Hour 2: On the Road Again

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron: Episode Summary – "Hour 2: On the Road Again"

Release Date: December 15, 2024
Hosts: Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf
Podcast: ESPN Radio’s "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron"

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1. Introduction and Kickoff

The episode kicks off with Matt Jones setting the stage for a thrilling football day. He announces the day's doubleheader featuring the Browns hosting the Chiefs, followed by the Steelers facing the Eagles. Matt humorously touches on the inconsistent radio station placements, saying:

Matt Jones [01:02]: "I don't know why they kick us off on some of the stations that do. We should be on to one, but they do and that's okay."

He then segues into teasing the first major segment about the worst states to drive through, inviting listeners to hold their calls for more discussion.

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2. Debate: Worst States to Drive Through

The hosts dive into a spirited debate about the most challenging states to navigate by car. Matt brings in Herm Edwards to weigh in on the topic, following some playful banter about Nebraska. Herm remains diplomatic:

Herm Edwards [01:43]: "I like them all. Every state has his own unique way of doing things. And I'm okay."

Despite Herm's attempt to stay neutral, Matt teases him about his feelings towards Nebraska's football traditions:

Matt Jones [01:53]: "Except Nebraska."

Herm counters by highlighting his appreciation for Nebraska's football heritage, sharing nostalgic memories:

Herm Edwards [02:09]: "Love the football."

Their discussion evolves into broader reflections on driving experiences across various states, setting the tone for an engaging conversation.

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3. Bill Belichick's Transition to College Football

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the hypothetical scenario of NFL legend Bill Belichick moving to North Carolina to coach college football. Herm Edwards provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges Belichick might face:

Herm Edwards [05:01]: "You're dealing with 17, 18, 19-year-old young men that are developing into men. And guess what? Every day you got a problem. You got 100 athletes, you got a."

Herm elaborates on the differences between NFL and college coaching, emphasizing recruitment and the personal development of young athletes:

Herm Edwards [06:08]: "I enjoyed developing young men. And he's going to have the pro system like we had at Arizona State and sent a lot of guys in the NFL."

Matt probes further into the feasibility of Belichick's extensive strategies within college constraints, highlighting NCAA regulations:

Herm Edwards [07:35]: "A lot of it is the structure of it all, but it's the time limitations you have on certain things, right? I mean, you're fighting the NCAA when it comes to that."

The discussion underscores the complexities and potential hurdles Belichick would encounter, blending humor and insightful analysis.

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4. NFL Playoff Implications and Game Previews

Transitioning back to football talk, Matt and Myron delve into the intricacies of the NFL playoff race. They discuss key matchups and their potential impact on the playoff standings. A notable conversation revolves around the Packers vs. Seahawks game, where Gabe Neitzel provides a strategic outlook:

Gabe Neitzel [27:14]: "The Packers coming off the mini bikes. They played Detroit on Thursday Night Football last week. I'm really curious to see how this works out for the packers because anytime they've kind of stepped up to tough competition, teams that are going to be playoff teams, it hasn't gone their way."

The hosts analyze team performances, quarterback dynamics, and division standings, offering listeners a comprehensive preview of the game's stakes.

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5. Interactive Segment: Listener Calls on Worst Drives

The episode features an engaging interactive segment where listeners call in to share their worst driving experiences. Noteworthy anecdotes include:

• Eugene from Utah [35:33]:

  "Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa are definitely number one on this list. Before they had self-driving cars you could take your steering wheel and strap it to the ground heading across Iowa and take a two-hour nap and find wake up and find yourself still on the road."

• Matt's Personal Experience [15:27]:

  "I stayed in a hotel in Perry, Iowa, once. It was a hotel owned by this older woman. And in every room, she has it themed with a different type of doll. And it's like there's just dolls staring at you. That's a scary place."

• Ryan from Wyoming [16:07]:

  "Wyoming's notorious for those. I will avoid that state like the plague. Only because of those crosswinds."

These stories add a personal and humorous touch to the episode, resonating with listeners who have similar travel frustrations.

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6. Game Promotion and Final Thoughts

Towards the end, the hosts engage in a "Sell the Game" segment where Gabe pitches upcoming games, adding a sales-like flair to encourage viewers to tune in. For example, promoting the Ravens vs. Giants game:

Gabe Neitzel [39:23]: "The reason why you watch this game is because there is no better fun combination when they're rolling than Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry."

The episode wraps up with a preview of future topics, including potential Super Bowl discussions and the impact of coaches on team dynamics, setting anticipation for upcoming episodes.

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7. Notable Quotes

• Herm Edwards on College Coaching Challenges:

  "You're dealing with 17, 18, 19-year-old young men that are developing into men. And guess what? Every day you got a problem."
  [05:01]

• Eugene on Driving in Iowa:

  "Before they had self-driving cars you could take your steering wheel and strap it to the ground heading across Iowa and take a two-hour nap and find wake up and find yourself still on the road."
  [35:33]

• Gabe Neitzel on Ravens vs. Giants:

  "There is no better fun combination when they're rolling than Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry."
  [39:23]

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8. Conclusion

"Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" delivers a comprehensive and entertaining analysis of current sports events, peppered with personal anecdotes and listener interactions. From debating the toughest states to drive through to dissecting critical NFL matchups, the episode offers valuable insights and engaging discussions for sports enthusiasts. Whether you're a football aficionado or just tuning in, this episode ensures you’re well-informed and entertained as you enjoy your Sunday morning with a cup of coffee.

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Note: Advertisements, intros, and outros have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the content-rich segments of the podcast.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. There's nothing sweeter than baking cookies during the holidays. With Prime, I get all my ingredients delivered right to my door, fast and free. No last minute store trips needed. And of course, I blast my favorite holiday playlist on Amazon Music. It's the ultimate soundtrack for creating unforgettable memories. From streaming to shopping, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Myron Metcalf]

This is Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Matt Jones]

I'm ready to play football and I've.

[Herm Edwards]

Been waiting a long time for this moment.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Time is here. The time is now.

