NFL Championship Sunday, Mark Schlereth Talking Patriots/Broncos and Rams/Seahawks, The Bills Weird Press Conference + Fyre Fest Of The Week

Summary

Pardon My Take – Episode Summary

Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Guest: Mark Schlereth
Main Theme: NFL Conference Championship Preview, Coaching News, Bills' Press Conference Fallout, and Fyre Fest of the Week

Episode Overview

This episode finds Big Cat and PFT Commenter energized for NFL Conference Championship weekend, breaking down both title games (Patriots/Broncos in the AFC and Rams/Seahawks in the NFC). Along with banter and heated debates, the show tackles coaching carousel updates, recaps the Buffalo Bills' bizarre press conference, witty back-and-forths on fan bases and pressure, and wraps up with classic PMT segments like Fyre Fest.

Former NFL guard and recurring guest Mark Schlereth (“Stink”) drops in for genuine football insight, recalling his own championship experiences and analyzing the weekend’s pivotal games.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Conference Championship Weekend Hype

• Super Bowl Number Confusion: The episode humorously opens with hosts debating which Super Bowl is upcoming (“Is it 60?”) before lamenting their lack of Roman numeral knowledge.
  • "This is bad by us... it's like we don't know Roman numerals." – Big Cat (01:08)
• Games Preview Agenda:
  • AFC Championship: Patriots @ Broncos (Drake May vs. Jarrett Stidham)
  • NFC Championship: Rams @ Seahawks (Stafford vs. Darnold); both teams among highest DVOA in 30 years.

2. Buffalo Bills Press Conference Disaster

• The hosts recap a Bills presser that followed Sean McDermott’s firing, noting the ownership/GM did little to project “organizational stability.”
  • "The goal... is always to give confidence that the process is going the correct way... They did the exact opposite." – Big Cat (04:16)
• Takeaways:
  • The owner, Terry Pegula, awkwardly referenced his daughter’s tennis career.
  • The Keon Coleman draft decision blame game: confusion over who chose whom, undermining confidence in leadership.
  • Admission that McDermott was fired in a locker room moment after a "sad loss" set off alarms on process and emotional leadership.
  • "You need a process. The process concluded and we determined we had to move in a different direction." – PFT (14:33)

3. Eagles' Offensive Coordinator Search & Fan Brutality

• McDaniel & Dable reportedly uninterested; fan intensity in Philly blamed for scaring potential hires.
  • "There’s guys that can coach in Philly and there’s guys that can’t. If you’re not a guy that can’t coach in Philly, don’t come here." – Max (19:18)
  • House egging and fan abuse is debated as a disincentive.
  • Max, the resident Eagles fan, eventually throws up his hands in trust of the front office, vowing to withhold opinion.

4. Patriots vs. Broncos – Deep-Dive Preview & Heated Debate

• Panel’s Perspectives:
  • Hank (Patriots fan) is confident, lays out reasons why NE has the edge in most areas, but worries about “the air” in Denver.
  • PFT, pressed for Broncos optimism, delivers a long, comical “Stidham vs May” segment, comparing stats, high school championships, and, absurdly, rumors that Jarrett Stidham has a tail.
  • Stats like “Patriots D better than Broncos D in the last 9 weeks (per DVOA)” discussed (46:58).
  • Both admit Broncos need a few wild plays (turnover, special teams) to win.
  • The group generally agrees: expect a close game, mild edge to Patriots.
  • Notable banter around schedule strength and each team’s “realness.”

Memorable Exchange: Stidham’s Alleged Tail

• PFT (59:20): “Jared Stidham might have a tail.”
  • PFT shares various internet rumors about Stidham allegedly having a “vestigial tail,” spins this into a hilarious, over-the-top hypothetical about the athletic advantages it might bring.
    • "Who would benefit most from that would be an athlete. If you have a tail, it acts like a stabilizer when you're twisting, when you're throwing. It's a biological gyroscope."
  • Hank responds, exasperated: “You have two options and it’s me or whatever PFT just said in the other corner.”
  • Consensus: Patriots by 10, but “don’t sleep on the tail.”

5. Rams vs. Seahawks Game Discussion

• Advanced Stat: The highest combined DVOA Conference Championship in 30 years.
• Extremely Even Matchup:
  • Both teams well-matched historically (series split 29-28; 1-point total score difference).
  • Rams haven’t lost an NFC title game since 1990; Seahawks riding major home field streak.
  • McVay vs. Mike Macdonald seen as a “mental chess match” with risks of overthinking.
  • Handicap factors: Rams’ run game inconsistency; Seahawks’ tackling/schemes.
  • The booth leans Rams due to Stafford/McVay's experience, but see it as a coin flip.

6. Coaching Carousel News and Miscellaneous Sports Topics

• Mike McCarthy interviews for Steelers; fanbase melts down.
• Chargers offense gets a shake-up with Mike McDaniel; debate if “soft coaches” avoid Philly due to fan pressure.
• Quick hits on Mac Jones, the Nats trade, mascot costumes (PFT is obsessed), and “greatest hires in history” lists.
• Ever-present Barstool and DraftKings synergy with promotional segments.

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Mark Schlereth – Interview Highlights

[87:08–127:41]

- Championship Memories:

- Recalls the Broncos’ first AFC title, sealing win over Pittsburgh with a play not practiced that week; the magnitude hits hardest during the week, less so during the game itself.
    - **"Once you start the game, you don't think about any of that stuff... you just go out and execute."** (90:55)
- Remembers the sharp pain of the Jacksonville playoff loss and how it fueled Broncos’ later Super Bowls.

- Patriots vs. Broncos Preview:

- Less concerned about Stidham than Denver’s defense, which got “out-executed, out game planned, out-schemed” by the Bills while Josh Allen played “the worst playoff game he’s ever played and had three touchdowns.”
- Defense seems worn down by season-long attrition; also affected by crowd noise in Buffalo.

- Sea Level/Altitude Impact:

- Altitude disadvantage real for visiting QBs like Drake May; less fatigue for home teams.
- Teams NOT built to run the ball (like this year’s Broncos) lose the edge.

- Seahawks vs. Rams:

- Praises both teams as potential “best in football,” especially the Seahawks’ tackling and Mike Macdonald’s defensive schemes.
- On Sam Darnold: Details his difficult QB journey, now showing maturity and taking sacks/throwaways that “young Sam Darnold” wouldn’t have.
- On O-line injuries: Good coaches mitigate weaknesses with scheme—short passes, tight ends, shifting protection.
- Calls for McVay to stick to 12/13 personnel run schemes, not overthink it.

- Historic QB Toughness:

- Loves Elway documentary: marvels at the toughness QBs used to endure, the confidence Elway brought to the huddle, and the difference in officiating and injuries today.
- Shared trivia: Elway played without an ACL.

- Plane Bathroom Etiquette Question: (for laughs)

- Confesses to “shaking off” in airplane bathrooms to keep barefoot, sock-wearing flyers honest.
    - **"I feel it's my duty to... just shake it up. If you wear your socks in there, you're coming home with urine on them."** (126:31)

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Fyre Fest of the Week [129:02+]

• Hank: Annoyed at yet another Derrick Rose Night in Chicago, inflated ticket prices.
• PFT: Claims a “clean week,” but admits to a growing, financially-ruinous mascot costume addiction.
  • "I will never financially recover from finding a website that will sell me mascot costumes."
• Big Cat: Feels a kidney stone coming on; issues as intramural basketball coach (players not listening, team still winless); Hank critiques his coaching strategy.
• Zach: Orders healthy prepped meals only to discover they all arrive "wet" (never checks the “wet” box when ordering).

Notable recurring bits:

• Running gag about insults, past competition losses, dense arguments about nothing, “breaking moves,” and incorrect breaking news (deadpan “Bo Nix, broken leg” bit).

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:44] – Bills’ weird press conference breakdown
• [15:10] – Coaching carousel news (Chargers, Eagles, etc.)
• [34:23] – Patriots vs. Broncos preview begins
• [47:47] – Patriots DVOA stats / in-depth debate
• [59:20] – The "Jarrett Stidham has a tail" monologue (PFT)
• [68:22] – Rams vs. Seahawks analytic breakdown
• [87:08] – Mark Schlereth interview
• [129:02] – Fyre Fest of the Week
• [154:48] – Lottery Ball drawing

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Notable Quotes

• "The team that settles into just playing a game... is the team that's probably going to win." – Mark Schlereth (90:55)
• "You just listen to the guy with a tail." – Big Cat (62:58)
• "This match has the two highest DVOA teams in 30 years." – Big Cat (68:22)
• "If you have a tail, it acts like a stabilizer... it's a biological gyroscope." – PFT (61:24)
• "Rams have not lost an NFC championship since 1990." – PFT (69:16)

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Tone & Style

The episode is characterized by irreverent, witty, and sometimes chaotic banter. The hosts’ style is a mix of wild hypotheticals (tails for QBs), gleeful antagonism (towards each other and guests), genuine football nerdery (DVOA, defensive fronts, O-line play), and sharp observational humor. Mark Schlereth grounds the show with real locker room insight and football wisdom but fully participates in the fun.

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Conclusion

This PMT episode is a quintessential Conference Championship week ride, blending earnest football analysis with the hosts’ trademark absurdity. Listeners walk away ready for the weekend’s NFL action, newly schooled on uncommon stats, inside-the-locker-room stories, and the existential terror of “wet” meal prep. The episode sits at the intersection of sports obsession, parody, and the ongoing search for “the loudest and most correct” take in podcasting.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

Hey, Pardon my Take, listeners. You can find every episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mark Schlereth]

Out on the course, they're the PGA Tour's best players, but in the arena, they're prime time. And season two of TGO, presented by SoFi, is back. With lights, cameras, action. We're talking big moments, big personalities, big.

[Big Cat]

Names in the stands all on the big screen.

[Mark Schlereth]

Big time matchups with shot clocks, camera drops, timeouts, overtime and playoffs. It's city versus city, squad versus squad. This sport just hits different under the lights. It's TGL, presented by SoFi.

[Hank]

Keep up.

[Big Cat]

It's golf.

[Mark Schlereth]

Tune in to every match only on ESPN.

[Big Cat]

On today's pardon my take, presented by DraftKings. It is conference championship Sunday and we're getting ready for both games and see who's going to be in Super Bowl. What super bowl are we on right now?

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's a good question. I don't, I don't know. 50 off the top, off the rip.

[Big Cat]

I'm going to say 54. I'm going to say 50. Like 8.

[Hank]

I think it's 55.

[Big Cat]

55, 56. Man, this is bad by us.

[PFT Commenter]

This is really bad.

[Big Cat]

I mean, you learn it once you get to super bowl week. What is it, 60 this Super Bowl 60. Yikes. 50 was, I think the Broncos Panthers 10 years ago.

[PFT Commenter]

That's an embarrassing non ball knowing. Oh, it's like we don't know Roman numerals.

[Big Cat]

Sorry. I was closest with 58. My first guess, and then you scared me down to 56 because you said 54.

[PFT Commenter]

Super Bowl 60.

[Big Cat]

Max should have been the one who answered that he won a Super Bowl.

[Max]

I, I rem. I forget all the numbers.

[Big Cat]

You should know. You won Super Bowl. 59.

[Mark Schlereth]

You got.

[Max]

We won licks.

[Big Cat]

You won licks.

[Max]

We won licks.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's right.

[PFT Commenter]

So this is licks, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is that what it is too?

[Big Cat]

No, it's just lx. It's looks, it's just, it's just, it's just a big person in a dyslexic big person. Lx. That's all it is, just reversed. So we're going to do that Conference championship week. We have some national sports podcast stuff. We'll talk about it at the beginning. We got a couple more hirings, OC jobs filled and then we have our good friend Mark Schlerith, old time friend. He's going to come on and we're going to talk some more football with stink. And we finish off with fyre fest of the week and it's brought to you by friends at Microsoft. The world moves fast. Your workday even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly write, analyze, create and summarize so you can cut through clutter and clear path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft M365 copilot learn more at Microsoft.com 3565 co pilot and go get it today. Okay, let's go. Mike Tank.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Barn on my tape. Welcome to part of my take presented by DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Friday, January 23rd, and it's conference championship weekend, boys. We have three football games left on the schedule. We also have some national sports podcast topics we can hit before we get to the games. And we'll start in Buffalo. What the fuck was that?

[PFT Commenter]

So I had a big takeaway from that press conference. Talking about like Pula and Brandon being addressing the media.

[Big Cat]

They address the media, as usually for people who missed it. When a coach gets fired, usually a day or two after the owner and the GM or whoever's surviving, whoever survived the firings, gets in front of the media, answers some questions. The goal of the press conference of this type of press conference is always to give confidence that the process is going the correct way, that the decisions that were made were not made hastily.

[Mark Schlereth]

The.

[Big Cat]

And that fans can go to sleep at night being like, you know what? We trust the guys in charge. And they did the exact opposite.

[PFT Commenter]

I would say your goal is to project stability.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

In this press conference. And I love, I love these because we rarely get to see the owners talk. Jerry Jones being the one exception. And we love it when Jerry talks. The other owners don't really address the media. They're not used to answering questions about their job, about their performance, because they have literally not had a boss usually their entire life.

[Mark Schlereth]

Right.

[Big Cat]

By the way, that was one of my big takeaways that Terry Pula is. Or it's not even Terry Pula specifically. I think that I just forgot that every owner is actually Jerry Jones. They're just Jerry Jones that choose not to speak every week.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes. Jerry Jones.

[Big Cat]

They're the same guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Jerry Jones is just super confident in being Jerry Jones. Everybody else, they. They like to operate in silence.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. They're the same people that will get in front of a group of journalists and confidently speak on things they don't really know about and then walk off the stage and be like, that went well. Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I've got actually an idea for this podcast, something that I've wanted to do entire 10 year run that we've had. Oh, I think we got to go to one of these owners meetings.

[Big Cat]

I would love to. Because they wouldn't let us in.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that they would. And I think that, like, there's no media.

[Big Cat]

No, they wouldn't.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, no, there's no. It's just in a hotel.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I thought you meant the actual owner. No, no, I was like, yeah, I don't think we're getting in that.

[PFT Commenter]

Not. Not like a league wide.

[Big Cat]

You're saying go to the hotel when the owners are there, when they do the owner picture.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, when they do the owner's meetings. We got to go to this hotel and we got to just wait. They don't do press conference, press conferences, but they will talk to you because they'll talk to anybody.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We got to stake these guys out and we just got to have conversations with them.

[Big Cat]

I'm down.

[PFT Commenter]

You want to do that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we should do it.

[PFT Commenter]

I think we should absolutely do that. So, yeah, the point is to project stability. If you're Terry Pula, you did the exact opposite of that. I'm willing to overlook a little bit of it. His daughter is playing in the Australian Open right now.

[Big Cat]

Number three tennis player of the world at one point.

[PFT Commenter]

So he's probably keeping Australian hours and.

[Big Cat]

He'S also only been able to go to a few matches.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So everyone should just realize that.

[PFT Commenter]

Sad guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's.

[Zach]

He.

[Big Cat]

Listen, he's made sacrifices to.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, he's a tennis dad.

[Big Cat]

I do think there is some, like, health things that are going on. I think his wife has had health issues, so that's real. Yeah. But the throwing in that your. That your daughter was once the number three tennis player in the world that had no relevancy whatsoever to the Buffalo Bills as they currently sit.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, she. She is winning at the Australian Open.

[Hank]

Oh, okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So, yeah, they do the press conference and it was a tough day. If you're Keon Coleman.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man.

[PFT Commenter]

It. To have your boss, your boss's boss just out of nowhere being like, hey, just so you guys know, it wasn't his call to draft Keon Coleman. That was the old guy that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that was Sean McDermott.

[PFT Commenter]

And there's plenty of video evidence saying that that. Bean was also very excited about getting Keon Coleman at the time. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Probably a lot's happened behind the scenes with Coleman. You usually don't healthy scratch a guy like that multiple times unless there's something.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Bean kind of did say, like, actually I picked him too. So that, to his credit, like, Terry Pula essentially tried to directly throw Sean McDermott, his coaching staff, under the bus. And Brandon Bean was like, well, I, I, I am the gm. I, I did, I was gonna pick him.

[PFT Commenter]

So my big takeaway from this press conference was maybe we actually owe Sean McDermott a lot more credit. Yeah, maybe we owe him an apology because we remember what it was like before he got there and what he was able to do with the Bills. Nothing short of miraculous. Obviously, having Josh Allen helps a lot with all that stuff. That's a very, very, very big part of it, but it does not project confidence moving forward. Like, he must have had to do a lot behind the scenes to keep that ship going in the right direction.

[Big Cat]

I don't understand how. And look, we, we, we obviously have a relationship with Bill's media and, and, and Josh. And so I like a lot of these people, I've met a lot of these people. I don't understand from, from the Terry Pula side, because Brandon Bean looked like. Brandon Bean got a promotion. Sean McDermott got fired. Everyone's going to come to the conclusion that Brandon Bean is Littlefinger. Right. Like, that's, that's just what the, that's just what people will conclude. That's what people will think. You can't change how people will think. That doesn't mean that he, he was doing anything nefarious behind the scenes. It's just unfortunate for him that he now has to have that reputation. True or not. Which I would lean probably not true.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So, but that's just what he's gonna, he just, he can't fight that. You can't be like, hey, guys, I didn't have anything to do with this. You just know you're the coach who has gone to the playoffs and won a playoff game six straight years and who turned around this franchise is no longer here, and there's two guys sitting there, and one of them is the owner. The other guy's gonna get a lot of the ire being like, how the, did he survive?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And I, I think that in a situation like that, if you've got a head coach, you've got a gm, and you're trying to figure out who to keep, who to move on from, they're probably both putting their best foot forward right like, trying to, Trying to make a case, like, hey, here I drafted this guy. That turned out pretty good. Like, that's human nature. I. I would be surprised if you had Bean going, like, behind McDermott's back.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

And saying, you got to fire this.

[Big Cat]

But this is how NFL, like, franchises work, and it's just a reality situation. I actually, I'm not. I don't want to take credit for anything I'm about to say, but I'm gonna take a little bit of credit. I. I bought a book and I started reading a little bit of it.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

It's Bill Walsh's book.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a. That's a powerful book to buy because you hear all the coaches be like, you know, I read Bill Walsh's.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right. So I, I literally heard someone say, yeah, as Bill Walsh said, and I was like, you know, I'm buy that book. Now, I'm not very deep into it, but there's a part in the, in the book that Bill Walsh. And I'll. You know what? I'm be very forthright with everyone here. I actually read this part on Twitter, but I do own the book, and I have started about 10 pages in.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

But it's. It's a famous part in the book where Bill Walsh essentially says how an NFL franchise works is you have an owner, you have a gm, and then you have the coach. And while the owner and the GM are sitting at dinner talking about how the guys that they drafted are good enough and this guy should do this, the coaches are spending every waking hour trying to make their team better. And that's a dynamic that just is unfortunate for the coach that they have to live with that. The GM is always going to have a tighter relationship with the owner, whereas the coach is always going to be probably the first to go in these. In these spots.

[PFT Commenter]

Which is why Belichick, guys like him, they wanted the setup where they're also the gm, Right. So they don't have that behind the scenes dynamic. Bill o', Brien, great head coach, bad general manager. Yeah. You've got guys that, that try to take on too much. It is like two very distinct roles. And there's not enough time of the day, I think, to be good, to be really good at both. But, yeah, you're going to have, You're. It's gonna be the consigliere, like in D.C. for a while, it was Vinnie Serato's job was to let Dan Snyder beat him at racquetball.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And then he'd have a job for Life, right.

[Big Cat]

We see it all the time. The, the biggest. So the Keon Coleman thing was crazy. He's on your roster. You're hoping that that's not a sunk asset. And then you just. Keon Coleman's sitting on vacation somewhere. He is Tim Robinson in the courtroom being like, me. Am I talking about me right now?

[PFT Commenter]

It's my hat.

