What’s Wright - NFL Week 14 Reaction: Eagles & Chiefs FALLING APART, Bills NOW OR NEVER, Shedeur drama | Nick Wright

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – What’s Wright: NFL Week 14 Reaction

Host: Nick Wright (with Damanze)
Date: December 10, 2025
Episode Theme:
A wide-ranging and candid breakdown of a chaotic NFL Week 14, with Nick Wright reacting in real time to the Kansas City Chiefs’ collapse, the Eagles and Bills’ playoff scenarios, AFC/NFC power shifts, and the Shédeur Sanders drama. Includes deep dives on NFL legacies, playoff math, and coaching controversies, all with Nick’s blend of humor, frustration, and data-backed analysis.

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Episode Overview

This episode unfolds as a reflection on seismic shifts in the NFL landscape, focusing on the fall from grace of perennial powers like the Chiefs and Eagles, the “now or never” moment for the Bills, legitimacy questions for Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, and spicy drama around Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders. The tone is raw, introspective, and occasionally sardonic, as Nick comes to grips with the Chiefs’ plight and examines how NFL narratives are rewritten in real time.

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Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Chiefs “Falling Apart” – Season Postmortem

Timestamps: 02:55 — 43:09

• Chiefs’ Playoff Path:

  • Must win out (Chargers, Titans, Broncos, Raiders) AND get specific losses from the Chargers and Colts, a scenario Nick calls “possible but not reliable.”
  • “They have to go 4-0... and when I lay it out that way, it doesn’t seem impossible... Problem is this: the Chiefs are not a reliable team right now.” (13:07)

• What Went Wrong:

  • Special teams failures, situational coaching (calls out Andy Reid), and offensive sputters compound week after week.
  • “They lost Sunday night. For 10 different reasons and they were all little microcosms for what’s happened all season long… It’s a collective failure.” (14:13)
  • Highlights Mahomes’ struggles—missed deep balls, costly turnovers—but reserves ultimate blame for systemic issues.

• Leadership and Excuses:

  • Nick refuses to blame refs or luck: “I’m not blaming the refs... Bad calls happen... I’m not saying this is actually deep down a great team. They’re not.” (22:46)

• Legacy Perspective: Mahomes vs. Brady

  • Detailed statistical comparison of their first eight seasons as starters, arguing Mahomes still holds the edge despite this year’s collapse.
  • “Even when missing the playoffs this year, if they do, Patrick Mahomes, by any metric ... has had the greatest first eight years as a starter... of any player in league history.” (32:15)
  • Acknowledges that Mahomes, to challenge Brady as the GOAT, must amass even more early accomplishments as future longevity is unlikely.

2. Playoff Pressure Shifts: Bills’ “Now or Never”

Timestamps: 48:57 — 55:53

• AFC Title “Window”:

  • With KC and Baltimore faltering, the Bills have a golden opportunity and “must make the Super Bowl.”
  • “If they walk into the playoffs and the Ravens aren’t there and Joe Burrow’s not there and Patrick Mahomes isn’t there… They have to come out of it.” (49:48)

• Bills Playoff History:

  • Recites the Bills’ string of heartbreaking playoff exits to Mahomes and Burrow; sees this year as a clear path.
  • “It would be a catastrophe for Buffalo to not make the Super Bowl.” (51:58)
  • Nick names them his current AFC pick. “Nobody wants to play them. Wild is pretending like he’s not scared. He’s petrified.” (51:31)

• NFC Chaos:

  • Notes that nearly every 12-win team from last year is now in crisis or out of the playoff picture—underscoring league unpredictability.

3. Eagles’ Collapse & Jalen Hurts Problem

Timestamps: 56:04 — 61:00

• Eagles’ Meltdown:

  • After a disastrous game for Hurts (“He threw four yesterday... including first and ten in overtime, inside the red zone, and he makes a hero play and they lose the game because of it.” (57:42)), serious questions arise about his future.
  • Nick suggests the “Jalen Hurts problem” is about decision-making—he’s not trusting himself, undermining the offense.
  • Draws a comparison to Russell Wilson’s Seahawks: “The comp for Jalen Hurts and this era of Eagles football is Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom Seahawks.” (59:27)

• Locker Room Dynamics:

  • Points to unease and coded messaging from teammates and staff. References the “positivity rabbit” in the locker room as evidence of a team struggling for cohesion.

