← The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Darnold’s Apex: How the Seahawks Broke the Rams & Sean Payton’s Fatal Mistake
00:53:37
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- [00:00]
A
Hi. Hello, my fellow football American. Super Bowl 60s, all set. Seahawks, Patriots, Excited to talk about that. But the majority of the conversation, it seems, is about the weather conditions at the AFC title game. What happened to you people? Okay, it snowed. And I heard it was also windy. I don't get it. Just a few weeks ago, I could swear I heard you singing about how you wanted to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Now all of a sudden you're Milli Vanilli in winter, blaming it on the snow. As you may have noticed, that game sucked before it started coming down. By the way, I don't mean to hurt anybod on either side's feelings, but if Bo Nix had played, Denver obviously wins that game. Either way, everyone watches Thousand Pound Sisters, right? Right. Well, as you know then, Amy's getting married and she wants the ceremony to be haunted. Ghosts for bridesmaids. Not people dressed as ghosts, mind you. Ghosts. Now, Tammy doesn't want to go. She thinks it's sacrilegious and more to the point, too weird. And I agree with that. But Amy's the one with the ring on her finger. You don't get to tell her about her wedding. And that's what home field advantage is. Getting home as a big reward for a big season long achievement. It was 82 and sunny in Jacksonville on Sunday. If the Jags had the number one seed, it would have been hot for the visitors. Is that unfair? The 99 Rams were ideally constructed to play under a dome, as their nickname Greatest show on Turf indicated. I bet the Brownie Bucks didn't like playing under that dome. In fact, you might go so far as to say they felt disadvantaged. Are we also throwing out the results of the Ice Bowl? I mean, there's a pretty good case Bart Starr scored on that QB sneak only because it was slippy at. Maybe they're right, though. That green wall in Boston's ballpark is tall. The rough at Oakmont is rough. Maybe football fans should keep it down a little too. We don't want to distract those guys out there. Who needs actual empathy when you express your concern for a multi millionaire who's chilling? What are we talking about? People are complaining about obstacles to success. Half the guys out there are paid to be human obstacles. They chase you around and everything. You know what? I've had it. I've got to go get some earmuff, ski pants and bubble wrap. Let's chop chop and start the show. Yes. Hi and hello and welcome to Super Bowl 60. My fellow football Americans, welcome to Football America. We're presented as ever by our pals at DraftKings. DraftKings. The crown is yours Hawks Pats Super Bowl 49 sequel. Get ready for lots and lots of references to Malcolm Butler. Get ready San Francisco and Santa Clara. We're on our way up there in about a week from now. Be on the lookout for me at Media Night. The opening night. That's what they call it. I have some questions to ask the Seahawks and Patriots players. One reference here for you about the Football America YouTube page. In between shoveling the snow or whatever else you're doing, please be a dear subscribe Spread the good word on Football America. We enjoy the conversation in the comment section on YouTube and or wherever you find your podcasts. We appreciate you subscribing Be a Patriot. Not the kind with the capital P. Although if you are with the capital P, we we welcome you as well. And congratulations. It's episode 46. The players who wore that best in NFL history, Tim McDonald and Todd Christensen. Andy Pettit wore it well in MLB. Two good ones though. 46. First of all, pick Pete Johnson, who was the fat Bengals running back in the 80s. In 1983 he had three and a half yards of carry and 14 touchdowns. Then he left Cincy and in 84 for the Chargers and Dolphins. How about this? 87 total touches, 12 of them touchdowns. How does that math work? He rushed for 2.4 yards per carry. He was the ultimate goal line back and he was a slob on top of it. It was very funny. And also Doug Plank wore it for the Chicago Bears. I him up because he is who the 46 defense of the Bears were named after. And now the Patriots are back in the super bowl and they Lost Super Bowl 22. The 46 defense of the Chicago Bears. And now we say hello to our fellows, the Fuentes boys. We have Mo Damasch coming up in one second and Jeff Schwartz for the jerk list. How are you fellas?
- [04:24]
B
I'm feeling pretty bummed, man. The Patriots are back in their 10th Super bowl appearance since the Dolphins last won a playoff game. It's.
- [04:32]
C
We were, we were talking about this in the office earlier, Dave and and I think that the Dolphins don't catch enough for being as bad as they've been over the last 20 years. I think like people like to pile on the Browns. The Browns have won a playoff game since I've exited high school. So I think, I think Football America and other football Americans. Yeah, we should find a way to collectively give the Dolphins more Shit, I listen.
- [05:01]
A
I think that's spot on as you know. What do you call them, a legacy team or a tent pole franchise or whatever you would call them. Obviously they don't date back to the 30s or anything, but deeply important in super bowl era lore, those two early 70s titles that they win and all of that, you're right, they've been lost at sea for way too long. Despite having one of the three or four best quarterbacks in the history of the super bowl era. Interesting stuff, by the way. Super Bowl 46, the the lowest total since Super Bowl 50 between the Broncos and Panthers, that total was 43. Right now the total is 46 on this game. And the Seahawks are laying five down in South Beach. They're sad because it's sunny outside, but gloomy in their hearts. In Pittsburgh, it's actually snowy and they have a new head coach up there. If you haven't heard about that, let's get it to our weather girl, Mo Damaschek for a quick update there before we talk about the two teams going to the super bowl and the Final Four. Apparently some technical difficulties are getting in the way of our brand new segment in which we get a weather forecast. Today in football America, we want to travel to the banks of the Three Rivers. It's apparently a tundra, a winter wonderland. Here as our correspondent, our weather girl, it's my mother, Momo Danishek. I know time is short because you have to play canasta. We appreciate you squeezing us in to your busy schedule. First things first. Momo, what is it like out there? What, what's, what are the latest conditions in terms of snowfall and otherwise?
- [06:37]
D
It is. We had 12 inches of snow. It finally stopped snowing and they plowed the streets. But the snow is piled so high now on the streets, it'll be like April or May. You know that. Till it melts.
- [06:49]
A
How great would it have been if it had snowed? If there had been an a, an AFC title game in Pittsburgh, it would have been even worse and the tears would have frozen even more quickly. They did in Denver. Everybody weeping about the it's snowing at a football game. Shame the devil. It would have been glorious in Pittsburgh. So it's snowy there.