[Big Cat]

It's my hat. The. So Keon Coleman stuff aside, I thought the craziest part was Terry Pula. And again, this is something that you can so easily not say. Yet he decided to say it. He essentially said the decision to fire Sean McDermott came in the locker room after a very emotional loss, while also saying it was, it was a catch and the refs fucked it up. So. And he, he told an anecdote about how he went up to Josh Allen. Josh Allen was crying and didn't even acknowledge that Terry Bagula was there. And then he saw that moment, said, you know what? We got to fire this coach. It's crazy. He said that because you're. Again, it's not that. Like, if you want to fire the coach after a playoff loss and that's the, the impetus to do so, that's fine. You have to say, we thought long and hard about this. We, we all came together. We have a plan going forward. Instead, he's like, yeah, it was a blown call. We shouldn't have lost the game, but we lost the game. So I was like, you know what? We got to fire the coach. Well, it's the most, it's the most knee jerk reaction you could have. And again, you could have that, but don't admit that.

[PFT Commenter]

It also seems like he went up to Josh Allen. He's like, this is Josh Allen. He's my friend. Yeah, he, we me. Him have a great relationship. He likes me, we're buddies. And he didn't even recognize that I was there. And I thought to myself, how bad is this? We gotta, we gotta do something to make my buddy be friendly to me again. Yeah, we gotta fire the head coach because we gotta get back to good times. Now. I, I think that there is something because we actually said something similar or I, I remember saying it myself. Yeah. Maybe last year, maybe even the year before, where all these sad losses for Sean McDermott add up, and it just kind of changes the overall tone of the franchise. And it's like a relationship that you've been in where you realize one day, like, I'm not happy.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[PFT Commenter]

And then I, I think it'd be best if I just tried to be happy again. I think that's kind of the vibe that he was getting at, where he. He looked around the room, he realized everyone was sad. He's like, well, we got to change something to make people not sad anymore.

[Big Cat]

Why are you crying? Where does it hurt? What's the boo boo? Can I get you a band aid?

[Hank]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

I'll fire our coach.

[PFT Commenter]

Don't say that in a press conference.

[Big Cat]

Don't say. Just say, we. We've hit a playoff wall. We've. This is something we've talked about at. You know, we didn't sleep on Saturday night.

[Mark Schlereth]

We.

[Big Cat]

We had a meeting Sunday morning. We talked extensively about this, and we've come to the conclusion that as great as Sean McDermott is, it's just time for a change. It just gave the way. The way they did talk about it and the way they answered these questions, it gave the. The air of, we can't win in the playoffs, so we're just going to throw some shit at the wall and hope it works.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, the. The. The. The whole notion of just saying exactly how knee jerk it was, it could be fixed very easily by just using the word process.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And it doesn't matter what your process is, but if you just say, you know, there was a process that we do after every season, and at the end of that process, we determined that it would be best if we moved on from Sean. Your process could be like going out and ripping 20 shots of crown Royal.

[Big Cat]

You just need to process and.

[PFT Commenter]

And puking all over the bar and then be like, this sucks. I'm so pissed off at Sean. Then you come in, in the morning, we decide to move on after our process.

[Big Cat]

You need a process.

[PFT Commenter]

The process concluded, and we determined that we had to move in a different direction. Now, I do think that it does. Ironically, it makes you think Sean McDermott probably did a much better job than we gave him credit for. But it also. I still think it's. It's one of the best openings in the NFL this year, if not the best. Just. Just because of Josh.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, just because I thought that, too, until Terry Pula started talking. And now I'm like, is this the best opening? Because I don't know if they have a plan.

[PFT Commenter]

I would. I would actually say it's probably second, maybe even third. Ravens seems like a great opening right now because the press conference for that owner was like, oh, this guy's got his shit together.

[Big Cat]

And he also was like, yeah, we were. We were going to fire him all year.

[PFT Commenter]

And for the ceiling, we Didn't.

[Big Cat]

It wasn't one lot. He even said, they're like, if he had made that kick, would you. Would he still be coaching? He said for a week. Yeah, he was planning on it.

[Hank]

He.

[Big Cat]

He had a. He actually had a plan.

[PFT Commenter]

Steelers would be great, too, because you're, you know, job security is a real thing. But, yeah, I think that this definitely makes you think about all the stuff that happened behind the scenes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was. It was a wild one. And I feel bad for Bill's fans because you basically had. You just needed that press conference to go a different way and have it be, hey, we have a plan. We know that we have Josh Allen. We have a window here, and we can get the best coach. Instead, he's just like, yeah, man, that loss was so bad, I just decided to fire our coach and just figure it out later. Yeah, just fuck it up and figure it out later. All right. Other coaching news. Mike McDaniel, Chargers OC awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

This is great.

[Big Cat]

The combo of McDaniel and Harbaugh, they just. They. There's no way they have anything. Well, they have football in common. That's actually why it will work.

[PFT Commenter]

They have football in common. But I imagine that Harbaugh Talking to McDaniel, it seems like they're speaking too different languages. And I imagine that Harbaugh was just fascinated by this McDaniel guy, and he just wants to get him close and. And try to understand him.

[Hank]

I think in the meeting rooms, they speak the same language. If you see if they, like, ran into each other, like, in the parking lot or they're in a situation where they're, like, traveling together and they have to do small talk, they're just not, like, they can't have a conversation.

[Mark Schlereth]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think.

[Hank]

But if they're in the small, like, I'm thinking, like, you know, the quarterback room or, like, the planning room, like, they're.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Fluent.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think McDaniel wore one of his nice suits to that interview?

[Hank]

Yeah. And wasn't the picture of him in the airport?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. But that. I don't know where he was going. He might have been going to Detroit in that one.

[Hank]

But you got to assume if you're. If you're wearing that suit to the airport.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hank]

Wearing a suit everywhere.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Going to la. Going to the Chargers facility. Harbaugh is definitely in his khakis, and he sees McDaniel come in. He's like, what's. What's that suit?

[Big Cat]

This is a big move for the Chargers, though. This is a Very exciting move for them. They're going to instantly be better offensively, I would imagine. It's also like Meg McDaniel. It's, it's very funny thinking about deciding between these jobs. Detroit would have been cool because, you know, you have explosive offensive weapons. You know, Cleveland, he was, he was I think interviewing for head coach. Now he gets to go, he gets to go live with Priscilla in Manhattan beach, nice weather and have Justin Herbert as cornerback.

[PFT Commenter]

It's pretty good.

[Hank]

Justin Herbert, Miami to LA's goals.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, that's, that's the main.

[Big Cat]

I think it's Weiss from.

[Hank]

No one cares about football there.

[Big Cat]

The Chargers did so, so Max, he's.

[Hank]

Not the head coach.

[Big Cat]

I have a question for you, Max.

[Max]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Did you see Ross Tucker's comments? Our good friend Ross Tucker?

[Max]

I, I, I, I've, I've seen Rossini's comments.

[PFT Commenter]

You should review the Ross Tucker comments.

[Big Cat]

Ross sucker who is, is from Pennsylvania who does Eagles radio, I think in the preseason covers games. Friend of ours, very good, talented guy, knows a football. He essentially was like if you're Mike McDaniel and you're deciding between going to the Chargers where people are, it's not the number one team in the, in the city. You know, there's Chargers fans, but it's not, it's not like the Lakers, you know what I mean? Or the Dodgers. Would you rather go there and live a good life and know that you can have a really good quarterback and succeed or go to Philadelphia and get your house egged?

[Max]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And a quarterback are running out of town.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, Hank, what were you saying?

[Hank]

And a quarterback who has his receivers running out of town.

[Big Cat]

Okay, but do you think that the Philly fans are causing you to super.

[Max]

Bowl quarterback, by the way? Okay, Drake may not a Super bowl winning quarterback.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Would do you think the fans might have anything to do with guys not wanting to go there?

[Zach]

Fine.

[Big Cat]

There's, this is a good answer. It's, this is a really good answer.

[Max]

There's guys that can coach in Philly and there's guys that can't. If you're not a guy that, that can't coach in Philly, don't come here.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I like that answer.

[PFT Commenter]

Wouldn't you want a really good coach?

[Big Cat]

No, he wants a guy coach in Philly.

[PFT Commenter]

You would rather have a bad coach who can coach in Philly than a soft coach.

[Max]

I don't want a soft coach that is scared of. That is scared.

[Big Cat]

You know, who's not scared of coaching in Philadelphia? Didn't complain when he got his house egged? Kevin Patullo. That guy can coach in Philly.

[Max]

He's still coaching.

[Big Cat]

I know.

[PFT Commenter]

Were you going to say Max?

[Big Cat]

Huh?

[PFT Commenter]

A second ago you were all worked up.

[Max]

I was like, yeah, Mike McDaniel was really good in Miami, right?

[PFT Commenter]

What?

[Big Cat]

He got him to the playoffs. He also dropped 70 frats.

[Max]

We're just really excited about getting to the playoffs now.

[PFT Commenter]

Pretty clearly limited by Kevin Patullo got.

[Max]

The Eagles to the playoffs this year.

[Big Cat]

That's also a good point.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. That's true.

[Big Cat]

Really good point.

[PFT Commenter]

Who do you think is a better quarterback? Jalen hurts or Tua?

[Max]

I would say Jalen Hurts, but that wasn't the case coming out of college.

[Big Cat]

So who do you want now?

[Max]

Was it?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, yeah. In college.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Who do you want now?

[Max]

I've given up all opinions. Did I want Mike McDaniel? Yes.

[Big Cat]

But can he.

[Max]

But then I found out that he was soft. Don't want him anymore. Did I want Brian Dable? Yes. Did he also say that he doesn't want to go to Philly anymore? Also true. But if so now I have no more opinions. I will trust Jeffrey Laurie and Howie Roseman to bring in the. To bring in the right guys and put my trust and put my trust in them to put together a way to write this shit. They know better than me. I'm dumb. They're smart. They will. They will get us back on track.

[PFT Commenter]

So instead of saying like, hey, maybe we'll stop egging our offensive coordinators houses. It's like we need a coordinator.

[Max]

I disavowed the egging when it happened.

[PFT Commenter]

That can tolerate the house egg.

[Big Cat]

You. I think you said I disavowed the eggin have been bricks.

[Max]

No, that's. That is not what I said. I said. I said we have to keep booze to the field.

[Big Cat]

Booze to the field? Yeah.

[Max]

All booze have to be. Can only be allowed on premises of the field.

[PFT Commenter]

What about.

[Big Cat]

What about practice that's on the field?

[Max]

Like if you're walking by the NovaCare Complex. Yeah, that's okay.

[PFT Commenter]

What about it? You suck.

[Max]

Depends. That depends on the situation.

[Big Cat]

Would you like a Declan Doyle? Because he's interviewing.

[Max]

I saw that. I know nothing about him and I feel like I would. I'm kind of nervous on guys who aren't experienced play callers.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's. He's. He's Ben Johnson's.

[Max]

But Ben Johnson just calls the play.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Project. Yeah. I mean, Ben Johnson did speak very highly of him. He said that he's been.

[Max]

But he's not an experienced. Like, that's. I feel like that's a guy for like a young quarterback.

[Big Cat]

Building team.

[Max]

This is the.

[Big Cat]

This is a.

[Max]

We need to win now. There's a win now.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you want Kingsbury?

[Max]

I would take Kingsbury.

[PFT Commenter]

You think he's a Philly guy?

[Max]

Depends.

[PFT Commenter]

So, yeah, when it comes down to that. That breakdown there, Max, would you want a coach, like an offensive coordinator that would get some abuse from the fans, but then get so mad about it that they try to fight the fans.

[Mark Schlereth]

Back.

[Big Cat]

If it pushes. If it.

[Max]

Like, I want a coordinator that's going to get mad about the fans and it push them to. To want to be better.

[PFT Commenter]

You want a guy that. That people get mad at him and he gets madder, but instead of sad and he.

[Max]

And. But he gets motivated.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's like.

[Max]

He's like, let me. Let me push this team. Be like, I'll show them. I'll show this team. I'll shut them up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

Touchdown.

[PFT Commenter]

You want a guy that you can coach hard.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Here's. Here's why. Declan Doyle might be a good hire. He's 30 years old. I don't believe he's married. He probably is more likely to rent an apartment than get a house. Harder to egg an apartment.

[Max]

Disavow of the egg situation. Stop coming back to the egg.

[Big Cat]

I'm just saying that's a. That. That kind of solves itself, doesn't it?

[Max]

Stop coming back to the egg.

[PFT Commenter]

Where do birds come from?

[Hank]

Eggs.

[Big Cat]

Eggs.

[Max]

What came first, though?

[Big Cat]

Bacon.

[PFT Commenter]

No idea. No idea.

[Big Cat]

The bacon.

[Max]

We're. We're going to find the right guy. Who's going to find the right guy?

[PFT Commenter]

Who's on your list? Who you got?

[Max]

I don't see. This is what I'm saying. I am removing myself from the list.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so we need that reported that Max Lente is officially removing himself.

[Max]

I've already reported it. I've already reported it.

[Big Cat]

Okay, good. Good.

[Max]

I had a. I had a statement. I've made the decision to have no opinion on the Eagles next offensive coordinator. I have no idea who's a good coach, and I will blindly trust whoever they write to ship. This decision has nothing to do with the top two candidates choosing elsewhere. Nothing to do.

[Big Cat]

What else do we have? National sports podcast. Before we get into the games, we're going to dive into the games. Anything. How's everyone feeling?

[PFT Commenter]

Those are the two big things. We can dive into the games in a little bit. But, Hank, I had a question for you. I don't know if you've been watching. Why are you laughing already?

[Hank]

Sorry.

[PFT Commenter]

Not. This is not a setup.

[Hank]

I know.

[PFT Commenter]

We're having a dialogue.

[Hank]

Your comments, you're funny. You're a funny guy, man.

[PFT Commenter]

I appreciate that.

[Hank]

Well, I don't care what anyone says about you.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's a nice addition. I saw Dan Orlovsky this morning Apologizing to C.J. stroud. Oh, did you guys see that? Why?

[Big Cat]

Because he didn't know he was that ass.

[PFT Commenter]

He put his hand up and he said, I'd like to apologize. I. I made the comment that 31 other quarterbacks win that game besides CJ Stroud. I promised myself when I got into this business I would not single out the quarterbacks for wins and losses.

[Mark Schlereth]

And.

[PFT Commenter]

And I get embodied and I got to do better. He's.

[Big Cat]

Oh, is he getting crushed?

[PFT Commenter]

He's getting bodied.

[Big Cat]

Who else is he getting crushed by?

[PFT Commenter]

Well now, because he apologized to C.J. stroud, now Patriots fans are mad at him.

[Big Cat]

They want an apology for. Yeah, you can't apologize, Dan, because Dan.

[PFT Commenter]

Didn'T give the Patriots defense enough credit for making C.J. stroud look.

[Big Cat]

Oh yeah.

[Hank]

He was on McAfee show and he was, he was.

[Big Cat]

Once you open up the apology you basically. You basically are getting, you'll get apology shamed left and right.

[PFT Commenter]

You should say, I will not apologize. Apologize for being savage.

[Hank]

He should have said, I'm sorry for saying 31 quarterbacks. It's actually 36.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right. There's a Davis Mills 100 could win that game. Teddy Bridgewater could win that game. Yep. Jared, sit him. We'll find out.

[Hank]

Based off of my uncle's fans are saying, yeah, he could have won every game.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's interesting that Hank's mind first goes to the numbers three and six. It's kind of weird in your head. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

If he lives rent free. In your hand free.

[Hank]

Oh, third and six.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We also. We should say the follow up. John lynch said they're looking into the substation.

[PFT Commenter]

Good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And Brandon Iuk has played his last snap for the 49ers, which.

[Mark Schlereth]

No.

[Hank]

Duh.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I thought. Yeah.

[Hank]

Should we call him?

[PFT Commenter]

We figured that out.

[Big Cat]

Who?

[Hank]

Brandon Ayuk.

[Big Cat]

We have his number. What?

[Max]

That.

[Hank]

Was that the part of the story when he was like, when was the last time you talked to him? He's like, well, I tried to call him, he didn't answer. Then I tried to call him again, he didn't answer. And then like five people from the facility tried to call him. He didn't answer. Oh, I've never experienced that in my career. Like they were like, when was the last. When did you know? Like he was done?

[Big Cat]

John, sorry to break the news. Brandon, you changed his phone number. Yeah, like it's pretty clear.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe it was the substation interfering with the cell phone.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Also maybe Brandon, you is just a genius. And he was like, I'm not practicing near that thing. Right. Maybe he knew before we knew.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd like to be vulnerable with you guys. Is that okay?

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, please.

[PFT Commenter]

Dude should be vulnerable with each other more.

[Big Cat]

You want brain? No. Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

It's actually the opposite.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I fear that he will be a commander next year.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

Because it seems like a lot of our big moves and I'm not just talking about Debo, but it just seems like, you know, Adam Peters came from the Niners. He's got close relationships there. It seems like his first move is always to get sloppy seconds from the 49ers. Now if that does happen, I'm going to go back and I'm going to watch the face times between Jaden and Brandon Iuk and go back and watch their film together in college. And I'm going to convince myself it's great and Brandon Ayuk was not the problem. It was the substation. And I will. I will delude myself into thinking like this is the guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

To take the offense over the top. But as of now, I'm being vulnerable. It is my fear that that's what we'll do.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That does feel like something you're for sure gonna do. Yeah, for sure, for sure. By the way, the last thing I had before we get to the games, John Snow, Snowman 8, who is an awl, compiled the list of the top 100 greatest hires in human history.

[PFT Commenter]

I saw that. It's a great list.

[Big Cat]

It's a great list. So I'll just read off a few from. From. So he had a whole methodology. He did everything, a lot of work into it. He has Kurt Signetti as number one. And then let's see, number four, Winston Churchill. Number five, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Number six, Genghis Khan.

[PFT Commenter]

Did he.

[Big Cat]

Was he hired?

[PFT Commenter]

I think he just kind of took the job.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, he kind of. He volunteered. There was. We talked about this on the show and I think we put Oppenheimer up there, right? Yeah, he did not have Oppenheimer, but he did have the guy, Leslie Groves, that started the Manhattan Project, so that he was number seven on the list.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Steve Jobs is on the list.

[Hank]

That, that Actually one.

[Big Cat]

The second time, I think. Yeah, that's actually a good call. Nick Saban, Bill Belichick. There's some. There's some good names on this. Bill Walsh. He did a really good job. So go check it out. John will retweet it, but it's number.

[PFT Commenter]

43 and 50 on the list. Pat Riley, Eric Spoelstra, back to back for the Heat.

[Hank]

Are you guys on the list?

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Hank]

That's rude.

[PFT Commenter]

No Mincy either.

[Big Cat]

No Mincy.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's see, his methodology was. It's actually kind of interesting. So he graded it on a five point scale where he took into account the starting point of each person, the ceiling that they had at the time, the constraints that were put in place, the speed in which they achieved success, and then something called X anti odds, like how unlikely success was at the time when they hired him. And yeah, Kurt Signetti, as we. As we theorized, the best hire for any job of all time.

[Big Cat]

Theo Epstein. Probably should be higher because he has Theo Epstein for the Red Sox, but he gets the double dip with the Cubs.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Should be two Theo Epstein, but he.

[PFT Commenter]

Gets ding for Hillary.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, that's true.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that is true.

[PFT Commenter]

That Big time. Ding.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, big time. Billy Bean, 83. Some of these guys, I just have no idea who they are. Would you like none of them? Wow. The president for The Raptors got 81. I feel like Sam Presti is 80 at 82 is a little low. Either way, that's the list. It's good list. Good job, Snowman.

[PFT Commenter]

This guy Free Matt makes a good point. Brian Johnson being hired by AC DC after Bon Scott's death has to be somewhere on the list. That one is a tricky one because he was the only person on planet Earth that could have replaced Bon Scott. And they found the one guy that existed to fit the role of who was a great hire. Bon Scott. I would have to say Bon Scott ahead of Brian Johnson. But both great hires.

[Big Cat]

I wouldn't hate seeing a list of like, maybe it's top 20 of guys that interviewed that they. You dodged a bullet. So it's like the reversed great hire. Yeah, like Steely Dan not having Chevy Chase in. In as their. As their drummer. He would have ruined the band.

[PFT Commenter]

Was that a thing?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he was. He was their drummer in college.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you serious? I didn't know Chase. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Isn't that crazy?

[PFT Commenter]

That is crazy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. No idea.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. But that would have ruined the band.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Dick.