4. AFC North Drama: Ravens & Steelers

Timestamps: 65:49 — 70:56

• Ravens Spiral:
  • Loss to the Steelers and ref controversy (“I agree with you that you guys got screwed on that call. But that’s not the problem for Baltimore. The problem for Baltimore is they're not good and Lamar is playing terribly.” (68:24))
  • Criticizes Lamar’s late-game management and the team’s lack of any complete performance.

5. Shedeur Sanders & Browns Drama

Timestamps: 70:56 — 78:43

• Shédeur’s Performance and Conspiracy Talk:
  • Impressed with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders’ play, but slams Browns coach Kevin Stefanski for a baffling two-point conversion call that reignited “they’re sabotaging Shédeur” rumors.
  • “That was quite simply one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve ever seen in my life... that was the only way you add to the noise surrounding the dumb conspiracies with Shedeur.” (74:10; 75:00)
  • “Don’t attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity... I don’t think it necessarily has to be deeper than that.” (76:40)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Chiefs collapse:

• “There is no silver lining to this chief season. But the only way that I’ll be able to survive it is I might turn into the next few months a world class hater. I’m just letting everyone know.” (04:09 — Nick Wright)

On Bills’ urgency:

• “The Bills have to make the Super Bowl this year. It’s not even — that’s not a hot take. That’s not complex. It is...” (49:38 — Nick Wright)

On Mahomes vs. Brady perspective:

• “Even with this year included, Patrick’s first eight years by any way you cut it... outstripped Tom’s first eight years.” (37:53 — Nick Wright)

On Eagles QB question:

• “The Eagles have a Jalen Hurts problem... He, for some reason, does not trust himself on quick decisions. And because of that, the offense does not function properly.” (57:10 — Nick Wright)

On Browns’ Shedeur drama:

• “That was quite simply one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve ever seen in my life... The knock-on effect of the — they were finally going to have a week with minimal outside noise... and then after leading a 14 point comeback... you called the single worst two-point conversion anyone’s called in the NFL all year.” (74:10 – 76:11 — Nick Wright)

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Additional Highlights and Analysis

Rapid Fire Game Thoughts (79:22 onward)

• Lions beat Cowboys 44-30 (79:22): “Cowboys not dead yet—Philly controls the division.”
• Packers 28, Bears 21: “Great game...Jordan Love awesome. Caleb flashes, but not quite there.”
• Saints 24, Bucs 20: “My Bucs...on shaky ground and Baker’s been shaky for a month.”
• Seahawks 37, Falcons 9: “Seahawks defense unbelievable...Kirk Cousins had no shot.”
• Jags 36, Colts 19: “Jags are legit...Colts’ last month, franchise-altering disaster.”
• Rams 45, Cardinals 17: “The Rams are juggernauts right now, just blowing people out.”
• Broncos 24, Raiders 17: “Story is the craziest backdoor cover and overhit of the NFL season.”
• Vikings 31, Commanders 0: “Brutal season for Commanders fans.”
• Dolphins 34, Jets 10: “Dolphins, same record as Chiefs, but need miracles to reach playoffs.”

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Conclusion & Outlook

Nick frames the episode as a reckoning for the league’s elites and a “now or never” moment for the Bills. With the Chiefs' playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Nick oscillates between resignation and a flicker of hope, while defending Mahomes’ long-term legacy. He doesn’t shy from criticism—of Andy Reid, of Stefanski, of Hurts—and engages in self-aware sports talk that’s candid about fan emotion.

Final thought:
Hope flickers for some, despair arrives for others, but the story of the 2025 NFL season is far from over—especially if, as Nick teases, “they pull me back in with a win Sunday against the Chargers.” (43:09)

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For more detailed NFL insights or drama breakdowns, this episode is a must-listen for fans and skeptics alike.

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Notable Segment Timestamps for Quick Reference

• 02:55 – Chiefs out of contention; setting new tone for the show
• 11:00 – Breaking down the Chiefs’ path and where it’s gone wrong
• 32:05 – Mahomes vs. Brady legacy (in depth)
• 48:57 – AFC title picture, Bills’ moment
• 56:04 – Eagles' crisis and Jalen Hurts debate
• 65:49 – Ravens/Steelers fallout
• 70:56 – Shedeur Sanders/Browns controversy
• 79:22 – Speed round: rest of NFL Week 14
• 84:54 – Soccer tournament betting picks, closing notes

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Transcript

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[Nick Wright]

And Doug, what a horrible call.

