Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

ESPN Radio – Hour 1: Battle for Herm Edwards

Date: January 18, 2026
Hosts: Myron Medcalf, Matt Jones
Episode Focus: The joys and drama of NFL Divisional Playoff weekend, the heartbreak for Josh Allen and the Bills, Bo Nix’s injury fallout for the Broncos, the annual college football National Championship culture clash, coaching hires in the NFL, some lighthearted debates on music covers, and real-life calls from listeners.

Episode Overview

This Sunday morning, Matt and Myron dive deep into NFL divisional playoffs, focusing on the emotional Bills-Broncos thriller, Josh Allen’s perennial heartbreak, and the cruel twist for Denver with Bo Nix’s injury. They explore sports fandom, culture clashes in Miami for the college national championship, the dangers of over-complicating MLK Day tributes, the importance of knowing musical sources, and break down major NFL coaching hires. A surprise call delivers an inspiring personal story, rounding out an episode packed with humor, empathy, and sharp sports insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend: Setting the Stage

• Best Weekend in Football?
  Matt calls it “everything you want and more” as NFL playoffs dovetail into the college football championship (00:38).
  “Bill’s Broncos just set the stage, man. That’s the way you want to kick off the divisional round if you’re the NFL.” – Matt (00:38)

• Culture Clash in Miami
  Myron and Matt riff on Indiana fans descending on Miami, confused by city life and massive parking fees (01:03–02:20).
  “$750 just to park... I’m getting towed may be the right way to go.” – Myron (02:14, 02:38)

2. Off the Top: Bills vs Broncos Reactions

The Game

• Overtime thriller: Bills fall to Broncos, with Josh Allen’s controversial interception and Bo Nix breaking his ankle on the penultimate play (02:58–03:57).

• Bills Fandom:
  Matt, watching in Dave & Buster’s, is amazed by “how many people love Josh Allen. People of all backgrounds, all ages...You would have thought someone they knew had lost that game.” (03:57)

• Josh Allen’s Pain & Relatability
  Myron: “He may be destined in life to never reach his goal... It's kind of a little sad. I find myself rooting for him as well.” (04:20)

Allen’s Emotional Element

• National Sympathy
  Myron traces Allen’s place in the pantheon of likeable but unlucky QBs – Elway, Jim Kelly, Peyton pre-Super Bowl (05:26):
  “It is natural human reaction to root for the second fiddle and hope for them... especially as Mahomes and Kelce... have become, if not controversial, easy to mock.” (05:26)

• Intense Heartbreak
  “Yesterday to me was the difference between him becoming... one of the legends... and him maybe being this generation’s Dan Marino.” – Matt (08:59)

• Accountability vs. Sympathy
  Producer James interrupts: “I want him to be held accountable for the four turnovers he had. Can I just say something? They would have won by three points if it wasn’t for that.” (10:07, 10:19)

• A Study in Sports Humanity:
  Myron: “The difference between us and you is we have pangs of sympathy in our heart for fellow humans. Whoa.” (10:44)

3. Broncos After Bo Nix: Can History Repeat?

Bo Nix’s Injury Fallout

• Damien Woody’s Take:
  “It’s almost like you win the battle but you lost the war... You gotta go into an AFC championship with Jared Stidham who hasn’t played since 2023. Good luck.” – Cited at (17:16–18:12)

• Matt’s Response:
  Pushes back on military analogies and praises Bo Nix’s growth, especially overcoming last year’s flop (18:18–19:09).

• Can Stidham Do It?
  Myron lists the long-shot QB heroes (Hostetler, Doug Williams, Nick Foles), asks if Stidham could join the club (19:09).
  Matt is skeptical: “Bo Nix made big time plays all game. I don’t think there’s any world where Jared Stidham can do that.” (19:40)

• Denver’s Run Game:
  Myron notes Denver did have a run game this year and may need to rely on it (20:10).
  “Let me change what I said. I don’t think they have a running star.” – Matt (20:34)

4. Music Tangent: Originals vs. Covers

• Blues Brothers vs. Sam & Dave / Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel”
  Riff on music covers and generational knowledge:
  “A good idea for all songs... go back and listen to the original so you know where it came from.” – Myron (24:01)
  “How many songs are there where the remake is better than the original? I think it’s only a handful... Whitney Houston’s is better than Dolly’s, even though I love Dolly.” – Myron (24:43)