[Myron Metcalf]

This is the countdown to kickoff on ESPN Radio Canada.

[Matt Jones]

Kickoff here. ESPN Radio, Gabe Neitzel, Matt Jones presented by Progressive Insurance. You can tune in Football doubleheader today. Browns host the Chiefs, followed by the Steelers at the Eagles. Pretty good duo here. It starts on noon Eastern on some ESPN radio stations. I don't know why they kick us off on some of the stations that do. We should be on to one, but they do and that's okay. And you can listen those games either way, starting at 1:00. For those of you on hold talking about the worst state to drive through, hang on, because I want to continue that conversation in the next segment. Some people have written some angry things from Nebraska, but I got Herm Edwards. Herm, what's your least favorite state? Herm, you like them all?

[Herm Edwards]

I like them all.

[Matt Jones]

Presidents, Herm. I need to know which one.

[Herm Edwards]

I'm not going down that road. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. I like every state. Every state has his own unique way of doing things. And I'm okay.

[Matt Jones]

Except Nebraska.

[Herm Edwards]

No, I'm okay. I'm okay with Nebraska. I'm okay. I've driven through Nebraska. I've driven from the east coast to the west coast numerous times. I've gone south, I've gone north. I've been in every state. I've been in every state.

[Matt Jones]

What's your favorite thing about Nebraska?

[Herm Edwards]

Well, love the football.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. But that's not any. That's not, that's. First of all, they haven't been good at football in 20 years.

[Herm Edwards]

Doesn't matter. They still had great tradition of football. I grew up a Nebraska guy. I mean, I knew about Nebraska growing up. That was when school recruited me out of high school.

[Matt Jones]

They missed a bowl game.

[Herm Edwards]

Johnny Rogers. Remember Johnny Rogers?

[Matt Jones]

Well, that's a little before my time.

[Herm Edwards]

I know who he is, man, was he a good football player.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, leave the States alone.

[Herm Edwards]

You're, you're Treading the wrong. You're going down the wrong street. I'm just telling you, man. You always. Matt, you always go down the wrong street, man. I'm just telling you, you better leave these states alone. Just leave them alone. They all have uniqueness. It's America. Remember Samaria.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Done. The damage has been done.

[Matt Jones]

Some states are better than others. All right, go ahead, Gabe.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Coach with the. With the Eagles, even though the record is fantastic, I think we've all been waiting for some drama to kind of boil up, and that happened this week. So, as a coach, how do you deal with when a wide receiver steps up to a microphone and is openly displeased about the passing game, despite you having success, the way you have had running the football with Saquon Barkley?

[Herm Edwards]

Well, you know, I've said this numerous times. All these receivers work at 7:11, and they're always open, right? There's open 24 hours and they're always open. And you get that. And. And look, there's a point being made here, because going into this week, as the Eagles face the Pittsburgh Steelers, they're going to have to open it up a little bit in the passing game. The Pittsburgh has an outstanding defense, especially versus the run. And you think about Jalen Hurst numbers. He's thrown 11, 11 touchdown passes combined to Smith, to Goddard and Brown. That's not a good number. They're going to have to open it up. Jalen Hurst is paid to play quarterback. Quarterbacks are paid to do what? Throw the football. They're going to have to get more explosive in the passing game if they're going to continue to win games against better teams that play good defense, because everyone's going to stack the box against Saquon Barkley. I mean, I played in this game, this Steeler Philadelphia game, this real. This is like one thing, you know, when you play in that state and you're an Eagle and you're a Steeler, eventually you're going to play. And I can remember playing in the game against Terry Bradshaw and, you know, and that crew of guys, and I can remember how big the game was inside the state.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, only once every four years as well. I've been waiting to ask you this question all week because I'm not sure there's anyone in America that would know better than you what is about to happen with Bill Belichick going to North Carolina. I mean, you've done this. You were an nf, you played college, coached college, went to the NFL, were an NFL guy for a long time, then Went back to college. And it is a massive change. And Bill Belichick has said he's going to bring an NFL mindset to college. But you've done this. So what's it going to be like for him? And what you know of Bill Belichick? What's going to be the hardest part of transitioning to college football?

[Herm Edwards]

Well, I think the working hours of these college athletes and the ability to keep them on your team, they're not under contract like in the NFL, they can leave. And one thing he's going to learn the first day he arrives after that press conference, he's recruiting right now. And you recruit every day. That's just part of it. You're always in recruiting mode. And it's funny because once you can get on the road, can you imagine all the top players that he recruits, they're going to want him to show up at their house, that's one thing. But when you show up at the house, the whole neighborhood knows you're there.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Herm Edwards]

And all the neighbors are coming over there to take pictures with him. And he's going to have to take pictures and smile and just, you know, and coach can do that. But it's a whole different world. You're dealing with 17, 18, 19 year old young men that are developing into men. And guess what? Every day you got a problem. You got 100 athletes, you got a.

[Matt Jones]

Problem, but it's like a life problem.

[Herm Edwards]

That's what I'm saying. It ain't football problem. You're exactly. It's a life problem. That's exactly right.

[Matt Jones]

Did you enjoy that?

[Herm Edwards]

I did.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, like. You did.

[Herm Edwards]

I did. I enjoyed it. You know, Yeah, I enjoyed a lot of it. I enjoyed, you know, developing young men. And he's going to have the pro system like we had at Arizona State and sent a lot of guys in the NFL. I want to say out of the three, four years we've been there, there's 13 guys on rosters right now in the National Football League. And it's fun, but it's tiresome. The recruiting part, that's the thing. You're constantly recruiting. And he'll have young guys with a lot of energy to get the guys. But eventually he's going to have to get on the phone, he's going to have to make visits. And now coach has a lot of energy. I mean, he works around the clock, but that's something he's going to have to do.

[Gabe Neitzel]

How much adjustment though is there going to be from the plan? He has to. What the actual reality is because he had the 400 page document that he gave to North Carolina and everybody had to be on board and he's got the general manager and all these different things. I mean, how much of that that he probably has in that document is actually feasible at the college level?

