Wild Card Sunday Recap: Bills outlast Jaguars, 49ers take down Eagles, Patriots stifle Chargers

Summary

The Athletic Football Show: Wild Card Sunday Recap

Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Athletic Football Show provides an in-depth, expert breakdown of all three NFL Wild Card Sunday matchups. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman open with the Patriots' defensive stifling of the Chargers, analyze the 49ers' gritty win over the Eagles, and close with the Bills' statement win against the Jaguars. The conversation is rich with tactical analysis, critical coaching discussion, and big picture playoff implications, all delivered in the hosts' candid and passionate style.

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Game 1: Patriots Stifle Chargers – Defensive Masterclass

Segment Start: [02:25]

Key Discussion Points

• Game Tone & Defensive Dominance

  • The hosts agree this was the weekend’s least entertaining game, but a “clinic” in defensive football from New England.
  • “I think the stuff about this game you can appreciate as a football watcher and a football enthusiast are going to be things that you’re going to catch on film when we watch it deeper into the week.” – Robert Mays [05:05]
  • New England’s pressure packages were highlighted, especially creative blitzes and simulated pressures disrupting Justin Herbert.

• Patriots’ Defensive Tactics

  • Pats mixed in DB blitzes (Jalen Hawkins, Craig Woodson), loaded look decoys, and disguised coverages effectively.
  • “They brought DBs off the edge... trying to occupy the back, not give Herbert any checkdown options.” – Derrick Klassen [06:28]
  • Notable play: 3rd-and-4, stacked LB/safety over LG then both drop, linebacker spies Herbert, leads to stop [07:03].

• Chargers’ Offensive Failures

  • Herbert led the team in rushing, but the run game was otherwise stymied (27% rushing success rate).
  • Despite poor pass protection and lack of open receivers, Herbert failed to capitalize on the few opportunities available.
  • “There were not a lot of plays to be made and the few that were there, he did not make them in this game.” – Robert Mays [08:16]
  • The QB appears “antsy and uncomfortable,” showing eroded confidence due to lack of trust in protection and getting nowhere close to rhythm.

• Critical Offensive Sequences

  • Missed chances on 3rd downs (1-of-10 on the day).
  • Keenan Allen non-effort on key 4th-and-2, drops, and lack of creative play design for Ladd McConkey.
  • “The offense just...did not have any easy buttons.” – Derrick Klassen [16:17]

• Drake May’s Rookie Performance

  • Mistake-prone outing (two fumbles, tipped INT) offset by impressive poise, sequencing, and critical conversions.
  • “He looked so unbothered...There was nothing hurried about his game.” – Dave Hellman [21:43]
  • Notable: Composed package on crucial 3rd-and-13 to Henry, and a highlight TD to Henry while rolling left [20:43].

• Coaching and Situational Management

  • Chargers' offensive approach and play design were panned, especially the failure to leverage McConkey and unimaginative use of trips in goal-to-go.
  • Mays questions Jim Harbaugh’s situational decisions—passing up go-for-its, game and time management.
  • “If you’re going to be the CEO type head coach, you need to be doing a lot of the little things...Mike Vrabel was doing more than Jim Harbaugh.” – Robert Mays [24:42]

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Game 2: 49ers Outlast Injury-Depleted Eagles – Grit Over Talent

Segment Start: [29:54]

Key Discussion Points

• Niners Grit Through Adversity

  • 49ers lose George Kittle mid-game, play without several key starters; talent gap is massive in Eagles’ favor.
  • “The Niners played this game with more than a hand tied behind their back.” – Dave Hellman [39:25]
  • Despite this, their defense (down to LBs 5 and 6) stymied the Eagles, especially after halftime.

• Eagles Offense Implodes

  • Lowest success rate since Week 7, abysmal use of skill talent and resources; repeated failures on 3rd downs and key situations.
  • “When you consider the resources, the talent gap and the stakes, this was about as disgusting of an offensive performance as you could possibly have from the Philadelphia Eagles.” – Robert Mays [31:19]
  • Noteworthy failures: Bad drops by A.J. Brown, uninspired play calls after timeouts, e.g., the 4th-and-11 game on the line (timeout into four verts, throw into triple coverage).

• Niners Defensive Moments

  • Key stops: Marquis Siegel TFL [4Q, 9:21], Huffman TFL, Lenore’s key TFL (avenging early chunk run).
  • Upton Stout’s downhill DB play, multiple nickel stops, and plays that “changed the attitude” of the defense.
  • Backup LBs Wilson and Wallow combine for 21 tackles.
  • “The attitude that this Niners defense plays with despite being down five, six, seven guys... pretty incredible.” – Derek Klassen [35:00]

• Coaching Advantage and Shanahan’s Brilliance

  • Play design wizardry in the second half creates just enough offense:
    • Jennings trick-play TD to McCaffrey [45:09], layered screen, unique angle route out of the backfield.
    • "Understanding where you needed to find your big plays and then consistently being able to come up with them—an incredibly impressive performance from Kyle Shanahan." – Robert Mays [44:39]
  • Christian McCaffrey: His pass-catching, ball tracking, and “gravity” (how his presence distorts coverage) are hailed as unique.

• Big Picture/Eagles' Future

  • Play-caller carousel in Philly continues; calls for a big-name, big-pay OC who can maximize the loaded offense.
  • "I think we've gotten to a place where…the Eagles have to seek out somebody who’s done this job before and has done it at a competent enough level that you believe they're going to make this work." – Robert Mays [51:25]
  • A.J. Brown’s future addressed: “If the next OC gets him a dozen targets a game, that’ll probably smooth things over.” – Robert Mays [52:19]

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Game 3: Bills Outgun Jaguars – Allen’s Brilliance, Buffalo’s Formula

Segment Start: [54:52]

Key Discussion Points

• Buffalo’s Defensive Prowess and Disguise

  • Bills defense wins with smoke and mirrors, not overwhelming talent.
  • “Pre-snap disguise is a foundational piece of what Sean McDermott has been on the back end...Even if they don’t have a lot of super high-end talent.” – Robert Mays [56:21]
  • Early pick on Trevor Lawrence: well-disguised Cover 2 fools him [56:17].
  • CB Tre’Davious White with two critical plays: 1st pick, late pass deflection in red zone [58:05-58:15].

• Jaguars: Good but Not Great

  • Trevor Lawrence played “average Trevor game,” hurt by a few mistakes, lack of run game continuity, and late-game play calling confusion.
  • “A pretty good Jags team that just didn’t have that extra 5%...a young team still learning.” – Derrick Klassen [59:52]
  • Both lines of scrimmage lost: Jags lose run game (perimeter runs only success), out of sync with key offensive calls (not enough runs after successful sequences).

• Josh Allen’s Quiet Dominance

  • “Josh Allen was spectacular in this game…Kind of feels like a B+ Josh Allen game. That’s how good Josh Allen is.” – Robert Mays [63:46]
  • 28/35 passing, 54.5% rushing success, multiple tough scrambles in key spots despite little support from the run game.
  • Stood up to constant pressure: Jags’ pass rush often collapsed the pocket.
  • Understated but crucial: “If Trevor had that game, we’d all think about Trevor in a different light.” – Derrick Klassen [64:16]

• Bills' Supporting Cast & Scheme

  • Shakir leads receivers (mostly on screens), Brandon Cooks' explosive. Buffalo’s YAC and unheralded players step up, aided by several Jags missed tackles.
  • “Josh Allen has been piecing this together with the most underwhelming group of pass catchers.” – Dave Hellman [66:39]
  • Favorite offensive sequence: Quick-hitting passes to Kincaid/Knox, converted 4th-and-inches, and creative design on Kincaid touchdown.

• Statement on Buffalo’s Playoff Potential

  • “What they were today…that’s why this team is dangerous. The defense is capable of doing enough weird shit to get you four or five high leverage wins. And the quarterback is the quarterback.” – Robert Mays [72:33]
  • Despite injuries to key targets (Davis, Shavers), Allen and the defense dictate high-leverage moments.
  • Jags pushed them, but couldn't close; Allen's special traits the difference.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Disguised coverage and creative pressures:

  • “They put a linebacker and safety stacked over the left guard…it looks like ‘Oh, we’re gonna pick the guard’…Nope, both guys drop. Safety cuts a crosser; linebacker spies Herbert.” – Derek Klassen [07:03]

• On Justin Herbert’s regression:

  • “You’re going to get seven real opportunities to make a play in this game, and…he just didn’t.” – Derek Klassen [13:35]

• On New England’s rookie QB:

  • “He just seemed so cool…nothing hurried about his game. You would never guess this guy is 23 and it’s his first playoff game.” – Dave Hellman [21:43]

• On Eagles’ offensive failures:

  • “You had to deliberate to call four verts? That’s where we are.” – Derek Klassen [37:27]

• On the Niners' resilience:

  • “When that’s how far you have to go down [the Eagles] roster to get to a Niners player, and the Niners won…” – Robert Mays [39:19]

• On Josh Allen’s performance:

  • “Josh Allen finished 9 of 12 for 144 yards when pressured…They did a great job of condensing the pocket, and he was just…doing that kind of stuff over and over.” – Robert Mays [68:55-69:15]

• On playoff levels:

  • “A quiet Josh Allen game would be a playoff-defining moment for most other quarterbacks.” – Dave Hellman [64:09]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Patriots-Chargers breakdown & defensive strategy: [02:25] – [18:28]
• Drake May evaluation: [19:21] – [24:32]
• Discussion on Chargers coaching decisions: [24:42] – [27:16]
• 49ers-Eagles analysis (talent & coaching): [29:54] – [49:51]
• Eagles’ play-caller future: [50:36] – [53:19]
• Bills-Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence mistakes & Bills disguise: [54:52] – [58:05]
• Josh Allen star turn: [63:46] – [69:15]
• Statement on Bills playoff threat: [72:33]

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Tone and Style

The episode mixes wry humor, candid frustration with coaches who underperform, and deep tactical insight. The trio balances critical Xs-and-Os breakdowns with honest, sometimes blunt assessments of players, units, and coaches—never shying from calling out underachievement or celebrating elite tactical mastery.

