Coach Jon Gruden In Studio, Week 16 Picks And Preview, Chargers Big Win, The Jets Are In Disarray Again + Fyre Fest Of The Week

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pardon My Take – "Coach Jon Gruden In Studio, Week 16 Picks And Preview, Chargers Big Win, The Jets Are In Disarray Again + Fyre Fest Of The Week"

Release Date: December 20, 2024

Introduction

In this episode of "Pardon My Take" (PMT), hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter delve deep into the NFL's Week 16, analyze recent performances, and navigate through playoff implications. The show also features a special in-studio interview with renowned coach Jon Gruden, providing expert insights into team dynamics and strategic decisions. Additionally, the hosts share personal stories and discuss listener experiences, making this episode a comprehensive blend of sports analysis and engaging conversation.

Week 16 NFL Preview and Picks

The episode kicks off with Big Cat introducing the main topics, including Week 16 NFL picks, a significant Chargers victory, the ongoing turmoil within the Jets organization, and a segment called "Fyre Fest of the Week."

• Chargers vs. Broncos: PFT Commenter highlights the Chargers' remarkable comeback, spurred by the league's first free kick in 46 years. He notes, “The free kick before halftime... was the first one that's been made. I think the Chargers had the last one before this in 79, 48 years ago” (04:05). This pivotal moment, coupled with Justin Herbert’s crucial touchdown pass, turned the game in favor of the Chargers, who amassed 21 unanswered points in the second half.

• Jets’ Playoff Hopes: The discussion shifts to the Jets and Bengals, exploring their playoff scenarios. Big Cat emphasizes the Bengals' precarious position, stating, “They control a piece of their own destiny” (07:05). The hosts analyze the Bengals' need for key wins and favorable losses by other teams to secure a playoff spot, debating the slim odds and the strategic importance of remaining games.

Interview with Coach Jon Gruden

Jon Gruden joins the studio, bringing a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the conversation. Gruden discusses:

• Team Morale and Injuries: Addressing the Detroit Lions' defensive injuries, Gruden remarks, “It's hard... losing high caliber guys is going to be a real challenge for Detroit” (102:16). He commends Coach Dan Campbell for instilling resilience despite the team's setbacks.

• Offensive Strategies: Gruden contrasts the aggressive play-calling of teams like the Chiefs with the strategic adjustments needed for the Falcons, highlighting the importance of a balanced offense and effective pass rushers. He notes, “They lead the league in sacks, and nobody really knows who their sack artists are” (105:48), praising the Chiefs' defensive prowess.

• Pass Interference Concerns: Gruden expresses frustration with inconsistent pass interference calls, advocating for a more straightforward approach akin to college football: “Pass interference should call itself. We should all be sitting in a bar in Chicago and go, that's PI” (108:25).

• Thursday Night Football Challenges: Gruden criticizes the short weeks between games, particularly Thursday games, citing the lack of preparation time and its impact on player performance: “I hate Thursday football, especially when you got to be the road team” (109:27).

Playoff Implications and Team Analyses

The hosts and Gruden continue to dissect various teams' performances and their implications for the playoffs:

• Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens: There's a consensus that the Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens are strong contenders, with Gruden emphasizing the necessity of a robust fourth-quarter pass rush for playoff success. “To have a championship team you have to have a quarterback playing winning football and you got to have a fourth quarter pass rush” (140:25).

• Eagles and 49ers: Discussions about the Eagles focus on their defense's improvement and offensive balance, while the 49ers' offensive struggles are scrutinized. Gruden praises Vic Fangio’s defensive strategies for Arizona, stating, “They don't give up big plays, number one” (129:42).

Fyre Fest of the Week

In a personal segment, PFT Commenter shares a harrowing experience of suffering a panic attack after inhaling burnt ash from a bubbler bowl, which led to an emergency room visit. He recounts, “I thought I was having a stroke because I never had a panic attack” (144:14). The story underscores the importance of mental health and the support systems provided by friends, as Big Cat and Hank were instrumental in assisting him during the crisis.

Personal Anecdotes and Listener Interactions

The episode is peppered with light-hearted banter and personal stories:

• Health Scares: Both hosts discuss their recent health challenges, including broken feet and kidney stones, blending humor with genuine concern for each other’s well-being.

• Listener Engagement: Memes shares his struggles with anxiety and the aftermath of his panic attack, highlighting the camaraderie and support within the PMT community.

Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, the hosts preview upcoming shows and tease future segments, including a TD parlay challenge and continued interviews with Coach Gruden during the playoffs. They emphasize the importance of community and mutual support, leaving listeners with a blend of insightful sports analysis and heartfelt personal stories.

Notable Quotes

• Jon Gruden on Chargers' Free Kick: “The free kick before halftime... was the first one that's been made. I think the Chargers had the last one before this in 79, 48 years ago.” (04:05)
• Big Cat on Bengals' Playoff Contention: “They control a piece of their own destiny.” (07:05)
• Gruden on Pass Interference: “Pass interference should call itself. We should all be sitting in a bar in Chicago and go, that's PI.” (108:25)
• PFT Commenter on Panic Attack: “I thought I was having a stroke because I never had a panic attack.” (144:14)

Conclusion

This episode of "Pardon My Take" offers a rich tapestry of NFL insights, strategic discussions with Coach Jon Gruden, and deeply personal stories from the hosts. Whether you're a die-hard football fan or someone seeking engaging and relatable content, this episode delivers a comprehensive and entertaining experience that captures the essence of PMT’s dynamic approach to sports talk.

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]

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[Big Cat]

On today's part of my take, we have our coworker, good friend, super bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden in studio. We're going to preview Week 16 in the NFL with our picks and we also have Thursday Night Football and a fire fest you won't want to miss. And it's all brought to you by our friends at DraftKings. It's the most wonderful time of the year for getting in on all the hoops, football and hockey action at DraftKings Sportsbook. In the season of giving, we're being gifted college football and basketball, pro football and basketball and pro hockey, too. Almost 24 7. So many games every day. So many opportunities to place your first bet. Try betting on something simple like picking a team to win. Go to the DraftKings sportsbook app and place your bet. And here's a gift for all new customers. Bet $5. Get 150 in bonus bets if your bet wins. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets if your bet wins. When you bet just five bucks. Have happy holidays from DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[Jon Gruden]

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[Big Cat]

Okay, let's go. Welcome to part of my take Presented by Draft DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers. Get 150 in bonus bets if your bet wins when you bet just five bucks. Happy holidays from DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Friday, December 20th, and PFT, nothing sets the tone like a perfect football weekend, like a great Thursday night football game. And holy shit, do we have a great football weekend ahead. But that game was awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

The Chargers come back spurned on by the first free kick in what, 46 years in the NFL.

[Big Cat]

Two pivotal moments. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The free kick before halftime, which is rarely used. Free kick.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

If there's a penalty and there's zero seconds left on the clock, you can do an untimed down or you can just do a place kick. And I don't know why, why more kickers don't take like the. The 15 step run up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Try to boot it. 75 yards like it's a kickoff. But it was the first one that's been made. I think the Chargers had the last one before this in 79, 48 years ago.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Is how long ago it was. So there was that and then the other pivotal moment.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the other pivotal moment. Justin Herbert sliding and the personal foul call. That pretty much changed the. Listen, I. I think the Chargers were running like their offense and what they were doing in the second half was phenomenal. But that was a pivotal moment in the game that if you're a Broncos fan, you have a right to be upset.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Because that went from a possible field goal for the Chargers to a first and goal. They scored. They ended up ripping off, I think, 21 unanswered points in the second half.

[PFT Commenter]

Justin Herbert, that touchdown pass that he.

[Big Cat]

Threw as he was falling down, that's the guy. That is the guy. When people are like, oh, Justin Herbert's only, you know, social media quarterback. I don't even know what the criticism of Justin Herbert is anymore because it never made sense to me. Uh, that's the guy.

[PFT Commenter]

I think now the criticism of. Of Justin Herbert is that people were angry to the phrasing and the narrative that he was a social media quarterback.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Then there was backlash to that. And then when he didn't win, people then did the backlash to those people that did the backlash.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's got win a playoff game.

[PFT Commenter]

That's where we're at. We're at today. But right now, this is big. Is big for. For two teams tonight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Chargers increased their odds of making the playoffs, Hank. They will make the playoffs if they can get wins, I believe by the Colts or excuse me, the Colts have to lose this weekend. They have to lose to the Titans. And then they need the Dolphins to lose the 49ers this weekend. And they'd clinch, and they would clinch this weekend. And it was also big for our Cincinnati Bengals.

[Big Cat]

Yes, the zombie Bengals. They are not dead. So this was so massive for the Bengals because the Bengals play the Broncos next week. If the Bengals win on Sunday against the Browns, we'll get to that preview. It's pretty simple. But if the Bengals win against the Browns on Sunday, they'll be playing the Broncos next week to potentially get to 8 and 8. And then if they win week 18 in the Broncos lose, they would be in over the Broncos. Now the big part of this though is the Bengals need the Chiefs to lose one of the next two games.

[PFT Commenter]

And they're tough games.

[Big Cat]

They're tough games. But if the Chiefs win their next two games, they will have clinched the one seed because they're two games up right now on the Bills. And the Bills obviously have the head to head tiebreaker. So the only way that you need, you need the Chiefs to play in that game in Week 18 and not rest starters. But the Bengals have a lot more life than they did 12 hours ago.

[PFT Commenter]

It's crazy. And obviously week 18 would be against the Steelers. That could be a tough game for him. I'm guessing the Steelers would still have something to play for, whether it's seating or whatever, but. Yeah. And don't get me wrong, the Bengals don't have any easy wins, regardless of. They've proven that they can. They can lose to anybody in heartbreaking fashion. But this schedule, it's not. It's not like the easiest schedule, but it does shake out about as good as you can hope for the Bengals right now.

[Big Cat]

You know what? It was going into this game, the Bengals needed either the Chargers or the Broncos to lose out. That was the only way they were going to get in. It was very much preferred for it to be the Broncos to lose this game because they play the Broncos.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

So they control a piece of their own destiny.

[PFT Commenter]

We said the 5%. That's a. That's a wrong number. Yeah, It's a fat 5%. What is that now?

[Big Cat]

8 12. 12 12.

[Max]

If they, like, they have to win out, basically, if they win this weekend, it's 12:12.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they have to win out. And again, they need the Chiefs to. To lose one of these two games.

[PFT Commenter]

But I put it at 19.

[Big Cat]

I need this because we. It feels like we haven't. We. It feels like one through six or. Yeah, one through six. One through five in both NFC and AFC have been set for a month and a half. Yeah, we need a little drama. We need a little something getting us juiced up for week 18 so that we have some games that are like, you know, whatever that Sunday night game is going to be week 18 to get us ready to go. So I. Yeah, I mean, this was. And I mean, the Broncos. I think the biggest issue for the Broncos was their defense just ran out of gas in the second half.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, the Chargers defense at the start was bad. They were getting gashed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, dude. Just run all over. And then it just flipped.

[PFT Commenter]

It flipped after the. The free dick.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the free dick. The free dick flipped the whole thing. But, yeah, it was. It was. The Broncos defense has been elite all year, and then in the second half, Justin Herbert went nuclear. And you now. It's just. It's hard to win in this league. Pft. Week to week, it's hard to win in this league. Holy shit. What did you just pull up?

[Max]

I don't. Memes is trying to tell me something. Like half the time he's back here, he's telling me to look things up that just don't make any sense.

[Hank]

But there's. There's a win by win calculator for the playoffs. I was trying to find that for the Bengals.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

It's like if they win versus Browns, it's 12%, but if they win versus Broncos, it could be 65%.

[PFT Commenter]

Got it. But every different website has their own metrics that go into it. They don't match that. The Bengals are like 14. One will say they're at 13.

[Hank]

I apologize.

[PFT Commenter]

The math. The math. They don't control their own destiny, but they. They. They basically do. Yeah, they basically do.

[Big Cat]

They basically do.

[PFT Commenter]

Because, I mean, if they win and then next week is the biggest game ever because it's between the two of them.

[Big Cat]

Ever created.

[PFT Commenter]

Ever created. And then. And then week 18, anything can happen.

[Big Cat]

Anything can happen. We all say that anything can happen, so. And Max, our Chargers. Our Chargers need the Steelers to. The Chargers getting the six seed and the Steelers getting a three is where you have a real chance. Because I don't think the Chargers. The Chargers, listen, I thought they were cooked after that first quarter and a half. They get off the mat. Their defense is still like taking a big step back in the last. I don't know, whatever. It's been six weeks. But if they can just get into that dance and have one matchup that, you know, I think they could beat the Steelers. I don't know if they could beat the Ravens. I don't. The death sentence is the seven seed, it feels like. But I'll tell you what, the Buffalo Bills, if they get the two seed, the last team they want to see is the Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah, that's the only that, like you. You don't. Because that's the Bengals. The crazy thing about the Bengals is they can't stop anyone. But if you get in a shootout with the Bengals, like, anything can happen.

[PFT Commenter]

Their season has made no sense. This would just continue that trend and make it make even less sense.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Chargers look good. Chargers fought back well. Oh, I'll admit that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

I still don't look like a good team in the second half.

[PFT Commenter]

Physical team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And J.K. dobbins should be back maybe next week, which that has been the big issue is that their run game has not looked good. I mean, even tonight, if you take out Gus Edwards 43 yard run. He was running. I think he ran like 13 times for 20 yards. Yeah. So they. They still have not been able to. J.K. dobbins on track to return from iron next week against the Patriots. Yeah. This is fun. I love football. Do you guys want to do just real quick any Any. Any game you love in college football. I know we talked about on Sunday or, sorry, Wednesday, but we do have the College Football Playoff. I'm so excited for Indiana Notre Dame.

[PFT Commenter]

That's the one I'm excited for.

[Big Cat]

So excited for that game.

[PFT Commenter]

It's JMU versus Notre Dame.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Can't wait.

[Big Cat]

And I am, actually. I mean, like, I'm. Listen, I'm excited for all the games. I'm. I think I'm equally as excited to see Tennessee, Ohio State just because I just don't like what is Ohio State right now. I feel like we'll know within the first five minutes. And I'm. I'm. I'm dying to find out, like, where their head's at.

[Memes]

It's also just that that game is guaranteed great takes after no matter what.

[PFT Commenter]

Correct.

[Memes]

Because Ohio State and Tennessee fans, like, one way or the other, there's going to be a nuclear reaction.

[PFT Commenter]

They're so mad at each other already, too. It feels like they're already. The fans are already playing the game.

[Big Cat]

I also, I'm starting to fall in love with possibly betting a large amount on Penn State on Saturday because like all the talk about Indiana, Notre Dame, all the talk about Tennessee, Ohio State, this is. This could be. This couldn't be less of a big game at all for Penn State.

[Max]

Everyone loves Penn State.

[Big Cat]

This is where James Franklin shines, though. 11am or noon Eastern. But that, like, no one's talking about Penn State. Smu. This is basically. This is Penn State bringing in a Mac team.

[PFT Commenter]

Counterpoint. It is big. Noon Saturday.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I'm actually. That might be a big SMU's. I've loved SMU and a whiteout. I don't.

[PFT Commenter]

They made it a big game by making it a whiteout.

[Big Cat]

And I'm saying a lot of this tongue in cheek, because the takes, if we want to talk about takes.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Penn State lost that game. The takes.

[Memes]

But it'll get drowned.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I guess. No Hanks. Right. If Ohio State loses, the takes will get drowned.

[Big Cat]

The. Yes. But. But Penn State losing SMU would be. Take city. Take city, usa. What do you got, Max?

[Max]

I thought we were getting a snow game for a second, but it'll be a high of 27 at State College on Saturday. It's going to be cold. It's going to be the fellas from Dallas.

[PFT Commenter]

From Dallas. The Atlantic Coast Conference.

[Big Cat]

We played in the cold, man.

[PFT Commenter]

We was cold.

[Big Cat]

He was cold.

[Memes]

So who do you got Saturday?

[Big Cat]

Which game?

[Memes]

Oh, just win. Just winners.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, so I honestly think that Notre Dame's probably going to win, but I. I really want Indiana to win.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I got Penn State.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I got Texas. I got Tennessee.

[Big Cat]

I got, I think the same. I had Texas. Texas. I have Texas circled as my possibly.

[PFT Commenter]

Blowout game 125 upset. Happens every year.

[Big Cat]

That's true. Hank, you had a tweet earlier this week.

[PFT Commenter]

This is a good segment where you.

[Big Cat]

Hank, had a tweet.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Where you said, the Winston Churchill documentary. No, that wasn't it. Are you watching one? Yeah. Give it to us real quick. 60 seconds.

[Memes]

Super interesting. Really, really interesting guy. Great war documentary on Netflix.

[PFT Commenter]

Was he a good guy?

[Memes]

He. Yeah. Cared about. Good.

[Big Cat]

Was he a fat guy?

[Memes]

Love to drink. Love to smoke.

[Big Cat]

Started every day with a drink and a smoke.

[Memes]

Yeah. Loved war.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

But for good. For the good. For the good guys.

[Big Cat]

Love the cigar and a side of war.

[Memes]

Stood. Stood. Stood on business.

[PFT Commenter]

That's right.

[Big Cat]

Be big time.

[PFT Commenter]

Get goddamn right.

[Memes]

Got kind of cucked.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Stood on business.

[Memes]

Usa. And.

[PFT Commenter]

And I saw Stalin. I saw a stat today. It was like a survey that was. Was done of, I think, European people. And it said, which country do you give the most responsibility to for winning World War II? And number one, I think, was England. Number two was the United States. Number three was, I think, France. That was tied with the USSR with Russia. Yeah. It's crazy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Sorry.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, no, that's good. I like that. No, you said you've been on a heater and your brain says that one of these teams is going to have an upset this weekend. You just got to figure out which one. So have you figured out which one?

[Memes]

Indiana and Clemson are the two horses I'm riding.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Memes]

I think the weather. I think the big. I think the weather. It's Big Ten weather. It's tough to go against Penn State and Ohio State.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Memes]

I think Indiana's got a shot and I think Clemson has a real shot.

[PFT Commenter]

Because Indiana's Big Ten. Notre Dame's not.

[Big Cat]

What do you like about Clemson?

[Memes]

Championship coach. Championship DNA. Texas kind of chokers. A lot of hype.

[Big Cat]

Clemson's been. I mean, they've not been good against anyone. Good.

[PFT Commenter]

Championship DNA, though.

[Memes]

It's. Again, I don't know a lot about football, but you do not agree that there's going to be. They're all big fans.

[Big Cat]

No, you're right.

[Memes]

There's gonna be at least one. I'm gonna bet on two. Unless Indiana wins, and I might not.

[PFT Commenter]

Then it's like the upset already happened. Yeah.

[Max]

We got to start thinking about it in, like, March Madness terms. Of like the team that got hot to win and get in and then they had the winning.

[Big Cat]

Definitely not how we have to start thinking about it.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, no, that's a good point. Like they came out of nowhere. Won their conference championship tournament.

[Max]

The one. The whole thing.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

Only way that they were going to be able to get in.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Max]

And then they play the team that lost a bit. Heartbreaker.

[PFT Commenter]

Stole a bid from a blue blood in Alabama.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Got left off the bubble.

[Memes]

But Texas goes down early. Like the pressure, like they're gonna. They might collapse.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's true. Okay, we got anything else?

[PFT Commenter]

Congratulations to the 2024 Low Man Trophy award winner. It's Tyler Crowe from Boise State.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That huge, well, well deserving award going to Tyler Crowe.

[Big Cat]

I'm happy Boise State got some hardware.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I mean, some would say. I heard some people online saying, Ashton Genty system running back.

[Big Cat]

Not us.

[PFT Commenter]

Not us.

[Big Cat]

Not us.

[Memes]

People are also accusing you of trolling and low. Of trolling.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no.

[Big Cat]

He. He blocked for the best running back in college football.

[Memes]

And I don't think they realize the committee.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, the committee is made up of mostly fullbacks. Like the best fullbacks of all time on the committee.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And then we have Hank and Tom Frelli, Liam Blutman, you got your Brandon Walkers, you got your big cat and PFTs. But it's 90% fullbacks that watch and care.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He literally blocked for Ashton. Jenny having a season we've never seen before.

[PFT Commenter]

So maybe the best college football season of all time.

[Big Cat]

He deserved it. So.

[PFT Commenter]

And he's got a great mullet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Fantastic.

[Big Cat]

And we're get to watch him in the playoffs.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Low man award winner in the playoffs.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that representation for all you youngsters at home.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, let's kick it to ourselves. We got weekend Preview for week 16, then we have coach Jon Gruden in studio and then fyre fest of the week. Okay, before we get to our weekend preview, we're presented by game time. Game time is focused on togetherness. This holiday season, when you bring people together at live events, the experience is that much better. And it's the perfect gift. You know how much we love game time. Now with their brand new game time picks feature, they're making it even easier to get to a game. Game time picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. We're looking at tickets, Hank. What do we got?

[Memes]

Lions fans, if you want to Come see your team before the playoff run in Chicago. You can get in for cheap. Only $127.

