1. Championship Sunday Preview

NFC Championship: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders

Big Cat opens the discussion by highlighting the competitive landscape of the NFC Championship. He states, "The Eagles have better players at almost every position except for the most important position and that's quarterback." ([19:09])

• Philadelphia Eagles: Big Cat praises the Eagles' robust defense, emphasizing their ability to counteract strong offensive plays. PFT Commenter adds, "Terry McLaurin better than A.J. Brown at the moment on defense." ([20:06])

• Washington Commanders: The focus shifts to the Commanders' strategic strengths, particularly their quarterback, Jaden Daniels. Big Cat notes, "Jaden Daniels is going to do something special and we're going to have maximum pain for Max." ([19:48])

AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills

Mitchell Schwartz provides an expert perspective on the Chiefs vs. Bills matchup, underscoring the Chiefs' offensive prowess led by Patrick Mahomes.

• Kansas City Chiefs: Schwartz commends the Chiefs' ability to elevate their game during playoffs, mentioning, "We've been a fourth down team of all time." ([79:55])

• Buffalo Bills: The Bills' defense receives praise for their consistency, although concerns are raised about their middle field performance. Schwartz observes, "Buffalo's run defense shows up and they're able to possess the ball and make Pat Mahomes watch." ([86:46])

2. Team News and Updates

• Commanders' Coaching Changes: Big Cat and PFT Commenter discuss the Commanders' strategic hires, particularly the promotion of Aaron Glenn. Big Cat remarks, "It's just good to get someone like that into the building." ([06:17])

• Lions' Organizational Shifts: The episode touches upon the Lions' recent decisions, including the firing of Trent Balky and the potential hiring of Liam Cohen by the Jaguars. PFT Commenter highlights, "They can't handle much more from PMT." ([09:13])

3. Rivalries and Beefs

A significant portion is dedicated to dissecting the ongoing feud between Ryan Clark and Marcellus Wiley.

• Ryan Clark vs. Marcellus Wiley: The hosts analyze Clark's inconsistent criticism of quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, contrasting it with his praise for his own team's performances. PFT Commenter notes, "Jakel Clark is acting like Vegas didn't happen because he's a freak, and then the other person says everything is fine." ([14:14])

4. Player Updates and Performances

• Mark Andrews' Charity Donation: Big Cat discusses Mark Andrews' generous donation of $95,000 to his charity, expressing mixed feelings about the gesture. He states, "I would still rather have caught that ball and not fumbled the other one, but still nice." ([11:40])

• Injuries: The conversation covers various player injuries affecting team dynamics, including Jalen Hurts' status and the Commanders' defensive lineup. Mitchell Schwartz emphasizes the importance of keeping key players healthy for playoff success.

5. Betting Predictions and Parlay Bets

The hosts engage in lively discussions about game predictions and potential betting strategies.

• Eagles vs. Commanders: Big Cat expresses optimism about the Eagles' performance, predicting a score of "Eagles 34, Commanders 21" ([36:28]).

• Chiefs vs. Bills: PFT Commenter leans towards the Chiefs, albeit acknowledging the Bills' potential, stating, "If Josh can have one of his better performances, the Bills have a very, very good chance of winning." ([46:20])

• Parlays: The segment includes the creation of parlay bets, with humorous stakes involving waxing. Hank proposes, "Jalen Carter one plus sack," while PFT Commenter opts for, "Commanders over 23 and a half team points." ([56:47])

6. Guest Interviews and Insights

Fred Smoot:

Fred Smoot brings a passionate perspective on the Commanders' journey to the NFC Championship.

• Team Confidence: Smoot asserts, "We are America's new team. The nation's capital, the Washington Commanders." ([62:40])

• Commanders vs. Eagles: He highlights the Commanders' strategic advantages and the importance of Jaden Daniels' leadership, stating, "Jaden Daniels is the key to this game." ([67:40])

Mitchell Schwartz:

As a Super Bowl Champion, Mitchell Schwartz offers expert analysis on both Championship matchups.

• Chiefs' Offensive Line: Schwartz praises the Chiefs' offensive line adaptability despite injuries, noting, "I'm really optimistic that Kansas City's O line has found the groove." ([106:07])

• Defensive Strategies: He elaborates on the Chiefs' defensive approaches to limit opponents' key players like Saquon Barkley, emphasizing teamwork and strategic playcalling.

7. Game Strategies and Outcome Predictions

• Eagles' Defense vs. Commanders' Offense: The discussion centers on how the Eagles' elite defense will challenge the Commanders' offensive strategies. Big Cat mentions, "The Eagles defense is much better than what Jaden Daniels has played in the last two playoff games." ([22:21])

• Chiefs' Offense vs. Bills' Defense: Schwartz analyzes the Chiefs' ability to adapt their offensive game plan against the Bills' formidable defense, stressing the importance of maintaining a strong offensive line to support Mahomes' gameplay.

8. Final Score Predictions

• Eagles vs. Commanders: Big Cat predicts, "Eagles 34, Commanders 21," while Hank counters with, "28, 24 Eagles." ([36:33]; [37:08])

• Chiefs vs. Bills: Mitchell Schwartz anticipates a competitive game, suggesting a close finish without endorsing a definitive score.

---

Conclusion

This episode of "Pardon My Take" offers a thorough and spirited examination of Championship Sunday, blending expert insights from guests with the hosts' characteristic humor and debate. From team strategy breakdowns to heated rivalries and betting banter, listeners are treated to a multifaceted preview of the NFL's most pivotal games.

---

Note: All timestamps correspond to the provided transcript and are used to reference notable quotes and segments within the episode.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

Hey, pardon my take listeners. You can find every episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[PFT Commenter]

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp in 2025. Maybe you're ready for a plot twist. Maybe there's a part of your story that you've been wanting to revise. Think about Therapy as your editorial partner helps you write new chapters and creates the meaningful story that you deserve to live. I've personally used therapy in the past as a tool to help me get through some times of loss and to also help me prioritize what was important life and help me focus on those and create a future that I was very happy in and very confident in. Therapy has been a great tool for me. I personally recommend it. If you're thinking about starting therapy, I couldn't recommend it more. Give it a try. Better Help is fully online making therapy affordable and convenient. Serving over 5 million people worldwide. Access a diverse network of more than 30,000 credentialed therapists with a wide range of specialties. You can easily switch therapists at any time for no extra cost. Write your own story with Better help. Visit betterhelp.com pmt today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp H-E-L-P.com pmt on today's part of my take.

[Big Cat]

Championship Sunday Preview Eagles, Commanders, Chiefs, Bills. We have a twofer for the people. We got Fred Smoot, who body bags Max a little bit.

[PFT Commenter]

He pretty much cut a promo cut.

[Big Cat]

A promo for the Commanders. And we have Mitchell Schwartz, Super Bowl Champion, who, you know, protected Patrick Mahomes in his first Super Bowl. Talking Chiefs, talking Bills. We're going to get into both games. We got Fire Fest. We got a great Friday show before an incredible Sunday, and it's brought to you by our friends at DraftKings playoffs. We're talking playoffs. Get in on the action. DraftKings sportsbook an official sports betting part of the NFL. Scoring touchdowns is key to winning in the NFL playoffs. And the key to you scoring big is betting on them at DraftKings, the number one place to bet touchdowns. Ready to place your first bet? Try betting on something simple like a player to score six. Go to the DraftKings sportsbook app. Make your pick. Here's another reason to watch your favorite players crush it in the playoffs. New customers bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets. Instantly score big during the NFL playoffs with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get 200 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings Sportsbook, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. Ok, let's go. I love guys who like football.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

And guys who like football, they like me back.

[Big Cat]

And I like them back. And even guys that don't like football.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

They try to avoid me because I'm always trying to get them to like football.

[Big Cat]

Football. Welcome to part of my take presented by DraftKings. Score big during the NFL playoffs with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings Sportsbook. The crown is yours. Today is Friday, January 24th, and, boys, we have arrived. We have arrived. We're on the eve of, pardon my take, Civil war.

[PFT Commenter]

The tensions I call the North.

[Big Cat]

The tensions have been high all week. We've had brush fires between Max and pft. What are you. What are you shaking your head? Don't shake your fucking head.

[Hank]

I don't know how he can call the north when. Oh, clearly the North.

[PFT Commenter]

We're the north, too. What was the capital of the North?

[Big Cat]

This is what we've been dealing with all week, Max.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm just curious.

[Hank]

I'm capturing the north was. I'm just curious. Where. Where do the commanders play?

[PFT Commenter]

What was the capital of the North?

[Hank]

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

[PFT Commenter]

State of Maryland is. Is where they play. Max. What? Now remind me again. What side was Maryland on in the Civil War?

[Hank]

The line. The line of the South.

[Big Cat]

Was that line have a name?

[Fred Smoot]

No.

[Big Cat]

We were.

[Hank]

Mason Dixon.

[Big Cat]

There it is.

[PFT Commenter]

We were. We were in the north.

[Hank]

Barely.

[PFT Commenter]

Maryland was in the North. Washington, D.C. was in fact the capital of the Union.

[Hank]

Not the first capital. Yeah, that would be Philly.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. But then, bang, bang. You can protect your crown.

[Big Cat]

Bang from three. All right, so, yeah, we're going to. We're going to preview the games that's just a little preview of a battle.

[Hank]

Of history is not one I'm gonna win.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, you're. You're not.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

We.

[Big Cat]

We've had this all week. It's been great.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It's.

[Big Cat]

The tension is real.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

We're. We're.

[Big Cat]

We're getting ready for the game. Before we do the preview, though, we should at least congratulate Memes on getting his new head coach, Aaron Glenn, your top choice. Congratulations, Memes. That's. That's history. It did. It was cool. I'm. I'm a sucker for any time they. A team hires someone for a player that played there and they just do old highlights. I'm like, yeah, this makes sense.

[PFT Commenter]

I watched an interview with him where he said when he was. He decided that he was going to get back into coaching, get back into the NFL after he took a break off when he retired. So he was like a restaurant owner. And then his. One of his restaurants was right next to one of the stadiums, I think NRG stadium. He would watch some of the games and be like, they're everything up. This is really bad. His wife was like, stop yelling at the tv. Go coach. You can coach.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

And then he said when he joined a coaching staff, he didn't want to be promoted to being like defensive backs coach or, or like defensive line coach or. Or anything like that in house. He's like, start me at the bottom. Send me out on the road, have me be a scout, because I want to learn every step of the process. And so he worked his way up. Seems like a great dude. His players love him. Memes, I. I'm happy for you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Your first choice. I'm happy for me, too.

[PFT Commenter]

Good.

[Big Cat]

I think.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I think this is a great hire.

[Big Cat]

He was on the jets when they were bad, and then he was also on the team when they got good with Bill Parcells. And it's just good to get someone in the building, establish pride back into the franchise. Even though it's been bad, there were moments of pride.

[PFT Commenter]

It's.

[Big Cat]

It's good. It's good to get someone like that into the building. What would you say to anyone who says this is a bad hire? Racist. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Good.

[Big Cat]

Good. You got that in your arsenal. Yeah. No, I mean, it's. It's. Aaron Glenn's a good coach. We should. Now, I don't feel bad, but maybe we'll just give a hollow apology to all of the awls listening to this from Detroit, because this podcast is single handedly taking the Lions for a ride. This past week because you took him out of the playoffs. Ben Johnson went to the Bears and now Aaron Glenn goes to the Jets. I don't, I don't know. They can't handle much more from pmt.

[PFT Commenter]

So I, I think that the Lions are going to have to raid the Bucks.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what they're. They're looking to do. So just. Yeah, fuck Stephen Ch Up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Stephen Ch. But, yeah, it is not been the best week for Lions fans. They've been very upset. They're. They're, they're calling Ben Johnson a trader. They're mad about the. How the game went, you know, not having their eye on the ball, all that stuff. It sucks. But I also don't feel bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. What did Belichick say about that, Hank?

[Memes]

He just said he, you know, it's fair for people to be upset that coordinators are, you know, distracted, the play callers when they're trying to be making plays for the biggest game of the year, and that the bad teams get to basically come in and, you know, distract the teams.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The Lions did have a bye week, too. So I know Ben Johnson didn't even go to Chicago. He did zoom interviews and then decided. So I can't imagine that that was super distracting.

[PFT Commenter]

I do like how Ben Johnson's picking a fight with the rest of the division, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Saying stuff about Matt Laf, Kevin O'Connell. It is a. I'd say that's the best coach division in football.

[Big Cat]

Well, we'll see, Ben. John says lots of proof. Saying 6 out of 10.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It's got a lot to prove. You can't win the off season. You got to win the season.

[Memes]

I guess they can't go six and ten, but that.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, they can.

[Big Cat]

Six out of ten.

[Memes]

Six and ten and one.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Yeah, I appreciate that, Hank. I didn't really even think about that until right this second.

[PFT Commenter]

Troll brain always working.

[Big Cat]

We also had here's. Here's something good for us memes. The jets and the Bears are not the Jaguars because the Jaguars fired Trent Balky after they were turned down by Ben Johnson and Liam Cohen, which is such a dumpster fire move. Because they were essentially like, everyone remember when Trent Balki stayed and Doug Peterson got fired? And everyone was like, league sources are shocked that Trent Balky has survived another head coach.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And everyone was like, this is crazy. How are you going to get the top higher? Turns out they couldn't. And then retroactively, they're like, actually, we are going to get Rid of him.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's. I mean, better late than never, I guess. But it just goes to show you that Trent, Balky at. He had a lot of power in that organization, just being the person that was informing. Shot Khan of what was happening at all times.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because you can spin it whatever way you want. Like, if you go out there and you lose to the Texans and some guy that you brought in plays really poorly, then you can go to your owner, be like, yeah, you know, misused our timeouts and cost us the game. You can. Like, you are the news.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're the only source of information in a lot of cases for some of the owners. So he was just, like, doing whatever he could to scrape by. Then they got rid of. He's also obsessed with arm length. This guy is, like. He's obsessed with drafting injured players, I think. Guys with short arms. Yeah. So Trent Balki, better late than never. But I guess you learned if you're the Jaguars. Okay, well, going through this decision, everyone's turning us down because of him. Maybe. Maybe he's the problem.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, maybe he's the problem. Which has got to be a tough realization that you. Because Liam Cohen just, like, said, no, thanks, and he got a pay raise with the bucks. Yeah, that's. That can't be a good feeling also, I think, is it? Brian Schottenheimer might get hired by the Cowboys.

[PFT Commenter]

It's looking like that right now. Yeah. He got his second interview today.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And I. I just want Dion. I just want Dion. I think that'd be so fun to have Dion as the coach of the Cowboys. But I. I'm tracking Jerry Jones's flights right now.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm reporting at 4:19 Central Time. Jerry Jones's helicopter took off from the practice facility, flew around, flew out to AT&T Stadium.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

Did a full circle. One full circle, and then flew back. Oh, that feels like a closing move, doesn't it?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, the guys verbally agreed to it. And Jerry's like, let me go show you where we play ball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Let me. Let me take you for a little loop de loop.

[PFT Commenter]

See that hole? That's where sun poke in. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, you're right. That is definitely the. The final. Don't they do that, like, on the Bachelor or something? They always, like, take a hot air balloon.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Now they're going to the fantasy suite.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's. That's exactly what's happening. He's gonna. Jerry's gonna come in his shoe for him. Yep. And it's gonna Be a done deal. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And also, congratulations, Hank. You got your offensive coordinator.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. Josh McDaniels putting the.

[PFT Commenter]

Putting the band back together.

[Memes]

Pumped.

[Big Cat]

Kirk was right. He had the first first of it. So are you're. You have to be excited.

[Memes]

All the way excited. That's. That was the person I wanted. We got. You know, it was the best off season you could have.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It would be very funny if some team, like, let's say the Patriots reloaded, If they win 11 games this year, and then Josh McDaniels gets hired as a head coach somewhere else. That'd be very funny. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

For the Colts. Okay. Anything else before we do what everyone is here for? And that is the preview of the games I did see. Mark Andrews posted a long Instagram note basically saying, I up feel bad for him, but Buffalo fans did donate $95,000.

[PFT Commenter]

To his charity, which is nice.

[Big Cat]

Very nice. Yeah. Probably would still rather have caught that ball and not fumbled the other one, but still nice.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. If you're Mark Andrews. Are you. Are you happy? Are you. Like, this is good. Thank you, guys. I think you have to say thank you. But you're also pretty bummed out that they are donating all this money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Really? Lamar should actually donate money to Mark Andrews personally because he's gotten a lot of the ire. Oh, speaking of which, do we. Has anyone gotten deep enough into the Ryan Clark, Marcellus Wiley beef to understand? I. From my. I've looked at it. I want to say I've done about five minutes of research, and I think Ryan Clark is in the wrong in the fact that he's basically been exposed for a massive double standard with Lamar and Josh and Marcellus Wiley has just basically been like, dude, you have a double standard. And he's gotten very upset about it.

[PFT Commenter]

So. Are you talking about the Vegas stuff?

[Big Cat]

No, I don't know the Vegas stuff.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what I'm concerned.

[Big Cat]

All right, so. So. So to set the state. I think a lot of people are going after Ryan Clark right now because last year when the Bills lost, and that was a game that, you know, they lost by what, a field goal and a missed field goal and Stefon Diggs dropped a bunch of balls, and he basically was like, josh Allen has to play better. He, like, it's on him. Blah, blah, blah. And then this year when Lamar lost, he's like, chin up, number eight. Like, this isn't on you. You made the plays when you had to make. And it was like, all right, this is kind of weird. So now what. What happened with Vegas?

[PFT Commenter]

So he tweeted at Marcellus Wiley, hey, Marcellus Wiley, you forgot to tell all your followers about our interaction at Catch for the Super Bowl. Like I said, we were not alone in Vegas. You just couldn't let me be when I ignored you. So now I'm not ignoring you anymore. Let's have this conversation man to man. And then he did a screenshot from a text message that he was having with somebody. It's been cropped so you can't see who it was. Somebody says, marcel is chirping again. He always is. I'm just finally tired of it. And he's acting like Vegas didn't happen because he's a. Oh. And then the other person says, lol. I remember the interaction vividly. Lol. Oh, I know you do. You actually made it funny. Then the other guy says, lol. So there's absolutely no context what happened in Vegas, but it sounds hilarious.

[Big Cat]

Hilarious.

[PFT Commenter]

It sounds like. Like this guy's actually, like, hysterical with laughter right now. I don't. I don't really know what's going on here, but now I want to know what happened at Catch, because it sounds like Ryan Clark ignored Marcellus Wiley. A catch. And then Marcellus Wiley got up in his feelings because Ryan Clark was ignoring him.

[Big Cat]

Got it.

[PFT Commenter]

That would probably piss me off too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And listen, we're biased on this show. We have biases. We just are pretty transparent about them. We like Josh Allen a lot. I just feel like Ryan Clark should probably just be like, I'm maybe making this, maybe not treating them the same.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you could. You can always get off a take.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You can always just be like, hey, I like Lamar a lot more than Josh.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You could say this is why I'm going to treat it differently.