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Summary Takeaway

Wild Card Sunday delivered a clinic in defensive coaching, gutted some high-priced offenses, and showcased the razor’s edge that decides January football. The Patriots bullied the Chargers back into the offseason, the undermanned Niners found ways to win ugly and out-coach the Eagles, and Josh Allen’s Bills reminded the AFC that as long as he’s under center, Buffalo is alive—warts and all.

Transcript

[Robert Mays]

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[Robert Mays]

Welcome to the Athletic Football Show. I'm Robert Mays. Another fantastic day of NFL football on wild card weekend. We dug into all three games today, kick things off with the Patriots Chargers game. A big win for the New England Patriots. A huge performance from their defense. Just incredibly impressive. I mean they outplayed the Chargers offense in every conceivable way in this game. Started off with that. When that went in reverse chronological order, dug into the Eagles Niners game after that. Talk about impressive performances. The Niners doing what they did, just completely outmanned, especially on defense against that Eagles team. And you lose George Kittle in the middle of this game. And so for the Niners to continue to impress in what Kyle Shanahan and that entire staff have done with this group, another amazing effort from them to keep things going and head to Seattle next week in the divisional round. And then we finish things off with what a performance by the Buffalo Bills against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I said it on the show, firmly believe it. This is the version of the Bills that felt dangerous heading into the playoffs. So you can get your defense to create four or five high leverage mistakes, high leverage wins for you. Combined with what Josh Allen can be in any given game. This was a good Jags team that the Bills beat today and I think a very impressive performance by their quarterback and from a defense that I think in a lot of ways is tailor made to be a player. So let's get to all of those games with me, Dave Hellman and Derek Classen right now. I think Dave said it best right before we started recording. It felt like we were on a 36 hour like or 24 hour football high after the first four games that we got to watch this weekend. And in some ways it felt like Patriots Chargers was the comedown.

[Dave Hellman]

Roger Goodell was taking a perfect game into the eighth and somebody said the wrong thing to him, you know, in the dugout. And, and you get this. He, he got shelled in the, in the top of the 9th because the biggest dud of the weekend, really the only game that I wouldn't classify as great because even the only game without.

[Robert Mays]

A lead change in the final three minutes. Right?

[Derek Classen]

Yeah.

[Dave Hellman]

Every game was a banger up until whatever this was on Sunday Night Football. Congrats to the New England Patriots. Kudos to you. I think I Think they, they answered some questions, you know, we talked about whether they were equipped to not let Justin Herbert play Superman. Well, they were good. Good for them. Dominant win, not a very entertaining game. But they, it's not their job to give a shit.

[Robert Mays]

I think that the stuff about this game you can appreciate as a football watcher and a football enthusiast are going to be things that you're going to catch on film when we watch it deeper into the week. Because I feel like the Chargers defense did a ton of funky stuff in the way that they've done it all year. I think that they really got some low light moments out of Drake May, which we're going to talk about. The Chargers defense absolutely did enough to win this game and they did it in a fashion that we're used to seeing from them all season. I think the question was going to be could the Patriots defense put forth a similar performance? And I think the answer was a resounding yes. The pass rush and the lack of pass protection from the Chargers showed up again. It wasn't the disaster class for four quarters that it's been in other games this season, but overall the Chargers offense put up what I thought was a pretty big stinker for all four quarters. And I think that's not a product simply of the pass protection crumbling. I think that's a product of the offense getting outplayed in almost every conceivable way by the Patriots defense. And we know that Jesse Minter can throw that. The Patriots defensive coordinator, who is our linebackers coach, whose name I cannot remember right now. And I literally looked it up right before we started recording. So I remembered it. Zach Kerr, who is their defensive play caller, he deserves a lot of credit for I think the performance we saw from the Patriots defense today. Because in my mind on every single front, they outplayed the Chargers throughout the entire game.

[Derek Classen]

Their pressure plan was, I thought, phenomenal in this game because it not all of it was like bringing extra bodies. I thought you saw a number of times where they were bringing DBs off the edge, like they brought Jalen Hawkins a number of times. Craig Woodson blitzed a couple of times. And so they were trying to occupy the back that way, not give Herbert any check down options. So I thought, thought they did a good job there. There were also a number of moments where they were like loading the line of scrimmage one way or another and then popping guys out on the first drive. There was a second and 12, they load the line of scrimmage and then all three of the players lined up over the interior just pop out. So the guard centers. They're standing there doing nothing.

[Robert Mays]

Herbert still got a free rusher.

[Derek Classen]

Yes, they still get a free rusher. Rusher. And Herbert steps up to evade that free rusher. But then all the guys who just popped out are kind of just sitting there waiting for him, catching him. And I think it ends up. It ends up being, oh, he tries to go throw it away and he doesn't really get any thing with it. And then there were just a number of other pressures in this game where they did a really good job of. There was one where they actually had. It was in the third quarter with 5 minutes and 40 seconds left. It was a third and four in completion for the Chargers. They put a linebacker and a safety like stacked right over the left guard. It looks like, oh man, we're going to pick the guard. We're going to do something crazy here. Nope, both guys drop out. Safety cuts are crosser and the linebacker just spies Justin Herbert. And so when he tries to scramble on that play, Christian Ellis hunts him down because he's the spy. Like they just, I thought their way to contain. Well, we all know that the only way the Chargers offense can move the ball is when Herbert is running right now. Really, they just had a really good plan to keep him in the pocket and hit him.

[Robert Mays]

Justin Herbert, not surprisingly, finishes as the Chargers leading rusher in this game. 10 carries for 57 yards come out of it all. Finishes with 11 carries for 31 yards. I think overall the Chargers had like 25 or 6. 25, 25, 27% rushing success rate. That's with the Charleston Herbert runs put in there.

[Derek Classen]

And without the Patriots having their best run defender in Kairos Tonga, he'd miss this game.

[Robert Mays]

27% rushing success rate for Vidal on his carries. 1 carry for negative 1 yard for Omarion Hampton, who essentially didn't play in this game. I think a lot of people, we know the quarterback discourse is coming for Justin Herbert in this one as he loses another playoff game. He is still winless in the playoffs. As the game was winding down, I was trying to think about how I wanted to frame this discussion about his performance and the Chargers offensive performance overall. And I think this is where I land. There were very few plays to be made for the Chargers offense in this game because of the pass protection, because of just absolutely no one getting open down the field. I mean, there just weren't that many opportunities in the passing game for Justin Herbert. Most of the opportunities and the plays that he made were made with his legs. So the few opportunities that were there, the plays that were there to be made, he did not make very many of them with his arm. That's where I land. There were not a lot of plays to be made and the few that were there, he did not make them in this game.

[Dave Hellman]

I think that's sadly fair. I mean like, you wanted to see more from Justin Herbert and I completely get it. I feel like he was outmanned in this game. Obviously the offensive line has been a problem for the Chargers since week six. What week was it where Joe Walt first got hurt? Whatever that Giants game was. But yeah, to, to not to not be able to make enough plays to make this stressful for the Patriots. Cause I, I was kind of ranting at y' all in the final five.

[Robert Mays]

Minutes of this game.

[Dave Hellman]

Like Drake May had some nice moments in this game and, and he played well enough to win. But the Patriots were trying to make this interesting.

[Robert Mays]

It was a mistake filled game for the Patriots.

[Dave Hellman]

Oh my God, dude. I mean Drake May multiple strip sacks, a batted interception. Like the, there were several big swings here where anything by the Chargers, I mean Patriots scored 16 points. If you can turn anything into a touchdown, then you're, you're playing situational football at the end of this. You're. You're trying to game out the final 5, 6 minutes and instead in a game where your opponent scores 16 points, this thing just. There was actually, it was. There was a play in the second half where the Pats had third and 13. They were on their minus 12.

[Robert Mays]

And just exactly.

[Dave Hellman]

Justin Herbert hit the dig to Hunter Henry and like it wasn't some game changing play. But I was like, that probably feels like it because like, because they're going to be able to get off their goal line even if they punt in another series, the Chargers are going to have to drive a full field instead of maybe getting it at midfield. As soon as he picked that up and I knew that they weren't going to be punting out of their own end zone, I was like, that's, that's probably ballgame. I just don't see this offense doing enough to change that.

[Robert Mays]

I want to talk about that play. When we talk about the Patriots offense and Drake May's performance in this game. But I think pointing that out that when that happened, it felt like it was already out of reach for the Chargers because the way the game was going on offense. I think that's right. And you look at just the multifaceted failures for the Chargers offense in this game. You have a couple sacks at the end of the game that I think are indicative of the pass protection issues real quick.

