C&R - 'Make You Go Hmm...Championship Round

Summary

---

The Dan Patrick Show: C&R - 'Make You Go Hmm...Championship Round'

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Covino, Rich Eisen, Dan Byer, Danny G
Episode Theme: Championship Weekend Reactions & Things That Made You Go “Hmm”

---

Episode Overview

This Monday episode drops in during the aftermath of the NFL's Championship weekend, with hosts Covino, Rich Eisen, Dan Byer, and Danny G dissecting the games, the big moments, and all the lingering “what-if” scenarios in sports and pop culture. The energy is a blend of jovial sports banter, passionate fandom, and humorous personal insights as they roll through the most memorable moments, notable calls, and emerging storylines from the games that set the stage for Super Bowl 2026.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epic Weather: The Snow Game’s Impact on the AFC Championship

• Visuals & Vibes: The hosts open by talking about the classic snow game that played a pivotal role in the AFC Championship, noting how weather shifted dramatically during the game and referencing viral still images of the changing field conditions.

  • Rich Eisen [04:54]: “It’s chilly, but sunny — the sunny, chilly day. And then by the fourth quarter, it was like a classic snow game...”
  • Danny G [05:33]: “In a game like that, it almost comes down to who makes the least amount of mistakes.”

• Strategy and Conservatism: They focus on Mike Vrabel’s conservative play-calling, emphasizing running the clock and not risking mistakes in the brutally wintry conditions.

  • "Every second that ticked by, Mike Vrabel looked like it was a smarter decision each step of the way.” — Rich Eisen [05:38]

• Drake May’s Performance:

  • Dan Byer [05:51]: “Drake May, what? 86 yards passing? Did it with his legs. That’s how he hurt them.”

• Game Tempo and Boredom:

  • Covino [07:26]: "Visually it looked cool... but it was boring as hell. That game is boring."

2. The Science & Tech of Snowy Football

• Announcer Graphics in the Snow: Discussion of the evolving broadcast technology like the first-down line and yard markers which were tricky to display during the snowstorm.
  • Rich Eisen [07:38]: “At one point, Tony Romo… was guessing. He’s like, I think it’s at the 33, Jim.”

3. Debate: Should Weather Decide a Championship?

• Old-School vs. New-School Football:
  • Rich Eisen [10:54]: “This is football. You play through the conditions.”
  • Dan Byer [10:03]: “I have been in that case where I want to see the best at their best... What happened yesterday is more normal [in snow]: big plays evaporate and teams just can’t move the ball.”

4. Pivotal ‘Hmm’ Moments: Turning Points & NFL Conspiracies

• Key Game Moments: Muff punts, crucial penalties, and missing big opportunities (Rams-Seahawks game especially).

  • Rich Eisen [18:01]: “That muffed punt… that momentum shift happened and the Rams chased that for a quarter and a half and just couldn’t get the job done.”

• NFL Script Theory: The hosts joke about a viral image predicting the Super Bowl matchup.

  • Rich Eisen [13:48]: "The two players in this image closest to the stadium are Sam Darnold and Drake May. Like, what’s the chances?”

5. Fan Psychology: Fandom, Stress, and Grudges

• Defense vs. Offense Stress:

  • Rich Eisen [20:36]: “What is more stressful as a fan? When your team is on defense and you have to hold the line, or when your team's on offense needing a score?”
  • Dan Byer [21:11]: “Ten times as agonizing… That kind of helpless kind of feeling. When you have the lead and need to hold it, losing it is so much worse.”
  • Covino [22:14]: “If you’re in control, you have less pressure as a player. As a fan, offense feels way more comfortable than holding on defense.”

• Lingering Rivalries & Grudges:

  • Rich Eisen [15:50]: “Fans really hold little baby grudges against the team that did you wrong. As a Niners fan… the Chiefs got me twice.”

6. Home Field Advantage – Both Asset & Liability

• Home Soil Hurt Denver:
  • Covino [24:01]: “The home-field advantage for Denver ended up working against them in the snow… it totally worked against them and didn’t help the outcome of that game.”
  • Danny G [24:10]: “Do you think this is why the rendering of their upcoming new stadium has a roof on top?”
  • Covino [24:25]: “Coming up, we’re going to see less and less elements for NFL football.”

7. The Not-So-Great Pro Bowl Debate

• Pro Bowl Has Lost Its Shine:
  • Rich Eisen [41:49]: “You can’t say the best of the best. That’s just… you’ve lost the point of this whole thing… Now, it’s just a weekend of festivities.”
  • Covino [42:23]: “That’s insane! Shador Sanders didn’t prove to be a Pro Bowler this year or earn that in any way…”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Field Technology in the Snow:
  “Tony Romo, remember he was guessing. He’s like, I think it’s at the 33, Jim.” — Rich Eisen [08:49]

• On the AFC Title Game:
  “It comes down to who makes the least amount of mistakes.” — Danny G [05:33]
  “If there was a pass, it was like a dump off to the line of scrimmage, gain of like a half a yard.” — Rich Eisen [06:58]

• On Defensive Anxiety:
  “It’s that kind of helpless sort of feeling… When you have the lead, when you are there, to have that taken away from you… is ten times worse.” — Dan Byer [23:12]

• On Super Bowl Rivalries:
  “It’s funny because I saw some clips…Seattle fans…they do feel that it is revenge [against the Patriots].” — Dan Byer [15:00]

• On the Pro Bowl:
  “The NFL needs to call this a weekend fan celebration… because you can’t say the best, the best of the best.” — Rich Eisen [46:50]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:31] Weather change & strategy in AFC game.
• [05:33] Defensive strategy/conservatism in tough weather.
• [07:38] TV tech and snow — visibility and sideline confusion.
• [09:34] “Things That Made You Go Hmm…” segment starts.
• [10:03] Should championships be weather-controlled?
• [15:50] Grudges and fan psychology after big losses.
• [18:01] Impact of the muffed punt in Rams-Seahawks.
• [20:36] Most stressful fan scenarios (defense vs offense).
• [24:01] Home field advantage turning into a liability for Denver.
• [32:01] 3rd down efficiency & key stats for Seahawks-Rams.
• [34:27] Social media comparisons: Drake May vs. Tom Brady.
• [35:50] Sam Darnold’s rise as Seahawks QB.
• [41:49] Pro Bowl format and player selection issues.

---

Additional Fun & Sidebars

• Pop culture crossovers:
  Tom Brady’s crowd noise comparison — “It’s just like we’re at a Pearl Jam concert.” — Covino [24:53]
• Fights of the weekend:
  • Covino highlights UFC 324 and the arrival of Zufa Boxing on Paramount+
  • “What a battle… Justin Gaethje, interim lightweight champion, but an all-out battle against Paddy Pimblett.” — Covino [39:10]

---

Closing Thoughts

This episode captures the rich complexity of championship football weekends: the drama of the elements, the agony and ecstasy of fandom, shifting narratives (and conspiracy memes) about NFL scripting, the shifting gravity of home-field advantage, and the evolutionary dead-end that may be the Pro Bowl. With savvy humor and just enough sports-nerd detail, this is prime “hang out and rehash” radio for the Monday after.

---

For listeners who missed out:
You’ll come away with a clear sense of both how the games shaped up (and why), the core debates for the fan base, and a taste of where national sports conversation is landing as we head to Super Bowl week.

---

Transcript

[Host/Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human New Year.

[Rich Eisen]

Same extra value meals at McDonald's.

[Covino]

Now get a savory sausage McMuffin with egg plus hash browns and a small.

[Rich Eisen]

Coffee for just $5 for a limited time only.

[Covino]

Prices and participation may vary.

[Rich Eisen]

Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California. And for delivery.

[Joel]

Hey, it's Joel and Matt from How To Money. If your New Year's resolution is to finally get your finances in shape, we've got your back prices. They're still high and the economy is all over the place. But 2026 is the year for you to get intentional and make real progress. That's right.

[Matt]

Yeah. Each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on, and the small moves that make a big difference. Kick off the year with confidence. Listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host/Announcer]

What if mind control is real?

[Dan Byer]

If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

[Host/Announcer]

Can you hypnotically persuade someone? A car.

[Rich Eisen]

When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.

[Host/Announcer]

Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

[Dan Byer]

I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.

[Host/Announcer]

Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious Mind games. A new podcast Exploring nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic Programming. Is it a self help miracle, a shady hypnosis scam, or both? Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Nav Green]

This show contains information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up man? It's your boy, Nav Green from the Broken Play Podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. Guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. The Chief it's time to rebuild. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect Podcast network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podc.

[Covino]

Hey, thanks for listening to the Cavino Enrich Podcast.

[Rich Eisen]

Be sure to catch us live every.

[Covino]

Weekday from 5 to 7 Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.

[Rich Eisen]

Find your local station for Kavito and [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR. Oh, let's go, buds. Another week, more fun.

[Covino]

We're here. We hope you had a great weekend. Hope everybody's safe from the snow. Hope you enjoyed your foosball the super bowl set. Hope you had a Patriot Seahawks sort of week and a Justin Gaethje Champion UFC 324 sort of weekend. We have lots to get to.

[Rich Eisen]

Would you say a damn buyer type of weekend? I gave him a little db. I gave him the congratulatory text message. Did you?

[Covino]

Let me tell you, you're not the only guy. I know you think you're the greatest, but you're not. I read that, too.

[Dan Byer]

Do I need to go to the time codes to see who got in first.

[Covino]

This month? Let's go.

[Rich Eisen]

All right. Hey, Kavino on the East Coast. I hear a little bit of a. A choppy connection. That's because he's probably buried in snow. And by the way, I realized something just yesterday when I was looking at all my bozo friends on the east coast snuggling. Snuggling. Shoveling the snow off their car and their porch and their backyard, their driveway. I'm not sure if I'll ever snubble. Jeez, snubble. What is that word? I don't know if I'll ever shovel snowballed snow again. Why would I. Why would I ever shovel snow again? I would have a shovel.

[Covino]

I never snuggled in my life, so I don't know.

[Rich Eisen]

Kavina, we can't hear you, buddy. Snubbling.

[Covino]

But I said I had never snuggled.

[Rich Eisen]

Ever. Well, I was. I was not missing the east coast at all. Over the weekend when I saw everyone getting their bread and milk.

[Covino]

Let me tell you something, man. I picked the worst weekend to be here. The only fun part about it is you get that feeling of feeling trapped in. In the house like you did when you were a kid on a school day. So I'm out here on the East Coast. We're broadcasting live from the FOX Sports Radio studio. Remember, if you miss any of the show, check our podcast search, Covino and rich. Rate it five stars, but we're streaming live on. On YouTube. Covino and Enrich, FSR right now. If you want to join the live chat.

[Rich Eisen]

Now, when you. When you think about this past weekend, that first game, that first game, I know they showed the. The still images from the beginning of the game till the end, but there was a. An expediated, you know, weather shift in the third quarter on, like you watch the beginning of a game, they do show the pictures where it's like, it's like cold, but sunny out, like a night. It seems like a nice day.

[Danny G]

Danny G. Nice, crisp, sunny day.

[Rich Eisen]

Like one of those, like, ooh, it's chilly, but it's like, sunny like the sunny, chilly day.

[Danny G]

You could still see their breath, but the sun was shining out of the field.

[Rich Eisen]

And then by the fourth quarter, it was like a classic snow game where it was like, yo, it was not only a little factor, it was the reason why the fourth quarter, New England didn't even try to do anything. They were, they were so confident and, you know, give Rabel credit where it's due, because I thought it was a little conservative, but he was pretty much thinking, yo, you're not scoring, we're winning. Let's just run out this last 15 minutes. There was no sense of New England trying to score in that game.

[Danny G]

In a game like that, it's almost. It almost comes down to who makes the least amount of mistakes.

[Rich Eisen]

And they were just saying, you know what? We're not going to make one. We're going to. We're going to be conservative, boring. 9 minutes, 8 minutes, 7 minutes. Every second that ticked by, Mike Rabel looked like it was a smarter decision each step of the way.

[Dan Byer]

Drake may, what, 86 yards passing.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah.

[Dan Byer]

You know, did it with his legs. That's. That's how he heard him. Got him on the touchdown run and had a big, big run as well, I think, to, to help them set up a field goal on that opening drive of the second half.

[Rich Eisen]

But sometimes it's not needed. Right. And so, like, why, why force it if it's not needed? They were winning that game. And I think we all got that sense of, like, I don't, I don't know if Denver could move the ball. And it wasn't just Stidham. It just seemed like they couldn't move the ball.

[Danny G]

And.

[Rich Eisen]

And you're like, yeah, this game's gonna be 10 7, isn't it? I felt that way in the beginning of the fourth quarter. I'm like, I don't know if they. Even if they get two or three more possessions, I'm not quite sure they can move the ball all the way down the field, let alone get a first down.

[Dan Byer]

Yeah, that's. I remember there was maybe the 11 minute mark of the fourth quarter. I think Denver got the football. And you knew if they didn't do anything in that point, New England would get the football. They would take time off the clock. And if you were going to Score, you would need like four or five minutes because there just weren't going to be big plays. You weren't going to be able to do any. So even if you know Denver would get the football back with two minutes, I don't think there's any way that they were going to score in that situation.

[Rich Eisen]

And the passing game ended up turning into. If there was a pass, it was like a dump off to the line of scrimmage, gain of like a half a yard. They were, you're right, there was no big play. So you knew that if they were going to drive, had to be long. And that wasn't happening right off the bat.

[Danny G]

Even before the blizzard, you could see that Denver could not run the ball successfully. So they became one dimensional. And New England, they spent a good amount of money on that interior of their D line and it's paid off. They are hard to run against.

[Covino]

Visually, it looked cool if you want to be positive about it, but it was boring as hell. That game is boring. But set up for a real game. If my kinetic sounds, I blame this.

[Rich Eisen]

Well, I'm, I'm blaming the, I'm blaming the snow for your weak ass connection. But visually I, I did have a question for some science nerd out there or someone that just knows graphics. Like Spot, you are a video guy and you do a great job here. Here on Fox, the technology for the first downline, we get it, it's very similar to the green screen. But they, they layer it where that line doesn't interrupt anything. There was a point where they were superimposing the, the, the yard lot, like 30, 40, 50 in white. And I'm thinking like that's, that's, that's like a newer technology. They've done that the last couple seasons.

[Dan Byer]

Yeah, we've seen it before. I thought it was more of a grayer look in previous times when we saw it and maybe they changed it up there. However they ditched it, people were complaining with having that grid on the field, but it was crazy because you couldn't even see the midfield logo of the Bronco head that they painted. Now granted some of it was white, but you would see the outline of the navy and the orange and you couldn't even, you couldn't even tell where that was. You had no idea where they were on the field at any point. Unless you could judge by where the sidelines were.

[Danny G]

It was.

[Dan Byer]

And by the sidelines, meaning where the Patriots team was and where the Broncos team was.1 point.

[Covino]

Tony, remember at the sidelines?

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah. At one point, Tony Romo, remember he was guessing. He's like, I think it's at the 33, Jim.

[Danny G]

He guesses during every broadcast.

[Covino]

That technology all was based on the technology.

[Danny G]

Man.

[Rich Eisen]

What is going on? Is there icicles hanging from your microphone? All right, he's out.

[Dan Byer]

He's gone, man. He goes fourth and one.

[Rich Eisen]

Cavino, go shovel your dad's driveway. Hey, but, yeah, no, just an action packed weekend. You know, we do this every Monday, so why not incorporate all this into something we like to call things that made you go. Hmm, let's go, baby.

[Covino]

Things that make you go.

[Ben Maller]

Things that make you go.

[Rich Eisen]

So we talk snow game, first game, you know, again, on a regular given Sunday. Snow games are always fun. You want to see, you want to see? It looks cool. Visually, you're like, oh, wow, these guys are slipping and sliding. But I do wonder, is there a party that thinks a championship caliber game shouldn't be decided under those conditions? Or is that just football? And like, what a wimpy thought, like, of course it's football. If it's snow, it's snow.

[Dan Byer]

I apologize and I don't want to sound like that guy, but I have been in that case where I want to see the best at their best.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Dan Byer]

And last year, I think when the Rams and Eagles ended up playing in their own blizzard in the divisional playoffs, the teams actually played pretty well. Like the Rams move the football. Saquon Barkley ended up having a big, you know, couple of big plays you had the Rams get adjusted to. It took them a little while, but they had a chance to maybe win in Philadelphia. But that's more of the outlier. I think what happened yesterday is more normal of what we see in those situations. And I mean, the Broncos were at a disadvantage already without Bonix. Their running game was, you know, hasn't had J.K. dobbins since the middle of the season, so they were already at a disadvantage. Now you throw the weather as part of it and yeah, it just did not bode well for them at all.

[Rich Eisen]

I, I thought halfway through the game I'm like, you know what? This is football. I mean, this is, you know, you're playing rain, you're playing snow. That's what makes football different from other sports. You play through the conditions. Right. Regardless.

[Danny G]

Yeah, in the Broncos were still in the game, they probably should have took those points. It would have been what, 10 nothing. They were trying to make it 14 nothing. It just, that backfired on my. That was too much of Sean Payton trying to say, hey, I'm going to coach this game. As if Bo Nix was still in there.

[Rich Eisen]

You know, Romo and Nan said something that at first I'm like, yeah, that's ridiculous. But I guess you're right. He goes at one point, he's like, both teams are right where they would want to be right now. If you ask them before the game. And he's like, you know, if you ask the Patriots, you know they're up on the road late in the game. Of course they take that. And if you ask Denver, hey, you're down by a field goal in the second half with your backup quarterback in the AFC Championship, they probably would have been like, you know what? I'll take it. But the snow really did play a factor. And you're right.

[Covino]

DB Are we sure we got the best teams, though, Rich? As a result, that's. Would you think the Patriots would have won better off? Because back in this, like, we gap that way.

[Rich Eisen]

Oh.

[Dan Byer]

Since Covino's broadcasting from the future, can you tell me how the Seahawks do against the Patriots? Sounds like a different dimension.

[Rich Eisen]

Let us know. Is Dan Buyer going to be happy in two weeks from now? Will DB be cheering on the field?

[Covino]

I think so. If, if you want to base the level of play from this weekend. Yeah, the Seahawks look dominant and I think they're going to score a lot of points against the Pat.

[Rich Eisen]

Well, I wonder what we're going to see in two weeks. I'll tell you what we are going to see. Charlie Puth, Green Day, Bad Bunny and two teams that, I mean, we should we have known. Did the, did the script leak? Did you see something else that made me go. That image of all the NFL players, the star players facing Levi Stadium in Santa Clara Spot. If you could pull it up for people watching on the YouTube, on the live chat, I'm sure people have seen this just somehow coincidentally. You know, you have your Burrow and your Saquon and your Purdy and all the stars of the bigger teams. But then when you look in the distance, the two players in this image closest to the stadium are Sam Darnold and Drake May. Like, what's the chances? What's the chances of that?

[Danny G]

They were the two best road teams in the NFL all season. So.

[Rich Eisen]

But I'm saying this is an image that was made a while back, September 4th.

[Dan Byer]

I think it was posted.

[Rich Eisen]

Like, look at that. If you're, if you're watching on our YouTube stream right now, you see Purdy and JJ Watt Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence, as you get. I'm sorry. You get closer and closer and then in the distance you're like, who is that in the, in the distance beyond Dak Prescott and Patrick Sartan.

[Covino]

Like, wait, the two gotta zoom in.

[Rich Eisen]

You have to zoom in. It's like, oh, my God, it's Drake May and Sam Darnold closest to the stadium.

[Covino]

So it's not about the colors or getting the colors right this year. It's all about this image. And it is pretty cool to see the lucky guest. The script makes you go for sure.

[Rich Eisen]

So I thought that was interesting. So the image from the NFL that was viral this weekend and the second game, you know, I just felt like. Felt like there was a couple opportunities for the Rams. I thought, damn, Buyer, you were probably super nervous that, that that 15 yard penalty could have been the worst play in your franchise's history.

[Dan Byer]

Oh, absolutely.

[Rich Eisen]

Were you thinking like, oh my God, if this is. What is the reason?

[Dan Byer]

Second worst, but yeah, yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

Very rare when a team have a worst.

[Covino]

Second.

[Rich Eisen]

I'm sorry.

[Dan Byer]

Which, by the way, I've seen it 20 times since the Seahawks won yesterday. Like, that was the one everybody goes to. The last time these teams played the super bowl, this is what happened. So I'm going to be. We're going to be inundated with that for the next two weeks.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, but they, they are angling it like some type of revenge. Do you look at as revenge or it's like the two different teams with no real history other than that moment. Right.

[Dan Byer]

Yeah. It's funny because I saw some clips from Seattle fans outside of the stadium that they do feel that it is revenge. Like the players here, there's no way that it is because nobody's left. Nobody was on that team 11 years ago that's on this current team right now. So there can't be any of that. I do think that the fan bases may feel that way, which is funny because I think that's an emotion that you didn't know that was there. It could only be there if you played the Patriots. And I hadn't dwelled on it. I didn't think that the Seahawks needed to repay New England or will repay New England because it's not a sure thing that they're. They're going to do so. But I didn't realize on how much that that stood out, especially because it felt like it was such a. I don't know, it's just. It's tough to explain, but yeah, it's stuck in their crawl.

[Rich Eisen]

I often wonder if Fans of all teams across all sports hold little. They're really like baby grudges against the team that did you wrong. Like, as a Niners fan, I'll be honest, there is a part of me that's like, man, the Chiefs got me twice. Like two times. I as a fan was there, the fan base was pumped and Holmes got us twice. So there's a part of me that's like the Chiefs.

[Dan Byer]

I hold more of a grudge against the Steelers from getting all the calls in Super Bowl 40 than I do. Like, I blame more of the Seahawks for the play at the one yard line and how that play transpired than anything to do with the Patriots. The Patriots just happened to be the team on the other side of the football with the player who picked it off. But I had more of a grudge with the Steelers because it felt like they got some home cooking with the officials than I do of trying to get revenge from Super Bowl 49.

[Rich Eisen]

Like Kavino, even in baseball, is there a party that's like, me and the diamondbacks, like, ruined my 01?

[Covino]

I think the Petty fans, as Matt199 says, it's. It's from the fans, not necessarily the teams. I don't think you ever forget those things, man. They stay with you. But if we're talking about impactful plays, you know, you have to go back to Xavier Smith dropping that punt and putting them in terrible position. I think that really changed the whole tone of the game. No matter catch up from there. And you feel so bad when a young player like that muffs a punt in such a big, big moment, because how do you live with that the rest of your life? That's just so tough.

[Dan Byer]

I was just going to say the reason why that was so damaging was because so much is made about the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. And so Seattle at that point was able to score late in the first half to go up 17 to 13. And then they get the football coming out of halftime. So if you go down and score in that scenario, you got a little breathing room. Right? You got a two score advantage. Maybe you're playing a little bit with house money. Somehow the Rams are going to have to break serve and be able to continue to score.

[Covino]

But they got the stop until it lit the fire. Yeah, no, but I feel like it lit the fire of the Rams and they answered quickly. But then they were playing from behind the entire time and it really changed the whole tone of the game.

[Rich Eisen]

If there Was another quarter of the game, who knows. But in that moment I agree 100% that that muffed punt because I was, I was watching that game and I was out to dinner with like some of the families from my kids flag football team and one dude went to the bathroom and he came back and he's like what happened? Because if you had dipped away for a couple minutes you, you thought, oh, the Rams are going to get the ball back and they're down 4 to oh man, Muff punt recovered. And like on the next play, Sam Darnold touchdown. Just you blink and they're up 11.

[Dan Byer]

You want to know what's crazy?

[Rich Eisen]

It just it that that momentum shift happened and the Rams chased that for the, for a quarter and a half and just couldn't really get the job done.

[Covino]

Exactly what happened.

[Dan Byer]

If you will get, if you guys want to call the punt and the fumble and then the Seahawks scoring kind of the same possession if you will. Each team had the ball four times in the second half, four possessions each in the entire second half. So it was because it's touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. And then nobody scored in the fourth quarter because the Rams had that super long drive that took them all the way down. But there weren't because they, I don't know if you guys saw it on Dana or if you saw it like they flashed a graphic on the screen that the Seahawks were low 50 in plays and the Rams were had like 44 plays and this was late later in the game and I'm like that's not a lot of plays. So these teams were, they were making the most of their opportunities. It wasn't a high paced game even though it was high scoring but there were not many possessions. And so you fumble that one possession that ends up. Yeah, that ends up being the difference.

[Covino]

I feel it did make the difference and I feel like it did light a fire on Stafford and the offense and you saw how quick they were able to at least answer back. But on the flip side of it, Sam Darnold answered back every time. And if Stafford is, you know, maybe your MVP of the season, man, Stafford, I think shut up. A lot of non believers over this weekend, anyone that doubted that guy.

[Rich Eisen]

You mean Sam Darnold?

[Covino]

I mean Darnold. Darnold really shut up a lot of people in my opinion because he had an answer every time the Rams showed any promise. So major props to him, man. You know, I think they're looking really strong moving forward.

[Rich Eisen]

Something that made me go and Dan Byer, you could speak to this being that you are a Seahawks fan. So you actually had a whole. A horse in this race, you know, someone in this fight. What would you have in a fight? A dog in the fight. Sorry, Mike. Vic. So when you're watching, what is more stressful as a fan? Because this is a thought in itself. When your team is on defense.

[Dan Byer]

Yes.

[Rich Eisen]

And you have to hold.

[Dan Byer]

Yes.

[Rich Eisen]

You have to hold the line. Or when your team, like Kavino, would.

[Covino]

You rather be like Toto bro, Like.

[Rich Eisen]

Hold the line, Toto style, like Dan Byer when, when your team's on defense and you're like, you're probably standing up being like, stop them, stop them, come on, stop them. Versus on the other side when you're like, come on, get in the end zone, get in the end zone. What is more stressful as a fan? I, I'll start by saying, I think through your shoes. I'd imagine those defensive stands where you're so stressed, like, please don't give this up. That's, that's anxiety.

[Dan Byer]

Yes, 100%. And it was such a different feeling from when the Seahawks got the stop because they still had to move the ball. When they got it on the fourth down stop, there were four minutes left in the game knowing that if Seattle did not get first downs and not use the clock, the Rams were going to score like there was. The Seahawks were going to stop them in back to back possessions. Just wasn't going to happen. And so, but just the feeling of getting that fourth down stop to me was ten times as agonizing because it's almost, it's that kind of helpless sort of feeling. Not that being on offense is, is any different, but yeah, you feel like.

[Rich Eisen]

There'S some type of control. Like.

[Dan Byer]

Yes.

[Rich Eisen]

When, you know, earlier in the playoffs when my, before my team, you know, clocked out thanks to you guys. Dan, as a Niners fan, when the Eagles were going for that last minute drive that fell short, that to me is so much more stressful than when your team has the ball. When your team has the ball. Yeah. There's like a hope, like, come on, let's do something. Defense. When your team's giving up chunk plays and you're like, what are you doing?

[Covino]

Couldn't agree more, man. There's, there's the feeling of put yourself in that situation, Rich. If you're in control of the situation, let's say you're on the mound pitching, you have less pressure, you feel less anxiety because you're in the position to control the situation. Right. In football, it's the same thing. If you have the ball and you're trying to score, you're way more relaxed than trying to hold them.

[Rich Eisen]

Oh, interesting. I've seen baseball. I'm wondering if you flip it because would you rather. Kavino, would you rather be playing the Dodgers and watch your team have like. Oh, like Dodgers have second and third, one out and you're. You're guys pitching as a fanny, like, oh, no. Or do you rather have your team playing from behind, batting?

[Covino]

Actually, you know what? I'd rather, it's. Well, that depends who's pitching.

[Rich Eisen]

Right.

[Covino]

When I was speaking from that perspective, I meant actually playing as a player.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, as a player, you want control.

[Covino]

Yeah, you want control. As a fan, anytime, you know, you're on offense, you feel more comfortable than on defense. I think it's just our default sort of.

[Dan Byer]

I would also think, like, the sense is, is that because the Seahawks were in the lead and they needed to get the stop, that it's like you have one hand on the trophy or one foot in the super bowl, and if you don't get it, it's taken away. Whereas if you're trying to come from behind, it never was really yours to begin with. So maybe there isn't as much of an attachment to it, but I feel when you have the lead, when you are there, that that is. To have that taken away from you, I just think would. Is. Is worse. It's to me, 10 times worse.

[Covino]

What stood out to me was the contrast of both games, right? Low scoring, boring, high scoring, awesome. And how the home field advantage for Denver ended up working against them in the snow. Like, it totally worked against them and didn't help the outcome of that game. But the.

[Rich Eisen]

I mean, would Boston have been the same?

[Covino]

It would have been even worse. Yeah, they kept showing how snowy it was there, but it didn't help Denver by any means. And do you think this was Covino.

[Danny G]

Do you think this is why the rendering of their upcoming new stadium has a roof on top of it?

[Covino]

Seriously, dude? I think so, yeah.

[Danny G]

And Buffalo, their new stadium, they're trying to keep the wind and the elements out of theirs. I think coming up, we're going to see less and less elements for NFL football.

[Covino]

It's fun. It's fun, you know, in video games, but it played a total factor here. And as a result, like, I'm not sure the outcome. I'm not sure of how excited I am of this super bowl, even though it's going to be great. But on the flip side, you. You heard how the home field really did make a difference and how loud the fans were. And you know, what made me say, did you notice Tom Brady's reference as to how loud it was? Or no. Did you notice who he compared it to?

[Dan Byer]

No, I missed it.

[Covino]

He's like, it's just like we're at a Pearl Jam concert. And I just thought that was a random reference for a Tom Brady. You know, that would be his reference.

[Dan Byer]

But a good local reference, a good local Seahawks fans.

[Covino]

So I thought. Yeah, I did. I did acknowledge that, but I also thought, interesting reference. And Tom Brady likes Pearl Jam, huh? Yeah, I guess he's a Pearl Jam guy. Maybe over Nirvana, but it stood out to me. And that's where we're at right now. Anything that made you go could have been from the fight. Some really great fights could have been from anything you watched. But of course, it was a big, big weekend for football because the super bowl is set.

[Rich Eisen]

Of course. Let's we'll get into more of the games you saw this weekend, plus what's ahead. All that and more. Kavino and Rich on a Monday. More things that made you go, hmm. Next.

[Covino]

All right. Are you facing hiring headaches? Staffing your business is complex. High turnover, skills gaps and ever changing regulations can slow growth and drain resources. That's where Express Employment Pros comes in.

[Rich Eisen]

Ah. With decades of staffing expertise, Express connects you to a larger pool of qualified candidates, helping you reduce turnover and build the right size workforce. Get [e-mail] need to flex your staff.

[Covino]

For peak seasons or special projects? Express Employment Pros offers contract staffing so you could scale up or down with ease, preventing burnout and boosting productivity.

[Rich Eisen]

Worried about compliance? Express stays on top of ever changing employment laws. Express is recognized for excellence, earning clearly rated Best of Staffing, Client and Talent Awards, plus the Diamond Award for client satisfaction.

[Covino]

Don't let hiring challenges hold your business back. Visit expresspros.com find the local office and discover how Express Employment Pros can help you hire smarter and faster. And if hiring is taking you away from growing your business, get the support you need from Express. Don't spend your time weeding through spam online applicants. Hire faster with Express.

[Rich Eisen]

Express Employment Pro is building your workforce, supporting your success.

[Ben Maller]

Hey, it's Ben, host of the fifth Hour with Ben Maller. Would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name is the fifth Hour? I'll tell you, it's a spin off of the Ben Mather Show a cult hit overnights on fsr. Why should you listen? Picture if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports and more every week. Explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Matt]

New year, new goals, and in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever. I am Matt.

[Joel]

And I'm Joel.

[Matt]

We are from the how to Money podcast and every week we help you to spend smarter, save more, and make sense of what's going on out there.

[Joel]

If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel in control of your money, we're here to give you the tools and advice to help you make it happen. Listen to how to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

What if mind control is real?

[Dan Byer]

If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?

[Rich Eisen]

When you look at your car, you're gonna become overwhelmed with such good feelings.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

[Dan Byer]

I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Can you get someone to join your cult?

[Host/Announcer]

NLP was used on me to access my subconscious.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.

[Dan Byer]

It's about engineering consciousness.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of disciples, and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, nlp, might actually work.

[Host/Announcer]

This is wild.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nav Green]

This show contains information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? This your boy, Nav Green from the Broken Play podcast Podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Another team who ain't going to the playoffs. The Chiefs.

[Dan Byer]

What's a wrap?

[Nav Green]

It's time to rebuild. Who your MVP right now.

[Dan Byer]

Then Drake May up there. Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy, Matthew Stafford.

[Host/Announcer]

Where did Bo Nicks at?

[Dan Byer]

He Ain't too far behind.

[Narrator/Host (Mind Games)]

He did all this.

[Host/Announcer]

This topic.

[Dan Byer]

What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro is crazy.

[Nav Green]

Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan, but Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams.

[Dan Byer]

Hey, he should be in that conversation.

[Host/Announcer]

In what conversation?

[Nav Green]

He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Host/Announcer]

On June 11, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing. It's an all out manhunt for John Ajay.

[Rich Eisen]

Every search and rescue team in LA.

[Host/Announcer]

County has been called in to help. Within days, tips started flooding into the Sheriff's department. The rumor around the drug scene was that a deputy was taken care of. Is this the story of a man who just got lost in the desert? Or of a cover up inside the nation's largest sheriff's department?

[Dan Byer]

A homicide captain saying, detective, do not find out if this guy's guilty or innocent. Who does that?

[Host/Announcer]

Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Do you have any advice for us while looking into this disappearance?

[Covino]

I wouldn't do it alone.

[Host/Announcer]

Listen to Valley of shadows on the iHeartrade radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Covino]

What's more nerve wracking, watching your team hold the line or having to score? Did you enjoy the games over the weekend? All your observations, things that made you go miss? Covino and Rich live from the Fox Sports Radio studio. I'm live from Snowmageddon in New Jersey, but doing okay. Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio and have you ever wiped with a piece of dry toilet paper and wondered, is this as good as it gets? Well, it's not.

[Rich Eisen]

Did you stock up before Snowmageddon though? You like, gotta get the bread and milk and the dude wipes.

[Covino]

And the dude wipes. Yeah, switch to life changing wet, extra large flushable dude wipes because wetter just cleans better. Available on Amazon and at all major retailers nationwide. Dude wipes best clean, pants down now Cove.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, I know you love to compare it to fights and it's a great analogy. Matchups sometimes determine the outcome of a fight. You can't say, well this team beat this team, so this team should beat this team.

[Covino]

But as I've always said, styles make fights, styles make fights, styles make games. The matchups matter.

[Rich Eisen]

There was something, there was two stats I want to throw out there. Me and Dan Byer were Talking about one during the break. And our buddy Rob in San Antonio hit us up with another third down efficiency yesterday. Seahawks were. The only difference was Seahawks were converting. They were 7 of 13 on third down and the Rams were 1 of 8. Usually a highly efficient offense like the Rams 1 3rd down conversion. That's your story right there. That's the game. And when people wonder why The Seahawks are 4 1/2 or 5 point favorites in some places for the Super Bowl, I think we all respect the Seahawks defense so much. And when you saw that yesterday, the Patriots found a way to score one touchdown and that one touchdown was on two plays, 12 yards off a turnover. So if not for that ill advice, Stidham like shuffle turnover type of pass then like would they have moved the ball at all?

[Dan Byer]

That play was just so damning to the Broncos chances, yet all we focus on is Sean Payton's decision on whether to kick a field goal or not.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, that was.

[Dan Byer]

And what made it worse for the Stidham play was that play was a third and four from their own 33 yard line with under three minutes to go in the first half. So if he doesn't do any of that stuff, the Broncos are punting it and punting it probably far enough where the Patriots, who had struggled throughout the game to get anything going offensively, would be able to do anything. And instead he drops back 20 yards and then throws the pitch. That's the lateral. That was. That was the entire game right there. That was. It's not even close.

[Rich Eisen]

It's funny you would say drop back a lot. Now I know, I think they pointed this out on the broadcast, but I feel like we all observed that. I don't know if every quarterback's three step drop is different or people moving the pocket differently. Obviously. Don't you feel like Stidham dropped back particularly far? Yeah, like there was. I feel like on each snap he did his three step drop and then he just, he just like moseyed back another five yards. I felt like he was always so far behind the line of scrimmage that even a pass that I thought was like going to go somewhere was just back to the.

[Dan Byer]

Yeah, I think in the back of his mind he knew he was the backup quarterback all game and that your job is to not do anything to hurt yourself and to hurt the team. And in that moment he thought that a 20 yard sack was the worst thing that could hurt the team. And it wasn't even close. He was trying to throw a pass that ended up being a fumble.

[Covino]

And you guys said it. The Patriots win, but they don't win by much. And is this where the comparisons to Tom Brady end? Because you see a lot of that on social media of how both the 2001 Patriots and the 2025 Patriots. Drake may gets in in his second year. They both have two crappy seasons leading up to it. Is this where the. The fairy tale ends and they're both playing.

[Rich Eisen]

They're both playing a favorite team from the NFC West?

[Covino]

You're seeing comparison after they both had the same.

[Danny G]

Both teams had the same super bowl odds.

[Dan Byer]

Yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

Yes.

[Covino]

60 and 1 and yeah. Leading into it preseason. So I think this is where it ends. But I don't want to say anything that jinxes Dan Seahawks, because you never know how it pans out. Like, Rich started this off because styles make fights. But I think my gut feeling is this is where the comparisons end. As far as the dream season for Drake May in comparison to Tom Brady.

[Rich Eisen]

I'll be the first to say I knew. I knew Sam Darnold is a good quarterback because I saw that once you took him away from the pile of stink known as the jets and the Panthers. I remember as a Niners backup, there was a lot of chatter that like, yo, Sam Darnold's really good and could go in this Kyle Shanahan system. And then he goes to Minnesota. It's like, oh, man, Sam Donald's pretty good.

[Covino]

Most winningest quarterback in the past two years. Man, that's impressive.

[Joel]

Dude.

[Rich Eisen]

There are two different teams. There are people that thought man. Of the Seahawks, is this a filler quarterback or are they really looking to win when they give Darnold the deal? Because you could look at it as a. Because listen, not every team has their franchise quarterback at all times. I didn't know if the Seahawks really looked at Sam Darnold as the guy that would get him there. And here we are. So I guess some of us, oh, Sam Darnold and the Seahawks an apology.

[Dan Byer]

Still leads the NFL and turnovers had the most turnovers of any player in the NFL this year. So that hasn't changed. He's gotten a lot better. The crazy part of that turnover thing, Darnold did not have a streak of three games in a row where he didn't throw an interception this year until the last three games that he's played.

[Rich Eisen]

I'm so glad you said it, because I remember I kept saying it. Probably you want to strangle me every time I said it. But remember over the last month, I keep saying Sam Donald's due for a stinker.

[Covino]

Those turnovers better get him some dude wipes, right?

[Rich Eisen]

You know those, those at your get.

[Danny G]

Together you stood on your couch and announced that to everybody.

[Rich Eisen]

I was like this guy is doing for a stinker. He's due for a stinker. And you know what? Those stinkers are on the beginning of the season.

[Danny G]

So wishing so hopefully he doesn't have it in the Super Bowl.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah. Wishing Dan buyers some luck here, man. You know you don't get there that often. When you do, you got to capitalize. And I think the Seahawks again, I don't think the Seahawks or the Patriots saw this coming. I mean it's both teams are big underdogs to entering the season.

[Dan Byer]

Can I quick give you a thing that made me go.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, please. Yeah.

[Dan Byer]

The Drake May quarterback sneak on fourth and one that was ruled the first down where video seemed to show that he did not get the first down.

[Rich Eisen]

Overhead footage made it seem like he was significantly shy of where they spotted the ball.

[Dan Byer]

There wasn't an official in the area that saw that. We could see on that overhead shot had to come from someone down the line. But I have no idea how you could see him down the line through that massive humanity. And that that would have New England kicked a field goal after that possession.

[Rich Eisen]

That's your now you're sat seven seven still.

[Dan Byer]

Yes. Yes.

[Covino]

Made me go open it up to everybody at 87799 on Fox. Any of your observations the super bowl set. So clearly that's story number one. But I don't want it to be lost in the mix that there was some great fights over the weekend and a big weekend for Dana White. Rich, especially because you had the premiere of Zufa Boxing and if you don't know what that is, Fox Sports, it's sort of his his blueprint for the ufc, for boxing. And that's on Paramount plus and that premiered over the weekend. Zufa, I think is a die and for melee fight battle. So Zufa boxing premiered and then you had UFC 324 and dude, what a card. You know, I'm the boy who cried fight of the year. But you had Sugar Sean o' Malley with a huge return and as a superstar, you needed that. He beat it. Sonya Dong, nice knee to the face, a nice battle. He said that winning, actually losing his past few fights made him appreciate what winning was all about. And it brought him back to where he is right now. He hasn't felt better. And then the main event, the Half Breed, Vato Loco, Justin Gaethje over Patty Pimblett. That was awesome, dude. Like, honestly, if you missed that fight, you really missed out. I know this was a big football conference championship weekend, but we have a new interim lightweight champion in Justin Gaethje, but an all out battle because Patty the baddie was in the fight the whole time. He never gave up. So if you missed it, it's definitely the rematch. And just seeing that it was such a big weekend for Dana White and seeing what he does for ufc, wondering if he could do the same for boxing, makes me go.

[Rich Eisen]

I'm going to give you something else that makes me go. And then we'll go to Dan by for an update and I want to discuss this. I want to discuss now. It is already, in my opinion, jumped the shark.

[Covino]

I know where you're going. You're going Pro bowl, yo.

[Rich Eisen]

I mean like do we just take away the name, change what it's about or do something because someone made the Pro bowl as a, as a substitution?

[Covino]

Like NFL celebration weekend?

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, like party time weekend. NFL.

[Covino]

It's just a joke.

[Rich Eisen]

Pro bowl next Tuesday. Someone's been added and at first I thought it was like a joke and I'm like. And Danny's like, it's not a joke. So we'll do that right after DB gives you an update. What's up? Damn. Buyer.

[Dan Byer]

Yes, you talking the Pro bowl. The Pro bowl game. Shador Sanders, named as the replacement for Drake May on the AFL roster. Jared Goff, the replacement for Sam Darnold on the NFC roster. Tons of coaching news. They're all kind of connected in one way or another. Davis Webb, the Broncos offense, or, excuse me, quarterbacks coach and passing coordinator, met with the Bills today for their head coaching job. Webb also in the mix for vacancies as his Rams pass the game. Coordinator Nate Shielhaus. He's interviewing for the Browns job for the second time today. Shieldhouse expected to meet with the Bills. Bill's offensive coordinator Joe Brady is interviewed with the Raiders for the second time for their head coaching vacancy. Mike McDaniels officially signed his deal with the Chargers. Philip Rivers, no longer a candidate in Buffalo. Grant Yudinsky, the OC with the Jaguars, withdrew his name from consideration in Cleveland. He will either get the Bills job or go to Jacksonville and get a new deal from the Jaguars. Mike LaFleur, Rams offensive coordinator, meeting with the Cardinals. Cardinals also meeting for the second time with former Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Hawks beat the Pacers in day hoops 132 to 116. Hornets routed the Sixers 130 to 93. Outfielder Harrison Bader to the Giants on a two year deal. Guys, back to you.

[Joel]

Thank you.

[Rich Eisen]

Dan Buyer. And you heard Dan Byer say it. So start thinking about your thoughts. How and should the NFL rebrand the Pro bowl if you're going to name Shador Sanders a Pro Bowl? Seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, one and two. Right.

[Covino]

Wasn't his only win against the Raiders.

[Rich Eisen]

QBR rating of 68. You can't. It's like Kavino, when we go to super bowl in San Francisco in a week and we interview people, you'll do. Covino will be like here he is, four time Pro Bowler and this, that and that's sort of. That's part of someone's credentials.

[Covino]

Yeah, you're padding the resume and I think that's probably why, I mean Goff deserving of it. But you do that and you take those honors. But this one just doesn't even make sense. The, The Browns were 12. Shador barely started, didn't play all that well. I mean, is he a big name? I think he's riding on the name in itself. Does he have all the potential in the world? Maybe. Probably not trying to hate on the guy. Just stayed on the guy that he had one win the whole year.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah. We'll discuss next right here. Kavino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. What a joke.

[Covino]

Man. Seattle sounded like a Pearl Jam concert this weekend according to Tom Brady. Steve Covino, more of a Nirvana kind of guy. More of an Alison Chains kind of dude. Soundgarden for the win. Hey, I'm Cavino. That is Rich. It's Fox Sports Radio. We're live from the Fox Sports Radio studio. And before we get into our tyrack play of the day, I gotta say again, congrats to the Mike's. A big weekend for the mikes, Frable and McDonald. Not to be confused with the Doobie brother, but we called it Mike's. Never lose to Sean's.

[Rich Eisen]

They don't.

[Covino]

Super bowl set. And the only big win for Sean this weekend was Sugar Sean o'. Malley. And I'm going to say it one last time, Rich. UFC 324. What a battle. What a fight. Patty the baddie, even in a loss, fought his heart out. I mean he clearly got beat. Gaethje beat his ass and he's the new champ, interim champ. But man, if you missed it, I'm telling you, it's worth the watch. So we had great football, we had some great fights and now it's time for a Tie rack play of the day. That is Sam Darnold.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah. Sammy D. Sammy D. Sam. Hey, Ginger. Jesus hit JSN for a big first down in the fourth quarter. Now motion Shahid across the formation. Play fake. Sam's got a scramble. He does. Throws the ball on the run. First down. JSN Gets knocked out of bounds. Unfortunately, that's going to stop the clock. But it is a first down, his 10th catch of the game for 15 yards.

[Covino]

And that was courtesy of Seahawks Radio Network, our tire act play of the day. For over 40 years, Tire Rack has been helping customers find the right tires for how, what and where they drive. Shipped fast and free, backed by free road hazard protection with convenient installation options like mobile tire installation, tire act.com way tire buying should be.

[Rich Eisen]

Now, Dan Buyer, has it ever dawned on you that Mike McDonald probably doesn't go by Michael because he doesn't want to be confused?

[Dan Byer]

Sure. Yes.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, you know, we thought about that the other day because I accidentally called him Michael McDonald and I'm like, that just sounded wrong and weird. But his name is Michael McDonald.

[Dan Byer]

That is correct.

[Rich Eisen]

So he grew up his whole life, much like an office face. The guy that was Michael Ball.

[Covino]

Yeah, but Michael McDonald is man voice, celebrated catalog, creamier voice maybe than Danny G. I don't know, because Danny G can't hit that falsetto. But we're now talking about. There's a few stories that involve the Browns and their coaching situation we'll get to later. We'll talk about the worst interview process you ever had. But Shador Sanders has been named to the Pro Bowl. So is this a joke to you? The feedback we're getting now on the live chat. Rich is really funny. Covino and Rich FSR Manny Muno says, what's worse, the Pro bowl or the NBA All Star Game? That's a question in itself, but Kenneth says it pretty much goes down to the guy who didn't already have something planned that day. And, you know, we can't blame Shador Sanders for anything. You wouldn't take it if someone gave it to you.

[Rich Eisen]

I mean, yeah, it goes on the resume, yes, but. But the NBA All Star Game at least names the right people for the most part. I feel like this is ridiculous. Like, I mean, in the past, there have been times where a guy gets a Pro bowl nod and you're like, man, did he really deserve it? That's questionable.

[Covino]

This, to me, players make it on. On name sometimes. And Shador Sanders might not have earned the name, but he's got the name I don't care.

[Rich Eisen]

Stop saying the name. I mean, because his dad was great. He was. If you were to say 32 teams in the NFL, he's a bottom five quarterback. How on earth is that a Pro bowl nod?

[Covino]

That's insane. I'm not disagreeing with you. You know, he didn't prove to be a Pro Bowler this year or earn that in any way, shape or form. There's no question about it. I'm saying popularity and.

[Rich Eisen]

But fans don't vote.

[Covino]

I know that. But we do see other All Star Games where it's just based on popularity and they get in. And that's clearly why he's there, why he was even, I guess, an option here.

[Rich Eisen]

You got to look at it like the NFL needs to call this, you know, a weekend fan celebration, fan fest or something, because you can't say the best, the best of the best. That's just. You've lost. You've lost it now. You've lost the point of this whole thing. The whole point was the best of the best play each other. Then they went from that to something else. Now it's just. Yeah, we're trying to just make money off of some weekend of festivities. It's not a Pro bowl anymore. Come on. But that's not the weirdest thing that happened with the Browns. And we'll get to that next. More Covino and Rich right here on Fox Sports Radio.

[Host/Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.