[Damanze]

Hey, ref.

[Nick Wright]

Open your eyes, ref. You're really not gonna call that?

[Damanze]

Come on.

[Nick Wright]

Hey, ref, why didn't you customize your car insurance with Liberty Mutual and save money? I don't think you get what we're doing. Sure I do. We're all just giving him advice. You guys on sports, me on saving money.

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[Nick Wright]

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Welcome in what driving the GR episode 401 first 400 episodes of this show we did, the Chiefs were the preeminent contender in the NFL. Episode 401 is our first show with the Chiefs out of contention almost entirely. It's a brave new world for the rest of this NFL season. And we'll get all into it. This episode of what's Right with Nick Wright is presented to you by Boost Mobile Damanze. How are you? Great to see you look fantastic.

[Damanze]

I'm doing good, rested, doing Good.

[Nick Wright]

Now officially one month old.

[Damanze]

100%. Yep.

[Nick Wright]

The. All right. This is really embarrassing. And I, you know, I have strengths and weaknesses as a parent now also a grandparent. Is her birthday November 8th or 9th?

[Damanze]

It's the 9th.

[Nick Wright]

The 9th.

[Damanze]

Okay.

[Nick Wright]

That's what I thought. That's what I thought. But I, the. I got one month old pictures yesterday. It was the 8th and I was like, born. Like. Was this.

[Damanze]

She was born like an hour and a half? Yeah, 100%. Well, no, it would have been later for you, but yeah, she was born an hour and a half.

[Nick Wright]

She was born in the middle of the night, the 8th into the 9th. Got it. Okay, good. I have it. Okay. That's what I thought. Feel better about it. That picture, the pictures of your baby were really the only good things I got this weekend. So that was good. And people did seem to like the way we opened. First things first yesterday. I don't know who votes on sports Emmys, but if sports Emmys are voted on by quote tweets, we're crushing. We're gonna. We're gonna annihilate it. So we do have to get to the Kansas City Chiefs. We do have to get to an unbelievable Monday Night Football game. And I'm just telling you, I said this off the air. I'm saying it on the air now. Misery loves company, guys. And there is no silver lining to this chief season. But the only way that I'll be able to survive it is I might turn into the next few months a world class hater. I'm just letting everyone know. I'm letting. Listen, there's. I've got the. I have some carve outs. I have a soft spot in my heart for Matt Stafford and the Rams. I obviously like Baker and the Bucks, the Prince and the Jags. Sneaky. Just winning games.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And you know what? I've always said that I do believe at some point the Buffalo Bills are going to get over. And no better time than now. And again, the hater in me also feels like having the. Yeah, but. Yeah, but you won the super bowl the year Mahomes wasn't in the playoffs. I mean, it's like a mini super, like, super. So those teams I feel good about and I can see myself pulling for once the playoffs begin.

Everybody else, but most notably the Philadelphia Eagles.

Folks, we were. Our ship is sinking together. Baltimore Ravens. You're, you might be overboard before me. Cincinnati Bengals. I don't even really think about the Bengals anymore, but they did beat the Chiefs once upon a time in a playoff game. You got nine losses already. The I, I, I, I'm, we're, we're all, we are all falling together. I got nothing against the Lions, but you know what? They, they, they're in. So they're fine. We'll get into all of it. And then. But most notable. Well, it doesn't matter. We'll get into all of it. We'll talk about the Chiefs in a second. First, this episode of what's Right with the Cry is brought to you by Boost Mobile and straight to voicemail, of course, is brought to you by Boost Mobile. And I do. I'm not going to do the thing I did a couple weeks ago where the Chiefs lost and then I didn't lead with the Chiefs, but I am going to spend 90 seconds on the College Football Playoff because I thought Miami should get in over Notre Dame. I also thought, though Notre Dame had an argument to get in over Alabama, but this is and Jokic pass Jordan and career says Josh Hart hands off his kid to Mitchell Robinson. But just real quick. Oh, that's adorable. I love that. I like, I like that picture a lot.

Go ahead.

[Damanze]

Oh, no, I just said in the thick of it. The baby on the beach.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, give me 90 seconds here on the College Football Playoff because I just want to get on the record about this. When we put this on the Internet if we want to.