- [07:07]
D
In other words, it is very snowy. It's very cold. Going to be 12 or 13 all week. So as I said, it's not going to melt. But one good thing, one bad thing. Remember when I was in nursing school, I told you they shut down Fifth Avenue?
- [07:19]
A
No, I wasn't alive then, but no, I'VE heard the stories. Yes, yes.
- [07:23]
D
Anyway, Negley Hill, Pittsburgh's a very hilly city. Negley Hill is right in the middle of a residential area. It's a big hill. They shut down the bottom of the street, and we walked up and went sled riding down Negley Hill. They did the same thing yesterday. They shut down 5th Avenue, this major thoroughfare, and people were skiing and sled riding down Negley Hill. And the other thing would be horrible for you because you loved snow days. You loved them so much. Now they just.
- [07:53]
A
My own. The only. The only ray of sunshine that my youth ever saw was a snow day.
- [07:59]
D
That was it for you. That's your only happiness. So I was happy when now they all go to remote learning and so they still have to sit there.
- [08:08]
A
Ah, no.
- [08:11]
D
No sled rides. No.
- [08:12]
A
The man wins again.
- [08:16]
D
I thought of you. I thought you would just be. You would be in that bed being like, no.
- [08:23]
A
The forever war continues. This battle goes to the man.
- [08:29]
D
It does.
- [08:30]
A
Boy, does that suck. All right.
- [08:32]
D
Your sisters would be like, okay. But you'd be like, oh. Anyway. Yes.
- [08:37]
A
Oh. So wait. They've taken away one of the few pleasures of being a schoolbound kid, which is in wintry climes when they announced the night before, you listen to the radio to hear if your school gets named or morning of. I don't know which is better. Both are great. When they. When you hear your school's name, shout it out and you have the day off. Now the man weighs down on you and says, turn on your computer and learn some more fat. I can't stand it. That's the same noise. A lot of people in Pittsburgh, you said that the weather, the temperature is 12 degrees, but the wind, chill, they say, feels like. It feels. Feels like. Things are chillier in the reception from Steelers fans for the local. The prodigal son coming home now to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers. It seems like from a distance there are more people upset by this news than happy about it. Give us a temperature check on how Pittsburghers are reacting to Mike McCarthy's hiring in Pittsburgh.
- [09:38]
D
Many, many Pittsburghers just distraught, of course. They're never going to another game. They're not going to watch them on television. They're finished. This is the last straw. Fortunately, our family, really good, loyal fans, as you know, much more optimistic. I mean, guarded optimism, but much more optimistic. Amy was over here Friday night, went on and on about they can.
- [10:03]
A
Amy, my older sister?
- [10:04]
D
Yes, yes, Amy, your older sister.
- [10:06]
A
Okay. Steeler fan.
- [10:08]
D
Oh, big, big Pittsburgh sports fan as we know her Family went to Pirate games until the last one or two years. Big fans.
- [10:16]
A
They're weirdos. Yeah, right. They cross a line in my book. They're too much, but okay.
- [10:20]
D
But okay.
- [10:21]
A
Anyway, I appreciate it.
- [10:23]
D
No, Mike McCarthy, he's too old. Maybe they're hiring him. If they hire him because he's a Pittsburgh guy, she doesn't agree with that. She just didn't want him. Someone younger and everything. So I talked to her immediately after I hear on Saturday she's changed completely. Well, maybe he'll do a better job. I think he's gonna do. You know, that's Amy.
- [10:44]
A
Okay. So the arrows pointed up on the thermometer.
- [10:47]
D
Wait, across the board. I did a small poll.
- [10:50]
A
Yeah.
- [10:51]
D
People in their mid-20s, mid-50s, mid-70s. So we're covering, you know, the gamut of ages and everything. Okay. Uncle Mike, you know, curmudgeon about so many.
- [11:02]
A
Sure.
- [11:02]
D
Yes. Well, he's worried more now about the quarterback situation. If they. He. That man doesn't even bring up like Mike McCarthy that much, except to say if they're able to get a good young quarterback, maybe so.
- [11:18]
A
His temperature is moderate. It's temperate.
- [11:21]
D
He's waiting. But he said he's old. He's like. He ends up a lot of years. Amy wanted somebody that could be here for 20 years in the sailor tradition. That's again, Benjamin, the most optimistic.
- [11:37]
A
My nephew.
- [11:38]
D
Your nephew Benjamin. Cautiously optimistic.
- [11:41]
A
Oh, good.
- [11:42]
D
He thinks they must hire, though, a defensive coordinator. Do you think that. And he thinks too, the quarterback is big to everybody. And he's thinking that Mike McCarthy might be able to. And he did a decent job in Dallas. They won 12 games. So they're all. They're not on the naysayers.
- [12:03]
A
Well, Irv likes it on my friend chain with the. With the Pittsburghers people. Irv likes it?
- [12:10]
D
Yes.
- [12:12]
A
Richie's sister Sarah does not like it. She's very upset about this.
- [12:16]
D
Okay.
- [12:17]
A
And so it's a. So it's a range of opinions is basically, is what I'm hearing, but not in our family. Then Zachary Brett doesn't like it, but he's gonna get behind it because he feels obliged to get behind it to. To.
- [12:31]
D
I really think that's what's going on with Uncle Mike, Amy, Benjamin, and Zachary, who is in college, as you know. Zachary.
- [12:41]
A
Yeah, I do know that. I did know that.
- [12:43]
D
He's in college. He is such a fan, too. He has driven back for some Steeler games.
- [12:48]
A
He.
- [12:49]
D
The first day of classes was last Monday. Was he a temple? Oh, no. He went to the Steelers playoff game because he's such a fan. But then he realized I shouldn't miss two day classes, got in his car at midnight and drove back five hours to Philadelphia.
- [13:05]
A
Heroic.
- [13:06]
D
Heroic thing. So he is a fan. His comment was predictable.
- [13:13]
A
That's very, very sort of Coach Signetti type, sardonic thing. Typical.
- [13:19]
D
Predictable.
- [13:20]
A
Typical of the Steelers. What. What else is new? They just. They operate like it's in 1974 again. All right, well, good. We're very good update there, Mo. It's interesting to hear what's going on. You're the boots on the ground. A chili straw poll for the rest of football America to. To get a sense of what's going down there. Last thing before you go. Any update on who you like better, Mike Fuentes or Gino Fuentes?