[Big Cat]

$27. Go come to soldier Field. Watch the Lions probably beat the Bears. Just pull up your chosen event and turn on the GT pick setting at the top of the screen. Or browse the best local game time picks deal near you on your GameTime app homepage. What are you waiting for? Buy those Bears Lions tickets for Sunday on with GameTime Picks. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app account and use code PMT for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again. Create an account, redeem code PMT or use code PMT for $20 OFF. Download the game time app today. What time is it? Game time. Okay, boys, week 16. We're here. We got a few teams still. Still fighting for those playoff spots. We got Saturday football, which was news to Hank. Saturday football.

[PFT Commenter]

They're doing Saturday football so that they can get the teams that are playing on Christmas.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

An extra day rest.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

Which is very nice of Roger Goodell.

[Big Cat]

Three games in 11 days.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you, sir.

[Big Cat]

Is insane. Okay, let's start with it. Saturday football. Texans and Chiefs. Chiefs minus three and a half over under 42 and a half. All lines on DraftKings sportsbook is Patrick Mahomes the new Big Ben.

[PFT Commenter]

He just bounced back. He's not even on the injury report anymore.

[Big Cat]

Now, I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

We kind of predicted, we said that he has the ability to just not be injured.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I don't know if he's the full new Big Ben because he doesn't milk the injuries. He just gets horrifically injured. In the moment. We all say, oh, my God, the season's over. This sucks. No more Patrick Mahomes. And then he just is fully fine. The next play.

[PFT Commenter]

His tendons, they bend in a weird way and then just snap back into place.

[Big Cat]

Longevity. It's a serious thing. He's. I mean, it's pretty insane that he was full participant in practice. People were thinking the high ankle sprain. Either that or they just have the greatest training staff of all time.

[PFT Commenter]

They could.

[Big Cat]

Which absolutely could be the case. Absolutely could be the case. But Chiefs at Texans. I. I hate this Texans team. I'm not gonna lie. They're just. They're. They're tough to watch.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, they haven't beaten a team that's over 500 yet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So they're 0 and 2 to their credit. They haven't played a lot of teams that are over 500. Yeah, they've only played two.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But yeah, they, they don't seem like the same Texans from last year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So even last week in their win they had less than 200 yards against the DOL. I said, I was like, I feel like Joe Mixon is boomer bust. Well, I looked back at it and so Kansas city has the seventh ranked rush defense according to DVOA. Joe Mixon rushing. So last week he only had 23 yards which was. You'd think that he'd have more yards because the Dolphins have the 20th ranked rush defense. But he had 101 yards the week before against the Jaguars. That's the 21st ranked rush defense. He had 22 yards the week before that. So boom, bust against the Titans 9th ranked DVOA rush defense. Then 109 yards. Boom. Again against the Cowboys 28th ranked rush defense. And then 46 yards bust against the Lions with the 11th ranked defense. So anytime he's had to play a top 12 rush defense and again the Chiefs are seventh, he has been bused. And if the Texans can't run the ball, I really don't like this offense.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I, it's probably fair to say though that he had an injury in the first half last week.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's fine. Yeah. So that was the anomaly. But the other ones are very, you can very much say like, oh, he plays a rush defense that's 20th or worse. He's going to have over 100 yards. Oh, he plays one that's 10th or better, he's going to have under 30 yards. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The, the Texans defense is making. I was about to say they're making threats. They're actually pointedly not making threats against Patrick Mahomes.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

You see what Tim Settle said?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He said Mahomes better make a good decision. I ain't making no threats. I'm making promises. Promises.

[Big Cat]

That was just him playing or not.

[PFT Commenter]

Just saying he make a. He better make a good decision.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

On whether or not he can play, whether or not he's mobile enough to scramble. Carson Wentz also said that he's preparing as if he were the starter.

[Big Cat]

Please don't.

[PFT Commenter]

Good. Yeah. Carson. I mean I get good job saying the right thing to the press.

[Big Cat]

I guess I would imagine how that went is Andy Reid probably sack Carson Wentz down. Andy Reid was like, hey, Patrick's actually totally fine. It's not even an injury. He's full participant. So thank you for, you know, spot starting last week or coming into the game, but we're not going to need you to do Anything different this week? And he's just like, okay, coach, cool. I'm going to go prepare to be the starter. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But please don't. Please don't, don't.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He's like, no, no, no. I don't think you heard me. He's like, no, no, I got you. Prepare to be the starter.

[PFT Commenter]

I would love to see Carson Wentz doing the walk into the stadium, the fashion walk, what he would wear if he were thinking that he was going to be the starter. Because I actually think it would be more boring than if he were the backup. Yeah, I think he gets more boring the more relevant he gets.

[Big Cat]

I also think that Carson Wentz, like, you should want him to not prepare to be the starter because he's the type of guy, it feels like if you just like, hey, Carson, you're in. He might not have enough time to realize like, I'm Carson Wentz.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So the anxiety leading up to the game, if you told him he wouldn't sleep Friday, or I guess in this case, he wouldn't get sleep on Thursday or Friday night.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

So by the time he rolls up to the stadium, he's all nervous and lack of sleep.

[Big Cat]

And you don't want him all week standing in front of his mirror being like, I am Carson Wentz. Because then he'll slowly be like, wait, I. I am shit. I am Carson Wentz.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it crazy to think that if you gave Carson Wentz a different jersey with a different name on the back, if you named him Peter over my. Alton Seca over Meyer, Peter Overmeyer.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If it said Overmeyer on the back of his uniform, I would actually be like, let's see what this guy can do.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Does he.

[PFT Commenter]

We haven't seen this guy before.

[Big Cat]

If he scores a touchdown, will he put out a QR code for Madden codes?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but the wince. The wince on the back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the wince. What are you gonna say, Max?

[Max]

I think he's gonna cook.

[Big Cat]

Carson Wentz isn't playing.

[Max]

Well, if he were, I think.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's actually the safest thing you can say about.

[Big Cat]

I saw. I saw Max's face through the glass, and he. He had the face like he was about to eat a bunch of meatballs. He was just kind of like, nodding to himself.

[Jon Gruden]

Carson Wentz.

[Max]

I believe in Carson.

[PFT Commenter]

It was a big miss on our part when we were talking about the. The Colts recent history of sad, old, broken down quarterbacks. We left Carson Wentz off that. Yes. Our bad.

[Big Cat]

Big miss, big miss. I guess I liked the. The Chiefs in This game, but I. I don't know. Three and a half makes me nervous just because the Chiefs play every game to a field goal.

[PFT Commenter]

Is this. Is this the week, though? That's a surprise for us?

[Big Cat]

No, because, listen, the Chiefs have. They play the Texans, who are not bad. I'm not. I know I'm sounding down on the Texans. I just think it's weird because the Texans, I had. I had hoped for them this year to be maybe a Super bowl contender, and they've instead just slotted into, like, the traditional AFC south team that will lose in the playoffs because I just don't think their offense feels broken. So it's not that I don't think that, like, they're. They're not bad, and they could maybe win this game. But the Chiefs, they are two games up, right down the Bills. They play the Texans, then they play the Steelers in Pittsburgh, who might be coming off a loss to the Ravens. If the Chiefs drop one of these next two, they have to play their starters week 18.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So it's. It's not like. I know that they're in the driver's seat, but it's not completely. They got. They got to keep their. Their foot on the pedal.

[PFT Commenter]

They get the number one seat if they win and the Bills lose or tie or. Yeah, they. They get the number one seed with a Bills loss or tie or a tie and a Bills loss.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And I do. We mentioned DJ Humphries is out, so that's. That's bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that is bad.

[Big Cat]

So if I think it's gonna be ugly game because I think both defensive lines are going to dominate both offensive lines.

[PFT Commenter]

The Texans offense has been just so boring this year that it's. If this were the third year, if C.J. stroud had two great years to start his career, and then this happened in the third year, coming off two, like, disappointing playoff losses, then I would put some stock in the. Like, maybe they're saving something. Yeah, they're saving the wrinkles, the real stuff, for the postseason.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But year two, it's like something. Something is not the same.

[Big Cat]

It' just feels a little broken. Okay. Other Saturday game, Steelers at Ravens. Ravens minus six and a half over. Under is 45. TJ Watt and George Pickens look. Or TJ Watt looks like he's gonna play.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

George Pickens looks like he might play.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe.

[Big Cat]

Maybe.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe. T.J. i have a theory about T.J. watts injury.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think he was actually injured?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I think this could be an art of war Situation. If you watch the replay of it, it was like non contact kind of. He was like, he was pass rushing, but he didn't twist it. Nothing looks strange on it. They just started hopping. The game was already lost at that point. They know they have the Ravens next week. Sun Tzu, Art of War.

[Big Cat]

No, they're playing the Ravens right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. No.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No, at the time. Yeah, yeah, they know they have the Ravens next week. Sun Tzu, Art of War. Make your enemy think that you were weak when you were strong.

[Big Cat]

Start throwing out the 1 in 10 without TJ Watt stats.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Start.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Ridiculous.

[PFT Commenter]

Let people start thinking week of, of practice, maybe TJ's not going to be playing this week.

[Big Cat]

I don't hate it.

[PFT Commenter]

I, I, because I went back and I watched the injury a few times. I'm thinking maybe because, I mean, Mike Tomlin, when he talks, he sounds like he's the Art of War. Translated back and forth like three times from English to Chinese. English, Chinese back to English. It's just a theory I have. I think TJ will be fine.

[Big Cat]

I think TJ will be fine. I, I think George Pickens might play. He's been practicing a little bit. Yeah, I would love to see him play because we need more George Pickens in our life. Just a reminder because this is just a don't think, just bet game for me. As an underdog of four points or more versus the Ravens, the Steelers are 8, 0 against the spread in franchise history. And Lamar Jackson is one in four straight up. And oh, and five against the spread versus Mike Tomlin and the Steelers in his career. And then when these two teams play and the line is three or more points, the underdog is 23, 4 and 3 against the spread in this series in the last 20 years. Again, 23, 4 and 3 against the Spread. The underdog is three or more points. I just don't even since 2015, 16, 2 and 1 against the spread. The underdog of three or more points. Yeah, I mean this is just take the underdog.

[PFT Commenter]

So 18 times these two teams have played in the last 35 and it's been decided by three points or less.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's, it's always going to be like that when it's Ravens and Steelers. This is also Lamar Jackson's first time playing in front of fans at home against the Steelers.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Isn't that crazy?

[Big Cat]

He's been injured like because you would.

[PFT Commenter]

Think that they've seen each other a few times at this point, but yeah, he's been injured, had butt stuff, and then Covid. There were no fans.

[Big Cat]

Wait, what happened last year?

[PFT Commenter]

Let's see. 2023.

[Big Cat]

Did he. Lamar's been insane. I know that there's a. Obviously there's going to be an MVP debate. I think the only thing that bothers me, I think both, Both guys, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, like, their numbers are just insane. And Lamar's Numbers, I mean, 34 touchdowns and three interceptions is nuts. It will just come down to I, I think Lamar might win it just because he plays two standalone games.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And that's all this award ends up coming down to.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe. I, I don't know. I feel like Josh Allen's been so good in big games, though.

[Jon Gruden]

Agreed.

[Big Cat]

But. But it's the amount of big games. Like, I think Josh Allen plays the Bills, the Dog plays the Patriots. Or, sorry, the Patriots. Sorry, the Patriots. The Jets. The Patriots. Yeah, that's. Whereas Lamar Jackson plays the Steelers on Saturday and then he plays against the Texans on Christmas Day. So that it's just all narrative. Except for us. I think it should be Josh Allen. But I also understand this award becomes narratives. We talk about it with Jon Gruden, but, like, remember last year?

[Memes]

That's not a thing.

[Big Cat]

No, we, I mean, it's, you know, it's more, more in the NFL, they do the narratives. We don't do the narratives.

[PFT Commenter]

Has either one of them had a Heisman moment?

[Big Cat]

Josh did.

[Memes]

Lasting catching and rushing.

[PFT Commenter]

The Pat. Yeah, I'd say the, the run that he had was a couple weeks ago against that zone defense. 50 yard touchdown run. That was a big one. Lamar. I mean, if he can beat the Steelers at home. Because I, I looked it up last year. It was Tyler Huntley.

[Big Cat]

Oh, he missed that game.

[PFT Commenter]

It was Snoop. That's.

[Big Cat]

I forgot that he missed the game last year. That guy, he won the mvp.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, that game got Tyler Huntley into the Pro Bowl.

[Big Cat]

That was two years ago, I think when he finished the season for Lamar.

[PFT Commenter]

2023. Yeah. Right. Because it was January 1st.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

2023.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So. Oh, yeah. I'm just going to take the underdog. Also, this was a. I love when athletes give just honest quotes and they don't do, like the cliche. Cornerback for the Steelers, James Pierre was asked what the key is to tackling. Who? His cousin. His cousin's Lamar Jackson said, what's the key to tackling him? And he said, ain't no key. He's crazy. That guy's crazy. That's. Lamar is crazy. He's having an Insane. Insane. Statistical season. Yes. Right now. Josh Allen's my son. I want Josh to win. I'm just saying how these things work. He's got. Lamar's got two standalone games and Josh has zero.

[PFT Commenter]

I think the narrative, though, of Lamar winning two years in a row.

[Big Cat]

True.

[PFT Commenter]

Could swing it to Josh.

[Big Cat]

And Josh got dinged last year because his team's record wasn't as very good. Now his team's record is better than Lamar, although Lamar did beat them head to head. We'll see. We'll see.

[PFT Commenter]

I think if you did a blind resume right now. Can we do that? Max, can you pull up blind resume for Lamar and Josh? How would I.

[Max]

How would I do that?

[PFT Commenter]

If you just. If you just showed us yards passing.

[Max]

Oh, you want me to like, like, make. Make a graphic?

[PFT Commenter]

We can do what?

[Memes]

I think Lamar hasn't.

[Jon Gruden]

Pete.

[Big Cat]

Normal. Solve them.

[PFT Commenter]

Not touch. Not rushing touchdowns.

[Big Cat]

Not rushing touchdowns.

[PFT Commenter]

I think a lot of the other.

[Big Cat]

Ones you want me to like.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm just curious.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we don't do narratives. Yeah, we don't do narratives, but also don't do it like. Well, don't do it. If. Just. Just search on Twitter, Lamar versus Josh. They probably. Someone did it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's actually not true. So if we did blind narratives during college football season, I think we also would have said the guy that has stats at wide receiver and cornerback. Yeah, that would have been an easy blind resume.

[Big Cat]

We don't do narratives. No, I still. Are you guys still getting some residual.

[PFT Commenter]

Ash and Genti heat a little bit.

[Big Cat]

I have a couple people who are just hanging on. I kind of respect him at this point. Yeah, it's like a week later. Can't change it. And I'll just tweet, you know, like, oh, what a trick play in this bowl game. They'd be like, fuck you for the ashen Genti hate.

[PFT Commenter]

But guess what?

[Big Cat]

Okay. I respect Tip my cap.

[PFT Commenter]

Boise State wins the national championship. You can then thank us for.

[Big Cat]

For giving the Bullets and the motivation. I mean, this is going to take you forever, Max. And we're about to talk about the Commander's Eagles. Yeah, go for it. Go for it.

[Max]

This. That stress. I couldn't do it.

[Big Cat]

One thing to note, and this is something the Ravens like, if you're looking for holes in this Ravens team, obviously their secondary hasn't been great, but they've gotten a little better defensively. They are through week 15, they are dead last in penalties against. They're dead last in penalty yards against. They're dead last in penalties per Game. They're dead last in penalty yards per game. They're the most penalized team and it's not even close. And that feels significant, especially when you're going to play in these tight games in late December and early January.

[PFT Commenter]

What do we think about Deontay Johnson with the Ravens? Him and the Ravens have mutually agreed to excuse him from playing.

[Big Cat]

That seems like the correct thing to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Being mutually excused.

[Big Cat]

I think he had like five targets total as a Raven.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So it's been. Hasn't been great. Has not been great. Okay, Eagle. Hank, let us know if there's any hungry dogs that you've seen.

[Memes]

I love the Ravens.

[Big Cat]

You do?

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that makes me nervous because you're a dog guy.

[Memes]

I'm a dog guy.

[Big Cat]

Okay, Eagles at commanders. Commanders plus three and a half over under 45 and a half. I'll let you guys take away. I just had a question for Max first. Okay, Max, are you worried at all about the curse of Jim Kelly? Please explain the curse of Jim Kelly. Are you worried at all about the curse of Jim Kelly?

[Max]

I don't know what that is.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so the curse of Jim Kelly is a curse that just hit the Internet. Dan Mitchell posted it at real Dan Mitchell and essentially it's any quarterback that goes to a Super bowl and loses their first one never goes back to the Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts did that. Are you worried about the curse of Jim Kelly?

[Max]

There's a week by week league. I'm worried about the Commanders.

[PFT Commenter]

You're worried?

[Big Cat]

I'm just saying.

[Max]

Are you focused on the command?

[Big Cat]

Pft. Do you think he should be worried about the curse of Jim Kelly?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm focused on the curse of Jim Kelly.

[Big Cat]

Do you understand the curse of Jim Kelly. Since Jim Kelly played again, lost his four Super Bowls, any quarterback that has gone to a Super bowl as their first time going to the super bowl and lost it never went back.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'm focused on it.

[Big Cat]

Stan Humphries, Neil O'Donnell, Drew Bledsoe, Chris Chandler, Steve McNair, Kerry Collins, Rich Gannon, Jake Delome, Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselback, Rex Grossman. All these guys are 0 and 1 and stayed Owen 1 for lifetime. Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff.

[Max]

You're telling me that can never win a Super Bowl?

[Big Cat]

I didn't say that. I said, are you worried about the curse of Jim Kelly?

[Max]

That's crazy stat.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy. Stat.

[Max]

That's a nerd.

[Big Cat]

That's Shout out. Real damn Mitchell.

[PFT Commenter]

Until the recent updates to that list. It's not great quarterbacks on that list.

[Big Cat]

No, that's true.

[PFT Commenter]

But recently, I'd say in the last.

[Big Cat]

But still, even. Like Sam Newton and Matt Ryan.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Like he never went back.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Max, I'll tell you this. I'm worried. I'm worried about the Eagles. I think you guys might stomp us.

[Max]

There's always the opportunity.

[PFT Commenter]

No. What does that mean?

[Max]

Like, there's always the opportunity of a whopping.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I think it is going to be whopping.

[Big Cat]

Pft. Can I. Can I give you a positive for this game?

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

You guys have the good vibes going because you had both of your kickers missed practice. Not as a couple, separately. They both were expecting children.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That's what's crazy is, like, it's been. It's been a crazy year. Things turned around in D.C. and it's so good that our kickers are fucking.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Zayn, Gonzalez, Joseph.

[PFT Commenter]

Both. Both our kickers are having sex.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's crazy.

[Big Cat]

Again, not together. We weren't having a baby together.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, we don't know that.

[Big Cat]

That's true.

[PFT Commenter]

Love is love.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's good vibes. Things. Things tend to be positive after a win. You go back and you look at some good things that happened in the first half last week. Hopefully our center's back, because if we have that same offensive line that we had last week.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Eagles are going to tee off.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Get ready to tee off, buddy.

[Big Cat]

So, Max, talk us through this. Are you, like, what's the vibes going to be like on. On. Because this is for the NFC east, correct?

[Max]

No.

[Big Cat]

Well, if you win it, you clinch, correct? Correct.

[Max]

But the way you said that, I thought you meant, like, the winner takes the nfc.

[Big Cat]

Well, no, you win, you win.

[PFT Commenter]

You get.

[Max]

We win, we get. But we just have to win one of the last three.

[PFT Commenter]

You lock it up.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah, but, I mean, it'd be nice to lock up the NFC. Yeah. Home, playoffs.

[Memes]

This is for the NFCs.

[Big Cat]

This is for the NFC.

[Max]

This is for this Eagles to win the NFC.

[PFT Commenter]

This is for a home game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

This is.

[Big Cat]

You don't want to come in the link.

[PFT Commenter]

This is me. This is to make somebody come into Philly.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

No, you don't want to do that.

[PFT Commenter]

No, you don't want to do that.

[Big Cat]

You don't want to make anyone go to Philly.

[Max]

No, they all.

[Memes]

No one wants to go.

[Big Cat]

No, you don't want to make anyone go to Philly under the Eagles have.

[Max]

Lost one game at home this year, and it was the game that I attended. But that's neither here nor there.

[PFT Commenter]

What happened in that game?

[Max]

You Saquon dropped the ball and then we gave Kirk.

[PFT Commenter]

Kirk Cousins too much time in the club.

[Big Cat]

Imagine if you guys had won that game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Oh, we would be.

[PFT Commenter]

You'd already have the division.

[Max]

But then again, we also shouldn't have won the Saints game, and we did win that game. So that's why I keep going back to. Of like, I can't believe we lost that game, but then I also can't believe we won the Saints game.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So, Max, I. I think that this is prime for a whopping for the following reasons. One, our offensive line did not look good at all last week against, like, a mediocre Saints defense. Two, it feels like every position on your team except for quarterback. And maybe Terry McLaurin is better for the Eagles.