[Herm Edwards]

A lot of it is the structure of it all, but it's the time limitations you have on certain things, right? I mean, that's going to, you're fighting the NCAA when it comes to that. And so, you know, you're going to have a compliance person that's there every day with you to allow tell you, no, coach can't do that. No, no, coach can't do that. Oh, really? Can't do. No, you can't. No, you can't call because it's not time for you to call. You get this period. You can't call. He's got to learn all that and he will, coach. Smart guy. But there are some restrictions and you have to live within those restrictions.

[Matt Jones]

The idea, like you're exactly right because this happens. The idea of Bill Belichick showing up in these kids houses, I mean I, you know, when John Calipari was at Kentucky, he was kind of like Belichick in the sense that he's kind of a larger than life star. And when he would go places, we would see the stories of what you're talking about. The car would pull up, all these people would come. It's going to be like that with Belichick. And I just, I don't know him, but having watched him from afar, that would seem to me to be things he would hate.

[Herm Edwards]

No, he knows, he knows this is going to happen. I mean, he's well aware of this before he decided to sign on to do this. And I can remember the first, when I went back from, you know, obviously, you know, my first job after I retired was actually coaching college football. So I had been in college football for three years before I went to Kansas City to be an assistant coach, then worked my way up the ladder to be head coach and then came here for almost 10 years and then went back. But I can recall when I went back and my first visit, going out on the road for like a week, I had all these halls. Let me tell you something, when the car drove up to that person's house, the neighbors knew what time I was coming. I took, I was 30 minutes taking pictures before I even got in the house with all the neighbors, with grandma and everybody, hey, for me. Cause I was on ESPN all those years so I'm like the ESPN guy. It's like the ESPN guy's here, you know, and you gotta. It's part of it. He's used to it.

[Gabe Neitzel]

What's the strangest thing that somebody tried to like, have you eat or anything like that when you were.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, yeah, you gotta eat their food now. Don't eat their food. They're not gonna like it.

[Herm Edwards]

It didn't matter. And I always said this every meal I went into every home that was inviting me there to have supper. They were all good. Every meal was good.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Every state is good, man.

[Herm Edwards]

And I'll leave it at that. Every meal was good.

[Matt Jones]

Listen, listen to my man. I always think, you know, Herm, this is disappointing because you're always like, you say how it is, and now you.

[Herm Edwards]

Think, I'm going to walk into somebody's house, Grandma's been cooking, Mom's been cooking, and I'm going to say, oh, by the way, I don't eat that.

[Matt Jones]

You got to eat it.

[Herm Edwards]

Are you kidding me?

[Matt Jones]

Here's the thing. You can't. You can't be a college coach and be a vegan, can you?

[Herm Edwards]

No, no, that ain't happening. I went on, I went on a hunger strike, man, before I started going on the road. I said, I can't eat anything because I'm eating a lot of meals, man.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, then let me finish, Let me finish with you on the bell check thing with this. Do you think, do you think it'll work? Like, do you think he'll have success there? And I don't mean like, sure he'll be okay, but will he be able, you know, in the 12 team playoff era? There's no reason a North Carolina. It's amusing, the playoffs. There's no reason a North Carolina can't make it. Do you think he will?

[Herm Edwards]

I think he'll have a shot, but here's the problem. He's going to run into the same one I ran into. The guys recruiting against him are going to say, why you going there? He ain't even going to be there. Yeah, you're a freshman. He's not going to be there for five years, guys, or four years. He's going to be gone. He's looking to get back in the NFL. I mean, that's what they said about me and that's what they're going to say about Bill. Bill's 72 years old. Well, he's not. This ain't a long term job for him. Yeah, you know, I don't know how long he plans on saying. I mean, obviously I hope he stays as long as he wants, but at the end, that's what other guys are going to say. Recruiting against you. Well, he's not, he's not building the program, guys.

[Gabe Neitzel]

He's.

[Herm Edwards]

He's going to be there a couple years. He's trying to get back in the league. That's what everybody's going to say.

[Matt Jones]

It's probably better with the portal, though, Gabe, don't you think? Well, it is.

[Herm Edwards]

It is better. And that's the problem. You know, they know if I go there and he leaves, I can leave too. But people are going to take his players too.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. And that's the problem with everybody knowing that six months from now his buyout goes down to a million dollars.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that's an amazing contract.

[Herm Edwards]

How about that? I think if he has success, his son will be the interim head coach there.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that would have been what made me not hire him. It's the whole idea getting the sun that never really works out. Let me finish with this great games in the afternoon today. If I say to you, you can only watch one of these two games, Bills, lines, Eagles, Steelers. Which one you watching?

[Herm Edwards]

Well, I got some invested in the, in the Eagles, Steelers and I played in this one. This happens everybody every four years or so. And I can remember the first time we played Pittsburgh Steelers. I want to say it was 78 or 79 and it was a boy. I tell you what, man. And this was the Steelers teams with Bradshaw and all those guys and Franco and Lynn Swan and stalwart. I mean they were, they were loaded and they had just, I think they had gone to a Super bowl the prior year or something like that. They seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers always in super bowl. And it was a hard fought game. It was 1714. We actually won. We actually won that game. It was in the vet. They haven't fared well in the vet, you know, over the history of this thing. But it's a fun game to play and it reminds you a little bit of college because it's the state of Pennsylvania, you know, and the fans let you know that. I mean, it's kind of like, hey, you playing the Steelers? And at first you don't get it because you're a rookie. You're like, what are you talking about? The Steelers, man, they don't even play in our conference. And then when the game came about, I want to say about my third year, fourth year, I went, oh, yeah, okay, I get it now.

[Matt Jones]

Once every four years before you It's a fun game to play and in the place where you're in only once every eight years.

[Herm Edwards]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Hey Herm, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

[Herm Edwards]

My pleasure, guys. Thank you.