5. MLK Day Advice: Don’t Overdo It!

• Public Service Announcement:
  Matt: “If you’re...like, let’s do something fancy for Martin Luther King Day. Scrap those plans...” (16:05)
  Myron: “Every year, like, Cheerios... ‘I have a dream of honey’...No, no, no, don’t do that.” (16:33)

6. NFL Coaching Carousel: Giants, Falcons, Tomlin

• Giants Hire John Harbaugh:
  Universally praised, but Myron questions if expectations are outsized (40:17–41:18):
  “With a quarterback who’s not of that pedigree, how does he meet expectations?” – Matt (41:43)

• Falcons Hire Kevin Stefanski:
  Matt: “He’s got the pieces in Atlanta to be good... The question... is how good is he as a head coach? There’s a divide there.” (43:01)
  Quarterback situation remains the big question.

• Mike Tomlin Steps Down:
  Myron asks: “Why do we all think he's going to be great at television? Have you ever found him all that interesting?” (44:06)

7. Listener Call: Real-Life Sobriety Milestone

• Big John from Connecticut Shares His Sobriety Story
  Caller movingly recounts turning 37 years sober on MLK Day after escaping prison and drugs, crediting a fortuitous court outcome.
  "It was the turning point in my life… I like Martin Luther King and what he was for the world. Yeah, be nice and be… be nice. That's all." – Big John, Caller (33:55–34:42)

• Authentic Gratitude:
  Matt and Myron respond with warmth and congratulations:
  “37 years of sobriety is something you should be very proud of... Thank you very much for calling.” (34:44–34:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He may be destined in life to never reach his goal, right? Like, he may be one of those people... so I find myself rooting for him as well.”
  – Myron on Josh Allen's everyman pain (04:20)

• “The difference between us and you is that we have pangs of sympathy in our heart for fellow humans. Whoa. We have humanity.”
  – Myron to James (10:44–10:54)

• “Josh Allen is now for the NFL... the everyman rallies around and wants to see finally get a victory, but once again comes up short.”
  – Myron (05:26)

• “If you're trying to do something you haven't been doing... just do the same stuff you do every year.”
  – Matt, on organizations overdoing MLK Day (16:02–16:56)

• “Whenever something happens, go listen to the original so you know where it came from.”
  – Myron, on music covers and history (24:01)

• “You can be a great offensive mind, and maybe that doesn't translate to being a great head coach.”
  – Matt, on Kevin Stefanski (43:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Summary | |-----------|----------------| | 00:04 | NFL/CFB weekend: Best football weekend of the year? | | 01:03 | Indianapolis/Miami culture clash for National Championship fans | | 02:14 | $750 to park at the game – jokes about towing and parking costs | | 02:58 | "Off the Top": Recapping Bills–Broncos overtime classic | | 03:57 | Matt at Dave & Buster’s: Surprised by intensity of Josh Allen fandom | | 05:26 | The psychology of rooting for the “second fiddle” QBs like Allen | | 10:07 | Producer James’ rant: “I want Josh Allen to be held accountable!” | | 17:16 | Damien Woody on Bo Nix’s injury and the Broncos’ challenge ahead | | 18:18 | Matt critiques sports military metaphors | | 24:01 | Original vs cover song debate – “Soul Man”, “Wagon Wheel”, etc. | | 16:02 | Advice for organizations on MLK Day tributes | | 33:37 | Big John from Connecticut’s call on sobriety and MLK Day milestone | | 40:17 | NFL Coaching Carousel: John Harbaugh to Giants, Stefanski to Falcons | | 44:06 | Mike Tomlin’s move to television – will he be any good? |

Tone & Style

• Clever and playful. Matt and Myron blend humor with sharp sports insight.
• Conversational, relatable. The show thrives on personal anecdotes, teasing, and genuine empathy.
• Accessible but informed. Listeners with any level of sports familiarity can follow, but the discussion includes advanced football knowledge.

For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode is a microcosm of Sunday sports talk at its best: a blend of heated debate, fan empathy, cultural observations, real-life stories, and even musical musings. Whether you care deeply about whether Josh Allen will ever win it all, are wondering if Denver can survive without Bo Nix, or just want to laugh about the perils of overdoing social media tributes—Matt and Myron’s banter delivers both knowledge and warmth. Fans of football, pop culture, or just human stories will find something that hits home.