[Max]

Who is Terry McLaren better than?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he's having a great year.

[Max]

Gun to your head right now. You're A.J. brown, Terry McLaren. Who do you take?

[Big Cat]

Be careful. PFT is going to catch.

[PFT Commenter]

Gun to my head this year. Right now.

[Big Cat]

Be careful. I'm saying right Now, I. Terry McLaurin has 11 touchdowns. He's had a great year.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Fantastic year.

[Big Cat]

Who's having.

[PFT Commenter]

Max, who's having the better year? A.J. brown or Terry McClure?

[Max]

Who's the better football player?

[PFT Commenter]

Who's the better person and teammate?

[Big Cat]

Brown, I think you want who's the better person.

[PFT Commenter]

But aside from the quarterback position, I just want to put some respect on Terry's name because he should get respect. He's got like a thousand yards and in every season since he's been in the league, basically. And yeah, he just doesn't get talked about.

[Big Cat]

Terry McClure over Devonte Smith.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. National sports podcast. Terry McLaren deserves all the accolades, but besides the position of quarterback, I don't think we have a single advantage over you guys.

[Max]

Even that is tight. What, at this point of their career? The quarterback position.

[PFT Commenter]

You said many times this year that you would take if I.

[Max]

That is out of context. If you had to. If you had to take a position.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

Going forward with contracts involved.

[PFT Commenter]

Gun to your head.

[Max]

You would take Jaden Daniels over Jalen Hurts.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Well, we have. We have Jaden Daniels and his contract on our team right now.

[Big Cat]

You.

[Jon Gruden]

You're.

[Max]

You're just adding stipulations to this. Who is better?

[PFT Commenter]

All right. Outside the position quarterback. I don't think that we have anything that can. I'm trying to give you a compliment, Max.

[Max]

Thank you.

[PFT Commenter]

Outside the quarterback. I don't think that we have a position that is better on our side.

[Big Cat]

Kicker.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think so. I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Over 50 yards over. Your kicker made a 50 yarder this year.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, several. We've had.

[Big Cat]

Jake Elliott has not.

[Max]

I'm willing to get at this. See, at this point of their career. I'm willing to give you that one.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I reject Jake. When was the last time Jake Elliott.

[Big Cat]

Had a kid, let alone two?

[Max]

Great question.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We've had two for the price of one.

[Max]

But isn't that good? That's good for your kicking game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yes. It's a baby bump. What are we talking about?

[PFT Commenter]

I know for wide receivers it works. I don't know about kickers.

[Max]

We should get. We should do for your kicker.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. So, Max, that's why I'm saying I think that you guys are in a position to. To whomp.

[Max]

But it's the NFL. Anything can happen each.

[Big Cat]

Any given Sunday.

[Max]

Any given Sunday. You guys are at home.

[Big Cat]

I'm excited.

[Max]

Field. It'll probably be 50 Eagles fans in the stands.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. That's not true.

[Big Cat]

I'm. I'm excited.

[PFT Commenter]

No, it's not true.

[Max]

You know that's true.

[PFT Commenter]

We retook Raoul John, MD, this season.

[Max]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. We also do clinch a playoff berth. Hank. If we win and either a Falcons loss or tie and a Rams loss or tie. Or if we win and a Falcons loss or tie and a Seahawks loss or tie.

[Memes]

There you go.

[PFT Commenter]

That does involve the Falcons losing to the Giants, though, so.

[Big Cat]

And you also beating.

[PFT Commenter]

And also us beating the Eagles.

[Memes]

I think that's gonna. That's. We'll get to it.

[Big Cat]

Hungry dog. Wow.

[Max]

The Giants.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, the job. I thought you meant the command. No, no, no, no, no.

[Max]

Ask Hank about the Eagles.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank about the Eagles.

[Memes]

I. I had a big gambling day on. On Sunday and then I put a big bet on the packers. Won that. And then when we were doing the show, I was like, I want to put a bomb future down. And I put it on the Eagles. I almost. I have five grand on the Eagles, plus 450.

[Big Cat]

That. That. I almost.

[Memes]

That would be the biggest bet I've ever won.

[Big Cat]

I almost did that mean thing, but I decided not to do it. Max down so bad. I almost did the mean thing.

[Memes]

You should have.

[Big Cat]

I could still do it.

[Max]

What's the mean thing?

[Memes]

Maybe. See, after this weekend, I'll just say.

[Big Cat]

I was going to do? I was going to put a 20K future on the Eagles at the DraftKings sportsbook in Wrigleyville and then send an email to the whole company and say, this is getting split evenly between everyone at the company under the only stipulation, if the Eagles lose, you have to blame Max. Personally. I didn't do it, though. I didn't do it.

[Max]

I. You know what? I'm willing to. I. I would. I'd be willing to take that risk.

[Memes]

That's the spirit.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's go. But then that would be literally like every single, like, Nicky smokes would be like, what the fuck?

[Max]

Everyone but Nicki smoke.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no, no. It's all or nothing.

[Max]

He would be such a. About it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I. Hank, I would just basically weaponize everyone in the office against you.

[Max]

There's a difference between Hank having. Having the future and you having the future. Because Hank is a winner, and I'm fired up to happen.

[Big Cat]

Travis Hunter, 200K, buddy.

[Max]

No. Super bowl winner. That guy. That guy.

[Big Cat]

Just. When was the last time you won a Super Bowl? Future.

[Max]

No.

[Big Cat]

Oh, winners. Okay. All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank.

[Big Cat]

Also, that's also been a while too.

[PFT Commenter]

The Commanders to win the Super Bowl.

[Memes]

That's true.

[Big Cat]

And one on the Bears.

[Memes]

No.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no, thanks. A winner.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So, Max, congratulations. I think you got this one in the bag this weekend.

[Max]

I disagree. It's away game. It's hard to win on the road in this league.

[Big Cat]

All right, well, I'm excited to watch you guys. Any stakes or. No?

[PFT Commenter]

I gotta get a perm.

[Memes]

Okay, so double.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, a double permit here. The problem with the perm bed is my hair is curly already. And so if I get a perm, it's like, oh, it just looks like he's wet.

[Max]

If I lose, I'll continue to have.

[Big Cat]

A broken foot deal.

[PFT Commenter]

If I lose, I will. I almost said something that I shouldn't have said, and I'm glad that I didn't say it.

[Big Cat]

Good.

[PFT Commenter]

Sometimes my mouth gets in front of my brain.

[Max]

I'm very happy you didn't say it.

[Big Cat]

Good job not saying it.

[PFT Commenter]

If. If the Commanders win, I'm gonna throw Max's wheelchair into the dumpster.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[Max]

Fine. I'm like, kind of walking now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you are kind of walking.

[PFT Commenter]

Basically walking.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Giants at falcons. Falcons minus eight and a half over under 42. I mean, Hank already buried the lead. He's going to take the Giants. But we should talk.

[PFT Commenter]

He gets his. His former. Go quarterback. The. The guy that got you in a college football playoff as a Husky Hank. Michael Penn turning your back on him.

[Big Cat]

So we taped on Tuesday in the afternoon, we said that you should maybe think about Michael Pennix. And it was announced later that day. Michael Pennix was at Costco about to get a $50 hot dog when he got the call. And he said he wasn't hungry anymore after learning of the news.

[PFT Commenter]

Doom.

[Big Cat]

You got to still eat the hot dog.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I like that. I like that.

[Big Cat]

Also, Kirk Cousins called Michael Penix. Classy guy. He called him personally and he said, I like to shoot elephants in the room. So I thought I'd go and shoot one. Nick Nurse could learn something from that.

[Memes]

Poaching.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And Kirk Cousins, if that's the end of his career as the Falcons quarterback, he made $14.3 million per win, 7.1 million per start, 5.5 million per TD, $330,000 per completion. And also, Kirk Cousins, in his 14 games with the Falcons, $90 million guaranteed. Has the franchise record for most passing yards in a game.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty incredible.

[Big Cat]

Remember, he did that against also just.

[PFT Commenter]

Round of applause for Kirk Cousins. Agent.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Agent of the year. That's tremendous. He's always getting the bag. I don't think that we're going to see Kirk Cousins play another game. Game. I don't think this is the end for the Falcons. I don't think. Not probably not for the Falcons.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But he'll go somewhere else. I think he's definitely. He came back too soon from the Achilles.

[Big Cat]

And it's still just shows just how ridiculous it was that the Falcons did that. Signing Kirk cousins to $90 million guaranteed and then drafting Michael Penix two weeks later.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, one. One without the other. I mean, it turns out that it was a good move for them to draft Michael Penix.

[Big Cat]

Right. In a bad move.

[PFT Commenter]

A bad move to sign. It's like they instantly regretted having Kirk on their team.

[Big Cat]

Actually, it might be genius. You just go both options. So at least you have a good option.

[PFT Commenter]

You have a quarterback. Yeah, yeah. I mean, they were saying with Kirk, hopefully we won't be. So we'll be so good that we won't be in a position to draft a quarterback that we really, really like in the future. So we might as well get it right now. It ended up working out for him. So I like Michael Pennix. If you watch him when he. Especially his last year at Washington, he was just the most accurate quarterback that you've ever seen. Throwing outside the numbers, attacking the entire field. And he didn't take sacks, which is. That's going to be a big one for the Falcons.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So he, he got sacked I think like eight times or something over the course of the entire season last year.

[Big Cat]

He had a great offensive line too. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It was incredible. So yeah. Fun fact about Michael Penix. Same high school recruiting class as Justin Fields and Trey Lance is. Michael Penix is one day older than Trey Lance, I believe.

[Big Cat]

Oh wow.

[PFT Commenter]

So yeah, that stat will get thrown out there a lot because I think he started College in like 2018.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So I, I think he's going to do well. I think there's a perfect start for him against Giants team. That is so, so bad. And I'll say it because we got to every time there's some type of new change of quarterback for the Falcons. This guy to unlock Kyle Pitts.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, maybe.

[Big Cat]

Probably not.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe, probably not. I think he might be the guy to finally unlock Bijan.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And give us a problem. Yeah. But like you know what I'm saying.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We all say we want more Bijan in the game plan.

[Big Cat]

Need more Bijan.

[PFT Commenter]

Now he's gonna be, he's a lefty. So is that maybe Kyle Pitts just needs a left handed quarterback.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Kyle Trash was not. But yeah, but still I, I, it would be. I, I just like the idea of just Kyle Pitts existing for the next 15 years and every time there's any little change or like could unlock them.

[PFT Commenter]

I also love the story about him eating a Costco hot dog.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Michael Pennix just. Well, he didn't in the food court.

[Big Cat]

He's got to eat it. He didn't eat it.

[PFT Commenter]

Did he, did he order the hot dog and then sit down and he had the hot dog.

[Big Cat]

Did he put it, he was about to buy it and then he decided he got the call and said oh I'm not hungry anymore. Dude, you gotta, you, you don't have that dog in you. Literally.

[PFT Commenter]

Literally. Yeah, he was in line.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But maybe that's good for Falcons quarterbacks to not have any dogs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. True, true. Okay. Hank, you really are going to bet the Giants money line.

[Memes]

Yeah. There's not, there's not a lot on the board this week.

[Big Cat]

It is Drew Locke.

[Memes]

But did you know that it's basically just taking a gamble on a, on a rookie quarterback not performing well?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Which is, it's, it's definitely a somewhat of a coin flip but that's where my head's at.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do they do the Boomer Doom for the, for the hot dogs or is it just the double chocolate chunk cookie?

[Big Cat]

No, the chicken bake as well.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. But not for the hot dogs.

[Big Cat]

I don't.

[Memes]

I'm sure they have everything in Costco.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is up for grabs.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So they should do.

[Big Cat]

That's not the foundation of it. Of the Boomer Doom, though. That's chicken bacon, the double chuck chunk chocolate chip.

[PFT Commenter]

Got it. The giant secondary should get. They should be called the Legion of Doom.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Or the Legion of Boom. And they.

[PFT Commenter]

They do big hits if they're good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Real good. Okay. Lions and Bears. Bears 6 1/2 or. Sorry. Bears plus 6 1/2 over unders 48. The Bears have not won a football game since Jay Cutler got a DUI.

[PFT Commenter]

That's interesting.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

66 days since their last football win. Or 67, I believe. 62 days since he got DUI.

[Memes]

And it's like, even longer for on American soil. Right.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, because of the Jaguars.

[Big Cat]

No. Oh, yes.

[Memes]

Panthers.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

I think Panthers was before the Jaguars. What week was that? 6. I haven't won a football game in two months.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a long time. I don't know if you're gonna win this one.

[Big Cat]

No, probably not. No. We didn't make a bowl. You knew that. You're a piece of. What bowl game is Washington playing in?

[Memes]

I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

I'm a UNC guy.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you're a UNC guy.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What game are they playing?

[Memes]

Well, they got this new program, New Year.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

My only note was if the offense doesn't look good against this Lions defense, I'm going to get mad again.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

It's not prime time.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that's fair.

[Big Cat]

Prime time.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that's fair. You need to see something.

[Big Cat]

And Lions are outside. Lions aren't as good outside, so that's good. Did you guys see the report? Well, it wasn't a report or. Monroe said it himself. He was sick before the Bills game and he puked for the first time in his life. That's just a guy who's been living a way different life than everyone else who didn't go to college to be a professional athlete.

[PFT Commenter]

Does that mean he was never sick as a child? Does that mean that he's.

[Big Cat]

I think so.

[Memes]

Even conditioned. He never conditioned his entire life, which is. Makes sense.

[Big Cat]

But also, like, how old is Monroe? 25. Like, if you puke for the first time in your life at 25, are you like, oh, my God, am I dying? I've never had a bloody nose.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think.

[Memes]

Never had a panic attack.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that if 25 might have been the year that I puked the most.

[Big Cat]

No, I was. That. Mine was definitely, like, 20, because at 25.

[PFT Commenter]

One, I'm combining booze with also.

[Memes]

Yeah, 18.

[PFT Commenter]

That's when you start to get a little bit of acid reflux.

[Big Cat]

No, because. Yeah. College, freshman year. College also, like, I just. Yeah, I would. I would just puke, like, two times a weekend. No problem. Just every single weekend.

[PFT Commenter]

That's crazy to not puke.

[Memes]

Also, like, every time in my 20s when I was like, I'm gonna get in shape and then did a hard workout, I would puke. Yeah, because you are super out of shape.

[Big Cat]

Out of shape. I. I also want to say that, like, I. I think that I was always. I hated how you would get shamed if you puked in college. If you can bounce back, I don't think you should get shamed. I think it's your. What. What happens after if you puke and then you're like, oh, my. I gotta go to bed. I'm so drunk. No, no. I would just puke because I needed more room.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. If you can puke and rally, that shows the ability to handle adversity.

[Big Cat]

Puking for me, you don't know if.

[PFT Commenter]

Amon Ra can handle adversity. Is he a. We don't know.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Puking for me in college was just like. What's the woman's name? Marie Kondo. I was just moving furniture around in my stomach.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That. That 23rd.

[Memes]

Love it or let it go.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I don't love this anymore. I'm gonna let it go.

[PFT Commenter]

It did not spark joy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So you got rid of it. It. Yeah, That's. That's concerning to me. To me, it's more of a red flag.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. The Lions probably should win by easily because the Bears are dead.

[PFT Commenter]

You guys beat him last year, though, right?

[Big Cat]

We beat him last year at home. We almost beat him on Thanksgiving if it weren't for the timeout. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No, David Montgomery is a real issue. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Big time. Big time issue. Okay. Browns at Bengals. Bengals minus eight and a half over under 47. This is my circle quarterback game. Joe Burrow or DTR.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I was just hoping for Jameis against the Bengals defense. Hey, I was. I was looking forward to that. Now we can always say, like, imagine. Imagine what would have happened if Jameis started this game.

[Big Cat]

Speed bump. That's what he called it.

[PFT Commenter]

Good.

[Big Cat]

It's just speed bump. It's another speed bump for him to deal with in his career. And he's going to continue pursuing his dream and another team Better give him an opportunity, Bengal. I just. We need the Bengals to stay. We're taping this before Thursday Night Football because I guess it doesn't matter if Broncos or Chargers lose. One of the teams going to lose. And the Bengals can spin it either way, but they do get to play the Broncos next week. I just like the Bengals still having something to play for.

[PFT Commenter]

Look, I get that Jameis gave you some headaches. I understand that. Jameis throws. He throws interceptions. That's what he does. He threw some pick sixes, but he fixed the pick 6 problem and only threw interceptions in the red zone after that. What else do you want him to do? DTR is bad is not the answer.

[Big Cat]

He's not a quarterback.

[PFT Commenter]

His only winner was a 13:10 game against the Steelers last year.

[Big Cat]

He's worse than DeSean.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's not. It's not going to be better. You're not going to watch and be like, thank God we made that change.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

We look like we're cop. James can get. He can get you up and down the field. He just might not finish the drives in the end zone.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

So do you want your guys to have stat. Do you care about your receivers having stats?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Jerry. Judy, if you want to improve your Madden rating.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

You're going to want Jameis throwing you the ball.

[Big Cat]

This is. It's a. It's a classic situation of being like, we got to see what we got with the young guy. No, we don't. We've seen it. We know what we got with the young guy. He's bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Like dtr. No.

[Big Cat]

Awesome college quarterback. Loved betting on him at ucla. No. Not an NFL quarterback.

[PFT Commenter]

So if you look at the two. Joe Burrow, dtr.

[Big Cat]

Circle one.

[PFT Commenter]

DTR and dtf. Yeah, I'm taking dtf.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Easy. You know, this is my circle quarterback game. I had that last week. Mac Jones or Aaron Rodgers.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Circle one. Okay. Titans at Colts. Colts minus three and a half over under 40. Two and a half. The Titans. The Tennessee Titans are two and 12 against the spread. That is remarkable.

[PFT Commenter]

Good for them.

[Big Cat]

Two and 12 against the spread. We also had Brian Callahan. I kind of like the Titans this week. Just because Mason Rudolph and Brian Callahan had to answer to the questions about his team being soft. And he said, I think it's complete and total. That means you just don't watch this. You can shove that right up your ass. I love that.

[PFT Commenter]

I loved it.

[Big Cat]

My.

[PFT Commenter]

When I first heard it, I was like, good for him. But also, who called the Titan soft? I don't think we've ever said the Titans were soft. Did we?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I don't know who did either. Bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Is that discourse that's being had out there? Yeah. They're bad football teams.

[Big Cat]

They're really bad.

[PFT Commenter]

They're 2 and 11 against the spread. They're a bad football team. They're boring. We didn't say that they're boring. Yeah, but I don't think we ever said that they were soft.

[Big Cat]

A bummer.

[PFT Commenter]

He also said that teams know that they just played them when they get done with the games.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because they win.

[PFT Commenter]

Because. Yeah, well, they win.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. They're like, oh, we won.

[PFT Commenter]

No, but he was saying it like, they remember. They remember that. That's. That's the Titans we just played against. No, they left an impact. I would say that it's the opposite where you want teams to not be able to remember who you are because you just knocked the. Out of them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Where they're confused after the game.

[Big Cat]

Also, I. I think that really is like, they, like, the Jaguars played the Titans two weeks ago, and they knew they played the Titans because they're like, holy, we just won a game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That was crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

When we come off the field, they know they just played us.

[Memes]

Make them remember forever. Remember the Titans, the day they played the Titans.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. This game stinks, though.

[PFT Commenter]

So in the NFL script, it's always that Mason Rudolph is going to get a start before Christmas. Right. Like, legally. They had to do that just so that people could make jokes about it.

[Big Cat]

Do we think that I. I need Jonathan Taylor to run with. If he scores a touchdown? Run with the ball all the way back to the bench.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So my. My fix to that as a coach would be to tell my running back all my players, if you score a touchdown at this point, I'll take. I'll take the excess excessive celebration penalty.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do whatever you want in the end zone. I don't give it. Act like it's a gun and then go around and execute every single player on the defense. Do whatever. I'll take the flag. Just don't. But you have to have the ball in your hand.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Something like AI or drone program needs to figure out a way like where, you know, it's almost like running with a grenade. And if you drop it in a certain zone, it will actually blow up in training camp.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Live ammunition.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I don't mind that.

[Big Cat]

If you drop the football in this zone, maybe there's a landmine that only is activated with balls at the goal line. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You Set up? Well, because no, if it was like an invisible fence, then it would every time a player has ball, because they do this in training camp anyways. Every run that they have, finish every run, get to the end zone. So you set like a 15 second timer of explosive inside the grenade, and you have to cross the goal line with the ball for it to be deactivated.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, someone figured that out. Someone figured that out. Okay, before we get to the next game, because we had a lot to talk about in the next game, we are brought to you by our friends at Shake Shack. Hank, what do we got? What do we got? We got Shake Shack. Let's go. So, Shake Shack, this month, they're doing the holiday burger blitz. Shake Shack's holiday Burger blitz is still going on strong, and today is a free burger. We've all been waiting for the seasonal black truffle. Truly the MVP that's only around for a limited time. So go get the Shake Shack today to not only try it, but get it for free with a $10 minimum purchase terms apply. All you have to do is use code Burger Blitz. Tis the season for free Shake Shack burgers. Go visit your local Shake Shack or order online for the holiday Burger Blitz promotion from 1216 to 1224. Code Burger Blitz. When you spend $10 plus terms apply. We love Burger Blitz. We love blitzes. We love burgers. Tell you what, you throw a burger blitz at dtr, that's gonna be an interception. Boom. I got your Shake Shack burger. Max and memes talk a little about burgers while I take a bite.