[PFT Commenter]

Metallica kicking Dave Mustaine out.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

There's a Lot of probably really good ones. You're like, whoa, we dodged a bullet there.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Thank God we didn't hire that guy. Okay. By the way, Hank, did we not talk about the fact that Jordan was at the national championship game?

[Hank]

We did not.

[Big Cat]

Do you want to?

[PFT Commenter]

Sure.

[Big Cat]

Who is she sitting with?

[Hank]

Alex Earl.

[Big Cat]

And Alex Earl has been recently been in the news for.

[Hank]

She signed a deal with Netflix. Shout out to Alex Earl now. And before that, I mean, she's all over the place.

[Zach]

She's.

[Hank]

She's like, kind of like the. The number one it girl.

[Big Cat]

Okay, before that.

[Hank]

Before that, she was just a student at Miami making tick tocks.

[PFT Commenter]

I say Jordan number one it girl.

[Hank]

No, she was. I mean, again, she's like, the hottest thing going right now. And she was cuddling up with Tom Brady over New Year's and then was.

[Big Cat]

With Bill Belichick's wife.

[Hank]

Nope.

[Big Cat]

Oh, culture.

[Hank]

Wife, girlfriend.

[Big Cat]

Future wife.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, they have to be going on double dates, right?

[Hank]

I hope so. I would love that.

[PFT Commenter]

The band's back together.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Just going over, reminiscing me like, oh, man, remember the first Super Bowl? Oh, man, remember the second one?

[Big Cat]

What if Tom Brady.

[PFT Commenter]

What happens when they hit seven?

[Hank]

I was in elementary school. Yeah. But then 10 years later, we won three more.

[Big Cat]

What if Jordan was like, I want to. I want to settle this Belichick vs Brady debate once and for all by discussing who got more credit, obviously. Don't get your mind out of the gutter. That's what I was talking about.

[Hank]

Yeah, for sure.

[PFT Commenter]

By the way, the answer to that Bill, for sure. Just methodical. He's read books.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's. Let's rip. Let's rip off the beta. Let's get to this conference championship weekend. Cause we want to talk about these games. It is DraftKings, by the way. DraftKings NFL playoffs. Let's go. DraftKings sportsbook. An official sports betting part of the NFL makes every moment feel bigger. A running back cuts through the line. A strip sack flips the field. The tight end hauls in the kind of touchdown grab you'll talk about for years. Postseason games shift Fast, and with DraftKings live betting options, you can stay right in the moment. Plus, drafting kings has your back with early exit protection. If the player in your eligible NFL prop bet goes down at any point in the first half, you still get paid in cash. New customers bet just five dollars. If that bet wins, you'll get 300 or 300 in bonus bets instantly. DraftKings sportsbook. Every drive, every play, every moment. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE to turn five bucks into 300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings, the Crown is yours.

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[Big Cat]

The weekend preview is brought to you by our friends at Twisted Tea. We love Twisted Tea. Twisted te absolute best. We like the original. We like the half and half. We like the peach. I'm a big peach guy. Love the peach. Twisted Tea. Let's get tweeted. The pics and preview are brought to you by Twisted Tea. It's a refreshing hard ice tea made with real brewed tea and 5% alcohol. Perfect to drink to keep the good times going all day, all season long. Whether you're hanging out at a friend's house, catching a game at the stadium or at the bar or day drinking with friends, Twisted Tea is that is there to turn your day up a notch and make a good time, a great time. Grab a refreshing twisted Tea today. Boys. AFC Championship game first up.

[Mark Schlereth]

Can't wait.

[Big Cat]

New England Patriots head into Denver to face the Broncos. They are currently as we're taping this four and a half point favorites. The over under is 42 and a half. Hank, the floor is yours. How are you feeling about this game? Have you broken it down? Do you feel good? Do you feel nervous? Do you feel anxious? Are you worried that PFT is about to body you with something?

[Hank]

I don't give a fuck about pft.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so much so that you answered that question first. I asked him four questions and the.

[PFT Commenter]

Second I opened my mouth this episode to talk about something completely unrelated, Hank started preparing himself.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I asked you four questions and you only answered the last one. No, you only answered the pft.

[Hank]

I answered the last one and then you interrupted me.

[Big Cat]

You're clearly worried about pft.

[Hank]

Got it.

[Big Cat]

The first one. Yeah.

[Hank]

And let's.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's be clear here. I'm not. What could PFT do to me what I have?

[Big Cat]

I don't know what I've prepared for.

[Hank]

No, when I say it, you're a sad.

[PFT Commenter]

You're going to say this is the dumbest thing that I've ever heard. It's. It's. You're going to be so confident in yourself going to the weekend because I've scraped the bottom of the Internet and this is all I'm going to be able to come up with. And you're going to be like, that's your PF season.

[Max]

I need you to be a little bit more confident in the confident pfc. We can't go into this argument of.

[Big Cat]

You saying there is no argument.

[Mark Schlereth]

There's no argument.

[Big Cat]

Shut up. I'm calling time out.

[Hank]

Respect the time out.

[PFT Commenter]

We gotta shut the up and let.

[Big Cat]

Me rope hang time out on the floor.

[PFT Commenter]

Jesus Christ.

[Big Cat]

Timeout. Look at me, P. I'm.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm.

[Big Cat]

I know, I know, I know.

[Hank]

But just.

[Big Cat]

It's a timeout. Yeah, you're the. You're the guy who gave us 300 yards. You never done 300 yards. Here's the guy. You're the guy who gave us third and six. Yeah, okay.

[PFT Commenter]

No, yeah, you're that guy.

[Big Cat]

You are the guy. You are him.

[PFT Commenter]

I know all this. I'm. I. I'm very confident.

[Big Cat]

I'm. Shut the up. That was our timeout, dude. You were supposed to be listening.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, Hank, floor is yours.

[Hank]

I'm nervous. Like I said, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick never won a game in Denver.

[Big Cat]

How many do they play?

[Hank]

Four, I believe.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Never one Denver at all.

[Hank]

Never a playoff game. Three in the playoffs, maybe four total. Okay, I know. It's just like. I think it's Brady's own four and Denver own three career or something like that, or Owen three in the playoffs. I'm nervous, and I'm nervous about how confident I am. I have, you know, let myself. I. I've been going down that road of kind of like getting far ahead of myself in terms of super bowl week and.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you already booked your flight.

[Max]

And then. I know.

[Hank]

See, that's where it's like, you guys are just liars, gaslighters. You and Mickey, bad people, like trying to start a jinx. And then you. I didn't say a word. Max and Big Cat just booked my flight for Monday. I did not say a word. And then, Then you go. You booked your flight for Monday. Incorrect.

[PFT Commenter]

Did they tell you to go to Disney World or was that you?

[Hank]

I did pre book. I'm going to Orlando.

[Max]

I'm going.

[Hank]

I'm going to Kiss me. Have I thought about. Have I got ahead of myself and be like if they win, like, I'll go make a funny video in Orlando.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Hank]

So that's where it's like, I do that I start, you know, oh, you're.

[Big Cat]

Already on to winning this.

[Hank]

I'm daydreaming. And that's where it's like, there's gonna.

[PFT Commenter]

Be tons of great content.

[Hank]

I catch myself. Literally, it would probably be less content, but I catch myself and then I go, stop, stop, stop, stop. You got a game Sunday. Like, we can't get ahead of ourselves. We have to win in Denver. I feel good about. I feel like we have an advantage offensively, defensively, coaching. Only thing is the air.

[Big Cat]

So air is your only disadvantage. What are you gonna say, Max?

[Max]

You think the Patriots have a better defense than the Broncos?

[Hank]

I think Jared Situm gets sacked a lot. I think.

[Max]

Got it. Got it. In this game. In this game. Okay. Yes.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Hank]

He has never played against our defense versus their offense.

[Max]

Yeah. Got it. Okay.

[Big Cat]

He has never played against an all. Or with an offensive line like he has now. That's a fact. Yeah.

[Hank]

What's the sample size like?

[Big Cat]

Well, no user said he gets sacked a lot. What's your sample size?

[Hank]

He gets sacked a lot. He's got.

[Big Cat]

Right. And he got sacked a lot playing behind a bad offensive line.

[Hank]

Okay. That part was not in the stat.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. What about.

[Big Cat]

He hasn't played by. The Patriots defense is extremely underrated.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Like, extremely.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's right.

[Hank]

Orlovsky, you're scared to get.

[Big Cat]

You scared about what?

[Hank]

You got to respect the Patriots defense.

[Big Cat]

No, no, I. I was actually trying to give you. I. I thought your point about Jared Sim getting sacked a lot made no sense.

[Hank]

It's a.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a fact.

[Big Cat]

And it's also a fact he's playing behind now the best offensive line. So you have to at least put in that fact. I guess I don't.

[Hank]

I disagree with that.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean?

[Hank]

You're telling me I have to put that fact, and I don't think so.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I think you should have to put that.

[Hank]

Let.

[PFT Commenter]

Let Hank determine where his stats fall.

[Hank]

Bo Nicks took 22 sacks and 17 starts this season. Jared Situm took 13 SA stars.

[Big Cat]

And who was his offensive line when he took those sacks? I don't. Broncos. Terrible team. The 2022 Raiders, I believe. Terrible team that.

[Hank]

Hey, man.

[Big Cat]

Bo Nicks played behind a. The Broncos offensive line this year.

[Hank]

That's their stats man.

[Mark Schlereth]

Right.

[Hank]

Bfd.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Stats.

[Big Cat]

I saw the same tweet. You're just.

[PFT Commenter]

You're just reading a tweet Is that true? Is that true? You're just reading a tweet hack.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Hank]

You guys would never.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no.

[Big Cat]

That's not how we do the work on Twitter.

[Hank]

Super Computer.

[PFT Commenter]

You said that. That the Patriots have advantage. I agree that Mike Vrabel is an awesome coach. I wish that you didn't have him. Sean Payton won a Super Bowl. Sean Payton is a great offensive mind.

[Hank]

Mike Variable won three.

[PFT Commenter]

As a coach?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Hank]

Oh, but he's.

[Big Cat]

He knows what was playing in this game. He'd have the advantage. We're talking about Sean peaton playing.

[Hank]

Okay. McDaniels.

[PFT Commenter]

We're talking about coach, not coordinator. I didn't say coordinator. It's a coach.

[Hank]

Coordinator is a.

[PFT Commenter]

You said coach. We have the advantage.

[Hank]

I said coaching advantage. That's every coach. I don't count just the head coach. I care about the whole team.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

The whole staff.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's the Broncos coordinator?

[Hank]

Is it Kubiak?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think that it is. You know, the defense coordinator is.

[Hank]

Nope.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so when you say you have the.

[Big Cat]

Who's your defensive coordinator? I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Just try to get to the bottom of these facts here.

[Max]

We can't do this. You know.

[PFT Commenter]

You know the Broncos defense coordinator, at least, Vance Joseph.

[Hank]

Sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Having the time of his life.

[Mark Schlereth]

God.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh.

[Big Cat]

I think their offensive coordinator is Joe Lombardi. I believe so.

[PFT Commenter]

Coaching advantage. In what context?

[Hank]

The. Just the coaching staff.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. All those guys, you know, more of the coaching staff for the Patriots than you do for the Broncos.

[Max]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

So they have the advantage.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Your personal advantage.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So you feel confident.

[Hank]

Feel very confident.

[Big Cat]

Davis Webb. People forget about Davis Webb.

[Max]

I think we got to cut Hank saying he doesn't know his defensive coordinator.

[Big Cat]

No.

[Hank]

Well.

[Big Cat]

All right. So I think he.

[Hank]

Our defensive corner.

[Big Cat]

He.

[Max]

He.

[Big Cat]

I think he has cancer. So they brought in, like, an interim. That guy.

[Max]

Got it. Okay.

[Big Cat]

I actually don't know his name.

[Hank]

He's got a nickname. It's like stink or something.

[Big Cat]

I mean, it's. Rabel's doing a lot of that, so.

[PFT Commenter]

And he's a great coach. I. I just think that Sean Payton, he deserves some respect in what he's been able to do. And this weekend, it feels like this is all. This might be fun for Sean. It's like a challenge. What am I going to do with Stitty?

[Big Cat]

I do think you're going to get the full kitchen sink from the Broncos because it's like, hey, you had a week to prepare. You're gonna have to throw some crazy shit at the wall. Hank Are you Zach Kerr? Yeah.

[Hank]

Are you God? His name isn't Nick.

[PFT Commenter]

Or crap.

[Big Cat]

Are you talking about Steve, Steve's son?

[Hank]

Yes. It's K U H R. But still.

[Big Cat]

You'Re talking about Steve's son, Nicholas Kerr. Yeah. Hank, is there a part of you that's a little worried? And this is all. This could all be just meatball, where it's vibes and no stats. You actually, I think, said kind of something like this where the Patriots have been in the role all year of everyone being like, we don't know if they're good. We don't know if they're good. The media, the schedule talk, all that. We don't know if they're good. They have been in the role of, like, no one's actually expecting to go to the super bowl now. The Broncos, the one seed, everything's flipped. All the pressures on the Patriots. How can you lose to Jared Stidham a little bit.

[Hank]

But, like, what's been the number one knock against the Patriots this year?

[Big Cat]

They play only backup quarterbacks.

[Hank]

Have you seen the list of the quarterbacks that the Broncos beat?

[PFT Commenter]

I have not.

[Hank]

Geno Smith twice. Trey Lance on the Chargers.

[Big Cat]

Well, that was, you know, that was week 18. Yeah. When they. They didn't start it.

[Hank]

Justin Fields.

[PFT Commenter]

The Patriots played Geno Smith.

[Hank]

You guys, Davis Mills, Marcus Mariota, Cam Ward, Daniel Jones. And what was the guy's name on Christmas? Tonga.

[Big Cat]

Wait, you are. Is this the full list? Because I feel like you're forgetting Jalen hurts Jordan.

[Hank]

I'm just showing a list of some.

[PFT Commenter]

Of the quarterbacks that they beat just as random sampling events. And.

[Hank]

And what was it.

[PFT Commenter]

Play against Justin Herbert.

[Hank]

Do you guys know they lost that game? Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, the teams that they beat. Yeah. Okay.

[Hank]

Yeah. And do you guys.

[Big Cat]

But you are leaving out. They beat the Broncos. They beat the.

[Hank]

But the Patriots beat the Bills. They beat the Ravens. Like, it's the same thing.

[Big Cat]

Right, Right.

[Hank]

So I'm just. I'm just like, everyone's talking about the Patriots and who they beat the bat. Like, they beat a bunch of bad teams. So did the fucking Broncos. Who was the number two team in strength of schedule this year? Patriots number one. Who's number two?

[Big Cat]

Who?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going to guess the Broncos.

[Hank]

The Broncos.

[Big Cat]

Broncos.

[Hank]

My point is that. That all the things that the people.

[Big Cat]

Say about the Patriots also beat Patrick Mahomes. Yeah. Did the Patriots.

[Max]

And also Lamar Jackson.

[Hank]

They didn't make the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

Wait, that's not a playoffs.

[Max]

You were saying quarterbacks, and then you were like, well, we beat The Ravens and Lamar got hurt in that game.

[Hank]

But, but again, it's like, you could say the same.

[Big Cat]

Whatever the Bronos be.

[Hank]

Patrick Holmes, Broncos. I mean, the Chiefs didn't make the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

I don't know who you're arguing.

[PFT Commenter]

So what you're doing right now, you're saying that the Broncos actually suck. And so I'm saying that people spent.

[Hank]

This who season and playoff season big. Patriots are a joke. Their schedule's a joke. They beat no one. The Broncos are not that far off. I'm not that worried.

[Big Cat]

The question that led to this was that, yeah, I, I, you guys like everything I say.

[Hank]

You refuse to just. It has to be defense, defense, defense.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, the question was, how is this your handwriting?

[Big Cat]

Defense. What, what, what about defense?

[Hank]

Like, you guys, it's like, I can't just make a point. It has to just be like, well.

[Big Cat]

Actually, no, I was asking you if the, the question was about the vibes of, you guys should win this game. You're better than Jarrett Stidham led Broncos. And then you just replied with it, the Broncos stink. So you, you basically confirmed what I was saying, but in a very combative mode.

[PFT Commenter]

I guess I was, I don't think.

[Big Cat]

I was making the point that the Broncos, like the Patriots, should win this game.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think.

[Big Cat]

And then you're like, yeah, but the Broncos stink.

[Hank]

They should have, but I would have said they would. Whatever. I would have been, I'm, I would have been confident if Bonix was playing. I'm more confident now. We should win this game.

[PFT Commenter]

But also your analysis of the Broncos not being that good, could all that logic could be directly applied to the Patriots, except harder?

[Hank]

No, I think it's just like, it's just funny how much people talk about it and it's like. But no one talks about the Bronx.

[Big Cat]

Because you left out, like, five quarterbacks.

[Max]

You chose quarterbacks for your defense, and then when it came to the Patriots, you went for team and not quarterback because it was Taylor Huntley for the Ravens. But you, you chose. Or Tyler Huntley. You chose Ravens, not Huntley.

[PFT Commenter]

That's very true.

[Hank]

I can't fucking wait to win this game and just be away from.

[Max]

I'm just, I'm just pointing out your argument.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

This is where Hank truly shines, though, is like, like when he gets to get away from all this hating losers. And when it's a week of, of Hank just being like, thank God I'm around winners again. These guys don't understand what it's like.

[Big Cat]

No, you should win this game.

[Hank]

And Max is like, I was a Eagles fan last postseason. He's just a. He's like. He's. He is like the. I've said the whole time, he's the worst winner. Like, he's such a bad winner.

[Max]

Yeah, I am. I am.

[PFT Commenter]

Guess what? He's. It's a scorpion. And the frog. You. You had the scorpion on your back and he stung you, and you're like, what'd you do? And he's like, yeah, I'm a scorpion. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You should have known this all along. Okay, now that we're through that, what are you doing?

[Zach]

The face.

[Big Cat]

I'm not saying. I was going to give you a stat that the. If we're going off of dvoa. Aaron Shats. The Patriots defense has actually been better than the Broncos defense in the last nine weeks. That's a. That's a significant time. They have. They've. They've. They stopped the run. Christian Gonzalez is a lockdown corner similar to Patrick Tan. Like, they. They have, I think, comparable defenses. And then if you say, hey, who's got the advantage? The. The one advantage I would say that the Broncos have, that's clear over the. The Patriots is the Broncos have a better offensive line, but they have Jared sitting behind their offensive line, and the Patriots have Drake May. So that, like, is that advantage negated? Probably a little bit. Right? So. Pft. You have yours. You're ready to go. He's. He's. He's on the edge right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I wanna.

[PFT Commenter]

I wanna bring this back.

[Big Cat]

He's very close to just throwing at us. I wanna.

[PFT Commenter]

I wanna bring this back.

[Hank]

I'm not listening to anything.

[Big Cat]

If you replayed the conversation we had, I was trying to say that the Broncos, like the Patriots, should win this game. Then you just got super defensive.

[PFT Commenter]

This was.

[Hank]

If this was.

[PFT Commenter]

What is it?

[Hank]

Peanuts? The Charlie Brown. Like, you guys. This is just. You guys are the teacher.

[Big Cat]

Like, I. Oh, like gibberish.

[Hank]

You guys are talking. That's all. Like, you can cut to me and all I'm hearing is.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, I just want to bring it back because I actually don't have any anti Drake mesats.

[Big Cat]

There we go.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't. I. I don't. I know that you used to be a giant Jared Stidham fan. You were a Jared Stidham commenter on Instagram, and I found that out last night. I was doing some research on.

[Hank]

I said that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you called him Stutham on. On One post where 2020 vision. You replied as Confucius. Said LFG. It was a great reply. What I saw from his Instagram and I, I did go down. I, I cycled pretty far back through his posts. Fasoli likes every single one of Jared sit ups posts by the way. Back in the day like every one of them smashing. And then I saw that, that you were a commenter for a while which I, I understand he was a patriot. But you know that, that steady's got some to him.

[Big Cat]

He stood him.

[Hank]

You don't listen to me. I've been saying that since Sunday.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you have.

[PFT Commenter]

I hear.

[Big Cat]

W w w w. He has credit to Hank. He has been saying that he was a Jared stum guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you, you have. So when we talked about Drake May for the last couple weeks, we did talk about the third and six. You poo poo the Josh Dobs that he's 50% on third and six. Can I interest you in Tommy DeVito, your other backup quarterback?