[Dave Hellman]

But okay, I pulled it up in the play by play. That was with four minutes to play in the third in a six, three game.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah.

[Dave Hellman]

And when he got them out of their red zone, I was like, this is probably ball game. I just don't see it.

[Robert Mays]

And that's how helpless and hapless the Chargers offense felt for most of this game. And again, it's a multifaceted thing. The play with the sack with like 8ish minutes in the fourth quarter where the entire pocket just crumbles into Justin Herbert and he fumbles. That's a play where, yeah, your ball security should probably be a little bit better. He's trying to make a play as the entire pocket is crumbling around him. The last one for Milton Williams where he absolutely dusts Bradley Boseman and drops Justin Herbert in the pocket. We have those moments again. Even if the Chargers offensive line wasn't a disaster the entire game, Keenan Allen has like multiple like what the hell is going on moments on the 4th and 2 early in the game. That ball seems like he has a chance to potentially go up and get it. He doesn't even try to make an effort for it. And then he has the bad drop on third down in the third. In the, in the second half of camera was in the third or fourth quarter. So th. Those are your moments there. And then the Justin Herbert kind of contribution to this, the play that sticks with me again, the very few plays that were there to be made and were not made. There was a play in the, in the third quarter, it was the third and seven where he has McConkey on a little out and up off the left sideline and he's moving to his left and he leaves it just a hair short for McConkey on that play. It's a tough play, but when the rest of your offense is playing the way that they did in this game, those are the plays that a quarterback like Justin Herbert needs to make. And I think just in terms of the feel of watching him down to down right now and what's leading to the lack of him finishing some of those plays off as a passer. He's just so antsy and uncomfortable in the pocket. Like there are moments where it's clean enough where he can probably sit there for another half beat and wait for something to come open. But with the way this season has gone, he's just going into creation mode so quickly because he doesn't trust anything that's happening around him. I think it's eroding the quality of his play specifically as a result. It's really hard to isolate these individual things, but I think there's like a cascading effect with everything else that's happening that's leading to more of those moments than you want from him.

[Derek Classen]

There's definitely a lot of that. Like, I just, I think we're at a point where he clearly doesn't trust a lot of the way that the offense works right now. And part of that is the offensive line, Part of that is who he's starting to. And I think that leads to those kind of like you're saying there's going to be some games where you only get seven real opportunities to make a play in this game and the Patriots defense really played well enough where that was the case. I thought another one was he got sacked, I want to say a little bit before the two minute warning and it goes into like third and seven. He could throw a ball to Quentin Johnson who's like on the backside by himself to the left hand side running like an alert post. He sees the safety to that side come down and he kind of just holds onto the ball, doesn't throw it. And I understand that like that's probably a difficult throw in that moment, but one on one on third down, like I. Sometimes you would like to see him make some of those plays and he just didn't. And then like you said, a handful of the downfield throws that he made, some of them the McConkey one, he at least gives it a chance. There were two or three where he just didn't give a guy a chance at all. And really the best downfield shots that they had were the two DPIs in a row that they got.

[Robert Mays]

They should have leaned into the all DPI offense. It wasn't the best option. At a certain point he did.

[Dave Hellman]

He had a play in the mid third quarter that struck me as weird and it's, it speaks to his talent that this strikes me as weird. But it was a creation mode play where he escapes going right and Quinton Johnston just took his route up field. And it's the type of play that somebody with a cannon like Justin Herbert just lays that thing, just throw it as hard as you can and give him a shot to get underneath it. And he underthrew it. And it's a really tough throw and a really tough play to make. But that's, that's something that you're supposed to be able to get out of Justin Herbert and it's just nothing. Nothing felt like it was there for them.

[Robert Mays]

They were 1 of 10 on third down. The Chargers were in this game and again, I think that's some failures of Herbert to make the plays that were there, but I think that the Patriots consistently had a really good plan on third down. The play that really sticks with me is There was a third and four on that driver we're talking about with the multiple DPIs. And the Patriots drop eight on that play and they blanket everything and right before the play they send lad McConkey in motion. The Chargers do and the corner goes with him in motion. So it looks like man coverage and they drop back into it, cover two with a drop eight and it's just, they completely fool them. There's nowhere to go with the ball. And I think that's a really good example of the Patriots just schematically being one step ahead of the Chargers offensive plan over and over and over again in this game. And I think there's a conversation to be had about what the Chargers need to think about how things need to change for them on offense independent of the offensive line talent. That's one we're going to have on the post mortem show that we're going to do on Monday into Tuesday because it's one that's very necessary right now.

[Derek Classen]

We'll have a more considered conversation about that. But like again, Herbert did not play well for a lot of this game, did not make the opport, make the most of the opportunities he got. He also like this offense has no easy buttons. They got punked like the screen, no screens, could not run the ball, their shot plays. They didn't have any open ones. Like it just, they did not have any easy buttons. And I, I thought it was kind of like interesting that you could see Roman flailing a little bit towards the end of the game where they were just designed running Herbert.

[Robert Mays]

They know they were nowhere else. That's what's happened often this season where it's like he's either just taken off or they're calling design runs for him because they have nowhere else to turn.

[Dave Hellman]

Which I don't say this to take, like to take a victory lap because obviously for every, for any good take we've had on this show, we've had plenty of bad ones. But I'm struck by how exactly like we thought this might go. It wound up looking like when you go, like go back and listen to us when we did the Table show and talked about the Chargers. You draft a couple guys with later picks like Trey Harris and Arande Gadsden and Omarion Hampton, obviously, once he gets hurt. But even, even once he's back from his injury, it just wasn't that like the. The idealized version of what that could look like. Partially because your offensive line is banged up. Sure. But this offense just. I don't think they did enough for it in the off season to give it a chance to get out of. Get to another gear. And then once you get those injuries, I think you're doomed even further. And this team was good enough to make the playoffs. And I don't think anybody had any illusions that it was going to be much more than that. I mean, I would have liked to have seen it look better than what we got tonight, but this was always the best case scenario of how a Chargers season was going to end. It's like losing a wild card game.

[Robert Mays]

The Patriots have really good outside corner talent. I just don't understand how you have a player like lad McConkey who you can play from the slot and you're not trying to build the entire passing game in a game like this through a player like lad McConkey. Like, I just, I just don't understand the plan and like, what the foundational aspects of the Chargers offense are supposed to be, independent of whatever's going on with the offensive line.

[Derek Classen]

Yeah, get him moving and like run some picks and rows. Like actually a good point to that is with on the 4th and 4 where Keenan Allen, it looks like he doesn't really go up for the ball and all that stuff. I thought that was also in a lot of ways a really good play by the Patriots defense. But so the they motion to trips to the right hand side and Christian Gonzalez sees a lot of it. He starts communicating. He puts the nickel and he's like, okay, you go take the point man. And you would think out of like a trip's bunch, usually you're trying to get some sort of pick right. You're trying to get some sort of motion to disrupt all this man coverage. The outside receiver is Keenan Allen. He just runs to the flat. The inside receiver just runs a shallow, and then the point man just runs like a vertical crowd. They're not actually using the space to pick anybody. And it's like, what is the point of running this formation on the goal line? It was just like completely blew my mind. And obviously it was still good coverage by the Patriots in that moment, but I just like it's the little things like that where they're not really doing enough to give the quarterback any sort of a chance.

[Robert Mays]

So we mentioned the Drake May performance in this game. There are several, like, big mistakes that if things were going differently on the other side of the ball, could come back and haunt the Patriots. He has those two fumbles. He misses. I believe it was Austin Hooper on that corner route that could have been a touchdown. And then he throws the tip ball interception early in the game. Outside of the mistakes, which I know were big mistakes, I thought he had some really nice moments and some really nice stretches in this game where he's putting together together and sequencing several good decisions in a row. That play that you mentioned where he finds Henry Henry on that third and 13, that's a cover two. Look where they are running off the hook. I think it was Derwin James in that moment. And as soon as Derwin James gets run off, he's coming back to Henry up the seam on that third and 13. He's making that decision so quickly. And I thought there were a bunch of those in this game from him. His best plays today, there were several, like outbreakers or verticals down the left sideline where. Where he's making a decision immediately based on the flat defender and he's making throws that direction. There was one play in the first half where the Chargers are trying to run like a funky Cover 2 variant where Torheap still is the nickel and he's flying back to the deep half. And May immediately lets that ball go up the left sideline. I believe it might have been to Chisholm down the left side.

[Derek Classen]

The early one was Chisholm on like the first or second drive.

[Robert Mays]

So that's a play where he sees that there's that deep half defender isn't there, and immediately lets that ball go over the flat defender. That was one of them. There was another play where he throws a corner out to Hunter Henry later in the game that he lets go immediately with Henry as the number two receiver. And then the play and the throw of the game from Justin Herbert is the one where he's sliding to his left. Cover three. Drake, may we do the same thing. They look the same. They look the same and they wear the same number. So the play of the game is the throw he had the touchdown throw he has to Hunter Henry where he's having to slide to his left against a free rusher. That's another corner route that is just beautifully layered over Derwin James for a touchdown. And so I thought that some of the decision making and his willingness to kind of take some checkdowns in this game, just consistently making a lot of the right plays. Some of that is offset by some real catastrophic mistakes. But I thought there was a lot of good from Drake May in this game against a very good defense. That's going to make things really difficult on you.