[PFT Commenter]

You could say that. Or you could say, I was wrong about Josh.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And that. That's okay, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think what he's opting to do is just wait until he's right again about Josh.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And then he'll be like, see, I was right about John.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. How he reacts on Monday. Although I think what he's gonna do because he posted also, like, something on Inside the NFL praising Josh. So I think if the Bills lose on Sunday, he's gonna go on get up and be like, it wasn't on Josh.

[PFT Commenter]

But here, try to.

[Big Cat]

To pave over that.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I kind of like Ryan Clark rage because he used to be on the Redskins, but I think sometimes he's okay. Sometimes when he gets on tv, delivers These sermons while he's dressed up like Austin Powers. Then I'm like, okay, I, I can tune this guy out right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So I don't know what I've. I thought that he's always been wrong about Josh and it seems personal.

[Big Cat]

That's the thing is it does seem personal.

[PFT Commenter]

Like he has something against Josh Allen.

[Hank]

Right.

[Big Cat]

I, I don't know what that's about. Maybe it's a race thing, I don't know. But it, it does. It was a, a good media beef that I couldn't fully understand because of what happened in Vegas.

[PFT Commenter]

And the race stuff always happens in boxing. That's when it's like very like normal for everybody. If there's a white fighter and a black fighter or like different countries against like a Canadian fighter, then you like, you just squat up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And you let it all happen in between the bells. And then afterwards you're like, okay, back to normal.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

But in football you don't. Some people don't do that well.

[Big Cat]

And the problem too is that Lamar and Josh are different in the fact that like, Lamar has been the best quarterback of the regular season for whatever, three out of the last six years. That's kind of, you know, you can't really dispute that Josh's losses in the playoffs have been in large part not because he's not played to his level. Lamar has had games where he's not played to his level.

[PFT Commenter]

The thing about quarterbacks is 50% of them suck, depending on what just happened. So if you lose, you're like that. See, that guy sucks.

[Big Cat]

That guy sucks.

[PFT Commenter]

And that guy's that guy.

[Big Cat]

Sucker. Will never be good again.

[PFT Commenter]

He's the best and that guy sucks.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's. It's really whoever's winning the game at the time.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And then the other guy, you're like, what are you doing?

[Big Cat]

It's quarter by quarter. How could you throw that?

[PFT Commenter]

How could you drop the ball when you got sacked?

[Big Cat]

Lamar, how could you possibly throw that?

[PFT Commenter]

My thing about Lamar is, does he know it's the playoffs?

[Big Cat]

He might not. I wouldn't have thrown that.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

I'd protect the football thing about me, I don't have arm strength to throw that interception.

[PFT Commenter]

To me, the football is sacred.

[Big Cat]

The whole franchise.

[PFT Commenter]

I would limit turnovers in your hands.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's get to the weekend preview. It's presented by Dove Men's. As you prepare to host game day celebrations, what are some possible whole body odor related issues you may encounter that make you less confident in your hosting Dudios? Are you afraid to take off your shoes when you enter your friend's house? That can happen. Getting nervous. Your team is down at halftime. Maybe you start smelling bad. Sweating. Tackle whole body odor with Dove Men plus care Whole Body Do. This Whole Body do defends against all your odor zones from pits, privates to feet and it's long lasting with 72 hour odor protection. Find Dove Men Whole Body do at Walmart today. Make sure you're smelling good, especially when the games heat up because it's going to be a, it's going to be heating up this weekend. So go get Dove men Whole body do at Walmart today. All right boys, first game NFC championship game. Philadelphia Eagles are six point favorites. Over under is 47 and a half. I, I feel like I just need to just be like go ahead both of you just fight.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, Max said something very interesting before we started taping which was he just wants to fast forward and get to the end of the game when there's zeros on the clock. Oh, he doesn't even want to watch the game. Me personally, I, I wouldn't mind fast forwarding to maybe like 30 minutes before kickoff. See some of the pageantry, the flyover, everything. But Max just wants to be at the end of the game when it's all over. So he. I don't know if Max likes watching ball. Like for me, the thing about me is I can't wait for kickoff.

[Big Cat]

You love ball. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Kickoff is. That's my time, baby.

[Hank]

Max, I don't care about that. I'm stressed out. I'm done with being stressed. I'm excited for this game. I'm excited for this. I'm excited for this game. I'm also excited for this game to be over. I'm hoping that I'm confident that the Eagles are going to win, but it's just, it's taking a toll on me.

[Big Cat]

So my analysis for this game is very dumb. The Eagles have better players at almost every position except for the most important position and that's quarterback. And I keep coming back to like I think the Eagles defense is better than what Jaden Daniels has played in the last two playoff games. I think the Eagles offense not better than the Lions but Saquon Barkley is, is out, out of control right now and they're gonna be able to run the ball. I just keep going back to the fact that if the Commanders have the ball at the end of the game, Jayden Daniel is going to do something special and we're going to have maximum pain for Max.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, I hope that's how it works out. I think the Eagles are a really, really good team.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Do you.

[Big Cat]

Do you agree with my assessment that they are probably better at almost every position except for quarterback?

[PFT Commenter]

What about running back? Yeah, probably. I'll give you the night at running back. I'll give you the night at left tackle, right tackle as well.

[Big Cat]

Terry McLaurin's playing better than A.J. brown right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'd say Terry McLaurin better than A.J. brown at the mom on defense. Yeah, maybe. I mean, if you look at. If you look at Lattimore, how he played last week, if you look at how Sandra still played last week, they both played excellent, really good ball last week.

[Hank]

I love commit. They released a rookie tackle.

[Big Cat]

That was tough.

[Hank]

Commander's fans were trying to dunk on Eagles fans. Quinn Mitchell was not on the.

[Big Cat]

That was tough.

[Hank]

Rookie tackle leader.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. For cornerback. It was. It was pretty tough. There was one Commander fans fighting against.

[PFT Commenter]

Somebody who's not here.

[Big Cat]

Where's. Where's Quinion Mitchell? And then everyone replied. They're like, you actually don't want your cornerbacks leading the team in tackles because that means they're giving up a lot of passes. Or your linebackers.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's true. Congratulations for dunking on. On the dumbest people online.

[Hank]

No, but I. You were just like, Sanders still is not better than either of the two Eagles D backs.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm just saying the way that he played last week and how he can't.

[Hank]

Just look at a. A game, a whole player by one game.

[PFT Commenter]

He might be better than. No, than Cooper. Our Cooper De Jean.

[Hank]

He's our number one. He's not Cooper Jean was. Was nominated for defensive rookie of the year.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

Sander still was not okay.

[Big Cat]

Point Max.

[PFT Commenter]

I said he might be okay. Okay.

[Hank]

Jalen Hurts might be better than Jane Daniels.

[PFT Commenter]

Disagree.

[Big Cat]

What is Jalen Hurts status?

[Hank]

He's good.

[Big Cat]

Nah.

[Hank]

Good.

[Big Cat]

He's good.

[Hank]

Good.

[Big Cat]

Because I think that's really what I mean, not to oversimplify the game, but it really, like if Jalen Hurts is banged up and doesn't have the mobility that he needs to have, it's going to be. It's going to be a way different game.

[Hank]

I have a question about the end of game thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Would you have said that same thing about Matt Stafford last week in the snowy conditions?

[Big Cat]

No. I mean he couldn't hold on to the ball.

[Hank]

I mean, that's. That's incorrect. He did it to drive before.

[Big Cat]

I understand.

[Hank]

And then he did it up until that drive until the Eagles made the. Made the plays to win the game.

[Big Cat]

I would say Jaden Daniels playing better right now than Matthew Stafford.

[Hank]

I mean, you talk all the time about how good Matthew Stafford is.

[Big Cat]

I know he's a Hall of Famer, but he wasn't one of the fourth quarterback. He wasn't playing good the last two months. I would feel more confident with Jaden Daniels having the ball in his hand at the end of the fourth quarter right now than Matthew Stafford right now.

[Hank]

Eagles defense.

[Big Cat]

I understand. I agree. You asked me a question. I'm giving you my answer.

[Hank]

Yeah, listen, I just think that. I don't know if that answer.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll say. I'll say confidently. With the. With the exception of quarterback back and punter, I think the Eagles have the better roster. Yes, I would. I would. I would probably agree with that across the board.

[Hank]

Punter, you have the better kicker.

[PFT Commenter]

No, we have the better punter. Tress Way is a legend and kicker.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Jake Elliot's a problem. That also makes that.

[Hank]

I. I am giving you an extra player there. That wasn't a.

[Big Cat]

You got.

[Hank]

You were getting angry. I was giving.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, Max. I actually have a stat about Jake Elliot because this is kind of crazy. In the postseason, Jake Elliott is 22 for 22 on field goals. In the postseason, Jake Elliott is 25 for 30 on extra points. Jake Elliott is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. In the postseason on field goals, he is the least accurate kicker in the NFL in history in the playoffs on extra points.

[Big Cat]

But he's also 4. 0 when he misses an extra point.

[PFT Commenter]

That's also true.

[Hank]

True.

[Big Cat]

That's stat. Remember that stat I gave you?

[PFT Commenter]

Isn't that crazy that he's the best of all time at field goals and the wor. Time at extra points in the playoffs?

[Hank]

No, that is crazy. So I think that right now field.

[Big Cat]

Goals are worth more. The voice you just heard there was. Was Philly. Hank, we need to address this. Hank is wearing an Eagles shirt. Hank is, I believe, going for the Eagles. But he is so far inside Max's head that Max doesn't believe him.

[Hank]

I think.

[Big Cat]

And Max also. Hank. I don't know if everyone in this room knows this, but Hank is Texting Max at 10pm every night this week. Just birds.

[Hank]

I think he has an alarm on his phone at 10 o'clock. It's been every. It's been every day this week. At 10, 10pm he texts me. Birds.

[Memes]

No, I'm, I'm.

[PFT Commenter]

I've.

[Memes]

I've explained my, my stance. I'm I'm financially backing the Birds. I've. I had these futures in from before the playoffs. I didn't know they were going to go against the Commanders. That might have changed things, but when you have, you know, futures at this. At this level, and it's such a big game. All I've been thinking about this week are the Birds. The Birds. The Birds. The Birds. The Birds. And they're gonna. They're gonna run. I. I know. It's fun. And we're talking about it. It's fun. Little robbery. It's not going to be close. It's not gonna be close.

[Big Cat]

He's getting upset about this.

[Memes]

Jane Daniels is a rookie.

[Big Cat]

The.

[Memes]

The. The slipper's gonna come off. He's gonna turn back into a pumpkin. Three interceptions.

[Big Cat]

Oh, he turned his mic off. He turned his mic off. Turn it back on.

[PFT Commenter]

It's sad because Hank really can't win. You know, when he's going against Philly, you hate the guy's guts. When he finally, you know, does the Bloods and the Crips tie the handkerchief together, you're like, I turn this guy's mic off. Don't let him talk.

[Big Cat]

Wait, so you think Jay Daniels could turn into a pumpkin?

[Memes]

Their Eagles defense is so much the line.

[Hank]

Stop. Please stop. I'm asking you to stop.

[Memes]

The Lions are playing with XFL players.

[Big Cat]

Sound like me with my kids right now. Max, it was like, please stop. Please just stop doing that. I'm asking you nicely.

[PFT Commenter]

You want to know an interesting stat about Jalen hurts about his playoff record? So he's 4 and 3 in the playoffs all time. And when he throws for less than 155 yards, he's won all four games.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that was the stat I gave Max on Sunday.

[PFT Commenter]

And when he throws for over 155, they lose all those.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The key to the Eagles winning is Jalen hurts throwing for 125 and Jake Elliott missing two extra.

[Memes]

So his injury doesn't even matter.

[PFT Commenter]

It doesn't matter.

[Hank]

All right, can I say what. What Something that I've not this week?

[Big Cat]

Okay, Birds.

[Hank]

I would like to read a tweet. I would like to pull it up, and I will be doing so right now. Okay, here we go. This is from Ben Standig. He is a beat reporter for the Washington Commanders.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

The Commanders are practicing in the bubble with the Eagles Fly. Eagles fly. Song pumped in during the practice. Are you aware of what that song is to the Eagles?

[PFT Commenter]

That's your touchdown song.

[Hank]

They played the song during their entire practice. Are they Just preparing to let up a ton of points.

[PFT Commenter]

I think they're just preparing to be annoyed.

[Memes]

Oh, but that means they're gonna be annoyed by the song. That means the Eagles are scoring.

[PFT Commenter]

They're creating.

[Hank]

You shouldn't be listening to that song at all.

[Big Cat]

You're creating the most interesting song choice.

[PFT Commenter]

Hostile environment possible for yourself by playing.

[Big Cat]

And, you know, score song and, you know, there's probably a couple guys in practice that were singing along by accident.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know about that.

[Big Cat]

It's hard. It's hard not to sing along and.

[PFT Commenter]

Watch our Eagles fly.

[Hank]

On the road to victory.

[Fred Smoot]

E, A, H, G L S Eagles.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Do we have a. A statement on. Was it the mayor?

[Hank]

Yeah. Thank God. She said that before the Rams game. They're one and. Oh, after that chant.

[Big Cat]

Okay. She was the elg.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it when. When Maris try to talk sports.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

There's robots.

[Big Cat]

Did you also see the Washington commander, Defensive coordinator Joe Witt said that they're going to try to hit Jalen. Hurts like a running back.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's good defense when he's running with a football. Hit him like a running back. I got no problem with that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, I mean, that's. I kind of like it. He's telegraphing it, too.

[Hank]

Yeah, sure Goes both ways. Your running back also likes to run like your quarterback also likes to run like a running back, so.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but we also agreed to turn injuries off.

[Hank]

I mean, I don't. I don't know if your defensive coordinator agreed to that.

[PFT Commenter]

No, we. We agree. What happened?

[Hank]

What? I mean, it makes you wonder about these questionable Frankie Luvu hits the past couple months.

[PFT Commenter]

Makes you wonder what's going on.

[Hank]

What's going on?

[Big Cat]

Are you claiming there's a bounty gate going on?

[Hank]

I'm not saying. It just. It raises a question.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so because he hit Jared Goff. That one. And then what else?

[Hank]

Jake Ferguson.

[Big Cat]

I mean, do you want to look.

[Hank]

At the Jake Ferguson one?

[Big Cat]

Should we look at the Jake Ferguson one? I got my wind horse fingers up.

[PFT Commenter]

I have not seen the Jake Ferguson one. Sorry that we played physical football. And you know what? People in Philly would never celebrate an opponent getting injured.

[Big Cat]

That's a good point. Pft.

[Hank]

Yeah, let's keep doing.

[Big Cat]

Why was the first.

[PFT Commenter]

I was like, I don't think that was Frankie Luvu, but if that happened to Pat Mahomes, they'd suspend him from the league.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man. All right, this is the Jake Ferguson getting hit.

[Hank]

Nope, haven't found it yet.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right. Good job producing well.

[Hank]

I Mean, you brought this up.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I didn't.

[Hank]

You brought up, you brought up the, the defensive coordinator.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I brought up Joe Witt. I didn't have like a, a memory bank of every bad hit Frankie Luvu's had two months. That's.

[PFT Commenter]

That's ooze. Put some respect on Frankie Luvu's name.

[Big Cat]

I don't, I don't know if you can. I'm gonna find it. Yeah, I don't know if you're gonna find it. I, I think I'm gonna bet the Commanders plus six. Now, I do have that future on the Eagles, but I'm gonna try to double dip, I think, because I, I do think. I think it's gonna be a tight game. I don't, I don't. I disagree with what you're saying, Hank. I do not think it's gonna be a blowout.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's gonna be close. I hope it's close. Everybody's saying that the Commanders, you know, this is the start they'll expect to be back. I disagree with that. This is you. When you're in the NFC Championship game, you have, you have to need to win.

[Big Cat]

They should try to win it.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm declaring this a must win game. This is a must win game for the Commanders. Max, it's been a great season, but you must win this game.

[Big Cat]

Would you like to counter with a Can't lose.

[Hank]

No, I would like to. To follow up with a must win as well.

[Big Cat]

Oh, we got a must win off.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So also one difference in this game from the. The other two games that we played this season. Jonathan Allen is back for the Commanders and he makes a difference at defensive tackles. So I'm happy about that. I don't know that. I think the formula for this game is just don't let Saquon Barkley score a 70 yard touchdown.

[Big Cat]

That's a really good formula.

[PFT Commenter]

He's going to have some like 2030 yard runs. Just don't let him score on those runs. And yeah, if you can force him into kicking 33 yard field goals, that'd be great too. Just simulate an extra point.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

But I, I'm. I'm on edge. I'm not as on edge as Max is. Max is just a basket case this week.

[Big Cat]

He has been.

[Hank]

Shocker.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Max, if you lose this game, maybe you'll get to.

[Memes]

I'm not worried about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Hank, you're just. Which actually should make you worried. Pft. Because Hank does.

[PFT Commenter]

He brings winning energy.

[Big Cat]

He. And he also like these type of bets he, like, he hits them. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, he does.

[Big Cat]

I don't hit him.

[PFT Commenter]

I was gonna tell Max, if you lose a conference championship, you might get to play Boise State in the first round.

[Big Cat]

So that'd be nice shot at Penn State there. Max, he's so focused on trying to find this phantom. No, I can't find.

[Hank]

This is a screenshot of it, but I. I need the full video.

[Big Cat]

That's. That's.

[PFT Commenter]

That says it all.

[Memes]

I would also feel a lot worse, but thankfully, Jalen Hurts didn't even play, and the Commanders barely beat the Eagles, and so that way, it takes away the top to beat at the same team three times.

[PFT Commenter]

What about this? No team has ever beaten Jaden Daniels twice in the same season.

[Memes]

He's a rookie.

[PFT Commenter]

No team.

[Big Cat]

No team's done it.

[PFT Commenter]

No team has done it.

[Big Cat]

Think about that.

[Memes]

Well, the. Yeah, the other two teams in the division sucked.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, also the Bucks.

[Big Cat]

Bucks. Didn't do it.

[PFT Commenter]

Didn't do it.

[Big Cat]

Didn't think about that.

[PFT Commenter]

Four teams.

[Big Cat]

Although technically, Marcus Mariota beat the Cowboys a second time.

[PFT Commenter]

That is true, But Jaden was the first one. Well, Jane played for half of it. Not well, kind of. And then he was on the sidelines first guy cheering. Did you guys see the report about Jane, Daniel's mom?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What'd she say?

[PFT Commenter]

She does not let him date.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a lot of the game, a lot of skirts running around, and she's like, nope, you're not getting close to my Jaden. The big graphic that I saw just said it was a picture of Jaden Daniels. It said, no girls.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

No girls football.

[Big Cat]

Only football.

[PFT Commenter]

He's married to the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Which I love. I'm. I'm so excited, Max. I really am excited to watch this game.