[Hank]

Is he.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes, at third string. I'm, I'm, I'm very sure that he is.

[Big Cat]

It's Josh Dubes and DeVito.

[PFT Commenter]

Tommy DeVito, third string quarterback. He is actually the best quarterback in the history of the NFL on 3rd and 6. 5 for 500 completion rate.

[Mark Schlereth]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

That's kind of a stark difference. I thought that was interesting. Yeah.

[Hank]

Didn't your whole stat go off of a minimum of 10 throws?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but not for him.

[Big Cat]

I'm just saying small good memory, Hank, because I didn't remember that.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so let's extrapolate that to 10.

[Hank]

Because there's probably someone that's one for one. There's probably a lot, you know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. But even if.

[Hank]

So Tommy is not the best. He's probably tied for the best.

[PFT Commenter]

But even if he threw the ball out of the stadium on his next five attempts on third and six, he would still be twice as good as Drake May.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Hank]

But he hasn't played enough.

[Big Cat]

So.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'm just, I'm just throwing that.

[Hank]

That's not. You can't have a base metric baseline for your stat and then okay, put throw in someone else.

[PFT Commenter]

That was just like a little extra. That was a side dish.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that was a little.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought it was a fun fact that he was five for five on it.

[Big Cat]

It was a fun fact.

[PFT Commenter]

So when you compare Stidham to Drake May career when trailing from one to eight points.

[Hank]

I can still hear. I just don't want to. I don't need to hear as loud.

[PFT Commenter]

Jared Situm has a better completion percentage when playing from behind than Drake Made us. He has better yards per attempt when playing from behind as well.

[Big Cat]

Was he playing from behind for the majority of the four games he played?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't have the breakdown of percentage, but it's pretty impressive that he's good when he's trailing. And we don't really know that much about Drake May playing for behind just yet at this point. I think he's got one comeback drive for a win in his career, which is, it's great. He's got a young career, a lot left in front of him. Jared Stidham was the number one ranked dual threat quarterback out of high school in his class.

[Big Cat]

Whoa.

[PFT Commenter]

So he was ranked ahead of Kyler Murray, ahead of Juwan Jennings. Oh, who was also in that same class.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so then ahead of what, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

[PFT Commenter]

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. Yeah. I, I did try to go back and see the big games that they've played in because again, small sample size for two youngish quarterbacks. Drake May, what do you think? What's the biggest game that Drake May has played in?

[Hank]

Probably the AFC divisional round.

[PFT Commenter]

So this year. Yeah, I think we could both agree he didn't play great in the two big games this year. Right.

[Hank]

Number one defense, he played me, won the game. He had two touchdowns.

[PFT Commenter]

He had some great throws like the throw to booty, the throw to, to digs, big time throws.

[Hank]

But he also winning a playoff game against the number one defense having three touchdowns. I would consider that great. I don't know about you.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he fumbled a lot.

[Hank]

Again, I would say that throwing three touchdowns against the number one defense in a playoff game is good act or fiction.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes, you would say that fact, but you would not. I think there's a lot that you got to take into account. I mean he fumbled, he's fumbled a lot in the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

Sort of like a toilet flush.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think Drake may, Do you think Drake may look back at those two games and thought damn, I played really good.

[Hank]

Yes, they're wins.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think. I think a guy that's as good.

[Hank]

As Drake, a couple like at least one of those fumbles. There was nothing he could have done. Like the offensive line just they, they, they left him out to dry.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

That happens. That's football. Like that's.

[Big Cat]

Some guys get sacked a lot.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. I would say that some guy, some.

[Hank]

Guys miss the coverage and they just haven't, you know, blindsided, unblocked, like shot at the quarterback. That's going to happen.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, let's just talk Championship game experience then. Because this is. This is a championship game.

[Hank]

Let's talk championship.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. He played.

[Hank]

Jared Sit and played like the sixth grade.

[PFT Commenter]

No. Drake May played in the ACC championship game at UNC against Clemson. 26 for 42, 268 yards. No touchdowns, two interceptions. They lost 39 to 10. Stidham's biggest game. He said it, Coach. Put me at receiver if you want. Scored a 65 yard touchdown catch in the Texas High school state championship.

[Big Cat]

Wow. Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Sean Payton is looking at that division good. The best. You know what, Hank? The. The top division. Look that up and tell me what you find out. But he. He does have some, you know, championship pedigree in his system. As I said, he's the number one dual threat quarterback coming out of high school, then going into the NFL draft. Daniel Jeremiah absolutely loved him coming into the league. Yeah. D.J. he watches all the tape. He said really as much upside as any quarterback in this draft class. He said he's a top five pick in shorts for Jared Stidham.

[Big Cat]

We don't do love guys in shorts.

[PFT Commenter]

Top five pick in shorts.

[Big Cat]

What are you looking out, Hank? Talk us through this. What are you looking up?

[Hank]

I'm looking up Stephenville High School.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Let me know what you find out about that.

[Big Cat]

What. What class it played in. By the way, do you know the last postseason game that Jared sit and played in was the Music City bowl in 2018 against Purdue. Playing against what?

[Mark Schlereth]

QB.

[Big Cat]

Max. Max.

[Max]

Kevin Cobb went to this high school.

[Hank]

That's all I got.

[Max]

I wasn't listening.

[Big Cat]

2018, last postseason game. Jared sit and played. It was the 2018 Music Bowl. He played against this quarterback at Purdue.

[Max]

Quarterback at Purdue.

[Big Cat]

The answer is the one that got away from Max. David Blau. Oh, wow.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

How could you forget Max?

[Big Cat]

How could you forget?

[Max]

I was trying to think of Eagles quarterbacks from Purdue. I was struggling.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Blower wheels.

[PFT Commenter]

So. So more fun facts about Stidham. The last name Stidham means horse.

[Hank]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

From a horse. The Broncos are a horse. Okay, I thought that was just interesting. He is a preseason stud. An absolute beast. He is the best quarterback in the NFL in the preseason the last two years. Highest Pro Football Focus grade 90among quarterbacks at 20. More snapshots in the preseason. He's got a five to one big time throw to turnover worthy play ratio.

[Big Cat]

That sounds big time.

[PFT Commenter]

According to Zach Allen, his teammate. He's the first guy in the building every day.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Which it says a lot like your backup quarterback being the first guy every single day.

[Big Cat]

What'd you find?

[Hank]

There's six divisions in Texas and four. He's in 4A.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

So not even. Anywhere close. Not even the top. Top half. 50 of high schools, but yeah, good stat.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he was also. He became the starting quarterback. That's like when he was a freshman. He did that.

[Hank]

They were still four also.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

If there's six divisions and he's in the fourth, that is the top half.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

A would be the worst.

[Hank]

Well, whatever.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Not the top.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. 6A is the largest.

[PFT Commenter]

Fourth out of six.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But actually the opposite.

[Hank]

Third out of six, but not one. Like you said, your stat was wrong.

[Big Cat]

Well, not six.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I just. I clearly made up.

[Big Cat]

He said good. I think he did not lie.

[Hank]

The best. No, he said good and then the best. Whatever the best is.

[PFT Commenter]

That's subjective. I enjoy 4A football more than I enjoy 6A football in tech. It's got too corporate nil. You got guys bouncing around every year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So he. He at one point had a broken finger. Coach wanted to keep him out for the rest of the season, in the postseason. He said, coach, let me play. I really want to get out there. I don't care that my hand's broken. I've got three pins in my finger. Whoa, get me on this practice field. Coach said, no. The backup threw a pick on the first series. The opponent scored. Stem looked at his coach said, put me in. He said, fine, I'll put you in. He threw six touchdowns and Stephenville one.

[Hank]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

He's a beast. Wow, Stidham is a beast. He's got a die hard belief in himself, which we can all appreciate. You need a guy with confidence to step into this position, especially this, you know, this time of year in the playoffs. No, this has never happened before. We've never gotten a backup quarterback that's come in for the AFC championship game. Staubach did it. What, 72.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And then there was.

[PFT Commenter]

But Staubach was also the starter of the previous year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to think if there's any other. When did Jeff Hostetler come in? He came in. When did he come in for the Giants? He might have. I think Sean Payton was on that staff, by the way.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So he knows how to. How to manage this.

[Big Cat]

I think he came in at the end of the season.

[PFT Commenter]

Jeff Hostetler, Jared Situm has one 300 yard passing game in his career. I thought that's pretty good, right, Hank?

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Agreed. Now this is where it kind of went off the rails.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Oh, we're still. We were still on the rail.

[PFT Commenter]

That was the. On the rails.

[Big Cat]

All right, nice.

[PFT Commenter]

I was like, okay, all right. A little behind the scenes. Last night, I sat down, I was going to do an hour of research on Jared Stidham because we don't know anything about the guy. And I. I set an alarm clock for myself, a biological alarm clock. I. I consumed an edible.

[Big Cat]

You're gonna want to listen to this, Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

I consumed an edible, and I said to myself, you're going to be done researching Jarrett Stidham once the edible kicks in, and then that'll be your time to just go chill out, get a good night's sleep, wake up early for Wake Up Barstool tomorrow morning. It didn't work out that way. And when the edible kicked in and it sent me down a rabbit hole that I think we're all going to be dumber for having listened to, but maybe there's a kernel truth in it.

[Big Cat]

Okay?

[PFT Commenter]

And when we talked about this before the show, Big Cat was like, how. How dumb is it? Like, he might be ambidextrous. I said, It's 10 times dumber than that. Max, can you pull up your DMs real quick? I sent you a bunch of these screenshots. Jer Stidham might have a tail.

[Big Cat]

Oh, an actual tail.

[PFT Commenter]

An actual tail.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

There were rumors that circulated. They started circulating on various message boards around the same time, but it was different fan bases.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And it was at different college football boards and on Twitter. And everybody was thinking that Jared Stidham might have a tail.

[Big Cat]

Huh.

[PFT Commenter]

So this guy said, had a friend who went to Baylor who sweared Stidham had a tail. This is the first I've heard of this in over a year. Pull up the next one. Max is for those that don't know. The real reason Stidham left Baylor was because he has a tail and was constantly getting harassed about it. This has been a well known secret for over a year. He finally admitted it today. I couldn't find any evidence of him admitting, okay, that he had a tail. But there's more. There's more screenshots that I have there.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Telling my brother about this. He's an obby. He does radiographic imaging. He said a tail is very possible. I won't get into the details, just that he said it's an anomaly that does indeed happen. I keep hearing it's why he left Baylor. He was apparently getting harassed about it non stop. Not like a full on tale, but like a nub. Anyone else hearing this. I've seen it being talked about a lot the last day or so.

[Big Cat]

This is great.

[PFT Commenter]

And do we have another? Jared Stidham literally has a tail. That's what somebody posted. Another week gone by with an Auburn beat. Too scared to ask Gus if Stidham has a tail or not.

[Big Cat]

Are you seeing this?

[PFT Commenter]

Sit him to be the first Auburn starting quarterback to have vestigial tail. Hashtag War Eagle.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

So I. I tried to see the admission that. That Siddham said that he had a tail, but I couldn't find anything related to that. So instead I looked up if humans can have tails.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Have we seen Shallow how?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And Jason Alexander in that movie. He's got the little nub.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It does happen from time to time. I think there's 135 cases of humans being born with a tail.

[Big Cat]

Holy.

[PFT Commenter]

And his name is Stidham, meaning from a horse. Horses have tails and apparently we're all born with tails.

[Big Cat]

What?

[PFT Commenter]

Or not. Maybe not born. Wrong choice of words. We all have tails at some point from weeks four to six of a pregnancy, every human embryo has a tail like structure. And that tail like structure has 10 to 12 tail vertebrae. So we all had tails at some point. Everybody loses them. Except for very, very small minority people that are born with a tail. And who would benefit most from that would be an athlete. If you have a tail.

[Big Cat]

Hangstotless.

[PFT Commenter]

It helps any balance. It acts like a stabilizer when you're twisting, when you're throwing. It's a biological gyroscope. Saiyans have tails and it helps them with magic. Like Dragon Ball Z. Yeah, like go the tail. The tail gives them extra abilities, enhanced balance. Teen Wolf had a tail. I think Jared said it might have a tail. And that's something that you can't game plan for. That's all I'm saying.

[Big Cat]

Thoughts?

[Hank]

I know that I would.

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[Hank]

Probably like 80 of the fan base of this podcast is. Is against me and like they're rooting for me to lose.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought you're gonna say 80.

[Hank]

Just know that.

[PFT Commenter]

Just turn this off.

[Hank]

Those 80 of people. That is who you're riding with.

[Big Cat]

Well, you just listen to the guy with a tail.

[Hank]

Is that. That. That is like you're in that you're. You have two options and it's like me in one corner and whatever PFT just said in the other corner and you're walking towards that corner going into a fight and I hope like that makes me feel better.

[Big Cat]

We should all put on Tails.

[Hank]

That makes me feel better.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. That's completely fair. In one corner you gotta got. All he does is win Super Bowls. And in the other you got a guy that's staying up two extra hours at his computer high off an edible researching human tails. I. I can't. There's. I can't argue with that. Hank. You're 100. Right. But you might be underestimating Stidham.

[Big Cat]

You might be underestimating.

[PFT Commenter]

I know.

[Hank]

Listen.

[Big Cat]

That's Tale of the tail.

[PFT Commenter]

That would be a problem.

[Hank]

The most off most Pro bowl players on in the whole league.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay.

[Hank]

Number one seed. And people are still gonna somehow talk about the schedule. It's like that. It's. It's a team game.

[Big Cat]

What he. No one brought up the schedule. Dude, we're talking about it.

[Hank]

I'm not.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen.

[Hank]

I'm not worth talking about.

[Big Cat]

I didn't listen to it.

[Hank]

Keep going back to the only one who's bringing up.

[Big Cat]

You literally are bringing up the schedule over and over. We're talking about a tail.

[PFT Commenter]

We're talking about football over here.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We're talking about a half man, half horse. And you're just like put the schedule. Schedule is rent free in your head.

[PFT Commenter]

He also won the Broncos Halloween party with.

[Max]

Did he not dress up?

[PFT Commenter]

He was a lion.

[Max]

Lions have tails.

[PFT Commenter]

And he was swinging his fucking tail around.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

By far the best performance by Broncos quarterback at their Halloween party that we know of. It's a sample size of two.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so Hank. Last thoughts.

[Hank]

Patriots by 10.

[PFT Commenter]

I agree with Hank.

[Big Cat]

Okay, me too.

[Max]

I'm betting on the Patriots.

[Big Cat]

And you're gonna. And, and, and pft. You will have $40,000 for Hank the minute that the Patriots win.

[PFT Commenter]

I will pay Hank. Hank will get his $40,000 if they win.

[Hank]

Also really exciting announcement if the Patriots win.

[Big Cat]

What's that?

[Hank]

That's all I'll say.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

How exciting.

[Hank]

If you love the dog tour, you're gonna love this.

[Big Cat]

The dog tour.

[Hank]

Dog toy.

[Big Cat]

Dog toy.

[PFT Commenter]

Ah. Are you doing a lighthouse?

[Big Cat]

I'm aware of what Hank is referring to.

[PFT Commenter]

A lighthouse toy, something like that.

[Max]

Wait, so if the patrons don't. Don't win or we never get it.

[Hank]

They are just. It'll be delayed a little bit.

[Big Cat]

We might be insult toy off.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm trying to think what it could be.

[Hank]

It's not about it.

[Big Cat]

It might not be about you.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I highly doubt that.

[Big Cat]

It could definitely not be about you.

[Max]

It could be about anything.

[Zach]

So.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Stay tuned.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it gonna be a little tiny action figure?

[Big Cat]

Who knows?

[Hank]

Stay tuned.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it for dogs?

[Hank]

Stay tuned.

[PFT Commenter]

What if, what if the Patriots lose? Do we release the the Drake May T shirt?

[Hank]

No.

[Max]

We could, we could. We should try and do a re release. This should be a, there will be a toy that that is or there will be a, there will be something released no matter what. Whether it's the re release of the Hank dog.

[Hank]

We also are releasing. We have great part of my take Lighthouse T shirts that I'll be wearing on stream and they're back on sale now as you're listening to this. So check those out.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I do think that there's enough out there about Jared Situm where I think that he could win the game. I, I don't think that he's dog. I think that he's a good quarterback with good tools and Sean Payton is an excellent head coach and he's going to, I don't think Peyton's going to be like, go out there and run the football. Limit your mistakes. I think he's going to tell Jared, sit him like, let it rip a little bit, take some chances.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, I mean, the Broncos don't really run the football like that much. You saw it against the Bills where they weren't running the ball against a bad run defense. I, this is a game to me that for the Broncos to win, they're going to have to get, get a couple plays where you're like, how the did that happen? That, that feels like it's going to be out to be a fumble, interception, you know, kick return, a punt block. They're going to need one of those. And then if they get one of those, then I think it could be a game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Sean Payne said he's going to go out rip it. That will be our approach, 100%. I think Sean Payton's going to say, I'm going to live and die with steady today. Steady's my guy. And if it's not steady, guess what they have as a backup quarterback back. Who? Ben Denucci.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm just gonna say this. You don't want to take, you don't want to take stum out of the game because then you might have a JMU Duke coming in to beat your ass. Hank. Yeah, but that said Patriots by 10. I'm going to be betting on the Patriots, my game of the calendar year.

[Big Cat]

I, I, I just think the, I think this is a field goal game. I think the Patriots are going to win by three points and I think there's a little overreaction like being like four and a half is a lot for Jared Stidham.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The reality is we can, we can keep fighting against the Patriots and we can keep being wrong. That's kind of what we're doing right now.

[Big Cat]

40,000.

[PFT Commenter]

Because they are just going to always be good at football. Your favorite team, no matter who you are. If it's not the Patriots will never be as good as the Patriots. They will continue to win and it will continue to enrage you as a fan of the NFL that sees a team that just got through a 20 year dynasty just reloading for another one. So you can either try to fight against the windmills, Hank Don Quixote, or you can lay back and just accept.

[Hank]

On Trump is against their windmills too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I saw you liking those tweets.

[Hank]

Yeah, Maga, Hank. Lefty Lockwood, get you a man that can do both.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's do the NFC Championship game because this game's going to be awesome. Rams, Seahawks. Rams plus two and a half over under is 46 and a half. I mentioned Aaron Schatz earlier because we've had him onto the show before the DVOA ranking that he does. He has this ranked as the best game DVO ranking wise in the last 30 years. So it's the number one and number two DVOA ranked teams going up against each other. Pretty cool. That feels like significant. These two teams are really fucking good.

[PFT Commenter]

We also have this year between them.

[Big Cat]

Were awesome, awesome, awesome. We have a weird, a weird quirk in stats that and I didn't realize this, but seven of the last eight teams to eliminate the 49ers have gone on to win the Super Bowl. That's kind of crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

That is wild. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You beat the 49ers. You basically go to the win the Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

If you beat them in the Super Bowl.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, if you beat him in the Super Bowl. But it's also the only loss was or the only one that doesn't hold up is the Brock Purdy game. The Eagles did not win that Super bowl. They made the 49ers. So they. Yeah, the. The Seahawks are primed to win the super bowl because they have eliminated the 49ers.

[PFT Commenter]

We've also got a very, very close matchup in terms of historical rankings against each other. So The Seahawks are 29 and 28 lifetime against the Rams. The point difference is one, Seattle's outscored the Rams. They've scored 1223 points. The Rams have scored 1222 points in those games. So yes, it's it's gone back and forth. The Rams have not lost an NFC championship since 1990. Whoa. They're 5, 0 since 1990 in NFC championship games. I think we've got like the best offensive coach in the NFL right now against the best defensive coach in the NFL right now. It's the ultimate. It's the who will overthink it Game. Because both these guys are super smart. They know that the other guy is super smart. So they're thinking, this guy knows what I like to do, but he also knows that I know that he knows what I like to do. And one of the two guys is going to overthink it just a little bit too much. Historically, I feel like Sean McVay, these are games that he wins.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And Matt Stafford, not on the injury report this week.

[Big Cat]

He's ready to go.

[PFT Commenter]

Sam Darnold is still on the injury report with the oblique. Who knows how real that is?