[Dave Hellman]

He just, he. He seemed so cool. There was. There was a sequence in the second half where he just. He looked so unbothered. There was nothing hurried about his game. It was the. It was this. It was ironically the sequence where he got strip sacked shortly after this. But third and six, where he checks it down to the Ramondre Stevenson. And it, like, it just. It looked like he was doing like the virtual reality that teams have in their facility now, where he's like, all right, it's not there. They're doing this. Okay, just zip it down to Stevenson live to fight. Another cool little in cut to Stefan Diggs to pick up nine. They do the option keeper. He's like, all right, I got an alley here. I'm going like. It just looked so calm, cool and collected. You would never guess this guy is 23 and it's his first playoff game. And as soon as I was getting really excited about that, he just. He held the ball in the pocket too long and. And away gets to him because Will Campbell got beat quickly. And I, like, it was very funny how I was so amazed at his composure, and then I was like, wait, wait, wait. No, too composed. Come on, speed this thing up, bud.

[Robert Mays]

He.

[Derek Classen]

He's fascinating because he plays like he believes the next play can always be the big one. And it's fine that this one's not, which is.

[Robert Mays]

It's so surprising for what you expected.

[Derek Classen]

From him, for what he was in college where it felt like the opposite, where it felt like every play had to be the big one. And I do think part of that is probably just really good coaching and him immediately maturing and stuff like that. But I also do think part of it is sometimes you really do see that from quarterbacks when they really trust the offense as a whole. And I do think that he trusts some of the guys that he's throwing to, like Hunter Henry and Kayshawn Booty and Stefan Diggs. It's not like some superstar group. But he clearly, the way he operates, he trusts those guys. And so. And I think he probably trusts the play calls that he's getting from Josh McDaniels. Like, he really does play. Like, even if this play only Gets us four and it gets us out of a jam. We might have a shot to get 30 on the next one. He just plays like he believes, like he has a comfort in that.

[Robert Mays]

I like that. That sequence that you pointed out to me where he runs the option keeper as part of that with the checkdown. I thought there were multiple sequences in this game where it's a real display of all the things that Drake May is giving you. And the other one, in my opinion, was there was a drive to go up 9:3 in the. It was actually. It was the touchdown drive they went when they were up, when they went up 16,3. That drive starts the Chargers send a blitz and he puts a beautifully placed throw to Kayshawn Booty outside the numbers and take coverage where if that ball's not really accurate to the outside, Booty probably doesn't catch it, but he does. Then the next play, he shakes off a defender in the pocket and scrambles for eight yards. And then that drive ends with the crazy touchdown to Hunter Henry. So there are multiple sequences in this game where you kind of see everything he's bringing to the table. And unfortunately in this game, some of what. What he was bringing to the table is huge mistakes that a better offense might have been able to take advantage of. But again, I thought you saw a lot of good from him, from Jake May over the course of the entire game.

[Dave Hellman]

I would have liked to have seen what it looked like in a closer game with five minutes to play. But the Chargers just weren't. Weren't up to that challenge tonight.

[Robert Mays]

The last thing I want to talk about, the fact that we're disappointed with the offensive coaching performance from the Chargers, I don't think should be surprising to anybody. I'm kind of disappointed with the situational decision making from the Chargers in a way that is notable because Jim Harbaugh's entire thing is that he is supposed to be like Mr. Football Coach, right? If you're going to be the CEO type head coach, you need to be doing a lot of the little things to give your teams the best chance to win multiple different moments in this game. I thought he came up short on that first fourth and two where they take the delay and they punt from plus territory. I'm going for that. I think that's a play you go for because your offense is not good enough for you to be wasting possessions and opportunities. They go for it on 4th and 2 inside the 5. They don't get it. I think that's a move you do every single time. On fourth and two from the two yard line. And then they kick the 21 yard field goal inside the five on fourth and two. I go for that every single time. And I think the numbers would tell you to go for that every single time. And then the other part of it, I think the broadcast did a good job of pointing this out. The Chargers are subbing when they're in hurry up mode, down two scores in the fourth quarter, which allows the Patriots to sub and Mike Vrabel, who is an excellent situational coach, they're taking their sweet ass time. They're taking 30, 30 seconds to trot those guys out there. And in that moment, my thought, watching this kind of contrast between these two guys who in terms of their archetype are similar coaches, what's your CEO type head coach doing for you? And I thought in this game specifically, Mike Vrabel was doing more than Jim Harbaugh was.

[Dave Hellman]

And I think that's like collectively people have a very high opinion of Mike Vrabel and you'll often hear pushback of like, well, he's, he's not the play call, where did this come from? And it's shit like that. He does stuff like that all the time. Like he was, he was so good at finding the brilliant little edges during his time in Tennessee. And it's, it's not a surprise to see him maintain that in New England.

[Robert Mays]

If you're going to be in Jim Harbaugh's position, you got to do, all of you have to make a lot of correct decisions and a lot of correct choices. With all of the ancillary stuff, you got to pick the right coordinators and situationally you have to make sure your team is completely buttoned up. This is one of those games where I think we can take issue with one of the coordinator selections and I think we can take issue with some of the situational stuff. And so we will talk a lot more about that when we do our Chargers postmortem on the Monday Hangover show that we're going to be recording tomorrow. Before we move on, let's take a quick break.

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[Dave Hellman]

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[Derek Classen]

Equally talented offenses, the Eagles are spending.

[Robert Mays]

$190 million in cash on their offense this year. That is number one in the league by far. The Niners or the Browns are down at 70 million and we got similar outputs against the Niners defense from both of those teams. When you consider the resources, the talent gap and the stakes, this was about as disgusting of an offensive performance as you could possibly have from the Philadelphia Eagles today.

[Dave Hellman]

I can add to that because it was, it was their worst offensive success rate since the Cleveland game. The only team that's put up a worse success rate against San Francisco Carolina in that just dumpster fire of a Monday night game. The Niners came into this game allowing an average of eight explosives per week and the Eagles put up four in this game when their whole, they built.

[Derek Classen]

The whole thing to be explosive. A.J. brown, like Saquon Barkley, like that was the whole. That's why you built this offense. It's what they were last year.

[Robert Mays]

The Niners just deserve so much credit on the defensive side. I thought that them buckling down against the run in the second half is what ultimately swung this game. The Eagles in the first half of this game had a 50% rushing success rate. They had 20 carries for 95 yards at the end of the second half. When I was checking the numbers, they were averaging negative 0.23 EPA per rush. The Eagles were. And then that's the Eagles. This is an implosion like the entire it reminds me a lot of how we were feeling and talking about the Eagles at the end of the 2023 season. I think that's what the offense Feels like right now the defense is at least.

[Dave Hellman]

It's at least one side of the.

[Robert Mays]

But that's, that's how I feel about the Eagles offense. But you had some unbelievable run defense moments from the Niners defense in the second half of this game. Three that stick with me. There's a first and 10 with 921 in the fourth quarter. Marquis Siegel comes flying off the edge for a run stuff that makes it second and 10. And the Eagles eventually stall out on that drive. They have to kick a field goal three minutes left in the third quarter. Bryce Huffman drops Saquon Barkley in the backfield for a three yard loss on that drive. It's when they have a third and 13 the Eagles do and they have a design run for Jalen Hurts give up Design run on 3rd and 13. Which man this team loves to do another field goal drive. And then Diamad or Lenore had a TFL to make its second and 18 after a holding call in the third quarter. And that play that diamond or Lenore makes for that TFL was the exact same play that Saquon hits the chunk gain on early in the game to kickstart that first Eagles drive. And instead he dubs Ducks back outside, drops him a yard deep in the backfield, kills another Eagles drive. And so those were the moments that you were consistently getting from just a completely depleted young, completely outmanned Niners defense in this game. They were the better unit in the second half.

[Derek Classen]

I think undeniably the DBs were playing very good downhill. Like I think there were a couple of chances that AJ Brown squandered down the field and there couple of throws, right. He had a big drop and I think there were one or two that Jalen Hurts also left a little bit short and like so maybe you could have hit them downfield for more and maybe whoever you know the next game that they're going to play, that happens to them. I thought in terms of stuff moving forward like on very early in the first quarter or late in the first quarter, there was a fourth and two. Philly came out an empty. Upton Stout flies and almost picks six. Jalen hurts on like a little speed out that they were trying to run.

[Dave Hellman]

Upton Stout's so awesome, dude.

[Derek Classen]

He's incredible. He is like you want a nickel? Who moves forward with that kind of reckless abandon?

[Dave Hellman]

He was and he absolutely has. He was like a cute little story halfway through the year. And now I'm just like, no, this guy rules.

[Derek Classen]

Yeah. Now it's like just start him like just keep it, keep it going.

[Robert Mays]

He's been awesome. I mean he's been a really good player for that. Really good. He's been an exciting player for them in the slot as a rookie. That's, that's what I would say that.

[Derek Classen]

He to me is a guy when, like when the front starts to look better and the pass rush starts to look better, you start to feel how like aggressive he's gonna.

[Dave Hellman]

All pros and Mikel Williams are back from their season ending injuries.