[Big Cat]

I'm so excited as well. We're going to be streaming. Coach Gruden will be there. It's going to be great. It's going to be. It's going to be an incredible watch. Oh, is that the hit?

[PFT Commenter]

Let's see.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, he kind of got him from behind.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, here he comes in.

[Big Cat]

Kind of headshoted him a little bit from behind.

[Hank]

I mean.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, he's getting.

[Big Cat]

He went helmet to helmet.

[PFT Commenter]

He's getting thrown down, and then he comes in to make a tackle.

[Big Cat]

I don't really know what point you were trying to make that he's.

[Hank]

That he's.

[Big Cat]

Oh, the coordinator.

[Hank]

Trying to get injured.

[Big Cat]

People.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, it's a physical.

[Big Cat]

We'll put a pin in the Bounty gate. Max was the first to report it. Potential bounty gate on the Commanders.

[PFT Commenter]

Y.

[Big Cat]

Have you guys decided on a bet?

[Hank]

By the way, the reason I couldn't find it was because the tweet I saw, actually, I was looking up the words in the thing and he actually referred to him as Frankie Doo Doo.

[Big Cat]

Oh, got him good. Got him.

[PFT Commenter]

You should have just called him Frankie Doo Doo instead of going on this wild goose chase. And I'll be like, good point, Max.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. Frankie Doo Doo. Also. Max, will you be wearing the overalls?

[Hank]

Yes, I will be wearing the overalls underneath my sweatshirt.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

Same. Same outfit for all plays minus one of the Rams game.

[Big Cat]

I will not be giving you use of my phone in this game because I'm going to let it play out on the field. So you don't have any. Superstitious with my superstitions with my phone, which was powerful against the Rams, you have to admit.

[Memes]

Yeah, it's not necessary.

[Hank]

Hank. I. You're. The fact that Hank, like, he has $30,000 on the line and still wants to be a fucking asshole.

[Memes]

I'm confident.

[PFT Commenter]

Hard.

[Big Cat]

He's confident.

[Hank]

No, you're in a. Hank is either in a position where he wins $50,000 or he can make fun of me. I would never really.

[Big Cat]

I would never do that. Me personally, I would never do that. That sounds crazy.

[Memes]

I want to win. I don't want to lose.

[Big Cat]

Who would ever do that?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm glad that Hank is so confident because we'll get to our interview with Fred Smoot, who basically just. You cannot lay a jinx on thicker than Fred Smoot laid on by how confident he was in the commander. So I'm glad that Hank is here counterbalancing that. I appreciate that.

[Big Cat]

If you. If you did not watch a second of NFL football this year and you just listened to Fred Smooth's interview, you would think that the Commanders were the greatest team that ever was created on God's earth.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep, it was.

[Big Cat]

It was that. All right, so wait, do we have a bet?

[PFT Commenter]

We had talked about doing the wax.

[Memes]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Upper upper body wax.

[Hank]

Our torso. A torso wax, basically. 40 year old virgin wax.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Because if you've got a lot to give Max.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I got. I got a decent amount of hair on this chest and we talked about the Brazilian, but if you're doing Brazilian, then you have to like actually go to a waxing person, like take your. All your underwear off and be like, hey, can you wax my ball? And then that's just weird.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then also some dude Film I also like.

[Big Cat]

We were talking about it the other day. I know people want to see a bet and I think this would be good because we'll make it a pmtv. Like, you guys have so much at stake.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, there's a lot.

[Big Cat]

It's so much at stake. There's no bet. Can. Can change how you feel about this game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, there's also.

[Hank]

Will suck. Like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, this will suck.

[Hank]

This is some obviously something that neither of us want to do. It's going to be very painful. And I will have to take my shirt off on camera, which I never like to do either. That's. That's a punishment in its own.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's a fact. Max, do you have keys to the game?

[Hank]

Yeah. What do you mean?

[PFT Commenter]

Do you have Eagles keys to keys to victory?

[Hank]

Sure.

[PFT Commenter]

What are the keys to victory?

[Hank]

Win. I don't care about anything else. When the win the football game.

[Big Cat]

That's a good key.

[PFT Commenter]

Good key to victory. I had wanted more. I had dial something up and no girls.

[Big Cat]

That's pretty good.

[PFT Commenter]

And also make another sweet pre game hype video.

[Big Cat]

When is that dropping?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm working on it right now. I got my team on shout out quicks.

[Hank]

I got a guy too.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Quigs is doing a great job.

[Hank]

It's just a guy that already makes them. But I've. But I've DMed with him a couple times because he makes sick hype videos.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, nice. This one's going to be better.

[Big Cat]

Nice. All right, final score prediction. Memes. I'll start with you, memes. Who are you rooting for? I don't know.

[Hank]

Memes just wants chaos.

[Big Cat]

I saw the Curse of Jim Kelly clip pop up, so that made me think the Commanders are going to win. And Schefter's tweet from last super bowl saying Commander's Chiefs are in the super bowl makes me also think the Commander is going to win. So I'll go Eagles 34, Commanders 21.

[Hank]

Counterpoint.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Super bowl logo. What?

[Big Cat]

What's going on with it?

[Memes]

That didn't happen last year.

[Hank]

Taylor Swift purple. That's what people say.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, so wait, so what is it this year?

[PFT Commenter]

You can't counteract memes. You can't tell memes to change his prediction?

[Hank]

No, my counteract of weird stats.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so that does look like Chief Seagulls again.

[Hank]

No, Bill's Bills have red.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. Bills have red too. But I mean, Chiefs are Chiefs.

[PFT Commenter]

All red.

[Big Cat]

Okay, 3421 Eagles. Max, that was memes prediction.

[Hank]

I. Wait, you said 3421 Eagles. Don't. Why? Wait a minute.

[PFT Commenter]

Just think of two numbers.

[Hank]

No, someone else go first. I refuse to go right now.

[Big Cat]

All right, I'll go. 26, 24 Eagles. Commanders. 26, 24 Commanders.

[Hank]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

I think James Handles is gonna do something special to you. And I think Zane Gonzalez. I think. I think. I think you're gonna get a. Wait. 26, 24.

[PFT Commenter]

They call them O. CD Gonzalez.

[Big Cat]

Zane Gonzalez misses an extra point. So it's 24, 23. Then he makes a field goal.

[PFT Commenter]

Prove it.

[Hank]

Cash out.

[Big Cat]

I'm not going to cash out. I'm going to bet the Commanders plus six for probably more than the money. I'll show you the bet before.

[Hank]

Actually, I'm happy that you did.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Why did you. What, did you get me there?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Because if big cat had taken the. The Eagles and Hank takes the Eagles. You take the Eagles. I was just going to abstain. So we had the graphic that was all Eagles.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, I'm not. I'm not going to cash out of the Eagles future, but I'm going to bet the Commanders because I do think, no matter what, this is going to be a very close game. I. I honestly believe that I'm not. That's my analysis of the game. I think these teams. I think Jayden Daniels is the X factor that will make this game close.

[Memes]

Hank, 42, 13 Eagles.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Confident Bird game.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Confident Slaughter.

[Big Cat]

So I shouldn't take commanders plus six?

[Memes]

No. We're looking at pick sixes. 250 saquon.

[Hank]

I don't know why you do this to me.

[Memes]

Like, believe in you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He's being a good friend. He's supportive.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna go. Commanders. 30 birds. 25.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Max.

[Hank]

28, 24 eagles.

[Big Cat]

So you. You're telling me I should bet Commanders?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. He said good pick, Big Cat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Yeah. I don't. I don't care about the spread.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, I know.

[Hank]

No, you pick them to win.

[Big Cat]

I just. I keep. I can't get out of my head that something's happening and that when J.D. daniels gets the ball at the end of a game, something happens.

[PFT Commenter]

The only thing is, too many people are saying team of destiny. Too many people are saying.

[Big Cat]

I actually have not said team of destiny.

[PFT Commenter]

I know, but I've said it. I've. I've heard it. I've heard it a lot.

[Big Cat]

I just think something's happening where it's.

[PFT Commenter]

It's not destiny. It hasn't happened yet. You got to go out there and you Got to earn it. And this is going to be very hard game. Very, very hard environment against a great team.

[Memes]

What's the weather?

[Big Cat]

And.

[Fred Smoot]

And.

[Big Cat]

And I also think in all these scenarios, what is the path of maximum. Like, what is the sicko? What do the sickos want the most? And what is the path of maximum destruction? And it's commanders beating the Eagles, and then the Chiefs, like, absolutely butt the commanders. That's what it is. Yeah.

[Memes]

That's just pain all around.

[Big Cat]

That's pain every which way. And everyone's unhappy and everyone's pissed off. That's what's gonna happen. What?

[Hank]

Never mind.

[Big Cat]

What?

[Hank]

Never mind.

[Big Cat]

What? Say it. We're on a podcast.

[Hank]

I mean, it just. No matter what, I will be the commanders. I will not be rooting to win the Super Bowl. No matter what, I will not be a commanders fan.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. I feel the same about the Eagles.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Sorry. Maybe wait. New vision. New vision. I just dropped new vision. Eagles beat the Commanders, and then Josh Allen beats the Eagles, and we all celebrate. Max is miserable.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, New vision. That'd be good.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[Memes]

I'm down.

[Hank]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

Wow. New vision. New vision. Just dropped.

[PFT Commenter]

That'd be cool.

[Big Cat]

That would be because the sickos would get their payday twice, and we would get an act. We would become the Sickos with the. The awls. We would join the awls.

[Memes]

That's the best case.

[Big Cat]

Turn it on, Matt.

[Memes]

That's the best case scenario.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, the glaz. Amazing. That we would put on Josh Allen.

[Big Cat]

Oh, my God. We would be taking victory laps while Max is just completely devastated.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Oh, my God.

[Hank]

Yeah. That would be win this week.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Everybody's got to win this week.

[PFT Commenter]

I do have one numerology. We got into it for the. For the Ravens.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

There is some numerology for the Commanders. January 20th, or. Excuse me. Yeah. January 26th, 1992.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

The Redskins beat the Bills in the super bowl on that day.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

This game will be played on January 26, 2025. That was 33 years ago. Same day they beat the Bills in the Super Bowl. Okay. 33 years before that, January 26, 1959. Fidel Castro marries revolutionary Vilma Espen. Every 33 years, a commie gets a ring. Oh, and this is a ring game.

[Big Cat]

Not really a ring game.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, you get. No, you get a ring.

[Big Cat]

I love. I love loser. I love the numerology after fiction.

[PFT Commenter]

You get a ring if you win this game.

[Hank]

This is loser.

[Big Cat]

I think it's every 33 years, the commie has a big day.

[PFT Commenter]

You get A ring.

[Hank]

We also learned from the Ravens that that means nothing.

[PFT Commenter]

That's true.

[Fred Smoot]

That's true.

[PFT Commenter]

But that was only two examples. This is. This is three.

[Big Cat]

No, they had.

[Hank]

Shoot.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Fuck.

[PFT Commenter]

You're right. Yeah. I fucked myself.

[Big Cat]

Damn it.

[Hank]

Also, Maryland played both sides in the. In the Civil War.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, go on.

[Hank]

I don't know. I just. That's why I looked up. Is that they were a slave state, but they were technically in the Union. So some part of parts of Maryland fought for the Confederacy. Some parts of Maryland fought for the Union.

[PFT Commenter]

They were a Union state, though.

[Hank]

They were a border state.

[PFT Commenter]

They were a union state.

[Hank]

Border state. They're. It's south of the Mason Dixon line.

[Big Cat]

I don't think you understand. Max has read all of two sentences about the Civil War in the last 30 minutes.

[Hank]

An expert.

[PFT Commenter]

To Max's point, there were definitely some militias from Maryland that fought on the.

[Hank]

South, not from Pennsylvania.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

To my knowledge, I still.

[PFT Commenter]

I still called the north in the Civil War this podcast, but I said.

[Hank]

South of the Mason Dixon Line, and I was correct.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Okay.

[Big Cat]

All right. I just want this to be a great game. I don't want it to be hanks4213.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I don't want that either. Although if it was 4213, I would. Would actually like that a lot if it was for the commanders.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that would be fun for you.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. AFC Championship game. This. I mean, it's crazy because obviously with the Civil War in our podcast, this game is so, so huge. Josh Allen versus Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are one and a half point favorites. The over under is 48. I don't know where to start other than I'm rooting for the Bills. I'm worried about the Bills, though, because I don't know, their defense is banged up again. The Chiefs. The weakness of the Bills defense is the middle of the field. Travis Kelsey, middle of the field guy. Maybe they'll just try to shut him down. And it's Patrick Mahomes as an under a field goal favorite at home in the playoffs, and it just feels like that's what they do.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep, we've seen this story before. I. I've kind of convinced myself that the Bills can do it, even though I know all the history. I know that you shouldn't doubt my homes in the playoffs, but that. That's the part of me that just wants to see the Bills in the Super Bowl. Yeah, that's part of it. I think, in all honesty, if. If you're putting Money on this game. I would probably bet on the Chiefs to win this game.

[Big Cat]

That's how I feel. But I'm not going to bet.

[PFT Commenter]

It feels like they will find a way to get it done. And Josh Allen is going to be standing there on the sidelines just with that same look in his face, thousand yard stare. This happened again. Oh my God. I can't believe it happened again.

[Big Cat]

Here's what I'm hoping happens and obviously I'm hoping the Bills win, but here's what I'm really hoping happens. I hope that Sean McDermott and Joe Brady and the Bills organization says we've got one of the best quarterbacks in the world who had an incredible season. And in the Ravens game they were conservative in the second half. You can't leave this game up to a last possession. You just can't. It's happened before. It just, it doesn't go. Patrick Mahomes has proven it time and time again. If he gets the ball, it's what we were saying about Jaden Daniels, but Jaden Daniels is more of a feeling. Patrick Mahomes is literally facts. Like you see the facts that this is what he does. I hope the Bills let Josh Allen just fucking chuck it. And I hope they let him just be Superman. And I hope they realize that to win this game, and this sounds very simplistic, but to win this game you gotta just, you gotta like step on them early and never let them back in it. Because if you let, if you let this be a one possession game in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs are gonna win. That's what you have to do. Just let. And if it doesn't work, you went out on your sword. I don't want the Bills to get tight. I don't want the Bills to, to, to feel the pressure. And I don't think they will, but I just, I want them to take the shots necessary to trying to stomp out the Chiefs because if you let them hang around, they're going to win the game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I think that this is a, this is a situation where you let Josh be full Josh, right? Turn him loose and then we're gonna see. How many downfield laterals are we going to see between Josh Allen and Travis Kelsey?

[Big Cat]

It's a good question.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe like four or five.

[Big Cat]

This good question.

[PFT Commenter]

I hope, I hope Josh does all the crazy, all the stuff where sometimes he saves himself in the regular season. I hope he's jumping over people. I hope he's doing Pump fakes 25 yards downfield. I hope all that happens. I, I want a very fun game out of this. I, what sucks is that between me and Max, one of us is not going to be able to enjoy this game for how good of a game it probably is going to be. Correct. But yeah, I mean, if Josh can, if Josh can have one of his better, like, top five of the year performances, I think the Bills have a very, very good chance of winning this game.

[Big Cat]

I agree.

[PFT Commenter]

And it sucks because they've had some playoff losses that have not been on Josh Allen. But that's how we're going to look at this after this game's over. We're either going to look at Josh as like the conquering hero and what a great story for him, or we're going to look at him as just the guy that can't get it done right. And it sucks. It sucks.

[Big Cat]

It's not fair.

[PFT Commenter]

But as a member of the media, that's what we're duty bound to do.

[Big Cat]

Yes. So the Bills injury report is not great. Christian Benford was limited in practice. He has a concussion to. Ron Johnson was limited. He has a neck shoulder injury. Injury. Matt Milano was limited, he has a bicep hamstring injury. And Taylor Rapp, safety, did not practice with the back hip. You need those guys. You need those guys. I, I, I hope that the Bills can get as close to full strength as possible because that's really the, the part. I, I think we all agree, like the Bills defense is, it's had moments where it's looked good. It's also been injured. They did a great job against the Ravens in the first half last week. They got, got bullied in the second half. I want the Bills defense to give the Bills offense a chance here and that's, that's my main concern because you're going up against packing Rose. Because I think the Bills offense is going to have success. Like their offensive line is legit. They do have weapons. I think the Chief's defense is good, but not like maybe a little overrated. I just, man, come on, Josh.

[PFT Commenter]

Superman for the ref group. Cleat Blakeman. Let the boys play.

[Big Cat]

Let the boys play.

[PFT Commenter]

Let them play. Josh and Pat, they like to flop. They're going to try to bait you. Please let the boys play for America because if you throw a flag, you're probably getting the flag wrong. Yeah, let the boys play.

[Big Cat]

Hank. What do you have any thoughts on this game? Are you gonna bet this game?

[Memes]

It's gonna depend on the result of the Eagles game. I'm gonna bet the Bills, though. I guess either way. But if the Eagles win, I might. I can. I'm in a head spot with the Chief, so I'll probably just bet the over and just pray for the. Pray, pray, pray for the Bills. Pray for the Bills.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

One crazy thing to keep in mind for the. For the Bills, for the afc. This is how dominant Mahomes and. And Brady and Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have been. Only seven quarterbacks have started at quarterback for the AFC since 2001. In the Super bowl, only seven guys. And in the NFC in that same time span, there have only been two repeat quarterbacks.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

So I think that's 22 quarterbacks. Verse seven.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And. And I mean Mahomes is. He's hall of Fame. If he retired tomorrow, he's a Hall of Famer.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And he's. He's. He should retire.

[PFT Commenter]

You're saying it's funny because Hank is. You're fighting a three front war against the Chiefs. As a Patriots fan, you're fighting the Andy Reid Belichick.

[Memes]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

You're fighting the Tom Brady Patrick Mahomes and you're fighting the Kelsey Gronk battle.

[Big Cat]

Kelsey Gronk.

[PFT Commenter]

Which one would you say that you're winning in right now?

[Memes]

We're winning in the. Oh, there goes some dove. We're winning in the bell. We're winning in all three. But we don't have time. Like we're. We're done. They have time on their side. A loss in this game would be huge for all three fronts. I don't think the Gronk one. I think Gronk is the greatest of all time, no matter what.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

But.

[Big Cat]

And the. And the Bills mafia. Being in New Orleans would be quite something. I've already received word that if it happens, Ed and Alicia will be coming down with a truck which will be incredible. I just think the Chiefs man at home.

[PFT Commenter]

Sister city sank Mahomes.

[Big Cat]

I gotta find the stat. Let me find.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's right. It's snowing in New Orleans. That means that winter's coming.

[Big Cat]

I'm gonna find them a home.

[PFT Commenter]

There's no snow in Kansas City ever.

[Big Cat]

There is. No. Yeah. Never. It's never, never snowed. I think we have good weather for both. Right.

[PFT Commenter]

It's going to be like 40 in Philly. I think that's what the early report is.

[Big Cat]

That's beautiful.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep, that's beautiful.