[Big Cat]

Well, the crazy part about Sam Darnold is he didn't have to throw it much against the Niners. So we don't know how real that is. We don't know how injured he is.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Speaking, by the way, to your point about Sean McVay, Shamay is 3, 0 when facing a team for the third time in a season, so.

[PFT Commenter]

But in a rubber match, wouldn't you want the Trojan, Sam Darnold, he might be hurt, though. He might be hurt. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

He might be hurt. Yeah. It does feel. It's. It's a weird. I keep getting to the point where I'm trying to figure out who I'm going to bet on this game. And I think both teams are phenomenal and both teams have proven that they are the best of the best in the NFL. But I keep going back to that game that they played on Thursday night, whatever it was week 15, and thinking about how that game went and how. I don't want to say fluky, but the two point conversion, how everything kind of transpired at the end of the game. If the Rams had won that game, what would we be thinking about this matchup blowout?

[PFT Commenter]

We'd be thinking Rams.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we'd be thinking Rams. So because that game was so close, I'm kind of thinking I'm leaning towards Rams. Even though I think the Seahawks defense is the nastiest in the NFL. The Rams also do have a very good defensive line. Their secondary is a little suspect. Correct. But that will be a big part of this.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's more their. Their corners are a little like their safeties are good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You got the two cams.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but, and then how much does Zach Charbonnet being out matter? Can Kenny Kenneth Walker be the bell Cow?

[PFT Commenter]

Right. So he's, he's been a guy that's been pretty good getting like 12, 13 carries a game.

[Max]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

He might get 20, 22, 24 carries. Is he going to get tired?

[Big Cat]

I think this is just like, I know this is not what people want to hear, but, but it just feels to me like the most coin flip game you could have where there is just both really good teams and it's going to be, it's not going to be a game where I walk away being like, man, that one team just beat the fuck out of the other. It's going to be, wow. If there wasn't this play, this play, this play, the other team would be in the Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

There was some special team stuff in that first game, too.

[Big Cat]

Rams, special teams. Not, not elites.

[PFT Commenter]

McVeigh fired the special teams coach, though. Yeah, it was right after that game, I think. Yeah, he's like, okay, we're not going to go through with this. I, I, I think I want to pick the Rams, but the reasons for thinking about the Seahawks are they just seem to be the nastiest defense. They seem to just be all around the best team in the NFL for the entire season, if you look at it. And then the home field advantage.

[Big Cat]

11, 11 straight home, home playoff victories with fans in the crowd.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I, I have significant. This is a coin flip entirely a coin flip game for me. I think I'm going to take the Rams just based on the experience of Matt Stafford and McVeigh as a playoff coach. And that's, I could very easily be wrong about that. But that's, that's my logic going into it.

[Big Cat]

What do you guys have a strong feeling about this game? You're rooting for the Rams, Hank.

[Hank]

I don't care.

[Big Cat]

You don't care either way, it's a Super bowl rematch.

[PFT Commenter]

Either way it's going to be Stetson Bennett or Drew Locke in the super bowl against the Patriots. So, so it doesn't really matter.

[Hank]

Yeah, I'll, if the Patriots win, then I will probably have a stronger opinion. The Patriots lose, I could care less. I probably won't even. You won't hear me for me for months.

[Zach]

So.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Do you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Eileen, you're just going to tap out if your team loses in the championship game.

[Big Cat]

Ramps you lean ramps. Does the booth have any thoughts on this game, game, anything? We're, we're Tossing around in our heads.

[Max]

I think the Rams are going to win, but my. I mean, my focus is on. Is on Patriots Broncos.

[Ad/Promo Voice]

I got to get.

[Max]

I got to get Patriots minus four.

[PFT Commenter]

And a half home.

[Hank]

Yeah. Let's go.

[Big Cat]

It is a weird strength on strength. I saw this stat from Sports Info Solutions. The Seahawks have the most too high safety looks, almost 80%. They'll play that and their 6 and success rate allowed from those looks. And the Rams offense against those looks is second in success rate. So this whole game feels like just strength on strength. Yeah, we're just gonna be really good and it's gonna come down to a couple and I. The only thing that makes me lean the Rams is that Sean McVay coached a bad game against the Bears. And will he coach two bad games in a row?

[PFT Commenter]

Probably not.

[Big Cat]

Probably not.

[PFT Commenter]

Probably not with Hank. With Stidham.

[Big Cat]

That. By the way, that hype video. Mike McDonald. Did you guys see that?

[Mark Schlereth]

That.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Was so sick. If you're a Seahawks fan, you probably watched it a million times. It was. He basically just called his shot. He was like, we. When he got. Got there the first day, he was just like, close your eyes. Like, imagine this. It's NFC championship game. The wind is howling. It's shitty for them, but it's perfect for us. And it was just. It gave me chills. This team is really, really good and really, really fun. And Sam Donald could go to a.

[PFT Commenter]

Super bowl and it's going to be a loud stadium.

[Big Cat]

Loud.

[PFT Commenter]

It's going to be super.

[Big Cat]

So loud.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, are. Are you. You. Have you thought at all about Situm being like Belichick's hand picked guy?

[Hank]

McDaniels's handpicked guy?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, Belichick drafted him.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

He was a coach.

[Hank]

But McDaniels obviously was offensive coordinator then. And then he signed like he went out of his way to sign him to the Raiders when he was a head coach, and then they tried to sign him this pass off season.

[PFT Commenter]

Right. So.

[Hank]

So McDaniels loves him.

[PFT Commenter]

McDaniels loves him. Does that concern you at all?

[Hank]

No. He's a. I. Jared Cinema is good.

[Big Cat]

Okay. No smile.

[Hank]

No.

[Big Cat]

By the way, I saw a crazy stat. What are you saying, Zach?

[Zach]

I was just. We were just. I was saying maybe, like, it's Matt Stafford. I think Matt Stafford could.

[Big Cat]

Could do it. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Zach]

I. I think. I think the Rams won the Super Bowl. We were talking super bowl picks. I was just saying that to myself back here. I didn't mean to intrude.

[Big Cat]

That's on Me, it does feel like. Yeah. I mean, Matt Stafford's.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach's right.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he is.

[Zach]

I think he was going to do is going to be mass average.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach's right.

[Big Cat]

It's Matt.

[PFT Commenter]

I got, I got one more thing, Hank. One more thing. Before the season started, always the mentalist made a prediction for the Super Bowl. His prediction, the Rams to beat the Broncos 23 to 14.

[Big Cat]

No, don't love that.

[PFT Commenter]

That.

[Big Cat]

Holy.

[PFT Commenter]

If that does happen.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think we can all agree that this is all a simulation and everything is fake, right?

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Like society will collapse if Oz the mentalist is right about his super bowl pick and the score. That to me is like forget about aliens coming down to earth. Forget about the second coming of Jesus, anything like that. That could destabilize the planet. If Oz gets this right, that is proof that none of this is real. It's never happened. We're living in a computer.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Right.

[Big Cat]

It's. It's O's and it's the trusted toddler videos. Have you guys seen that little girl?

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

There's a little girl on TikTok who is picking games for her dad, I think is maybe works in sports radio in California. She's picking games. The first wild card weekend she went 0 for 6. Then divisional round, she got one right and it was the Patriots.

[PFT Commenter]

That's it.

[Big Cat]

She's. She's one for nine. And she's also getting death threats. Now she's four years old.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, let's everybody, everybody chill out. Also the O's thing does scare me.

[Big Cat]

Also one of the, One of the death. Not death threats, but one of the comments that was quoted in the article was from Cardi B. When she picked the Patriots, she. When she picked the Patriots versus Texans before that game. She was over eight going into that game. And Cardi B said, little white girl said we're gonna win. Fuck that. Did she listen who she picks? Like the waste. The nation waits with baited breath. The articles virals. Four year old Southern California girl gets death threats over NFL picks. Oh my God, dude. I mean it's crazy that she, she's. She started that bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, so O's and trust the toddler.

[PFT Commenter]

These are bad signs.

[Big Cat]

Bad signs.

[PFT Commenter]

These are bad signs for the world.

[Big Cat]

Bad signs.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, we okay?

[Big Cat]

We're great.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

I saw a crazy stat. Do you know that Mike Vrabel is actually now the longest tenured coach in the AFC East?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's pretty nuts. Also, there are two coaches in the AFC that were hired before 2022. So two coaches left.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, when you get to hang out.

[Big Cat]

With Zach Taylor, which is very Zach.

[PFT Commenter]

Taylor being that's wild. When you get to hang out with your Patriots friends, are you like thank God about not around these fucking losers anymore?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, duh. They don't know what winning culture is.

[Big Cat]

Duh. Yeah, duh. Okay, should we do pick anything else on Seahawks ramps? Anyone got anything else?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm excited for this game.

[Big Cat]

I'm so excited, so, so pumped for this game. I just, it's going to be great. And I think both those teams again, I know it's bad analysis to say 50, 50 coin flip game, but it does feel like it's just going to come down to a play here or there and both teams are going to the loser of this game is going to walk away saying we just squandered an opportunity. We should be in the Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going to be rooting for the Seahawks. To be clear. I would love to see the Seahawks win this game, get to the super bowl, but if you're making me pick I think the Rams are going to. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

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[Big Cat]

So the pix competition, it's just me and Max because Zach has not won a game forever and is officially last and we're gonna now find out. So it's going to be Zach doing the stream 36 hour stream and who will join him with the 18 hour stream? Right now the standings are. I have 25, Max has 24. So I'm one ahead of Max. Pft. You finish in third officially at with 20 and a half points. Hank and memes finished in tied for fourth with 20 points. So congrats to beating Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

Thanks.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And Zach is in last with 17 and a half points. What? What? Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You look like you're about to say something.

[Big Cat]

You're happy. You don't have to do a punishment.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It's just me or Max. Yeah. What happens if we're tied after this week? Do we go super? Oh, we go Super Bowl 11. Props. Right, sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

The dual betting duel. Betting duel.

[Mark Schlereth]

Betting duel.

[Big Cat]

There'll be a betting duel prop off to decide who has to go in the stream with Zach, which will be fun. Zach, are you excited?

[Zach]

Somebody had to clinch last. I did clinch last. I think it'd be good time.

[Big Cat]

You were so far away from. I mean, how many weeks did you not get? 1. Right.

[Zach]

Couldn't be colder. Several weeks.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach]

Some are saying, I mean, transcended years. 20. I haven't. I haven't won a pick since 20.

[Big Cat]

25.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Because it's actually amazing that you like.

[Hank]

No, like I was stalling.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you didn't finish. You didn't finish that far behind everyone. Like you had ample opportunity, I believe. Yeah.

[Hank]

I think I won like two games. There was in four weeks.

[Zach]

Three weeks in a row. I had an opportunity to make a switch kind of climb up the board, and I just stalled and kept stalling and couldn't get started.

[Big Cat]

I'm looking back right now. Hold on. I'm trying to find. Oh, my God, Zach. This is going way back. Okay, this is. Where's this from? Yes.

[Max]

He went one and one last week.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. No, he had 60. He had 16 and a half points for what feels like a really long time for a very before vacation. Because I'm now looking at the picture of the bad picture of Hank on vacation. When I'm scrolling back.

[Zach]

If you're gonna lose, lose consistently.

[Big Cat]

All right, Max, you want to go first?

[PFT Commenter]

Congrats on not losing Hank.

[Big Cat]

Thank you.

[Hank]

You too.

[Max]

You can go first.

[Hank]

You won.

[PFT Commenter]

I won.

[Big Cat]

We both.

[Max]

Pft. I texted you my. My top four.

[PFT Commenter]

I got all of them.

[Big Cat]

You go first.

[Max]

I'm going under in the Patriots. Broncos under 42 and a half in that game.

[Big Cat]

Okay, I'll go Seahawks, Rams over 46 and a half.

[Max]

I'm gonna go Patriots minus four and a half.

[Big Cat]

I'll go Broncos plus four and a half.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yes.

[Big Cat]

Go head to head on that one. That'll be good. Love that one. Head to head. So you're.

[Max]

I'm doubling up on that game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That'll be huge. Coming down the stretch.

[Hank]

So if Max goes 2.

[Big Cat]

0, I have to win one to. To keep it alive. Oh. Do we agree, Max, that no matter what, if. If there's a winner after this week, that's the winner? Like if there's a second.

[Hank]

Oh, yeah.

[Max]

That's it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We're not doing.

[Max]

No.

[Big Cat]

The only way we go super bowl better. Yeah. Is it?

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Good preview, everyone excited for the games. Really good streaming them. Great preview.

[PFT Commenter]

A lot of facts.

[Big Cat]

I'm sad that we only have three football games left. Bums me out.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, this is.

[Hank]

This is. This is when the season starts me out.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Bums me.

[Hank]

Like you wake me up in the as champions.

[Big Cat]

Really hard.

[Hank]

It's good to be back.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's get to our interview. Such a piece of interview with Mark.

[PFT Commenter]

Slide before we get to Mark Sloth. He's brought to you by our great, wonderful friends over at Paramount Plus. Paramount plus is the absolute best. I love it. I love all their original programming. I love everything that they've got on tap over there. You can access it early, you can access it late. It's always good. It's the number one home for the UFC as well. The new era comes out swinging. UFC324 on January 24th in the main event highlight machine, Justin Gaethje faces off against Patty the Batty Pimblet. Actually, let me redo that part. Heavyweight machine Justin Gaethje Boo faces off against Patty the Batty Pimblet.

[Max]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Patty in it. Interim lightweight belt plus Sean Sugar o' Malley takes on Song Yadong in a stand up war filled with high level striking. Catch all the action from The Octagon stream UFC 324 live at 9pm Eastern. Paramount plus pay per view just got knocked out. Stream every numbered event and Fight Night Live at no additional cost with your Paramount plus subscription. You can also watch pre fight docu series, full length replays, archive fights from years past and more. It's Time to say goodbye to Pay per View, say hello to paramount plus visit paramountplus.com UFC to get started today. Mark Sloth is also brought to you by Microsoft Copilot. That's right, Microsoft Copilot. They want you to picture this. Picture a Monday morning. You open up your laptop. Outlook hits you with 87 unread emails. Your calendar looks like a game of Tetris played by a toddler. Your boss wants a report. Your team wants a presentation. You want a nap. Enter Microsoft Copilot. Copilot summarizes your emails. Boom. You're caught up. It drafts your report in Word. It builds your slides in PowerPoint. It even pulls insights from your Excel data. Suddenly, you're the office hero. People think you're organized. They think you're responsible, maybe even promotable, all because Copilot did the stuff that you didn't want to do. So if you want to reclaim your time or at least pretend you have your life together, try Microsoft Copilot. Copilot. Because sometimes the smartest move is letting AI do the work. Learn [e-mail] M365 copilot and now, here's Mark Schlareth.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we now welcome on a very, very, very, very special guest, one of our favorite guys. Longtime recurring guest, by the way. We're getting close to 10 years. We would like you got to celebrate with us. It is Mark Schlerith. You can find him on the stinking Truth podcast on YouTube. He's the man and stink. We wanted to have you on talks a ball conference championship Sunday. Let's start with this. What is your favorite conference championship Sunday memory from because you played in a lot of them.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, I did play in a few. Gosh, my fate. My favorite memory. I think, you know, I think being a wild card team with the Denver Broncos going to Pittsburgh, winning that championship in Pittsburgh, heading to the super bowl to play the Green Bay Packers. But the very last play of, of the game where we had a, like, we had to convert on a third down and seven. If we don't convert, we got to give the ball back to Pittsburgh. And Elway comes into the huddle and we call, we call a play that wasn't in the playbook at the time. Like, we didn't practice it that week. It was in the playbook, but we hadn't practiced it all week. It wasn't the game plan. And Sharp is going crazy in the huddle going, man, that plays not in. That play's not in. And Elway just looked at him and said, doesn't matter, just get open. Just get. And it's the last play of the game and Sharpie runs a little like six, seven yard hitch, you know, and Elway puts it on him and he bobbles it and then he catches it and falls down, first down. And then we can seal the game. You know, we can just take the, take the knee three times. So it's probably my favorite championship game simply because of, you know, the, the, the Broncos at that time had never won a championship. We're going to the Super Bowl. Elway had been there three times but had lost. So that was probably my best championship moment.

[Big Cat]

So. So a follow up question on that. When you get to championship Sunday, do you feel a difference in the LOC room? Because you now are one step away from the super bowl where, you know, maybe the earlier rounds of the playoffs, it's, hey, we got a job to do. It's business as usual. It's just trying to, trying to win a game. And now you're, now you're there. Like, it just feels, there's something about that Sunday where it's like, hey, there's four teams. Two of these teams are going to kind of be etched in history because they're going to play in the Super Bowl. Can you feel that going into that week?

[Mark Schlereth]

I think the week is very much that way. I like the week is because you've got the ticket requests, you've got, you know, the enormity of it, everybody's talking about it, people around your locker room, all that kind of stuff. So all that stuff is, all that stuff is real, you know, and you got to deal with it. And I remember that championship weekend in Pittsburgh. Man, there are people just drove around our hotel honking their horns all night long. Like, all night long you wake up and people are just honking your heart. So that is, that's real. But I think the thing that's not real, that people don't really understand is, you know, you can have all the motivation in the world and Alvin, they're disrespecting us. And, you know, the Green Bay packers don't think we can win or whatever, whatever it is. But as soon as you get that first hit in, as soon as you snap the ball and you have that first play, you don't ever think about any of that stuff. Yeah, none of that stuff comes to the forefront of your mind. You're thinking about what I have to do to execute, what do I have to do to help my team win, you know, how can we be better? Whatever it is, this. But it just becomes a game. And I always tell people who have played in it or people who ask for my advice, hey, the team that settles into just playing a game and, and executing is a team that's probably going to win. The team that lets all that stuff go and just goes out and plays. But for the most part, once you start the game, once it's kicked off, you don't go, oh, 50 million people are watching us or 100 million people are watching us. You don't, you don't think that way.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we, can we take a trip down memory lane maybe to a not so great memory that you might have from your time playing?

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's January 4, 1997, and it's the Broncos and they're hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars. And I actually talked about this game maybe three or four weeks ago on this show because we were talking about the, you know, the pressure being on the one seed sometimes. And I, I told the story of how when you were coaching my little league baseball team and basketball team, you would bring this up in like, like every pump up speech that you gave to us as like 11 or 12 year olds. And you can talk about that game because it obviously affected you in a deep way, losing that one game. The next two seasons you came back, you avenged that loss, you win a couple more Super Bowls. So it's kind of a good ending to that story. But how often do you think about that game? Do you still think about that?

[Mark Schlereth]

Oh, yeah. I think as a player, you think about the mistakes. Like, I can remember holding calls, it got touchdowns called back. Like, I can't remember a good block that I threw or whatever, but I can remember the bad stuff that went down and, you know, the crate. The crazy thing about that Jacksonville Jaguars game is I came home Wednesday after we put the game plan in and my wife, like, we're sitting down as a family together eating dinner, and my wife was like, what's wrong? What's bothering you? And I was like, man, I just don't like this. I don't like what we put in today. I don't like our game plan. And she's like, what are you talking about? And I'm going, man, like, we ran the ball against everybody and we've got Terrell Davis, who is unbelievable, making up for a multitude of sins. And I was like, they can line up. We're doing a lot of the way the NFL operates today. There's a lot of you Know you hear it all the time, kill it packages or can it packages, you know, and they change the play. Well, we put, we put our, our game plan was almost exclusively like, hey man, if they give us this front or this, you know, this safety rotation, you know we're going to throw it. But if they give us this, you know, we're going to stay in the run. And ultimately I was like, they can check us out of our run game like just by lining up, they can check us out of our run game. And that's the best thing that we do do is running the football and wearing people out. And sure enough, we get into that game and I think terrell Davis had 14 carries for 95 yards and Terrell was 20, 25 to 29, 30 carries every single game right on the season. He ended with 1700 and some odd yards in that season. And I think it was 1700. Doesn't matter, maybe it was 1500. Whatever it was, was. But sure enough, man, they checked us out of that. And it's funny, for the next two years we would be in practice sometimes and, and practice wasn't going well. Like we didn't execute some plays or whatever and we'd be in the huddle going, hey man, don't let that Jacksonville thing like clip us. Don't let like we were literally for two years it was like, you know, it was like that thing hung over your shoulder and anytime things we'd be in the huddle, you know, going for a game winning drive and it'd be like, hey man, we got to go out there and get this drive, man. We don't want this Jacksonville thing to happen. I mean, for two years it's all we talked about and it really was the catalytic event that led us to back to back championships in Denver.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, obviously this weekend a very important game for the Broncos. Nobody knows really what to expect from City. That's the thing. It's like, I think that he's good. I think that Sean Payton selected him for a reason and went out of his way to get Stidy as the backup. But we really haven't seen him in live action in what, over two years? So it's anyone's guess what's going to happen this weekend. What, what would you anticipate Sean Payton's going to do with him this weekend?