[Derek Classen]

When he's like your seventh best defensive starter instead of your third or fourth or whatever it might be right now, I think you'll, you'll start to feel him. And then he actually had another really good play early in the third quarter. It was the third down. They actually. The Eagles motion Devonta Smith from left to right and Upton Stout follows him. So they think they're getting. Man, he actually. Upton Stout falls off of it and so Jalen hurts, throws the swing thinking they can get some sort of pick. Barkley's going to be free in the flat. Upton Stout is flying a thousand miles an hour to go. Hit Barkley. Saquon Barkley kind of hears the footsteps and he doesn't catch it. It's incomplet like it's just plays like that where they. The attitude that this Niners defense plays with despite being down five, six, seven guys and a lot of them being their superstars, pretty incredible.

[Dave Hellman]

Eric Kendrick turns 34 next month and was not on a roster at Thanksgiving.

[Robert Mays]

They were down to linebackers five and six. I think in this game.

[Dave Hellman]

Garrett Wallow hadn't, hadn't started a game since 2022 and he had nine tackles on the year. He finished with 11. Wilson and Wallow combined for 21 tackles. Wilson had a couple big run stuffs obviously. I mean such a. Considering the Eagles called a timeout to get their shit together on the season deciding play. A very uninspired play to lose the game. But Eric Kendrick deflected it like he, he batted down.

[Robert Mays]

He.

[Dave Hellman]

He officially won this game for the 49ers. And yeah, to be linebackers, whatever it is, 5 and 6 or 6 and 7 because the winners and Tatum Bethune weren't available for this game. It's the story of the Niner season.

[Derek Classen]

We can't leave that sequence there. We have to talk about that 4th and 11 sequence with the game on the line. First of all, the Eagles in that moment have all three of their timeouts in this fourth down. But if you give it up theoretically with it was like 50 seconds left. So theory you could stop the Niners and you could get the ball back in some way. Game is probably doomed, but still you give yourself the best chance. They instead call a timeout to try to get into the best play and they run four verts.

[Robert Mays]

Yes.

[Derek Classen]

Which like in that, in that spot of the field is fine, but like you had to deliberate to call four.

[Robert Mays]

Verse, that's where we are.

[Derek Classen]

And then throw down the seam into triple coverage no matter what. Like it just the operation, the execution, the game management of it all blew my mind.

[Robert Mays]

I'm disgusted by their offense. Like I like then this game was not an exception to how I've been feeling about them for a while. This offense, again, when you consider all of the different factors, is a gross watch on every level.

[Dave Hellman]

Considering what we just said about who was available and who was playing in this game, like if you go back and watch that play, it really is wild that there was no conflict for like Eric Kendrick or. Or like for them to sort through. Like there was nothing for them to do but just park themselves at the sticks and wait for a throw. Like and if for that to be what you come up with in a timeout, it's pretty wild.

[Robert Mays]

We were talking about this in real time while we were watching the game. Just the talent disparity between these two teams. So if you took let's say the top two players just in terms of pure talent, post Kittle injury on the Niners, let's say it's Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey and let's say you took the two most talented players on the Eagles roster. Let's just for argument's sake, let's say it's A.J. brown and Saquon Barkley. How many more Eagles would you list off before you got to the first niner?

[Derek Classen]

I mean the rest of the defense basically. So that's like 10 guys.

[Dave Hellman]

12 or 12 or 12 or 13 guys. Like even not including Lane Johnson and.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, Lane Johnson didn't play today. So in terms of investment, in terms of like pedigree, all of that stuff. Devonte Smith, Jordan Mylotta, Landon Dickerson, Dallas Goddard, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, probably Jalen Phillips, Zach Bond, Quinion Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, you could probably get to like 10 or 12 guys.

[Derek Classen]

You would want Nicobe, Dean. Did you say him?

[Robert Mays]

I wouldn't say before any of Dean Nakobe, Dean d', Amador, Lenore is probably a copy.

[Derek Classen]

I feel like where your cutoff is and I probably would want Lenore. But when that's how far you have to go down the list.

[Robert Mays]

That's at 10 guys. Without even thinking about it, the Niners. And the Niners won this game.

[Dave Hellman]

The Niners played this game with more than a hand tied behind their back. It's almost like they're being coached by somebody who should win 2025 NFL Coach of the year.

[Robert Mays]

Well, we'll see what happens when Mike McDonald plays against the Niners next week.

[Dave Hellman]

Hey, that's, hey, that's perfect. I mean especially McDonald was talking it before the Sunday night game. He was on NBC talking about like how weird it is for them to play the same team twice in a row. So for them to get another shot at each other in such close succession, that's, that's going to be a coaching clinic. But I have a feeling Mike McDonald's going to use his personnel advantage more, more adequately than the Eagles did.

[Robert Mays]

I thought the Eagles defense played more than well enough to win in this game. They had a couple big interceptions. I mean both of them I think are, are bad moments from Brock Purdy, the, the first one. They have an in breaker to I believe Juwan Jennings on the right side and everything about the design of that play, the intent of that play and the pre snap look that you're getting from Philadelphia would lead you to that in breaker on time. He gets a tiny flash of pressure in his face, he has to reset and then comes all the way back to the left side to Sky Moore with a contested throw against Quinion Mitchell. That ball gets intercepted. The second one. The Niners are in 22 personnel and so the Eagles are in baseball. He's got Jake Tonjas as the number one receiver to the right side theoretically in what becomes one on one match coverage with Quinion Mitchell and tries to throw the crosser to Jake Tonjas against Quinion Mitchell and the ball gets intercepted. And so I, I felt like the Eagles defense made enough plays in this game, but the offense was just nowhere to be found to keep them in this against a depleted bad 49ers defense.

[Dave Hellman]

To go back to that point and we, we already hammered this, but the stats are just too good to ignore. The Eagles got stuffed on 22% of their attempts against San Francisco, which is like seven points higher than San Francisco's average stuff rate this season. Their rushing success rate was 46% despite the fact that the Niners entered the playoffs with the worst rushing success rate, defensive rushing success rate in the NFL. They had one explosive run which like.

[Derek Classen]

And that was like really early in the game.

[Robert Mays]

It was the first drive.

[Dave Hellman]

We know, we know that that's been an issue for the Eagles all year long, but be unable to make anything pop on a more consistent basis against a defense this depleted, it's just, it's, it's unbelievable. And, and then on top of that, you know, it looked like they were, they were trying the perimeter and they tried a lot of like swing passes and screens to try to replicate that. And even when it would pop, two of them got called back by holds. So even when they got something going, they would trip themselves up, up with, you know, Darius Cooper had a hold. Who was it? Cam. Cam Jurgens had a hold that called back a Jalen hurts run. So it's bad. And then when you do make things pop, you make it worse with your own mistakes. Just, just abysmal stuff.

[Robert Mays]

I really appreciated Kyle Shanahan understanding the game he was playing in the second half without Kittle, where they were going to have to use some smoke and mirrors to find explosives in order to get where they needed to go on offense in this game. Because in the first half there, there was nothing going.

[Derek Classen]

They had the first. They had the opening drive touchdown and then that was it.

[Robert Mays]

The opening dive drive touchdown was great. That DeMarcus Robinson cooks quinion Mitchell, I think it was cover three and just cooks him in a kind of a one on one look. That's a 60 yard completion. They go down and score after that. Niners having a really hard time moving the ball and it was easy to understand why you have this Eagles defense where it's not hard to figure out what you need to do. If you can't run the ball into light boxes against the Eagles defense, you're going to have a bad time. And they could not run the ball into light boxes early in the game. I believe in the half McCaffrey had four carries for four yards into light boxes per next gen stats. It's going to be really difficult to move the ball on this team when that's happening because they're just going to play a lot of umbrella coverage. They're going to take away everything else you want to do. But in the second half, I felt like they really did a good job of scheming up and hunting out explosives. The trick play is obviously the best possible example of this. They run a reverse pass, Juwan Jennings, who is a very highly rated high school quarterback, recruitment finds Christian McCaffrey for a touchdown. But on that same drive, that was the one where they run this formation now where Juice Check is kind of in that little like tilted motion as an H back and they'll send him in quick motion right before the snap. And they do that and they run a play action pass off of it and he sneaks out to the left flat. With everything else bled out, they get a 27 yard completion off that. The trick play gets them in for the score. Their next touchdown drive, that was the one where it was a defensive hold on Blankenship that kind of like kept the drive going. And then on that drive they flip out a little screen that's really well designed to McCaffrey for 10 yards. There's an, there's a straight run play where the left guard and Brendell just get crazy. Good push. I believe it was on ojomo. That's a 10 yard run. And then that drive ends with that really cool design on the McCaffrey touchdown where he's on the right side in shotgun, sneaks out, I believe the right a gap widens to the flat and then runs an angle route backwards. And what's cool about that play is if you watch this is like pure progression football at his best. McCaffrey starts to his right on that play. He checks through every single option on the play. And as he gets to McCaffrey, the timing on it is so perfect that when his eyes get there is the exact moment that McCaffrey is coming open as Purdy steps up in the pocket. And so when it comes to understanding where you needed to find your big plays in this game and then consistently being able to come up with, with 4, 5, 6 designs that get you there, I thought it was an incredibly impressive performance from Kyle Shanahan over the final two quarters.

[Derek Classen]

That angle route was a fun little twist one cause usually when you see guys release opposite out of shotgun, they're just running straight to the flat because it's just like it makes a lot of traffic for those second level defenders. But also the Niners do a really good job of usually that pivot player is like a tight end. So they'll have a guy in the slot or like in a wing position. He'll run like a little, he'll start to run to the flat and then he'll pivot back to the middle of the field. As soon as Purdy is progressing to it to do it with McCaffrey, your best player I thought was was awesome. McCaffrey overall had a game that as a pass catcher deli only he can have. Like on the first.