[Max]

I love Shake Shack. It's one of my favorite burgers. I. I think my favorite thing at Shake Shack is the Shack stack. You got the patty and then you got the fried mushroom with the cheese inside with the shack sauce.

[Big Cat]

It's so good.

[Max]

I'm a big fan of the shack stack at Shake Shack.

[Hank]

I'm a huge fan of burgers. Fries are good. Can't go wrong with Shake Shack.

[PFT Commenter]

It's awesome. It's really good. Their shakes are great. It's milkshake season. I don't care. Some people. Some people say, don't drink a milkshake if it's cold outside. I think it almost tastes better.

[Max]

I will also say Shake Shack's fries travel better than other fry. They stay crispy. I don't understand how they do it. They still stay crispy even at. Even after you bring them home in the car. And all that jazz.

[Big Cat]

Facts.

[PFT Commenter]

All that jazz.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right, we're good to go. Thank You Shake Shack Burger blitz. Go check it out. Memes.

[Hank]

A lot to talk about this game.

[Big Cat]

Rams and jets. Jets plus three overrunners 46 and a half memes. Have you been on the Internet today?

[Hank]

On and off.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you do any reading?

[Hank]

Read some headlines?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you read anything below the headline?

[Hank]

I read some things below the headline.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so what did we read? What did we learn today?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, what have we, what have we learned?

[Hank]

That the Johnson family names their kids after erections.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah, Woody, hold on, hold on.

[PFT Commenter]

But they get harder.

[Big Cat]

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Hank]

Woody and Bray.

[Big Cat]

I don't want, I don't want to say anything bad about Brooke. Brick. Brick and who's the other one?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, Woody.

[Big Cat]

Okay, yeah, but Woody. But who's the other son?

[Hank]

Brick.

[Big Cat]

Brick and Woody. What is that?

[Hank]

I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Whatever. Just I don't want to say anything bad about the sun because there was a report that came out today that essentially the, the Johnson sons might be influencing decision makings at the NFL level. And I just want to say these kids, what like 17, 18 year old kids in New Jersey, I think they're in college. College kids from New Jersey. Maybe an SEC school, 50, 50 chance they're awls.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd say higher.

[Big Cat]

We might be shadow GMs of the new York Jets. Our decision making might be influencing the New York Jets. So I'm standing with Brick. I actually do whatever you want, bro.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that, that the problem is that Brick doesn't have enough power. Yeah, I feel like he's being limited. Like one day he will own the Jets. The way that teams get passed down, I feel like Brick, it's time to just unleash full Brick. If I, I, I'm fully Brick.

[Big Cat]

I can't wait till next year when James gets announced the the starting quarterback for the jets. And Woody Johnson's like, we thought he was going to be a perfect bridge quarterback to win a Super bowl. And we're just like, oh shit. That's exactly what memes said. Yeah, but yeah, the report came out a lot of dysfunction in New Jersey. A lot of dysfunction. It starts with the risen anecdote that was shared that the jets were at the 1 inch line of trading for Jerry Judy this off season. And Woody Johnson talked to his boys and his boys were like, yeah, his Madden rating is too low. So that trade was X'd out. He ended up getting trade to the Browns.

[PFT Commenter]

Great season.

[Big Cat]

There's reports that one of the sons is giving away game balls.

[Hank]

That is true.

[Big Cat]

That one was Tough, like basically jumping in front of the coach to give away a game ball. It was, it was Ulbricht's first win as a head coach.

[Hank]

He took it from Aaron Rodgers hands.

[Big Cat]

And gave it and gave it to Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, Jeff Olbrick.

[PFT Commenter]

They love, they love bricks in this organization. Yeah, they got Brick Johnson, Ulbricht, debrikashaw, Ferguson. I think I heard that that brick was actually named after debrikishaw.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's kind of cool. Yeah. They also have been heard maybe talking ill of the players in the locker room after games.

[PFT Commenter]

The Mike White. Yeah, the Mike White story that he played. He had broken ribs. And then Woody was in the locker room and Mike White threw his helmet. Woody goes, you should throw your helmet. You suck.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, there's story about the two Bobs, which is an homage to office space where they have Woody brought in two guys from his investment firm who just go around doing interviews with people, seeing what they do for a living. There was coaches fired for no reason. What else? What else?

[PFT Commenter]

That's. That's most of the headlines right there.

[Hank]

Yeah, yeah, it's most of. Most of the alleged headlines.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so alleged. Which one. Which one of these is not true?

[Hank]

Well, we have to see if any other reporters fact check that, but I. Well, I'm going to wait for more information to come.

[Big Cat]

So who wrote this, by the way?

[Hank]

Mike Silver.

[Big Cat]

Who?

[Hank]

RG3 came on the podcast, called him a liar. Diana. Who? I came on this podcast, called her a liar. And Zach Rosenblatt.

[Big Cat]

Okay, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So memes, what about the parts in the article where the team confirmed that the stuff happened?

[Hank]

The Broncos confirmed that it happened?

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, no. The. The, the spokesperson for the jets said that they use Madden as a reference point.

[Big Cat]

As a reference point.

[PFT Commenter]

But it's not determined. Yeah, confirming that that happened.

[Big Cat]

I mean, it is a quick way to figure out if someone's good or not.

[PFT Commenter]

Or what about the part in the article where they talked about Woody Johnson and the team spokesperson said, yeah, he apologized for saying that Mike White fucking sucks in the locker room.

[Hank]

Also you have Mike White suck that.

[Big Cat]

Timeout. Timeout.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a fair, that's a fair response.

[Big Cat]

Timeout. We've done everything wrong here. Can we please call him by what he likes to be called? Mr. Ambassador. Yeah, Mr. Everyone in the building has to call him Mr. Ambassador.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And there was the part of the article where when he left to go overseas to be the ambassador to England and his brother who also who co owns the team. Yeah, but Woody's like, this is My gig. His brother took over and was just like. He was a chill guy. Meme behind the scenes. Just like you guys do what you.

[Big Cat]

Do, do your thing.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, as an owner, I think I would buy a team, and then I would probably act a lot like Woody Johnson in the first, like, two or three years, and then I just be like, you know what? I'm too rich for this.

[Big Cat]

Well, he's only owned the rest. The jets for like two or three years, right, Mr.

[PFT Commenter]

Ambassador?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's done it since, what, 24 years? Something like that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, 24. Since 2000.

[PFT Commenter]

Something like that.

[Hank]

Yeah, yeah, something like that.

[Big Cat]

Memes, this is bad.

[Hank]

This is bad. Still waiting to see if it's true.

[Big Cat]

So how are you gonna find out if it's true?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm curious to know how Memes thinks the media works. So now that the stories come out, then there will be other reporters that go to the jets and they're like, hey, can we confirm that that stuff is all true? And then that that's the story you'll pay attention to?

[Hank]

Yeah. But I also told Hank about this a month ago that it was possible that we were the shadow GMs.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you did?

[Hank]

Because they. It was like, week by week. Devonte Adams. We said Devonte Adams. Adams. We said Hassan Redick. They signed Hassan Redick. It was week by week, so he might actually listen to the podcast.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, so what's the next move? Because we.

[Big Cat]

We're.

[PFT Commenter]

We're Brick guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we're big time Brick.

[PFT Commenter]

More responsible, by the way.

[Big Cat]

I just like to say, as it pertains to devonte Adams, I think Tony Soprano said it. Remember when? Is the lowest form of conversation. So worry about the Jets Devonte Adams and not remember when. You know stories. You guys see his story on K. Adam's show?

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Hank]

It was a good story.

[Big Cat]

He said, oh, I'm sure Meme Street a bunch. He said, talking about when they would play the Bears late in the season. He said, we didn't go into that game after Warrington ever worrying about are we going to win. We were thinking about how crazy we were going to go. Can I set a record? Okay, so, Memes, we're again, we stand with Brick. We're a Brick podcast. We love Brick and his brother. I don't know. We need to know his brother's name.

[PFT Commenter]

He needs a cool nickname like Brick.

[Big Cat]

Get. Get it? Get his name.

[PFT Commenter]

So, Memes, what's the next move?

[Hank]

Give Mike Vrabel $200 million.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Mike's going to appreciate That I have.

[Max]

Another question about the Jets. You were talking about this to me earlier. What's going on with Aaron Rodgers and.

[Big Cat]

Who, who.

[Max]

Who's he in a fight with?

[Hank]

Oh, yeah, Aaron. Roger's fine with Ryan Clark.

[Big Cat]

Oh. It's like a. It's. It's like a ten round fight.

[PFT Commenter]

And it's both guys being like, we don't give a what the media says, but. And doing like, videos that are very explicitly meant to generate more love from whichever branch of the media they're falling for.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And I unfortunately have to defend my quarterback, so if you have a vax, you're bad.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, your owner literally is the heir to Johnson and Johnson, the vaccine company.

[Big Cat]

Is Aaron Rodgers the last guy on earth who cares about COVID I think so. I think, I think he might be like. I don't even know. He's. It's like him and Taylor Lorenz.

[PFT Commenter]

That might be when he did Ayahuasca for the first time. So his brain is stuck in 2020.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy. It was like, what are we even talking about?

[Hank]

He was cooking, defending himself, and then it just.

[Big Cat]

He. I stand with Aaron Rodgers in this because I want him back on the podcast at some point. By the way, we have an answer from earlier. The question was, would you rather have Jaden Daniels or Jalen Hurts? And Max said Phillies.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That's not an answer, but memes.

[Hank]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

There was another part of the article that I noticed and it kind of made sense for me a little bit. The jets, they didn't hire any referees for training camp this year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And that's a standard practice. And then now they're the third most penalized team. Is this a form of legal bribery that every team does where they just. They pay refs to. To come to their training camp? And then it's like, hey, you're on our payroll. We gave you money. Let's be nice.

[Hank]

I'm not sure about the refs, but.

[PFT Commenter]

Isn'T that weird that teams can pay the refs directly and then if you don't pay them, then the refs can be like, you didn't pay us this off season.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Hank]

And then what?

[PFT Commenter]

We got the flags out.

[Hank]

What? He always does talk to the rest before the game, which is weird.

[Big Cat]

He does. Yeah, that is weird. The owner.

[PFT Commenter]

Now, we should be both. We should play both sides here and be a fair and impartial media presence. The spokesperson also said Woody Johnson just seeks out and welcomes feedback and debate. We wouldn't have been Named one of the best places to work in New Jersey. If people thought that way. There's never been a complaint. So they're on one of those lists of best workplaces.

[Big Cat]

So that.

[Hank]

That is true because Ryan Fitzpatrick went on a podcast a couple weeks ago. He said that one jets drive is like one. That one of the greatest places.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

It's just we have a fan that's in charge of our team and makes reactionary decisions and goes, we lost one game. Everybody's gotta go.

[PFT Commenter]

Mm.

[Memes]

That's awesome, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

It's kind of the dream.

[Big Cat]

What's.

[Hank]

That's why we need Mike Vrabel, who's a winner.

[Big Cat]

Hands off.

[PFT Commenter]

What about. What about Pete?

[Memes]

Hands off.

[Big Cat]

Hands off.

[Memes]

Hands off.

[Hank]

Now he's so old.

[PFT Commenter]

Pete Carroll mentioned the jets today.

[Big Cat]

He did, like, saying what? Like, man, that was such a crazy.

[Memes]

Like, 9, 11 story.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I think he's like, I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind if they brought me in.

[Hank]

I would take. Yeah, I would take Pete.

[PFT Commenter]

There you go.

[Hank]

You see who else I interviewed for their GM job.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's that?

[Hank]

Who's it? Nagy, the Matt.

[PFT Commenter]

Was it Jim Nagy?

[Hank]

Jim Nagy. Jim Nagy, the guy who runs the senior. So we might just get everybody from the Senior Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

I think you're just getting everybody from X. The Everything app.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

No, we're in trouble.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Still trying to figure out if the report.

[Big Cat]

It's Jack.

[Memes]

What happened?

[Big Cat]

Rick and Jack. Jack is the other son. Shout out Jack. We're Jack guys as well.

[PFT Commenter]

What's that, Hank?

[Memes]

I said what happens on X?

[PFT Commenter]

Everything. It's all happening on X. Yeah, it is. Sign up today. You. You are the media. No, I don't think you heard. You are the media on X.

[Big Cat]

True. By the way, as for the game memes, you think you're gonna win based.

[Hank]

Off of everything that happened this week?

[Big Cat]

No. Okay.

[Hank]

But West Coast. East Coast.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Aaron Rodgers also ate no lifetime against the Rams.

[Hank]

Yeah. It's cold as shit. He's got a chip on his shoulder.

[Big Cat]

That's.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, the cold is a real thing. Is going to be 24 at kickoff. And the Rams played four outdoor games under Sean McVay where the temperature was 35 or lower, and they're one in three. So the only. The only game they won was when they beat the Broncos and Todd Gurley had 208 yards rushing. So I feel like. I feel like they're. The Rams are going to run the football.

[Hank]

Yeah, I think the jets are going to run the football.

[PFT Commenter]

Too.

[Memes]

I have a question that's not related to this or the report, and I got to watch it myself to come to a conclusion. But. But my initial reaction is that it seems crazy to be this spiritual go on these retreats to escape everything, but also film it all for Netflix documentary. Oh, is that like. Is there any element of hypocriticism there?

[Big Cat]

Hypocritical?

[PFT Commenter]

Hypocriticism. Is that hypocritical?

[Hank]

Probably. But I bet you he's getting paid a ton of money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So no. So, because. And then that gets more trips to Ayahuasca ville, right?

[Memes]

Yeah, just.

[Big Cat]

I.

[Memes]

Seeing that they were filming it, I was like, wait a second. I thought these were like, spiritual retreats where you're supposed to, you know, find yourself, but it's like, no, let's. Let's film this.

[PFT Commenter]

Wouldn't that freak you out more if you were doing an Ayahuasca trip and you had Netflix cameras in your face?

[Hank]

But I think this adds to his, like, I'm telling my story.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

So nobody else could twist it.

[Big Cat]

Legends aura.

[Hank]

Like, I'm actually a good teammate. Jordan loves my guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I might not come back next year. I might come back.

[Big Cat]

I. I think you guys could actually win this game. Eight.

[Jon Gruden]

Eight.

[Big Cat]

No, eight. No. Aaron Rodgers versus Rams. Best. I think that's the best record against another team. You know what the second best is? This one will shock you. Another undefeated 7 0. Don't have it.

[Memes]

Pitchers. No.

[Big Cat]

Tom Brady was 70 against Cowboys, but he lost in a playoff game, so I guess technically it was 7 and 1.

[PFT Commenter]

Josh Allen, Dolphins.

[Big Cat]

No. Tua. Patriots. Oh, I did not know that. Yeah, 2 is 70 against Patriots.

[PFT Commenter]

You like what I did earlier with the Sean McVeigh stat of him being 1 in 3 in cold weather games? Yeah, those are. It's the Jared Goff stat. I just.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we just put it. We don't do narratives.

[PFT Commenter]

No, we just put it on.

[Big Cat]

We don't do narratives. We don't do narratives on this podcast. Okay, let's. Let's rip memes. You good? You look confused.

[Hank]

Yeah, I'm confused. I just don't. How do you get someone to sell a theme?

[Big Cat]

I don't know, dude. I'm trying to do the same thing.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The. The only way is to implicate them in some sort of financial crime against the other owners.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If you can. Yeah. You can do anything.

[Memes]

A federal probe.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You can do. Well, no, because the federal probes about sexual harassment like that, they didn't care about that. You have to. You have to make the other owners think this guy's costing you money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Memes, you know, like when you. When you play, like the sandlot, when they do the thing where they put their hands on the bat. Yep. That's basically what we just been doing about, like, embarrassing franchise stories this year between the Bears and the Jets. So I'm appreciate. I appreciate that you're back on top. Yeah.

[Hank]

Just got lobbed back.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I mean, the athletic success with the Jets.

[Big Cat]

Well, I mean, I'm just gonna throw this out there. So Mike Silver wrote this story about the Jets. He just finished a book about the 49ers. Was there anyone who coached with the 49ers who might have been a scorned person in the jets organization? Oh, yeah. Robert Salah. I love when these stories come out. It's like, well, I know who wrote this.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The problem is when you have a dysfunctional organization, then you have a lot of people who are very willing to become sources, correct articles like this and, like, tell everybody everything that happened behind the scenes.

[Big Cat]

I think Robert Salah just handed Mike Silver his journal. He's like, here's my diary. Go ahead, write a story.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And I know that you think the athletic's been obsessed with you guys memes.

[Hank]

But I mean, if.

[PFT Commenter]

I know, I know. If Diana Rossini wrote a tell all article about the dysfunction, say, for the Patriots at the end of the season, would you be like, okay, I believe that?

[Hank]

Yeah, she'd be. I mean, I'd be her number one fan.

[PFT Commenter]

That's probably the only way that, that she can get memes back.

[Big Cat]

Memes. You got to start a running tally because we'll probably see Dian at the combine and we'll have her back on. So have us running tally of all the questions and. And stories that she needs to, you.

[Hank]

Know, I mean, for all we know, Max didn't shoot himself on that flight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, true.

[PFT Commenter]

Now you're being the mean. No one said shit himself.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no one said.

[PFT Commenter]

Now you're making stuff up.

[Big Cat]

Whoa, wait. Max, did you shit yourself?

[Max]

I don't even remember farting. I was asleep.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's move on. We'll. We'll power through some of these Cardinals of Panthers. I don't know. Panthers plus 5, overrunners, 47. I'm going to take. I'm going to take the Cardinals. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The real question, did we learn our lesson last week about the Panthers? Yeah, I think I did. I think I learned a Good lesson.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I got really nothing except that Kyler is probably. Probably won't be under a lot of pressure, and the Cardinals will be able to run the ball. And that's usually a, you know, check mark. Check mark. I want to bet on the Cardinals.

[PFT Commenter]

I think I'm going to bet on McBride to score a touchdown until he does.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So receiving. Receiving. Touchdown. He's got a rushing. Touchdown. Fumble recovery. Touchdown. Kyler Murray said that he was going to get him the ball in the end zone. I'm. I'm going to go down with that ship.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I might double down on it every week responsibly for when it doesn't hit.

[Big Cat]

I'm in. I'm in. Okay. Afternoon. Vikings at Seahawks. Seahawks plus three over under 40. Two and a half. It looks like Geno's going to play the Seahawks. Season kind of comes down to this game because they have. I mean, they have to win out. It will come down to Week 18 against the Rams, but this is very important. I don't know. I don't know. Kevin O'Connell should be coach of the year.

[PFT Commenter]

If Geno plays. I kind of. I think I like the Seahawks to cover.

[Big Cat]

I don't think I've gotten a Seahawks game correct this year, both on and against. I don't think I've gotten a single one correct. Yeah, they bet on them, they get killed. If I bet against them, they kill the opponent.

[PFT Commenter]

They surprise you.

[Big Cat]

You.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't know what you're gonna. If it's Sam Howell. Listen, I love Sam Howell. I was in that Haliband for a short period of time, but he did not look good.

[Big Cat]

No, he did not look good. He did not look.

[PFT Commenter]

And I don't know. Gino is like. He is the epitome of just a completely schizophrenic quarterback one week to the next, so who knows if he starts? I think I like the Seahawks to cover, but the Vikings are the real deal.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, agreed. Agree. The Vikings are very much a real deal. The Vikings are going for the one seed, which would be. I mean, it. They kind of were just laying there in the weeds, everyone talking about the Lions, everyone talking about the Eagles. Vikings are right there and they control it all because they get to play the lions in week 18. So what? Oh, yeah. What are the tiebreakers?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know.

[Memes]

I saw the tiebreaker.

[Max]

I saw some scenario. Not necessarily. I forget. I saw something on Twitter that. That went through each. Each scenario for the Eagles to get. It wasn't too detailed, though, to be Honest with you.

[Memes]

Pretty sure it's.

[Max]

Here it is.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Max]

Like there's scenario two is win out Lions lose one, Eagles win the strength of victory tiebreaker. But there is a way that they win that tiebreaker. I just don't know what that way is.

[PFT Commenter]

Do we know what the strength of victory tiebreaker is? We tried to figure it out.

[Max]

I don't know.

[Big Cat]

I don't.