[Matt Jones]

All right, 888 say ESPN. We are going to go back to our topic worst state to drive through and get you ready for some more of these games. Gabe Nights O Matt Jones having a lot of fun. Herm was great. And we'll do more here next on Kevin.

[Herm Edwards]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Herm Edwards]

Going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in.

[Gabe Neitzel]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Gabe Neitzel]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Gabe Neitzel]

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[Myron Metcalf]

The kickoff this week on Football Sunday on ESPN Radio. It's a Pennsylvania showdown between division leaders Russell Wilson and the AFC North. Leading Steelers head east to Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the NFC east leading Eagles.

[Matt Jones]

Barkley High.

[Myron Metcalf]

Stepson coverage begins today at 4 Eastern on select ESPN radio station. Congratulations, Matt and Myron. The podcast.

[Matt Jones]

Across the desert sands, man. It's countdown to kickoff on ESPN radio. You know who this is, Gabe? You're a Johnny Cash fan.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, I mean, isn't everybody a Johnny Cash fan?

[Matt Jones]

I mean, who doesn't like Johnny Cash?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, right.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Communists. That's the only one. Tune in for a football doubleheader today. Browns host Chiefs, followed by the Steelers at the Eagles. Coverage begins at noon Eastern on select ESPN radio stations. All right, so I said Kansas, Nebraska, the worst states we've had people call in. Some people said West Texas, the worst state to drive through. The northeastern bias of ESPN said the Lincoln Tunnel. Gabe, did you have one you wanted to add? I know you don't drive everywhere but is there any place you would add maybe a part of West Texas?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I just say it's Iowa, man. Like, if you ever find yourself on Highway 20 in Iowa, there is a good chance you fall asleep at the wheel. It is just flats and there is nothing. Just awful.

[Matt Jones]

I stayed in a hotel in Perry, Iowa, once. It was a hotel owned by this older woman. And in every room, she has it themed with a different type of doll. And they all look like horror movies, like, because there are all these dolls staring at you. And it's like there's a one room is like a witch theme, and one room is like a Barbie theme. But wherever you are, there's just dolls staring at you. That's a scary place.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I can't imagine that was a peaceful night of sleep for you.

[Matt Jones]

It wasn't. It wasn't. Perry, Iowa. I don't know the name of the hotel, but you could look it up. Roy is in California. Worst state to drive through, Roy.

[Eugene]

Worst state to drive through because everybody's telling you where to stop when you drive through all these states, which is cool. But the worst state to drive through is actually Wyoming.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, but there's some pretty parts of Wyoming, though, right? Like up next to Cheyenne and Casper. There's some pretty parts, but there's some pretty parts.

[Eugene]

But if you're driving a tractor trailer through Wyoming and those winds pick up.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, now that's true.

[Eugene]

Serious trouble.

[Matt Jones]

That's true. Those cross winds, the cross winds on the interstate in Colorado and Wyoming, they can almost flip you over, can't they?

[Eugene]

Wyoming's notorious for those. I will avoid that state like the plague. I will drive anywhere else, which I've done anywhere else. I've gone everywhere in this country, except not Alaska and Hawaii, but I've lived in every other 48 state. But I will avoid Wyoming like it is the plague. Only because of those crosswinds.

[Matt Jones]

Yes. Appreciate the. Appreciate the call. I don't know if you ever watch the Tour de France, Gabe, but you'll hear occasionally. They'll talk about the lacrosse wind and you'll be like. And they'll, like, talk about how it'll screw up and you go, it's hard to picture. How does that work? Drive a truck or a car with a high roof in the wind in Wyoming and Colorado, and you'll know what they talk about. I did that once in a big van and it scared me to death.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Now, how long did you have to go? Because I'm assuming you're kind of swerving a little bit because you're fighting it a little. Then the wind dies down.

[Matt Jones]

It's hard to control. Like it'll. And the crosswinds will go back and forth. Like it doesn't just go in one direction direction. So you can't even really control for it. And I've never driven like a semi. I was just driving a van. But a semi truck. Like as we were driving, you saw a couple were just had been flipped over by the wind. I that dude, I know exactly what he's talking about. But Wyoming is beautiful. Richard in Kansas. Go ahead, Richard.

[Eugene]

Yeah, I'm a truck driver. I'm driving through Kansas now on my way to Denver. And I agree with the previous caller.

[Matt Jones]

Wyoming, that's our least favorite to drive high winds.

[Eugene]

That's the reason.

[Matt Jones]

Right. So tell explain to people listening because they may not know this when we talk about a crosswind, what it'll do to your truck. Yeah.

[Eugene]

Well, depending on the weight, if you're.

[Matt Jones]

Heavy like right now probably run about £78,000.

[Eugene]

So that's it'll still toss you around. If you're lower weight or you're empty at 35,000, it can only want you on the highway. They'll tell you to get off the highway. It is dangerous. You can knock you right over.

[Matt Jones]

I know that's crazy. And it's hard to fight it. It's crazy and it's not and I appreciate the call. It's not like tornado winds, gabe. It's like 50 miles an hour. But it's the way that it's way they go. So you got to watch Wyoming. But it is pretty. Have you ever been to Wyoming?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I have never been to Wyoming. Yeah, Never been.

[Matt Jones]

Should go sometime. That's the one place in America where people wear cowboy hats and spurs. Like, for real. Like, they're not just cosplaying.

[Gabe Neitzel]

It's just now you're not pretending to be a cow.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Gabe Neitzel]

They're not like just a part of the culture in Wyoming.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. They're not doing it to go to a Morgan wallen concert. Like, they are actually wearing it as part of their day to day activity. Steve is in Memphis. Steve, what do you got?

[Eugene]

Hey, guys. Love the show. If I miss it during the week, I'm making a point to listen to the podcast. Really appreciate y'all.

[Matt Jones]

So thank you, sir.

[Eugene]

I was gonna. Was gonna try to broaden the subject here a little bit. Instead of just naming bad drives which. Which we can all do, I was gonna try to give you a couple indicators that would tell you if you're on a bad drive.