[Big Cat]

And then what about.

[Hank]

I already have it up 4043 and cloudy in Philly. I don't. The other game doesn't exist to me.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm kind of the same way, Max. When I was. When I was prepping for this show, I was like, I just. I need to focus. This is the biggest game my life.

[Big Cat]

Okay, here it is. Same Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes is 15 and two straight up in home or neutral or February, the only losses to Joe Burrow and Tom Brady. And in the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes is 70 straight up. And against the spread, when either listed as an underdog or a favorite of less than a field goal, covering the spread by 5.9 points per game.

[PFT Commenter]

Josh deserves this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, I know Chiefs fans are going to be mad because, like. But I mean, listen, you've had just let Josh go to a Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but, Hank, you know how it is. If you're a fan of a dynasty, it becomes you against the world. And now you're just. You're defending the wall.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what you're doing. That's the only thing that you can do.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're laughing at people that are blaming the refs, laughing at everybody in the media that says something bad about you or something that's perceived to be bad about you.

[Big Cat]

I also saw a stat from our friend J. Kuda who does the best stats. Follow him on Twitter. I believe it was the Chiefs and the Bills have played 10 games over the last 10 years. Both have five wins, both have five losses. Both have 251 points for. Both have 251 points against. So unfortunately for the Bills, all their losses have come in the playoffs. Pretty much keep beating them in the regular season, losing in the playoffs.

[Memes]

But not tonight.

[Big Cat]

Tonight. Friday night.

[Memes]

The miracle.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[Memes]

Nine times out of ten, they beat us.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, last thing before we get to our interviews. PFT and Max, you guys are gonna create parlays for the people for your game. Hank and I. Hank, would you like to collab with one? Maybe a whiteboard parlay on championship Sunday for the late game? I'd love two of us just getting together. Who could. Who could imagine? All right, so, DraftKings with NFL teams playing to see who's the king of the gridiron. Get it on the playoff action and see who's the king of the end zone. At DraftKings sportsbook, an official sports betting part in the NFL playoffs. DraftKings has been the number one place to bet touchdowns all season long. And the NFL playoffs aren't keeping them out of the end zone. They're going all in with $2 million in bonus bets up for grabs every game day during the NFL playoffs. Here's how it works. Place a $5 pregame bet on an offensive player to find the end zone and if they have the longest rush, rushing or receiving TD that day, they're the king of the end zone and you win a share of $2 million in bonus bets. DraftKings sportsbook is crowning a king of the end zone every NFL game day. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE to compete for a share of $2 million in bonus bets. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. GAMBLING PROBLEM Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPE and WIRE. Text Hopeny 467-369 in Connectic for problem gambling, call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. One token per customer. Tokens expire at the start of the final of NFL game each day. When offered, use token on day's longest touchdown scorer to receive equal share of 2 million in non withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 168 hours. Additional wagering restrictions apply. For additional terms or responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos okay, what do you guys got real quick?

[PFT Commenter]

The Jaguars are hiring Liam Cohn.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so it was literally Trent Balky.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

That's hilarious.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. They.

[Big Cat]

So the beginning of the show made no sense.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So sorry.

[Big Cat]

Our bad breaking moves.

[PFT Commenter]

I guess they sent Liam Cohen back. Liam Cohen also agreed to a deal in principle with the Bucks that would made him the highest paid coordinator in the league.

[Big Cat]

Oh, this is great.

[PFT Commenter]

And then he left the Bucks.

[Hank]

Memes is saying that this is incorrect.

[Big Cat]

The two sides are discussing deal that would make Liam Cohen the next head coach the Jaguars.

[PFT Commenter]

I think we have a.

[Big Cat]

We have a reporter off right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, between memes and Adam Scheffer.

[Big Cat]

No, no no.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it. What is. What is Rap Board say?

[Big Cat]

The deal is not done with the Jaguars but for Liam Cohen to be in the building in Jacksonville speaking with the Jaguars about their head coaching job.

[Hank]

Days after agreeing to the extension. It's clear he's the favorite to be the next coach.

[Big Cat]

And Schefter did compare Chester's confirming that he's the next head coach. Oh, let's see. We gotta. I gotta call Stephen Shea because he was. He was puffing his chest out that Liam Cohen was staying. And this would be awesome if we break the news to him. Oh, my God, I hope we break the news to him. Who doesn't pick up their phone? 5:00. 5:00. The beginning of the show makes no sense now. That's okay. We. We. We podcast by the seat of our pants. What. What are you gonna say?

[Hank]

We don't know.

[Big Cat]

We don't know. It's a reporter.

[Hank]

It's a reporter off this.

[Big Cat]

I mean, if. If. If they get Liam Cohen, like, how much did he hate Trent? Balky a lot. Really smart by Liam Cohen to be like, I'm not going to do this job if you keep this guy here.

[PFT Commenter]

Fire that guy. Yeah, we'll talk.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so that might be another spot that's. That's no longer open. So it's now down to the Cowboys, Raiders and Saints.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Feeling like Mike McCarthy to the Saints.

[Big Cat]

I do too.

[PFT Commenter]

That feels better by the day.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, Max. Pft. You guys got your parlays for us?

[Hank]

Who wants to go first?

[PFT Commenter]

Max, you can go first.

[Hank]

I'll go first.

[Big Cat]

Don't let him do that to you, Max.

[Hank]

I'm gonna go right off the rip.

[PFT Commenter]

Right off the rip.

[Hank]

Break. Break the streak. Jalen hurts 175 plus passing yards. This is the game that he tells that. He tells everyone to suck it.

[PFT Commenter]

Lights it up at 175.

[Big Cat]

That means the commanders are going to lose.

[Hank]

Wrong. I mean, the Eagles are going to lose to win as well.

[Big Cat]

But the. If he goes for over 155 yards, they lose.

[Hank]

I don't care.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

I don't care what you say.

[PFT Commenter]

He doesn't care what you say.

[Big Cat]

All right, is your next bet that Jake Elliott won't miss an extra point?

[Hank]

Okay, so Jalen hurts 175 plus passing yards. A.J. brown to score a touchdown. We've done it every week. He has to get. He has to get in there once. Eagles to win. And my favorite play on the board, Jalen Carter one plus sack.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, you're doing just like a streak. Break.

[Hank]

Jalen Carter one plus.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, not that.

[Hank]

Just Philadelphia Eagles to win.

[PFT Commenter]

No, A.J. touchdown.

[Hank]

I mean, yeah, I did two of the four.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, you're calling your shot.

[Big Cat]

Keep that energy. Max, what's the payout?

[Hank]

Right now it's nine to one. Always subject to change.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, okay, I've got. I'm going back to Austin. Eckler receiving yards. We had it last week. That bad hit. I like it even better this week. I think that they're going to use them a lot out of the backfield. 25 plus receiving yards. I've got commanders over 23 and a half team points and then I've got Olamide Zakias. 25 plus receiving yards. People forgot about Zacchaeus because of the emergence of playoff diami. We also have playoff olamide and this is also revenge game form. The Eagles didn't want him.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Birds didn't want them. 25 plus receiving yards.

[Hank]

I will not say the same of Johan Dotson.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Who won that trade? Remember when we had that? That was at Camp Barstool.

[Hank]

We'll see who wins this weekend.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. So yes, Sunday we'll be, we'll be streaming it. Gruden will be in the house. Nate will be in the house. I don't think Roan's going to be here. Although I did leave it open ended saying don't tell us if you're coming so he could just show up.

[PFT Commenter]

That's good. That way you're kind of like leaving yourself a little treat.

[Big Cat]

It's like leaving the tickets at the, at the front. Like hopefully you come to my concert.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, I, I would love to watch the game with Roan, but he's. He scares me. I love him, but I would rather him not be in that room.

[Big Cat]

Max.

[Hank]

When I just. I don't care. I don't care. The elements.

[Big Cat]

Put on the overalls and win a football.

[Hank]

Just win a football game.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Game.

[Big Cat]

Win a football game. Okay, let's kick it to ourselves with Fred Smoot and then super bowl champion Mitchell Schwartz and we'll finish up with Fyre Fest. Okay, before we get to Fred Smoot, a quick word from our friends at Kevin's Natural Foods. If you haven't tried Kevin's Natural Foods, you're missing out. I had the Thai style coconut chicken the other night and it was so good. They've got heat and serve entrees like Thai style coconut chicken, Korean bbq, garlic chicken, cilantro lime chicken. They also have stir fry kits. Honey garlic chicken, General tso's, Szechuan chicken. It is so, so good. If you want a delicious protein packed meal on the table in five minutes. Kevin's Natural Foods heat and serve. Entrees are perfect. These clean, nutritious meals taste like something you'd get in a restaurant. Kevin's entrees include fully cooked beef or chicken in incredible sauces. So all you need to do is heat and eat. It's hard to believe something this tasty and healthy can be ready this fast. So skip the greasy takeout. Grab Kevin's Natural Foods instead. It's the perfect mealtime hack and is faster than takeout too. Find Kevin's in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Also, my kids love Kevin's Natural Foods as well. So if you're someone with kids and you're like, what do we do for dinner? What do we do for dinner? It's always a battle. Just heat these up and you're ready to go. Kevin's Natural Foods. Skip the greasy takeout and grab Kevin's Natural Foods instead. It's the perfect mealtime hack. It is faster than takeout too. Find Kevin's in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Okay, here he is, Fred. Smooth. Okay. We now welcome on a very special guest and for the first time we can say coworker. It is Fred Smoot. Now, I want to just address this off the top because I saw you have so many fans in the DMV area and they were like, don't steal Fred Smoot from us. Fred is. Fred is joining Barstool on a part time basis. He's gonna be doing the pro football show next year with. With coach Gruden and myself. And also come to the office mixing it up. He's still doing everything else. But it is great to call you a coworker. Yeah. Because you are, you're insanely talented and it's fun to have you part of the pirate ship. But we wanted to have you on this week because the commanders are in the NFC championship game and I can't believe I'm saying that, but let's start there. Are you shocked at all by this run and how the fact that they're playing on Sunday to go to the Super Bowl?

[Fred Smoot]

Big cat, I told you when I was visiting that this was biblical. This has already been wrote. Written.

[Big Cat]

Did you.

[Fred Smoot]

Do you remember Daniel 5, 17 when he has to walk into the lion's den and have to conquer those lies? I told you we had something going here that was special. Dan Quinn and his leadership. And don't forget about the fact that we got a Jedi at quarterback. Jedi 5, the ultimate force multiplier. It's changed everything. But it ain't just them. It ain't just the coaches and the players. I got to give a lot of love to this new ownership. Josh Harris and those guys. They have changed everything. They have set a standard. There's a very high standard. And I think everybody's getting to see right now that America's had a new team, we are America's new team. The nation's capital, the Washington Commanders.

[PFT Commenter]

One thing I've loved watching about this team is that they're getting better. I don't know that we've seen their best yet, which is a crazy thing to think about. And certainly in the future, like, you would like to imagine that given the cap space and everything that we got going on, we're going to be able to improve the team as it keeps going. But that said, I, I don't like the people that are saying, like, oh, the Commanders will be a good team for the next 10 to 15 years. I've already heard that. I've heard people talking about that. Because we have a good quarterback, it's very, very hard to, to sustain excellence in the NFL. So you got to take this opportunity. Like, don't, don't take it for granted that we're going to be back next year, the year after. Like, we're, we're here right now.

[Big Cat]

It's the Bengals.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. So, like, there you can say, window is open, that's fine. But also recognize it's very hard to get to this point, and not every team that gets here is guaranteed to get back. But what I've seen, especially from this defense, is the defense gets better almost on a weekly basis. It's gotten better consistently throughout the year. And what we saw last week with Joe Witt going up against Ben Johnson and Jared Goff and the Lions offense, I was, I was really impressed with. So the, the Eagles different animal. Taking them on is going to be a different game plan from the Lions. What do you expect our defense to do? To try to slow down because you can't stop them, but just try to slow down. Saquon Barkley, PMT I'm gonna be honest with you.

[Fred Smoot]

I understand where everybody's coming from because we had ground zero. Right now, when I say ground zero, zero. This was our quarterback's first year. This was our officer coordinator's first year. This was Dan Quinn's first year installing this culture. So what they saying is it can only go up from here. Think about it. We got 80 million plus in cap room, all right? So that means we can go out here and sign the vest. We got draft capital. We're only going to put better pieces around him. And the thing about it, I think this is what Jaden has did a good job of. He's shown you how he going to play when we had to pay him 300, 400 million and we can't buy all the receivers, we can't have all the tight ends. He's showing you I am the ultimate force multiplier. I'm going to make everybody around me better no matter what. So I can understand why people so excited. But when we talk about Philadelphia, the only thing I can say is different when it comes to them. In Detroit, I think Detroit, especially the way that Jalen Hurts is throwing the ball right now. The Detroit Lions had another level to their offense because not only can they run the ball with that great offensive line, they could push the ball down the field with J. Mo St. Brown. And when I look at Philadelphia, even though they got AJ Brown and Devontae Smith, something's going on with Jalen Hurst where he's not pushing the ball down the field. Then he gets another anchor injury this week. So I'm wondering how they going to use him. Is it one of those things where we need to craft the box and stop, I mean, Saquon Barkley and force Jalen Hurts to beat us? I'm very eager to see what Coach Whitt does when it comes to that, figuring that situation out because you said it, our defensive backs played well last week. Sarah still making two intercepts. We got guys taking balls to the house. So it's a different defense and I knew it was going to be a different defense from week one to what, week 18, 19, 20. Right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Fred Smoot]

They have jailed together, they have grown.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So. All right. So another thing though that we should mention is the Eagles defense is a lot better than the Lions defense. And the Eagles defense is a lot better than the Bucks defense. And you, you lose Cosmi and Jalen Carter's playing his balls off right now. What I mean, are you worried at all about the fact that the Eagles defense, they have guys at every level. I know Nicobi Dean's out, which is a big injury, but there's. Cornerbacks are elite, their defensive lines elite. This feels like the game, the step up game for Jaden Daniels, especially with the stakes and he's playing against a defense that is, I think we all agree, better than the previous two defenses he played and that one of the.

[Fred Smoot]

Best defenses in football. You right. They got Jalen Doomsday Carter at the defensive line. They got sweat coming off the edge. They got linebackers, they got defensive big backs, but I don't know how healthy Quinon Mitchell is one of the best rookie cornerbacks to come out in a long time. They do have that team. But don't forget, guys we played this team twice. Last time Jayne Daniels played this team, he threw for five touchdowns against this vaulted defensive backfield when they was fully healthy. And then you go to the first game, I always tell people, everybody's talking about the game that we won. I'm more impressed with the game that we lost because that game was in Philadelphia and we turned the ball over a ton and still was at the end of the game. So when we're playing against the individual four and you're playing them for the third time, everything kind of comes together at that point and it's like fighting your little brother or your big brother. I know all of your moves now. It's all about who can withstand and who can play four quarters and who's not going to make mistakes. And my quarterback doesn't turn the ball over. Jaden hurts. Jalen hurts, turns the ball over. He's the key to this game. Jalen hurts is the key to this game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Yeah, I would agree with that. I am scared of Saquon Barkley though, because it seems like every.

[Fred Smoot]

I couldn't sleep last night because of Saquon Barkley nightmare.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. He is keeping me up at night. I like literally last night I was up until like 2am watching film of Saquon Barkley just being scared of him. So I don't think that, I don't think you can stop.

[Fred Smoot]

Let me, let me give you a fact right quick.

[Big Cat]

All right?

[Fred Smoot]

He has those four long runs against us. You take those four long runs out and he's averaging 3.2 yards of carry against us. So we found a way to baller him up like the first game. He broke those runs in the fourth quarter. We, the Joe Whitt has found a way to bother him up, but can we consistently do it and not let him come with the back breaking run that he's done week in and week out. The guy is special.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I was just going to say, I think the, the key to limiting Saquon is to make sure that when he does break one because he's going to break a few off. Just, just don't let it. Just don't let him score. Like if you give up 30 yards to him, have your safety make a big tackle, have your cornerbacks ready to hit and because there's always going to be gaps that that offensive line is going to create. Yeah, I'm looking, I'm looking at Frankie Luvu this weekend. I think it's a big weekend for Frankie Louvre because he's violent as. And if you want to stop the Eagles offensive line from opening up big holes, especially when they get moving side to side. You just knock the out of their guard. You just, you, you knock somebody back a little bit, disrupt the timing of the office. And I think that Frankie Luvu is the kind of psycho that is going to be ready to do that.

[Fred Smoot]

Well, he's a penetrator. He's a. He organized chaos in the bottle. He's the Tasmanian Devil. He's everything that you want at the linebacker position. Yes, he can make plays, but we need to D line to play on the other side of the ball because they get behind that mammoth offensive line and they let Saquon pick his holes. So they run in a zone scheme. That's why you see him bouncing from hole to hole. And once he finds that crack, that's when he hit them. So it ain't going to be one of the things where it's just Frankie Louis, Frankie Luther gonna have to bring some of his homeboys to the party. It gonna take a group to stop Saquon Barkley. So it's one of the things where it's gonna have to be Bobby Wagner to the bowl, Cory Martin to it. And Jeremy Chin has been an enforcer. I don't know if people have been watching Jeremy Chin, but Jeremy Chin has been playing light side at the strong safety position. It's going to take a group, it's going to take a family to stop Saquon Barkley. Luckily, I think we got the guys with Payne Allen, rest of those guys. Lawrence, I think we got the guys to make this happen.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so we're making the case for the commanders. Obviously you're picking the commanders. Fred PFT obviously is as well. Max, our producer is a big Eagles fan. Max, do you have any counter to this? Because it is one sided right now to, to the idea that the commanders, like I'm probably going to pick the commanders against the spread. But what, Max, what do you say? I mean, Fred's right here. Face him head on.

[Hank]

Yeah, no, I think this, I think the defense, you are greatly overestimating how much better this defense has been than the past couple defenses you've been playing. Jaden Daniels hasn't looked as good as he has in the past couple as he has the past couple weeks against elite defenses. And the Eagles are an elite defense. Yes, Jaden Daniels is very good, but this is a, this is a different animal and it's not. I understand that Detroit was a tough place to go into and win, but that team, you were playing as a third string defense. This isn't, this isn't the same. This isn't the same team.

[Fred Smoot]

You know what? I love the fact that you got your version and I got the truth. Now let me give you a couple of facts. When it comes to the truth, we've already beaten y'all. We let you off the hook rooms in Philadelphia and let's cut. Let's be honest. When we played in Detroit, we could go position for position comparing our offensive and they got better players than us at every position besides one that's quarterback. Like my quarterback is better than yours. That's what I told him against Jared Goff. Well, guess what I'm gonna say against the Philadelphia Eagles, my quarterback better than North. So at the end of the day, the quarterback position sometime defines that. And don't forget. Don't forget. I know you like to forget. You say you had been praying so well we threw five touchdowns against you when we beat you on a walk off touchdown the last time we played you. So this is all I'm going to say. One of them always told me the truth hurt just a little bit more than a lie. But if you want me to lie to you, I'll make it sound fly to you.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

All right.

[Hank]

There's another fact that if you want to talk about facts, you said that the Eagles had a completely healthy secondary but CJ Gardner Johnson got kicked out of that game for talking shit.

[PFT Commenter]

Was he healthy?

[Fred Smoot]

He got everything he deserved.

[Hank]

Yup, yup. Coming coming from you talking shit. Everyone should get kicked out of the game for talking a little shit.

[Fred Smoot]

It happens when you go across the line. Like the one thing about it is our team doesn't hurt itself in that type of way. Our team plays with discipline. It's a difference between a Dan Quinn coach team and a Cereali coach team.

[Hank]

Because your guy punched him in the face.

[Big Cat]

No, no.

[Fred Smoot]

The one thing y'all got guys on the sideline reading Bible. We don't do that over here. Don't do that in Washington.

[Big Cat]

We'll see.

[Hank]

Jaylen Carter. It's going to be a tough day with a backup going against Jaylen Carter.

[Fred Smoot]

Well, actually it's not a backup. We got Taylor Beish at, at, at center and I don't know if we to introduce you to him because he dominated everybody from Dexter Lawrence and anybody else. He's right. We're going to be fine. Next man up mentality at this point of the year, everybody got people hurt. Philadelphia got people hurt. You won't like. Will you tell Us.

[PFT Commenter]

How.

[Fred Smoot]

How hurt is your quarterback? The one that you got the fat head of right behind you? How hurt is he?

[Hank]

He's not. I mean, we'll see.

[PFT Commenter]

We'll see.

[Big Cat]

He's a good practice.

[Hank]

He didn't look great at the end of last week, but a lot can change in a week.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you know, a lot.

[Fred Smoot]

In the last time we played Child, Right. He was out for two weeks after we ran into him a couple of times. Mr. Frankie Louvre.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Helmet to helmet. We don't. We don't condone helmet to helmet players.

[Big Cat]

Safety is paramount. All right, so, Fred, I got a question for you about the mentality here, because I do think there's an interesting aspect of the game, and it's not saying that, like, windows open or anything, but the commanders are underdogs. It does feel like they. There's a lot of pressure on the Eagles because this team is, you know, their defense is young, but they got some older dudes on the offensive line. You don't know how many times you'll be back here. Do you think that that is real, that the commanders can play a little more free? And that underdog role of, like, hey, no one's expecting us to be here. We don't have the same pressure. We can play a little more free. We can play a little more like that underdog role, Is that a real thing that happens in the locker room?

[Fred Smoot]

I just think we in an unexpected window. I don't think we want to call ourselves underdogs. That ain't what Coach Quinn teaches. He said that word a couple of times, like, that ain't what we do. We here because we supposed to be here. All right? We're a team of destiny. It's a different. Like, everything's going, like, you know, sometime it takes the football guys for things to follow y'all away. Y'all remember the open hand with Tom Brady and Charles Wilson? Y'all remember Pat Mahomes, homes? Numerous times. Things happen in this game, and the one thing we're not doing is saying we're not supposed to be here. We're playing with house money. No, we're not playing with house money. We're too modest. Destiny. And the only things in our way is a city with a broken build in there in a statue of a man that don't exist in Rocky. So at the end of the day, we're going to Philadelphia, and we're not going there to eat cheesesteaks. We're going there to get a victory. We're four quarters away. From a Super Bowl. Nobody would have gave us a chance to say that at the beginning of the year. And the team that's in front of us is trying to stop us. Us is a team that we already beat one time and we took to the brink at home. We're not afraid of the Philadelphia Eagles. I can't wait, because I really do. I'm loving this. Everybody said all year long the NFC north was the best conference in football.

[Big Cat]

Psych is the NFC hit it with the psych. This is actually unfair what we're doing to Max right now. Because bringing in Fred Smooth as. As mouthpiece for the commanders is like the most tilted you can get in an argument.

[Hank]

I mean, he's not saying that Kenny Pickett was the quarterback in the game that he won. That hasn't been mentioned once.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he wasn't talking about doing anything against the office. He was talking about five touchdowns.

[Hank]

But you have. I mean, that. That is a big piece of the game.

[Fred Smoot]

No, he wants your backup quarterback. Just like when Marcus Mariota comes in the game for us, all he do is ball. Because guess what? We took time and we picked the right guy. Y'all pick Kenny Pickett. He's nothing like your starter. Your whole office changed when he come in the game. So I can't blame. I can't blame the fan bas. But I can't blame the front office.

[Big Cat]

Oh, but this is. You agree? Pft. Like there's. You can't argue with Fred Smooth.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no. It's impossible.

[Big Cat]

This has anything. You're gonna. Winners are gonna win by three because.

[PFT Commenter]

Because you could. You could say something. You could. You could make a great point against him. And then he's going to come back and make a louder point. That rhymes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And then rhyming.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't.

[Hank]

I can't compete with the rhyme. I can't compete with the rhyme.

[PFT Commenter]

Fred. I think I like. I love the vibes. I'm a little bit. I'm backing off saying team of destiny just yet because I. I'm also. I respect the Philadelphia from saying that.

[Fred Smoot]

Because I don't think we playing with house money because I think house money mean we lucked up and got here. We beat legit playoff teams. We beat. We went to Tampa and beat them on the road. We went to Detroit and beat them on the road. We have beat playoff teams all year long. We beat Philadelphia. We have big playoff team. We have went bro to bro with. With Giants. We have back down from MO1.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Fred Smoot]

And like I said, long as we Enter a game and my quarterback is the best quarterback on the field. We feel like we can win the game. And we walk in Philadelphia this week, we don't feel like our quarterback is better than yours.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm with you. I'm with that. I. I love the mentality. I just don't think saying team of destiny is a good. Because you gotta. You gotta go out there and you gotta earn it. If you're. If you go into thinking team of destiny, then it's like, oh, we're gonna win because we're the team of destiny.

[Fred Smoot]

That's quiet self confidence. They're saying that we're not playing with house money. Like, when you say I'm here playing with house money. We snuck into the playoffs. That's. That's a hint of we're not supposed to be here.

[Big Cat]

No, no, no, no, no, no. My. When I say house money, I mean, like, I think the commanders are very good, and I think Jaden Daniels is the best quarterback in this game. I'm saying more like this season, going into it, you never expected to be in the NFC championship game. You can play loose, you can play fast, you can play this, like, aggressive feeling of like, hey, hey, what we've been doing, we're on this incredible run. Let's just keep being ourselves and. And play the way we want to play. And hopefully the other side gets a little. Little tight here and there because, you know, their offense hasn't looked as. As crisp as. As the commanders have. So it's not a. It's not a diss. It's like, the house money's a great thing to have because you're just sitting there like, hey, we're gonna go out and be ourselves. And I do think I said this, like, maybe. I think it was after the Falcons games, like, there's something about Jaden Daniels that he makes everyone better on that team. And when he has the ball late, you just expect him to do something, and you have that faith in him that I think elevates an entire team. Big hit.

[Fred Smoot]

Let me ask you this. Big hit. All right, let's just say the game is 25. 25. We got the ball last with two minutes left. Who we gain?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you guys, I said it in the Bucs game. I turned to. I think it was Hank I was sitting next to. When the. When the Bucks kicked the field goal, I turned to him and I said, bucks aren't getting the ball back. Like, they just aren't getting the ball back. Four minutes left. I was like, they're not getting the ball back. Jaden Daniels is going to figure this out. And that fourth down, you know, like you guys have been running so hot on fourth down which obviously. What is it? 20 of 23.

[Fred Smoot]

We already been fourth down team of all time.

[Big Cat]

Said which right.

[Fred Smoot]

This big cat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, no, it's, it's insane now. Are you going to. Is are they going to be 20 of 23 percentage wise for the rest of his career? Probably not. But it doesn't matter because they're 2023 right now and that's how they're running. And they, and I love that Dan Quinn is staying aggressive. That Marcus Mariota fourth down to start the Lions game was bad. And he didn't, it didn't, he didn't blink. He was like no, no, this is what we're doing. And it's, it's almost like the commanders have gotten into the push. The Tush push territory where if they can get into. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If you look at the statistics and you compare it to. I heard you say this Smoot. You Compare it to 2022 when the tush push was unstoppable. The commander's fourth down has been better than.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And it's, it's, it's that point where it's like if they all they have to do, it changes the whole like approach offensively because they basically are saying get us to fourth and three. If you get us to fourth and three, we'll convert it.

[Fred Smoot]

Actually we've been more dangerous because we've been doing it on fourth and seven, fourth and eight. Think about it. Is the bet the four best fourth down teams out of four teams that's left in the playoff right now, the Tush push in Philadelphia, Josh Allen in Buffalo and of course, of course the gods give the prince that was promised Patrick Mahomes in Kansas city. They all four are ranked 1, 2, 3 and 4 and fourth down. I think they has a lot to do with who makes it to the super bowl because of that. Because you're Talking about Team 4 teams that don't turn the ball over much. You're talking about four teams that can run the ball not with just their running backs but they can legitly run it with their quarterbacks. You talking about four teams that's optimistic on defense and play great special teams. So this is going to come down to the end. Both game is going to come down to the end and if Jedi 5 gets their ball ass. May the force be with you.

[Big Cat]

I like Jedi 5.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that. Smooth.

[Big Cat]

Do you have any thoughts on the AFC Championship game? Do you have a pick?

[Fred Smoot]

I think it's going to be another classic, man. Think about it. In game with Pat Mahomes and Josh Allen, hand line. This game. This game can go either way. And for the first time in a long time, somebody's going to go to Kansas City that's not afraid of the cold because Buffalo not afraid of the cold. And one thing we know about Buffalo is James Cook get to running that ball downhill, and they get to possessing that ball and making Pat Mahomes watch that game. You could have that old rematch of. I don't know if that was Super Bowl 20, 23 or 24, but you remember Washington in Buffalo played a Super bowl that we end up beating him in. I don't know, maybe we get another replay of that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If we're lucky enough to make it to the Super Bowl. Smoot, I think me and you should host a Love Boat party on Lake Pontchartrain.

[Big Cat]

What do you think?

[Fred Smoot]

Yes, we should.

[Big Cat]

Yes, we should get a boat out.

[PFT Commenter]

There, get some ladies, get some liquor out there. We'll have a good time. Nobody was telling us for pissing.

[Fred Smoot]

We need to go there and bathe in Bourbon Street. That's what we need to do. All right? We need to go and take on New Orleans like never before. You're talking about a fan base that hasn't had this chance in three decades. Almost four decades. Y'all have awakened a. A sleeping giant.

[Big Cat]

All right?

[Fred Smoot]

We got fans. Fans from Australia to Canada to China. We got so many fans when it comes to it, they have nothing to cheer for for over three decades. And now we are back as America's new team. That's the new moniker.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, I. I'm gonna look at boats if we win this game. I'm not gonna look at boats until after. After the final whistle on Sunday.

[Fred Smoot]

Make sure it's a yacht.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we'll get a yacht.

[Big Cat]

It's gotta be.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we'll get it. Or maybe a fan boat. Maybe get strippers on a fan boat out there.

[Big Cat]

Be fun.

[Fred Smoot]

Don't come out there in the tub. Boat you get no luck.

[Big Cat]

All right. Well, Fred, I have one last question for you. It's the Roback question. R, H, O, B, A, C, K.com promo code. Take 20% off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code. Take. Give us a final score.

[Fred Smoot]

Final score. I think it's going to be a Rockham Sock them. Bring your Ride Al Snot bubble. Football game is going to be physical. Old NFC East. I wish we had man call in this game. I think it's going to be a 30:27 game. It's going to come down to the wires. Going to come down to the lead of a kicker. I call him Big Game Gonzalez. So hopefully he can close it for us. 3027Washington going to New Orleans. I think we will outlast Philadelphia in Philadelphia. And I cannot wait to go to King street and get rid of a Philly cheesesteak on my way back home to the dmv.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it. From your lips to God's ears, friend.

[Fred Smoot]

Yes, yes, please, please. We'll need it. We need it.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, this is a good, fair and balanced preview of Commander Ziegels.

[Big Cat]

We just, we just came, we just invited Fred on to just fucking bash Max over the head.

[Fred Smoot]

That's what Philadelphia is usually doing to us. And you know, it has got to a point where Philadelphia fan base is so hostile that our fans afraid to just travel up 95 and go to a game. But we kind of acted this because everybody got a cousin, nephew, brother, somebody with a teardrop on their eye that don't believe even following the rules. So we're going to get all them in the car and we heading to Philadelphia to fight back this week.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, man, I love it, Fred. I hope you're right. I hope you're right. I love the confidence. I wish I could be as confident as you. I'm, I'm nervous because what I hear.

[Fred Smoot]

Philadelphia is still a little worried, but, well, why do you go what's, what, what scared you? There in a Super bowl wonder. And we're not that, that, that makes you a.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no. I, I, I respect the hell out of their defense and Jalen Carter is a guy that will wreck a game and you, you can't really stop him for the full 60 minutes. And then Saquon Barkley might be the best offensive player in the NFL. Y so they, there's a, there's a lot to be concerned about. But that said, do you remember Sexy.

[Fred Smoot]

Dixie Lawrence from the New York Giants who dominated everybody this year? He didn't dominate us. D shut him down. I Do you remember Villa, one of the best defensive tackers in football? Giannis made him come up missing. I'm still putting them on the mirror card, but you remember all the details that we faced all year. J He's kind of included that him and Jordan Davis. Well, we've been there, we've done that the only people we're afraid of is Jesus. All right? And if you ain't pulling him out, we ain't. He ain't afraid.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. Well, Fred, I mean, I, I, I, I think the commander should be 14 point favorites. If you're listening to this, I also.

[PFT Commenter]

I respect Big Dom, so he, he scares me too. But I, I love it. I'm confident. I think that, I think we've got a real chance at winning. And if we play our game and if we operate in and fast and no huddle, tire the defense, I, I could see it happening. I hope you're right. I hope you're right.

[Fred Smoot]

Why not us? That's all I'm gonna tell you. Why not us?

[Big Cat]

Oh, man. All right, well, Fred, thanks so much, man. And, and hopefully we see you in New Orleans, because that would be great.

[Fred Smoot]

Most definitely. We got a couple of weeks, fella, but we'll know after this weekend. Are we back into. Are we back in the super bowl window? Coach Gills talked about it this weekend. You know, when the Joseph start Hawks. We listen. They're green. Been talking about it. So. Come on, man. The football guys are aligning for Washington right now. Right now, between the football team in Washington, the baseball team in Washington, the Capitals are number one. This is Washington District of champions. All right? And if y'all want to come and jump on the bandwagon, you're welcome to.

[Big Cat]

All right. Thank you so much, Fred. We appreciate it. And congrats on joining the pirate ship. We love having you as a co worker.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, very happy.

[Fred Smoot]

I can't wait to work with y'all guys. We're gonna have some fun.

[PFT Commenter]

Fred Smoot was brought to you by our great friends at Kevin's Natural Foods. They've got great entrees, super easy to heat up. The Kevin's natural foods are a perfect alternative to takeout. It's just as tasty, but it's faster and it's healthier. I had the Sichuan chicken the other night. It is so good. I'm telling you, the chicken that you have from Kevin's Natural Foods, it tastes like restaurant chicken. They cook it sous vide and then you heat it up, up and it tastes like perfect chicken. It was unreal. The best fast meal that I've ever had. Kevin's heat and eat entrees and stir fry kits. They're packed with protein. They're ready in under 10 minutes. They've got General S chicken, honey garlic chicken, garlic chicken, Korean barbecue. The Thai style coconut chicken is absolutely delicious. They have Paleo and keto certified options. So there's something for any lifestyle. If you're big on taste, big on convenience, Kevin's is no brainer. Brainer. Find Kevin's Natural Foods in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Mitchell Schwartz is going to be brought to you by our great friends at Mountain Dew. You can add a blast of refreshing tropical lime flavor to your game day with Mountain Dew Baja Blast, one of the goat sodas. Mountain Dew Baja Blast is a part of my game day ritual. I like to crack one open right before kickoff, especially the halftime. Mountain Dew might be even better. You recharge, you get ready, get your energy up for the second half. Half. The Baja Blast kicks off the second half and everything feels good. The tropical lime flavor of Mountain Dew Baja Blast is refreshing. Is hitting parlay. It's refreshing as a game winning kick that doinks in. It's refreshing as a 98 yard pick six. It says refreshing as your team winning a playoff game. Ride the Baja wave on game day. Grab Mountain Dew Baja Blast for you and your crew whenever refreshing beverages are sold. Check it out. Mountain Dew Baja Blast the goal. And now here's Mitchell Schwartz.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we now welcome on recurring guests. It's been a while, but we thought he'd be a perfect guest to come on before championship Sunday. It is super bowl champion four time all pro Mitchell Schwartz from the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns. We got to throw out the Browns there too. Mitch, thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. I want to do the hardest question first, if that's okay. I want to do the real hard question first. Then we can do easier questions about the game after. The hard question is when you were playing for the Chiefs winning a Super bowl, how did it work with the refs telling you they were going to like throw the game for you? Was that during the week or was it just on Sunday morning where they would come into the locker room and be like, hey guys, don't worry, we got your back.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, it was Sunday before the game. You know, they, they didn't want us to mess with our preparation. And then, you know, I was really thankful for that because I ended up, my career ended with a second back surgery. So I just got to thank the refs for you causing me all that pain that ended up requiring another surgery because I'm so thankful to have back pain for the rest of my life.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I figured to be during the game like in WWE when they like whisper something into each other's ears. Drive's Gonna be like, I'm gonna call hands to the face. Act like he hit you in the face.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then you just go out there and do that. You did a great job, but you're a great actor.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Thank you. So that's. That's honestly my thing. If people actually think that that's realistic and that's what's happening, then treat it like wrestling, then it's fake. And treat it like wrestling and stop complaining about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Either you don't care or treat it like wrestling. It's one of the two.

[Big Cat]

So what, what are you. What's your take on all of this? Because obviously the Texans game, now we were, we had the take after the Texans game that. Listen, I don't think the Texans. Those weren't the two plays that, that made them lose the game. They, they were bad in special teams. They didn't get a couple big 4th down conversions. The Chiefs convert on the big plays and take advantage of big plays time and time again in the playoffs. But what, what do you say to people who are conspiracy theorists and being like, the Chiefs get all the calls and this is bullshit.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

You know, there's only so much you can say. I think the first call was legitimate. I mean, there's that camera angle from the side that forever reason they didn't show Buck and Aikman when Aikman was, you know, complaining about it. They only showed the one from behind that looks like he doesn't get hit in the face. But there's one from the side that you can argue that helmet is touching Pat's face mask. But there's, you know, in general, that kind of forcible contact to the head and neck area. His head snaps back, back. And it's defined in the rule book. If you're unsure, throw the flag because we want to protect the quarterback. So that one sucks if you're a Texans fan or you're rooting against the Chiefs. But I think the refs were correct on that. The second one I disagree with. I, I think that it was a late slide and the guys were already committed. It's not, it wasn't the Trevor Lawrence slide that I felt like, you know, while Shair had plenty of time to pull up, I felt like Pat slid late and there probably should have been a penalty or there shouldn't have been a penalty. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, one out of two. And, you know, I've seen people say, obviously I've got a lot of cheese fans in the, in the follows in the timeline. If that Penalty doesn't get called. It's second and six.

[PFT Commenter]

Right?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Right. It's not like that was the end of the drive. It's not like that was, you know, a turnover type of play. It just, it ends up being second and six in a game that, to your point, Kansas City largely controlled, especially defensively. So it's, it's. I understand why people get frustrated when there's kind of ticky tack calls, but I think it's just a volume thing that Chiefs have been on TV in primetime the most of any team the last seven years, and people like to root against you when you're having success. So of course there are going to be plenty of calls. We see them in every game, every single week. The refs are not as good as we want them to be. It's just, we see a lot more high leverage calls with the Chiefs playing.

[Big Cat]

The volume thing is something that I don't, I don't think I ever brought up, but that's a really good point. Like you, they are on TV the most and they're in these big games. They've been. And they played the most playoff games in the last six or seven years. So you're just going to see it. And whenever it happens for the Chiefs, everyone's like, well, it's conspiracy theory, right?

[PFT Commenter]

And I'll give you a little bit of ammunition that you can use and Chiefs fans can use this too this weekend. So the referee assignments for this weekend. CLE Blakeman is the head ref. The Kansas City Chiefs are nine and seven with CLE Blakeman as the ref since Patrick Mahomes was the starter for the Chiefs. Chiefs. That sounds like a, you know, not a bad record, 9 and 7 until you realize that the Chiefs in that same time period are 90 and 26. So, like, if you just look at that, Cleek Blakeman is the most effective person in the NFL at stopping Patrick Mahomes at 9 and 7.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, it was the thing with, I think it was the, the Texans game, They're like, oh, the Chiefs are 4, 0 or whatever. They've never lost with the ref. It's like, yeah, when you're 80 over the guy's career, you know, and there's 20 refs, there's going to be a few reps that have never called a game that the Chiefs lose. Like, that's just the, the percentages. But I, I don't think anyone who's still talking about the refs and like, talking about it in a meaningful way wants to hear both sides. They're just stuck in with their side. They want to complain about it. They want to be online. So it's just, it's not even fun to, like, try to actually use stats. You know, there's a lot of people out there who are compiling different things. Every single data point shows that this isn't a real thing, but people just don't want to hear it, and that's okay. Yeah, you don't, you don't have to.

[PFT Commenter]

It's people who are blowing off steam and they're angry because the Chiefs are really good. And there's a lot of fan bases that have been personally affected by the Chiefs that don't want the Chiefs to win anymore. So sometimes it's easier to just complain, just bitch and moan about it. It's the American way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they have a right. Yeah, they have a right to do that. All right, so in terms of this game and the Chiefs this season, you know, you, you know, the game at such a high level, you, you watch, watch the Chiefs, you know, you know what that locker room is like, Andy Reid, like, are, are we in the mindset that the Chiefs have a, you know, switch that they're able to flip for the playoffs and their offense is able to hit a different level? Or is it, hey, maybe this offense is not going to look great for this playoff run, but it doesn't matter because Patrick Mahomes will get you the big third downs and he'll find Travis Kelsey and it will work. And all that matters is winning games.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, I don't think it's a switch that gets flipped. I think there is a human element to it that it is really hard to play a lot of football games to be the best team. And every year have every team treat your game like it's the biggest one on the calendar, you know, in week two or three. Whatever. It was when Kansas City went to Atlanta, there was some thing that this was Atlanta's biggest game since 2017. It's like, okay, well, this is just another, another Sunday Night Football game for Kansas City. Like, like that's a huge difference when one team is treating it as, like the biggest game in the last eight years of their franchise. And for the other team, it's just another ho hum game. And as much as you want to discredit that human element like that, that's part of it. So it is hard to, you know, match the other team's energy level every single week throughout the course of a season, let alone, you know, over the last five years. I, I think it's been really interesting that in the media, the players that have come to the Chiefs defense the most have been the Patriots guys because. Because they are the only ones that have been through something similar to this. Obviously they had a 20 year run, but they understand how difficult that is to be the team that gets hunted year after year after year. And, you know, it seems like they have a lot of respect for what Kansas City's done and still, you know, putting out the records they do, winning the Super Bowl. So I think once you get to the playoffs, you're able to. From the Kansas City perspective, you know, that sense of urgency, it's, it's cliche and sounds dorky, but this game could be your last. Like, the sense of urgency is upped. Obviously, these guys have shown that they have an ability to raise their games in the biggest moment moments. And so it's not like, oh, on first and second down, we'll just kind of do whatever and, you know, Pat'll make us right somehow. He does make most things right on third down. I still don't know exactly how that's the case other than he does it and he's done it since he started playing for Kansas City. But no, it's just, it's, it's a combination, really. That's the biggest thing I learned last year. You know, after the Raiders game on Christmas, I was like, okay, Chiefs gonna make the playoffs. It's gonna be really hard to win four straight games against good teams and win the Super, Super Bowl. And then they won four share games against really good teams, including going to Baltimore, who is a consensus best team, top five offense, top five defense, top five special teams, and, you know, won that one pretty convincingly and then had a good Super Bowl. So we now have evidence and proof that Kansas City can elevate in the playoffs. But I don't think that means that they're not trying as hard necessarily in the regular season. It's just an element of how important the playoffs are.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And it does, it does feel like it comes. You know, it doesn't feel like the whole team flips switch, but it does feel like they. That is the case for Kelsey in terms of he's later in his career and that stat that we talked about on this show, but everyone's been talking about the 14 straight playoff games where he has 70 yards or more. What is it about Kelsey and how he's able to operate? Is it really like sometimes in the huddle he's just, he's like, I'm Just going to be open. Find me. Because it does feel like that where it's like he's not even running a route that's like predetermined. He's just finding open space and whenever they need a big play, he's there.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, he doesn't have to say that. It's just understood that whatever the lines are on the paper, you know, Trav's gonna use that as his jumping off point and then he's just gonna kind of feel his way through there and figure out exactly where he needs to be to get open. I think it again, he's 35. It's hard to play tight end in the NFL. I mean, again, this gets into the Gronk comparison, but you know, Gronk's been retired twice now and Trav still kicking, so. So it's hard to be an elite tight end into your mid-30s, late-30s. And so there is that element of, you know, doing what you need to do and not necessarily more in the regular season, understanding that you need to play your best football in January and February and the help of the schedule in terms of getting the 1 seed in the buy and being able to rest in week 17. We saw that last year, you know, the start of the season travels injured Week one. And I feel like never really got fully healthy until that week 17, I guess week 18. Now he got the, the week off that he chose not to chase the thousand yard record this year. We know the guy's got 24 days. Trav obviously looks a little more spry, a little, a little bit more juice in those legs at 35. So yeah, there's something to understanding what's needed when your best is needed. And also I think people understand how important Travis is to the team, but the emotional leadership that he provides on the offense, you know, as he goes, the team goes. And again, getting back to what I said earlier, it's hard to be that emotional leader every single game, all the time, be hyped at all times and, and do it at the age that he is. So it does make sense that it's easier to, to conjure that magic for all 60 minutes in the playoffs.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, there's another guy that, that always shows up in big moments and that's Chris Jones. It seems like every big third down he's making a play. I'm curious to know from your perspective as an offensive lineman and you can get as like, detailed and nitty gritty as you want. Want, what is it about Chris Jones that makes him such a pain in the ass for offensive linemen to deal with.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, I mean, he's been. He's been showing up in big moments since the combine.

[PFT Commenter]

He showed flashes.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, he. So the thing with Chris is he's so naturally strong. You know, when you're watching film or one of the scouting reports, the reason he wasn't like a clear first rounder, well, he plays high and, you know, he's got to get his pad level down. Turns out you don't have to get your pad level down if you're stronger than the guy across from you. And so what. What Chris combines is a great natural strength with really skilled hands and the ability to basically make the offensive lineman wrong. You know, if he beats you with power and that bull rush and that strength, your tendency is an offensive lineman, you want to get your hands on the guy. You want to try to lock him up early. You want to kind of shut down the rush before it gets started. Well, the second you throw your hands at Chris, he swipes them, he beats you around the corner. You do get your hands on him. You know, we call it a Hamilton technique, but basically he grabs your wrist, lifts a it up and converts into power and kind of walks you back to the quarterback. So he has the ability to make you wrong however you want to block him. If you want to be handsy and be jumpy and try to get on him before he gets started, you're going to get swum and you're going to get beat with those Hamilton techniques. And if you want to kind of play patty cake and, you know, back up and kind of shake with him, he'll just run right through you and get to the quarterback either way. So it puts the offensive lineman in a really tough bind. You're not quite sure what technique to use because. Because typically, you know, there's one thing I can try to take away, and if the guy beats me on a second or third best move, okay, I can deal with that. But Chris's two best moves counter the two things you want to do as an offensive lineman. So he really makes life difficult. And unless you've played him, unless you kind of understand, you know, how to block him, I think you have to do that in real time. And obviously that's a pretty difficult task.

[PFT Commenter]

You always see the offensive lineman doing that sad little turn after their hands get hit to the side and he's by you and you know that he's by you. Value. They do the sad turn where they, like, take one step like they're going to try to catch him and block him again, but he's like, halfway to the quarterback, and they just have to, I guess, run a couple steps so they can help their guy up after he gets sacked.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Well, usually guys get beat so bad, they get so discouraged that you don't even, like, think to go get the quarterback. You're just like, oh, man, and you dropped your head. And there's some times where guys criticize offensive linemen for not picking up the quarterback. It's like you are so disheartened that it happens. Happened. Yeah, you don't even, like, remember to go get the quarterback. You just know, like, that inner shame is so strong that you almost forget to go get him. So, yeah, it's a. It is a sad little thing. Obviously, whenever one of us gets beat, they like to, you know, draw all the circles and make sure everyone knows exactly who you are and how you got beat. So it's not so much fun.

[PFT Commenter]

The other sad thing is when they call illegal man downfield on an rpo and, like, what are. What are you supposed to do as an offensive lineman in that situation? Is that your fault? Like, dude, the coaches end up chewing you out because you got the flag afterwards.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It depends on the timing. I know you love good questions. That's a good question.

[Big Cat]

Good question.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It depends on how good your coaches are. It depends on how locked in you are as a lineman. But, you know, if it's an RPO and you have to change your angles and you have to change your timing to not be downfield, you know, if the quarterback is getting rid of it within the kind of acceptable window of rpo, you're reading somebody, okay, the retails me to throw it. I'm going to pull it and throw it, Throw it. The offensive lineman should not be downfield. If the offensive lineman runs up to the linebacker immediately, or if you know, he's using his correct technique, staying at the line, and then goes past the line of scrimmage and still gets the flag, then, you know it's probably on the quarterback. So, yeah, it can be the offensive lineman's fault for sure. There's also times where you. You realize that you're a little bit too downfield. You realize it's not a run play, and you try to, you know, kind of turn around and backtrack. Sometimes you do the old dump truck technique. You just start back and up. Sometimes you turn and, you know, kind of try to get a couple steps in and get closer to the line. So there are some tricks as well. If you do Realize you're downfield.

[Big Cat]

I. I feel like people have gotten smarter about offensive line play through the years, and especially to the point where I think it's. It's now common knowledge amongst football fans that sacks are not always on the offensive line. You know, there's. There. There's times when the quarterback is holding onto the ball too long or he steps to a place where he shouldn't step to and he's not stepping up and there's a pocket there. When you were playing, would. Would quarterbacks ever say to you, like, hey, that was my bad. Like, that wasn't on you. Even though technically, if they replay it, it's like you got, you know, you got beat to a position, but the quarterback had a spot where he could have gone. He just didn't go there.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, absolutely. It's usually not necessarily during the game. You know, you're just kind of in the flow of the game, and it's not like he's like, ah, you suck. You know, you need to give me more protection. It's not. You don't play for that guy either. You know, it just. Snacks happen, and you move on and you try to make the best of it. But, you know, after games or, you know, the next day while you're watching film, quarterbacks definitely will come up to you and say, hey, you know, kind of screwed you guys there. It's typically not holding on to the ball, per se. I think that's more of an understood thing. You know, at times they'll come in and say, hey, I'm gonna get rid of it a little sooner. You know, you guys are doing a good job. But it's more kind of that depth of the pocket or where he's supposed to be. You know, sometimes guys can get a little too deep. Sometimes they like to bounce around too much when they. They feel things. It's a. It's a good notice from you, you know, Chicago fan, and the quarterback situation. Yes, I'm sure you've. You've got your. Your spreadsheet of how many of those sacks are on the O line versus the quarterback.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, people have pointed that out. What. What was it? Was it hard to adjust to blocking for Mahomes because he does float sometimes, but he does it so effectively, and it's not.

[Fred Smoot]

It.

[Big Cat]

When Mahomes is floating, it never feels like he's floating in a panic move or. Or like he doesn't. He's not in control. It's just he kind of has that spatial awareness that only the elite guys seem to have.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

No, he makes it easy for us. I, I think that blocking for a guy, especially as the right tackle with a right handed quarterback that can flush to your side, you know, if my guy goes too, too far up the field, kind of runs that loop too high, that opens up Pat's throwing side. You know, we've seen defensive coordinators now try to use that to their advantage. And then you have the spy, you know, popping over the top. Probably see that a little bit with, you know, Milano or Terrell Bernard, one of those guys chasing him down. But it's to my advantage because in that defensive end doesn't feel like he gets to rush the way he wants to. He has to have that contained in the back of his head. You know, I think it was. We were playing Denver and my guy didn't allow Pat to stay in the pocket. Pat got outside and I just heard the coach screaming at him, you gotta keep contained. I'm like, okay, so this definitely does benefit me. Yeah. But there are some interesting stats. You know, you, you can, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty, you can look at, you know, quarterbacks, look at offensive tackles and look at how often guys see inside moves. You know, some of those sites now that break things down, you'll see against mobile quarterbacks, offensive tackles are likely not getting as many inside moves because again, if the offensive tackle blocks it correctly, they flatten it off. You've now opened up the outside area to where the quarterback can scramble, where he can make plays happen on the move. So yeah, it's always beneficial to block for a quarterback that's running. In my mind, mind, it's not beneficial when they take a long time in the pocket to realize that they should break container, that they should run. That's definitely the hard part.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. For this specific game, how are you feeling about the Chiefs offensive line? Because they haven't had the best season. There's been some ups and downs. You know, they, they moved Toonie out to tackle, which he, he, he's done a good job there. I it, you could make the argument it's probably hurt their run game a little bit, but maybe protects Pat, Pat more. But how do you feel overall in terms of how they're coming together? Because we've seen it. I mean the only time Patrick Mahomes has really had, you know, a horrific. Well, he, I guess the Bengals game in the AFC championship game, but the super bowl against the Bucks when, when he was just under fire the whole time, no one can win in that situation. But how are you feeling about this particular matchup against the Bills?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It's going to be tough. I mean the Bills run defense wise played so well in the first half against Baltimore. I think we all expected Baltimore to run the ball and be a factor active but the Bills run defense showed up. You know, Von Miller seems to be talked about Kelsey earlier turning on the playoffs, Vaughn's turning it on, Ed Oliver's turning it on. You know, Rousseau's been an ascending player for a while so they've got all the pieces there. You know, I think maybe a benefit to Kansas City's O line. I felt like they didn't play their best game against the Texans in large part because the Texans are so good. But you know, when you're kind of watching the film back and you're looking at certain things, it wasn't maybe the performance from the start that the offensive line wants wanted. I thought they had played well in that, you know, three game and 10 or 11 day stretch regressed a little bit against Houston. So that feeling of hey we need to do better, we need to, you know, show our guy that we're in control and we can, you know, kick ass and do what we need to do to make him feel better, that makes me a little bit optimistic. I think that's going to be honestly the, the key determining factor to the game. You know, on the other side of the ball, the Bill's offense line I think has played fantastic all year. Think that's really the under talked about part of, you know, we see all the chatter now with Buffalo. People say we don't have weapons and they've. It's like, well, your offensive line is probably aside from Josh Allen, your best offensive weapon for the course of the season. You watch him and he sits back there, the pockets are beautiful. He's got all day, he's able to do what he wants. I think, you know, they don't necessarily get the individual accolades. You know, Dawkins gets some. Spencer Brown got a big contract and has ascended as a player. But by and large they don't get the accolades on an individual level that Kansas City's O lined does. But I think you know, for the whole and especially from a pass game perspective, you know they've done a really great job throughout the course of the year.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, they're able to run the ball really effectively against Baltimore too. Your, your rushing defense might be different story Spag Nulo he always seems to have something planned. He's always thinking a couple steps ahead. I Heard somebody talk about this a couple months ago, and it made me wonder that Spag should be a Hall of Famer as a coordinator. Coordinator. I don't think there are any coordinators in the hall of Fame, are there? No offensive coordinators, no defensive coordinators. Like, obviously, guys have gone on to be head coaches later. But I feel like if Spag, if you get. If you get three in a row and this defense plays well again, I think Spag should probably be considered for the hall of Fame at that point.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I agree. I mean, he's won. I think it's either four or five Super Bowls. As a defensive coordinator, he kind of, you know, shepherded in that. The new era of the four defensive ends in a rush package. You know, I think he inherited that from, you know, kind of the 0607 giants and then kind of made it his own, that NASCAR package back in the day. And that kind of changed football. You know, how you got after quarterbacks, being able to put smaller guys in the, you know, B gaps and run some funky things on third downs. And that evolution of what he's become. I mean, he went to St. Louis, didn't have success. Not many people did have success there. You know, I don't know how much you pin on him, how much you want to pin on just the. The general tenor there. But, yeah, I mean, what he's been able to do for Kansas City, you know, Bob Sutton had a lot of success, the defensive coordinator, things got a little stale, you know, got rid of him, brought in spags, and that's really been a key point of the Kansas City run. And lucky enough that, you know, he's older and he did fail in his first spot, that he hasn't gotten poached away. You know, most guys with his level of success will have gotten a head coaching job at this point. You know, when you look at the body of work the last five years, so definitely, definitely belongs in the hall of Fame. If you're looking at best coordinators, I don't know how you can have a list without him. Pretty high on the defensive side.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And on the other side, tell me about what a great job Matt Nagy has done this year.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, it's been. I mean, the whole Chiefs offense, I think, has been interesting. Okay, so here's my thoughts on the Chiefs offense. Hollywood Brown was going to play a massive role. You know, he was killing an OTAs. The guys are really excited about him. He essentially was the closest thing to Tyreekson's Tyreek in terms of the burst, the long speed, the rat running, kind of being able to run the offense through him. Rashi had the role as kind of that slot guy, the inside guy, intermediate, and obviously Kelsey's Kelsey. Hollywood goes down and I think that just completely threw off what the offense was looking like. Now Rashid comes out, has like 30 catches in the first three weeks. He gets hurt, he's out for the year. Now you're out both of your receivers and I think that honestly threw off what the Chief's offense was going to be to be. Xavier Worthy gets drafted in the first round. You're thinking he's going to be the third option at best. But now he's the number one receiver because your top two guys are down and he's learning on the, on the go. Obviously, you know, Travis is being Travis and as we talked about earlier, maybe not playoff Travis throughout the course of the season. And so they finally kind of found that groove in weeks 10, 11, 12, figuring out exactly what the roles were going to be. Hollywood comes back, trade for DeAndre Hopkins, you know, bringing Nicole. He's hurting now. So I do think the offense has had to adapt on the fly. And as people want to talk about other offenses and you know, Lamar from this past week, well, he's without wide receiver one and he's without this and without that, it's like, well, the Chiefs have been in without wide receiver one pretty much all year. Whether you want to define that as Hollywood or Rashi, people don't want to necessarily speak about that. They're on the fourth left tackle. Like they've had all these different injuries as well. So I think that the offense has had to change. I do think they have had. Had it. I've done a pretty good job of figuring that out. I think the Texans defense is just pretty good. And so it's not what we're used to seeing from 2019, 2020, where it just bombs away and scoring 30 plus points every game. But I do think the offense understands what they want to be now and they can lean into that identity.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you could see it too, with even Xavier Worthy. They started getting his targets up towards the end of the season and it was clear that they started to trust him more. Because I would imagine like, just from a guy like Patrick Mahomes, like he's got. He can't just immediately say, like, oh, we drafted this guy high. He's he. I'm going to throw it to him, you know, 10 times a game. You have to find that, you know, Second nature, where you're, you're, you. You can trust that they're going to make the play. You can trust, you can throw them the ball. It feels like they finally are there. Is that wrong? Like, is that right?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, for sure. There's. There's the way again, the quarterback is supposed to kind of play the game on paper and then there's the way Pat plays the game, which is similar to the way we talked about Trav earlier. Like, just feeling space, understanding that not everything that you're supposed to do on the sheet is the thing that is expected of you. You know, there's a lot of adjustments and this is what's made passing offenses come down a little bit. It's what's made things so difficult from the offensive side is defenses are so much more complex. You know, we see all the cool clips of safety spinning around and this invert two that everyone likes to talk about and sound smart and all these different things that defenses are doing, realizing, hey, we can still play the cards that we want and confuse the offset offense. Well, if you're a receiver and you're, you know, a rookie and you're trying to figure out, is it cover two, is it cover three, is it cloud coverage, what's my adjustment off that? You know, is the quarterback expecting me at a different level? That's a lot to think about while you're trying to go full speed on 3rd and 12. So there definitely is a learning curve in terms of what's expected of you for the offense and then also, you know, kind of how Pat sees things and how he plays it. Coach Reed talked about that last year with Rashid kind of learning, Pat being Mahomes friend. Finley, he's talked about a little bit this year with Xavier and you can definitely see a huge difference. And to your point, he's being asked to do so much now. He is really a full compliment receiver who just happens to be smaller and really fast. But he's not being used as a gadget guy. He's being used in all facets of the offense. And I think that is one of the things they realized once he was thrust into that role, once he grew from weeks one to 10, that, hey, we can trust him and we can put him in these spots and let him be a true receiver. He doesn't have to just be speed or jet sweep.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. It's been really interesting to watch them develop. They just overcome everything. That's the thing about the Chiefs is like, as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis, Kelce. It feels like they'll figure the rest out, and it's going to be a different solution every single year, but they'll. They'll end up getting there. And from, from the weather perspective, it's not going to be like it was last year, where you had the, the Dolphins coming into town and it was like 6 degrees. It's going to be like 34, maybe down into the upper 20 20s by the end of the game. Offensive lineman, sleeves or no sleeves?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

So you're not supposed to wear sleeves. You know, we've gotten loose and, you know, soft as an offensive line community and allowed guys to start wearing sleeves over the years. If you are super cold, the. The thing you can do is put on elbow sleeves. You know, those things are nice and thick and insulated. I always wore an elbow brace on my inside arm, and if it was super cold, I would just, like throw a sleeve or a brace on the other arm and it looks O line sweet. Like, yeah, my elbows suck. And I, I get to wear these things, but it actually keeps you pretty warm. So that's the kind of workaround if you want to, you know, look, you know, quote unquote, old school. O line tough, but still want to get a little bit of extra warmth in there.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. That's a great trick. I would, I would say the colder it gets, the less you should wear sleeves. I. I would actually be okay with the live and wearing sleeves. If it was like 30 to 45 degrees outside, you wear sleeves, then yeah, who cares? But if it's like 20 degrees, no sleeves off.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Got to show those guns.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I mean, I think it was Strahan that was like, I'd rather just feel good and play good and get sacks instead of, like, being miserable out there and being cold and not producing. So there's. I mean, again, we've kind of gotten away with some old school toughness stuff that's just stupid. Like, you want your guys to be comfortable and play well. That's really the most important thing at the end of the Today. But from like a psycho crazy perspective. Yeah, I think we still respect the guys who are out there sleeveless. I mean, there's not too many gloveless guys anymore. I think Nolan Smith on Philly is one of the few. But anytime you see a defensive end who's not wearing gloves, you just. You assume he's a psycho. Yeah, yeah, there's no. There's no valid reason to do it. I think Jared Verse maybe doesn't wear gloves either. No surprise why he's going to win, you know, defensive rookie of the year.

[Big Cat]

Every time I see Vitave, I'm like, how is he? What? Like he's just in the bottom of every pile and he's just got no gloves.

[PFT Commenter]

Trey Hendrickson.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Yeah, it's nuts. It's so intimidating. Mitch, your, your Twitter account. I love following you on Twitter because I do think that you put out really good, like, nuanced takes from someone who played in the NFL for as long as you did. Everyone should go follow him at. Mitch Schwartz, 71, I have a two part question for your Twitter account. First is how awesome does it feel when someone who just like watches film tries to correct you on how to play football and how to play offensive line? Because I've seen that happen a couple times where someone will literally be arguing with you or your brother Jeff, who's also great on Twitter, and it will just be like you guys are arguing with people who actually played in the NFL and know what they're talking about and it's someone who's sitting in like watching film and just guessing what's happening.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I will say if you're at least watching the film, I'll respect the fact that you're trying to do this correctly. You know, 99% of what I get is people who are not watching film or who just watch, you know, the game on TV and think they know what's happening. So that 1% of people who are watching the film, I respect that you're trying to do it. I get really frustrated when people have a following and people are looked up to because they study football and they watch film and they put out analysis, analysis, and then they're putting out bad analysis. You know, you can't necessarily be Twitter corrector. You just are the jackass who corrects everybody on Twitter and you look terrible. But it does frustrate me when people with followings put out bad info. So like you said, for the most part, I try to do things in a respectful way and nuanced and I try to have the conversations and try to teach because I do want people to understand better. But it is frustrating when people don't take your experience into account. Like, I at no point say I'm always correct about things. I'm willing to kind of talk through everything. But at some point you have to at least account for the fact that I did it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

And that maybe I know a little nugget or two. Or maybe this is the thing with I don't think you know Former players are the only ones that should be analysts. I don't think you had to have played to have this certain, like, high level understanding. But I do think it shortens the time to see something and to understand what's going on. I can watch something and have a really good gut feeling of about either what happened, what the guy was intending to do, maybe what the protection was supposed to be, that maybe other people who weren't in my shoes and didn't live that life would have to take a few more watchings to kind of figure out exactly what was supposed to go on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

So I do think that's where it's advantageous to have play because you can just look at stuff and you're so used to seeing it that, like, oh, yeah, I know that's supposed to happen. The right tackle had a sift here and he was indecisive because he saw this. Like that gut feeling is what's really helpful. Having played the game that's.

[Big Cat]

And it does. Does have to feel awesome. You, you took the, the, the nice approach. But I would be like, if I had that type of expertise, dunking on someone would feel so good. The other thing was you. You tweeted about this. I think it was either yesterday or the day before. And I found it fascinating because we're dumb fans. And there's a lot of Lions fans who this podcast specifically has put been putting them through hell because PFT's commanders beat them. The Bears got Ben Johnson memes. Jets got Aaron Glenn. We've rated the Lions. So I do feel bad for them in that respect. But you pointed out that anyone who's blaming Ben Johnson for not being focused on the playoff game because he was doing interviews doesn't realize that these guys are not like, it's not like a, like all nighter for seven days straight trying to get a game plan. They have a game plan. They have their convictions. There's time when they're not working on the game plan because if they did, they would just be getting way too nuanced and probably like analysis by paralysis. So you, like, that's. That's the reality of it, is it not?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It is. I think the best example for that, and he had admitted it after the fact, is Sean McVeigh. That Super bowl against the Patriots where he had two weeks and he just drove himself crazy and he did too much and he tried to change too many things. And he's a grinder by nature. That's why he burns out. And you, you can't you know, watch 20 hours of film for 14 days straight, you're going to overthink things. The way the, the football week works, you know, we get, for the most part, Monday, Tuesday off. You're, you're in for one of those days, you're watching the film, you get a lift in, and that's about it. Our work week technically starts Wednesday. Well, Wednesday when we show up and we get the base game plan, the coaches did all the work. Monday and Tuesday, those are their long days. Those are the awful days where they're, you know, staying at the office all night or they're sleeping there for a couple hours. That's their, you know, super bowl of the, the week. And so we get our install. Wednesday we go through practice, we get install for certain situations. Thursday practice, install for red zone. On Friday, we practice. And at that point, the game plan is pretty much put together. You know, you're still going to tinker with things. If you're a first 15 guy as the offensive coordinator, head coach, you're gonna, you know, try to figure out exactly what that combination of plays looks like. But for the most part, all the preparation is done because from the player perspective, after Friday's practice, you're not putting in anything new. You might be adjusting things, you might be fine tuning some stuff that didn't look quite right on Friday. But Saturday morning, you're watching Friday's film, you're not getting a new install, and you're doing a walkthrough of all the plays you've already done that you want to hit again, you want to see again. So that game plan is pretty much shut by about 3pm on Friday. Right? So yeah, coaches, they'll go on date night, they'll get to see their wife for the first time all week.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

You know, they'll, they'll go to their kids high school football game, they'll do all these other things. You can't just be locked in and doing it all the time. Time. And in that tweet specifically, I said, you know, some coaches, they'll start watching film for the next week. Saturday, you know, once it gets later in the day and they got nothing else to do Sunday, if it's a night game, you're just sitting there all day. You don't have to stare at your 100 play call sheet all day for 12 hours. There's nothing that's going to change. It's already printed, it's laminated so you can turn the page and get a look. That doesn't mean that they're not going to coach as hard that Sunday night. So, yeah, it's. People don't necessarily understand how the work week goes.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

And if you're going to blame Ben Johnson for that, like I said, blame Kellen more, blame Spags for having interviews, blame Aaron Glenn for having interviews, blame everybody else for having interviews. But it's only a guy that lost when his side still did pretty good stuff that's getting the, the heat for it. And that I just don't understand.

[Big Cat]

And also, it was a bye week. They had a bye week. Which would, that gets, you know, like, that's 14 days where they had nothing.

[PFT Commenter]

I, I think it's going to be good for the rivalry. I think it's going to be great for Chicago versus Detroit. Like, you're going to get some of that. And still. And then I, I think a fair thing to say if you're a Lions fan would be be like, well, yet you're also taking three of our coaches with you. So I think it's Antoine Randall, their O line coach, and there's somebody else.

[Big Cat]

But no, the online coach is not coming to show.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, he's not? No, it's not.

[Big Cat]

Farley Freely, I think is. He's interviewing with Seahawks, but I don't think he's okay. There's a report that he's probably not going to. All right, so Johnson actually was like, I don't want to raid their whole staff.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Yeah. So you're bringing a couple guys. So then the fan and you starts thinking, oh, were you having these conversations all week, like looking at Zillow together and circling neighborhoods and being like, oh, is this where we're going? So you create like a whole fan fiction in your head.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But again, I think that this is good for the rivalry in the NFC North. I think that's awesome that there's going to be genuine animosity between those fan bases.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Oh, for sure. And then he just kind of throws that jab at Matt La Flor and I don't really. Yeah, I don't know where that came from because I don't think they're like friends that work together.

[Big Cat]

No, they're not. I, I, I liked it.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought they were friends. I thought that was like, can't wait to take on Matt.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

You know, I don't think they've ever worked together.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, no.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I mean, no one can focus on one thing all the time for like an entire work week. Like, your mind has to wander at times. You're allowed to do other Things in your life. Like, no one has questioned his preparation until this specific week.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

He has been the genius of the NFL the last three years, who turned Jared Goff into a top quarterback, who weaponizes his right tackle into this. This weapon that, you know, everyone loves. Dan Skipper the sixth alignment. All the fun stuff they do. The trick plays go galore. And all of a sudden, one single game in which his team underperforms and now he's not committed. It's just. It's dumb. Like, when you say it out loud, it's dumb. So we're just not going to give that any more credence.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Well, thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. Mitch.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're very smart.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I, I had one last question. It's a roback question. R hbk.com promo code, take 20 off your first purchase. Oh, yeah. Wearing the rollback right now, you got to get the new HESI hoodie. Super comfortable roback.com promo code, take 20% off your first purchase. How's the golf game? Because I know you built. This is kind of weird that I. Well, no, you put it on Instagram, so that's not weird. I follow you on Instagram. You. You built a simulator in your house which rocks. How is the golf game going?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Golf game's good. It, you know, it's been pretty frozen out here in Kansas City, so luckily, I do have the simulator. I've been getting some lessons. I got burnt out on it as, you know, with. With kids and stuff, it's. It's hard to do everything that you used to do the same. And, you know, between having a baby and working on golf, I was just kind of burnt out on the golf stuff. So back around the last couple months, been working on it. Hopefully it, you know, gets sunny, it gets warm, I get to start playing outside. And it's. It's kind of my outlet. I mean, as an offensive lineman, you tend to just kind of hate yourself and, and feel bad at all times. So golf, you're never going to feel like you played well. So it's kind of the perfect outlet for lineman to hit balls, feel like you suck. Watch fit film, try to get better and go out there and just be miserable.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that I felt too good recently. I would like to feel shitty so I can know what I can improve on. I love mindset.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Is it, Is it also, like, this is a stupid question, but how sick is it? Like, living in a city that you won a Super Bowl.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

It is pretty cool. You know, my My super bowl has since been surpassed by a couple Super Bowls. And you know, there are some much more famous and important guys to the city. But it is cool. I mean, mean it, it keeps you grounded. That's why we love Kansas City. Like the people are great, you know, you still get noticed every now and again, but everyone's respectful and just like, hey, you know, thanks for what you do, blah, blah, I love all you on social media, all that stuff. So it's pretty cool. You know, strokes the ego every now and again when you need it. And then I go downstairs, hit balls and start hitting myself again.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, so it's. Smart move. That's what I. If you want to, if you want a Super bowl, just stay there.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, 100%. So when you went from Cleveland to Kansas City, were you a free agent at the time?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I was, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Was there a moment where it was between like Kansas City and some other team and you look back on, then you're like, thank God I chose the Chiefs.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, it was between Kansas City and Tennessee or the last two that were in. It definitely worked out to choose Kansas City. I mean, the Cleveland thing, we didn't have to go back to that. I mean, I'd wanted to stay in Cleveland. My wife's from Cleveland. I met her there. Joe Thomas, hall of Famer, Alex Mack, John Greco, Joel Batonio. We had a great offensive lineup. Loved, you know, doing that every day. I wanted to stay. They were in the, you know, shed assets, get draft picks, you know, suck and tank phase. So they weren't resounding anybody. Turned out to be the best thing for me. And yeah, I don't really look back on that too much. I just appreciate the fact that I, I was able to come to Kansas City and I didn't realize how important the super bowl was. I mean, to your point, if you're the Rams, if you're, you know, the Chargers, is it going to be as important to win a Super bowl in that city and live there? Probably not. Not, you know, living in a sports crazed city, the one that's so passionate about the, the team, I think is more important. You form a better bond to the city than some other places. So I think it just happened to be that perfect kind of mixture of finally getting our homegrown QB 50 years since the last Super Bowl. You know, the city loves football, so I just got really lucky and you know, I feel really good about that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Pretty cool to be like, I blocked for Patrick Mahomes because that will be something that you could say, say probably 50 years from now. And people like, holy, that's awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

You kept him healthy while you were there.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's. I responsibly am the one to keep him healthy, you know, since I've, you know, gone and done other things. He seems to have a lot of those ankle injuries about, too, so I'm gonna take credit for that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, bust, actually a bust since you left.

[Big Cat]

All right, well, Mitch, thank you so much, man. We really appreciate. Always fun having you on. Everyone do go follow him because you just make us smarter football fans. So we appreciate that.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Thank you. Good to see you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Mitchell was brought to you by a Roxon. Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Erectile dysfunction. One in four men 18 years and older experience ED, which means that you or someone close to you might be experiencing it. That's why I want to tell you about this new ED treatment gel called a Roxon. It's a first of its kind. Its kind ED treatment gel with clinically proven results that you can get over the counter encounter. Eroxone is a topical treatment gel, which means that it doesn't enter your bloodstream, making it safe for both you and your partner. To maximize intimacy, you can use it with your partner during foreplay leading up to sex. And it's clinically proven to work within 10 minutes. It's important to try on a few separate occasions to get the hang of how to use it. And while it may or may not work for everyone, studies showed that success occurs in over 60% of men. If you desire deeper connections and better outcomes or Roxanne is the answer. Cancer. See if it's right for you. Eroxon is available in stores and online. Visit Eroxon us to learn more. That's E R O X O N dot US to learn more. Fire fest of the week is going to be brought to you by Kevin's Natural Foods. You know that you feel your best when you eat well, but life is hectic and it's hard to find a healthy option that's quick and easy. That's where Kevin's Natural Foods comes in. Kevin's is honestly getting the barstool team through the crazy busy playoff season. I know it's been feeding me and at night I love their honey garlic chicken, the General Tso's chicken. Also fantastic. They've got garlic chicken, Korean barbecue. You can get that in chicken or in beef, Thai style, coconut chicken and the Sichuan chicken. I think that was the one that I had on Tuesday night. It's fantastic. The chicken tastes like it's restaurant quality and it's so easy to prepare. Kevin's is made with clean, quality ingredients. They're heat and serve entrees and new stir fry kits are packed with protein. They're ready to eat in just minutes. Minutes. No prep, no mess. Kevin's entrees are shockingly delicious. Available in tons of tasty flavors. They've got the stir fry kits that even include the fresh veggies. My personal favorite has got to be the Sichuan chicken. I love that they're made with clean, simple ingredients. And the whole barstool team loves them. They really do make a healthy meal possible, even on the busiest days. Kick off 2025 with Kevin's. Make it your healthiest and tastiest year yet. Nothing like going home from work not knowing what you're going to do for dinner. Open up your refrigerator. You've got Kevin's Natural foods right there. Find Kevin's Natural foods in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Fire fest of the week to wrap us up. Hank. Yeah. You got a fire fest.

[Memes]

Yeah, I don't have a mic.

[Big Cat]

Your mic's not on, but you got a fire fest.

[PFT Commenter]

Classic memes. Taking away your first amendment.

[Big Cat]

Well, that's because Hank. One of my fire fest was Hank. We had Chef shoot. This is one of the biggest weeks. Should be one of the biggest weeks in numbers for. For pardon my take. Monday's show had to be taken down because Hank was breathing too heavy in the mic. Wednesday show was taken down because someone had a gun on the show. Hopefully this doesn't get age restricted again, but yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Which, I mean, if we're gonna have one taken down, having it be Stavi with a revolver, I think is a pretty good reason. Yeah, I'm willing to make that short term sacrifice.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That kind of age restricted. So that was why you had to log in to watch us on Wednesday show.

[PFT Commenter]

But let's not. It wasn't Hank's. Hank was just existing. He was just breathing like you normally.

[Big Cat]

Does he have a mic now?

[Hank]

What? Why are you looking at me like this?

[Memes]

I'm wondering if you're gonna let me fall in the sword or not.

[Big Cat]

Are you gonna turn on Hank's mic?

[Hank]

I didn't show the gun. He knows I didn't show the gun.

[Big Cat]

You can't say the G word. What? He's talking about Mondays. I feel like Hank's still not on.

[PFT Commenter]

He's very low.

[Big Cat]

He's very low.

[PFT Commenter]

Cat, get your tongue.

[Big Cat]

Hey, Memes is trying to silence Hank. Hank, that's what they're doing. You can't exist.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what I'm saying.

[Big Cat]

For the first time ever, I agree with you. They're trying to stop you from existing. I got your back.

[PFT Commenter]

No, but when Hank's looking at them, he's waiting for them to apologize for not taking Hank's breathing out. So now we have a stare down going on between Hank and the booth.

[Hank]

The podcast, whatever. I took the breathing out.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Hank of the podcast.

[Memes]

I mean, I can't.

[PFT Commenter]

His mic's not on.

[Big Cat]

Why is his mic not on there?

[Hank]

There's a. Or this fucking thing sucks. It breaks every time we keep all this in. I've talked to. I talked to Pete about it, and then he just starts saying a bunch.

[Big Cat]

Too busy getting up. More dogs start saying a bunch of.

[Hank]

Words that I don't understand what they fucking mean.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we're not the smartest fault. Oh, there it is. I feel like I just heard Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

Pete's over here using three syllable words.

[Big Cat]

Memes also is just not talking into a mic either. Memes just keeps saying, I got it, but he's not saying it into a mic. This is some good stuff. Number one sports podcast for a reason, folks.

[PFT Commenter]

I fixed it.

[Big Cat]

All right there. Fixed it all right, Hank. Yeah, A lot just happened. Care to address?

[Memes]

No, I mean, I. I. The. The breathing thing. Like, I was a little sick, so I was breathing loud. But also, like, if I'm talking for 5% of the episode, I don't think you need to have my mic on the whole time. That's. That's neither here nor there.

[Big Cat]

It's fair point.

[Memes]

Max cut it out of the podcast. Didn't get cut out of the video. Max probably could have told the person who edits the video to cut it out of the video like he did, but that's fine.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank's not allowed to breathe.

[Big Cat]

That was. So now, Max would normally be very.

[PFT Commenter]

Happy if you weren't breathing.

[Big Cat]

Is it Max. Max's fault or Pug's fault? Or is it your fault because you're technically in charge of all of them?

[Memes]

Well, yeah, that's where it's like, I. It all falls on me.

[Hank]

No, it all falls on me.

[Memes]

But you just said the podcast was fine and said nothing about the. Like, you didn't take anything.

[Hank]

I know, I know. Hank, we've already had this conversation.

[PFT Commenter]

Pugs do.

[Hank]

How many times are we gonna have this conversation?

[PFT Commenter]

Bugs do have very labored breathing processes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's true. A Little snout, nose.

[Memes]

But, yeah, that was. That was a tough, tough wake up Monday morning.

[Big Cat]

And also crazy that it was like the. There's really loud breathing and it wasn't me or Max. Like, that's huge.

[Fred Smoot]

Huge.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, huge. Because, like, that's like a fart whenever there's a fart on the podcast. Like, well, you know, Big Cat or Max. That was big win for us. Hank was the one who's breathing with his mouth way too hard.

[Memes]

No, I just. My nose was stuffy, so when it, like, it sounded. It was.

[Big Cat]

It was.

[Memes]

It was a vocal, vocal breathe.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Memes]

My fire fest, which I've. I've gotten over in the past 24 hours, but in hindsight, it was just 20 20. I should have vetoed the nine darter.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

I didn't. And now I am going to deal with the consequences of my own action. And I feel bad for. For the booth because they're also going to have to deal with it because I'm just going to be living at this office forever, I think.

[Big Cat]

So I. I've seen you tweeting about it a lot, and I also haven't. People are. You're bitching. Bitching, Bitching. No, he hasn't.

[Memes]

I tweeted, I threw darts. I'm in trouble, and that was it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, you haven't been bitching.

[Hank]

I have something to say. We, as a. As a community here, we got to stop freaking out when one person says that we're bitching about something and just. We just got to do it.

[Big Cat]

I mean, who are you freaking out about?

[Hank]

I know. Well, people.

[Big Cat]

People.

[Hank]

And then everyone gets freaks out about it. Let people.

[Big Cat]

People are gonna. About everything.

[Hank]

Yes. It doesn't matter. People are gonna.

[Big Cat]

Hank. I do. I do remember. It is funny that it all goes back to the dunk because you should have just taken marathon, but you.

[Memes]

It wasn't an option to take.

[Big Cat]

That's the other thing. You had a big veto.

[Memes]

I had a veto, but that doesn't mean I would have gotten marathon.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

That was the one reason you said.

[PFT Commenter]

You didn't use the veto.

[Memes]

It does all go back to the.

[PFT Commenter]

D. So wait, didn't. Didn't you suggest putting the nine daughter in there?

[Big Cat]

No, that was dumb.

[Hank]

We said so much. We said so much.

[PFT Commenter]

I like how Big Cat knew exactly who he was talking about. He wasn't talking about memes, Tomas.

[Hank]

We're not even talking about the Eagles. And we're. And we're fired up.

[Big Cat]

It's been a long week. Listen, all right, all right.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's let's just reset. Hank, you are, you're. You've done some work in the last 24 hours. You're going to be here for a long time. But you've also. It sounds like you've made peace with the fact that you're just going to have to do it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So my.

[Big Cat]

I feel.

[Memes]

And it's. It's.

[Big Cat]

Eventually you're going to be close enough that you'll just be able to put it in.

[Memes]

Yeah. And I'm going to. I'm going to.

[Fred Smoot]

I'm.

[Memes]

I'm going to go through it all. I just am concerned that, that at a certain point my arm is gonna get like to a point where I can't throw and then I don't know what I'm gonna do on stream.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Memes]

And then people are gonna be like, throw darts. But I'm like, you know, have you.

[PFT Commenter]

Thought about getting a blowgun and shooting darts?

[Big Cat]

Oh, good idea.

[Memes]

No, that's a good idea though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's a really good idea. You gotta get a blowgun.

[Memes]

That's a good idea.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean it's gonna suck. I didn't like that professional darter who quote, treated you and was like, I've been playing darts my whole life and I've only done this twice. That. That felt. You didn't need to say that, dude.

[Hank]

He was definitely talking about a full nine darter.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know, but still like.

[Memes]

Well, no, that's where it's 180s also. Extremely. I've gotten a lot of people that are like, I played darts every week. I've played darts every week for 20 years. I've gotten 180 like twice.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

And these are people that are, you know, significantly better. Darts.

[Big Cat]

Blow dart is a really good idea.

[PFT Commenter]

Blowgun maybe does. Is there like a dart gun? Yeah, like the blow dart gun is one thing, but like a. A Nerf style trigger or would that get taken down from YouTube?

[Memes]

I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Not if Stavi's not holding it.

[PFT Commenter]

When Stavi holds a gun, you think it's going to be used.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You. I think you need to get a blow. I think you need to figure out a blow dart.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Cuz that would be a good. Cuz that would be still very difficult.

[PFT Commenter]

And it adds probably a couple feet closer.

[Big Cat]

And we know that you've got some really good lungs with breathing through your mouth. Monday show you got this. The marathon though. That was. That's a. Just cuz you thought you were going to dunk and then you didn't Dunk.

[PFT Commenter]

It's funny to also think that the marathon would have been the much easier choice.

[Big Cat]

It would have. Cuz he could have. He could have jog lightly jogged it, walked a little bit. It would have taken like seven hours at worst.

[Memes]

Yeah, yeah. No, that was again high touch. 2020. Dumb as fuck. And this is just, you know, added to the long list of examples of me being an idiot.

[PFT Commenter]

It'll be good content though. I'll stop by for a little. Because you love buddies.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, Michael Van Gogh. Oh, Michael Van Gogh. Yeah, get. Just get that going.

[Memes]

But yeah, we'll be live until the games start on some Sunday and then back again Monday.

[Big Cat]

If back again.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm not done.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Memes]

I will be staying at the office.

[Big Cat]

Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

My fire fest of the week happened last night. I accidentally went live on the part of my take Twitch for about a half hour by mistake.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So I was trying to record myself flying from Washington D.C. from Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia up to Washington or up to Philadelphia to do a flyby for the Eagles Commanders game at Lincoln Financial Field. I downloaded Microsoft Flight Simulator. I. I hopped in my F18, I buzzed the tower of the commander's facility, flew all the way up, which is, by the way, a pretty boring game to play. I think you just like, you get up to altitude and then you just kind of cruise there for a while.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

So I was just trying to do.

[Memes]

A fly box to other flies. Flight simulators.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Combat simulators.

[Big Cat]

Dog fighting.

[Fred Smoot]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When you're dog fighting, that's when it rocks.

[Big Cat]

Box.

[PFT Commenter]

But this is just you fly up in the air and the object is to not inflict violence on people. So. So I'm flying up to Philadelphia. I think I'm recording it on obs on my computer, which is the program that we use to stream on Twitch. And instead of clicking the button that says start recording, I accidentally clicked the button that says start streaming.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Ah.

[PFT Commenter]

And I had no sound, no volume. For real. So I was in turn kind of with the chat because they were all like, no sound.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But I didn't know I was streaming. I. I do this for about 25 minutes and then I quit because I crashed twice. And then I go back to obs and I'm like, oh, it says start. It says stop streaming, not stop recording. So I click stop recording and I immediately call Hank. I'm like, hey, Hank, my bad. Can you delete this from her Twitch account? And then. But before Hank did that, I went back and I watched it and I just saw all the comments coming in that were just like, no sound, but for real, like, honestly, no sound. So they didn't know if I was with them or what was going on. But yeah, it was just a complete mistake that I made by clicking that button, which is right next to the start recording button. But I think it's pretty. It was a pretty electric stream. I did an inverted flyby through Lincoln Financial field, like, about 20ft above the. The bleachers and.

[Hank]

But you crashed.

[Big Cat]

I crashed.

[PFT Commenter]

Not. Not into Lincoln Financial Field, which credit to me, I thought I was just playing on my own. I could have just steered that right into the stands and then it would have been caught in 4K. But no, I. I crashed like maybe 2 seconds after I got right past Lincoln Financial, so.

[Big Cat]

In the lot. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Well, how many Eagles fans did you kill?

[PFT Commenter]

It was people that live within a quarter mile of the stadium, so I think probably seven or eight.

[Hank]

Probably my brother.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, probably. I killed Max's brother on stream last night. But yeah, that was. I, I, I just didn't know what was going on when I was like, oh, have. Have I been streaming this entire time? So my bad. If you tuned into the part of my take Twitch last night and get a push notification.

[Memes]

Scary phone call to get, because you don't know when you're like, I. I was accidentally streaming on the part of my take Twitch. It's like, oh, streaming. What?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'm Shannon Sharp. Except when Shannon Sharp's thing goes off, he's not doing a flight simulator at 9pm on a weekday night.

[Big Cat]

Your life is cool too.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it is. But it was fun. It was fun being able to. To do like a super out dude, Microsoft flight simulator. Not that fun of a game in terms of actually flying everywhere, but they've got like a real 3D representation of the Earth.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So they had everything you could see. Like the. I could see Xfinity Live almost drove into that. So. Max, you know that even when I think no one's watching, I'm not crashing planes into your stadium.

[Hank]

Yeah. You just didn't do a successful flyover.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, I did two successful flyovers. Then I crashed. Crashed.

[Big Cat]

So two out of three?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

You think it's bad vibes?

[Hank]

I mean, it's not a great omen.

[Big Cat]

Probably not.

[Hank]

I think especially when you weren't trying to show people this. You were trying to do this in secret.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I was trying to be. Well, yeah. Well.

[Hank]

And I would not have shown the crashes if you weren't streaming.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah. I Never crash on stream when I'm flying in the simulator.

[Hank]

Well, not over the. I mean, fly over.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. At least I didn't get shot down.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

That's true.

[PFT Commenter]

That would have been way worse.

[Big Cat]

Max's brother shot you down.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. My fire fest is so. I, I, I think I said this. That's why I missed the Commander's Lions game. But my wife was out of town, so I was, I was solo dadding for the majority of the weekend and then Monday as well. And it's essentially like. The best way to describe it is, is being a backup quarterback, and you get in for a drive or two and you're like, all right, I can do this. I can do this. And then if you have to stay in for longer than that, everyone's like, oh, shit, Mike White might not be the guy. That kind of thing. But I thought I did an okay job. I missed giving Stella her medicine, like, maybe two days in a row. Then I doubled up, so we're fine. But I likened it to the Office episode when Dwight gets fired and all the plants die. So I did. Okay. We, you know, it was a lot of, like, I'd tell my oldest, like, hey, I need your help. A lot of pep talk box. A lot of. A lot of eating cereal for dinner, all that. Then my wife did come home, and it turns out I do have plants in my house, and I didn't water any of them. I had no idea. Yeah, I had. If you had asked me if I had plants, I would have been like, no way. That's a detail I've never paid attention to.

[PFT Commenter]

They have these plants now that have these basins at the top that are like the thing that you leave for your cat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You go out of town where it, like, meters it out, you fill up the top basin, and then it just slowly.

[Big Cat]

I need that releases.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they're awesome.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The plants never die.

[Big Cat]

So it was just. Yeah, it was. I would say I, I, I probably didn't win the game, but I, I didn't look like I was. I don't know what, quarterback. Like, I wasn't Tim Boyle. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But if you were to pick one thing in your house to forget to give water to, I think the plants are probably the one that you'd also.

[Big Cat]

Forgot about the Stella medicine.

[PFT Commenter]

So the water. The water.

[Big Cat]

I also, my. I was over three, undressing my daughter. Every single time I'd dress her, and she'd be like, I don't like this. And then she'd just go dress her herself. It's like, all right, that's fine.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Where. Where would you want to wear?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. She was like, I put her in. I put her. The one that hurt was I put her in a badger shirt. And she goes, this isn't beautiful. And then she put on a dress.

[PFT Commenter]

And I was like, damn. It was Bucky on it.

[Big Cat]

Bucky was on it. Damn. So didn't. Did. But we're back. We're back. Yeah, it's a. It's a. I'm not a starter. I'm a backup. Yeah, but I'm a backup for those.

[PFT Commenter]

For those scripted plays. You look pretty good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right. Like, for a couple drives, I can do it for a night here, night there. But, you know, but when it's. When it's an extended. This was like me having to. The. The starter went out for. For three weeks of the season, and I had to.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

We didn't.

[Big Cat]

We didn't go 500.

[PFT Commenter]

It is true. Cause if it was, like, for one meal, then, yeah, then all the fans would be like, he should get more minutes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he made an incredible Mac and cheese.

[PFT Commenter]

He might be the guy.

[Big Cat]

Did I make an incredible Mac and cheese on the third day that we had Mac and cheese? Did you know when we had bagel bites for lunch and dinner where people like, hey, hey, can this guy only throw, right? Yeah, probably. But we survived. Okay, numbers 3, 11, 9.

[Hank]

What number do I want?

[PFT Commenter]

5.

[Big Cat]

What?

[Hank]

Here come the boys.

[Big Cat]

Here come the boys.

[PFT Commenter]

Boys are all going low today.

[Big Cat]

What number? I went three. I'll go 31. 31. Shout out. Aaron and Glenn. Okay, Pug.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

99. Pug.

[Big Cat]

Pug. By the way, can you hear me? Pug? Max threw you under the bus about the mouth breathing thing. What the.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

What? What?

[Big Cat]

Max, what you say?

[Mitchell Schwartz]

You threw me under the bus.

[Hank]

That's not true.

[Fred Smoot]

That.

[Hank]

I mean.

[Big Cat]

Pug.

[Hank]

Hank.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

Why did.

[Big Cat]

Why was Hank thrown at. In there? Hey, cuz. Just. What?

[Memes]

I'm Bird gang.

[Big Cat]

I see.

[Hank]

That is.

[Big Cat]

All right. All right, Pug, what's your number?

[PFT Commenter]

99 birds.

[Memes]

Pug.

[Big Cat]

Shane. Jack.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

45.

[Big Cat]

Wait, give. Give Jack the headphones now. Jack. Jack. Jack texted me because he had to do a video this morning. He. He. He started the text. Good morning. Morning, Big cat. That was weird, right? That's a weird start to a text. It was too formal.

[PFT Commenter]

We have a real problem with Jack on the text thread because it happened one time before, and ever since then, every single time he hits us up with a favor, I think it's Jack McCarthy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I do.

[PFT Commenter]

Every time.

[Big Cat]

And I want I don't want. I want to do your favors I don't want to do Jack McCarthy's face.

[PFT Commenter]

That'S probably on my end I need to change your name to like Jack Good Yeah yeah the good one but.

[Memes]

Nothing wrong with good morning on a.

[Big Cat]

Text no, no I think that's too formal Don't. I don't need a good morning it.

[Memes]

Just started that's, it's. That's.

[Mitchell Schwartz]

I won't, I won't send good morning.

[Big Cat]

All right I appreciate it let's just get right to the chase cuz I know you got a job to do I got a job to do it wasn't a good morning either I Woke up at 5 in the morning I've been awake for 10 hours okay what's your number, Jack? 44545 Shane 21 I don't remember any.

[PFT Commenter]

Of these nine 531 Darter.

[Big Cat]

69 oh 69.

[Memes]

Eagles are actually the smartest animal.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys Sa.

[Big Cat]

It.