[Max]

I don't know. But according to this graphic, there is a way that we ha. We win the tiebreaker over. There's no way we win the tiebreaker of the Lions. There is a way that we win a tiebreaker over the Vikings. Somehow, I don't. I don't know how.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I think scenario one is the most likely.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. For. For this game. I. I do have one stat from my guys at Sports Info Solutions. The Vikings are one of the heaviest play action teams and Seattle is one of the worst play action defenses in the NFL. So could see a lot of play action. Maybe some deep shots to. To Jay Jettas. They're just so good.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Addison and Jettis. Okay. Patriots of bills. Bills minus 14 over under 46 and a half. I think the Bills can. What?

[Memes]

Need it.

[PFT Commenter]

Hungry dog?

[Memes]

No, no, no, no.

[Big Cat]

I saw your face. I was like, what the. I was gonna say the Bills can name their number. Number.

[PFT Commenter]

When you say. When you say need it, you're saying.

[Memes]

We need to wamp it.

[PFT Commenter]

You need to get one.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you want to get one? Yeah. Because you want your mail out. Broad mail.

[Memes]

You hit the street of the report. No, for Able McDaniels.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's a combo.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You know, that's just people for Jack.

[Memes]

McDaniels had Mac Jones in the Pro Bowl.

[Big Cat]

Hold on, hold on though. Hold on. This would make me scared, Hank, because Rabel McDaniels. Yeah. What happens if Rabel goes somewhere else and they're like. Well, we do. Could just do McDaniels.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. McDaniels was halfway in the door already.

[Memes]

He's a problem like that. That's fair. I mean, obviously the, the. The. He has very bad track record as a head coach, but very, very bad. He's at least like we right now have a defensive coach and a terrible defense. At least we would have an offensive, you know, genius with a, you know, an offensive or new quarterback. So I wouldn't necessarily want him as head coach. But the report that I was reading was Rabel McDaniels. So I want that and that, you know, the thought that Robert Kraft wouldn't get rid of Mayo because of, you know, pride. I think he knows it's like, you know, let's keep it Patriots keeping the super bowl champions. Like, he would do that. That makes that seems like something he would be okay doing.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I just, I think that it's. It's very, very dangerous. Josh McDaniel's awesome offensive coordinator.

[Memes]

Right?

[PFT Commenter]

Very, very good. You. But it's a little dicey now where the, you know, the Raiders stop. It seemed like there was some up stuff going on there.

[Memes]

Yeah, but he already.

[Big Cat]

He had.

[PFT Commenter]

He had.

[Memes]

He had already gone from offensive coordinate with Patriots failed head coach, came back and was a great offensive coordinator like that. I'm. I. If I agree, I'm not saying I want him as a head coach.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Memes]

But Brable would do the same thing. Give me that. Like, give me Rabel and McDaniels and I am pumped.

[Big Cat]

Soupy, we're biased. Rabel's a friend of ours and we think very highly of him. But that could have worked out better for him that he didn't get a job last year. I know. He wanted a coach and he didn't get one. Like every single team wants him. He gets to pick whatever team in whatever number he wants. Yeah. It's pretty good for him.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a good situation.

[Big Cat]

They said.

[PFT Commenter]

So you want. You want to whopping? You are begging for whopping right now.

[Big Cat]

You want to be spanked? Yeah, daddy.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're a little sub.

[Memes]

Yeah, give it to Josh.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Get your dominatrix in here.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

Get whipped.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

For you, it. It might be a whipping for sure.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, the Bills can do whatever they want. Yeah. 14.

[PFT Commenter]

14.

[Big Cat]

Let's do whatever they want.

[PFT Commenter]

And they're wearing the Patriots jerseys, as you said, which is a weird choice. I don't, I don't love it for this game. It's gonna be confusing when you watch it on tv. Be like, wait, okay, that's the Bills because they're scoring.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Memes]

So, yeah, give me whopping.

[Big Cat]

Okay. You want the whopping. I think the whomping will probably happen. I think the Bills can just score whatever they want and that's it.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

They could set the record for the most 30 point games in a season.

[Big Cat]

They're on eight. Eight right now.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I think they've got.

[Big Cat]

I think they're six in a row.

[PFT Commenter]

They've got 11.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So they're six in a row.

[PFT Commenter]

And the Broncos have the record. The Broncos paid Manning. Broncos, I believe it was.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

They had 1330 point games in a season. So the Bills need to win out, scoring 30 points in each game, and then they have the record all to themselves. I think they can do it.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Jaguars, raiders, raiders. Minus one and a half over under 40 and a half. We're not talking about this game, right?

[PFT Commenter]

No, we don't talk about. We don't preview the Jags. Hey, can you tell me what happened with the Hawk to a coin.

[Memes]

Again?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Has there been an update to it?

[Big Cat]

You already told us.

[Memes]

She's still asleep.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay. No updates.

[Memes]

The SEC is suing her.

[Big Cat]

Why? Greg Sankey. What? A.

[Memes]

The. The Whatever. The financial.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Memes]

For doing a rug pull. She made millions of dollars.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so she did actually make millions of dollars.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Do we know that?

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I'm starting to get to the point. In my life and age, I'm just missing stories. Like, I. I know. I know. Haktua. I know that there was a rugged. I did not know that she actually got away with millions of dollars.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't. I don't know if that is entirely accurate.

[Max]

I think she denies it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh. Oh, that's good. Then we got to take her word for it.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't. I don't think that she.

[Memes]

Group of investors is suing Hawk to it, not sec. I don't even think SEC can sue like that.

[PFT Commenter]

But. Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think that she created the coin and, like, wrote the code and then engineered the rug pole where she, like, dumped all the coins. I feel like.

[Big Cat]

But is there a rug pull without.

[PFT Commenter]

There is. There's no rug pull without Hawk to it.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Lawsuit claims the token was improperly marketed as a security without being registered with the sec, leading to significant financial losses?

[PFT Commenter]

Let me ask you a question. Is there a part of you that thinks if you invested your money in the Hawk to a coin, that you should have seen something exactly like this coming? And then maybe you should try to sue yourself for being a.

[Big Cat]

It's the Financial Darwin Awards.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We should. We. That's okay. That. That thins the herd.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I'm not saying that she was ethical.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But I'm saying. Come on. And I say that as a. Talk to a fan. I'll. I'll admit that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a good podcast.

[Big Cat]

That would be funny if they're suing to get spit on.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna go to bed.

[Big Cat]

I'm gonna go to bed, guys.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm kind of tired. See y'all tomorrow.

[Big Cat]

Okay. That was our jaguars. Raiders preview. 49ers, the dolphins. Dolphins plus one. Over. Under 44 and a half. I like the 49ers in this game. Also, Terry Hill says, time for me to go coach.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I saw that. I. I read it as It's a. A man situation.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Did he say it's time for me to go coach or is he saying it's time for me to go coach? I saw because it was right after Mike Vic.

[Big Cat]

I originally thought he wanted to get cut, and then I was like, no, he wants to get cut loose.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so that's a third option.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Does he want to get cut? Does he want to get unlocked, or does he want to go coach college football? Yeah, we don't know.

[Big Cat]

We don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I read today that the 49ers might be down to. What would that be their fifth string running back. Because Guerindo might not play.

[Big Cat]

I think Grindo got hurt in practice.

[Max]

Is that Izzy?

[PFT Commenter]

Izzy Is he. Is it? Is he season?

[Big Cat]

Is he.

[Hank]

Is he. Two touchdowns this weekend.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he too.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he deuce.

[Big Cat]

I might have to start. Izzy.

[PFT Commenter]

They should start. They got banjo, right? He's on the night. He should start.

[Big Cat]

And kazooie.

[PFT Commenter]

Banjo is. That's a fifth string instrument.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's Izzy.

[PFT Commenter]

Izzy, look him go.

[Big Cat]

You're just showing us is he running.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay in the combine?

[Big Cat]

You're just showing us is he exists.

[Max]

It was a tweet that said reminder, recent 49ers running back addition Izzy Abba Dada ran an official 441. He seems like a strong potential Shanahan scheme fit.

[Big Cat]

Patrick Taylor, pick him up.

[Memes]

Who's Patrick Taylor set to be? 49ers four starting running back Patrick Taylor.

[Max]

Okay, maybe mix in some Izzy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, definitely. Give us a little bit easy. People forget that he ran a 441 second 40 yard time at his pit pro day. Yeah, it's got to unofficial. God, that's maybe the least inspiring tweet that I've ever read. He ran an unofficial 44140. Remember that?

[Big Cat]

Remember that. All right, last up, Bucks of cowboys. Cowboys plus four over. Under is 48. I don't know. Bucks.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, I love the bucks. Yeah, I love the bucks.

[Big Cat]

He's gonna take the Cowboys. Liam Cohen's been awesome.

[Memes]

Well, my hungry dog I think is going to be two. So the hungry dog is plus money on the year. I'm not gonna get crazy. I think it's Titans. Gian.

[Big Cat]

Titans, Giants.

[PFT Commenter]

You're not going to giants, but the Giants. That's a little crazy.

[Memes]

It is a little crazy. I'm a crazy guy.

[Big Cat]

You are a crazy guy. You're wild and crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think. I don't think the Cowboys would be crazy. And I like the Bucks. I just think that the Cowboys have been playing good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they've been okay. One. Three out of four, maybe. I don't know. The. The slate kind of takes a tail. It just falls off a cliff. I mean, Viking Seahawks in the afternoon will be nice, but everything else is. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So I. I much like you guys. I have to reinvest my money. I put it immediately on the Bills to win the super bowl and the NFC, the Bucks to win the Super Bowl.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[PFT Commenter]

At 30 to 1, I just went.

[Big Cat]

I just put all my money back in the banana stand. Yukon, 19 to 1.

[PFT Commenter]

There you go.

[Big Cat]

Always money in the banana stand. Okay, let's do our picks. And we need a TD parlay because we are one. And oh, on our last one, I wasn't part of it, but I bet it. And I rode with the boys. Every day is game day at DraftKings sportsbook. And now through the end of the year, it's extra special. All customers get a special daily promo every single day from Profit Boosts, Odd boost, no sweat bets, and more. There's something for everyone. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE. And take advantage of special daily promotions only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[Jon Gruden]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler 800-327-550 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org in Massachusetts. In New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text hopeny467-369. Please gamble responsibly in Connecticut. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland, 21 and over and present in most states. Eighteen and over in Washington, D.C. kentucky.

[Big Cat]

New Hampshire or Wyoming.

[Jon Gruden]

Offer void in Ontario.

[Big Cat]

Void where prohibited.

[Jon Gruden]

Eligibility restrictions apply. Terms@Sportsbook DraftKings.com promos on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. One plus promotion per day promotions. Sport eligibility and requirements vary. Ends 12, 31, 24.

[Big Cat]

Sponsored by DraftKings. Okay, so here's what we got. This week we're going to do our TD parlay. What do we got?

[Memes]

I have Mike Evans.

[Big Cat]

Mike Evans.

[Memes]

Okay, he needs 18 receptions, 251 receiving yards plus one TD for three million. Million. Okay, so I'm probably gonna also bet his reception's over.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Brian Thomas Jr.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Brian Thomas Jr. Like it I will go.

[Max]

Can I do Sunday night?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Bucky. Bucky Irving.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Bucky.

[Memes]

And Mike Evans.

[Max]

Oh, yep.

[Memes]

That's fine.

[Big Cat]

That's fine.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you said with conviction. I'll take it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you said it with a lot of conviction. Also on Sunday when you're watching our streams, you'll see PFT and Max face off. We. We also. So we did our NBA cup competition. It was a four way competition. PFT said he was the hottest NBA cup gambler. Turns out I'm also just as hot as a gambler. In the NBA cup, we're equally as hot. So we split. So for a 10k bonus bet, we're gentlemen. We were gonna just be like, all right, we each take 5k. No, no, no. We'll, we'll, we'll re. We'll put it back in the pot and we'll make another competition out of it. So on Sunday on the stream, it's gonna be me and Max versus Hank and pft. We're gonna do a draft on the late slate. Each of each team has to pick five touchdown scores. The most correct wins the free bet.

[PFT Commenter]

And if it's a tie where we hit all our it's the most touchdowns. So if there's multiple touchdowns for your guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, tiebreaker. So we'll release all those. You'll see them.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, I think Max said it best. Hank's a winner.

[Big Cat]

Hank is a winner.

[PFT Commenter]

So I'm happy to have him on my side.

[Big Cat]

He's a winner. Okay, let's do our picks. What are the standings, Hank?

[Hank]

15 and a half points. First me and Big Cat 15 points. Pft. 13. Max also 13.

[Big Cat]

Oh, tie. It's getting tight.

[PFT Commenter]

Max was perfect last week, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

It's wide open.

[Big Cat]

No, I was wide open. All right, what do we got? Max goes first. Maxi.

[Max]

I will be taking the Niners minus one.

[Big Cat]

You knew I wanted that.

[PFT Commenter]

The Pittsburgh Steelers. You knew I was six and a half.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You knew I wanted that. Max, why would you do that to me? I am going to take The Cincinnati Bengals minus eight and a half.

[Memes]

I will take the Ravens minus six and a half.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

Buffalo Bills minus 14.

[Memes]

Wow. I will. You're right. You're right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you want to say it?

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[Memes]

I that up last time and I.

[Hank]

Lost 49ers dolphins over 44 and a half.

[Memes]

I will take Right? Yeah.

[Max]

Me.

[Memes]

I'll take the jets rams under 46 and a half.

[Big Cat]

I'll take the jets rams over 46.

[PFT Commenter]

I wanted that one, Hank. I will take the giants Falcons under 42.

[Memes]

I like that.

[Max]

I will take the Cardinals Panthers over 47.

[Memes]

I hate that.

[Big Cat]

Gross, dude. Ew, fine.

[Max]

Ew, fine.

[Big Cat]

All right, let's. Before we get to coach Gruden, do a little fantasy, boys, brought to you by our friends at Body Armor. Body armor is our favorite sports drink out there. Body armor, real hydration, real ingredients packed with electrolytes, vitamins and nothing artificial. Body armor sports drink has great tasting flavors like strawberry banana and blue raspberry. Not only do we hydrate with body armor, but some of the best athletes in the world do as well, like Christian McCaffrey, Joe Burrow and Sabrina Ionescu. So get yours today at Walmart or local grocery store near you. Strawberry banana is my personal favorite. Go get body armor right now. Get yours today at Walmart or local grocery store near you. You fired up today, boys?

[Memes]

My name Fabrizio Embrion.

[PFT Commenter]

Fabrio.

[Memes]

My star is Mike V. Mike V. The greatest coach. He's a Super bowl champion with the New England Patriots. Come home. Come home to New England, Mikey.

[PFT Commenter]

We need you strong man.

[Memes]

We need you big strong man.

[PFT Commenter]

Physical man.

[Memes]

Big smart man too. I said him. The New York Yankees.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, what happened?

[Memes]

They just signed Cody Bellinger.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

His wife, Aaron. Aaron Judge. Mike Stan's ex girlfriend. I forget which one. Either one.

[Big Cat]

Bad locker room vibes.

[Memes]

Bad team, Bad city. The Yankees.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's gonna be an issue.

[Memes]

My sleeper Hawk doer.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no. Spit on that thing.

[Memes]

She's still asleep. It's been 12 days.

[PFT Commenter]

Lost all my money on Hawk tour coin.

[Memes]

She might be asleep about blowjobs.

[Big Cat]

October. All right, all right.

[PFT Commenter]

What's up? It's Vinnie. Vinny Test Veri.

[Big Cat]

Vinnie Testa. Verdi.

[PFT Commenter]

Vinnie Test a Veri. My stardom is the Pro Bowl. Oh, guys, they're doing the skills challenges again.

[Big Cat]

Hell yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And they're making guys punt. They're making guys punt and. And throw at the accuracy targets. Basically trying to get back to what it was like in the. In the late 90s. Back when the Pro bowl meant something. Yeah, I'm sitting cave exploration because one of our Italian friends named Octavia Piana had to be rescued by 150 people from the same cave in the Alps for the second time in two years.

[Big Cat]

Oh, whoops.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe just stay the out of that cave.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, don't go there.

[PFT Commenter]

Stay out of the cave.

[Big Cat]

Don't go there.

[PFT Commenter]

My sleeper is Barry Sanders because I think you could step in for the 49ers this weekend and still run for. Probably be a good option. Barry Sanders looks like he could still.

[Big Cat]

Cut Bernie Sanders easy. No, don't get political.

[PFT Commenter]

Barry Sanders.

[Big Cat]

What's up? It's Dan Marino. My stardom is Sammy Sosa. He's welcome back. To where?

[Memes]

Why am I in this van?

[Big Cat]

Hey, Danny, you want, you want, you.

[PFT Commenter]

Want a little dust on the table?

[Big Cat]

My. Oh, my system is weird. Podcasters like you guys trying to make me feel uncomfortable in a van.

[PFT Commenter]

Didn't want to talk about O.J.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Didn't want to talk about O.J. the juice. The juice is loose. My sleeper is Josh Allen. I think he's going to score some touchdowns.

[PFT Commenter]

Josh Allen. Also Dan Marino, victim of the historic Jim Kelly curse.

[Big Cat]

Jim Kelly curse. Jim Kelly curse. Went to the Super Bowl. Lost it.

[Memes]

A lot of people on that list. It was surprising.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, a lot of guys. A lot of guys. All right, should we do John Gruden? Oh, yeah. Sammy Sosa's welcome back. The rickets are the worst. They basically made him apologize and then he didn't actually really say anything, but they're like, okay, that's good.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It was the two. It was the two biggest, like, non statements of all time.

[Big Cat]

And it was just like, we need.

[PFT Commenter]

To shame you a dozen years for you to say I'm sorry. And then he was like, I. I'm sorry. I guess.

[Big Cat]

Okay, I did a lot of things that I regret and. But I also tried really hard. Yeah. The rickets were like, we need to just. You. It's. It's shame torture. And that's the only way we're going to let you come back.

[PFT Commenter]

And it's like he had that statement welcoming back, prepared and just.

[Big Cat]

He.

[PFT Commenter]

All that needed to happen was like, press one button.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And he's had that for years.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, let's get to our interview with John Gruden. Coach Gruden in person.

[PFT Commenter]

He's brought to you by our great friends over at Chevy. There's a reason why we've never done the Mount Rushmore pickup truck. That's because for part of my take, there's only one pickup truck. It's the Chevy Silverado. Why is that? Silverado is a partner. Partner that you can depend on. We've all spent time driving and using the Silverado for all kinds of, part of my take, jobs, adventures and shenanigans. Silverado has been our ride for a cross country trip to the Super Bowl. They helped us dig the biggest hole ever in the state of Ohio last year at Grit Week. They helped us give fullbacks the recognition they deserve with the Low man award. And this season Silverado was out west with us for Grit Week. Silverado brings the grit legendary grit, modern truck tech inside and out. They've got massive screens, up to eight cameras with 14 different views to make driving, towing and parking all easier. We love the bold blacked out look of the new Silverado HD trail boss. Check it out. Go to Chevy.com you can build your own Silverado or your Silverado HD and you can check out all the current offers on Silverado. Discover a world of strength and capability behind the wheel of our favorite truck truck. The Chevy Silverado Gruden is also brought to you by Duke Cannon. Maybe you've seen Duke Cannon products in Target, Walmart or your local hardware store. If not, let me introduce you. Duke Cannon makes a variety of men's grooming goods. They've got big ass bricks of soap, thick body wash, beard care stuff, colognes, hair wash. They also donate money to veterans causes each year through the Duke Cannon Veterans Fund. Simply put, they give a damn and their products work hard. Smell terrific. Perfect. Most of the year, I'm a saw too thick body wash guy. In the fall, I like the Buffalo Trace soaps. And during the holiday season, which is here, I put their big ass lump of coal soap on my wish list. It's a holiday classic like Die Hard. Shop [e-mail] Amazon, in Target, or at Walmart. They're everywhere. Go forth and save up to 20 on yuletide soap bundles and gift sets. The products, the packaging, you won't find better gifts for the men on your list this year. And now here's Jon Gruden.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Our very good friend and colleague. It's Coach Gruden back in studio. Coach, you've been at Barstool for about a month now. How we feeling?

[Jon Gruden]

Undefeated, man. I haven't lost the game. It's a great feeling.

[Big Cat]

You, you've been so much fun to watch. I mean, is it. I feel like you're starting to get your, your feet under you on the Internet and how this thing works, right?

[Jon Gruden]

I'm trying. I got to do something with the Righteous Brothers. I got to do something with George Brett. I'm trying to cross train a little bit and get into some different things. I even made street tacos. That was kind of my claim to fame. But I am having a blast meeting some really cool people and like I said, getting better as every day goes by.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Has there been anything that you've been asked to do where you, you don't understand why you're doing this at all? And then, well, pretty much all of it.

[Jon Gruden]

I mean, let's be honest. There's no. You know, you take pride in a lot of intense preparation when you're coaching. I mean, you really sit in a dark room and you plan all these different contingency, everything from A to Z. But I show up here, I have no idea where we're going with this show. It's a great, spontaneous, creative vibe that I get from barstool.

[PFT Commenter]

And the people love you. You've been. You've been a massive hit. Everyone's. Everyone's feeling nicey. You've spread nice.

[Jon Gruden]

How about that?

[Big Cat]

Is that a thing? I keep saying it. Yeah. I keep saying, got me feeling nicey.