[Mark Schlereth]

Well, I think, I mean, City knows the offense. He's been in it for three years. You know, Sean Payton has signed him twice now. I, I look at it like this, I know everybody is concerned about the narrative around town. Here I was at the game on Sunday, you know, and so. So there's this elation of winning that game and being in an AFC championship game to get into the car, heading home, and then all of a sudden getting the report that. That, you know, that. That Bo Nix broke his ankle. And at first I thought it was fake. Like, at first I was like, come on, like, Schefter got hacked or whatever. Right?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And. And so, you know, we've got a family text going around. My son's like, no, it's true. You know, and so anyhow, I think the whole narrative here in Denver was, oh, steady. This city. That I was like, you know what? I'm far less concerned about Jared Stidham than I am about the way our defense played against Buffalo. Our defense got run through. I mean, and I thought we got out, executed out game planned out, schemed as a defense. And. And, you know, ultimately, Josh Allen probably played the worst playoff game he's ever played.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And he had three or four touchdowns. He had a. A touchdown over route to tight end. I think it was Knox.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Mark Schlereth]

That he just overthrew. That was a touchdown and would have ended the game. He had the one throw that he gets. He gets, you know, zero blitz. He's got the throw to Cooks. And if he just throws it toward the sideline, that's a touchdown. But he throws it back into the middle of field. Cooks has to adjust, and it gives Jaquan McMillan chance. A chance to catch up. Up and get that interception. There were. There were the other interception that happened earlier in the game. PJ Locke takes a pick.

[Max]

And.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I'm standing with Peyton Manning. I was in this humble break. I was in Peyton Manning suite.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[Mark Schlereth]

Watching the game with Peyton.

[PFT Commenter]

Nice.

[Mark Schlereth]

Because we're tired of the mouse nuts, me and Peyton. And he says to me, he goes, hey, man, if. If Josh Allen just throws it to the B. The Broncos, you know, the first letter in Broncos in the end zone, because that's a touchdown 100 out of 100 times.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

But he threw it back into the middle of the field, which allowed the safety to catch up and intercepted. So, like, if Josh Allen just plays a prototypical Josh Allen game, they probably score 48 points on the Broncos and walk away with a victory. So I was more concerned about the way our defense played than I am about Stitty going into this game.

[Big Cat]

And so you bring up a good point, because a lot of the conversation is going to be about Jared Sit.

[Hank]

And.

[Big Cat]

But the Broncos defense, which was phenomenal to start the year, has been kind of leaking oil down the stretch. What is it like, what, what do you think it is specifically that they've maybe not been as good at where in the beginning of the season they were excelling?

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, I, you know, Big cat, I think it's attrition. Yeah, I think like playing defense, and I played defense through college, it's a lot harder than it is playing offense. Like, if I block you or I cut you, I just lay on my big fat stomach and I just watch the play, you know, like this. I just go, yeah, right. You got to get up off your fat ass and you got to run and chase it. Right. It's just harder to play. It's harder to play defense. And so I think that early in the season, like the Broncos were, they led the league throughout the majority of the season in three and outs. Yeah, the pressure that puts on your defense, the exhaustion that that puts on your defense, and, and I think the defense played exceptionally well throughout the season. And the Broncos offensively, really, there were just moments where all of a sudden they triggered and, and I think part of it was, you know, they got into these critical moments where they had to have it drives and they got into tempo offense. They got into a situation where they weren't worried about, you know, about calling plays in the huddle and motioning and different personnel changes. They were just lining up statically and saying, saying, let's go. And I thought that's where Bo Nix played his best football. And so in the fourth quarter, you know, in multiple games, that Giants game where they score 30, whatever points they scored, the fourth quarter, that Philadelphia game where they came back from 18 down, I think in the fourth quarter, like they would, they would do two or three quarters where they were just non existent. And, and I think that attrition piled up on the Broncos. I think the other thing that happened in the divisional round of the playoffs, man, that, that crowd noise was crazy. And I don't think as a, as a player at home and playing in Denver, I ever really focused on it because I play on the offensive side of the ball, so it wasn't a problem for us. Right. But I thought our defense didn't communicate very well and that crowd noise affected our defense more than it affected Buffalo's offense. And you see multiple times where they're running a swing pass and I get it, you complete a swing pass and it gets three or four yards and you're like, ah, you know what? Got it. You Know, we got to rally up and get that one. They're throwing swing passes, they're getting 20 yards and we're getting picked. And, you know, the communication is not there where you're getting through that pick or you're, you're going banjo and you're trading it off or whatever you got to do to, to take care of that. It wasn't getting done. So I thought Buffalo dealt with the crowd noise better than the Broncos defense dealt with the crowd noise.

[PFT Commenter]

Huh?

[Big Cat]

That's interesting. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Broncos, they haven't been great at turning the ball over. This got some last week, which is huge against the Bills, but they've been, they kind of the opposite of what we've talked about with the Bears, which is like, they were a very good defense in terms of yards, in terms of all that stuff, but they didn't get too many turnovers. Is there. Did they do something different last weekend? Because I know that they got a few fumbles.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, they got a couple of fumbles. There was one, you know, their middle linebacker did a great job of fighting across the, the, the traffic and then putting his foot in the ground and going back in there Singleton and creating a fumble bowl. That was big. You know, I, I really look at, and I talked about this on the stinking truth. I really look at Sean McDermott getting fired and I, I thought the biggest thing and this was the problem. And I, Sean's a great guy, but the problem is oftentimes when you get the tight games, tightly contested games, I thought that that coaching staff oftentimes just pushed the chips into the Josh Allen, you know, table and say, hey, go win us a game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I go back to the Broncos scoring, kicking the ball off, 16 seconds left, and I'm shouting like, hey, you just take a knee here and all of a sudden they drop back. Josh Allen scrambles, he doesn't secure the ball. He gets however many yards he gets, and they create a fumble and then they're able, the Broncos are able to kick a 50 yard field goal to go in at halftime, you know, with what was it? A. A 23 to 10 lead.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I look at that and I'm like, that is exactly what I'm talking about. When you put it on your quarterback and go, hey, man, come on, go. Like, what did you think was going to happen? Did you think you're going to throw a 75 yard touchdown right? Or, you know, they're going to sit there and they're going to play, they're going to play A three deep like, chains defense where everybody's going to be at the chains. You're going to have three guys at 20 yards deep and you're saying, basically throw the ball underneath and we're going to rally up and tackle you. Like, did you think you were going to go 45 yards and kick a 55 yard field goal? Like, the, the. Just the utter stupidity of going out there and doing that and giving away three points to me was like. It was one of those things where I'm like, what are you guys thinking? What could you possibly be thinking in that situation? And they were able to create all kinds of turnovers. And obviously this week against the New England Patriots, I mean, that's going to be the thing. Drake May has put the ball on the ground three times or six times in the last two games. And you know, that pass rush and those things are going to have to be. Be. They're gonna have to be great. They're gonna have to create those turnovers to be able to win this game. And, and they did it last week. Can they do it again?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[Mark Schlereth]

But that, that certainly will be one of those things. It reminds me of coaching you in Little League baseball where, you know, like, as a coach, I would always be like, hey, you can't, you can't walk anybody throw strikes. You can't, you can't throw balls. You can't throw, you know, like. And then all of a sudden you throw four balls in a row, I gotta come out there and yell at you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And, and I feel like Drake May is hearing all the time, got to secure the ball, gotta have ball security, man. You can't put the ball on the ground, can't put ball around. And it's almost like one of those things where you start thinking about that more than you thinking about the job that you're supposed to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And it puts that, that puts him in a tough position.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I, I have an altitude related question specifically for Drake May, because he's never played it altitude before. He said he's never been to Colorado. He's never thrown a football at an elevation. So what was. Were there any opponents that you had where you could tell like right away? This guy is not built for the mountains.

[Mark Schlereth]

No, probably not. But you can tell late in games, like, if you like, that's where. And the Broncos. This is where the Broncos don't have an advantage. They're not very good at running the ball. They haven't been very good at running the ball all year. That's where, that's where the advantage comes in, because you can get to the point, if you're really running it well, where you can, can see guys wearing out, where you could see guys just not having that same energy that they had at the beginning of the game because the altitude gets to them and, you know, they get heavy legs and everything else. So that's where really, that's where you really have the advantage. In Denver, I never played here either as a, as a visitor, I always played here, you know, as part of the home team. So, you know, you develop, because you live here, you develop the extra red blood cells that carry oxygen or whatever it is, is. And so it never is a problem for us as, as players. I will tell you this, that the transverse of it is, if that's a word, is, is apparent. Like when you went to sea level, like when we went to, to go play Seattle in the Kingdome or go play the Chargers in San Diego, I felt like I could play all day long.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, you just felt great.

[Mark Schlereth]

You're like, man, like, we could play another two quarters. I feel great. So that it's got to be the, you know, the opposite of that has to be true when you come here, especially if you got to be on the field a long time, it wears you out.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. The other game, NFC championship, which I'm so excited for. Rams and Seahawks. I'm sure you've watched some tape, you've studied these teams. I see this game as a complete coin flip. We just taped our preview, and it's terrible analysis, but it's like these two teams are both just so good. And yeah, there's some weaknesses in the, in the cornerbacks of the Rams, and then you got questions about Sam Darnold in the oblique. But overall, they're just solid teams that if they play 10 times, it's going to probably be five. Five. What do you see in this game? Does anyone have a distinct advantage? And what do you expect?

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, I, I, I think you're 100% on. I think these two teams are both. I thought the Rams were the best team in football for a while, and I think over the last few weeks, Seattle has become the best team in football. Seattle does such a phenomenal job. And I say this all the time, and it's simple. It's simple to say it's hard to do it. If all you do is tackle well in the NFL, you're going to have a pretty good defense. And I haven't seen a team tackle better than The Seahawks all season long, especially here in the last few weeks, when you throw a ball and you throw like an option route, say to Christian McCaffrey, referee, and he catches it at three yards and you think, man, he's going to turn up inside, I'm going to put it on his inside shoulder. He's going to turn away, spin away from the leverage of the defense. Man, he's going to get an extra three or four yards and it's going to be second down in three. And then you throw the little angle route or little option route, he catches it and bam, he's hit and he's down. And now it's second down and seven and you're still behind the chains.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Mark Schlereth]

Like that is consistent with Seattle. They have been unbelievable people. And Mike McDonald does a great job of attacking protections, so he does a really good job of understanding where you're sliding, where you're getting the help and then finding some one on ones. Especially with Leonard Williams, who has been unblockable when he's one on one inside on a guard. It's just been, it's been an unfair contest. So I think they've been exceptional at that. And then I go back to the first game between the Rams and the Seahawks where Sam Darnold threw four picks and they still only lost that game. 2119.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I sit there and think to, to, you know, I, I looked at the last couple of weeks and I watched Sam Darnold play and he's got an incredible story about, you know, his journey in the NFL. And, and I, I relayed this on the podcast, but I'll relay it to you guys because I've sat in there with Sam Darnold on several different occasions. I've sat in with Kyle Shanahan. So Kyle told me, hey, listen, Sam Darnold goes to the jets, he gets drafted by the Jets. I think it was Jeremy Bates was the offensive coordinator who is running the Peyton Manning offense. And he says there's only one person in the history of the National Football League that can run the Peyton Manning offense. That's Peyton Manning.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Mark Schlereth]

So right off the bat, Sam Darnold's a rookie and you've given him this impossible task to run this offense, right? Then you can him because he's no good. Then he goes to the Carolina Panthers and is running a collegiate offense that Matt Rule is running and that's not like a true offense. So he had no idea how to run a progression NFL style offense. And so he's got an opportunity to go start or go play and compete for a starting job. And he tells Kyle Shanahan, no, I don't want to start. I want to go and I want to learn how to play in a pure progression offense and be a backup in San Francisco. So he backs up Brock Purdy. Shanahan could, I mean, he couldn't speak any more highly of Sam Darnold. Brock Purdy said, man, what he has done for me as a player, man, he's just been instrumental in my development. Then he goes and wins 14 games with Minnesota and they kick him to the curb like they can him.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And, and then he gets an opportunity to go to Seattle and I, I come full circle to that first game where he throws the four picks. I watched him take a couple sacks last weekend. I watched him throw the ball away. Here is a guy that has grown in maturity, that has used all that kind of pain and frustration and, and you know, being called the bus and all those things as a number three overall pick pick, he's used that to his advantage. He's not worried about putting up stats. He's worried about wins. And he is looking at it from a standpoint. The only way my team that's playing so well right now loses is if I screw it up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And he took two sacks against San Francisco where I just looked at him and go, that, that was the best play you could possibly make right there is just eat it, just curl up, protect the ball, take the sack and move on. Fun. And he's playing with unbelievable maturity and it's fun to watch. And like I've gotten to know him, calling some games as much as you can get to an old guy sitting down for 20 minutes. But I know a lot of people within that organization and, and they just speak so highly of him.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's a great story. And with that Seahawks team they had, unfortunately, the loss of Charbonnet, it looks like he's going to be done for for a while, but they had like a two headed monster at running back. They had had, you know, A and B. You'd take, I don't know even who you'd put first. If you were to say Kenneth Walker or Charbonnet is number one on the death chart, but they interchange them all the time. Each guy was getting like 12 carries a game. From an offensive line perspective, is there anything different that you would do if you've got running back by committee, depending on who's in on what series? If it's a guy like Kenneth Walker and Charbonnet who I think are actually like, relatively similar as far as running backs go. But is there anything at all that. That you would change about your play depending on which back you got in?

[Mark Schlereth]

No, I, you know, it's funny, I played in Super Bowl 32 with the Broncos versus the Green Bay packers, where, you know, we kick off at 11 and a half point underdogs, and Terrell Davis left in the second quarter at some point with a migraine. I didn't even know he was in the locker room that, like, it just like I execute the block I'm trying to execute, I do the things that I'm trying to do. It. It comes down to the backs. Like, how do you hit the entry points? How, how do you set up blocks? Like, that's, that's on those guys. And you know, one of the big things to me that, that I always focus on as a player and, you know, and I have, I've had opportunities, you know, to consult for several different teams. As a matter of fact, I did a whole tutorial at a Friday practice with the Houston Texans earlier in the season and same thing with the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the season. And you know, one of the things that, that always frustrates me as a player is I see how quickly guys try to get to linebackers, try to get to the second level. And it drives me nuts at times because I'm like, dude, block. Block the line of scrimmage first. I don't care about getting the second level. Make those guys bubble. Don't let them play downhill. You'll be fine. And you know, you, you look at it, that's the back's responsibility. The back has to set up linebackers. The back has to set that stuff up. So I just don't think, I don't think you really think about it as an offensive lineman. I will say this, like, I've always liked Kenneth Walker, but I didn't. Like, I always thought of him as a kind of a battering ram type of guy. I didn't realize how like, he is exceptional athletically. He's got speed, he can be a hammerhead, but I think that guy is very versatile. And, and just watching him play, man, he was exceptional last week, but he's been really good. So I think I, I think they're okay. Like, you always miss the, the guy who comes in and, and, and, and has that ability. And the thing about them is they're both productive. So I worry about who's next because you can't just go, hey, Kenneth walker, you're getting 32 carries this game.

[PFT Commenter]

Right.

[Mark Schlereth]

You know, when you're used to getting 15 or 16 or 18. And so who comes in next? And how does that guy mesh with the way the offensive line breaks? How does blocks, how does that guy create, you know, create opportunities at the second level? Like, how does he, how does he actually block that second level? How does he read? How does he get into his entry point? So I think one of the things about the running game that people don't really realize is the importance of, of the pace that you run with to the line of scrimmage. You know, the patience and the pace and the, and where you enter the line of scrimmage. So you have to. Great backs understand, hey, here's the weakness, here's the strength of the front that I'm playing against. And you almost, you don't predetermine it, but you get yourself ready for, hey, man, that guy is playing as a seven technique. And I know his job is to set the edge and turn it back inside. So I'm going to press it to try to get the linebackers to flow, but I know odds are I'm cutting back the B gap or the, are the A gap. And so the great ones really understand what the scheme, where the strength of the scheme is, where the weakness of the scheme is. And, and so I worry about the backups who haven't played very much. Do they have that ability? Because Charbonnet certainly had it and Walker certainly has it.

[PFT Commenter]

Vilas Jones, legacy games.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Felix Jones.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what we might be looking at.

[Big Cat]

In a fumble question about the, the, this game as well. The Seahawks have some doubts on their offensive line. We were taping this on Thursday. So, you know, we'll get more, more information as we get deeper into the injury report. But on Wednesday's injury report, I think all three of their left tackles did not practice. And how is that like. And I think their center, you know, is kind of up in the air. How is that for a quarterback going into a game where it's like, you don't know, it might be the second string guy, third string, whatever. It may be like shifting around the offensive line for a game like this.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah. Really, what, what it amounts to and, and you know, I would always expect guys to play because, you know, that's. It's the NFC Championship game. Right. But if you do have that, then it becomes, it becomes one of those things from a coaching staff standpoint is how do we get the ball out quickly? How do we, how do we help our guys. Like, I always, I always think about this from like, put a guy in a position to fail as a coach, don't be surprised when he fails because you're the dumbass that put him in there. So when you get a backup player, you have to know that guy's strengths and you also have to be able to mitigate, mitigate that guy's weaknesses. And so then you start to say, okay, like if, if it's our left tackle and we've got a backup left tackle and what can that guy do? What can he not do? And how do we protect him? Do we slide protection over there? Do we line up a tight end? Do we run a back over there? How are we going to do that? And then it becomes, okay, how good are we at running the ball? How can we take some of that pressure off? Like sacks and pressures on the quarterback to me are more quarterback statistic and an offensive coordinator statistic. So you have got to be able to. And I always, I always talk to teams about this. How are you taking the passive out of pass protection? So how can you become the aggressor? And you become the aggressor through the way you call plays. And if I call enough plays and I'm running the ball efficiently enough and then I'm running and there's there. I categorize play action in two categories. There's the run action, play action which is really based on the run. That's where you see all the boot keeps out the backside and all that stuff. And then there's the play pass aspect where you fake the handoff and you drop back. You're at a seven step drop, right? You keep seven guys in protection, maybe an eighth sometimes. So there's two different distinct, different kind of levels of play action. Pass, pass and then how many bubble screens and how many, you know, quick passes do you run? How many three step drops do you run? And can I go attack the line of scrimmage in a three step drop? And then all of a sudden, if I've done enough of that stuff, all of a sudden I can take a five step drop that I know there's no hitch in. I know the ball is going to be out fairly quick. And I can run block that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I've actually done that in a game where I've had a defensive lineman tell me, dude, you can't do that, that you guys are throwing. And I was like, I just did it. Yeah, like, like you can't run block me on that, that you you're throwing. Yeah, I just did it. And D lineman are dumb, you know, so you, they can't help themselves. That's not, that's not. I don't hold that against them because they're just, you know, that's. If you invited D lineman to run up the B gap, you know what he's going to do? He's going to run up the B gap because he's not very smart. So you, you can take that at, you can take that at those guys. So. But yeah, like that, that becomes how you call a game as a coordinator and how you let, let the offensive line, you know, dictate the tempo of the game. If all you do is drop back 45 times and you're running, you know, five step drops with hitches and seven step drops, there's not an offensive line in the league that's going to hold up over the, over the long haul doing that. They're, they're all going to get their asses kicked.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Yeah. Is there anything that you're looking forward to specifically this weekend, like something you've got your eye on that maybe we're not talking about? Enough. Enough that you haven't heard other people mention that that's interesting to you?