- [13:47]
D
No, I need to spend a little bit more time with both of them right now. They're equal. But, you know, eventually I will have.
- [13:56]
A
A favorite, you know, what the super bowl is, you know, right on the horizon there. On the other side of that, maybe we should have Gino and Mike go on dates with you on audio dates here, like we've done in past. In past efforts. And Mike and Gino can court you and then you can choose them based on that.
- [14:16]
D
One of them has.
- [14:17]
A
Gino does, but Mike is apparently a ladies man down Florida way. So we'll see. We'll see who's got who. Who can win the heart of Momo.
- [14:24]
D
I'm sure he'd be honored, but I would be uncomfortable. I don't know. We'll see.
- [14:29]
A
With Gino, you have to stiff arm him. You said Mike, do you think you have better game than Gino to win over Momo?
- [14:39]
C
I know I do.
- [14:40]
A
Oh, you did okay.
- [14:43]
D
I don't know. I have pretty high.
- [14:44]
A
This is going to be a tough relationship, Mo. Just so you know, though, you and Mike. Mike. Mike hates the winter. He thinks football is no good if it snows. Oh, it's chilly outside. So that may be a point of division for the team.
- [14:56]
D
Well, neither of us are going to move, but long distance might work. People do it. They. All right, we'll see how it works.
- [15:02]
A
Maybe Mike is good at canasta and that'll be enough.
- [15:04]
D
You know, that's all I'll need, right? So.
- [15:07]
A
All right, go play your canasta.
- [15:08]
D
Okay. All right. Love you, slug.
- [15:10]
A
Bye. There goes Momo Damoshek with an Update on Mike McCarthy and all the rest of what's going down in Pittsburgh in football America.
- [15:24]
E
You know, people keep asking me about my 20, 26 resolutions. And yeah, I got the usual stuff. You know, watch more games, complain about the power play and pretend like my team's actually going to stay healthy. But this year, the one at the top of my list is simple. Get comfy. That's where BOMBAS comes in. They bring serious comfort to my everyday essentials. Bombas just dropped their all new sports socks engineered for running, golf, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, basically whatever you're pretending you're about to be really into. And I'm trying to stay active this year by playing hockey. I need these socks. It has cushioning where you need it. It's sweat wicking, solid support, no distractions, just comfort. And for the everyday stuff, Bombers footwear has you covered. Sunday slippers for staying in, Friday sandals for quick errands and the new Saturday suede slip ons for when you want comfort but still need to leave the house. Premium everyday go tos I don't really think about, which is kind of the point. And for every item you buy, Bombas donates one to someone facing housing insecurity. One bought one donated over 150 million items so far. Head over to bombers.com dkn and use code dkn for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A S.com dkn code dkn at checkout.
- [16:37]
A
All right, for this next item, I want to bring in our pal here. He joins us every week. We appreciate it all through football season. I know you appreciate it too. He's Jeff Schwartz, host of Jeff Schwartz is smarter than you. He's doing all the bare bet stuff over there on Fox as well. Meantime, how are you, Jeff Schwartz?
- [16:55]
B
I'm good. You know, I know the football's coming to an end, Dave, but it, you know, it, it turns just, it makes me think of like spring and baseball and softball season for my daughter. It's like I get excited for that idea, but obviously one game left, man. One game left.
- [17:12]
A
I know. In a corporate event at that. All right, here's the thing that I'm bringing you in for. And this goes neatly for you as a SoCal native. Sam Darnold, USC University of Southern Cal. That's what it stands for, if you haven't heard. I was surprised by this. And I, you know, I love my super bowl history and all that. I just never put two and two together. Do you know Sam Darnold is the first USC QB to ever start a Super Bowl?
- [17:38]
B
I saw that today. Yeah, I think they had like 26 in the NFL. He's the first 26 drafted. He's the first one. And this is what, his fourth team, right? Fourth team. I think that's what it ends up being. So, look, but I'm gonna have to eat some crow on Sam Darnold. I'm fully okay to accept that. I mean, my standard was always this, right? Like, if you close your eyes and think and visualize Roger Goodell, now he's not, I know he's not holding the Lombardi, but like, he gets the Lombardi eventually, right? And he hands it to the owner and then maybe they hand it to, like, is Sam Donald raising that Lombardi Trophy at the end of the Super Bowl? Yes, he's going to. I never pictured that in my brain. That's something that's going to happen at the end of this season, Dave, and it's very likely to happen that Sam Darnold is the one with the picture at the end hoisting Lombardi Trophy after he was a Super bowl for, for the Seattle Seahawks.
- [18:34]
A
I mean, that obviously is not. His life is completely different than it was 48 hours ago before the NFC title game kicked off. He is now one and had a great game against the LA Rams to take his team to the Super Bowl. The idea that QB wins in the postseason don't matter, don't impact how we regard quarterbacks in the quarterback league is, is weird. It's, it's an attempt to create a reality that is not there. I, I, I, I'm fascinated by the people who argue with me about it. I'm not talking about necessarily. In fact, I did argue with one Mina Kimes about it on the LeBatard Show a week ago. Yeah, I think, I think where we get confused where we're two ships passing in the night, the, the people who argue against QB wins is, it's not necessarily about the performance of those guys. Although if they blow it, if they throw three or four interceptions in a big spot and they're supposed to be carrying their team like Josh Allen did, then that deserves a little stink on this guy who you're holding up. On the other hand, what I'm talking about is the result. Recorded history is based on the victors. They write it, as you may have heard the cliche say. And so now when you win, you're the enduring legend of the era, not the guy who had better stats than you in October. All right, I don't want to have this conversation again, even though I'm having.
- [19:53]
B
But, but I think, Dave, I think the reason why people don't like the quarterback win discussion is because oftentimes a winner loss not solely on the quarterback. Right.
- [20:02]
A
So I got it. Of course.
- [20:04]
B
But. But you're right though for legacy, winning these games absolutely does matter. And even like moving forward to two weeks from now, I've always been one that's been like ah, you know Darnold, the big game's not as good. Not anymore. Can't use that right like that, like that's it. But. But he also played well where like Drake May has made the super bowl and the office hasn't been very good. So like you can't really use that as a quarterback wins thing for him. I don't think any differently. I'd actually think worse about their offense even though they're three and on the postseason. So it's just a matter of how you frame it. But this was, I mean the Darnold, this has a huge. He played so well. He was so good.