[Jon Gruden]

I was in Chicago last night having dinner. One of the waiters. I was at a really nice restaurant, and a waiter came up and says, how do you like that steak, Mr. Groot? And I said, pretty good. He goes, does it have you feeling nice?

[Big Cat]

That's incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

Did anybody take your picture in the airport? And then post John Gruden, Chicago, maybe. Possible Bears opening.

[Jon Gruden]

There's a lot of craziness going on in Chicago right now, but, yeah, we'll get into it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. So, yeah, let's talk some football. My first question for you, and I think this is the biggest story that's happened in the last couple of weeks, is the Detroit Lions, one of the best teams in football, is now just. I mean, they got hit with insane amount of injuries on the defensive side. They lose David Montgomery as a coach, we heard Dan Campbell, and I loved his message was like, look, you gotta, you know, we're gonna punch in the mouth. We gotta get back up. This is good for us. But as a coach, like, from a scheme perspective and a game plan perspective, when you lose that much talent on defense, what do you do? What do you change? Because you know you're at a disadvantage going into a game.

[Jon Gruden]

It's hard. I mean, I admire him for speaking publicly because your players are listening to you, showing confidence and showing the manhood that it takes to fight through adversity. But I'm looking out there, Quan Alexander's playing linebacker, and I take pride in knowing the players. Jamal Adams is over there playing. These guys weren't even in the media guide. Right. And it's hard to swallow when you lose high caliber guys. Now a couple guys are going to come back.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Jon Gruden]

But when you lose Montgomery, you lose part of the identity of your team. So I do know that deep down, when Coach Campbell gets in his car, he ain't feeling real nicey.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

It's tough.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But you got. You have to give the message to your team that, hey, this, we're not quitting. We're not waving the white flag because everyone has injuries. You got to make guys believe that they can step into those roles. Have you ever had a guy that, you know, you suffer a big injury, one of your star players, and then somebody has to be elevated, you know that, you know, you're going to have a little bit of a downgrade there at the position, but you have to make that guy believe that they can play like a superstar.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, no doubt. I remember Cadillac Williams was the rookie of the year. We thought we had a back that would be with us forever. He tore out his patella tendon. In Carolina, we have a young guy, free agent Ernest Graham, who stepped in and really played good. There are a lot of players that just need an opportunity that will step up if they're given the opportunity. But, you know, losing a lot of good players this time of year is going to be a real challenge for Detroit. Now. They're going to have to outscore people, and they do have the firepower to do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And are you. Are you okay with Dan Campbell maybe even. Which is crazy to say, but I think he might even turn off the aggressiveness even more. Like, which, you know, he's been the most aggressive, but part of the whole onside kick, which, you know, I. Our take when it happened, we were just like, hey, if you could still do a surprise onside kick, that would be a good spot for it. The fact you can't do surprise, maybe you don't do it. But his whole thought was, they're score. They're. They're scoring every single drive. We got to take at least one chance to try to get, you know, to break the serve here.

[Jon Gruden]

That's what Sean Payton did in the super bowl against Peyton Manning. I mean, he. Sean told me we're going to steal a possession from these guys because we don't know if we can stop Peyton Manning and Harrison and Reggie Wayne for four quarters. So I've seen it done, and I agree with you. Campbell is aggressive.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

And I think right now he's got to get more and more opportunities for golf. Ben Johnson, they're healthy on that side of the ball, minus Montgomery, but, yeah, they got to do something to help outscore the opponent.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And keep the ball away from their defense on the field. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So you mentioned Sean Payton. The. The job he's done in Denver is just incredible this year. What's different? Obviously, the quarterback positions changed. Bonex has been electric at times, but, like, from a X's and O standpoint, is there anything that he's doing different this year as opposed to last year that you love?

[Jon Gruden]

I think it's totally different. You remember Drew Brees and the success that they had throwing the ball. They've kind of reinvented the offense and become more of an rpo. They're doing a lot of the college stuff, honestly, with Bo Nix, because he can run. Bo Nix is a factor running the ball with these zone reads. But where the Broncos have crushed it is with this defense. I call them the Anonymous Crush. They used to be called the Orange Crush because they had a lot of recognizable guys. But I'll bet you can't name two or three Denver Broncos on their team right now other than Pat Certain. And they're the number one scoring defense. Them and the Chargers, they're tied. They have done a hell of a job. They lead the league in sacks, and nobody really knows who their sack artists are.

[Big Cat]

How pissed were you about Jonathan Taylor?

[Jon Gruden]

Pissed.

[Big Cat]

That's the worst. How does that happen?

[Jon Gruden]

I'm sure Taylor is sick about it. Because if you know Taylor, he is one of the great guys we have in football and he's one of the best backs. And that was a game changer. Yeah, I mean, they got the game under control. It was a shitty night. The weather was terrible. Neither quarterback could throw it. And for them to lose a game on that play and then compound it with the flea flicker interception, they got to be sick. It cost them a chance to sneak into the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

Did that ever happen to you? Did any of your players ever do it?

[Jon Gruden]

I think we had had a challenge one time, but it was overturned. We. We did end up getting a touchdown.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, that's. That's. That's a colossal mistake.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Is that a word I use? I'm trying to use more three and four syllable words.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Because I got a smart. I gotta sound smart with Fred Smoot coming.

[Big Cat]

But. Yeah, it's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

It's weird how that started. Like desean Jackson did one time. It. I don't think it had happened before that.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, Leon let the. Leon let BB I think that's a.

[PFT Commenter]

Little bit different because he kind of, you know, he started celebrating early, got caught from behind, stripped of the ball. That.

[Big Cat]

It.

[PFT Commenter]

It makes you real mad as a coach, but, you know, that type of thing happens. But just dropping the ball before you get to the end Zone. What would you do to a player if they did that?

[Jon Gruden]

Well, there's not much you can say to Jonathan Taylor. He already feels terrible.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

But what will happen now is in training camp, every coaching staff will put that on their list of things that have happened that we need to cover. So they'll probably take all the skilled guys and have them run through the end zone, you know, with the ball secure, run through the end zone, finish the play before you celebrate. But that's unfortunate and it's sickening, really, that it happened to Jonathan Taylor.

[PFT Commenter]

You would rather have your guy take an unsportsmanlike penalty for like, excessive taunting after the touchdown?

[Jon Gruden]

Exactly. Yeah. I'd rather him reach underneath the goal post and have a cell phone like Joe Horn did, or to. With the sharpie pen. Yeah, something like that.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there anything in the. In the NFL that you've seen, you've been noticing over the. You know, the rules always change. Every year there's something new that they. A new wrinkle, point of emphasis they add in. Is there anything that you would make as a change to the way the game is either officiated or anything just about how NFL football is going right now that you'd like to see changed from a coaching perspective?

[Jon Gruden]

You know, my biggest concern is pass interference. In pro football. I would make it the college rule, honestly, because some of these. Some of these pass interference calls are impacting a game. Just one play there. And I don't think there's a common thread in what is and what isn't pass interference. I think this crew calls it a little different than that crew. And that is a penalty right now that is, I think, taken over a lot of these games.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's. It's a little hack. If you under. Throw a ball just slightly, you can. You can draw passer fear. It's like good quarterbacks will do that, good wide receivers.

[Jon Gruden]

I sat up in a booth in Monday Night Football with Jerry Austin. Jerry Austin wore the white hat in three Super Bowls. And our formula during the game was every penalty, Jerry would go like this. And that meant it's a bad call.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And if it was a good call, Jerry would go like that. So here's a penalty. He would go like that. That's a bad call. You know, I'm getting the confirmation from the ref. But anyways, Jerry Seaman, or excuse me, Jerry Austin taught me that pass interference should call itself. We should all be sitting in a bar in Chicago and go, that's PI. Yeah, that's how it should be. A Common. Yeah, Obvious pass interference. Otherwise let these guys play.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Jon Gruden]

That's my feeling.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, I agree, I agree. Yeah. Let the guy sitting on the couch be able to call it.

[Jon Gruden]

That's right.

[Big Cat]

Usually nail it.

[Jon Gruden]

Instead of going to New York, we should go to Big Cat in his studio down here at Barstool.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they should have like sensors hooked up to us, something. Give us six beers and then let you know, 20 of us watch a game at the same time. We get a button in front of us, we all say yes or no. Then they take that data. Okay. No password.

[Jon Gruden]

I don't like the way we're protecting the quarterbacks either. I don't know if you saw the Kirk Cousins play at the end of the Raider game the other night, but what is roughing the past or what isn't? I think, I think we got to be a little careful there too.

[Big Cat]

So you bring up Kirk Cousins. I know you guys have a relationship. He obviously gets benched tough. I mean, he's the ultimate pro about it. And I think he even called Michael Penix and was like, hey, let's, you know, shoot the elephant in the room is what he said. What do you think the future is for Kirk? Do you think he still has some years left in him? I know this is disappointing, but he also is getting paid a lot of money.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, he's probably going to have an opportunity now to really sit down and think about that. I wonder how healthy he truly is coming off that Achilles injury. I've seen that injury take over a year to get all the way back. But the one thing that's disappointing when I looked at the Falcons is they just never used a play action pass. And here's Kirk Cousins. I think he threw 69 touchdown passes on play action over the last three or four years. In Minnesota, they don't even call a play action pass. With that running game with Bijan and Algiers. I don't know what they're doing offensively in Atlanta, but it was not a good mix from the start. They started poorly against Pittsburgh, it ended poorly against the Raiders. But I know this. He's a hell of a competitor. He'll be back. And they just got to figure out what to do with the contract. That's a big issue with how they loaded that contract.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, just watch a lot of Michael Pennock's take.

[Jon Gruden]

I did.

[PFT Commenter]

So what do we think about him? I know he could throw the ball to the outside.

[Jon Gruden]

What I liked about Pennix, forget about Indiana and Washington, is I like what he did in the preseason, I really did. Now, he's inexperienced. He hasn't played one snap, really meaningful snap for the Falcons. But this guy has a quick arm. He's accurate. He can really rip it down the field. But I don't think the Falcon offensive line is playing great. They have committed so many penalties, holding penalties, it's ridiculous, Ridiculous false starts. The Falcons are still in this thing. If they can tie Tampa, they win the tiebreaker, so they have to win these final couple games. But he's a talented kid. I'm just anxious to see where he is with the system.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's kind of. I mean, listen, it's good that he's starting against the Giants. Giants stink. He should have some good opportunities against them. Especially Dexter Lawrence is.

[PFT Commenter]

Is.

[Big Cat]

Is out for the season. But it's tough to be a rookie quarterback thrown in week 16 being like, hey, we got to win out to make the playoffs. That's a lot of pressure.

[Jon Gruden]

It is a lot of pressure, and I think it's probably going to serve him well in the future.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Because if he does go out there and light it up against the team they should beat, I think his teammates, you know, they'll start doing what the Washington Commanders did with Daniels. You see what Denver's doing, rallying behind Bo Nix. I think the Falcons, as you said, they have shot the elephant in the room. It's just inevitable.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right.

[Jon Gruden]

You don't take a guy with the 8th pick at that position.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

To sit for very long.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So this weekend, I believe we got the 49ers and the Dolphins, right?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

So both teams disappointing seasons for each one. And it felt like a couple years ago, two of the most dynamic, exciting offenses. Now they've kind of just. They've gotten slow. It's not as fun of a matchup as it used to be. What do you see? I'll ask about the Dolphins first. What do you see out of the Dolphins offense that's different now that they're kind of a little bit lackluster? And whereas before they're lighting it up.

[Jon Gruden]

They don't have a running game. Yeah, they can't run the ball. I mean, last year they had Raheem Mostert had 20 touchdowns. He don't even play a chance. A hell of a receiver. I think in the last five games, they have run the ball for 50 yards a game or less. They just have no running game. It's a finesse, quick passing game. And if you have the guys like Lassiter and Stingley to lock down These receivers, it's hard, uphill sledding, but they just don't have a running game. They're missing Chubb, they're missing Jalen Phillips or two edge rushers. And they've done a surprisingly good job on defense. Yeah, but I just think they don't have a balanced offense. They don't run the ball. And it's all on tua and that's. That's hard to do week in and week out.

[Big Cat]

I also think Tyrese maybe on the wrong side of 30 and it's, you know, it's a little different where it's not. He's still explosive, but he hasn't been that, you know, game breaker of no one knows what to do with him. And it is obviously the running game as well, but it, you know, gets a little one steps a little bit slower and it can change it.

[Jon Gruden]

You say that Nate, that Tyreek Hill, he scares me, man. He burnt me. He. He put me into my grave, that guy. But you know, their left tackle, Armsteads out, He doesn't play the right tackle. Jackson gets hurt. They put in Kendall Lamb, he gets hurt. They're playing her third string right tackle. So I'm sure Coach McDaniels is like, man, we got to throw the quick game. We don't have the horses up front to run the ball. And it's caught up with them. Yeah, it's been tough.

[PFT Commenter]

On the other side of that, Brock Purdy. They're gonna have to make a decision about Brock Purdy pretty soon and what the contract is going to be for him. Is he a guy that you would pay or would you. You. Would you look to the draft, free agency?

[Jon Gruden]

No, I'd pay Purdy. I mean, you've already developed the guy. He covered your ass, man. I mean, if one for Brock Purdy.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

None of these things that are good in San Francisco happen, we'd be talking about Trey Lance. They gave me three first round picks for Trey Lance.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And they gave him the guy in the last pick of the draft. That allows you to get him out of here and put this kid in. He hasn't made any money and he's taking you to Super Bowls. He's a winner. Missing Trent Williams. McCaffrey has not been right the whole season. I don't know what happened to Debo, really. And IUK is as well. And you talk about a team that's lost players. You know, Kyle Shanahan has lost a lot of players on both sides of the ball, but I would definitely keep Purdy I'm an owl man. Who am I going to get to replace Birdie? You know, everything sounds pretty in this.

[Big Cat]

Draft, but are you now about.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you now about Sam Darnold?

[Jon Gruden]

How about Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield? I mean, here's two guys that have reinvented themselves. I know I use that word a lot, but that's what you have to do in this business. You know, Sam Darnold, you got to pay Sam Darnold. Well, we got J.J. mcCarthy. Well, you got to be out of your mind to let Sam Darnold. You're 12 and 2, man.

[PFT Commenter]

How much better could your quarterback play than what Sam has played this year?

[Jon Gruden]

I don't know. The guy can run for first downs. He's a horse. He's young. If you let Sam Darnold out of there, you're making a real mistake.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I wanted to ask a question about the Debo thing because it kind of is like Tyree Kill, as a coach, when you see a player maybe lose a slight step, do you have a conversation with them, or is it. Do you start game planning a little different, where it's like, hey, we know this guy is maybe not exactly what he used to be. Let's figure out a way to work for his strengths here so we can still get a lot out of him.

[Jon Gruden]

Them. Yeah. I mean, you help a guy maintain his impact somehow, some way. Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, I had those guys on the same. Same team. They were deep into their 30s, but there's so many things these great players can do. You have to tap into some different areas.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

But when I look at Tyreek, he does have the wrist injury, and that's a serious injury that he's playing through. He's going to have to have surgery after the season. And his best part of his game is going down the field.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

And when you throw these down the field, deep ins and deep daggers and special scene, the quarterback's got to drop back and hold the ball. Yeah, but Miami doesn't do that. I mean, almost every pass he runs, Rowdy runs, is inside of 10 yards.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Disgusting.

[Jon Gruden]

Tyree Kill. I'm like, man, I wish he would run those routes against us.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I think he. He hasn't caught a 30 yard pass since week one, I think.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, well, last week they tried the wrong corner twice.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Derek Stingley was covering Tyreek and made a couple great plays. But you're right, they gotta, I think, somehow get him to be a factor down the field again.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Sticking in that division, we're we're friends with Josh Allen. We love the Buffalo Bills. We're part of Bill's mafia, I think maybe honorary part, haven't gone through a table yet. But we're, we love Buffalo and it feels like this might be the year for them the way that Josh is playing. Do you think that, that this is their best chance that they've ever had this year?

[Jon Gruden]

I do. I mean I'm worried about their defense. Their defense made me mad the other day. Now I understand when they went to the Rams and gave up 44 points on a short week. And I know against Detroit they're missing both their safeties. Now Rap didn't play, Hamlin didn't play, Rasul Douglas didn't play at corner. But they couldn't stop Detroit or la. They couldn't stop anything. The last two weeks. I believe to have a championship team you have to have a quarterback playing winning football and you got to have a fourth quarter pass rush. What bothered me is they let Goff keep going down the field and down the field they could stop Detroit either. Yeah, and I'm waiting for Von Miller and Russo and Oliver to close these games out. I mean, you know, golf is throwing it every play. I was expecting to see a lot more pass rush, impactful pass rushes, hits on the quarterback in sacks. And I've seen.

[Big Cat]

It's why, it's why the Chiefs win. Chris Jones exactly right. Every. How many times have we seen a playoff game where it's fourth quarter, Chris Jones makes a game breaking play on a third down and you know there's a fumble or a big sack and.

[Jon Gruden]

It'S like, it's like Charles Haley, the, the Charles Haley, you know, he was the closer for the 49ers when he goes to Dallas, he's the closer for the Cowboys. You got to have guys that can end the game. When Goff has the ball inside at two minutes, Mahomes has the ball inside at two minutes. You got to close these quarterbacks out.

[PFT Commenter]

This is Dwight Freeney. Dwight Freeney, fourth quarter hasn't done the spin move all game. Guess what? You're getting spin.

[Jon Gruden]

That's my new money segment. I, I bought this chain. It's like a $3 million chain with diamonds. It's got a big money thing on it. I'm going to put my necklace on. We used to call it the green team. So at the end of the game we would send out our green pass rush team SAP Simeon Rice and Marinelli, our D line coach would put the other two guys out there. Greg Spires, Ellis Wims, whoever our money pass rushers were. So I'm going to put together my green team making money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Who would be your two ends? Who would be your two defensive tackles in today's game? Who would be your green team that you would send out there in the fourth quarter?

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's a good question.

[Jon Gruden]

But it'd definitely be Chris Jones, probably Dexter Lawrence inside.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You'd probably look at Miles Garrett.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

TJ has a knack for doing that in the fourth quarter. That's when he's going to get a strip sack.

[Jon Gruden]

Max Crosby, don't forget my guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Never comes off the field.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he wouldn't be on. He's on every team, not just the green team.

[Jon Gruden]

But I think as you watch the games this weekend, think about these two minute situations.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And look at the pass rush unit that's out there. And look at that as the. The green team.

[Big Cat]

The green team.

[Jon Gruden]

We used to use a timeout. Warren Sapp taught me this. He's the first guy that ever pointed this out to me because I'm not real smart. He's like, hey, can I use a timeout? Think about this. We're playing Detroit, they have the ball, they got a chance to go down and win the game. And Warren says, can I take a time out to rest? Because what happens is these pass rushers, they rush, they go back and rush. They go back, rush, they get tired and when the ball's incomplete, they tap out, they bring in a fresh rusher. Well, you're bringing in a fresh rusher for Warren Sapp.

[Big Cat]

It's not Warren Sapp.

[Jon Gruden]

So Warren Sapp takes a timeout, we get some Gatorade, we go out there and fan them off. Bam. Sacks the next place. So you got to think about that a little bit. I think you got to have guys that can heat up the quarterback without blitzing. Use your seven men in some kind of coverage and let these four guys eat up front. But think about taking a timeout for your defensive rushers to rest and think about who the money pass rushers are at the end of the game.

[Big Cat]

It is so true that you like kind of forget it. Where teams will, over the course of the year, there'll be teams that blitz more and you know, they'll put up great numbers on defense, like. But at the end of the day, when you get to the playoffs, you gotta be able to do it with four. You can't, you can't just, you can't just always expect to be Able to blitz your way out of stuff.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, it sure helps. I mean, you gotta disguise coverages. You know, you got to stop Kelsey, you got to stop, you know, Worthy over here. You got to stop all these weapons, the back coming out of the backfield. You need men in coverage to do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

A lot of times when you blitz Mahomes or you blitz Josh Allen, you might as well blow your brains out. Like. Are you serious? They see it, they change the protection, they hand signal the routes, and they just thread it in there, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. So they take off because. No, you know exactly the hole and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're taping this early on Thursday. You hate Thursday night football.

[Jon Gruden]

I do hate Thursday. Okay, now they're playing Wednesday.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, now they're playing Wednesday. What? From your perspective, because you obviously were, you know, you lived it playing Thursday night football. Why did you hate Thursday night football? From a coach's perspective and just a quality perspective.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, you asked me if I could put in a couple plays with the barstool team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And I'm anxious to do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, it's going to take a little time, so you guys are going to have to have a little time on the practice field to learn 682 and 683 diesel, 76 and 77 special. I'm even going to put in a couple other routes just to check you guys so we can have a little bit of versatility in our office. But on a short week, you really don't get any time to practice. You don't get any time to really familiarize yourself with the opponent's blitzes, the coverages that they run, the stunts that they run up front. Front. You don't get a chance to study their red zone defense, their third down defense. You don't get a chance to look at them in goal line and short yardage. So there's very little preparation. And these guys are beat up, man. I don't like seeing These guys play 61 snaps on Sunday and then have to go play 68 snaps on Thursday. Yeah, it bothers me. I don't mind doing it on Thanksgiving. I think it's a wonderful thing. But I do believe when you're playing Thursday football, there's very little preparation. There's very little time to recover, and it's going to take its toll on the performance.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, you just don't show up. This is not major league baseball where we can play a doubleheader and go out and play here. It's not the NBA no disrespect, but this is, this is a lot of physical contact.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

And a lot of these guys are, they're hurting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

They are really sucking it up right.