[Matt Jones]

All right, what is it?

[Eugene]

One of those. One of those is a bad drive can be defined by the highlight of what is on that drive.

[Matt Jones]

Like, it's.

[Eugene]

Right now, I'm driving from Birmingham to Memphis. Terrible drive. It's not. It's not the top of Texas to the bottom of Texas, but it's a bad drive. But the highlight is Tupelo, Mississippi, if.

[Matt Jones]

The highlight of your drive is the place. Tupelo, Mississippi. Yes. Have you seen, by the way, Steve, as someone who's been to Tupelo, Mississippi, which I have. Have you seen the new Netflix documentary Kings of Tupelo?

[Eugene]

You know what? I have not. I need to add that to my list.

[Matt Jones]

It just. It just got released. It's like Tiger King, but Tupelo, Mississippi. And that's all I need to say. Since you've been there, you'll know what that means.

[Eugene]

That's exactly right. And if you'll permit me, one other indication that you might. You know, it kind of sounds like Jeff Fox worthy. You know, you might be at Redneck Gift, but if you're on a drive on the interstate and you see a sign that says next exit, blank miles, you're probably on a bad drive.

[Matt Jones]

I love it. Great line. I appreciate it. Sir, have you ever gave. I was on my drive to Oregon. There was one that said, next fuel and services. 62 miles.

[Gabe Neitzel]

62.

[Matt Jones]

Wow.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I think I've only seen, like, 20, 25 on some of those 62.

[Matt Jones]

And that's.

[Gabe Neitzel]

If you gotta go, go now because you can't hold it for the next two months.

[Matt Jones]

You ain't stopping again. Kenton, Oklahoma. Go ahead, Kent.

[Eugene]

Yes. I used to work in the oil field, and we drove from the panhandle of Oklahoma all the way down to Hobbs, New Mexico. And that has got to be the worst drive I've ever done in my life.

[Herm Edwards]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

The Panhandle of Oklahoma down to. I can't even picture what you. What did you go through, what towns.

[Eugene]

We drove across to Lubbock and south to the west part, Texas, all the.

[Matt Jones]

Way into Midland, Odessa, and straight across Odessa and Midland. That's where Friday Night Lights was, Gabe. Right. That's Permian High School.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Shout out to Booby Miles.

[Matt Jones]

Booby Miles, wherever you are, salute. That's exactly right. All right. Well, I appreciate the call. So, see, one of the things I like to do here, Gabe, when we host is, and I understand this, there's a lot of people on the East Coast. You turn on ESPN Radio, everybody's either a Yankees fan or Eagles fan or a Giants fan. There's a whole lot of rest of the country that you and I represent and it's nice to hear people talk about the Panhandle of Oklahoma and places like that.

[Gabe Neitzel]

There are a lot more bad drives than I thought I thought we were going to get. A lot of people kind of, you know, like you going after the state of, you know, Kansas and, and no, they had a lot of people going after a lot of different states today.

[Matt Jones]

I love it back to the Yankees and Giants personally. Yeah, well, yeah, let's Let me tell you what none of these people care about Juan Soto signing with the Mets instead of the Yankees. They care about the college football playoffs. Sunday Night Football may have massive implications on the NFC playoff picture. Part of a great day of late afternoon and evening football. We'll deal with it next here on ESPN Radio. Hey, it's Evan Cohen. Coming up Monday, we'll react to week 15 in the NFL.

[Herm Edwards]

Plus look ahead to the College Football Playoff which kicks off this week.

[Matt Jones]

It's unsportsmanlike 6am Eastern right here on ESPN radio, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

[Gabe Neitzel]

My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for Career Day and said he was a big Roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Matt Jones]

Charbonnet, left side.

[Herm Edwards]

He's down to the 30. The 20, 15, 10, 5.

[Matt Jones]

Touchdown Seahawks. And they are still chasing Zach Charbonnet.

[Herm Edwards]

Great win, guys.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Had a great mentality, great week of prep. So we got to keep stacking it excited. But we're moving forward and keep stacking wins.

[Matt Jones]

It's a good time to hit our stride and, you know, we've been building, practicing and just being ready for these moments. And today we, you know, got the dub, we attacked the day and, you know, it was a good, it was a good win for us. Thank you to Seattle sports 7:10am for that clip. It's kind of a kickoff on ESPN radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. He's Gabe Neitzel. I'm Matt Jones. We have a guy who says he's the foremost authority on driving in America on hold. So I'm going to go to him in a minute because he's an authority. Gabe, we got to hear from him, right? Plus his name is Eugene, which is a great name.

[Gabe Neitzel]

You're a big fan of you. I don't know if I have anyone that I know personally who has the name Eugene.

[Matt Jones]

I have never met a fellow named Eugene that wasn't a good guy. Like, there's just something about people named Eugene. It's just by the very nature of having the name, you're going to be a good dude. So we will check in with him. But the packers and the Seahawks, quite a history of these games. Gabe, I'm going to give you the one I remember. And then you as a Packers fan. I know the Next one in 2012 was the famous fail Mary Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Golden Tate. If you remember, one referee said touchdown, the other one said interception. It looked like both guys caught it at the same time. The referees were on strike and there was a lockout. And then the call was so bad they ended up bringing the old referees back. That's my memory. That was Monday Night Football. What's your Packers Seahawks memory?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, MD Jennings was caught by Golden Tate and yet they gave Golden Tate the touchdown. Not that I'm bitter or anything, that was only 12 years ago. But yeah, the NFC championship game of 2014. Packers had a huge lead in that game to the point where I was working here at ESPN Milwaukee, I had people in like the front office of ESPN Milwaukee calling me to Be like, hey, here's, you know, just want to make sure that this is your full name and all the information because they were going to be booking flights for the packers to go to the Super bowl in 2014. Then of course blew that 16 nothing lead and the Seahawks went on to take on the New England Patriots and well, blow a lead themselves in that subsequent Super Bowl. But that is, that is always the one here in Wisconsin that sticks with us. That 2014 NFC championship game sounds like they jinxed it.