- [20:41]
A
I agree. And now we regard him very differently. Big spot, big performance. Obviously. Now Sam Darnold is a virtue under center for your team, not a detriment. Okay, here's the thing I wanted to ask you and Fuentes boys. I'm interested in how accurate you can be on this one too. Jeff Schwartz, you know I like the, the history a little bit better than you do. So Sam Darnold, first USC QB to ever start a Super Bowl. Do you know the school and it's one school who has the most quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl.
- [21:17]
C
This is probably going to be Pitt or something. I don't know, Dave.
- [21:19]
B
I know it, I'm not going to say. What does it say? No, say.
- [21:21]
A
Do you know Gina? Okay, Jeff.
- [21:23]
B
And it's all one guy.
- [21:25]
A
No, no, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
- [21:26]
B
The multiple guys.
- [21:29]
A
I don't know if that's definitely true but, but I'm talking about most quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl. Just the name count, not how many super.
- [21:37]
B
It's probably gonna be like some obscure, some obscure school that we don't put as a quarterback school is my guess.
- [21:43]
A
Well, it's not obscure. You've heard of it.
- [21:45]
B
But it's a school that we don't. Wouldn't associate with. With most quarterbacks starting in a Super Bowl.
- [21:51]
A
But I will tell you this one of the guy. Well, he didn't do it there, but he is a champion nevertheless. This guy who went to Cal.
- [22:02]
B
It's. It's Cal.
- [22:04]
A
It's Cal. That's right. Fernando. Fernando Went to Cal before he was an IU legend for all of time. It is Cal. They had five. The most quarterbacks ever to start a Super Bowl.
- [22:16]
B
There's golf.
- [22:19]
A
Correct. Doing well. Doing well. You won't get the other ones.
- [22:22]
C
Are you going to name a bunch of guys that were there, like before the Cold War or something like that? That's not fun.
- [22:29]
A
I don't think the. The Cold War. I think super bowl era follows the Cold War.
- [22:36]
B
I was, I was listening to the.
- [22:37]
A
Start of the Cold War.
- [22:38]
B
I was listening to a podcast and they brought on someone who is an older, an older gentleman. He was talking about, like, Otto Graham. And I was like, I'm out. Like, what do we do?
- [22:49]
A
I agree. You know my cut point.
- [22:51]
B
The NFL, I think she think is great because they never do this. Right. Like, we don't ever like Shohei Ohtani. Best season since 1910. You're like, what? Just enjoy the season for what it is. Knowing the NFL is like, you know what? That Sam Darnold, he reminds me of 1913 old oil can boy. You're like, no. Like, what are we doing? NFL never does that. Dave. It's one thing I love.
- [23:14]
A
Oh, no, no, no. People. I. I've had many conversations with people who invoke the name Don Hudson as though his stats in the 30s have anything to do with.
- [23:24]
B
You probably thought you were. I did.
- [23:25]
A
I know why I always say Don Hudson was covered by my forefathers. It's not impressive to do anything. Who cares what he did?
- [23:32]
B
The general NFL media doesn't do that. Where they do it so much in baseball, a little bit in basketball, it frustrates me so much because NFL is so different than it was even 15 years ago. Comparing even baseball, comparing Ohtani to Babe Ruth is not even remotely a discussion to be had. And baseball people cannot stop doing it.
- [23:53]
A
Well, here's the. Here you have to start the clock at different points for different sports. I think in baseball it makes sense to start at around 45. Jackie Robinson makes sense.
- [24:02]
B
Integration. Yes.
- [24:03]
A
And changes things. Okay, so mid-40s for that sport. Hockey, it's either 67 when there become more than a half dozen teams in the league, or maybe 1980 with further expansion. 79, 80, 81 ish. When they. When they bring in some of those Western province teams from Canada and otherwise. NBA, I think is again, somewhere in the 70s, maybe even you start the clock when Magic and Bird arrives. That's not an unreasonable argument. And in football, the neatest of all, the super bowl era, nothing before it Matters now it. Who cares about any of the rest of it. But okay, so there you go. Joe Cap is the answer. I don't know. He was born.
- [24:44]
B
I know. Okay.
- [24:46]
A
Cold War son. Yes. Craig Morton started for the Broncos in. In Super Bowl 12 against the Cowboys. Former Cowboy Vince Ferragamo. Super Bowl 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. You said it right. Shorts Bama is the second most QBs to start from one school. Do you want to try to name those guys?
- [25:08]
B
Are you counting? Are you counting? Jalen Hurts.
- [25:11]
A
What do you mean? Oh, yeah, I guess. Okay. Yeah, that's fair. You could.
- [25:14]
B
I think about the portal. What do you count as? So it's.
- [25:18]
A
Yeah. So by that standard, I guess Fernando. Well, he didn't make a Super Bowl. Now I'm getting confused.
- [25:22]
B
Joe Namath, right?
- [25:23]
A
Correct.
- [25:27]
B
No one else? No one? No. I don't know who else.
- [25:31]
C
There are some names on this short.
- [25:33]
B
List, let me tell you.
- [25:35]
A
Snake Stabler and Bart Starr. They're enduring legends of the sport. What are we talking about? At number three, Notre Dame, there are three schools. I just named one of them for you. Name the schools. There are three schools that have had three QB start a Super Bowl. Jesus. I just gave you. I think Notre Dame's kind of obvious.
- [25:53]
B
Notre Dame says. Who's that? Montana. I can't. I mean I. I know like Joe.
- [25:59]
A
Theisman and Darryl lamonica.
- [26:00]
B
So it's easier to name the quarterbacks of like who win. Obviously the losing quarterbacks. I'm trying to think of all the winning quarterbacks.
- [26:06]
A
Oh, that's weird. It's weird for the people who don't believe in QB wins, that. That would be true.
- [26:11]
B
I don't know the other. I don't know the other two teams. I mean Michigan probably Michigan, one of them just use.
- [26:16]
A
No, it's lsu. The late David Woodley, the worst quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl. Obviously Stan Humphrey is also in the conversation for worst quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl. And Joe Burrow and then another kind of weird one. Although they do have a nice legacy of QBs. Purdue, Lenny Dawson, Bob Greasy, Drew Brees. That's that. I don't know. Is that. Am I the only person interested in the conversation we just had for the last four minutes?