[Big Cat]

Now to play, especially this, this point in the season. Week 16. Like I agree with you the. I love Thursday Night Football. I wish they'd figure out a way to do a double buy during the season so you could get more Thursday to third. You know, like a team plays on a Thursday and they get, you know, extended rest or there's buys or so, you know, you play your double buy ends up being your Thursday night game after that. So you get a little more fresh, fresh teams out there. But the, like, the team's playing on Christmas and Saturday this week. They're playing three games in 11 days at the end of the season. That's crazy.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, it is crazy.

[Big Cat]

You got to protect. I mean, I don't want to watch the playoffs if like some of these guys, you know, a Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson isn't playing.

[Jon Gruden]

Exactly. Hell, I look at Major League Baseball, they won't even let the pitcher pitch nine innings.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

They're worried about his arm getting sore, you know, but you're right. How would you like to be a 12 and 1 team like the Chiefs and lose a couple players for the first round of the playoffs because they get hurt in one of these games that they're playing in three, you know, an 11 day period. But is this microphone work? I would I make sure I can say this clearly. I hate Thursday football, especially when you got to be the road team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And when they make you fly into a different time zone on a Thursday, it's ridiculous to me. I think you got to be, be really honest and careful with how you look at the performances on Thursday night.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And we saw an awful game last Thursday night. This time of year it seems like the, the product gets worse.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, they, they say that, you know, they're the two best offensive coaches in the game.

[Big Cat]

Game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

McVeigh and Shanahan. And the season really is on the line for the 49ers.

[PFT Commenter]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

And here's the Rams trying to get back in and take control of the division. And it's 12 to 6.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, unwatchable. It was tough.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So with the barstool team, if you're installing plays for us, you've got to know a lot of people here and it's been fun watching you interact. Do you think that you've got a, do you have a starting 11 in your mind?

[Jon Gruden]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Jon Gruden]

I. I really didn't see a lot of talent the last time I was here. There was a lot of guys.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think that's fair.

[Jon Gruden]

Had great attitudes. It's. It's going to be a tough job.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you know quarterback, most important position.

[Jon Gruden]

I don't. I don't know who that is. The girl. I can't remember her first name.

[Big Cat]

Megan.

[PFT Commenter]

Megan.

[Jon Gruden]

Megan.

[Big Cat]

Yes. She had an arm.

[Jon Gruden]

She had an arm. I think she's coachable.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

What about.

[PFT Commenter]

What about me and Big Cat?

[Jon Gruden]

You're going to be my F. Big Cat's going to be the Y. He's gonna be the tight end.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Jon Gruden]

He's got a little size.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

F is fullback.

[Jon Gruden]

You're gonna be my slot receiver, basically.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Shifty guy.

[Big Cat]

Love it.

[PFT Commenter]

Get in that.

[Jon Gruden]

You might be the quarterback, though. I. I did. I did see some promise.

[PFT Commenter]

I came in, I think, last place in a quarterback challenge.

[Big Cat]

Okay. You're out.

[Jon Gruden]

You're the F. Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm like Julian Edelman. You see me as. I was a quarterback before, but I.

[Jon Gruden]

Get to the league, you're gonna have to run the special seam. So I just want to see if you can recognize cover to single high and then convert it. Versus. Man, you got to do a few things on the special scene.

[Big Cat]

Or.

[PFT Commenter]

What about Max? Max is a broken foot, but imagine.

[Big Cat]

He didn't have a podcasted right away.

[Jon Gruden]

Max was going to be the center. He looks like. Like Kelsey.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Oh, man.

[Jon Gruden]

That'll be my center. He can snap today.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he can. He absolutely can. All right. In the nfc, I have some teams that I think could win. Like, it feels wide open. What teams could you conceivably see winning the super bowl in the NFC right now?

[Jon Gruden]

Man, it's tough.

[Big Cat]

I think I have five.

[Jon Gruden]

I wanted to say Detroit, because they can really finish you with the running game. They've lost so many players, it's hard. I want to say Minnesota.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Because they have a great skill set. When you look at the emergence of Addison, the return of Hawkinson, and with the great Justin Jefferson, I think Aaron Jones is excellent. Darnold's playing well and they're playing solid defense. And their kicker, he doesn't have a lot of experience, but he makes all his kicks. I like Minnesota. I still think Green Bay is very dangerous.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, they. They got a quarterback that's got a. He's got a lot of talent, man. They can run the ball. And they do have some pass rushers. Edgar and Cooper is a Guy to keep an eye on. He came back off that injury. They're a rookie from Texas A M. Really played good against Seattle and I think Green Bay is dangerous. I think Minnesota, I like Detroit, but other than that, I'm no Philly. Philly, you gotta, I gotta put Philly in there.

[Big Cat]

You gotta put Philly.

[Jon Gruden]

Philly. I think Philly's probably the favorite.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you got to put Philly in there. What about, I mean, the Bucks and the Rams, that's the thing.

[Jon Gruden]

That's anybody's game.

[Big Cat]

Do you think they're like the Tampa Bucks in your mind? I. Obviously there's teams that are more talented than overall, but I do think the way Baker's playing, they're unafraid and they can go anywhere and they could. I mean, they've listened, they've beaten the Lions, they've beaten the Eagles. Like that's a team to me, that. But I'm not going to, I'm not going to say they're, they're. They're the favorite or anything to get to the super bowl, but it wouldn't shock me if we're in sitting in New Orleans and the Bucks have made a crazy run and they've, and they've had a couple upsets and they're sitting there playing on in February.

[Jon Gruden]

I've been saying this for a long time. I mean not, not bullshitting either. I mean, Baker Mayfield is a real quarterback now. He's playing great.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And the emergence of this Bucky Irving, this. Have you seen this kid play? I mean, he's a combination of work done. Napoleon Kaufman, Charlie Garner, he is a badass man. This guy's a hell of a back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Tampa Bay was 32nd in rushing offense the last two years. They couldn't run out of the stadium. Now they're a top 10 rushing team. They're balanced. Mike Evans is, is a complete stud hall of Famer and Todd Bowles. No one gives Bulls any credit, man, this guy's a hell of a defensive coach. They just went to the Chargers and kicked their ass. Yeah, they are, they are a dangerous football team because of their balance on offense and experienced defensive head coach. And McLaughlin makes big field goals. Yeah, so I do like Tampa and I like Philly. This, this Philadelphia Eagle defense, man. Vic Fangio's got a couple rookies in the secondary. The Gene and Mitchell playing great. They got a lot of second year players, Carter and Nolan Smith, this Nakobe Dean, this Zach Bond guy comes over from New Orleans. They're good, man.

[Big Cat]

What is it? About a Vic Fangio defense. What is he, what is he preaching that makes it so hard to. Cause he's, he's a great defensive coordinator. We've seen it time and time again. But what is it about his defenses?

[Jon Gruden]

They don't give up big plays, number one. They know where their help is. They know how to play leverage. They know they know how to play and eliminate big plays. They, they don't take unnecessary stupid risks. They're hard to run against. They just do an excellent job taking away your strength and making you play left handed.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

And they're a ball possession offense. They run the ball more than anybody so they're not out on the field. You know, 80 plays a game.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Jon Gruden]

They don't have to play a whole lot of snaps. I worry about the Eagles pass rush depth a little bit. Huff is out. They just lost Brandon Graham for the season. And I told you about that money pass rush.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't wait to see the money change.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So you're gonna reward that every week.

[Jon Gruden]

I'm gonna. Well, I'm gonna talk about my green team. See, I'm gonna get some glasses like you. I got, you know, I got those $12.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, these are shady rays. We can get you a little better set than that.

[Jon Gruden]

I might need to get some shady.

[PFT Commenter]

Get some shady race.

[Jon Gruden]

I'm gonna just. I'm worried about the Eagle green team a little bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So with, with Houston, they've been kind of weird this year because last year it felt like their offense was way more explosive. Felt like they were dynamic, exciting. It feels like it's taking a little step back this year. Is this, has it been concerning to you to watch the development of that offense?

[Jon Gruden]

I thought they'd be a lot better. You know, their offensive line has been disappointing to me. They, they had 41 sacks allowed going into last week's game. Not only sacks. I mean, Stroud, if you look at the pro football focus, all the charts and stats, he's been pressured more than any guy in the league. This guy's been knocked, knocked down, he's been sacked, he's had the shit beat out of him. And I just don't feel, I don't feel the rhythm of their passing game at all.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, and they're boomer bust on rush.

[Jon Gruden]

They really are.

[Big Cat]

They are. I went and looked at it because we're going to do our pre, our weekend preview for PMT this afternoon, but it was like Joe Mixon was like 110 yards, 20 yards, 120 yards, 15 yards, like. Like he either is going off or it's nothing.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, he didn't run the ball at all against Miami.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

It's not for the fake punt last week. They don't really score much in Houston either. Yeah, but it's. It's a problem because some of those linemen, I mean, Howard at right tackle, Tunel at left tackle, they've got a lot of investments in that line, but they haven't picked up blitzes when they stunt the line. They haven't picked up stunts. And it's impacted Stroud. He's off schedule right now. And I know they're missing Stefan Diggs, but Nico Collins is back. They got a pretty good tight end. I just. I just don't feel the rhythm. Yeah, you know, you got to have a little rhythm to the past.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

There's no flow to it at all. We talked last time when we were watching. We're doing the live stream of the Thursday Night Football Commanders Eagles. I heard that. You didn't know that the cameras were on for that whole thing?

[Jon Gruden]

No, I. I had no idea they would film all of that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we were just live. We're just live the whole time, but.

[Jon Gruden]

I'm gonna let it rip tonight anyway.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, no, people loved you. And we had the conversation about the analytics where you were like, there's some, you know, some nerd that's in your ear telling you, hey, go for it, go for it, go for it. And then you mentioned, like, Pro Football Focus and some of the people that do, you know, the. The talent evaluation. Do you feel the same way about those guys? The. The. The outside, like, third parties that grade players as you do about the numbers, guys that are in your ear during a game.

[Jon Gruden]

I love the Pro Football Focus because it gives me a starting point. They say, hey, PFT's playing great. PFT's playing great. So, okay, I go in there, I said, let me see him play great. Big Cats had a shitty game. So I like to go back and see for myself. A lot of times you might disagree with the guy that graded the film. You know, maybe you got. You got the sack against you, but maybe when you look at the tape, I might say, no, it wasn't his fault. But for the most part, these guys are pretty solid, man. But it does give me a pretty good gauge of where to start my studies, you know, in terms of. I like to see it before I say it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, the. By the way, we. We. I can announce this now. We talked about our schedule coming up, but coach is Going to be with us for wild card weekend and divisional round. So we're going to do streams Saturday and Sunday.

[Jon Gruden]

That's awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that.

[Big Cat]

I'm so excited to watch football with you.

[Jon Gruden]

Do you guys use artificial intelligence?

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

We know about it, but we don't use it.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, well, I've been using. I've been. See, I'm, I'm.

[Big Cat]

You're using it high.

[Jon Gruden]

Well, like when a. When a quarter. Let's say you're a right guard, okay. And you blow an assignment, the back gets hit in the face for a three yard loss. And you're the same right guard that whiffs in pass protection. And then you're the same right guard, it jumps off sides and you come over to the sideline. I would probably say, what the are you doing, big cat? So I send that into artificial intelligence to see what should I say to my guard when he jumps off side. Some of the responses are pretty good. It becomes a PG13 way of ripping a right guard.

[Big Cat]

I like it.

[Jon Gruden]

Same thing with ripping a referee.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, or when the owner comes in and starts calling you names after you lose a game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Threatening to fire you. What should my response be?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right.

[Jon Gruden]

And when you listen to artificial intelligence, you're going to say, this might be the greatest invention ever.

[Big Cat]

That's great. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So have you ever had an owner say, I'd like for you guys to practice during the bye week?

[Jon Gruden]

Oh, yeah. I mean, now there's rules. You see, the collective bargaining agreement puts, puts sanctions on what a coach can and can't do. So that's what makes it difficult.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

How do, how do you manage that? Because ultimately the owner is your boss. Right. They sign your paychecks, you serve at, at, at, you know, their discretion. But then your job is also to just manage an entire. You got like two separate jobs. Almost like one is running the team and then the other is presenting a case of how you're running the team to the owner when things get bad. So how do you juggle those two things?

[Jon Gruden]

Well, I just use the practice field as my laboratory. You know, you want to take advantage of all the time that you have to practice. You may not need as much practice as you need. So you might take the bye week and let some of your young guys get some reps. Because it is a long season, you might want to install a couple new schemes. A lot of guys just say, hey, you're out. Get out of the building for the whole week. And sometimes the collective bargaining agreement makes you let the players be loose for X amount of days. But, you know, I like watching teams in pregame warmup. Some teams are working hard in pregame warmup. They're developing players during pregame. Some coaches are just putting their headphones on and they're jogging around the stadium. Him. But when you're trained, I think under Al Davis like I was, you're pretty much trained to use every second that you have to train somebody.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

In some way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's interesting. Yeah. Using. Using the pregame warm up almost as.

[Jon Gruden]

An extra practice, an extra period, an individual period. You know, look at it that way. Don't go out there thinking it's a, you know, dance lesson. You know what I mean?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

How much did I love speed? How much was he like that guy?

[Big Cat]

So fast?

[Jon Gruden]

He talked about Raider bodies. He would see alignment at the combine. He'd say, that guy's got a Raider body. And our scouts were looking for Raider bodies. Defensive linemen had to have length. Corners had to have length. And speed. Twitchiness. But he loves speed. You know, he modeled his team size. Speed. The one thing about the Raiders, we had a good looking team, man.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Every year when we got off the bus, when Al was around. Around.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, I got one last question for you, Coach. It's been awesome. It's Roback question. Rho B A C-K.com promo code, take 20 off your first purchase. Q, Zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Promo code, take roback.com. you got hip surgery. How's the new hip? And how's the golf game?

[Jon Gruden]

Pretty good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, I'm glad you brought this up because working at barstool, you get the chance to meet other people. So when the guys came down, my hip held up pretty good. Yeah, me and Trent put a whoop ass on those guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, we did. It felt pretty good. Nicey. Yeah, it did. I had some good drives. I never really snipered one at all. I was down the middle. Trent made a couple clutch plays.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

And a lot of it had to do with great coaching. You know, Trent and I, we kind of had this synergy going here. It was like me and Rich Gannon again, man in and out of the golf cart, you know, but it was so much fun. We had a blast, and it was a stunning upset. No one predicted us to win.

[Big Cat]

Hips. Good.

[PFT Commenter]

I like your strategy on the golf course, too, which is just every hole is a par five.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah. You know what? That kind of lowers my standards a little bit because I do Know, I haven't played a whole lot of golf because of my, you know, coaching background, but If I shoot 86 at a nice course like where we play, that's. That's a pretty good round. It's respectable.

[PFT Commenter]

That's having fun. Is there anybody at barstool that you want to fight? Fight. Are you. Do you have an enemy yet?

[Jon Gruden]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

You're only on, like, week two of working with Stephen Shea.

[Jon Gruden]

Stephen Chase. Such a Buck fan. It's almost kind of a weird buck. Almost.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. He remembers.

[Jon Gruden]

He remembers things I don't even remember.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's a computer dude.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He knows stuff about you that you don't even know.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah. It's a little scary, you know.

[Big Cat]

All right, well, Coach, thank you as always. Always fun to have you and we're excited for the playoffs. I can't wait to watch the playoff football.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah. So who do you got in the AFC real quick?

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, I got the Bills.

[Big Cat]

I'll go with the Bills as well.

[Jon Gruden]

I like the Bills.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

I'm not going to go against the Chiefs, though, because they do have the defense. The fourth quarter rush.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

You know, all this close, ugly winning that they're doing is going to serve them well in the playoffs.

[PFT Commenter]

They're learning how to. They do all the small things right. If things go bad, but if they get that break, they know how to take advantage. They, they, they dance on that margin just a little bit too much, though. What about their offensive line doesn't. Are you watching them and you're like, it's not sustainable.

[Jon Gruden]

They have the best center and two guards. If, if you can't do better than Tuni, a center, Creed Humphreys and Trey Smith at right guard. You can't do better than that. It's just a left tackle. They've. They've had a turn style left tackle. I. Hell, D.J. humphreys was playing left tackle.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The AFC to me is just, just. It's a little bit more clear that it's Ravens, Chiefs or Bills. I think those are the three teams.

[Jon Gruden]

I think the Ravens are interesting. They've improved on defense.

[Big Cat]

You know what the Ravens problem is? They lead the league in penalties. They do lead the league in penalties.

[Jon Gruden]

Undisciplined, which I watched that Steeler Raven game, the first one, because I know they're playing Saturday. They had 12 penalties in that game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You know, you can't win like that.

[Jon Gruden]

No, you can't.

[Big Cat]

Especially when it's so razor thin in the playoffs.

[Jon Gruden]

Wouldn't you love to see Lamar Jackson and, and Josh Allen go at it. I mean, who do you have as the mvp? That's what I want to know.

[Big Cat]

Josh.

[PFT Commenter]

I have Josh right now. Lamar's in the conversation.

[Big Cat]

Lamar has been insane.

[Jon Gruden]

34 touchdown passes, three interceptions.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

I mean, nobody's thrown 30 touchdowns in less than five picks except for Brady and Aaron Rodgers. So that's the kind of class he's throwing the ball with. And he's got 750 yards rushing. I mean, he gets 109 yards. He passes Mike Vick for the all time quarterback rushing title. He's had a sick statistical season.

[Memes]

Sick.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And of course the MVP is kind of. It's just always narratives. It was who, you know, the big game down the stretch last year, it was Lamar, Brock Purdy. And then Lamar beats Brock purdy in week 17. Lamar. So it's, you know, Josh Allen.

[Jon Gruden]

Something else though, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Have you ever gone out throwing a pass in the snow and the cold, shitty weather with the wind blowing? Have you ever tried to do it?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, of course.

[Jon Gruden]

You see Josh Allen against the 49ers matters. I mean, it's like is in a dome.

[Big Cat]

That pass he made even in, in.

[Jon Gruden]

Detroit running to his left.

[Big Cat]

Well, yeah. And he just, it was like, how is this even possible?

[Jon Gruden]

I don't know. I. I'd have a hard time voting this year, but those two guys should probably both take it home.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think the fact Lamar won it last year makes it more likely that Josh is going to get it this year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jon Gruden]

Yeah, you're probably right.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. Well, Coach, thank you as always. And yeah, we can't wait to watch some football with you.

[Jon Gruden]

Same here, brother. Thank you, guys.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

Okay, let's wrap up. We got fire fest of the week. Henry.

[Memes]

All right, serious fire fest time. It's probably gonna take me a minute to explain too, so bear with me.

[Big Cat]

I can help.

[Memes]

I need. Well, I need. I need to give the backstory first because it. It made a lot of sense after. In real time. It didn't. Didn't. But to set it up, I. And I wanted to wait a couple weeks because I was dealing with some. Some of the aftermath for a couple weeks. So I want to make sure I was good before I talked about it because it would have just made everything worse if I said it right when it happened. But going back Thanksgiving, I was home for break. I was at a friend's house smoking a bubbler. Like a little bubbler bowl. And this is all what I put together after the fact. Obviously, if I realized in real time, it would have been a different, different situation. But smoking out of a bubbler bowl and basically I. I lit it and basically inhaled burnt ash which went into my throat and like, made my lungs swollen. I did not realize this at the time. That was Saturday night. Fast forward to Monday. It was the Browns Chargers game. Monday Night Football. Browns.

[PFT Commenter]

Broncos.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Apologies. Browns. Broncos. Monday Night Football. I was smoking a little joint by myself and it like felt weird again. I didn't realize it was because my lung was swollen, but I was like that, that something. Something's not right. This doesn't feel right. I put it out, but I didn't know what was going on. Went inside to my condo. I was watching the game and I Was struggling hard to breathe, and I was by myself. I, like, you know, couldn't catch my breath. And then I worked myself up into a panic where I. Again, I've never had a panic attack. I joked about it in the beginning of the show. I had never had a panic attack. So I was essentially freaking out. I had convinced myself in. In my head that That I was. There was something like a hole or something in my lung. I was losing oxygen and that I basically was never going to be able to get this oxygen again. So I worked myself into a panic. I thought I was having a stroke because I never had a panic attack. I was, like, on the ground, basically, like, thinking I was, like, fading away, watching James throw an interception, being like, this is it. I think this is it. I didn't know what to do. The first person I called, I was like, I don't know what to do. I called Big Cat. I was like, I know need to go to, like, urgent care. I don't know what's going on, but, like, I can't. I can't breathe. I think I'm going down. And then I made my way. Big Cat was. Was super helpful. He told me what urgent care to go to. He said he'll meet me there. And I was like, on the way to urgent care, you know, not necessarily a huge religious guy. You know, believe in something up there. But I was like, if this is. This is not a big deal, like, I'll. I'll never. You know, I'll never smoke again. I'm gonna get healthy. Like, this is. Because I literally thought I was.