[Matt Jones]

I would blame those people that would try to book their flights if I were the packers fans. Well, tonight packers are a 2 1/2 point favorite on Sunday Night Football. You know, I feel like we've said this about a lot of games, but I think it's true. Another big game for both teams. Seahawks sitting there at 8 and 5 right now. Probably the favorites to win in the NFC West. The packers are 9 and 4 in pretty good shape to make a playoff berth. How do you see this game tonight, Gabe, with your team and a Seattle team with which they have lot of history?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, the packers coming off the mini bikes. They played Detroit on Thursday Night Football last week. I'm really curious to see how this works out for the packers because anytime they've kind of stepped up to tough competition, teams that are going to be playoff teams, it hasn't gone their way. The only team that they've beaten, the Houston Texans, they had to do that at home and get a game winning field goal to do it. Otherwise they've lost the Lions twice, they've lost to the Eagles, they've lost to the Vikings. So this is kind of a way that yeah, this packers team is good, but can you go on the road? Because that's what they have to do. They have to prove that they can beat good teams on the road. If they want to be a contender in the nfc, they're going to be a wild card team. They're not winning the NFC North. And on the flip side of things for Seattle, that win on Thursday night for the Rams makes this pretty important for them. You drop this one and now all of a sudden you don't have any cushion in that division. And it's going to be incredibly tight down the stretch for the final three games for Seattle.

[Matt Jones]

Huge, huge game for Seattle. Okay, again, I'm a schedule guy, right? So Seattle is at this point a half game up if they win their game up. But they got to play the Vikings next week, right? An 112 Vikings team, then they play the Bears. If you're Seattle. If you win this game, I think you're in the driver's seat to win the division. But if you lose, you finish the season at the Rams and that game may be for the playoffs or not. Let's go even further. Right now, the packers are standing there for the wild card, but Washington is 8 and 5. Seattle is 8 and 5 as well. If Washington wins today, you might get a situation where Seattle could go from projected to win the division, the three seed to not even being in the playoffs if they lose tonight, projected wise with the Rams win. The Rams are my secret. I did this three weeks ago. Nick, back me up. They were my secret playoff super bowl team. I'm not saying they'll make it.

[Herm Edwards]

You did, but then you kind of.

[Matt Jones]

Walked it back because they lost that week. I didn't walk it back. I said they are my secret super bowl team. They are my super long shot super bowl team. But I do think that Rams may need Seattle to lose tonight for that to happen. So I think for Seattle, Gabe, this is a massive game.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Oh, and with the Rams, I think if they are healthy, they are certainly they have all the potential. I think you're right there to be that team that nobody wants to play when you hit the NFC playoffs. And for Seattle, yeah, they've kind of been up and down this year as well. And they need to step up and show because the packers are a good team. The packers have shown that they can, you know, play with the best of. I don't know if they can necessarily beat the best of them right now. So this is a huge game for Seattle because you don't want to give that Rams team any hope, any life. You want to be in that driver's seat going into Los Angeles and be in control in that final game of the regular season. And yeah, this is a tough stretch, but you have to be. If you're Seattle, you have to win at least one of the next two. Right? You can't. You cannot be swept by the packers and the Vikings. The next two. You got to win one of the next two.

[Matt Jones]

You got to win one of them. It looks like they're going to be. There are eight teams in the NFC competing for seven playoff spots. And I think there's a pretty good chance, Gabe, that the winner of this game kind of gets their playoff spot absent a complete collapse. But the loser, even if the packers were to lose, they could go to all of a sudden 9 and 5. Washington wins and is 9 and 5. Seattle wins their 9 and 5 and all of a sudden they're only a game ahead of the Rams and their kind of. Now their schedule's easier in the second half in the last three games, but this is a big one for Green Bay too.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, I mean yeah, this get their. Their final schedule home against the Saints, at the Vikings, home against the Bears. But that at the Vikings game is tough. And I mean two and two probably gets you in. If you're the packers then you're sitting there at 11 wins if you, even if you lose this game at Seattle. But this is a team that going into Detroit last week was thinking, oh, if we win this game, maybe we can compete for the division. You lose this game and you're thinking, oh boy, we got to hold on just to get the seven seed right now in the NFC and you've got a little bit more of the ship to. Right. So this is an absolutely a huge game for the packers because you don't want to have that two game losing streak and going okay, well we got to make sure we win two of these last three because the Bears played the packers tough. The packers had to have a blocked field goal to win that game in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. You don't want to find yourself once again like they were last year in a win and in situation in week 18. You want to wrap up that playoff spot as soon as you possibly can.

[Matt Jones]

Every year in week 18, every single year there's a team that needs to beat a bad team to make the playoffs and they lose. That happens every year. I looked at that Bears packers games and thought now granted the Bears haven't beaten the packers since like the Carter administration. But if they were ever going to do it, if they were ever going to do it in the last game of the year, that would be one that you would like. You know, as a Bears fan myself, that would be. You want to talk about making you feel good going into next season. That would be one game that you.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Could do well as a Packers fan, I do not want you to have that joy, Matt. So I am hot. I am definitely not rooting for that situation where that is a win and you know, game for the Packers. They win this one win next week against the Saints and I think the packers find themselves with a playoff berth clinched heading into the final two division games of the season.

[Matt Jones]

Let's go to our good friend Eugene in Utah. Now I just made strong statement that I've never met a Eugene I didn't like.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Herm Edwards]

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[Matt Jones]

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[Herm Edwards]

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[Eugene]

Brother, I'm ready to go. So let me establish my bona fides. Washington Post a few years ago did a study on the places farthest from I am from Wolf Point, Montana, which is third on that list with the number one place Glasgow being 50 miles to the west and Scoby Montana being 50 miles to the north. So I have driven Highway 2 across the high Line in Montana across that state. I have driven in all 50 states and for the most cases I have driven them both north to west and east. I'm sorry, east to west and north to south. And before you even said a word, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa are definitely number one on this list. Before they had self driving cars you could take your steering wheel and strap it to the ground heading across Iowa and take a two hour nap and find wake up and find yourself still on the road. Now there are some straight roads in Montana and other places too, but at least there you would hit a deer. But anyway, I agree, I'm with you.