[Robert Mays]

Great way to put it, it's so true.

[Derek Classen]

On the first drive, he had a play where he runs over the middle and he like jumps into traffic in the air. It looks like Drake London and comes down with the ball. That was incredible. The tracking on the trick play where he like Willie mazes it over his head was incredible. And then obviously what you just mentioned, being able to run that angle route and I know, like, it basically just ends up being a one on one with the backer, but like just the navigation to like take a weird release that like most teams aren't doing. Like, he just, he's such a unique player from that position. He's awesome.

[Dave Hellman]

It's not related to his ability as a receiver, but I would add his only explosive of the day came in the red zone on the go ahead drive. Like crunch time, late game, he just surged forward, took two or three guys with him and I think he, you know, he took the first contact after 7 or 8 yards and turned it into a 10, 11 yard gain. He was just, just. He's phenomenal.

[Robert Mays]

It's funny you mentioned just like what can only he do. And that use check 27 yard completion that I was talking about on that play, I believe it's play action. I was rewatching on the dots and obviously can't see it, but I believe it's play action. And then McCaffrey releases through the A gap and then takes it vertical. And on that play, both linebackers carry him vertically. So there's no one in the flat to account for use check. And so not only is he making catches that only Christian McCaffrey is probably capable of making in that position, he's carrying gravity into the passing game that only Christian McCaffrey is capable of. He's special player.

[Derek Classen]

He really is one of a kind at that position. Like there are other great running backs. That dude's one of a kind.

[Dave Hellman]

This isn't the timer place for that conversation. I don't know. I feel like Bijan. Bijan's up there too.

[Derek Classen]

Bijan is like the closest stylistically, but there's a different level of like contested catching and tracking with, I mean, with.

[Robert Mays]

A ball in his hands that he's, he's just a good route runner. His deployment, I think is more varied than McCaffrey's is right now because of how often they're lining him up at receiver. But I think that McCaffrey, the ball tracking for McCaffrey, the contested catch ability, and again to me it's the gravity of what he is within the offense where like, like it almost Feels like watching like Steph Curry play where you like he changes the geometry of what defenses are able to do against you because of how you have to account for him.

[Dave Hellman]

By no means was my intention to diminish Christian McCaffrey. Mainly fun cover. Mainly. I just like to see Bijan Robinson and Kyle Shanahan working together. Like, yeah, it'd be pretty sick. But I mean I know the, the contested catch was amazing, but yeah, the, the touchdown from Jennings, just such a more difficult catch than you would think based on. He just makes it look routine. But he's, he is a special, special player.

[Derek Classen]

I also love a call like that right out of the quarter break. Like anytime you shot territory right out of the quarter, anytime you get some sort of like either the quarter break out of the two minute directly out of a turnover, like any sort of like directly out of some sort of like weird stop in the momentum. A weird shot play is fun. I thought that was a good call.

[Dave Hellman]

The crowd has six minutes of commercials to sort of be not in. Not as into it as they would be. It's. Yeah, it's a perfect like lull to do something like that.

[Robert Mays]

And you need that, you need that play within the rhythm of this game. And I think Kyle Shanahan doesn't always need that. Like, at his best, Kyle Shanahan is able to unleash a dangerous group of pass catchers with a well constructed offense. And that's why the Niners feel scary by the end of this game. You've got no Kittle, you've got no Pierce, all and so and you've got, you know, this version of Jennings. I think he's been a little bit banged up this year. He hasn't been nearly as dynamic as he was last. And so we're at a point in the second half of this game where they're dialing up like design space plays for Luke Farrell. And if that's the current state of your offense, you're going to need to find a, like a sneaky explosive or two somewhere along the way. And that's exactly what they did.

[Dave Hellman]

The Seahawks might peel them like a banana next weekend. And it won't change my mind about the coaching job that Kyle Shanahan did this year and to and Robert Sala as well. But again, that that falls under the umbrella of decisions that Kyle Shanahan made this year.

[Robert Mays]

I'm as impressed with what the Niners did today as I am disappointed in what the Eagles offense look like today. Equal parts.

[Dave Hellman]

Can I throw this stat out there The Philadelphia Eagles this year went 8. No. When they held their opponent to 20 or fewer points this year and they went 3 and 7 if their opponent scored 21 or more points. And lest you think they got into some shootouts, the average points allowed in those games where they went 3 and 7 was 24.

[Derek Classen]

That ain't a lot, man. Like, that's the type of stat you're used to hearing for. Like, if we said that about the Chargers, that would make a lot of sense because that's an offense we know to be inept and not all that talented about. The Eagles is crazy, given all the players they have.

[Robert Mays]

We're going to dig it in depth tomorrow, but we could talk about it in broad strokes now. The Eagles will have a different offensive play caller next year. And it just seems like we're going to keep doing this cycle over and over and over again where the Eagles are going to be. The Eagles are so talented that when they. And I think very highly of Shane Steichen and I think Kellen Moore did a really good job this year. But when the Eagles have an offensive play caller that clears a certain bar of competency. The offense is so talented that that play caller is going to be hired away and then they're going to have to do this thing over and over and over again. So now the Eagles are going to be back in a spot where, like Kellen Moore, they just have to seek out somebody who has done this job before and has done it at a competent enough level that you believe they're going to be able to make this work. With all the aliens that you have on that team, they're just going to.

[Derek Classen]

Pay Todd Monken to be. To like $3 million to be the offensive coordinator.

[Robert Mays]

Honestly, that's the best strategy the Eagles can employ. We. We know what we are. And I. And listen, I don't. Nick Sirianni won the super bowl last year. Like, any ideas about, like, Nick Sirianni losing his job because of something like this, I think that's a. But I think we've gotten to a place where the same thing they did with Fangio, it's like, let's just try to pay the best coordinator we can, four to five million dollars a year. And I think Fangio makes even more than that to make sure we're maximizing the talent we know we have on the roster. And if we are leaving no stone unturned, and we're leaving no doubt about that, with the way that we're staffing the team, we're Probably a Super bowl contender.

[Dave Hellman]

Do you think the right OC hire can smooth over the ride that was the AJ Brown experience? This.

[Robert Mays]

I don't know the answer to that because I don't know, like, how rotten that is.

[Derek Classen]

That's complicated. Compared to 2023, it seemed pretty rotten.

[Robert Mays]

Last year and they won the super bowl. And so I have. I can't speak to whether that's eroded to a point that it doesn't matter who they hire to be the next offensive coordinator. But I have a feel. I don't think they're trading A.J. brown. By the way, the financials of it, the fact that AJ Brown is what AJ Brown is as a player. I have no idea how you are a better team in the short or even medium term by trading AJ Brown, but I think if the next offensive coordinator comes in and he devises a way to get A.J. brown a dozen targets a game, I feel like that would be the best route to making sure that this thing gets smooth over. Oh, man.

[Dave Hellman]

Yeah, the financials aren't encouraging.

[Robert Mays]

I mean, the Eagles have done a lot of shady bookkeeping to maintain this roster in the way that they have. So I think stepping outside of that plan when it is a very well planned out thing over the next couple years has some complications to it.

[Dave Hellman]

It shouldn't be ye. It shouldn't be too hard to come up with a super cut of things to show AJ like, hey, this is what the new guy can do for you. It's going to be fine. You're a great player.

[Robert Mays]

We'll spend some time talking about that tomorrow, like who the candidates should be. Because I think that that is a job that a lot of people would want. Given the talent you get to work with and given the fact that we have a proven track record that is a springboard to a head coaching job. It has happened twice in the last five years. All right, before we get to our next game, let's take a quick break. Thy ticket, lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Dave Hellman]

They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs?

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Getth with the times. With the times. You're playing the loot.

[Dave Hellman]

Yeah.

[Derek Classen]

And it's.

[Robert Mays]

That sounds pretty good, right?

[Dave Hellman]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places.

[Robert Mays]

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[Derek Classen]

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[Derek Classen]

Ultimately fine. Like I think Trevor played kind of like an average Trevor game where he had some like really silly moments. He had like two or three sprays obviously early early in the game. The pick that he throws, the second pick we can talk about at the end of the game. I don't think that was his fault. The first pick he throws is his fault. The defense is running like Tampa 2. He's trying to throw the dig from the left side like behind the pole player. But there's with the way the concept is designed, there's nothing on the other side pulling him that way. They're running like a corner out with whoever the outside receiver is and then they're running like a shallow drag route across the guy's face so he's kind of brought back into that dig window. Anyway, Trevor throws right at us. Him ends up getting tipped and picked off.

[Robert Mays]

Like incredibly cool disguise.

[Derek Classen]

Oh yeah, it's a really good defensive.

[Robert Mays]

And this is when we were talking about the game.

[Derek Classen]

That's what you wanted.

[Robert Mays]

This is exactly the type of stuff that I thought the Bills would try to do because it's the stuff they're very good at. Like the Bills defense is not a talent laden group top to bottom. You got a lot of aging players. We'll talk about a couple of them who played well in this game you need to again like throw some smoke bombs to try to get plays like this. And that's what they've been able to do consistently this year. And it's honestly been one of their strengths for the last couple years. Like pre snap disguise is a foundational piece of what Sean McDermott has been on the back end even if they don't have a lot of like super high end talented players back there. And on that play, the Bills are in a pre, in a single high look pre snap. And the little detail on that play that I find so cool is that Taron Johnson's on the left side in the slot and he's tilted inside looking like he's going to blitz. And so not only is it is the structure single high snap, there are tiny body language things that make it seem like they're going to play single high man. And instead they bail out into Cover 2 with Poyer flying into the back half and Trevor gets fooled, throws the interception. And so those are the moments that I was like, the Bills need to do this if they are going to win the game. And that was the first one that they got.