- [26:42]
B
Maybe I'm interested. I will say I did see before the national champion on Monday a Purdue fan that had like a Purdue like mascot with Indiana head on it saying like I like I'm rooting for Indiana. That. That was. That was. That was treason. You should be. You should be hanged for that?
- [26:58]
A
Yeah, it's. It's pathetic. It's really. It's really sad. We don't need to indulge that sort of flailing about for relevancy. All right, let's get to the jerk list. If somehow this is your first experience with the jerk list, Mike and Gino. Gino and Mike Fuentes will make a statement to me and Jeff Schwartz, and then Schwartz and I will decide whether or not that's a rational thing to say, given the evidence we have, or if that's a knee jerk reaction to something we just saw. Take it away, Fuentes. Boys.
- [27:26]
B
All right, let's see. Brady's performance in the booth has come a long way over the last two years.
- [27:33]
A
Short. You go first.
- [27:35]
B
Yeah, it's got a lot better. Are, are we surprised that Tom Brady put the work in to be a better broadcaster? It's hard to broadcast games, Dave, you'll like this story. I'm going to keep trying to do as quick as possible. So I called some games when I was. When I retired. On Facebook Live was the. Was like stadium Facebook Live. We streamed the entire game. No commercials.
- [27:56]
A
I don't think I knew this. Okay.
- [27:58]
B
It was 2017. Did three college games that year. The first one I did was UTSA at home in Alamo Dome against Rice. All right? And that week I had a very intense stomach bug. Monday.
- [28:12]
A
I like this already.
- [28:14]
B
Okay. And it was better Friday. I got to San Antonio. Better Friday and Saturday I was pretty much okay. Took some Emodiums, lock everything up. And I told my broadcast partner that, hey, man, I might have to go running. Just letting you know it's giving you.
- [28:30]
A
Lock everything up.
- [28:32]
B
Now, mind you, no commercial breaks. So there wasn't like a good. There was no. We had five minute halftime break. That was it. Like, commercial break. Like, like during, like be like, let's go down to the sideline reporter and get a social media report. Like it was one of those, you know, you know, now that's more common. We do that. So about seven minutes left in the game, the bubble guts, like, it starts bubbling. I'm like, oh, boy, here we go. And it was, it came. But two minutes left, man. I missed a third down, a fourth down. I missed two plays. I just ran to the bathroom, did what I had to do, cleaned it up and. And went and missed two plays, though. I was pretty impressed with myself.
- [29:09]
A
Wait a minute. Jack Youngblood played a Super bowl on a broken leg. I think you should have played through it.
- [29:15]
B
You guys should have.
- [29:16]
A
I think you should yeah, right. I think like Ruprecht. Like. Like Ruprecht. Steve Martin in. In whatever. That movie that you should have just gone.
- [29:27]
B
My first. My first. My first ever broadcast. Poop attack. Two minutes left in the game. No commercials, Mike.
- [29:36]
A
He just goes right. That's the pro move. You just. You just. Sorry, I got to make it through this game.
- [29:42]
B
No, I. No, no, no.
- [29:44]
C
But I mean, I'm already questioning his cleanliness just by saying he only missed two plays. You know, that's like. That's like a 90 second window.
- [29:51]
B
Well, there was a timeout before the fourth down play, so I got. So I got. I got a. A third down play, a timeout, a fourth down play, and came back and no one knew. No one knew besides my. No one knew. Yeah, it was not good. I. I was not. I'd be better at it now, obviously. It's like the first thing I did after I retired, but it was. I was not good at calling games. No.
- [30:16]
A
Hey, Gino, see if we can get Tom Brady on. Maybe he has a poop story he could share from his broadcast. From his broadcast.
- [30:22]
B
But Brady's got a lot better.
- [30:24]
A
Yes, okay. Yes, he has. And I was struck by listening to him on Sunday, just how good he was. But I'm reminded to. I mean, for real, if you go around social media and look at football stuff, there is a piece, at least one every week of his broadcast career where there is an update on how Tom Brady's doing in the booth. It really is like a make a wish kid kind of standard. Like, okay, he was bad, but he's getting better, like these constant updates did. Of course, I would hope he's getting better. He's the highest paid person to ever do the job. I would hope he's doing good at it.
- [31:04]
B
I think it's because Romo has gotten worse, that that's why people are sort of, like, surprised Brady's gotten better. Maybe.
- [31:14]
A
I don't know. But. But the other thing is, can we do away. You know, I say this all the time, that we live in a world in which both of these things are true.
- [31:23]
B
You.
- [31:23]
A
You hear about NFL injuries. You hear, oh, he has a lacerated spleen. They'll get into nitty gritty detail about what's going on with a. With a football player, a. What do they call it? A twisted testicle or whatever. People have had. They've had all sorts of terrible injuries, but in hockey, the standard is upper body or lower body injury. And that's all they'll ever tell you. How both of those things can exist at once. I don't know. Same goes for we can't have broadcasters who are calling the game make a pick on what they think is going to happen in that game. At the same time, Tom Brady is picking the next Raiders quarterback. What the hell? How can both of those things be true at once? It's loco. You know what? Everybody talking about Tom Brady too much. You're a jerk. Taste the blaster too much. He's the most famous person ever and he's the most highly paid person to talk about football. I would hope he's getting better at what he's doing.
- [32:21]
C
The Broncos home field advantage is actually what doomed them.
- [32:26]
A
All right. I've already made my. My thoughts on this clear. I. I don't understand what's happened to this world that we. We're bellyache about the elements having it. Yeah, that's right.
- [32:35]
E
The.
- [32:35]
A
The elements impacted a football game. That that's happened since they started playing football. Schwartz.
- [32:40]
B
I'll say you so I was doing radio Sunday morning and I got a text message. Well, we talked about text messages a buddy of mine got and it had a forecast for the game. The forecast called for the weather like it was known it was coming. It might have been a little more windy than I thought, but one team was ready for it. New England was ready for it. They didn't suffer from, you know, they all bunch of other problems they had. Denver looked like they were unprepared for it. They had no idea what's coming.
