Seahawks DOMINATE 49ers, Broncos BEAT Bills in OT, Nix breaks his ankle

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Guest Host: John Middelkoff)

Episode: Seahawks DOMINATE 49ers, Broncos BEAT Bills in OT, Nix breaks his ankle
Date: January 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode, guest-hosted by John Middelkoff, dives deep into a wild NFL playoff weekend. The main themes are:

• The Denver Broncos' dramatic overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, marred by QB Bo Nix's shocking ankle injury.
• The Seattle Seahawks’ complete domination of the San Francisco 49ers for the second consecutive week, making them clear NFC favorites.
• Broader discussions on franchise management, coaching futures (especially Sean McDermott’s status in Buffalo), and why Seattle’s physical defense now sets the standard.

The episode features Middelkoff’s signature energetic, candid, and occasionally irreverent analysis, mixing detailed football breakdowns with relatable anecdotes and league history.

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Key Discussions and Insights

1. Broncos Outlast the Bills, But Lose Bo Nix (01:55–14:00)

Main Points:

• Denver’s overtime victory over Buffalo was chaotic, dramatic, and ultimately bittersweet—with rising QB Bo Nix breaking his ankle in a postgame twist.
• The Broncos will now host the AFC Championship game with backup Jared Stidham, dramatically lowering their Super Bowl prospects.

Notable Segment:

• Bo Nix did not appear injured after the game; news of his broken ankle blindsided the team and fans alike.
• Denver’s defense, once elite, struggled to contain the Bills’ rushing attack and gave up big plays.

“The team that's hosting the AFC Championship game? Their quarterback broke his ankle... you’re 120 minutes from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and you lose Bo Nix. I don’t really know what to say.”
– John Middelkoff (03:45)

• Middelkoff credits Nix: “Give the kid his credit... Broncos offense stumbled, but you gotta give the kid his credit. I don't even know if he's a kid, he’s like a 40-year-old second-year player...” (05:36)

On the Bills’ collapse:

• Numerous turnovers (multiple Josh Allen fumbles, Cook fumble) directly resulted in Denver points.
• Final drive defensive coverage “just left Sutton wide open,” and Nix delivered a clutch, “gorgeous touchdown pass.” (06:20)
• Questionable refereeing: “By the end of the game, the referees were getting very trigger-happy with the yellow flag.” (10:30)

Stadium Energy:

• Both Denver and Seattle credited for their “collegiate feel”—with playoff atmospheres that rattled opponents.

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2. The Emotional Aftermath in Denver and Buffalo (16:15–34:00)

Pressure on Sean Payton:

• Middelkoff compares Payton’s situation to Dick Vermeil anointing Kurt Warner; now he faces the challenge of rallying the team around Stidham (“You don’t have much time, man...this is why you make $15, 18, $20 million—or whatever the hell the Broncos paid him.”) (16:30)

Buffalo’s New Low:

• Reminisces about Buffalo’s legacy of heartbreak, most recently “losing games in the most excruciating way of all time.” (17:25)
• Torches Sean McDermott for mismanagement before halftime: “...you got no timeouts...just kneel it and get out of there. Instead...running it up the middle, carrying it like a loaf of bread. Fumbles the ball with a couple seconds left and then they kick a field goal...that’s on the head coach.” (18:55)
• Suggests McDermott’s tenure may be over. “There’s probably above a 50% chance he gets fired.” (24:20)

Bills Roster Flaws:

• Scathing on front office and depth: “Is their team that good? ... Their personnel is not great.” (26:45)
• Urges that if McDermott is fired, GM Brandon Beane must go too: “If Sean McDermott goes, the GM has to go. It’s gotta be a package deal.” (27:15)
• On missed opportunity: “You just lost to a team who probably is going to lose next week because they don’t have a starting quarterback...it is what it is.” (33:55)

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3. Seahawks Destroy the 49ers — The NFC Runs Through Seattle (34:16–39:30)

“A Massacre” (34:16–36:21):

• Seattle “beat down” the 49ers, winning 41–6 in a game that was never competitive.
• Stunning stat: “Their starting quarterback completed 12 passes for 120 yards. Think about that.” (34:18)
• Emphasizes dominance through physical defense and the run game: “They can just run the ball and really play defense...Their team speed, the violence...they can win the Super Bowl. I really do.” (35:10)

San Francisco’s Injury Crisis:

• Attributes 49ers downfall to repeated injuries—mentions bizarre “substation” theories for the team’s rash of major injuries.
• “The story of their season was the injuries...” (39:10)
• Suggests the 49ers “ran into a team that was a terrible matchup for them and just beat the living out of them...41 to 6. That was a massacre.” (39:10)

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4. Seahawks’ Culture, Personnel, and Coaching Brilliance (39:30–46:00)

• Explores how John Schneider rebuilt Seattle with a relentless, violent, and speedy defense: “It’s outrageous how physically gifted they are. The speed and physicality...every guy is one of the hardest hitters in the league.” (39:35)
• Lavishes praise on DC Mike Macdonald: “If he was an offensive head coach, we would speak about him like a GOAT...defense is really, really confusing. Most people don’t understand it.” (41:55)
• Recaps how Seattle out-schemed Kyle Shanahan: “When he’s played Kyle twice in the last three weeks, he’s dictating the terms...” (43:06)
• Predicts Seattle will be favored in the NFC and likely to reach (and possibly win) the Super Bowl.

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5. Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta & Other Coaching Notes (46:00–58:09)

• News breaks mid-show: Kevin Stefanski hired as head coach of Falcons.

“He called them an iconic franchise. Didn’t know the Falcons were an iconic franchise.”
– John Middelkoff (46:28)

• Skeptical of Stefanski’s recent offensive success with Browns: “They had objectively one of the worst offenses in the history of the league. So hell, we just saw the 49ers with a million injuries still figure things out.” (47:05)
• On Atlanta’s coaching carousel: “Look at their last two hires—Raheem Morris...Arthur Smith...that’s kind of their thing.” (48:10)
• Central issue for Atlanta: who plays quarterback? Options: Michael Penix (injury prone), potential Kirk Cousins reunion, or “hell, he drafted Dylan Gabriel in the third round...Time will tell.” (49:17)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Memorable Moment | |-----------|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:45 | Middelkoff | “The team that's hosting the AFC Championship game? Their quarterback broke his ankle...” | | 05:36 | Middelkoff | “You gotta give the kid his credit...he's like a 40-year-old second-year player…” | | 10:30 | Middelkoff | “By the end of the game, the referees were getting very trigger-happy with the yellow flag.” | | 16:30 | Middelkoff | “This is why you make $15, 18, $20 million—or whatever the hell the Broncos paid him.” | | 18:55 | Middelkoff | “You got no timeouts…just kneel it and get out of there. Instead…running it up the middle, carrying it like a loaf of bread.” | | 24:20 | Middelkoff | “I think there's probably above a 50% chance he [Sean McDermott] gets fired.” | | 27:15 | Middelkoff | “…If Sean McDermott goes, the GM has to go. It’s gotta be a package deal.” | | 34:18 | Joel/Middelkoff | “They won 41 to 6. Their starting quarterback completed 12 passes for 120 yards. Think about that.” | | 35:10 | Middelkoff | “Their team speed, the violence...they can win the Super Bowl. I really do.” | | 41:55 | Middelkoff | “If he was an offensive head coach, we would speak about him like a GOAT…defense is really, really confusing.” | | 46:28 | Middelkoff | “He called them an iconic franchise. Didn’t know the Falcons were an iconic franchise.” |

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• 01:55–14:00: Denver vs Buffalo Postgame Breakdown & Bo Nix Injury
• 16:15–34:00: Coaching Pressure on Sean Payton/Sean McDermott; Buffalo’s Franchise Problems
• 34:16–39:30: Seahawks obliterate 49ers, NFC picture
• 39:30–46:00: John Schneider’s Seattle rebuild; Mike Macdonald’s defensive wizardry
• 46:00–58:09: Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta; broader coaching/GM commentary; closing thoughts

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Tone and Style

Middelkoff’s commentary is sharp, fast-paced, and blends football-nerd breakdowns (“robber coverage,” injury management) with salty humor and tough-love for teams and execs (“Didn’t know the Falcons were an iconic franchise…”).

He always gives credit where due (both critical and positive) and keeps the tone conversational, often referencing his own past in the NFL (scouting), his new fatherhood, and what it’s like watching games in real life.

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Summary Takeaways

• Broncos' hopes hinge precariously on their backup QB after Bo Nix’s freak injury—even as they move within a game of the Super Bowl.
• The Bills may have hit the end of their current era, with a potential GM/head coach house-cleaning likely.
• Seattle’s speed, defense, and physicality are now the league’s gold standard; they’re clear NFC Super Bowl favorites.
• San Francisco’s ongoing injury epidemic is not sustainable—Middelkoff calls for answers on weird ‘substation’ rumors.
• Kevin Stefanski’s move to Atlanta highlights the endless NFL coaching carousel and the perpetual, existential search for a franchise quarterback.

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This summary captures the episode’s key themes, memorable quotes, and the distinct, incisive style John Middelkoff brought as guest host.

Transcript

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[John Middelkoff]

The Volume. What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? I'm John Middelkoff. This is the three and out podcast brought to you by my friends at Zone Pouches. Hopefully everyone's doing well. I'm doing pretty good. I've slept about five hours in the last couple nights and I have a son now. He's at home because we came home today. He must be my son because we got discharged well before kickoff of the Bills Bronco game, which turned into an absolute bananas game. They went into overtime, felt like it was going to go to a couple overtimes, and the Bills lost in devastating fashion. The Broncos lost their quarterback to a broken Ankle or a broken bone in his ankle, who knows? I mean, just. He's out. I mean, he's getting surgery Tuesday, which was like, what. When did that happen? So the Broncos are hosting the AFC Championship game with a backup quarterback. The Bills were in tears because it does feel like their coach might get fired. So we will discuss that after. Just some crazy shit happening in that game. They have a bunch of turnovers, still make it overtime, have a late lead in the fourth quarter, bananas. And then Seattle just absolutely destroys the 49ers who are going to host the NFC championship game. And honestly would be my pick to represent the NFC in the super bowl right now if their defense is going to look like that. They have absolutely destroyed the 49ers two weeks in a row. 49ers played a game in between. Seattle did not. They went 41 to 6 and 13 to 3. So that would be. Well, the final score there be 54 to nine. That's a lot too little and it looked even worse. So congrats to Seattle and Denver. Kind of Denver. I mean, it sucks. Your backup quarterbacks now starting the AFC Champion game. And I'm going to save some stuff for Sunday, like John Harbaugh signing for a lot of money to be the New York Giants head coach. I will mention Kevin Stefanski today because he got hired by the Atlanta Falcons. Don't really have, like, crazy take on that one beside me. I mean, I get it. Matt Ryan wants an offensive guy. So let's just dive into what we just witnessed. I. I'm going to start tonight with the Bills and the Bronco game. I. I think the headline story today is the team that's hosting the AFC Championship game. Their quarterback broke his ankle. And I listen, I. You don't have a choice as a coach but to try to uplift your squad. He announced we're all in with Jared Stidham. He claimed at the podium. I. From what I saw, Sean Payton gave his press conference and then came back in the room to announce the information. His own team didn't know the information. Just a massive blow. Because clearly Broncos, a weird team, probably should have lost today. I mean, anytime you get multiple interceptions from Josh Allen, three fumbles, turn those into 13 points, you score on every fumble and a touchdown and two field goals and still don't win the. Or still barely win the game and go into overtime. Not ideal. Broncos, a weird team. Clearly, though, you're 120 minutes from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and you lose Bo Nicks. I don't really know what to say. Following on social media, the players found out on Twitter. Just a crazy loss because the NFL even tweeted an Instagram the clip of Bo Nix walking off the field after the game. And he wasn't even limping. He was not limping. So that was crazy to watch. Listen, he was going to get destroyed if they lost that game because in the second half he was kind of all over the map. The Broncos offense stumbled, but you got to give the kid his credit. I don't even know if his kid, he's like a 40 year old second year player. Let him write that right down. On a drive which, you know, the Bronco or the Bills ended up getting the ball back with 50 seconds and gotten the field goal range. But they took the lead with, you know, under a minute to go because Bo Nix hit Sutton multiple times, made a big play with his legs, threw a beautiful touchdown pass. I mean a gorgeous touchdown pass. That was big time stuff. And at the end of the day, as a quarterback, you know, you're judged in the biggest moments. It's why Caleb has gotten so much credit this year. Coming through in the clutch and Bo Nicks did in a huge way. Even on the final drive, which you could argue they get. I, I thought some of the PIs were a little. Definitely the one that White freaked out and threw his helmet on was ticky tack for my liking, but he was slinging it. Now I think Sean Payton's usage of him, which is kind of a moot point, you know, right now because he's not going to be playing in these next game or potentially two, which big picture for the league is a problem. Like ideally you don't want a team to have their backup quarterback in the AFC championship game and definitely the Super Bowl. Even my mother in law who is with us helping us out looked at me during the middle of the Niners game as actually a Seattle guy was on the ground Charbonnet and was like, were there this many injuries 20 years ago? And I'm like, I sure doesn't feel like it. Not at the rate in which it's going in the Bo Knicks one I would say it felt, I mean definitely not a soul would have noticed. To say it was innocuous feels like a overstatement. I mean you didn't notice it happened on the kneel down. The guy stepped on his ankle clearly when, when you watch the replay. But he didn't show any signs. He walked right off. It shows you the power of adrenaline. But there's no way around it. It's just a devastating blow, right? You can nitpick them all you want, but they got this far for a reason. The guy's made a lot of big plays. I mean, this Denver Bronco defense is, is no longer that good. They do not feel like a potent unit right now. I mean, the Bills were destroying them in the run game. Even some of the plays that didn't count, like Josh Allen's hitting big play after big play late in the game. I mean, the one on Cooks down the sideline, he was out of bounds. They hit Cooks on the other one. Which my take on that, I understand the outcome because you're not claiming that he caught the ball. And obviously when you roll over on the player, the ball is never on the ground. But if I catch the ball and I hit the ground, this is always my issue. Aren't I down? And that's always like, well, you didn't take two steps. You didn't complete the catch. And clearly the defender, when he rolls over him, if it's not completed, has the ball, technically it's in his possession. I don't know, I kind of understand where Sean McDermott's coming from, having an issue with that play. I also understand by the letter of the rule, it's technically not a catch. But this gets back to like, in the history of playing football, if I catch the ball and I hit the ground, that's a catch, right? Then if you rip it from my hands as we're rolling over, you would never have got the interception. But now with this convoluted nature of the way we've attacked these seven point bullet points of what you have to do. And listen, I'm not trying to act like I, I'm pissed off at that or I, I think that's the end of the world on that call. I understand it, but I also see the other side as well. And I thought the referees by the end of the game were getting very trigger happy with the yellow flag, but the Broncos came out victorious. Now they don't have their quarterback. And I think you saw tonight, definitely Seattle, Denver is a great home field advantage. I mean, you saw the two stadiums tonight are places that have a collegiate feel to them. I think they said that's the first Denver home playoff win since Peyton Manning back the year they won the Super Bowl. So it would have been what, January of 2017, the 2016 regular season. That place was rocking. I had a cousin there today. He's like, it was so loud. The place was going nuts. You couldn't hear yourself think Seattle. Like Brady said that the moment Shahi took that thing to the crib, it felt like an earthquake. And then that's one of the louder stadiums to begin with. But devastating blow because you get to the AFC championship, especially if you're hosting it, you're thinking, we can win the Super Bowl. And I'm sorry, when your backup quarterback comes in at this point in the season, fair or not, maybe he'll be better than I think. But like, I no longer think you can win the super bowl with your backup quarterback. And that's devastating blow for the Denver Broncos. No way around it. Really. No way around it. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. With Miami making the Natty. You know Hard Rock Stadium will be rocking. And if you're going to the game, Hard Rock Bet is giving you $10 bonus to get in on the action. 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[John Middelkoff]

So now to me, the pressure on Sean Payton, and this goes back a long time ago to Dick Vermeil, when Trent Green got injured in that first game and Sean and Dick Vermeil came out and said, kurt Warner's our starter and we're going to win with Kurt Warner. And everyone thought he was, was insane. And obviously Kurt Warner went on to, I think, win the mvp and they won the Super Bowl. It's. You don't have much time, man. I mean, you got eight days. Your team. This is why you make 15, 18, $20 million or whatever the hell the Denver Broncos paid him. This is going to be a really, really big challenge because Bo Nix can be a roller coaster ride. There is no disputing that. But he's our starting quarterback for a reason. He's the best quarterback on the roster, and he's the guy that by far gives him the best chance to win. Backups are in that spot also for a reason. They're not as good as the starter. And here's the other problem. It's January 17th. So what day does that game kick off? January 25th. You haven't played all season long. You don't even take reps in practice. So now to get ready for the AFC Championship game, we'll see who wins tomorrow between the Patriots in Houston. But if it's Houston, who has an elite defense, who I'm putting my money on, I can't. That's. That's tough, man. That, that is a really tough transition. So Sean Payton is truly going to have to work his magic, not just psychologically, to keep guys kind of like, dialed in and focused. Now, you could argue it's this late in the season. You have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. You're not giving, like, Newt Rockne, rah rah speeches, and that's true, but still, there's an emotional comedown after something like that happens. So I, I feel for you Broncos fans because you're in the AFC Championship game and it feels shitty, and that cannot be fun. And now to the Bills, who just lose games in the most excruciating way of all time. I mean, it's. There just aren't many franchises that have the heartache that they have. I mean, I was really young for the stretch they had when they were going to Super Bowls and losing them. And obviously some Super Bowls were blowouts, some were lost on last second drives or missed field goal at the end of the game. But this Josh Allen stretch of the way they've lost games, I mean, today, one, I don't feel that bad for them because Cook fumbles, they score a touchdown, Josh fumbles twice, one leads to a field goal. That I think if you look at like the end of the regulation portion of the game, that they would have been driving to win the game with a field goal. Instead they were driving to tie the game with a field goal. So like that play by Josh, it's twofold. You can't be that willy nilly with the, with the ball. And we can dive into his overall performance obviously relative to his standard. It wasn't a good game. You throw multiple interceptions. 1. I'm not putting the cook one on him, but the fumble at the end of the half was really, really bad. But I think it also goes to the head coach who everyone's calling for his job and everyone's going to call first job. And who knows, over the next couple days he might lose his job. But if I was going to be critical about one thing, that entire game on Sean McDermott is in that spot. And listen, Tom Brady's clearly past Tony Romo. I know Front Office Sports put out an article about CBS saying there's some growing narrative which is like, guys, no one with a brain thinks Tony Romo is going to get fired. Not a soul, right? Like that's. People aren't claiming like, fire Tony. Obviously with his contract, he's not getting fired. But the one thing we can mostly agree upon in this country is we kind of all watch football. And Nancy Romo do games where like 25, 30, 40 million people watch as the season goes. I mean, they do some of the biggest games of the year. I'm talking regular season. Their playoff games are huge. So it kind of stands out if Romo's not as good as he once was. And it's kind of a weird listen. And Tom Brady's become a pretty easy listen. He's pretty good now. He's solid. And I was, I'm guilty. I was wrong. I thought he was terrible at first, which he was, but I didn't get the benefit of doubt. Long Runway 10 year contract takes time. We all need reps. But like Tom Brady, dramatically better than Tony Romo now. But the thing is, you're watching that game and Tony Romo made a good point. He's like, I, you got no timeouts. You're in this situation at the end of the half, just, just kneel it and get out of there. And instead he called. They don't have any, you know, they have nowhere to go. They don't have an explosive passing game, really. Right. I mean, Brandon Cooks, by far as their most explosive pass receiver down the field. And he just starts running it up the middle, carrying it like a loaf of bread. Fumbles the ball with a couple seconds left and then they kick a field goal and they just get a free 10 points. And to me, like, that's on the head coach. That, yeah, I get. He's at the play caller, but you get on the headset and you go, Joe, just, we're getting out here. Let's go to, let's go to halftime. That was atrocious. And to me, if you want to put that on Sean McDermott, I have no problem with it because instead of it being 17 to 10 at halftime, it's 20 to 10 and they got a bunch of momentum off that play. So listen, Sean McDermott's in major trouble. And I've known Sean since my first year in Philly, who's our defensive coordinator. And I've said this forever, I'm biased on this one. He's always been really cool to me. I say the same thing about Todd Bowles. Like, I like these guys personally. Like, I just think they're, I just enjoy both of them. Now. Todd obviously finished the season. It was a disaster. He kept his job. It was very much in question. Sean is in this position where you see these coaches of really good teams find themselves, these guys that can't get over the hump. But it's clear, like, I think you should win a Super bowl or I think your team is good enough to win a Super Bowl. Like today you're in overtime, your quarterback had thrown an interception and you had three fumbles. So going into overtime you had four turnovers and they only had one on a God awful interception by Bo Nix that threw it right to a defensive tackle. But that shows like you should. It's like historic in football. You lose the turnover battle, you lose the game. And that's typically like a two to nothing ratio or a two to one ratio. You have four turnovers in regulation. Like you got no business even being in that Spot. So it's a reflection of like, your team's not bad. Clearly have a really good past defense, which Sean McDermott deserves credit for. He's a defensive guy. And you have this great quarterback who was having, for his standards, a very shitty game. Because you turn the ball over in the playoffs, like, that's a shitty game. You cannot turn the ball over possession. And like just giving the other team free possessions is a death blow. This is not baseball. This is not basket. You don't get it other games. This is a one game, you know, situation with another team. These aren't series. I think there's probably above a 50% chance he gets fired. And listen, there have been a lot of guys, you know, what was his name? Buck Showalter with the Yankees once upon a time, got fired. Joe Tori came in, they started winning. I lived in the Bay Area when Mark Jackson got fired, Steve Kerr came in and they, they started winning. Now these aren't all apples to apples. If you watch the Elway documentary, it happened with Dan Reeves. He kept getting close and close. They were even making the super bowl. And then he got fired. They got Mike Shanahan, they ended up winning a couple. But on this one, you go this long and this was finally the year where it's like you're getting Bo Nicks and you can't beat this team. Let's face it. Like, I don't think think Denver's that good because part of what I thought Denver was going to be really good. When I bet on them to make the super bowl at the beginning of the season, I thought they were going to have a Houston like defense. Well, their defense no longer looks like that. It's fine, it's solid, but it's not some dominant unit. And offensively it's just very hit or miss. And when it's good, it's really good. But also Sean calls plays with Bo Nix sometimes like he's Drew Brees. Like, to me, one of Bo Nick's great qualities is his mobility. Get him out, moving, get him, just let him be a playmaker. I, I say the same thing with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, but Sean Payton a lot like Ben Johnson. They desire a pocket quarterback. Their favorite plays are timing routes. Those guys just want to freelance and make plays because big arms, obviously Caleb has a huge arm, but big athletes throw on the run. It doesn't feel like Sean's that comfortable calling those plays. I mean, the day I would have ran like quarterback powers for Bo Nix. So you're watching Josh, they Take the lead late. You're like, this is going to be a great win. And then they go right down the field and they score. And obviously overtime, it was bad. I mean, it just really was. I mean, there's no way around it. So if Sean McDermott goes though, this cannot be a New York Giant situation where Joe Shane survives. This could not be a Cleveland Brown situation where Andrew Berry survives or Arizona. I mean, hell, a lot of these GM survived and the coaches went, he's got to go. Like, did you watch Seattle tonight? How good that roster is? We all agree if the 49ers are healthy, they have a fantastic team. They're just injured maybe because of the substation. Who knows? Only time will tell with that one. But I'm watching the Bills and going, is their team that good? Now, ultimately, the coach always goes first, but to me, if Sean McDermott goes, the GM has to go. It's got to be a package deal. Because that team, over the course of the last several years, you know, their margin for error if Josh is a little off, is not great. They do not have some loaded roster. Their personnel is not great. Now, I understand they've had injuries, but think about the big plays. What they came down to tonight, Trudevius White and Brandon Cooks, that's what their season came down to. So I think the Bills could just use a higher end general manager. I also think that Sean McDermott is not a bad coach. I actually think he's a pretty good coach. He does individual things in individual situations that clearly make you scratch your head. But on the aggregate, like, let's say he's fired on Monday, everyone would go, mike Tomlin should pass up going to television and take this job. Is Mike Tomlin that much different? Sean McDermott, you'd be like, well, yeah, when he had a really good quarterback, he was. Look how many playoff games he's won the last, like 12 years. Even go back before 2016, I was watching something on, like a highlight package on him. He had five playoff wins in, like, his two in his first two years. He hit the ground so hot. Now, as a young Ben Roethlisberger, the team was loaded. And I'm pro Mike Tomlin, but I think we'd be acting like you just went from Jim Tomsula to Bill Walsh. I don't think that's necessarily the case. I think the bigger issue with this team is the personnel. Now, the coach. If the GM goes, the coach is going to go as well. But I think they got bigger picture problems. And obviously you Got a player of this caliber, you just have to surround them with a better team because simply put, their team just isn't that good. And when their quarterback doesn't play great, and he did not play great tonight, even in the end of regulation when, when they ended up hitting the game tying field goal that took him to overtime, he had Kincaid open and he missed him. He just, it was a bad throw. Now Romo said he thought he would have scored. Sir Tan was probably tackles him, but what at the four yard line, three yard line, with 20 seconds left, Josh Allen hits that pass. Even if he doesn't score a touchdown, they probably win the game right there in regulation. So like I, I understand why Josh Allen was emotionally a wreck in the post game press conference. I understand why the locker room was emotionally a wreck because they're going, we should have won that game. And the reality is you should have won that game. You should beat the Denver Broncos, the Bills, 100% should have won that game. And I'm not talking because of the cooks thing, like McDermott, I'm just saying on the whole, if you watch that game, I think the Bill should win that game. So that's why guys get fired is when you own a team, when the fans who have watched this team go, how do we lose this game? And to me the answer comes to obviously the coaching situation, the beginning of the or the end of the first half, inexcusable, can't happen. You can't just hand your opponent 3 points, but also your team's just not that good. What's up with this? You took Keon Coleman really high in the draft and I know he had a touchdown tonight. But like that situation, why can't you rely on him like you can rely on Cook and Kincaid? Cook's a really good player, it's an excellent draft pick. But where are some of the other impact guys? Like, part of John Schneider's success is he's hit on not just first rounders, but subtle trades. Like how do you think he got Leonard Williams? What do you think that guy, he just got Raheed Shahid for like a 4th and a 5th round pick. Stuff on the margins is how you win. When you're 12, 13, 14, win team, it's decided by a play here or play there, an impact play by random guys, not just your star players. So the Buffalo Bills, that was devastating. And I think it's safe to say that it would not shock me at all if in the next couple days they fire everybody, because that's usually the way this thing works, and they've had a lot of stability there. They've had a lot of success. But when they went into this playoffs and then beat the Jags, who were the hottest team in the league, the Jags, like a month ago, beat the living piss out of the Denver Broncos to win that game. To come into this game even with it, the weird turnovers, to have the lead in the fourth quarter, that's bad, man. I just don't think that's something that you overcome. I mean, they had the lead. They were up 27 to 23 with four minutes to go. 27 to 20. They were up four points with four minutes to go. And you lose the game to Bo Nix, who kind of sliced and dice you on that final drive. They really did. And some of it was like you running this zone coverage and Sutton's just wide open, and obviously he made the great pass, you know, in the corner of the end zone. But. And then even they go, they have to punt in overtime, what's the chances if I tell you in the second round or the AFC Championship game or the Super Bowl, a team punts in overtime, that they win the game? Feels like it would be really, really slim. So that's one of those losses. There's a reason everyone was crying. There was a reason McDermott is saying, I'm sticking up for Buffalo. These guys aren't dumb. They understand the reality here. And I think the reality is like, this iteration, this 10 year of their operation. Coach and GM feel like it kind of officially closed tonight, and you just lost to a team who probably is going to lose next week because they don't have a starting quarterback, which is not really the team you played, but it is what it is. Let's. Let's hit on the night game, which was a massacre. The 49ers got shellacked. That was a beat down. And it kind of was a beat down from the moment the game was kicked off. I mean, you looked up and, I mean, Eddie Panero tried to trip him. Don't really blame him. I mean, the guy was so fast, I didn't think the trip even got close. But you could argue, should you get kicked out for a trip like that? Because what if you injured the guy? Which I'm not opposed to. I, I'm, I, I'm kind of making fun of it, though. It is. You can't tolerate it, and it shouldn't be tolerated, but no one was hurt, and it was kind of a funny play. My main takeaway from that Game is Seattle is the heavy favorite to be representing the NFC super bowl. And clearly they can win this thing when your defense is that good. I mean, at one point in time I think they were up almost 30 points and they had like 72 yards passing. Here's the thing, and I think we're going to see this with Houston tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon. They don't need. And listen, one question mark coming into this game was Sam Darnold. What did he end with today? 12 of 17. How many yards he throw?

[Joel from How to Money]

Four.

[John Middelkoff]

They won 41 to 6. Their starting quarterback completed 12 passes for 120 yards. Think about that. The 49ers played in a game like that years ago against Green Bay in the NFC championship game. I think Jimmy had maybe it was six completions. So it wasn't quite that. But they can just run the ball and they can really play defense. I mean, tonight they had 175 yards. I mean it wasn't even a fair fight. They sacked Purdy multiple times. But it's not even just when they're sacking him. The amount they're hitting him, no one is open. Their team speed, the violence. I, I think they can win the Super Bowl. I, I really do. Because they don't need their quarterback that much. And he, he obviously he didn't look not healthy tonight. You know, the oblique thing to me when that story broke a couple days ago, I went, I've seen guys get this injury at quarterback and you can't throw because of the torque on your body. And then he wasn't at warm ups and then he comes out, his first pass was way off. I was like, I don't know. But then he made a couple and he was fine. He looked just like Sam Darnold. And if he can just play under control, not turn the ball over. They have a Houston like defense, but I would say the difference of them in Houston, I feel like their offense is better partly because their running games better. We'll have to see what happened to Charbonnet. I mean he got injured in the game. Kenneth Walker's just owned the 49ers the last couple of weeks. I mean, Jackson Smith is so good. Cooper cup clearly has momentum. But the other thing, whoever they end up playing next week. The home field advantage that Seattle has is outrageous. I mean that place is so loud you feel it from just sitting on your couch.

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[John Middelkoff]

Qualifying credit required New Year New goals.

[Matt from How to Money]

And in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever. I am Matt and I'm Joel. 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 from How to Money]

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]

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

[John Middelkoff]

Every search and rescue team in LA county has been called in to help.

[Valley of Shadows Narrator]

Within days, tips started flooding into the Sheriff's department.

[Katie Couric]

The rumor around the drug scene was that a deputy was taken care of.

[Narrator]

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?

[John Middelkoff]

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

[Valley of Shadows Narrator]

Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert.

[Narrator]

Do you have any advice for us while looking into this disappearance?

[John Middelkoff]

I wouldn't do it alone.

[Valley of Shadows Narrator]

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

[Katie Couric]

As we head into 2026, it's safe to say that 2025 was a year like no other. So much news, so much disruption, and yes, so much division. That's why we're wrapping up this season of Next Question with a look back at everything that's happened. Things are coming at us with such a velocity, we thought it was important to take a moment, connect the dots and explore what it all means. We're summing up the first year of Trump's second term with David Graham on Project 2025 and how many of the goals have been implemented. Richard Haass on foreign policy and the changing world order. Jessica Valenti on reproductive rights and the terrifying consequences of abortion bans. Tina Brown on the year scandals Here and across the pond, the president has upended everything from pardons to the press. So we're covering it all. Listen to next question. With me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middelkoff]

We were just talking about the Bills. Brandon Bean has done an awful job, right? You draft Josh Allen, great. But then it's incumbent on you to make moves and have a team that is capable to overpower people, right? You can't just depend on your quarterback to overpower people. You need your team to overpower people. People. But the one thing you know, Cam Newton or Roethlisberger, these just physical freaks who were built unlike any other player in the NFL. Their team and GM and front office built teams around them that reflected their physicality. Like Cam Newton's defense in Carolina was incredible, that they would knock your head off. The teams in the prime of Roethlisberger, how good they were on defense. You watching the Bills, you're like, where's their physicality? You're watching John Schneider build the defense. It feels like every guy is one of the hardest hitters in the league. All their defensive linemen feel like they're trying to knock you into the blue tent. All their DBs hit. And John Schneider does not get enough credit for how good of a job he's done rebuilding this team at this level. Because it's. It's outrageous how physically gifted they are. The speed and physicality of their team is. Obviously the Niners just ran out of juice. I mean, they had injuries in the game, but they have been completely mauled in back to back games against Seattle. Like there's no way around. They look. Now, granted, some of their guys are JV guys, but they look like a JV team against Seattle. They just played the Eagles last week, who had one of the best defense in the league, have all this talent on both sides of the ball and they look, they're equal physically. Like it did not look like a physical overmatch. Yet tonight it looks like you're watching, you know, pick some top high school team right? Where I'm from in California, be like Folsom or modern day. When they're playing one of their random opponents and you look, you know, on Max Prep, back in the day, I was gonna say the newspaper. No one's reading the newspaper anymore. And you see the score, it's like 70 to 3. You're like, God damn. My high school, where I went to high school, Davis High School. We are in Folsom's league who is one of the top, probably 15 teams in the country. They are a powerhouse. Last year, the pro. My high school refused to play them. They just forfeited the game. They did not feel it was safe, which I had a buddy that coaches like the JV team. He's like, it wouldn't have been. They got guys going to Ole Miss, byusc. They would have murdered him. That's what this kind of felt like. And then the guys that go into the game who are kind of injured leave even more injured. It's just like. I mean, that was a massacre. There's no way around it. It's not even a fair fight. And John Schneider deserves a ton of credit. Mike McDaniel or Mike McDonald. I've been saying this for a long time. If he was a offensive head coach, we would speak about him like. Like a goat. We'd talk about him the way we do about Kyle and McVay and Andy Reid for years. But he's a defensive guy. And it's. Nobody knows unless you're working football. And when I say working football, like on the defensive side of the ball, when Tony Romo's like, yeah, they were running the robber or this, it's like nobody even knows what you're talking about, bro. No one understands that 95 of fans don't know what cover two is. So, like, no one gets that. Defense is really, really confusing. Even the average football fan can understand basically a go route, a screen pass. Like, we have some concepts of offense. Most people don't understand defense because it's really, really complicated. Right? And so Mike McDonald is running the more complicated side. Who? And one thing is, when you run defense, it's a reactionary right side of the ball because you don't know what's coming. You're reacting to what they're doing. Yet it feels like when he's played Kyle twice in the last three weeks, he's dictating the terms with all his. Whatever the hell he's doing, which clearly Kyle Shannon has no clue because we just saw him, like, move the ball. Trick play. They tried to run a trick play tonight that was kind of like, I don't know, a cousin of what they ran last week. Couple different pitches, and it was a nightmare. Purdy, I think, had to throw it back to DeMarcus Robinson. It was like a screen. It got destroyed. It went for like one yard. They just eat you alive. So listen, if Sam Darnold is just going to play in games where he's throwing under 20 pass attempts and he's obviously not that injured. They could win the super bowl and they're going to be favored next week, which, whoever they play in this game, obviously they beat the Rams that final month of the season. They clearly are a more well built team than the Bears in terms of their balance of their team. But I, I would pick them right now to win whichever one of those teams they play. Also, when you factor in that game Sunday night, I mean, some of these clips coming out of Chicago of 10 degrees in the wind and the snow, it's like that game's got a chance to be brutal. I mean, these guys are. Whoever wins that game is going to be gimping into Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for Seattle. And that's not the type team that you limp and gimp to go play because they got both chin straps buckled, looking to knock your chin or your mouthpiece on the ground. That happened tonight. I forget who it was. A mouthpiece went flying. Might have been the first. Was that the first play of the game or that that was actually in the Bills Bronco game? The first play of the game where felt like both guys were gonna get stretched off the field. But prop Seattle. Props to John Schneider. Props to Mike McDonald. Incredible turnaround. Truly is. And to me, the 49ers, like, they just got to answer one question moving forward is how do they fix this injury thing? How does this stop? And I don't pretend to, like, I got a couple degrees that are meaningless. And I don't remember one thing that was ever taught to me in class. Pass, like some basic math and writing and how to read. So I, I can't pretend to understand substations and power grids and shit like that. I, I don't know. But this story's gotten big enough where they're going to have to put out some sort of statement like, this is not true. This has no impact because this story's not going away. You have former players commenting on it. Players are on the team are going to have to start asking some questions. Like, the amount of injuries they consistently get is not normal. And as we head toward free agency, you just think some people are going to have some questions. If I was a player on the team, my livelihood are my tendons and my muscles. So, like, listen, I'm not asking every team to respond to every rumor out there, but this is something that, like kind of out of left field that a lot of people are going like, what? Is there something there? Because let's face it, you don't need to Be a conspiracy theorist to go kind of makes some sense, because what we've witnessed is not fucking normal. Even today, Jake Tonjas, who at one point in time in the game, he ended up leading the team and receiving, comes limping off the field. It's like, how's this, how's this sustainable? And the answer is it's not. If it wasn't for your coaching staff, which is clearly pretty good, beside, when you play Mike McDonald's, you would have no chance. You put a random coach on this team, this team will win like four games. So, like, part of the success of any team in the league is you got to have your best players around when it matters most. And they're all injured. So the injuries of this team, it's insane. And tonight, clearly you're rolling out enough of these guys. You're not playing Kevin Patola and the Eagles inept offense. You get beaten like a drum. But I, I do think it gets this, this question with the substation is just, it's just going to be a story that's not going to go away. And I do think it's kind of incumbent on them at some point to almost come out and just say, hey, we've looked into this. We've paid for some dude from Stanford to, to run a study or we've done our own studies. We don't believe this is true. But I just think saying silent, I just don't believe the story is just gonna. A lot of things go away in 20, 25, or I guess it's 26, with the pace in which our society goes, I, I don't think this thing's going away because as long as their injuries keep happening, people are going to keep asking questions. And I, I just don't know what you do, like firing some strength and conditioning coach. Been there, done that. Nothing, nothing changed. Your coach is clearly good. Right? And we'll see if solid leads or not, which is obviously a big blow if he does, because they'll need whatever their fourth defensive coordinator in four years. They had Dimiko, then they had Wilkes, then they had Sorensen, now they had Salah. And it'd be their fifth defensive coordinator in five years, so it'd be a lot of turnover, but. And I think you just look, I mean, he's pretty good chance that he probably gets an offer somewhere. You'd think now if that offers the Arizona Cardinals, he'll probably turn it down. Would he take the Raider gig? Do the Raiders want him? I mean, I guess there's no guarantee he'll get a job. But Ideally for the 49ers, he doesn't because he's clearly pretty good and they'd like him back. But to be good on defense, look at Seattle. You got to have your fucking best players out there. They can't be in the injury tent. They can't be on the sideline, you know, trying to come back. They can't be at home with a torn ACL. And I just think the 49ers, to me the story of their season was the injuries. And even at the end of the season tell toward the end of the game. I have a lot of respect for football players, right? They. The physicality of the game, you know, they don't take games off. This isn't basketball or baseball. There's no load managing. But like Trent Williams was in there late in the game, I'm like, this is insane. Once they. Once they went up like 34 to 6, I would have taken him out of the game. Like you can't afford to have him at 36, 30. I guess he's 37, get injured. And I thought they waited too long to pull guys. They're just asking for it with the situation of their team and whatever the hell is going on. Because something's going on, no one quite knows what. But it's not normal. Even in a league where a lot of guys get injured, it is not normal. And it feels like this year kind of jumped the shark. Like there's like no ever looking at it the same and there's no trust that this is going to change at this point. Which clearly also like this is not one of those things. Even back to the substation. Like, I don't blame anyone involved in football like Kyle, John lynch, they have nothing to do with this. But they gotta look into this. Like someone has to say something of like what. What is going on? Because it can't be just simply. We do too many front squats on Tuesdays. We do this one drill with our strength. Bullshit. At this point in time, I don't believe it. And the rules, even if you say they practice a little more physical than other teams, this ain't 1978. They're not wearing pads in practice like they used to. It's just not the same. So I. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. And it just got worse and worse and worse and just never ended. That was the crazy part. It literally never ended. And they. They ran into this team that was a terrible matchup for him and just beat the living out of him. Because that's what happened if you get beat in a playoff game. 41 to 6. 41 to 6. Seattle had 280 yards. That was a crazy part. It's not like they even went for like 500 yards offense. It was just a complete beat down special teams played the defense. Props Seattle. Enjoy the NFC championship game. And I'm rooting for my guy, John Schneider, who had on the podcast one time call my guy to make the Super Bowl. We'll get out of here on this. The big news. I personally believe that Roger Goodell should make a rule. Remember when Alex Rodriguez, he announced he was retiring or coming back or suspended. Something happened in the middle of the World Series. It's like, what are we doing? I also think that you should not be allowed to hire someone in the middle of a second round playoff game. Wait for Monday and listen, I'm biased. That's a great story on like a Tuesday, but Kevin Stefanski is hired by the Atlanta Falcons. He called them an iconic franchise. Didn't know the Falcons were an iconic franchise, but I do imagine. And Palisaro tweeted out that he had a long conversation with Matt Ryan. Kevin Stefanski has been involved with one of the more batshit places in all of sports. He has had a guy heavily involved with his team that is a baseball executive that helped run the personnel department for the Cleveland Browns who didn't even live in Cleveland. He lived in San Diego. Obviously the desean Watson situation, it's just been a debacle now this year. Offensively. Did Kevin Stefanski mail it in? Because I think they had like objectively one of the worst offense in the history of the league. So like hell, we just saw the 49ers with a million injuries. Still figure things out. Like if you're a great offensive guy, you should figure something out. I also understand just being over a job. We've all had jobs where like this is going to end. I'm over it. I can't even focus. Maybe there was a little bit of that, which ideally is not a coach thing. But listen, he wouldn't be the first or last, you know, successful coach who has quit on a team. Sean Payton a couple years ago now, not during the season, you know, it's during the season a little bit different. But maybe he realized the writing was on the wall. They had no quarterback. People in the league really like him. I, I don't know him. I met him one time in the combine. Seemed like a nice guy. Obviously, I think viewed as a pretty Sharp offensive guy. But I think sometimes you get a reputation as like this dominant coach or dominant offensive coach that I don't know. I mean, could the Falcons have done better? Probably not. Falcons were never going to get John Harbaugh, you know, the Mike Vrabel. Like people like that aren't signing up for their jobs. I mean, look at their last two hires. Raheem Morris, great guy, clearly not a good head coach. And Arthur Smith, a first time head coach. Like, that's kind of what they started doing. And even you go back to like Dan Quinn, Mike Smith, that's. That's kind of their thing. They wanted a guy with some experience. They clearly wanted an offensive guy. I think they're trying to have him keep Jeff Ulbricht. And if you're him, you just feel much more comfortable. Like, we have no clue if Matt Ryan is going to be good or bad at this job. But the one thing you would say about Matt Ryan is like, he's just a football guy. Like, he's just a football guy. And there has to be some sort of, like, I don't even know what the right adjective is to describe it, but maybe a calmness over Kevin Stefanski of like, I can just deal with a football guy. I don't have to deal with this guy who lives in San Diego with all these fucking crazy ideas that clearly aren't working. I have a GM who is, let's face it, an analytically driven Ivy League type guy. I have this owner who is just nuts in Jimmy Haslam and like Arthur Blank, put himself in his own hall of Fame, which, listen, would you, would you do the same? Maybe. But I think by all accounts, pretty good owner. People really think highly of the guy. So I think the number one question for Kevin Stefanski is who the hell's your quarterback? That's Michael. Who is your quarterback? Because Michael Penix has a torn acl, has shown nothing over the course of his playing career in college and now in the pros that he can stay healthy. The cousin situation, who Stefanski coached in Minnesota, maybe it puts it on the table. Kirk Cousins comes back at some sort of reduced number, which I would not look past that at all. I saw Kirk Cousins was on the desk today at CBS. Maybe he goes, listen, I'll either play for 35 million, I'll just go work in television. I think Kirk has to be pretty good on tv, but I think the Kevin Stefanski thing is you're kind of hoping it was more the Browns than him, because I know he won. Coach of the year a couple times with Joe Flacco. You get a lot of credit for that. The 2020 year with Baker Mayfield, kind of a fugazi season. But I, I don't know. My question is, I think a lot of people are going to be like, great hire. Yeah, it could be who's his quarterback? Like, because if you got no quarterback, I just saw him in Cleveland, it did not go well. So you bring back Kirk Cousins, who's a little bit older, who's not very mobile. The Penix thing, you definitely can't bank on this at this point. Especially the people that drafted him are now gone. So, like Matt Ryan going to believe in Penix. Did. Did Stefanski even, like panics? I don't know who Stefanski likes at quarterback. Hell, he drafted Dylan Gabriel in the third round. A lot of people had. Dylan Gabriel is like a undrafted free agent. Time will tell. But my, my reaction to it was like, yeah, we'll see. I get it. But I think a lot of people can be like, great hire, maybe. I mean, I think media loves the guy. I kind of see the Falcons just do what they've been doing. Adios. Have a great night. The Volume.

[Matt from How to Money]

Hey, it's Joel and Matt.

[Joel from How to Money]

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 from How to Money]

Yeah. Each week we break down what's happening with your money, the most important issues to focus on, and the 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.

[John Paulk]

I'm John Paulk. For years, I was the poster boy of the conversion therapy movement, the ex gay who married an ex lesbian and traveled the world telling my story of how I changed my sexuality from gay to straight. You might have heard my story, but you've never heard the real story.

[John Middelkoff]

John has never been anything but gay, but he really tried hard not to be.

[John Paulk]

Listen to Atonement, the John Paulk story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katie Couric]

If you only listen to one thing to make sense of the news this year, make it this. The final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important conversations of the year. You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025. Liz Oyer on the plethora of presidential pardons. Tina Brown on the year's biggest scandals here at home and across the pond, plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last 12 months, how we made it through the year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

On June 11, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing.

[John Middelkoff]

Hey, if they'll kill a cop and.

[Matt from How to Money]

Bury him, what are they going to do to me?

[Valley of Shadows Narrator]

What really happened to the missing deputy? Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert.

[Narrator]

Listen to Valley of Shadows on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.

[Katie Couric]

Guaranteed Human.