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, I like, I, I really, I'm really interested. So the Buffalo Bills, from a schematic standpoint, they did two things, man. They ran a pitch toss concept and they created these swinging gates. And, and anytime you pitch the ball outside as an offense, you don't have to be aggressive off the line of scrimmage. You can, we used to call it jump hooking. Guys, you can just let them penetrate and, and, and get around on the side of them, right. Circle them and let them get penetration because the ball with the pitch or toss is automatically outside of that guy.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And so the Broncos never adjusted to that. So I'm interested to see if in fact the, if in fact the, the New England Patriots try some of that same stuff on offense. The other thing, they did a great job of, of they ran weak. Weak. And when they ran weak, they used their tight end and receiver on the strong side split away from the formation. So about two yards away from the formation, which made the Broncos slide out there with their defensive ends. And then they ran on that, they ran arc release outside, which further widened the defensive end and a jet sweep to the guy. And so they started running this like 15 week cutback. And the first play of the game, if you go look at the first play of the game, they got 25 yards running that play. And there was an eight yard gap where that defensive end got the arc release first off the wide formation, the arc release, the jet sweep. And then, oh, by the way, the handoff with the back turned to him by Josh Allen. And then the boot, keep out the backside. So he stopped his feet three times.

[PFT Commenter]

Times.

[Mark Schlereth]

And then Cook. Cook's just. James Cook just ran cut back on that. On that weak side handoff. And there was literally an 8 yard gap between the defensive tackle and the defensive end who was Cooper at the time or the outside linebacker. It. It was 25 yards right off the bat. And so there is probably four or five different run schemes that they gashed the Broncos with with that. I'm really interested to see how Vance Joseph and that staff adjust to that because, you know, you'll see some variation of that. And then ultimately, the Rams have been really interesting to me because there are times when Sean McVeigh drives me crazy because they've got a great run scheme with their 12 and 13 personnel, their two tight ends and three tight ends, and they just like, forget to do it.

[Big Cat]

They happen on Sunday against the Bears.

[Mark Schlereth]

I was yelling at the TV big cat, like, line up and give it to Kyrie and Williams.

[Big Cat]

And just like I'm yelling, I was doing the opposite. I was saying, I hope they don't realize they should be running the ball. And they did. Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

By the. By the way, that throw that Caleb.

[Big Cat]

Williams made, Insane, dude.

[Mark Schlereth]

I'm. I'm literally. I know you were there. I'm screaming at the TV like, you can't drop it. You can't do it.

[Big Cat]

That was the greatest throw ever. Ever seen?

[Mark Schlereth]

The greatest thr. It was the most amazing thing, man.

[Big Cat]

It really was. It was the no, no, no. Yes. Play. And we had so many of those. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

No, I tell you what, it was. It. They were so much fun to watch and watching. And I know his completion percentage wasn't great over the season, and I've talked to Ben Johnson a bunch about, you know, the, the growth and what they're trying to accomplish, but, man, I don't know that there's a more exciting player than that dude off schedule. Like he is. Is. That dude is just a freak show.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but you were saying the Rams. The Rams run game is really good and they go away from it.

[Mark Schlereth]

Right? It's really good. Especially when they get in those multiple tight end sets and, and. And, you know, it was almost. I. I just am. I'm a big believer in. And keep it simple, stupid. And maybe that's because I'm not the brightest dude, but, like, I just like doing what I do right. I like, I'm, I'm a big believer in find your identity. Find two or three things you do really well. You know, put some window dressing on them, do whatever, but just go out and, and it's the 10,000 hour rule. I've done it 10,000 times. You've defended it a hundred times. I'm better than you. I know that I'm better than you. And we're just going to whip your ass. And you know, it's, it's global, Jim. We're better than you and we know it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I'm, I'm a believer. I'm a believer in that style of football.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, I got one last question for you. This has been so much fun. Stink. It's, it's great talking ball with you. Everyone go check out his YouTube channel, the stinking Truth Podcast, because he's breaking down all these games. He's smarter than everyone on, on football. So rollback question. R, H, O, b a c k.com promo code. Take 20% off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code take. I wanted to ask you, how do you think the Elway documentary came out? Because I watched it, I loved it. I know there's some conflicting, you know, people don't love that there's documentaries now where the main character gets final say over things because you can't really, you know, it's just one tone. I don't really care because I'm like, hey, I want to watch old highlights of football. And my biggest takeaway from it was we just don't respect enough how tough John Elway was. The shit that, like, he got the shit kicked out of him, especially at the beginning of his career. And just watching that, I was like, man, was he tough off. And man, do they, do they, you know, officiate the quarterbacks in a completely different way these days. But what'd you, what'd you think when you saw that documentary?

[Mark Schlereth]

Same thing, man. I love it. I love the history of the league and I don't care if it's a little bit of revisionist history or whatever the case may be. I don't, like, I'm not ever trying to break news. Like, I just love football. And you're 100% right. Like, playing with John, the dude was unbelievably tough. And like, there was always people always Ask me what was like playing with him. And it didn't really matter what the situation was. You always felt like he was going to make a play and you're going to win a football game, and you could be down by 14. You walk into the huddle, and it was never. There was never. He never yelled. He was never like. He just wasn't that way. It was just this confidence about, all right, let's go get him. Yeah, like, let's go put it together. And there was just always that feel of, man, man, if we just hold up, like, he's gonna. He's gonna do something that's just spectacular. And that part, you know, that part was really. That part was really the best. It was just cool to be in the huddle and. And to have so many of those victories and to play so well and. And it was cool to be a part of it, man. It really was. So I'm with you. Like I said, I'm not trying to. I'm never trying to break news. I don't care there. I'm just trying to talk about the game I love and, you know, and. And. And talk about football and just enjoy it as a fan.

[Hank]

And.

[Mark Schlereth]

And you're 100, right? I. As a matter of fact, I was just watching this highlight clip that I came across of Elvis Dumerville. Like, he. He just about crushed the sternum of Tom Brady. And I thought to myself, dude, that would, like. You would go to jail. Yeah, you hit some. If you hit a quarterback like that today, you're going to jail. I mean, it was like, it was amazing. And I just. At that moment, I was like, man, I have so much respect for Brady. I have so much respect for guys who played back then because they did get the absolute snot beat out of them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you know that Elway didn't have an ACL when you were playing with him?

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I would bring that up all the time if I was John Crazy, like, after every single game or any mistake that I had. Well, it's probably because I don't have an acl.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah. Probably because you guys didn't see fear fit to put an ACL back in my knee the first time I tore it up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's pretty crazy, especially considering how mobile he got.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I got one last question for you, Stink. Do you actually pee on bathroom floors in planes? Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah. I'll shake it. I don't like. Not the whole bladder, but I'll shake it off on the floor a little.

[PFT Commenter]

Bit to mark the Territory or to. To punish people that wear socks?

[Mark Schlereth]

No, this. For the people that wear socks. Like, I fly every week and I watch PE. I've watched people cut their toenails, their fingernails. Like, I watch people wear a tank top. Like. All right, I understand if you're, you know, a lady and you have beautifully manicured toes and you wear sandals. God bless you, but I don't want to. I. I don't need to see a dude in flip flops. I don't need to see your armpit hair in a tank top. I don't need to. And. And, like, I can't tell you how many times I've been sitting and, you know, and. And I'm blessed. That fox flies me around first class, but somebody get up in their socks and walk into the bathroom.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

And I'm like, what the. What is wrong with you?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

What is wrong with you? Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So I feel like.

[Mark Schlereth]

I feel it's my duty to, you know, just to shake it up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

Just get the little. Few little drops here and there. Just to let you know that if you wear yourself socks in there, you're gonna. You're coming home with urine on them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So if. If you're on a plane and you see stinks sitting in first class, make sure you put your shoes back on.

[PFT Commenter]

Strap up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Be a good price. Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

He.

[PFT Commenter]

He goes shoeless on planes all the time. He walks around in his socks. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It is a weird move.

[Mark Schlereth]

It's a. It is a. It's a really weird move.

[Hank]

And.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

So anyhow, I. I'm with you. And that, by the way, we've got to. Because I get stopped all the time. Time, you know, for the. The work I've done in television, but the. Where I get stopped and. And talk to the most. If I get stopped 10 times, probably seven of them are about piss dogs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And you won three Super Bowls, right?

[Mark Schlereth]

Seven of them. Piss dogs. So we have to have a piss dogs reunion.

[Big Cat]

Yes, we do.

[Mark Schlereth]

At some point.

[Big Cat]

Yes, we do.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yes. We've got to reenact it.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that. If the Broncos get to the super bowl and you're out in the area, we will. We will pee on ourselves.

[Big Cat]

100 Broncos in the Super Bowl. We're we doing a video in San Francisco. Piss dogs reunion.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. All right. I love it.

[Big Cat]

All right, Stink, you're the best, man. Thank you.

[Mark Schlereth]

All right, guys, we'll see you later. Thank you so much, man. Appreciate you.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

The week Henry Yeah, by the way, we didn't mention it, but a potential fire fest for Steelers fans. Mike McCarthy has completed his interview.

[PFT Commenter]

I actually don't hate it. I actually don't hate it. I think Microsoft, I think Mike McCarthy is a not a bad coach.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But if you. It's just very funny because the Steelers team account tweeted out that they have completed an interview with Mike McCarthy and the replies are just no, fuck this. Why would you hire this guy? It actually would be very anti Steeler. It'd be. It'd be unorthodox for the Steelers to do it. I know that Mike McCarthy's a Yinzer, all that stuff, but they have usually hired guys off the radar who are younger and can stay there for 30 years.

[PFT Commenter]

That's true. And Flores also resigned with the Vikings.

[Big Cat]

I hate that.

[PFT Commenter]

But my understanding is that if he gets offered a head coaching job, he's going to take it. So it's like if someone offers, if he's going to be a coordinator, he's going to be coordinator.

[Hank]

Minnesota offered a head coaching job Probably.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

My firefight's not.

[PFT Commenter]

Not.

[Hank]

Not a huge deal. Derrick Rose getting a hundred nights to honor him.

[Big Cat]

I said, this is. Is.

[Hank]

Is a minor inconvenience. Not really a full fire fest, but Celtics are in Chicago this weekend. Use game time. Got the best deal I could, but tickets were still very pricey. And I was like, why are these tickets so expensive?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And I was like, oh, it's Derek Rose night. And I was like, has there not been three Derek Rose nights already?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

So what are the different eras of the Derrick Rose?

[Big Cat]

So it's like two.

[Hank]

Last year.

[Big Cat]

I talked about this last year or. Or whenever. No, I talked about it before the season started.

[Hank]

So last year personally inconvenience me. So I wasn't as.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you weren't listening. I understand. Yeah, I get it. Last year, they did Derrick Rose night, which I went to, which was awesome. Joe Keem spoke. Derek spoke. It was cool.

[PFT Commenter]

That's it.

[Big Cat]

Then they did. I agree. Hank, Listen, I'm on your side, doing this. Echoing to basically squeeze every last dollar out of Derrick Rose. They did, I think, five special Derrick Rose bobblehead nights this year, and then it culminates in the banner. So they did a. They did basically did a banner night for Derrick Rose last year without the banner.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And then this year, they're doing a banner night with the banner.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there. Are there any more Derrick Rose nights?

[Big Cat]

Not that I am aware of. Okay, so there's been about. I think. Think it's. I think the total number after this Saturday will be six. And I love Derrick Rose, but again, it's just Reinsdorf. Just being Reinsdorf.

[PFT Commenter]

Would there be, like, a Derrick Rose statue night?

[Big Cat]

I don't know if they'll do a statue, but, yeah, that. That's on the table. And if that happens, they'll probably have to do a few bobblehead nights before that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You warmed up for it? Yeah. So, yeah. You got banner. You got bannered.

[Hank]

Yeah. Roast.

[Big Cat]

Did you get your tickets? Yeah. You can say hi to coach Missoula.

[Hank]

Yeah, of course.

[Big Cat]

Like, from your tick. From your seats.

[Hank]

I got to text him. But last. Last year, we.

[Big Cat]

Why don't you just text him for tickets? Don't they give some.

[Hank]

I don't know. I was. I was gonna. I was thinking about that, but I don't. I don't want to be an inconvenience.

[Big Cat]

He's one of your best friends.

[Hank]

I know, but I just. He's focused on the game. Last time they lost right before they played. And remember, he Was supposed to come in, and he was like that.

[Mark Schlereth]

I'm.

[Hank]

I'm locking in.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

But we did hang out after, so.

[Big Cat]

So you'll hang out with him this weekend?

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That is a good friend move. I think, like, a. A normal friend of Missoula would text him, but a best friend knows better than to text him.

[Hank]

He had texted me first, being like, see you this week. And then I. Then maybe I respond with a request, but, like, I feel like coming out of the woodwork being like, hey, what's up? Can I get some tickets? Like, I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you're really being a hero, because there's no chance that he's going to find out that maybe you need, like, tickets.

[Zach]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, how would he know that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no one's going to listen to this and be like, oh, Hank, we heard you needed tickets. Tickets. Can we get you tickets?

[Zach]

I don't.

[Hank]

I'm good.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Hank]

He won't.

[Big Cat]

What about better tickets?

[Hank]

I like, I got shot at game time.

[Big Cat]

I got.

[Hank]

I got good tickets. They just cost more than way more than I expected.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Good friend.

[Big Cat]

But then you could sell those and take the Missoula. What if Missoula was like, hey, I need you on the bench?

[Hank]

I would be on the bench if he needs anything.

[Big Cat]

I'm.

[Hank]

I got.

[Max]

Are you on the wood?

[Hank]

Not on the wood. It was not spending on the wood. On the wood seats.

[PFT Commenter]

What was the wood money?

[Hank]

Like, nine grand.

[PFT Commenter]

Holy. That's expensive wood.

[Hank]

Yeah. I had a wood connect. That's how I found out it was Derek Rosenk. I was like, he would connect. And I was like, are you using your tickets? And he was like, yes, Derek Rosenight. Are you crazy? I was like, what do you mean? It's Derek Rosenight.

[Big Cat]

It's Derek Rosenight. That's what he means. It's another one. Yeah, the bobblehead ones were pretty. Listen, when you don't actually want to put a championship roster on the court, you got to find other ways to make money, like making the play in every single year and getting bounced, announced. Or having Derrick Rose night, seven of them.

[PFT Commenter]

If you get a good player once, that's a. That's a meal ticket.

[Zach]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

I had a pretty clean week. Pretty good week for me. Nothing really wrong going in my financial or mental health life at all. Excited for football. I'm kind of bummed out. Last weekend is my favorite sports weekend of the year. I have one favorite sports weekend of the year, and that was me. That was divisional round. That's when you get Saturday, Sunday, a lot of games.

[Big Cat]

Why would you limit yourself to just one?

[PFT Commenter]

That's my favorite weekend of the year.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I like to.

[Big Cat]

I have, like, seven of them, and that makes it so great. That's so many favorite weekends.

[PFT Commenter]

That's fine in communism, but for me, I have a winner.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Try to. Try to get more. So. So not. So not Wild card weekend?

[PFT Commenter]

No. Wild card, I think, is second.

[Big Cat]

What about March Madness?

[PFT Commenter]

March Madness is third.

[Big Cat]

What about the first weekend of May when it's Kentucky Derby and NBA play playoffs?

[PFT Commenter]

NHL. That's my favorite Saturday.

[Big Cat]

What about Thanksgiving, where you get all Thursday through Sunday?

[PFT Commenter]

That's my favorite holiday.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a good battle.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, I'm just asking questions. Listen, that's fine.

[PFT Commenter]

And feast week? That's my favorite week.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Nice.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Nice. But that was my favorite weekend. It's the best sports weekend of the year. Kind of a bummer.

[Big Cat]

Masters.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, the Masters is just the Masters.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

That's my favorite tradition.

[Big Cat]

What's your favorite weekend? Hank week?

[Hank]

Probably July 4th.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, great sports weekend.

[Big Cat]

Great sports weekend.

[PFT Commenter]

You got the all Star game?

[Big Cat]

No, not even.

[PFT Commenter]

WNBA agency.

[Hank]

NBA guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So, yeah, it's been a pretty good week for me. I'm. I'm excited to see what this weekend has in store for us. It's gonna be whatever happens. Great story lines coming out this weekend. And then my other fire fest is that I have become addicted to buying mascot costumes. And I got my most. I. I told Big Cat I got another one, but I didn't want to tell him what it was. I. I got him Bucky the Badger as a. Just a gift. That's what boys do for each other. And then I said afterwards, okay, I'm really done. And then Jacob came up to me, and Jacob from Cream Team was like, what about Albert the Alligator? I was like, sold. Got it. That's. That's such a great addition.

[Big Cat]

Got it.

[PFT Commenter]

So I bought an alligator mascot, too. I've been looking for blooper. I'd like to get a blooper, but I don't think. They don't. They don't really make that because it's just weird and it's not a thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I think you get on a list if you get a blooper.

[PFT Commenter]

You should. Yeah. So I've. I've just. I will never financially recover from finding a website that will sell me mascot costumes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I. I like the Bucky the Badger. I. I'm excited that you got that.

[PFT Commenter]

Bucky's I just don't know what we're going to do with all these mascots.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I was nervous when. When Bucky the badger showed up during the yak. I was nervous someone had bought a Bucky the Badger, like day with Bucky the Badger. I was going to have to just.

[Hank]

Oh, Bucky, what's up?

[Big Cat]

Hey, let's get a picture. But then I realized, then it clicked to me. It's like, oh, yeah, PFT is addicted to buying mascots. This is awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So we just have. We just have one around the office. I don't know what we're going to do with them. If anyone has be like a Mount.

[Hank]

Rushmore punishment where you have to just be full mascot for a week in the office.

[PFT Commenter]

You know what, what they don't tell you about mascots.

[Hank]

You can't talk out of them. That's the only thing.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I don't know if the costumes I'm buying are one for D and D are like, like so off brand that they're bad costumes or if this is just how mascots operate. But you can't see inside those heads at all. No, I've got like a tiny little window. It's just like this narrow little slit that you can look through and it's. It's a danger. I don't know how guys are out there, like doing flips and push ups and running around on the field like that. Seems like it feels like being a mascot is harder than you might expect.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Sounds like he didn't respect mascots.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe I didn't.

[Big Cat]

What's up, Max?

[Max]

You got to get enough to make so that we can play a mascot basketball.

[Big Cat]

That's what I told him.

[Max]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a lot of money.

[Max]

You're almost halfway there. Four on four would be fine.

[PFT Commenter]

I've had some reasons.

[Big Cat]

Got to be five on five.

[Max]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then we got to do a mascot football game against kids. 11 on 11.

[Max]

Oh, yeah. You see 11. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's truck sticking children.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I think I. I think you got to get. Get the alligator. I would love to see an uga.

[PFT Commenter]

Ugga would be solid.

[Big Cat]

Is just a good classic.

[PFT Commenter]

I want to get the Philly fanatic and just beat the out of it. I have to get.

[Big Cat]

Or the Orange man or.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, the orange.

[Big Cat]

The Tree classic.

[Hank]

That's a classic SA Tree.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a big one. Yeah. But yeah, it's. It's just a. It's a minor addiction as far as addictions go. I think it's a Pretty healthy one to have. But there. There have been some unexpected financial setbacks that I might be incurring in the next few days, so. So I don't know if I'm gonna put a whole neat. I'm gonna buy another one right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

How much are they?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't wanna. I don't want to talk about it.

[Big Cat]

He didn't want to talk about it.

[PFT Commenter]

I can afford it. There are.

[Big Cat]

There are. They are a pemf.

[Hank]

I was gonna.

[PFT Commenter]

I was gonna say, like, I can write this.

[Hank]

Like, I was gonna. I was gonna do something nice, but I don't know how nice.

[Max]

Oh.

[Big Cat]

You were gonna let him use.

[Hank]

I'll buy one for. Oh, if Patriots went. Oh, oh, I'll get you a mascot.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay.

[Hank]

But I don't know. I'm not. I'm not committing to that because I don't know how much they're.

[PFT Commenter]

40,000.

[Big Cat]

Sure. Sit them, dude. Dude.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You got this.

[Hank]

I'll get you pat the patriot.

[Big Cat]

It's 40,000, so just wipe it clean.

[Mark Schlereth]

And you'll get that.

[PFT Commenter]

Or you should.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. If the Patriots win, I will accept a pat to Patriot custom. Got to get a ceiling McBeam, too. That thing is.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Sweet.

[Hank]

So.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Wait, which one am I getting first?