[Big Cat]

Was.

[Memes]

I thought I was dying. Like, I thought I was. I thought I was never gonna be able to breathe right again in my life. And so shout out to Big Cat. He met me at urgent care, went through the whole process with me. They, you know, put me. Put me on the tubes and stuff, and it, you know, turns out it was just. They told me after the fact, like, your. Your lungs are swollen. You're just having a panic attack. Everything's gonna be fine. So it was a bad couple days I had. I. And I. You know, then I haven't smoked since. So I've. I've been having a lot of struggles sleeping. I've gotten a lot better with it over the past three weeks. I think anyone that's quit smoking weed knows the. The anxiety that kind of comes with that. And, like, the. The dreams and crazy dreams and, like, bad sleep. That's gotten a lot better in the past three weeks. So I'm Kind of through it. And I. I feel good. I feel healthy. But yeah, it was. It was a long month of December and it was. It was weird to not talk about it, but I feel good. Anyone that's had panic attacks probably can understand what I was going through. I never had a panic attack. And I think obviously if I had realized I was having a panic attack, I would have been like, dude, you're having a panic attack. It's gonna be fine. But I thought I had a heart attack, slash stroke and was never gonna breathe again and like was gonna die watching James Winston watching.

[PFT Commenter]

Which would be an okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Yeah. So it's.

[Big Cat]

It's a post.

[Memes]

It's a post. Mostly fire fest, but it was. Yeah, it was bad.

[Big Cat]

Can I do the funny stories now? Okay, great.

[Memes]

Now, like, again, like, I. I had anxiety about it for a while and I knew if I talked about it, awl was going to be like, oh, you know, it was. They were going to make. They're going to tell me stuff that was going to make me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

More anxious about it. So I wanted to wait until I was in a good place to talk about it. But yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So I. I have some funny stories. I was with hank in the ER for about four hours until like 2am it was. So. What. What. Let's, let's start from my, from my perspective. I was at home. I was actually. I just gotten ready for bed and Hank called me and he's not. He doesn't usually call me at like, it was like 10:30 at night. And I was like, oh, something must be wrong. Hank was nice enough to be like, oh, I thought to call Big Cat right away because he's like the adult in my life. That's not actually what happened. He called me and asked me if my wife knew what ER she. He should go to. So he was like my only adult. The only adult in my life is not Big Cats. Big Cat. Cat's wife. So she, she helped us and was like, yeah, go here. It actually was the same one. I had gone for my kidney stone. So I knew where it was. I get there. I was nervous. I was legit, like, because the way you described it, like, I was. This is scary. Like you can't breathe. Breathing thing. A breathing thing. So Hank, Hank had a little shame afterwards of being like, wow, I overreacted. You don't around with not being able to breathe. Like, Hank couldn't even. He was. He couldn't speak either. He was whispering because he couldn't get enough breath to actually like, talk loudly.

[PFT Commenter]

It was like a cycle that kept reinforcing itself, too, because you had. You had the actual lung injury, and then you had the panic attack. And one of the symptoms of that is thinking that you can't breathe.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's like the lung injury was feeding into your panic attack of being like, I'm never going to have any more oxygen ever again, which makes everything worse.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

And I had tried to, like. I thought it was like, I got some stuck in my stroke. Like, I had given myself 45 minutes when I was home to, like, this is fine. Something stuck in your throat. Like, you know, just. Just like. Like, I was trying to, you know, cough it out and stuff, and nothing was happening. And I. That's when I worked myself into a panic of, like, yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

So we get there, and I was very nervous because I was like, yeah, I'm gonna meet you there. Because I like. You don't. He didn't have anyone to go with. And that's a up thing to have to go to the emergency room by yourself and just be alone in the emergency room. So we get there, we check in. He has his. They did, like, an EKG on him right away. And that's when I started to calm down, because I was like, all right. They said that he's. He's breathing okay. It's something else, but it's breathing okay. So I was like, all right. He's. This is. This is gonna. At least not like, he's not being rushed off with, like, the compressors and everything. We check in. I did say they asked. I was his emergency contact, and they're like, how do you know him? And I said, best friends. And the woman was like, okay. Like, why would you tell me that? We went. We went back. So we went back into the emergency. We got it. We. He checked in. We got everything checked in. It's like, all right. He's not gonna die right away. Waited a few minutes. He had to go get mri. So we go all the way back. He has to get in the gown, everything. We're sitting there, and the guy. The nurse. Male nurse walks in.

[Memes]

This is like a sitcom.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And he just goes, oh, Hank.

[Memes]

Well, he, like, popped his head in. There was a curtain, and he, like, popped his head in. It was just like, what's up, guys?

[Big Cat]

Like, oh, Hank. Can I help you?

[PFT Commenter]

You had, like, tubes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. So shout out our male nurse. He actually gave me two lunchables that was probably. Or uncrustables. That was probably too much. But Whatever. I ate him. So shout out. Our guy. He. He took care of us well. He was very, very nice, but it was very.

[Memes]

It was just like Kramer walking in the dark.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Like, he was like.

[Big Cat]

It was so perfect that he was just like, oh, Hank. And then he looked at me. He's like, oh, what are you guys doing here? It's like, well, we're having a problem.

[PFT Commenter]

If you listen to the part of my take on that Wednesday, you can probably tell that Hank's voice is not, like, all the way there. You're you, but you gritted out. You got through it. But, yeah, you were. You were not in a good place at that point.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

And I'm glad. I'm glad that it's nothing serious that you're able to. Are you ever. Wait. Are you ever going to smoke again?

[Memes]

I think I'm going to stop. I'm. I'm. I'm going to. I'm not going to say I'm never going to smoke again. I haven't smoked, and I think I've kind of quit the habit. I'm sure there will be times, like, with other people. I think I. My plan is to quit smoking alone and, like, only smoke, you know, special occasions, nicely with friends.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, maybe no more.

[Big Cat]

Only when James is throwing interceptions.

[PFT Commenter]

No more bubblers.

[Memes]

Yeah, no more bubblers. And no more. No more lonely stoner.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right. And then. So there's a couple other moments that were ridiculous. One, I. I was happy. I was there not only to be with Hank, but also I was kind of acting as maybe his not decision maker, but, like, hey. Maybe because they were like, hey, do you want some anxiety medicine? And Hank was like, no. And then I went in the hallway. I was like, yeah, we need that. Like, this could be a. This could be it. So. And then the woman comes in. The doctor comes in. Doctor was a woman, no big deal. And was like, we're gonna put you through some breathing exercises to see how, like, your lungs are working. And Hank and I both are so stupid. We thought, like, she was gonna make him start, like, singing, hanging and stuff.

[Memes]

Like, yeah.

[Big Cat]

1, 2, 3.

[PFT Commenter]

Or doing, like, the pregnancy ones.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

That's when I started to get embarrassed. Oh, no.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Which again, like, it was. I was, like, thinking to myself for, like, the two hours when I thought it was bad, I was like, just please let it not be a big deal. So. And then about 45 minutes after I took the medicine, I was like, oh, I feel good. Like, and then I was like, oh, yeah. I. I. This was a panic attack. So I was a little embarrassed. But I. I did give the. Like, like, please let this not be a big deal, and I promise I'll change my ways. And I. I have. But it's like, I was. I was happy but embarrassed when the medicine kicked in. And I was like, oh, if. If I felt like this, I never would have came here.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm fine.

[Memes]

And then I was like, oh, yeah, it was just. Yeah, the anxiety medicine calmed you down and you're fine.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So, I mean, once he. Once he did the breathing exercise, the anxiety medicine was maybe like two in the morning. And I was like, Hank was like, I think I'm good. Like, you should go. And I was like, all right. You sure? And I was like, yeah, you should go. And I was like, all right, I'll. I'll leave. Leave. Like, let me know if you need anything. And I was thanking the nurse, the awl nurse, as I was leaving. And then I go walk down the hallway, and this girl stops me, and she's like, hey, are you. Are you Big Cat? And I was like, yeah. And she's like, oh, I recognize your voice from down the hallway. And I was like, oh, cool. And she's like, yeah, my boyfriend is a huge listener of your guys podcast. Can you say hi to him? I was like, I thought she was going to pull out her phone or something. And she's like, yeah, he's right there. He just got hit by a car. It was a. Aw. Can you imagine a broken leg just laying? And I was like, what's up, dude? He's like, oh, hey, what's up?

[PFT Commenter]

Imagine being that guy. You get into a car accident, you're in the hospital, and then Big cat just, like, pokes his head.

[Memes]

John Cena, you think you're gonna die.

[Big Cat]

Like, what up, dude?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we should start doing that. Going around to emergency rooms and just asking for dudes between the age of 18 and 40.

[Big Cat]

Hey.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we're here to cheer you up.

[Big Cat]

I've been thinking about that guy. He was probably expecting us to talk about it right away. I hope he's doing okay. That sucked that you got hit by a car, dude. But, yeah, I hope you're okay. But, yeah, I mean, end of the day, I was. I was. I was nervous for Hank. I'm happy he's fine. It was definitely a moment where I was like. I was saying the same prayers in my ride over, being like, he better be okay. Perspective, perspective.

[Memes]

And. And, yeah, like, you know, you guys were super, super helpful throughout the Whole two weeks aftermath. And then it just, you know, like, literally, you guys are the most important people in my life. And that just kind of reinforced it. So a little serious, but yeah. Yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy that I'm, I'm good. And, and the dunking thing, it didn't work out, but it was a good, like, good. It helped the focus of, like, you know, and when, when I was home by myself, it was like, just get on the treadmill, throwing a bunch of layers and walk for like an hour and a half and just like, stay out of my apartment and just kind of, like, distract myself. So. And it was a good distraction.

[PFT Commenter]

You did improve a lot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Are we, do we want to say that you didn't dunk?

[Memes]

We could say it.

[Big Cat]

It's. It.

[Memes]

I mean, at all.

[Big Cat]

You won't know about the shooting thing. The shooting thing is really. Yeah. Hank didn't dunk.

[Memes]

Okay, we'll post the video. I, I, he wasn't even close.

[Big Cat]

I was kind of close.

[PFT Commenter]

There was one where you got your, your part of your fingers above the rim. That was impressive. I gasped.

[Max]

The full video will be at the end.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. But you were part four of the.

[Max]

PMT doc that releases next week, and.

[Big Cat]

That will be with the shooting. With this very special.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Hey. I'm happy you're alive, Hank.

[Memes]

Yeah. I was very happy you guys were there for me. Thank you.

[Big Cat]

Best friend on emergency contact somewhere. Also one extra one. There's like every, every, every hospital has an app now where you can just sign up the app.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And, and you get the alerts. And my wife was texting me through when I got there with Hanks, asking for updates and stuff. She's like, you should sign him up for the app so that he can get the alerts. And I was like, okay, cool, cool. I will. And I signed him up. I went through, I took his phone and I went through, like, this entire, like, 10 minute process of signing him up for the app, all his information and stuff. I just signed him up for the wrong hospital. So he got no alerts. He just has an app. So if you ever, if you ever need to go that one, though, you're good.

[Memes]

Yeah. Panic attack's no joke either. I would probably be of the camp beforehand where I was like, panic attack. Like, just. Yeah, don't be a. That is no joke.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

I have a newfound respect for panic attacks. I'm sure there's a lot of awls that have gone through Similar things. And that's where I was. Like, I didn't want. I knew. I know people were gonna reach out to me, and I knew that it was going to. Like, I was having a lot of anxiety afterwards for like, a week or two. So I knew people reaching out and telling me, you know, what to do or what they've experienced was gonna make it worse. So that's why I wanted to wait.

[Big Cat]

It was smart.

[Jon Gruden]

Smart.

[Big Cat]

It was smart.

[Memes]

That's no joke.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Love all you guys.

[Memes]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Pft. All right. So I. I did not know that Hank was going to be doing the serious one today, but I also have some news somewhat. Seriously. But it's good news.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

But it's, like, kind of the same health scare thing. Hank knows what I'm talking about. Because you were there for it.

[Memes]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Holy. I know we're doing this.

[Big Cat]

Wait, what?

[PFT Commenter]

Because I. I got the news on Tuesday, so I guess I'll. I'll back up to the start. Hank and I went to.

[Memes]

This was.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I know this. Yeah, we're doing all this.

[PFT Commenter]

I just got the news back on Tuesday, and.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

And I'm pumped about it.

[Big Cat]

Boys have been down.

[Memes]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So we go to Sturgill Simpson show back in October, right? We go. We have, I think, two beers before the show. Go inside. And after about, like, three hours of the concert, because he played for, like, the longest set ever.

[Memes]

Standing up.

[PFT Commenter]

Up, Standing up. It was. It was an awesome, awesome show. And then after about, like, what would you say? Like, two and a half hours, there was.

[Memes]

I. I literally was like, this has to be over soon.

[PFT Commenter]

I remember.

[Memes]

And someone's like, it's probably 15 minutes left. So it was probably 2 hours and 50 minutes.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So it was a long time to be standing there. I start to, like, focus on my breathing because I'm having problems breathing. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground. Chaps is stabilizing my neck. Hank is trying to, like, block me out so that. That, like, people aren't staring at me or whatever. I just passed out, hit my head on the ground, and I got taken to the, like, backstage area at the salt shed. Great. People at the salt shed. And they ran me through, like, a bunch of tests, checked my blood pressure, which is, like, super, super low. And Hank. I don't remember that much about being in that room other than being very, very confused about what was happening. But Hank was saying that. I kept saying, I don't think my head's hurt. Meanwhile, I was rubbing my Head and wincing the entire time. So I'm there with Hank, Chaps, and Donnie, and I'm trying to figure out. They're like, do you want to go to the hospital or not? And I felt like I was getting better, so I was like, no, just. Just get me home. I just need to be home. So eventually we left, and I was trying to think, like, what the hell is going on? I didn't get. I wasn't hammered. I took one hit of weed and Cigarette. Clove. Cigarette. And I might have had, like, small dose of mushrooms. Small dose of mushrooms.

[Big Cat]

Small dose. Gross.

[Memes]

It was. It was a. It wasn't. It wasn't my joint, but I also had. It was like a Keef joint, so it was like a. A little bit more elevated.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Hit of weed, too, so that, I think played a factor.

[PFT Commenter]

And shout out to the people backstage at the Salt.

[Memes]

We're not drug guys.

[PFT Commenter]

No, we're not.

[Big Cat]

No, no.

[PFT Commenter]

They were like, yeah, we've seen, like, three other people pass out tonight. So I was. They try to make me feel better, like, I'm not the only one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So I. They tell me, like, go to the hospital. Go to the cardiologist and get checked out. Out and just make sure that everything's cool. So I scheduled an appointment, went to the cardiologist, and they saw, like, something on the ekg, and they were like, we're going to schedule you for, like, every heart test known to man. So I was wear. I've been wearing a portable heart monitor under my shirt for, like, a month. I guess I was like a month and a half now. And then they put me through, like, a. A calcium scan. They put me through, like, a ultrasound of my heart. All this. Gave me all these tests, and then the full body. The full EKG came back, and he was like, yeah, I see. Like, there's a couple blips on here, but it's nothing to be worried about. I'm like, okay, all right, fair enough. I get an email, like, a day later, and it says on the EKG printout, possible heart attack.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. I remember you telling me this, and.

[PFT Commenter]

It did say the words heart attack, but it said, like, possible infarction or whatever.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm looking at this, like, what the. Does that mean? I look it up, and it says heart attack. So I had to call my doctor, and he was like, yeah, I think the. The software just read it wrong. I don't think he had a heart attack, but we're going to schedule more tests. So then I Do more tests. And then I go in last Friday, I go and I do a stress test on a treadmill. When they had me hooked up to everything. And then they looked at that, that was the last thing they were going to look at. And just the blips on there was like, no big deal. It's like if you haven't had enough sleep sometimes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If you had like too many cups of coffee, sometimes it'll make that show up.

[Jon Gruden]

Up.

[PFT Commenter]

But basically they were trying to figure out if I had like a. A leaky heart for the last like, month and a half.

[Big Cat]

But you don't.

[PFT Commenter]

But I don't. And I got that. I got the results back on Tuesday. So in the clear on that one. Again, like, Hank, not to get serious, but. Yeah, it's been. It's been a. A month and a half. Long firefight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Memes]

That was scary.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That was another late night Hank call I got. He called me that night was like, hey, pft.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Might have had a heart attack.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Also I was.

[Memes]

Concussion.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I. I'd never passed out before my late. It's scary to pass out. But the. I guess the real fire fest in all this.

[Memes]

Can we. Can I say the one funny part of this, too?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

There was a lady who. Who in the crowd was like. You know, we were huddled around and like, chaps was on him and I was covering people up and a lady came over to help and was just like, holding his leg. Like she got in the way. Was like, holding his leg up, like, stretching. I don't know if that's like a thing when things are going on. But she, like, took charge and was. I was. I wanted that lady, like, who are you and what are you doing? Doing, like, let go of his leg. Like, she was like pushing his foot, like, trying. Yeah. Like stretching him out, trying to burp him. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The first thing I remember is waking up. Chaps is above me, stabilizing my neck, being like, buddy, can you hear me? Can you hear me? And this lady is just grabbing my legs, holding. Holding me back and being like, get his legs up. Get his. And Chap is like, put his legs down. But then I guess the fire Festival, this is finding out that the reason why I passed out at this concert was because I was dehydrated and I smoked weed that was too strong. So basically I'm a you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but you're not.

[Memes]

And there was a report that came out that there was a rabies outbreak at Salt Shed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

I was like, for A second.

[Big Cat]

Got it. It.

[Memes]

I read the report. The dace didn't line up, but it was like salt shed leads to, like, people passing out from rabies. I was like, oh, my God, if.

[PFT Commenter]

There'S one rabid bat that's in the crowd, there's probably another one. So I. I saw that and I was like, yeah, yeah, maybe I got rabies filming at the mouth, but yeah, okay. So sorry to get serious again.

[Memes]

Yeah, it's good. We want to flush it out.

[Big Cat]

Your broken foot doesn't feel so. So important, huh?

[Max]

Both of them are fine.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's true. No, I'm a.

[Big Cat]

All right. My fire fest is quick. I've just been, like, rolling in and out of, like, being sick for the last two weeks because I was. I think it was Browns Broncos, Monday night. I didn't get any sleep. And then I've just been worried about my other best friend maybe having a heart attack. So I just haven't been getting any sleep. Sleep well? No, I actually, I did. I. My kids just bring in all types of germs. December on Saturday, when Travis Hunter won the Heisman. I. I think I told you guys, but I. I was so sick. I puked seven times that day. Seven times.

[Max]

First time, did you get out of going to the holiday party?

[Big Cat]

I did. I felt bad because people were treating me like, how's the holiday party? I was literally just like, in and out of sleep and puking. Like I was having. It was a 24 hour. It probably sound. That's why my throat sounded bad on Sunday because I was so sick. But it was one of those, like, quick stomach viruses that you take a sip of water and just puke. And that was just all day Saturday. Travis Hunter day.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's pretty bad because, yeah, I.

[Big Cat]

Did get out of going to the party, but there was a. There was a magician with a rabbit there, so I missed the magician.

[PFT Commenter]

Somehow our bodies know when it's not a show day, dude. You know, I literally, like, we've. We've never had a flu.

[Big Cat]

I. If I. I was thinking about that if I had to do the show and actually that we have done Army Navy college football show, like, six years in a row and we didn't do it this year. But if I had to do a show on that day, I would have been fucked because I still felt like shit on Sunday. But I was, like, not throwing up. But yeah, I was. I couldn't go 30 minutes out. Throwing up on Saturday.

[PFT Commenter]

That sucks.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. And put. Max has a broken foot still have three kidney stones. Working their way down, buddy.

[Max]

Yeah, no, that's worse. I don't know. Broken foot.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, broken foot.

[Max]

Broken foot.

[PFT Commenter]

Is your foot really broken? Because you don't need surgery.

[Max]

I. Yeah, true. You told me that you probably didn't need surgery when you got surgery.

[Big Cat]

Pretty much.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, I said, doc, I'm not a. Get in there. Look at my foot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's an ass.

[PFT Commenter]

Cut me.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Good show, boys. Reminder for next week. We have a show Monday. We have a show Friday, no show Wednesday because it's Christmas. And then we're gonna do the same thing the week after. Show Monday, show Friday, no show Wednesday because it's New Year's. Okay, but we will. We will see you. We will be recapping week 16 here.

[PFT Commenter]

Numbers 17, 11, 3, 37, 94, 47.

[Hank]

Jack, 47, 21's never got it by himself.

[Big Cat]

82, 82.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys.