Hour 3 – Most Improved NFL Team, Albert Breer

Summary

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The Dan Patrick Show: Most Improved NFL Team & Coaching Carousel

Hour 3 Summary – January 19, 2026
Host: Dan Patrick
Featured Guest: Albert Breer (Senior NFL Reporter, Monday Morning Quarterback)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the fallout from the NFL’s divisional playoff weekend, focusing on which teams have improved the most, head coach firings and vacancies, and the shifting landscape of the league. Dan and the crew field callers discussing best and worst moments from the weekend, the surprise firing of Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, and future prospects for teams and quarterbacks. Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer joins to provide insider perspective on the biggest coaching storylines and what comes next for teams like Buffalo and Baltimore.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Most Improved NFL Team Debate

• Dan and the crew discuss which team made the most dramatic improvement over the past season, weighing the Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Dan: “I would say the Patriots are the biggest surprise.” (06:15)
• Paulie provides stats: Last year, Patriots offense was 30th, defense 22nd; now, offense ranks 2nd, defense 4th. (06:16)
• They note the massive turnaround despite public skepticism over strength of schedule.
• Key point: Changing expectations for coach tenures—less time for rebuilding, more focus on immediate results.

2. NFL Coaching Carousel & Firing Fallout

• News of Buffalo Bills firing Sean McDermott after nine years sparks debate about when it’s right to move on from a highly successful head coach.
• Dan compares the situation to John Harbaugh’s potential exit from Baltimore and Mike Tomlin’s step-down in Pittsburgh.
• Dan: “If the Ravens could fire John Harbaugh and the Bills could fire Sean McDermott, could you move on from us?” (01:07; in jest to his radio team)
• Discussion about the risks of firing coaches and the urgency among owners to emulate successful rapid turnarounds in other franchises.
• Conversation foreshadows more volatility in coaching positions and front office roles.

3. Caller Insights: Fan Perspectives on NFL & MLB

• Nick from Irvine (09:14): Shares his weekend of sports, praises Broncos’ backup QB, and laments his injury; also celebrates the Dodgers’ success and discusses their polarizing payroll strategies.
  • Quote: “That kid, that quarterback on the Broncos, he threw two of the best balls I’ve really ever seen … and to hear that he got nixed out of that was a disappointment.” (09:45)
• David from Ohio (12:41): Bears fan who, despite playoff loss, remains optimistic about the team’s future; notes Niners loss as a low point.
• Greg from Buffalo (13:52): Critiques Bills GM Brandon Beane for poor roster moves, particularly at WR and D-line, asserting his responsibility outweighs McDermott’s in Buffalo’s struggles.
  • Quote: “Brandon Beane has lost a lot of goodwill this year … not only has his wide receiver room construction been malpractice, but they have spent money and resources galore into the defensive line and it does not work, especially in the playoffs.” (14:08)

4. Albert Breer Interview: Insider’s Take on the Coaching Dominoes

• Sean McDermott’s Firing:
  • Breer likens McDermott’s situation to Tony Dungy’s in Tampa—great turnaround, but owners sense a shrinking window.
    • Breer: “Sean McDermott did a ton of good in Buffalo ... But the same way it was with Tony Dungy … the owners felt this shrinking window.” (18:04)
  • Josh Allen’s aging and injury risk makes this offseason critical for Buffalo.
  • Big opportunity for coaching candidates—a rare chance with an elite QB and championship potential.
• Best Available Jobs:
  • Buffalo vs. Baltimore debate: Dan thinks Baltimore is a better job due to franchise stability and deeper roster, but acknowledges the appeal of inheriting Josh Allen.
• Next Head Coaching Moves:
  • Breer expects Miami and Tennessee to make hires soon; identifies Jeff Hafley and Robert Saleh as strong candidates. (25:11)
  • Notes emergence of newer names and second interviews with up-and-coming coordinators.
• CJ Stroud’s Future with Texans:
  • Uncertainty about his long-term role; big contract decisions loom. (27:07)
• Jared Stidham Profile:
  • Breer explains the journey of Broncos QB Stidham—his blue-chip high school pedigree, college path, and NFL stops, including why Sean Payton values him. (28:32)
• Head Coaching Salaries Escalating:
  • First-time coaches like Ben Johnson and Liam Cohen now command $12-13M/year; “the dam’s broke” due to TV money and competition from broadcasting for top coaching talent. (30:47)
• NFL Officiating Criticism:
  • Breer: “Public trust is at an all time low ... I really think they need to go in this offseason and tear the thing down to the studs.” (32:34)
  • Suggests implementing sky judges, revising how technology is used, and communicating rulings more clearly to fans.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Patrick:

  • On coaching job security: “If you choose to leave, like Mike Tomlin, then … good luck. You’re dead to me. Just letting you know.” (02:28, joking with crew)
  • “You don’t get that much time to come in and be like, all right, we’re going to the playoffs.” (04:47)

• Paulie:

  • “Last year, the Patriots offense was 30th in the league. Their defense was 22nd. This year, their offense is 2nd in the league in scoring and their defense is 4th.” (06:16)

• Albert Breer:

  • “Sean McDermott did a ton of good in Buffalo ... but the owners felt this shrinking window.” (18:04)
  • “If you’re going to make this bold a move to get rid of a coach that accomplished that much over nine years, I think your hire has to be bold as well.” (21:52)
  • “Public trust [in officiating] is at an all-time low ... I really think they need to go in this offseason and tear the thing down to the studs.” (32:34)

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Important Timestamps for Segments

• 00:33: Show introduction & update on coaching vacancies
• 03:07: Poll results; most problematic playoff losers
• 06:16: Patriots' turnaround statistics
• 09:14: Nick (caller) on Broncos QB and Dodgers
• 12:41: David (caller) on Bears/Niners
• 13:52: Greg (caller) on Bills GM
• 17:37: Albert Breer joins to talk coaching updates
• 18:04: McDermott firing compared to Tony Dungy
• 21:52: On boldness of Bills’ coaching search
• 25:11: Miami and Tennessee coaching vacancies update
• 27:07: CJ Stroud’s contract future
• 28:32: Jared Stidham’s football journey
• 30:47: Head coach salaries
• 32:34: Breer on state of NFL officiating

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Tone & Style

• Language: Conversational, candid, informed by personal relationships and experience.
• Tone: Blends insider reporting and analysis with humor and lighthearted banter, especially in exchanges among the Danettes.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode is a must-listen for those tracking NFL coaching vacancies and team trajectories as the postseason reshapes the league. The blend of fan calls, smart crew banter, and Albert Breer’s inside knowledge delivers a comprehensive, entertaining snapshot of a volatile NFL moment. The dialogue ranges from the pragmatic realities facing embattled coaches and GMs to the deeper emotional investment of fans riding the highs and lows. If you're curious about which teams are really on the rise, who will fill the NFL’s biggest coaching seats, and how insiders view the officiating crisis, this hour gives you timely answers and plenty of food for thought.

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Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Paulie]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores. Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits. Plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill. Credit stop if you cancel any lines.

[Dan Patrick]

Qualifying credit required. You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Buffalo Bills need a new head coach. So do a few other teams. Albert Brear, the Monday morning quarterback, will stop by in 20 minutes. But Buffalo has said goodbye to Sean McDermott after nine years. 8773 DP Show Email address [e-mail] Twitter handle @DP Show Super bowl odds It's Seattle, then it's the Rams Patriots. The Broncos a distant fourth, certainly with the Bo Nix injury. The Patriots favored by five and a half. Broncos would have been favored by one had Bo Nix been able to play the Rams. They're getting two and a half as they face the Seahawks again. National title game. Oh, by the way, national title game. Miami getting seven and a half against Indiana. And the prices of these tickets are skyrocketing. The last 72 hours, they've gone up 23%. President Trump will be there and they're trying to encourage people to get there at least three hours in advance. Stat of the day brought to you by the great folks at Panini America. The official trading cards of the Dan Patrick show this hour, brought to you by Z Kleiner. It's a new sponsor revolutionary recliner designed by Flex Steel. The Z Kliner engineered with restful sleep in mind, making it an ideal bed alternative. A healthy life starts with a great night's sleep. Visit z kleiner.com danpatrick today to find a Z. Kleiner at a store near you. Todd says, well, if the Ravens could fire John Harbaugh and the Bills could fire Sean McDermott, could you move on from us? I said no, you guys are safe, Todd. I wouldn't move on from you.

[Paulie]

Is anyone 100 safe?

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, everybody is safe.

[Paulie]

Wow.

[Dan Patrick]

Everybody is safe in this room. Okay. If you choose to leave, like, if you step down like Mike Tomlin, then, you know, good luck. You're dead to me. Just letting you know.

[Paulie]

Slightly harsh, but I see right now.

[Dan Patrick]

No, no, but you're all safe. Of course we're A team.

[Paulie]

All right, that's lovely. I appreciate the way you put that.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Yes. Yes.

[Paulie]

Paul, if one of the guys stepped down, would you issue a lovely statement? Thank you for the many years of service?

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Yes, and you're dead to me. Yes, and you're dead to me. All right, Seaton poll question for the final hour of the program is what losing team from the weekend that has.

[Paulie]

The most biggest issues issue?

[Dan Patrick]

The Texans have 51% of that vote. Quarterback that had the most difficult time sleeping last night. Jason. Josh Allen, followed by C.J. stroud. And then which team will regret firing their head coach.

[Paulie]

Maybe firing, not the right word since.

[Dan Patrick]

Mike Tomlin stepped down, but we put the Steelers on there. Right now it is the Ravens followed by the Bills. They're kind of neck and neck. Okay, well, we'll talk about those coaching vacancies. And Kevin Stefanski, as predicted. What an upgrade. Holy. Or as, as I told you that John Harbaugh, John Harbaugh was looking at either the Falcons or the Giants. And I said, Stefanski will get the other job. Harbaugh takes the Giants. Stefanski takes the Atlanta Falcons. Great situation. Great situation. Now, I know you don't really have a quarterback because you got two quarterbacks there, but it feels like that's an upgrade. And you get an offensive minded coach in there and maybe they unleash their true potential there. But you know these guys. Now you look around. Mike McDonald in Seattle, Mike Vull in New England, you know, Ben Johnson, like, you don't get that much time to come in and be like, all right, we're going to the playoffs. Right? It's what Brable did. I don't know if I'm more. Is there an another story turnaround, more surprising than what Brable did this year? Ben Johnson, that's a good team. The Patriots weren't a good team. I thought the Bears were standing in the way of the Bears. I thought that the Bears were a playoff team. Seattle, pretty surprising. Anybody else in there that you go, wow, that's a crazy turnaround. Carolina made the playoffs. That's pretty good. How about Jacksonville? Would you put Jacksonville over the Patriots now? I wouldn't as, Although, you know, maybe Liam Cohen is going to save Trevor Lawrence's career and you end up with 13 wins. Feels like Jacksonville supposed to be competitive. New England wasn't. And then Vull gets there, you got a second year quarterback and here you are in the AFC title game. Seattle. I, I, I think we were kind of trying to figure out just how good they Were you knew it was going to be defense and running the football. And then they get Sam. Sam Darnold. I have to factor that in as well. But if you would have said of all these scenarios here, hey, New England's going to be in the AFC title game. Seattle is going to be in the NFC title game. Jacksonville is going to be a force this year. I still go back to Carolina made the playoffs, I know, with a losing record in a bad division, but I would say the Patriots are the biggest surprise.

[Paulie]

Yeah, Paulie, Last year, the Patriots offense was 30th in the league. Their defense was 22nd. This year, their offense is second in the league in scoring and their defense is fourth.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, that's huge turnaround, obviously. Yes, Todd, and you.

[Paulie]

And people could say all they want.

[Dan Patrick]

They had a.

[Paulie]

A weaker schedule.

[Dan Patrick]

It's still 14 and three and playoff.

[Paulie]

Wins and one win away from the Super Bowl.

[Dan Patrick]

That's kind of insane. Celebrate Martin Luther King Day on NBC and Peacock with a full day of basketball NBA action all day long. Monday on NBC and streaming on Peacock. All right, couple of phone calls in here. Best and worst of the season. Our best and worst of the weekend. I was going to say the season with what happened with some of these teams that had playoff hopes, but the stakes are higher and it feels like ownership looks around and goes, well, wait a minute, why can't we do that? And next year at this time, there probably will be six or seven openings after this year with all these openings and you're going, can we have that many? Can we have a third of the NFL, you know, almost a third of these coaching vacancies? Yeah, Marv, it's going to be the.

[Caller/Guest]

Same thing with college football also.

[Paulie]

I'm sure if you're Arkansas or Mississippi State, Indiana got to the national championship game. Let's do something.

[Dan Patrick]

But, you know, it is interesting that, you know, it used to be there were the same schools that were playing in the playoffs and winning national championships. Now all of a sudden, I get to pay players, too. And now we've leveled the playing field. You know, Mark Cuban became a big donor for Indiana football. Like, you have to have that. It's just, you know, that that is your PowerPoint. Like, we have to have money. You have to have people, you know, collectives, billionaire, whoever it is, Texas Tech, you get one guy in there is going to write a check. That's what you need. And the fact that we're getting close to $40 million with sort of the operating budget per year, not sustainable. I mentioned this earlier in the show. Friday, College Football Playoff committee is expected to announce whether they're going to go to 16 teams or they'll stay at 12. And what I learned was the Big Ten wants a commitment that says a firm agreement that you will go 16, 16, 16 the next three years, and then after that you'll go to 24 teams. And that doesn't seem like a lot to ask. All right, so at least we didn't go 12, then to 16, then to 24. You give it three more years and then you see if you're ready to go to 24 teams. I mean, that's where they're going. It's just 16, 17, 16, 16. That's what the Big Ten wants. Let's see. Nick and Irvine. Hi, Nick. Welcome back.

[Caller/Guest]

Hey, Dan. Always an honor to talk to you. Hall of Famer. Listen, great, great weekend. Got to watch the LA Rams yesterday at the Bicycle Casino, eating and drinking and Olas meets compadres over at the bike playing 1:3, no limit.

[Dan Patrick]

You sound a little roughed up, Nick.

[Caller/Guest]

Yeah, well, you know, I've been sober for about three, four hours.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, congratulations on your sobriety.

[Caller/Guest]

That'll last. All about pregame tonight. So my worst of the weekend has to be, even as a Raider fan and of course a humanitarian, I hate the Broncos. But that kid, that quarterback on the Broncos, he threw two of the best balls I've really ever seen. I mean, it was incredible, those passes. And I was really looking forward to watching him in the championship game. And to hear that he got nixed out of that was a disappointment. So that was my worst, my best for the 11th consecutive week. And this time snuggling with Danica Patrick and Dodger hall of Fame fan Mary Hart on my couch was watching the Doc Dodgers once again come back in the World Series in game seven and win it. So until someone dethrones that, it's going to be my best every weekend. It's probably going to be opening day for the Dodgers and that'll be my best of the week.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, thank you, Nick. Congratulations again on your Dodgers boy, the number of articles that talked about how the Dodgers are ruining baseball. They. They took advantage of an opportunity that, like, I can't fault them. I don't think they have to dumb down their organization just because nobody else is going to be able to spend that money. There are other billionaires. The Dodgers outsmarted a lot of people. The Shohei Ohtani deferred payment contract. Now I'm wondering if baseball will try to Firm up that loophole there. But I don't know, you know, what can baseball do? What does baseball want to do? Salaries, Salary cap Players association won't allow that to happen in it. And it might define the legacy of this commissioner. Is he able to bring some kind of financial sanity to the game? And I don't know if he can. I don't know if he wants to. I get, I mean you want to have as many team. That's why we love the NFL because you can get Carolina in there, Jacksonville turns it around, New England turns it around. You, you, you can reap benefits of doing things the correct way while everybody is playing by the same rules. But I still go back to The Dodgers were 2 ounce away from not winning the World Series.

[Paulie]

Yes, Paulie, the Dodgers spending is the tush push of baseball. All the other teams want it gone. But how do you penalize for the Dodgers for doing something that's completely legal under the rules today?

[Dan Patrick]

Well, Buffalo certainly use the tush push quite a lot and if what, four or five times yesterday. David in Ohio. Hi, David. What's on your mind today?

[Caller/Guest]

Yeah, Dan, got a best and worst of the weekend real quick. Best. Even though they lost, Paulie, I still think the Bears have got a lot to cheer about. And going into the off season, I still think they are the favorite to maybe win the NFC north next year. They beat the Packers. So I would say that that's, that is, that could be their super bowl this year. And then worse, the weekends, obviously Marvin's Niners losing in Seattle, that was just a, just a complete blowout. And I really hope maybe they come back next year and maybe become a contender there. So thank you.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. And I saw, I don't know if they were reports and I'm always very careful about this because somebody can kind of speculate, you know, you can go, hey, you know what about. And then it becomes a report and it's not. But Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings because I don't think the Vikings are sold on J.J. mcCarthy but they, I think they toyed with the idea of Aaron Rodgers. Aaron wanted to go there and then ended up in Pittsburgh. But I wonder if he wants to play again. Is Minnesota an option? Greg in Buffalo. Hi, Greg. What's on your mind today?

[Caller/Guest]

Hey, good morning, Dan. I just wanted to chime in locally on the whole Bill situation that came about today. You haven't mentioned Bill's GM Brandon Bean at all. And I can tell you here in western New York, he is the one that people by Far have been wanting to be fired more than Sean McDermott.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Caller/Guest]

Brandon Bean has lost a lot of goodwill this year. And it started when he went on a local radio spot after the draft and said complaining about wide receivers is one of the dumbest things he's ever heard. Now, the year prior, he took Keon Coleman with the 33rd pick in the draft and he was getting healthy, scratched in the playoff push down the stretch in the regular season. So not only this is wide receiver room construction, Ben malpractice, but they have spent money and resources galore into the defensive line and it does not work, especially in the playoffs. And look, I know Sean was the scapegoat and Steve Tasker was right about what an ambassador Sean's been for Buffalo in Western New York. But in the end, this is about roster construction in depth. And one last thing, Dan, you mentioned, I know with John Elway in those early Super Bowls how he didn't maybe have those offensive teammates around him, those high end players compared to later. He obviously had TD and Shannon and all that. Since drafting Josh in 2018, the bills have drafted 56 players. Only two have gone to make the Pro Bowl. Dawson Knox and James Cook. Have a good rest of your week, guys.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Greg. I appreciate that. Yes, Paulie.

[Paulie]

Multiple reports that the gm, Brandon Bean, the Bills, he not only didn't get fired, he got a promotion.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Paulie]

He's now president of football operations in addition to gm.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, I was going to say maybe they got him out of the GM spot. Yeah. That's tricky though, when you keep the GM when you bring in a coach. And John Harbaugh I think is fine with Joe Shane as the GM with the Giants, but I don't know. It took him a few days to get that contract done. All right, let me take a break. Albert Breer, his job is to. Well, one of his jobs is to keep an eye on the coaching vacancies. And we'll ask him, was Buffalo going to do this no matter what? Now they got to the Super Bowl. Be pretty hard to send him packing. But at what point do you make a decision you're going to fire Sean McDermott and also these other coaching vacancies because you got some really big blue chip openings here with Pittsburgh, with Buffalo, with Baltimore. We'll take a break. We're back after this Dan Patrick Show. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, is Cabino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio.

[Paulie]

Now, in addition to hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Dan Patrick]

Yup, that's right.

[Paulie]

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[Dan Patrick]

All you got to do, search COVINO and RICH FSR on YouTube again.

[Paulie]

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[Dan Patrick]

Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

[Paulie]

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[Dan Patrick]

More phone calls coming up on this Monday, as we always do, best and worst of the weekend. What you saw that you liked, you didn't like. Update the poll results as well. We bring in the senior NFL reporter for the Monday morning quarterback Albert Brer back on the program. I guess it turns out that Sean McDermott was coaching for his job. Yeah.

[Paulie]

How's your Monday morning going?

[Dan Patrick]

Still employed?

[Paulie]

Yeah, that I, I would say I, I, I'm surprised, but I think there were and I think he was surprised, but there were some tea leaves. You know, I think Josh Allen's emotional press conference, I think McDermott you could kind of see, you know, with the criticism of the officials the first time and then coming back the second time, I think you kind of feel that there was heat on everybody there, you know, and that the window to win a championship, like the owners were feeling that and feeling the pressure of being within that. And you know, I think a couple months ago I used the Tony Dungy comparison with you, Dan, and I think it's an apt one. You know, I, that's the way I see this is, you know, Sean McDermott did a ton of good in Buffalo. They hadn't been to the playoffs in 18 years. You know, he was there for nine. They make it in eight of those nine years, seven in a row, five AFC east titles, two AFC championship games, a franchise quarterback. Like all these things were unimaginable for the Bills when he got there. But, you know, the same way it was with Tony Dungy when he rebuilt the Bucks. You know, the owners down There felt this shrinking window with that team they had with, you know, Derek Brooks and Warren Sapp and John lynch and Ronde Barber. And I think sort of the same thing with the quarterback in Buffalo. You know, there's a feeling like we're not going to get a million shots at this, so we need to strike while the iron is hot.

[Dan Patrick]

So what's Buffalo? Do you.

[Paulie]

Yeah, it's a great question. This is, I think, a once in a lifetime opportunity for a coach, don't you?

[Dan Patrick]

I mean, yeah, yeah, but Baltimore is as well.

[Paulie]

Right. I just look at like this with Josh Allen and the chance to do this and compete for a championship, like, if this job were to come open again in three or four years, with the amount of damage he's taken, like, we don't know that it's going to be the same Josh Allen, you know, so if I'm the Bills, I'm taking full advantage of that. And that means you're going to interview all the usual suspects, the names that we've heard, you know, over the course of the last couple of weeks, and there's some really good candidates out there, some of them on the defensive side of the ball, which, you know, maybe the Bills shy away from that now because they just did spend nine years going down that path with McDermott. But why not take big swings if you're Buffalo, why not just see, well.

[Dan Patrick]

Who'S the big swing?

[Paulie]

I mean, we'll call the Rams, call the night. And I'm not saying those guys would be available, but, you know, when you have that quarterback and you're in this situation and you might be able to entice them just to see how their situation is, why wouldn't you do it? I mean, I got it. That's the way I look at it, right? Like, it's like if I'm, if I'm Buffalo, I'm looking at this and I'm saying like, we are in a once in a lifetime window. This is a really hard place to be. We got a quarterback who carried an incredibly heavy load this year and we want to take some of that off of him. And we can offer somebody the chance to do that and compete for championships right away with a roster that's still pretty good and has a lot of young pieces on it. I think you have to take advantage of that opportunity and what that opportunity looks like, you know, it's going to be in the eye of the beholder. But, I mean, the one thing I can't shake is like, Josh Allen turning 30 this off season, there's the, the chance for someone to get in there and compete for championships right away and change the narrative on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. And if you're going to make this bold, a move to get rid of a coach that accomplished that much over nine years, I think your hire has to be bold as well.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, but why wouldn't we say the same thing about Baltimore? They've got the two time MVP and Lamar Jackson.

[Paulie]

I, I'd agree. I just, I, it's fair. It's a fair, it's a fair thing to say. I just think if you look at Baltimore success, it goes past Lamar, right. And they've always been so stable and able to build for so long and they've got Eric Dacosta who was, who was groomed by Ozzy Newsom for the job. And this is, this has been who the ravens are for 25 years. And they found John Harbaugh like kind of going an unconventional route. And so I think it's a little different. There's just some nuance there where like I think with Baltimore as good as Lamar is, and I think Lamar is great. You know what I think of Lamar? I think it's just a little bit of a different spot than Buffalo where you look at it and it's just so much has been built around that one player, you know what I mean? Where man, if we've invested this much to getting it, getting it right with the quarterback, we need to get the coach right.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I think Baltimore is a better job.

[Paulie]

I, I think it's probably fair too because of the stability of the franchise and everything else.

[Dan Patrick]

I think they're a better team. You know, Buffalo I didn't think was a great team.

[Paulie]

Are you worried about Lamar's injuries?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Paulie]

And that's the thing is like that's the thing you have to sort of assess, you know.

[Dan Patrick]

But would you hire Mike McDaniel in Buffalo?

[Paulie]

I think about it.

[Dan Patrick]

Would you hire Brian Daniel?

[Paulie]

I think about it and the reason why I just, I look at like so many things and, and Dave all's got the built in relationship with Josh, so that's a factor. Of course, Day Ball is also from Western New York. He understands the market. Like I think he'd be good in that job. Watching the Bills this year, I. Everything looks like harder than it should be. You know what I mean? Did you get that sense too watching them? So they got to do something at receiver. I think they got to do something to give Josh. I, I can still remember this and like with Ben Roethlisberger, right, so Todd Haley came in and this was when Arians left for the, the Colts in 12. And so Todd Haley came in and that was after eight years of Ben Roethlisberger, right, and two super bowl wins. And he looked at Ben and said, he's not going to last if he keeps playing this way. And so, you know, they, they had kind of assembled this young group of receivers, the Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders and, you know, Todd Haley kind of taking the tack. We got to make things easier on this guy and we gotta, we gotta create more layups on him for him and we gotta kind of transform who he is as a quarterback. And I think that that's gonna be part of the job for the next coach is like, how do we create like a second phase of Josh Allen's career where he doesn't have like in the playoffs, three different injuries on the, on the injury report at the end of a playoff week. Right. How do we do that? And, you know, I remember having a lot of conversations with Todd Haley about that, you know, back then. That was 14 years ago now. But I think some of the same principles apply where, you know, you want to try to create a situation for your quarterback where you're, you're making things easier on him. It doesn't look quite as hard anymore. And, you know, you're, you're almost generating a second phase of his career.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Albert Brear, the Monday morning quarterback, senior NFL reporter, are we close to any of these vacancies being filled?

[Paulie]

Yeah, I think Miami could be soon. I think Tennessee could be soon. You know, Miami's got a couple guys in this morning. Jeff Halfley is going to be in this. This afternoon he worked with their new general manager, John Eric Sullivan in Green Bay. He's been sort of the leader in the clubhouse for a few days now. Halfley's also got the opportunity to go to Tennessee and I think whether or not he takes that trip, you're going to hear about that later today, you know, and I just think, you know, I guess it may come down to Halfley saying, I really want to take a look at the Tennessee job. Which one's better or I'm going to take the bird in the hand with, with a general manager that I know in John Eric Sullivan. Tennessee is accelerating their process as well. They were supposed to have Robert Sala, the 49ers defensive coordinator for a zoom. Yesterday. They rescheduled that as an in person interview. Today they're Very interested in Saleh. They've got Nagy back in for a second interview again. Halfley supposed to come in tomorrow, and those are the three known finalists at this point. And you know, I think they like Halfle quite a bit. They, they like. Solid. They've got the relationship with Nagy, Mike Borgonzi does from Kansas City, and what they're looking for in a coach's presence, you know, I think part of that is kind of maybe trying to reestablish what Mike Vrabel had there over the years, you know. And then Cleveland has Jim Schwartz in for a second interview today. Nathan Schielhaus, the Rams player passing coordinator and Mike McDaniel are both in the mix there as well. So you have some teams that are sort of coming down the stretch now and it'll be interesting to see like, you know, as some of these names, you know, like, that people are less familiar with like a Halfley, like maybe a Jesse Minter. As these guys start to get second interviews with multiple teams, I think that's going to, going to, going to create a situation where some of the dominoes are going to start falling.

[Dan Patrick]

What about CJ Stroud's future?

[Paulie]

Uncertain. They have big decisions to make this offseason. He's eligible for a new contract for the first time. He has a fifth year option. They got to make a decision on that. And you know, I, I haven't looked up the number, but I think it's over $30 million that would lock them in for 20, 27. So, you know, those are two big decisions that, that need to be made this off season. And they went 3, 0 with Davis Mills in there, you know, so I think having seven turnovers in two in two playoff games and being in the window that they're in. I just talked about windows at Buffalo being the one being in the window that they're in with this just ridiculous defense that played really well for the most part, eventually crack, but played really well for the most part New England and obviously dominated in Pittsburgh. There's some big decision making that has to happen there. So I think his, his future is a little uncertain. I wouldn't be surprised if teams make calls just to see if, if he's available, but there are definitely some moving parts there and, and we'll see what happens. You know, again, I don't know that they've had the chance to sit down and fully assess everything and, and they probably won't until they, they review the.

[Dan Patrick]

The entirety of the season, tell my audience everything. They need to know about Jared Stidham.

[Paulie]

He's an interesting name. So he was, he was at the like coming out of high school, was one of the top players in the country, went to Baylor to play for Art Briles and got caught in the, caught up in all of that. Like and not that he was involved but like obviously, you know, he was one of the players that kind of became collateral damage in that whole thing. And so he winds up transferring to Auburn, played an offense that maybe wasn't all that suited to his skill set. And when he was coming out a lot of people looked at him, said like this guy still has like all the traits that you would want in a blue chip recruit, right? And so gets drafted by the Patriots. He may have started in 2020 in New England if it weren't for Covid wiping out like the entire off season program. Obviously the shorter off season, the Patriots wanted somebody more experienced. They brought in Cam Newton that year and then Josh McDaniels who had Stidham in New England goes to Vegas and they were together for three years in New England and trades for him, right? And so he trades for him as to be Derek Carr's back up in 22 and then tries to bring him back to compete with Jimmy Garoppolo for the job in 23. But Sean Pate now bids him as Russell and brings him bring and Sean Payton brings him in as Russell Wilson insurance. Peyton did a two year deal with him, then he does another two year deal with him. So clearly there's something there. You know, I know Sean really liked, you know, Situm's ability to. To handle a very complex offense. You know, because he played for Josh McDaniels and they have a ton of confidence that he's going to be okay. Played really well in the preseason. I think the question is going to be here Dan, is Knicks was good, not great for three and a half quarters of a lot of games and then just made huge throw after huge throw after huge throw and big spots. Is why he has so many fourth quarter comebacks this year including the one against Buffalo on Saturday. Can Stidham make those plays at the end of the game? If they can get New England into the fourth quarter and they're at home, can still make the sorts of throws that Knicks was making it towards the end of games. I think that's going to be the biggest question.

[Dan Patrick]

What's the going rate for head coaches now as far as. Because Lafleur is up to whatever maybe 14, 15 million dollars. Is that or Is it?

[Paulie]

Yeah, I mean, well, I would say maybe even more than that. I don't have the number.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Paulie]

But I mean, I can give you this, like, you know, Liam Cohen got 12 million a year as a first time head coach last year in Jacksonville. Ben Johnson got 13 million a year last year as a first time head coach in Chicago. And, and I believe he had a bigger offer than that.

[Dan Patrick]

Right.

[Paulie]

And, and that was part of where some of the Questions were with LaFleur and Green Bay. It was never, do we not, do we want to bring him back? They always wanted to bring them back. The question was whether or not they'd be able to work out a new contract and whether if, you know, if things went sideways in the negotiation, would some other team come in and offer something enticing? Like there were a lot of moving parts there. Obviously they wind up getting it done. But I mean, look, here's the thing. I mean, you have like second receivers, right? Second pass rushers getting 20 million a year. So for an established head coach, it makes sense. They're worth at least that much, you know, so I think it's, I, I, there were some owners, I would say suppressing, I don't want to use a C word, but suppressing maybe salaries a little bit for a while there. But it certainly looks like the dams broke. And you know, one thing that contributed to was, was all the TV money that's out there. You know, I know it was a factor in Sean McVeigh's negotiation with the Rams, what he was getting offered to go into network television. And you know, so certainly I think there's been a little bit of a correction and those numbers are way higher than they used to be.

[Dan Patrick]

How did the refs do this weekend?

[Paulie]

Am I going to get fined? Look, like, I, I just think like public trust is at an all time low, you know, and I, I, I'm, I've, I agree with Sean McDermott. There needs to be more clarity and it can't be, I mean, and, and I just think watching the games and you know, I, but how do you.

[Dan Patrick]

Get clarity though, Albert?

[Paulie]

Well, I mean, here's the thing. So during the season, I don't get to, during the season I'm trying to watch everything. So really I, I don't get to watch like the drill down on the commentary or even the pace of some of the games as much because I'm trying to watch everything. Right. See the primetime games, of course. But you know, during the playoffs, one thing that sucks stuck out to me is like it's just, you know, sometimes you get this long, drawn out explanation. Sometimes it's like, what the hell just happened? You know, in this case, Sean McDermott is trying to slow it down so the head official can get a look at the, at the cooks Play with McMillan there. What you calling McMillan there? Like, I think that's a fair ask to have the head referee go over under the hood and take a real look at it. Who is making that ruling? Who is, who is in the, the referee's ear? Like, there's just not a lot of clarity with it. And if there's not a lot of clarity, then there's going to be a lot of questions. And in an era when the NFL and its teams are taking money hand over fist from all the gambling companies, I, I think having some clarity on the way these things are being officiated and the way certain players are being adjudicated is paramount. And so I've said this for a long time, like, I just think it's gotten so tangled up. They've done a bad job incorporating the technology because they just keep kind of. All right, here are more points of emphasis. Here's more technology, and it's more, more, more, more, more. They've made it so much harder on the on field officials, and then they don't know how to communicate it to the public. I really think that they need to go in this off season and tear the thing down to the studs and take all the technology available, take the crews they have available, maybe add sky judges to each crew and rebuild it all together. Because I just think what's happening right now flat out isn't working in the eyes of the public. And the public trust is such an important thing for a professional sport.

[Dan Patrick]

Fritz, is the commissioner on the phone to find Albert Breer? Yeah, we got him. Okay. All right. Commission. Albert, I know you're busy. Thank you for your time as always.

[Paulie]

All right, thanks, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

That's Albert Brear, the Monday morning quarterback, senior NFL reporter. Last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store tomorrow after this, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. Last call for phone calls what we learn what's in store tomorrow. Celebrate MLK day and night. NBC and Peacock. Full lineup of basketball all day long. Monday. That's Today on NBC and also streaming on Peacock, which is where you can watch this program. Nayan and Austin joining us on the show.

[Caller/Guest]

Howdy. 63210.

[Dan Patrick]

Yep.

[Caller/Guest]

I'm a huge Saxman fan. Really proud of how far they got. I think they, it's not time to cast away CJ just yet. I feel like they haven't exhausted all options on giving him the best oc. I feel like for the last two they've been first year, second year. So I think that the best candidate right now and I want to see what you guys thought would be Mike McDaniels and I think not only because of what he did with TUA and his talent, but his connection with the Texans. Even though he got let go for showing up drunk to work as a Texans, but his connection with d' Amico when they're both offensive coordinators, I think it'll do two things. It'll give them what CJ Needs to take it to the next gear, but also give the Texans what they need to help them make the decision for the future.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, they're not moving on from him. They just shouldn't pony up and give him a long term deal like the Dolphins did with tua. I want to see another, at least another year with CJ Stroud. And I agree with Troy Aikman. He's been chasing his rookie year for two years and he's regressed. And there was a time when we were going, boy, if you redrafted well, CJ Stroud has the talent. He's shown us. But this is where, when you get to the NFL, you haven't made it. That's when it begins. And a lot of these players certainly at quarterbacking position, hey, I dominated in college, okay, that he played really well as rookie year. Okay. Now the league gets a book on you. You have to keep adjusting. You have to keep adding to your game. And it feels like CJ Stroud did not do that, whereas Drake May. He's been, you know, he's going to finish second in the MVP race. Bo Nix has shown the ability to come up big in the fourth quarter. Caleb Williams has shown that he can. Jaden Daniels, I still need to see a little bit of, a little bit more from him. He is incredibly talented. But I gotta have you on the field. As the saying goes, the best ability is availability. And that's what I need from him. Yes, Marv, if you're a Texans fan.

[Paulie]

I'd be really frustrated because what Will.

[Caller/Guest]

Anderson in the Texas defense was doing, they were keeping those guys in the.

[Dan Patrick]

Game, forcing fumbles, flustering Drake May and.

[Caller/Guest]

All you had to do Was put up a Trent Doher like, performance. Like, don't mess things up. That's all you really had to do.

[Dan Patrick]

You would have thought that that would be enough for them, even with all the turnovers, that they still could have won that game. It felt like with that defense, when they were down five, I thought, boy, oh boy, this is an incredible drive for the Patriots. And then they score the touchdown. But you're watching these opportunities, and that's where we always come back and say the same thing. Well, they'll be back next year. No, Detroit was supposed to be back this year. They're getting further away. Like, I don't think the Niners are here next year. Buffalo, new coach. I don't know. Bad division. Yes. But, you know, you're trying to figure out these teams where you go. Yep, they figured it out. They got a window. And your window is only two or three years, unless you're really, really fortunate and smart like the Chiefs and then the Patriots during the Belichick Brady years. You know, we thought the Eagles. We don't. Is their window still open? It should be, right? But then I'm not so sure. I thought something all along this year, it. It just. It never felt easy for the Eagles. And as a result, you know, you have a coach maybe on the hot seat going into next year. Are they all in with their quarterback? Are you. Are you going to have A.J. brown there next year? Does he want to be there? Offensive line, is it going to be healthy enough? I mean, even the defense, defensive line. So there's so many factors that go into this.

[Paulie]

Yes, Paulie, Going back to the Texans, if you're a Texans fan, you're watching that game going. If we can get a little offense and get by this team. We got Jarrett Stidham versus our defense next week to get to the Super Bowl. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, yeah. Yes. This day in sports history. Paul.

[Paulie]

The NFL bought the franchise, the New York Yankees from Ted Collins. The franchise was then awarded to a group from Dallas on January 24th. Eventually, that became the Dallas Cowboys. The CFL became the CFL in 1958, and the NHL announced that the Winnipeg jets in 1996 could move to Phoenix.

[Dan Patrick]

This was the O2 Brady fumble against the Raiders, but not a fumble. It was ruled an incomplete pass. The Tuck rule. The tuck rule. Also on this day, 1974, Notre Dame beat UCLA, ending the Bruins 88 game winning streak. Bill Walton, that was always his worst day. And I think Digger Phelps would always call Bill on this day because Digger was the coach of Notre Dame. And beat Bill in the Bruins in South Bend. Billy, anybody taking Miami tonight? Straight up. Anybody got money line Miami straight up. Oh, man, I really want that. You know what? I have a real, like, my head says Indiana, my heart says Miami. Is that a yes? I'll take it. Yeah, you got Miami straight up. I'll jump in there. Yeah, why not? I'll take Miami straight up. It's. It's kind of I. I'm. I'm there with you. I don't know why. It was like everybody was in on the Texans. I'm like, I'm taking the Patriots. That's why I'm positive Jared Stidham is going to, like, absolutely light the world on fire against.

[Paulie]

I love that idea.

[Dan Patrick]

Todd, what did I learn on today's award nominated program?

[Paulie]

Christian, Syracuse makes a good point that settling for a field goal these days is looked at as losing four points, not getting three.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, it is. It looks like failure for Fritzy Seaton, Marv, Paulie, yours truly. The back room guys. Have a great day, everybody. We'll talk to you tomorrow. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.