[Matt Jones]

See people, I was surprised nobody said Montana, north or South Dakota, but if you've actually driven it, it's beautiful country, a lot of it. And you're right, you can see animals and you can. It's better. It's not. I don't think it's like the most exciting thing, but Montana and the Dakotas are much better than Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

[Eugene]

Oh yeah, it's not even.

[Matt Jones]

Not even close.

[Eugene]

I'm also an Air Force veteran, so I have lived in eight different states for more than a year, both on the east side and west side of the country. So I really have driven it all. A stretch of road that might surprise. Yeah, West Texas is awful. That's also on the list. A stretch that might surprise people is the road from Jacksonville to Mobile heading west in northern Florida is awful.

[Matt Jones]

Ugly trees. The whole drag is a little breaking down. Looks like a horror movie on each side. You're exactly right about that. I'm glad you brought that up. I appreciate the call. We. I'm glad Eugene agreed. He just hit number three. Number one is Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa. Number two, west Texas. But he is right. If you ever find yourself, Gabe, having to drive to Jacksonville, I'm telling you, it's scary. The trees are, it's. You're in swamp marshland. You feel like the old wrestler. If you're a WWE fan. Skinner that used to wrestle in the 90s had a big chalk come out of his mouth and he would wrestle gators. You feel like at any moment he's going to jump out from the side of the road and get you. That drive from I75 to Jacksonville, it's like a two hour drive is creepy, scary, mushy. Like you'd never want to take that drive at night.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Okay. Because something could just come out of the swamp and just absolutely.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, they're swamp people. Oh, they're swamp people. I know it. They may not be humans.

[Gabe Neitzel]

You have to watch out at night.

[Matt Jones]

You have to watch out for the swamp people. They exist.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Make sure that you don't drive it at night. And if you do, both headlights are fully operational.

[Matt Jones]

All right, when we come back. I don't think Gabe's ever done this. We take the bad games of the day and I give Gabe 30 seconds to tell you why you need to watch him. Myron is awful at this. We've seen it all year. He never can do well. I think Gabe will crush it. That's next here on Countdown to Kickoff on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

Indiana at Notre Dame. SMU at Penn State, the stakes get much higher. Clemson at Texas and Tennessee at Ohio State.

[Matt Jones]

Magic continues.

[Myron Metcalf]

Round one of the College Football Playoff coverage begins Friday night at 7:30 Eastern, followed by a triple header on Saturday right here on ESPN Radio. Matt and Myron the podcast.

[Matt Jones]

Counting the kickoff here, ESPN Radio, Matt Jones, Gabe Neitzel and ESPN Radio is presented by. The progressive Keys to Progress program will drive veterans and small businesses forward with Progressive. It is the time where, you know, not every game is great. Today there's some top notch games, but there are also some games as well. And there's nobody better at selling you on the games than our man, Gabe Neitzel. It is now time to go no huddle.

[Myron Metcalf]

It's time to go around the National Football League no huddles.

[Matt Jones]

I'll call the place from the line. Defense will never know what hit them.

[Myron Metcalf]

This is the no huddle Brown Richmond 96 double.

[Matt Jones]

All right, Gabe, premise to this is simple. We'll give you a game, you're going to tell us whether or not we should watch it actually why you have to sell it to act like you're a salesperson trying to sell, I don't know, ice to an Eskimo. Here we go. What's up first?

[Myron Metcalf]

Ravens at giants.

[Matt Jones]

Ravens a 16 and a half point favorite. Gabe, why do I watch?

[Gabe Neitzel]

The reason why you watch this game is because there is no better fun combination when they're rolling than Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. In today's NFL the Ravens could put up a bunch of points. Yes, they're 16 and a half point favorites. But you want to make this even more fun. I think there's a chance the Ravens hit the total by themselves. The total in this game is only 42 and a half. Maybe the Ravens can get to 35, 42. You know, sprinkle a couple of bucks over there, see if the Ravens can get there all by themselves because they're not going to get a lot of help from the Giants.

[Matt Jones]

All right, there you go. Largest spread for a road team since the merger. There's never been a road team that was more of a favorite than the Ravens are today. Tommy DeVito versus Lamar Jackson and yeah, actually I think I would watch this just like I would watch Celtic has just tied it up against Rangers in the Scottish Cup. What's next?

[Myron Metcalf]

Jets at Jaguars.

[Matt Jones]

Good luck.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Do you like Aaron Rodgers? No. Okay, that makes it a little bit tougher to sell this one because about the only thing going on here, the Jaguars are just playing out this late. But with Aaron Rodgers, I don't think he's got a spot in the league next year. If you are an Aaron Rodgers fan, you might want to tune into the jets the last handful of games because it is the last time you are going to see the bonafide first ballot hall of fame and he threw for 300 yards last week. He's not completely washed. Just, you know, mostly.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I mean think about the fall of Aaron Rogers. A year ago there were legitimate talks about him hosting Jeopardy. Or even running for the vice president. Now he couldn't get a podcast on MySpace. I mean, seriously, no one has follow has fallen more than Aaron Rodgers, but.

[Gabe Neitzel]

He'S got a documentary series coming out here soon.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, that. The people who watch that need to be checked for fleas. I don't even know what that means. I don't even know what that means. Why did I say that? I don't even know what that means. What does it mean to be check for fleas? I don't know. Why would I say that? All right, what's next?

[Myron Metcalf]

Cowboys at Panthers.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Man, there are some tough ones today, man, but the Panthers, with the Panthers, Bryce Young has looked like he's not, you know, completely a lost cause for Carolina. They're trying to figure out if he is indeed that quarterback of the future. He's put together a couple of good games. Maybe last week wasn't the best example for that, but the Cowboys traveling on the road, I think you'll see Bryce Young continue to grow. I mean, the Cowboys, I mean, they're just kind of a mess. There's not a lot of redeeming qualities over there.