[Derek Classen]

Yeah, I, I did joke like he kind of got it out of his system, which I, I do think he did. I thought for the most part for the rest of the game he'd made like pretty decent decisions and really otherwise just had a couple of sprays. And then I thought he, he found himself a little bit towards like the second half of. He made a couple of really good throws. Like the Parker Washington touchdown. He throws one is a really good throw into tight coverage. But also Parker Washington bending around Christian Benford. I thought that was like an incredibly athletic play.

[Robert Mays]

He was awesome in this game. Parker Washington is such a good player.

[Dave Hellman]

We talked so much and it happened, I get that. But like we talked so much about what Jacobe Myers did to lift, lift this offense. And over the last three, four weeks of the season, I just consistently felt like it was actually Parker Washington who was doing a lot of this stuff and today was no exception. And just I won't let you walk this road alone, Derek, because you, you catch hell for your Trevor opinions and your Trevor belief. Trevor Lawrence was, was good in this game. Like even with the early pick, I like he played fairly well in this game. Guess what? Football shit happens in tightly contested football games. Like I have no issue with, with the game deciding play. Like I thought Shavius made the fricking play, phenomenal coverage play of his career. Played like it was 2019. Like he hasn't been in All Pro since 2019 and he, he was, he was one of the biggest difference makers in this entire game by the way. Cause Trevor also almost throws a bender touchdown in the red zone to Britain Strange and Trey White falls off of his guy out by the numbers at recognizes the throw, recognizes the play and darts across the lane to make a play on that ball. Pick it off. That's. I mean two phenomenal plays by Trey White could be the difference between Jacksonville winning and losing this game. And I don't know man, like they've been living and dying with Trevor having the confidence to make these dig throws. Like he's, he's been ripping it over the middle to his guys all season long and it's typically worked. The, the throw was there like he had a step on him and then he put it high enough for him to get it and Trey White just made an awesome play. And, and if we're going to shit on Trevor Lawrence for that, that that's fine, but it's not going to be me.

[Derek Classen]

This to me just overall felt like I think on kind of both sides of the ball a pretty good Jags team that just like didn't have that extra 5% and was like a young team like this is still. Trevor has not played a lot of playoff games and so I think you saw you got some of the early mistakes that he is prone to making. A couple of the sprays that he will make every now and then. You saw some of the weaknesses with the offensive line. I think Buffalo got a couple of pressures when they wanted to and really did not allow Trevor outside of the pocket which he's been really, really good at especially over the back half of the season. So I thought that was good game plan wise again against the coaching staff that has a lot more playoff experience. And then I thought there were just a couple of weird play calling moments and decisions from Liam Cohen. Like them going away from the run game when they did at certain points.

[Robert Mays]

It was really surprising.

[Derek Classen]

The first drive out of the half is the one that really bothered me. They're moving with the run game and they get all the way into, I think into the high red and then they have a pass on first down where Trevor throws it incomplete to Brenton Strange into the flat and then they call quarterback draw for Trevor and Dayon Walker nukes it immediately and then you're in third and 10 and you have to throw and it just felt like in that moment like when you're running and that's clearly what you've been able to do for a lot of this game and really get especially on the perimeter, moving guys out of the second level and stuff for that, for that drive to stall out that way was a little bit frustrating for me.

[Robert Mays]

Whenever we complain about teams not running the ball enough, I think it's important to zero on specific sequences where they decided not to run the ball and it came back to bite them. I had that exact same sequence written down early. The first drive of the third quarter, it's right after you get the 26 yard pop run to ETN. They have a straight drop back and then they have a design draw and then it's third down the other one. There was a sequence early in the third quarter or in the second quarter where they get into a third and 12 after two straight drop back passes. That was right before the fourth down failure that they didn't end up getting. So they had two straight passes on first and 10 and second and 10. They get to third, they get to third and 12 on that. I think one of them was a sack. They get to third and 12, they get to fourth and two and then they don't end up getting the fourth and two. The first eight carries by Jags running backs in this game gained 88 yards. And so I think in those two specific sequences they did not run the ball enough. And so I think some of it is play calling stuff. And I think what I saw from the Bills today is exactly the formula the Bills needed to follow for them to be a dangerous team in the playoffs. We mentioned the interception. I thought that there were several others like high leverage, nice moments from the Bills defense in this game in crucial situations. The fourth and two, it's a massive play in a playoff game. To not give up points with another team deep in the red zone is a massive play in a playoff game. So that's one of them. And then the other play that really sticks out to me, you and I talked about it in real time that I thought was just like this is the good shit. It was third and six with like 4:40 left in the second quarter. And the Jags run mesh thinking it's they're getting man coverage. And the Bills run a simulated pressure where both edges drop out and they run a little cross dog with the off ball linebackers. They get a pressure and Cole Bishop drops down into the middle of the field and against, against his own coverage, which it was it ultimately expressed into his own coverage. You theoretically have that over the ball route. That's your Option against zone. Cole Bishop drops right into that route. It leads to an incompletion I believe to Parker Washington and the Jags are punting after a third and six. This Bill's defense is capable of that. That is what this Bill's defense is that that's what they can do. If you're going to get into third and sixth, they're going to throw some weird shit at you and you're going to have to deal with it. And that happened on that side of the ball. And on the other side of the ball, number 17 that plays for the Bills is one of the best football players in the world.

[Derek Classen]

It's just like very simply, that was slow like his. I don't even know how to explain it. He was incredible in a way that was like mostly quiet outside of that insane throw where he gets like folded in half almost and chucks the, the deep post.

[Robert Mays]

Josh Allen was spectacular in this game.

[Derek Classen]

Yes.

[Robert Mays]

Josh Allen finished 28 of 35. He had, he had a 54 and a half rushing success rate with multiple rushing first downs including a couple big scrambles. He had a couple unbelievable high level throws. And when you look at the game in the aggregate kind of feels like a B plus Josh Allen game. That's how, that's how good Josh Allen is.

[Dave Hellman]

A quiet Josh Allen game.

[Robert Mays]

A quiet Josh Allen game. That would be a like playoff defining moment for like most other quarterbacks.

[Derek Classen]

I said after the game we were talking about this a little bit and I was like if Trevor had that game, we would all be thinking about Trevor Lawrence in a completely different light. But Josh Allen does that and it's just like yeah, he does that.

[Robert Mays]

I did.

[Dave Hellman]

I defended Trevor. I really, I hate needed the fourth and two like and that's.

[Robert Mays]

You want him just put his shoulder down and get those two yards and.

[Dave Hellman]

Like look more confident as a runner. He's not though. He's not. Please just barrel over the line to gain like Josh Allen does every time he's in those situations. But I digress.

[Robert Mays]

So Josh Allen against a defense that has been a top 5ish defense by some advanced metrics. Top 7 if you're even if you're.

[Derek Classen]

Trying to like scale for some of the shitty quarterbacks they played by the end. Like top 10 like they were playing some awesome defense down the stretch.

[Robert Mays]

0.18 EPA per drawback for Josh Allen in this game, which is like about what he averaged for the season and is a top five mark over the course of the year. That, that, that's all we got from Josh Allen in this game. And then you mentioned. I mean, there were several, like, big time Josh Allen plays in this game. The throw he hits to Brandon Cooks where there's a free runner in his face, and he puts that ball to Brandon cooks 40 yards down the left, up the left side is like. Like, that's just like a one of one type play that very few guys can make.

[Derek Classen]

That is. He just sticks his back foot in the ground and it's like you can hear him in his head where he's like, all right, this is it. I've got to do it. And he just does it. He puts it right on him. Like he's. His ability to do that and just truly stare down the barrel and not be afraid of those moments was. Was truly incredible. And he also, like, out of the gate that the throw that he makes to. I think it was Brandon Cooks, where he like, just barely layers it over the defender on the sideline, and Cooks makes a crazy catch on the sideline. Would have been de. But like, him starting the game off that way and then really continuing to play the rest of the way that he did. Like, he didn't really make a mistake, like maybe one or two sacks where I thought the Jags guys just like, brought a good pressure to. But otherwise, Josh Allen played a mostly perfect game. And he even had the Brandon Cooks inside the two minute that, like, post he throws down the middle, taken off the board where that looked like a catch to me. They obviously replay and they say that he doesn't get it, and then they fail the third down after that.

[Dave Hellman]

That.

[Derek Classen]

But he. Josh Allen played about as well as you could have in this game.

[Robert Mays]

Also getting the shit kicked out of him early in the game.

[Derek Classen]

He was at like, he was in.

[Robert Mays]

The medical tent three different times.

[Dave Hellman]

Also, I just. I deeply enjoy. And we're talking about the who Justin Herbert has available to him and the type of separation that those guys can get. Khalil Shakir led the day for the bills 12 for 82. Seven of those targets were behind the line of scrimmage, which, I mean, that's Khalil Shakir. That makes perfect sense. But after that, it's Brandon Cooks and his one big catch, the Keon Coleman, where he gets loose and against cover two. And I think that was still in the first half. And then a whole bunch of Dawson knocks and Dalton Kincaid. Like, Josh Allen has been piecing this together with the most underwhelming group of pass catchers.