- [33:08]
A
Even I thought that was a keen note from Romo, as a matter of fact, to say, you know, they really better start, you know, trying to make some plays here because they're about to flip sides and they're not going to be able to move the ball once it gets to the fourth quarter. That was an interesting note.
- [33:22]
B
And that's happened. New England stopped moving the ball when they didn't get the wind. They did in the third quarter. They moved the ball, kicked a field goal. I. I know I differ for some people on this. I want the super bowl be playing in pristine conditions. Don't I want that perfectly perfect pristine conditions. I'm okay with the benefit of playing at home getting a snowstorm. I'm fine with it. That's right.
- [33:44]
C
But they didn't get a benefit. They did not get a benefit.
- [33:46]
B
But that's. Yeah, but that's their quarterback. That's Jared Situm was playing.
- [33:49]
A
But you tried too hard.
- [33:50]
C
He was moving the ball.
- [33:51]
A
Fuentes is trying way too hard. They win that game, someone had the.
- [33:58]
C
Gall to tell me Sean Payton didn't know the weather was coming. Gino Fuentes texted me and told me the weather was coming. And there's no reason Gino Fuentes should know.
- [34:06]
B
And Sean Payton shouldn't move the ball. You mean he completed one whole pass that went. It was two passes, Jeff.
- [34:12]
C
Okay.
- [34:12]
B
It was two. Okay.
- [34:13]
C
One to Mims, one for Sutton in the end zone. Did you watch the game? I just want to know if you watch the game or not.
- [34:17]
B
The Sudden won the three. Dave, who very clearly could play NFL quarterback, he could have made that throw too. Okay. That, that he made one throw all game. By the way, Drake made one throw over 10 yards all game. Two. So, I mean, it was not the best game. But I will not blame the lawyer for this loss.
- [34:31]
A
No, I mean, well, I. The thing that I would blame is, and I think that's a completely fair thing to say, is that Sean Payton should have been playing to the reality of the situation more than he did. I also think, and this isn't prisoner to the moment stuff, 2020 hindsight or otherwise. I guess not. Prison. Mike Fuentes and I definitely park our cars in the same garage on this. And I think a lot of people do in the moment. What the hell did Sean Payton not kick that field goal for? That was crazy.
- [35:01]
B
Yeah.
- [35:02]
A
Why would you go to 100 in that spot with the terrible conditions and you. Even if it. Even if it was sunny and 75 out your. It's your backup QB. You could go up 10 points with 35 minutes left for you in a trip to the Super Bowl. What are you thinking, man?
- [35:18]
B
So a couple of things on this one, Dave. I'm generally pro going for it. I thought the play call was really bad.
- [35:28]
A
Yes.
- [35:29]
B
There's about four different plays that defense would expect with a backup quarterback. That was one of the four. Right. One of them is a quarterback sprint to the right, kind of a Q8 sprint, right option, whatever you want to call it. The other one's probably some sort of play action pass to a tight end, right? Like a little wide leak type of thing. Like that's a tight end. One of them just run the ball up the middle. And the other one was this. It was this. Teams do they do this like rollout to the back in the flat. It's against man coverage, against zone. You have to go look back inside. Someone kind of sets up in the zone and they got pressure right away. Like it was just the play call was very predictable. If you go for do something Else I am okay with that. With that option, they just did one of the four plays everyone expected to come. And I just thought in general that the game plan was not as creative as I thought it would be. Maybe there was no faith in Stidham. I don't know why we convinced ourselves that Stidham was going to play well, at least I did. He covered, which I'll take, but I didn't mind going for it. If you go 14 nothing, the game is over. I mean, he's going for the kill shot. I'll really.
- [36:32]
A
I get, I get that. But I mean, so I say I idealize the weather conditions and all of that, but the reality is it's miserable outside and it's your backup QB and you have him throwing.
- [36:45]
B
I mean, all.
- [36:46]
A
None of it made any sense to me.
- [36:48]
C
Not, not to mention the defense had been absolutely dominating the Patriots. Like they, they had not been able to move the ball at all. And the only reason they scored a touchdown to tie it was because Stidham filled his pants and in his own end. So you go up of two scores there, I mean, you just have to take every point that's available when you have Stidham and weather coming.
- [37:05]
B
Sean Payton said he saw six men on the line and that's when they changed the play. Play on. Wait, on which one? The fourth down play. On the fourth down play, he said that the Patriots put six men up front and they crowded everyone together and that's when they changed the plates all time.
- [37:16]
A
I wish, I wish Schwartz would have filled his pants, but instead he locked it up. But then he went. I don't know all that.
- [37:24]
B
That play, by the way, I, I think it was just an incomplete pass. I.
- [37:30]
C
They called it a back lateral. I did not see.
- [37:32]
A
No, it was a ladder.
- [37:32]
B
No, no, it was a lateral that's.
- [37:34]
C
On the other end.
- [37:35]
B
Here's a quick. Here's a question, Dave. If I throw a ball and it gets tipped by the defender, it goes backwards, is that a backwards pass?
- [37:42]
A
No.
- [37:43]
B
Okay, so are we saying the defender did not hit the ball?
- [37:48]
A
I don't think so. The two handed pass? Yeah. No, I don't. Believe me, it is an optical illusion, like a lot of those are. We have the benefit of the actual stripe to guide us and the ball. You can see empirically the ball goes back by about a half a yard.
- [38:05]
B
So the defender hit his hand, not the ball. Then.
- [38:08]
A
Yeah.
- [38:08]
B
Okay. Because if he hit it, if you hit the ball, it's incomplete pass, not a backwards pass. It's deflected pass.
- [38:13]
A
Right?
- [38:13]
B
Okay, so okay, I agree. That went backwards. My thing is that it's not often ruled that like if you have come back, has to throw the ball, their hand gets hit as they throw the ball and the ball goes backwards. They're going to call that a deflected pass. Incomplete. The same thing happened here. They called it a backwards pass. It's sort of inconsistent how they rule these with a lot of these go.
- [38:34]
A
All right, before we go because I have to jump, I have to throw one in here too before the Fuentes boys roll on Dave. Damoshek is the opposite of a jerk here. Get out of jerk. Free card for Dave. Simple minded Dave maybe, but Dave told you. Sophomore QB goes to the Super Bowl. Team with a first round buy goes to the Super Bowl. Both are true. Can argue with me. We can over complicate it. Those are the two measures of who gets to the Super Bowl. And it happened once again as a reminder, put a little footnote in it. Remember it for next year. Impress your friends in September 2026 when you say the same thing and it comes true. About a year from now, Dave wins again. Okay, continue.