[Matt Jones]

Bryce Young is like, good, isn't he? I mean, I mean, you know, every talk about a guy everyone had given up on, he's played well these last few.

[Gabe Neitzel]

He has. Last week wasn't again, the best example of that. But you look at the previous two weeks, he's starting to build some momentum and I think he's got an opportunity to really seize that against the Cowboys once again this week.

[Matt Jones]

Do we know for sure he wasn't driving the car in the Andy Dalton car thing?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I don't know if we definitively do we know that.

[Matt Jones]

Have we seen the police report? Because I will say, since that time, Bryce Young has looked pretty good. I can't imagine watching a Cowboys game without threat of law or not a Simpsons episode during it. But I might actually tune in because you sold it to me pretty well. What's next?

[Myron Metcalf]

Commanders at Saints.

[Gabe Neitzel]

This is a huge game for the Commanders. They had lost three in a row, including one to the Cowboys. Yes, they bounced back most recently with a win against the Titans, but they are holding on for dear life and they have to go on the road. They're only three and three on the road. So while the Saints have not been the best team this year, they certainly can muck it up for the Commanders. This is not a gimme for the by any stretch of the imagination this is a huge game with playoff implications for one of the sides and the commanders cannot afford to stub their toe on this with a game against the Eagles and Falcons looming in their next two weeks.

[Matt Jones]

Jane Daniels going back to Louisiana. I'm going to see if. To watch the beginning to see if the Saints new quarterback has changed his pictures at all since the ones that got released.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I hope he hasn't. I hope he hasn't.

[Matt Jones]

You know what you got. You might as well embrace your moment. I don't even know what's his name, the Saints quarterback. It's. What's his name, the starting quarterback.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I have no idea what his name is.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know.

[Gabe Neitzel]

But I do know I would give me a football. I can do the. I don't know.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. I don't know anything about him, but I know that he puts that neck back and smiles and he is ready to rock. He's. He's ready for the light to shine. It's quarterback time in New Orleans. Who is it, Nick? Who's the starting quarterback? What's his name for the Saints? I'm glad no one.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Nobody knows.

[Matt Jones]

No one on this show knows the guys. I don't know how to pronounce it, but there you go. It's on the screen. It's on the screen. What's his name? Jake Heiner. Heiner. Jake Heiner. Jake Heiner. He is ready to play. Let's go. What's next?

[Myron Metcalf]

Bengals at Titans.

[Gabe Neitzel]

There's. There's not much to be played for in this game. Yes, the Bengals still have a 3% chance, I think, to make the postseason. But I mean, the Bengals are a fun team to watch. Joe Burrow has that offense rolling and look, they're probably going to give up a bunch of points. They do every week. Doesn't matter who's quarterback. I don't care that the Titans aren't very good. Watching that Bengals offense is worth the price of admission because that's how good they are and their defense is equally as bad. I still don't understand how this team doesn't have a defense that's good enough to get at least two stops per game.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, you know the Bengals, to make the playoffs, they got to win out like it's every. It's an elimination game every week. This is one of them. I'm watching to see if they can continue that streak. It's like you're in the WWE back in the day. Loser leaves town. He's. They're leaving. If they lose any game. But it's also my guy, Will Levis, Kentucky. I think it may be over, but it's definitely over.

[Gabe Neitzel]

As the Kentucky guy is it over for Will Levis?

[Matt Jones]

It may be over, but if it's not over, today would be a day to try to salvage it. Just like the Celtics have gone from one. Oh, Celtic has gone from one zero down to two one ahead against Rangers in the Scottish Cup. Let's go to our final one.

[Myron Metcalf]

Patriots at Cardinals.

[Gabe Neitzel]

This Cardinals team is not quite dead.

[Matt Jones]

Now.

[Gabe Neitzel]

They are another team that's likely got to win out, but they've got a game against the Patriots Panthers at the Rams home against the 49ers to close out. It's not impossible for them to win out. I know they've lost three in a row. But the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, an exciting team. Patriots going on the road this game, I think is that the reason you tune in is for Kyler Murray and how electric he's going to be against the Patriots trying to get them off this losing streak.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. And then also for me to sort of hate watch Drake May. You know, there you go. I've been listening to Bill Simmons my entire life and he acts like Drake May is Patrick Mahomes, which makes me want Drake May not to do well. And that's not fair to Drake May but to hate watch Drake May. I will do it because I, I just need Bill Simmons to calm down a notch when talking about Drake May.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, they still only have three wins. I mean, it's not like.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I mean, it's not. He's not exactly been burning it up. I mean, he's fine. He's not. He's not.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, he's not Jaden Daniels.

[Matt Jones]

Everybody needs to slow down just a little bit now. Good job, by the way. On no, you crushed like Myron. Couldn't even eat your socks on that one. Coming up next, we could be seeing a Super bowl preview today, but will the coaches be the ones to ruin the dream? We'll deal with that next on ESPN Radio.

[Herm Edwards]

Hey, it's your resident super bowl champ Chris Kennedy coming up Monday. I'll tell you what my biggest takeaways from week 15 are during my upon further review at 7am Eastern. It's unsportsman like weekday mornings at 6.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Right here on ESPN Radio.

[Matt Jones]

ESPN2.

[Myron Metcalf]

Thanks for listening to Matt and Myron the podcast. You can listen to the show live every Sunday morning at 10am Eastern on ESPN radio, the ESPN app, and on Sirius XM channel 80. Matt and Myron, the podcast. Hey ESPN subscribers, get even more of the sports and teams you love. You can now stream of SiriusXM on us for even more. Live games, sports, talk, music and podcast all at your fingertips wherever you go. Score even more with ESPN plus and get six months of the SiriusXM app. Today you just need an active ESPN plus subscription. Get all the [e-mail] SiriusXM eligibility and offer details.

[Matt Jones]

Apply.