[Derek Classen]

And that I will say if I want to Give the other Bills players some credit and maybe give the Jaguars a little bit of hell. The tackling from the Jaguars in this game was not great.

[Robert Mays]

Like, and there were a couple of big coverage busts.

[Derek Classen]

Yes, there were.

[Robert Mays]

I mean, the one where they drop Keon Coleman up the right sideline, then.

[Derek Classen]

He makes Jerrion Jones miss and gets like another 15 yards added. On top of that, the Khalil Shakir, it was like a third and nine that he converts because he like spins in between a couple of guys. Like. And then Shakir had another handful of plays where again, they're throwing behind the line of scrimmage. And it looks like it should go for one or two and it goes for five or six. Like, it just the little stuff like that where the Jags would miss a tackle in a way that over the last, like six weeks, they just really weren't missing a lot of those plays.

[Robert Mays]

I'm glad you mentioned that. Third and nine to Khalil Shakir. It was like a bubble screen to Shakir. It was early in the third quarter. I think it was the first drive out of the half. It was out of empty. He hits a spin move in space. It's a huge conversion. I believe it was on the next play. The throw to Cooks is my favorite Josh Allen play of the game. It was the best Josh Allen play of the game. But this one, that was the next play after that Shakir bubble scream. That's one. This is one where it's just like, this is what really makes Josh Allen. Josh Allen. Like, we see the superhuman physical ability, but it goes so far beyond that. On that throw to Shakir, Josh keeps his eyes to the left immediately as he's dropping back. It's cover three from the Jags and he holds the post safety for just long enough, snaps back, puts his foot on the ground, and immediately just rips the seam to Shakir coming up the right side. If he does not hold the safety on that play and if he can't get back to that throw quick enough, that does not turn into an 18 yard completion. On that same driver drive. It's third and five. He rips a little just outbreaker to Gabe Davis that if that's not perfectly placed, that's probably not a completion. And the Bills ultimately get a field goal on that drive. And so he was just doing that kind of stuff over and over and over again in this game. He finished 9 of 12 for 144 yards when pressured. Per next gen stats. 9 of 12 for 144 yards.

[Derek Classen]

Cause that's the thing. They were getting some good pressure.

[Robert Mays]

The Jags for outplayed the Bills offensive line in this game. Yes, they, they did a great job of condensing the pocket consistently and they were pushing the Bills around in a way we do not typically see with the Bills offensive line over the last few years. So the pressure was a consistent issue. And if you look at the issues that the jack that the Bills were having running the ball, I looked this up. With 345 left in the third quarter, the Bills had a 25% rushing success rate and a negative 0.17 EPA per carry on their running back. Early down runs it was 12 carries for 38 yards. So the Bills throughout this entire game were in second and nine, second and eight over and over and over again. And so I think some people when they're trying to diminish what Josh Allen has been within this offense, point to the fact that they have been able over the last couple years to rely on their run game in a way that some other quarterbacks cannot. In this game that wasn't the case. He had to shoulder so much of the load and get guess what? He was more than up for doing it.

[Dave Hellman]

Gabe Davis also exited this game and Tyrell Shavers missed a healthy chunk of it as well.

[Derek Classen]

And he had made a couple of nasty blocks for them on the perimeter early in the game. So losing them again hurts what they're able to do in this game like Josh Allen was. And what's funny about all the early down runs you can remember, all of them, they only really had three good runs in this game and they were all just tosses into the battle.

[Robert Mays]

They're perimeters.

[Derek Classen]

Every perimeter runs every other run, especially all the other stuff up the middle completely clogged up. Like Devon Hamilton had a good game. I thought the lineback packers had a good game. It was a really, really impressive day by the Jaguars front again. They just got beat in coverage a couple of times because you get a few missed tackles here and then Josh Allen four or five times a game is just going to do something really, really incredible.

[Robert Mays]

I love my favorite sequence from the offense for the Bills in this game was early in the fourth quarter. They have a third and four. They're in a little bunch to the left. They run a little yo yo motion with Kincaid just to get some information and then create some traffic. He flashes to the fourth flat. Allen hits him conversion on third and four. The next play they hit a big chunk to Dawson Knox where Josh just layers it over Foyer luacon for a 24 yard gain. And on that drive they hit a fourth in inches. Following the. The Jags had a challenge on the slide. Fourth inches, they get it and then you get the Kincaid touchdown with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter. And so it's like that entire sequence, I thought that was straining together like structural kind of schematic things that put them at an advantage. That was my favorite, favorite set from the Bills and from Joe Brady in this game.

[Dave Hellman]

And I mean, again, we have a season full of examples of this, but to use Shakir as the eye candy on the fake screen, like to even.

[Robert Mays]

Out of this flip back, look like that. Just the, the. Again, the structure of that is really well done. Yeah.

[Derek Classen]

Especially in a game where you've been throwing a lot of those screens. Like you've set that up for the whole course. Obviously they've set it up for the whole season. Right. Because they've been doing a lot of that. But they set it up over the course of the game that, like these flat players, these hook players need to fly to the flat. Like, Devin Lloyd starts to chase it a little bit. He realizes that he needs to carry Kincaid, but then weirdly, he does start to carry him, and then he like falls off of it at the end and thinks that noose, like, he got a little bit lost on that play. So it was a little bit of everything on that play. But yeah, that's. I, I actually did think that the Bills, the passing game was about as good as it could have been.

[Robert Mays]

I think overall the run game was. Was bad in this game. And that's something that you don't necessarily expect with the Bills. But I thought a lot of the aspects of who the Bills were this game is the reason that even if they were maddening at points this year, even if they were frustrating what they were today, I was like that. That's why this team is dangerous. Like, that's why in these playoffs, this team is dangerous, because the defense is capable of doing enough weird shit to get you four or five high leverage wins. And the quarterback is the quarterback. And we've learned a lot of lessons about relying too much on that this year and the limitations of that sort of thing. But it still helps to have one.

[Dave Hellman]

If you could go back earlier into like the. The loss of the Dolphins comes to my mind, maybe the loss of the Falcons, but my memory is fuzzy. But if you were designing a Bills playoff loss, you'd be like, oh my God, if James Cook's rushing success rate is 30% and he finishes with 46 yards on the day. And you're asking Josh Allen to work with this group of pass catchers and even a more depleted group of pass catchers than usual because you have in game injuries. You'd probably say yes, this is, this is how it happens. And, and this week at least Josh Allen really rose to that occasion and his reward for that is at Denver.

[Robert Mays]

It's awesome. The fact that they have to like go on this potential murderer's row. This Jags team is a good team. Yeah, this Jags team is a good football.

[Derek Classen]

They played a good football game and we're just 2% worse than the Josh Allen Bills. Good takes.

[Dave Hellman]

Good takes exposed by Derek because he said it and we both called him crazy. I called him crazy is like, I just, I hate that this was a wild card game.

[Robert Mays]

Like and I don't know, AFC championship game. It was maybe a little too far.

[Dave Hellman]

Maybe it shouldn't have been the AFC title game. But like it, it sucks that, that one of these teams is done. And like the Jags. Yeah, like especially Trevor's first pick was not great. I didn't love the, the effort level there or the coordination level on the fourth and two down in the low red zone. But the Jags didn't play a bad game. Trevor didn't play a bad game like you. You win this game with anything less than an excellent Josh Allen day. And, and for. And the Bills got that and credit to them. But I would have been pumped to see both of these teams on divisional weekend.

[Robert Mays]

That's just how it goes. We get to see the Bills head to Denver next weekend and I'm very much looking forward to that. We're going to talk about all of the wild card round losers in depth on tomorrow's show. We're also going to be recapping the Texan Steelers game live right here, the same way we've done over the last couple nights.

[Derek Classen]

That.

[Robert Mays]

That will be o. That will come to you overnight. And so we're going to have two shows in your feed on Tuesday morning. We're going to put that in the podcast feed. It's not just going to be on YouTube so a lot more stuff coming your guys way over the next couple days. Really looking forward to it. Excited to get to it. A fantastic weekend of football and it is not over yet. We'll talk to you very soon.

[Derek Classen]

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[Dave Hellman]

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[Robert Mays]

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[Derek Classen]

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[Dave Hellman]

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[Dave Hellman]

If the holidays left you feeling maxed out.

[Robert Mays]

You don't need a reinstall invention, you need a reset.

[Derek Classen]

PURA's well being collection helps you shape the feeling of your space with Premium Smart Home Fragrance. Choose by Mood, set it on a.

[Dave Hellman]

Schedule and let scent support how you.

[Robert Mays]

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[Derek Classen]

From slow mornings to quiet evenings, fragrance becomes part of your rhythm. This is your daily flow reimagined with scent.

[Dave Hellman]

Explore moods and find your New [e-mail].

[Robert Mays]

Moods this episode is brought to you by American Express Global Business Travel There's a saying that in business, how you enter a room matters. So did you enter like someone who just spent six hours on a plane wedged in a middle seat, an economy by the restrooms? Or like you slept like a baby reclining by the window with extra legroom? That's why Amex Global Business Travel remembers how you like to travel, and it automatically rebooks canceled flights because being there is everything. MXGBT Great ideas Travel.