- [39:15]
B
All right, I think I'll take it from here then. Let me see. This one's fun.
- [39:19]
A
The why don't I get a parade? Nobody can say, you know what? Because no, you know what, Dave, that was pretty good that you said that all year and it came true.
- [39:27]
C
It's one. The, the buy thing is obvious and the second thing is.
- [39:30]
A
Oh, obvious. So then why doesn't everybody point it out all the time like I did?
- [39:34]
B
Okay, go Gino. Okay. The real loser on Sunday was the Minnesota Vikings.
- [39:40]
A
I've seen this one floating around. Schwartz, how say you?
- [39:43]
B
Ah, man. Okay, so if your favorite team had drafted quarterback in the first round who didn't play because he was hurt, and then you saw a guy who had a one year deal play as bad as he did in week 17 and the playoffs, you would have been like get out. Get this guy out of here. And in the moment they made the right decision. Sam Donald did not play well at the end of the season, the two most important games of the season. And you have this young quarterback who you drafted who's cheaper on a contract and you loved him so much you drafted him 11th overall. 10th, 11th. Somewhere like that. They made the Right. Now they might hate how it ended up for Sam Darnold. He's in the situation he's in now. But you can't go back and you can't go back Backwards and say, well, now we know you would have kept him when they got rid of him. He had played the two worst games this season, their two most important games. And they have McCarthy waiting to play with that even seen play yet and played at all. So I think the Vikings in the moment made the right decision. Now it might not work out for them because McCarthy looks like he might not be the guy and hasn't played enough to really know that. And Donald's gonna win the Super Bowl. My opinion. So, yeah, the Vikings probably hate themselves that the end result is what it is. But when they made the decision with the information they had, I think they made the right decision.
- [40:58]
A
I think you get it right. And the only thing that would dissuade me from agreeing with that is if we could hook KOC up to a lie detector and say, did you know a year ago that J.J. mcCarthy was not going to work out? But obviously their behavior indicated that they thought J.J. mcCarthy was going to work out. And so they moved on from a guy who by the way, again had, had shown no one under the sun that he could win in big spots. Which brings us back to the importance of QB wins and what they mean to a guy.
- [41:30]
B
Look, I think quarterback wins again in general. Meh. But postseason legacy, it does matter.
- [41:41]
A
Okay, but this is a more practical one. This is, this is not result means that now we, we build a, a statue to the quarterback. This is a guy who had, who had shown. Boy, he falls on his face in big spots. He's not the man. That's why you move on from him. This is, this is 2020 hindsight.
- [42:00]
B
He played very, he played very well. I mean, look, record when the team scores under 17 points, okay? Justin Herbert's 2 and 16, Burrows 1 in 10, Allen's 4, 19, Mahomes is 2 and 7. Drake Mays 2 in the playoffs. Like quarterback, I mean, it's, it's, it's not the be all end all for a team winning and losing.
- [42:18]
A
But it's also what I always tell you is when you have the guy and he's still on his rookie contract, that's when you're going to get to the Super Bowls. We try to talk our way around, I mean, steer it into other factors, take a back seat.
- [42:31]
B
Only two in our lifetime to really break that trend of Brady and Mahomes, right? I mean, Manning for a short window, right? But like it's been pretty much young quarterbacks have gone their teams, right? Carson Wentz got his team, Big Ben did in year two. Wilson did in year two, May now in year two. And Donald's not that expensive. Darnold's a mid. He's getting paid like a mid tier quarterback.
- [42:54]
A
Well, by the way, I also was advocating for another team to go after Sam Darnold, take a big swing on that guy. Or draft Jackson Dart and bring a bridge guy, Justin fields to play 2025, to play September and October of 2025. Until you decide. Okay, let's give the kid the keys and let him take over from that spot. Or swing big on Sam Darnold. They did neither. And I don't remember how it worked out there. That brings us to the next item on the jerk list. Take it away there, Fuentes boys, before we get going.
- [43:28]
C
So Dave, are you willing to put your money on any of these quarterbacks winning the super bowl next year or getting to the Super Bowl? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Cam Ward, Shador Sanders, Jackson Dart, Jalen Milroe, Dalen Gabriel, Dylan Gabriel, can't use his name.
- [43:39]
B
Right.
- [43:39]
C
Or Tyler Shuck. Are you going to take any, put any bets down, any features on that?
- [43:42]
B
No.
- [43:43]
A
Maybe. I don't know. I have to see what happens in the year. You're trying to put me on the spot, but I just want. I have to see what happened. How would I know? How would I know?
- [43:50]
C
Well, listen, you are in Jalen Milroe. Just so I want to.
- [43:53]
A
Okay, I'll bring it up. I'll bring it up. So this.
- [43:57]
C
Hiring Mike McCarthy is uninspired. That's the.
- [44:02]
A
And that's right. See, but, but no, this is this thing that people are doing about, specific to my, to the Mike McCarthy hire and all these other situations that are unsettled around, around football America. I mean, it's the same as like stopping the barber halfway through your time in the chair and being like, whoa, whoa, whoa, this haircut sucks, man. Like, well, we don't even know what it's going to look like in the end. I don't know who Mike McCarthy's gonna hire to be on his staff. I don't know who the quarterback in Pittsburgh is gonna be. The only thing I do know is shame the devil. If it's a 43 year old man who we last saw once again afraid of a pass rush.
- [44:40]
B
He's.
- [44:40]
A
He shrinks if you heat him up. That's not good in pro football. So long as I don't want to be a negative Nelly. I bet that some pro football teams next season also have a pass rush. How say You Jeff Schwartz.
- [44:53]
B
That would be impressive if the pass were gonna see. McCarthy has won a lot of football games. I tweeted this out to his friends, like, oh, it's like Mike Tomlin. I'm like, he's won more than Mike Tomlin. To be fair, he won 12 games three years in a row with Dak. Then Dak was hurt. He won seven games. Gets fired. Quarterbacks, obviously, huge hire there. But look, what were the other options, you know, people throw out like some of these young ocs I. The Browns appear to be hiring this the Rams pass game coordinator who's 35 years old and doesn't even call plays. That's not a good hire either.