[Big Cat]

I think get the alligator.

[PFT Commenter]

Get the Jacob. I already got that.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Yeah. Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll get maybe the orange. Orange.

[Big Cat]

Okay. My fire fest is. I don't. I think I have another kidney stone coming. I'm not sure. So watch out.

[Hank]

Pf.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, this is. It's bad news for the entire podcast.

[Big Cat]

My stomach has hurt for the last two days. It might just be a tummy stinger, but I've also had a weird peeing. I thought it was actually gonna work for our barstool basketball team on Wednesday night. Using that as motivation, letting the boys know, hey, you're not winning one for. For each other. You're winning for one for coach who might be in the hospital. And we still lost because we have not won a game 06. But yeah, that would be my firefight. Although I did get a taste for coaching. I like coaching.

[PFT Commenter]

I had an idea about this because I, I, I watched the game this morning. It was a close, close battle. I mean, you guys were right there.

[Big Cat]

My game plan worked night and day.

[PFT Commenter]

Compared to where the team was before.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

It was the correct game plan. The execution. I don't want to. You know what? I'll. I'll be the Terry Pula in this situation.

[Big Cat]

Me.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know who Hired White boy Rick.

[Hank]

White boy Rick played not to lose. I. I'm not going to. I'm not going to.

[Big Cat]

Okay, go ahead. There's no shot clock.

[Hank]

You played not to lose, though.

[Big Cat]

The point of me saying. But hold on. The point of me saying to the guys, don't shoot, is we needed to get in the double bonus because we suck at shooting. Nikki Smokes just decided to take the game into his own hands. Ten seconds into the possession, shot the ball.

[PFT Commenter]

That is true.

[Big Cat]

That's a good game plan. Like, hey, we got to get foul. We were one away from double bonus. We really could. We went to overtime. If we had double bonus, we probably would have won the game. We'd had two shots at every single one of them. We couldn't shoot free throws. You Hank. See, this is what Hank does. He just flies in. He doesn't even. He's in the golf simulator. He doesn't see me coaching the boys up, trying to get. Get him. I had the worst condition basketball team that couldn't dribble and couldn't shoot. What are you supposed to do with that?

[Hank]

Slow it down.

[Big Cat]

That's what we did.

[Hank]

Feed the big men.

[Big Cat]

We slowed it down. When you have a lead late, you hold on to the ball with no shot clock.

[PFT Commenter]

That was also unfair to white boy Rick. He. He played well. Just mental errors. Nikki Smokes. It's. It's ingrained in his body.

[Big Cat]

I had to bench him four different times.

[Hank]

Four on one was an all time.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I had to bench him four different times during the game for turnovers and not, like listening.

[PFT Commenter]

So, Big Cat, My favorite sports movie is Mighty Ducks. In Mighty Ducks, Gordon Bombay gets put in charge of this ragtag group of kids. What are the chances that Bob Huggins would want to come help out?

[Big Cat]

That'd be fun. Get the. Get the going.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like that's your guy a lot in common. I think that's your guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that would be fun. That would be a lot of fun. Fun.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe Huggy Bear.

[Big Cat]

I don't like Hank's criticism of the team. You know, we could have used Hank. A lefty shooter. Where was he?

[Hank]

You didn't ask me to play.

[Big Cat]

I did ask you to play. When I asked you to play last week, I said, hey, do you want to come out for the practice and play?

[Hank]

I was getting my oven fixed. The guy banged me.

[Mark Schlereth]

So.

[Big Cat]

So, so you're lying. I asked you to play. I could have used you. Yeah, I missed.

[Hank]

I didn't miss a tryout, did he? I would have Shot threes, though.

[Big Cat]

I would have let you shoot threes.

[Hank]

Oh, okay.

[Big Cat]

There's no shooting threes. Had to be said because as a team, we sh from three through the first five games of the season. So I said, if you shoot a three, you're coming out of the game. We shot 60% last night. You guys are watching the Mikey bets. What are you watching?

[Max]

No, this is my favorite clip ever. It's the, it's the worst push off I've ever seen.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, there was some calls. Yeah. Listen, we're gonna, I, I, I gotta take.

[Hank]

I also was laughing very hard.

[Big Cat]

You're rooting against us. Oh, yeah.

[Hank]

I mean, it's so much funnier when bad guy. It's so much funnier.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank acts like I'm the troll at the time pod. Wait, let me do a Hank. It's crazy how Hank acts like I'm the troll on this podcast.

[Big Cat]

Bad guy content would have been lifting me up and carrying me off the court as I go to the hospital for my kidney stone.

[Hank]

Those guys on that team that lost are practicing and gonna trying so much harder now that they lost. Like, there's, there's reason to tune in. We're talking about it. It's like, this team ever win? Probably not, but like, we got to see this one out. The. I was laughing at. There was like 18,000 people watching, and I was watching at home and watching the live chat and people, you know, were being like, these refs are blind. This is like getting really upset about the refs. It's like, these guys are probably getting paid like 80 bucks.

[Big Cat]

They're nice guy.

[Hank]

We brought the ref into the good guy. And it's like this, like, these guys are going to have. People are going to hunt him down and be like, how could you make that foul call?

[PFT Commenter]

That's not a foul.

[Hank]

Or you. But like, yeah, they're intramural refs. It's, it's horrible basketball intramurals.

[Big Cat]

And what do you expect? Hold on, hold on. Timeout. Big timeout. Huge timeout. I need the full timeout. Coach Cat here. You of all people are saying people got too heated in a game.

[Hank]

No, I'm saying I was laughing at how serious, how upset the chat was at the refs. Like, lack of, like, they missed this, they missed that. It's like, yeah, it's in refs.

[Big Cat]

But you would have gotten just as he did.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you get upset every time we do a competition.

[Hank]

I don't get mad, but like the.

[PFT Commenter]

Rest, it's like, remember, I was Actually just buzzing you. I wasn't. You can take whatever you want from that. I was just. I was.

[Big Cat]

Oh, hey, pft. What's that buzzer from?

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's from when Hank got mad during a competition.

[Hank]

I'm competitive. No, no, I'm not.

[Big Cat]

The.

[Hank]

The players and. And you being passionate. Like, I know that I'm laughing from.

[Big Cat]

Between the white line lines.

[Hank]

I know that I'm laughing from a distance because again, like, you root for against me when I play golf. Like, you know, it's funnier when I lose.

[Big Cat]

You.

[Hank]

You want me to lose because it's funnier. Aftermath. The aftermath is funny. That's a fact. I don't take that personally. For some reason you are.

[PFT Commenter]

You've been taking me wanting you to lose personally this entire football season.

[Big Cat]

Also, also, also, if you were playing against a random person, I would be rooting for you when you play against pft. I'm rooting for PFT because PFT has just way more. He has better qualities as a human being than you.

[Hank]

Regardless, I know myself. Yeah. When I. When I. I like to be casual. Be like. I like to take it easy. And then once I start competing, I turn into a cycle that's.

[Big Cat]

I need you out there.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Are you gonna. Are you considering to come out for. Yeah.

[Hank]

Well, yeah, it's just the. It depends what day you play. But yeah, it's. It's the. Now that now that football season's over, Wednesdays are a lot easier.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

We have some. Some breaking over. I thought.

[Big Cat]

No, we're gonna do a new season.

[Hank]

No, I'm saying, like, we're also going.

[Big Cat]

To be doing this for software.

[Max]

No, we're not.

[Zach]

No.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Max]

You don't get to choose that.

[Big Cat]

We'll make another team. You're not going to play with us.

[Max]

I'll play.

[Big Cat]

But like, you're banning the pugs.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

No, no, I'm not. A bit. No, I'm not abandoning the Pugs. I'm saying if we have two leagues and one of them is for content, you're not going to play.

[Max]

I would play in that.

[Big Cat]

You think your wife's going to let.

[Hank]

You play two nights of softball?

[Max]

Well, he would quit the pugs.

[Big Cat]

He would quit the pugs. No, I wouldn't. I'd play all the late games.

[PFT Commenter]

We have breaking moves.

[Big Cat]

We have breaking moves.

[PFT Commenter]

The Tennessee Titans have hired Robert Salah to be their head coach.

[Big Cat]

That's breaking.

[PFT Commenter]

That's breaking Just happened. He signed his five year contract right now.

[Big Cat]

Oh, he signed the contract.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's Official. It's officially.

[Big Cat]

Officially official.

[PFT Commenter]

It's officially official.

[Big Cat]

Officially.

[PFT Commenter]

And I don't think that we. We. Did we talk about that?

[Big Cat]

We talked about it at length on Wednesday.

[PFT Commenter]

About solid to the Titans specifically.

[Big Cat]

Oh yeah.

[Zach]

Put out a graphic for it.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Max]

It's all good.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's right. You said. You said he was going to be like vel.

[Big Cat]

Breaking bo. This should be good. What do you got?

[Hank]

B Knicks officially has a broken leg.

[Big Cat]

Oh no. Oh my God. Breaking Bo.

[Max]

Mackenzie Gore traded from the National.

[PFT Commenter]

You didn't get the bit Max Mac Hank was doing it.

[Max]

Yeah, I know but then I thought about that I thought about. I was like we should probably talk.

[PFT Commenter]

About it then you just an obvious current breaking news that was.

[Max]

That is a breaking move that we didn't talk about.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The Nats fleece the Rangers today.

[Max]

I know. I told you.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you seen the return that we got on them? Crazy. Crazy. The Rangers got McKenzie Gore, great pitcher. We got Gavin Fine, Devin Fitzgerald, Alejandro Rosario, Abimelek Ortiz and Jeremy Cabrera. I mean a fleecing. A fleecing like never been fleeced before. I have no idea if any of these guys are good.

[Hank]

See how irreplaceable I am. These are some of the worst moves I've ever heard.

[Big Cat]

This is breaking news from Adam Schefter. People around Peyton Manning believe he will retire. But as of now he has not told the Broncos of any decision.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh my God. That's crazy. Right before the AFC championship game. Good thing they got stiddy got steady.

[Big Cat]

Oh yeah. Cuz we just found out Bonix is out. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Wow, what a. What a roller coaster that was.

[Big Cat]

All right Zach, finish us off.

[Zach]

Oh my favorite face.

[PFT Commenter]

Just breaking moves.

[Big Cat]

Y.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a comment coming. The dinosaurs are are panicked as right now. They don't know what to do.

[Big Cat]

They're saying this one could be the one.

[PFT Commenter]

The big one is what they're saying.

[Big Cat]

Oh that's nothing. We'll be fine. Okay, go ahead, Zach.

[Zach]

Pretty good week this week. I got a quick one. It is health related. We were talking health stuff a little bit earlier in the week. I mean I got click or really just like plate baited but I was trying to do the right thing and get like some healthy meals in the house. I was searching online for a lot of these pre made meals. You know how you get like the. The packaged. What would they call that?

[PFT Commenter]

Pre packaged.

[Zach]

Yeah, the. What's the word for it?

[Big Cat]

Tv.

[PFT Commenter]

Me.

[Mark Schlereth]

Prep.

[Zach]

Meal prep.

[Max]

Yep. There you go. Gotcha.

[Zach]

Thank you so much for that, Matt. Max I was so excited. I was on the website. I was browsing. I was looking at the calorie numbers and looking at the photos. Like, these photos kind of look good. Like, I can get into this maybe. I am a gym fitness health guy, and they. They showed up to my apartment several hours late, so I was, like, really anticipating eating. I was excited for these plates, and they just showed up incredibly wet, so.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean they showed up wet?

[Zach]

You open them up, and they're just wet. All of them are wet.

[Max]

It was a local Chicago spot.

[Big Cat]

It's just wet.

[Zach]

Yeah, everything's wet. I don't really know how to explain your wet food. I did. Yeah. Yeah. Because I want to be a part of the team, and I want to be a health guy, but it was.

[Mark Schlereth]

What.

[Zach]

I just. I know this is bad take, but they were wet.

[PFT Commenter]

That's not a bad take. That's just. That's reality.

[Big Cat]

Describing the. The moisture level on your food, I'm excited.

[Zach]

I thought this was turning a corner. I was like, oh, this is discipline. This is what fit men do who survive in life. They get meal prep. All the gym bros love talking about prep this, prep that.

[PFT Commenter]

Was it packed in, like, dry ice and it melted or what?

[Zach]

No, no, it.

[PFT Commenter]

The.

[Zach]

The ice pack that came was actually pretty cold. Still put in the freezer. I'm gonna reuse that. That's a good pack.

[Mark Schlereth]

Did you.

[PFT Commenter]

Do we have any idea where the wet came from? Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Did you think preparation? Did you look back at the. When you ordered this, is there an option check box for wet or dry?

[Zach]

I didn't check for a wet box. I just. I.

[Max]

Wrong.

[Zach]

Maybe wrong of me for not assuming there could have been a bad option.

[Big Cat]

They're usually wet. Huh? You don't want to. That's for everybody. Everything you order new, you order new. Anything on Amazon, you got to make sure you click dry.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, is there any possibility at all that you accidentally ordered dog food?

[Zach]

No, These are all human plates. I'm telling you, they look so good on the site.

[PFT Commenter]

I just want to check, because a lot of the dog food now, it looks like it's human food.

[Zach]

I, like, was thinking about the plates at work the day of. Like, I even think I placed a phone call, like, following up, like, heading. Get a text, a notification on tracking. Like, I'm excited to dig in.

[Big Cat]

And what did they say? Were they like, oh, oh, sir, don't worry. Your wet food has arrived?

[Zach]

He's like, yeah, man, what's going on? You need tracking. What state are you in? I was like, this state. He's like, all right, I'll check it out. It's gonna be there by 3. They showed up at 9:30 soaking wet.

[PFT Commenter]

So are we talking like the food itself was wet or the packaging, the ins.

[Zach]

No, outside dry. Inside, where you would take the fork to consume wet.

[Big Cat]

Wait, what kind of food?

[Zach]

Like we're talking like. We're talking like chicken, rice. We're talking like steak, vegetables.

[Big Cat]

Everything's like.

[Zach]

Yeah, wet, wet. It was an aquatic plate.

[Hank]

Was.

[PFT Commenter]

There was vegetables wet, like standing water.

[Zach]

That it was just like.

[PFT Commenter]

Or just, just glistening ass moisture.

[Zach]

Almost as if it was humid. Not even like when, you know, like you get french fries in this, in the styrofoam containers. Don't you get the, the condensation? Not like that. It was. Oh my God. It was like glazed in H2O.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there a chance that I've seen it? Like, this is what fresh food looks like?

[Big Cat]

Like.

[Zach]

No, I've had some fresh plates.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Zach]

That could, I mean, maybe 20, 26 fresh plates. Different.

[PFT Commenter]

Can you take a picture of the wet? Or do you have a picture?

[Zach]

I can shoot? I can give you one for sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you have one now?

[Zach]

I don't have one on me.

[Big Cat]

No. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I want to see. I want to see how wet this food looks.

[Zach]

I can do that for you.

[PFT Commenter]

Like if you were to. Does it. Is it covered in plastic right now?

[Zach]

There's no plastic lid. You pop the plastic lid. These may or may not be the plates, but do they not look delicious? If these were the plates, do they look semi delicious on the side site?

[PFT Commenter]

What are we looking at here?

[Zach]

Never mind, my bad.

[Big Cat]

You send it? I.

[Zach]

No. Do they come frozen?

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Zach]

No, they came. No, like it came.

[Big Cat]

You had to have checked the wet box. I could.

[Zach]

I couldn't have checked the wet box you had, dude.

[Big Cat]

Cuz people do eat that. Like I think in Europe it's like steak but wet.

[Zach]

If this is what it takes and I'm out, I. I might be out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Sweat, wet food.

[Zach]

Like I'm. We gotta go dry plates.

[Big Cat]

Did you think about drying them out?

[Zach]

I'm gonna fit. I'm just gonna eat them wet. I'm gonna keep eating them just because I already got them.

[PFT Commenter]

They're there.

[Big Cat]

They go in the microwave.

[Zach]

Yeah. 2 minutes, 30 seconds.

[Mark Schlereth]

What?

[Zach]

They say we gotta go like 2 minutes, 2:30 was scorching.

[Big Cat]

Ah, well, yeah, there's.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And on the website they don't. They don't show up as wet.

[Zach]

I'm checking a site right now that Could. Might is a similar, similar, very similar site. Don't see a wet button in sight.

[PFT Commenter]

But they don't. I'm saying like they don't look wet. They don't appear wet.

[Zach]

No, they look scrumptious.

[PFT Commenter]

Pft. Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, maybe you just send it back. Have you thought about calling him and being like, hey, oh, I don't have.

[Zach]

That in my bag.

[PFT Commenter]

No, but you already called him once, right?

[Zach]

I called to follow up on tracking. Yes. In anticipation.

[PFT Commenter]

Just be like, hey, is the, is the food supposed to be wet?

[Zach]

I would I say this. I can see. Say I'm comfortable saying this in the safety to you guys. I would never let them know the product is wet. I would tell them like, I appreciate that very much. You know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't tell them.

[Big Cat]

I'm with you on that, Zach. I can't. I. I can't do a follow up call.

[Hank]

No.

[Big Cat]

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[Big Cat]

Okay. Number one first seven.

[PFT Commenter]

60.

[Big Cat]

Oh, for Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

60.

[Max]

100.

[Big Cat]

That's a good call.

[Mark Schlereth]

40.

[Zach]

Call.

[PFT Commenter]

66.

[Hank]

22.

[PFT Commenter]

8.

[Mark Schlereth]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

We had a tie.

[Big Cat]

I'll go 85. 13 eating. I'll stick with it.

[Mark Schlereth]

Eighteen.

[Big Cat]

Oh, did you almost say 18 there?

[Max]

Shane said 13 said 13A.

[Hank]

Shane.

[Big Cat]

Shane.

[PFT Commenter]

Shane. Congrats on McDaniels.

[Mark Schlereth]

Thank you Bolt up.

[PFT Commenter]

So bolt. Hey, bolt up, Shane.

[Big Cat]

Bolt up.

[Hank]

You got him. Offseason champs.

[Max]

How do you feel about that? That he's soft because he's scared of a couple eggs in his house?

[Big Cat]

Wait, what?

[Max]

Remember I said he was soft because he didn't want to come to the Eagles Because.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe his quarterback or something.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you guys know.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts had the same amount of coordinators in the past five years? Wow.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

One has three playoff losses and one has two super bowl appearances. Whoa. It's a fun fact for the like. Max, what did the Chargers do to deserve this? I don't understand. Why are we ganging up on the Chargers? You exactly existed.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's. That's really the answer.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You existed and you sit next to me.

[PFT Commenter]

I existed with no success.

[Big Cat]

Correct. Yeah. And that in itself is disgusting.

[PFT Commenter]

And you're. The small amount of success that you had made memes insanely jealous.

[Mark Schlereth]

What.

[Big Cat]

What would that small amount be?

[Hank]

Just making the first half against the Jazz.

[PFT Commenter]

Getting. Getting to the place.

[Hank]

That first half versus the Jags was awesome.

[Mark Schlereth]

Ironic.

[Big Cat]

What's. What's most exciting success?

[PFT Commenter]

Getting to the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Mark Sanchez has more playoff wins than Justin Herbert.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Congratulations.

[Mark Schlereth]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Wait. Significantly more significant. Yeah. And yet we're. We're me. Well, actually, I mean, every. Every quarter, every person. Daniel Jones, quarterback, has more playoff wins than Justin Herbert.

[PFT Commenter]

Appreciate this guy. Very true. That's very true.

[Big Cat]

It's actually a fact.

[PFT Commenter]

How many?

[Big Cat]

Well, no, not memes, because Brady Cook, but yeah. Peyton Manning was only three.

[PFT Commenter]

His first three.

[Mark Schlereth]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

How's the last three months been for Sanchez?

[Big Cat]

Had more fight in him than Jaden Daniels this season.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that good memes.

[Big Cat]

He's going roast on us.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys. Happy birthday to whoever's birthday it is on January 23rd.

[Hank]

Jesus, man.

[Big Cat]

What?

[PFT Commenter]

To meme's friend Nick. Happy birthday, Nick. It is your birthday. And wait. Also. Happy birthday to Danny Woodhead. Happy birthday to Danny Woodhead. You're the man, Danny. Love you.

[Mark Schlereth]

Sa.