- [45:26]
A
What. What if by the way, to interrupt you, the the name that was at the top of the list that I thought was going to get the gig based on a couple of people I was talking to, I thought it was going to be Chris Shula. How would it go over if they announced Chris Shula today as the new head coach after Sam Darnold just hung 30 something on him?
- [45:43]
B
Yeah, I mean it wouldn't be bad. I don't know if that disqualifies you to being a head coach, but it would have been bad for the Rams defense when they played down the stretch for them. For them. You know, to him. To him getting the job, this feels like a situation where the Steelers just wanted to bridge just another to a better coaching cycle, essentially. Right. Like we bring McCarthy in there for three or four years and I mean, you want a Super Bowl. I. Probably not. But Drake May and the Patriots and Sam John on the Steelers in the super bowl this year, Seahawks super bowl. Like, it's not a super. We expected that. That doesn't mean, you know, Pittsburgh can certainly be what they need. A quarterback. You need a quarterback. What's your for quarterback Dave? That's number one issue that not who the head coaches.
- [46:20]
A
Well, there's a lot of buzz that it's going to be the sixth round draft pick. Will Howard from Ohio State. Of course. I, I mean, maybe he'll work out. You know, people say Tom Brady and whoever else is like that. The idea that, that you would put all your eggs in that basket seems awfully silly to me. Like maybe, as I say, I'm not saying that there's no chance he works out, but he went in the sixth round for a reason. Everybody settled down.
- [46:45]
B
Okay. The thing that, that frustrates me about this discussion all the time is there's 32 teams in the NFL. I think four have quarterbacks that aren't first or second round picks. That's it. Like you Dak Prescott, right. Brock Purdy. Who's the other. There's of course other ones I'm forgetting off top of my head. Jalen Hurts second round pick. That's second round. So like in most of the second round picks are mostly like top half second round pick of the second round. It's just not all franchise guys are first first round picks. So the idea that like Will Howard is going to be Tom Brady because it happened one time, I don't get why fan bases convince themselves of this even though there's no evidence of that being the case this weekend. Sam Donaldson's 14, but he's picked fourth overall. Right? Right for like he's a first round pick. Drake May high, first round pick. This is what the sport is at this position. Yes you can find a Dak Prescott, yes you can find a Brock Purdy. But it's, that's not the way the quarterback system works. So just think, oh Will Howard will step in. It's just not aligned with.
- [47:52]
A
It's ludicrous to if, right. If that is your plan, it's ludicrous if it happens now it's it, it's finding a hundred dollar bill on the sideline.
- [48:03]
E
Correct.
- [48:03]
B
If you look into it, it's great. And to be fair, the Niners looked into it because they drafted Trey Lance. That's who they wanted to be their quarterback. They looked into it. And look, the Cowboys sort of lucked into it too because Dak was going to be a backup, Romo gets hurt and Dak was becomes a starting quarterback. It's, it's very rarely a guy that you expect when you draft, you know, Russell Wilson like he third round pick, like he not luck into it. He beat out Matt Flynn because that was a dumb deal the Seahawks did. But the idea like you just don't. So Will Howard's not backing into any job. He's not good enough to be starting quarterback of a Super bowl team.
- [48:35]
A
Well, I mean to address the Mike McCarthy higher though, I get why people would say uninspired because he's been around for so long. Mike McCarthy has been but, and I think a lot of the negativity for people, not just in Pittsburgh as a sports town, but expressing dim cynicism equals gravitas. I think in people's minds at least that it makes them feel important to be to come out of the gate with some piss and vinegar. But the thing that makes no sense is like why they get rid of Tomlin, Tomlin moves on, and they just go to Mike McCarthy. What's the difference between them two? And Mike Florio, who obviously, I would think, knows better, saying, like, if they were going to do all this, why didn't they go after Jim? John Harbaugh, I mean, aside from the fact that he's the Ravens coach, they would never do. Which would rule him out as the Ravens guy. They would never hire him. That's not a Steelersy thing. But John Harbaugh is not what Mike McCarthy is. Mike McCarthy develops QBs, everybody. Mike Tomlinson does not develop QBs. That is specifically what Mike McCarthy does about as well as anybody. Just because he's been around for a while doesn't negate the fact that's the goal. Whether or not it works is another matter. But that's the thinking of hiring Mike McCarthy.
- [49:58]
B
If we just all ignored Mike Florio would be a lot better. I've never. I don't know anyone who hates the sport they cover more than Mike Florio.
- [50:07]
A
I think he's just trying to take it down. I just think he loves it.
- [50:10]
B
He also is. Everything's conspiracy. There's always conspiracy, conspiracy. Like it's always a conspiracy. It's just. It's just in. The thing about it is he's smart enough to know it's not. And. And it's only about social media that frustrates me is like people that know better and they just act this way anyways. A lot of it and a lot of it's on the political sphere when, like, you're like, buddy, like, I know you. Like, you're. You're. What the. What the are you saying? I know you don't believe any of the. You're saying the conspiracy stuff with Florio just bogged because he knows. But he's a smart guy. I don't. I don't think he's dumb. And he puts out some just silliest stuff sometimes. Like, he knows dealers are not going to hire Jim Harbaugh or John Harbaugh. Why would you. Even if it's for clicks, then that's your business model. Go ahead and do it.
- [50:52]
A
Be my guy gets a reaction.
- [50:54]
B
It's just frustrating because I think I feel like he was better than that for a long time and not anymore.
- [50:59]
A
All right, I think we've said just about it all. I thought this was a real good episode. We covered a lot of ground about the title games and what it means going forward for Super Bowl 60. Let's catch up before that game kicks off to get our final picks with Jeff Schwartz. In the meantime, make sure Jeff, you're checking out. Jeff Schwartz is smarter than you. Bear bets and all the rest of it. Great stuff from our guy Schwartz. There he goes. Here we go, too.
- [51:22]
D
We're rolling forward.
- [51:23]
A
We will have an episode for you on Friday as Super Bowl 60 draws ever closer. Until then, for everybody here at Football America, thanks so much, my fellow Football Americas Americans, Americas Americans, whatever you call yourselves, it's been a thin slice of heaven.