I supported expanding the playoff from 4 to 12. Not because there were ever going to be 12 deserving teams, but because of a year just like this year, where there is one unimpeachable team that obviously deserves to be there in Indiana. And then more than three teams that have an argument they should be included in a chance to win the national championship. Those being, of course, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss. And there's one more that I'm forgetting.

Who was the, who was the seven seed? Was it Oklahoma? I should have pulled. Oh, A and M. Pardon me? A and M and I. The and. And Oklahoma. Throw them in as well. The whole reason for expanding the playoff. Apologies to my friends at A and M. My buddy John Lopez was to make sure you're not having to choose between Texas Tech and Oregon. The whole reason of expanding the playoffs was to make sure that you're not having to choose between Ole Miss and Georgia, even though that wouldn't have been given what Georgia did. That hard of a decision. The point of the playoff was not to make sure a team with Miami or Texas or Notre Dame or BYU or Alabama's resume gets in. So any of those teams that get in, just be happy about it. And any of those teams, if you are, if you are arguing we were tenth, then you've lost. So I just don't care about Notre Dame vs. Miami vs. Alabama because the point of the playoff was not to accommodate them. The point of the playoff was to make sure that Texas Tech doesn't get left out for Oregon or vice versa. The playoff has accomplished that. So that's what matters. Here you, you expand from 4 to 12 to make sure years like this year where there are six or seven teams that have a legitimate claim, their top four, all of them get in. That's why you do it. Everyone else, and it's not to say one of those teams can't somehow peel a championship. Ohio State did it last year. Duck, not the point. Point is.

We. You did not expand the playoff to accommodate the Miami's and Notre Dames of 2025. You expanded the playoff to make sure the Ole Miss and Oregon's of 2025 didn't get left out.

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[Nick Wright]

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The Chiefs are six and seven demons. A.

[Damanze]

Yeah, it's grim. They have lost now four of their last five. After that game with Houston, this is the first time, I think it kind of looked like the cold was affecting the Chiefs. O line was cooked. Kelsey had some drops. Rice had some drops. Mahomes is limping around. Is there any type of silver lining or any type of hope that you're holding on to after this last game through the end of the season?

[Nick Wright]

All right, well, listen, the, the hope is like, do they have a path to the playoffs? And the answer is yes, technically, but. And the simplest way to explain their path to the playoffs and then we'll get into what has happened. But let me just get this out of the way.

They have to go four and oh, home Chargers at Titans, home Broncos at Raiders.

The colts can't go 3 and 1. Not worried about that. They're, they're. I mean, they're thinking about starting Philip Rivers. So the, the Colts part of it to me is easy because the Colts have Seahawks, Niners, Jags, Texans. So the, the. Let's just say the, the Colts are out and then the Chargers have to go either oh and four or one in three with one of the losses being to Denver in week 18. The simplest way to look at can the Chiefs make the playoffs is they have to beat the Chargers this weekend. They then have to beat the Titans, the Broncos and the Raiders. And the Chargers have to then lose to Denver in week 18 and to either the Texans or the Cowboys in week 16 17. If that happens, the Chiefs make it.

And when I lay it out that way, I can tell by the look on demand face, it doesn't seem impossible. It's like, okay, Chiefs got to beat the Chargers, the Titans and the Raiders are awful. Home game against the Broncos, they could do it. And then for the Chargers, can they lose to Denver in week 18 and to either the Texans or the Cowboys? It's like oh maybe like yeah, that's possible.

The problem is this, as evidenced by the Chiefs game Sunday night.

The Chiefs are not a reliable team right now.

And.

They lost Sunday night.

For 10 different reasons and they were all little microcosms for.

What's happened all season long.

That has put them in this position.

In no particular order, just kind of running list, right? Bad special teams for the first time of this era. That missed field goal at the end of the first half ended up being absolutely brutal. Particularly because if they were up 13 to 10 instead of tied 10 10, they wouldn't have gone for that 4th and 1. Which then leads me to.

Some very shaky.

Situational coaching from Andy. At times it feels like he has been more aggressive than not feels like he has been way more aggressive than any year than years past. Yet oddly passive in the Cowboys game when both teams are moving the ball up and down the field. And then insanely aggressive in the Texans game when that Texans offense was dead on arrival in the second half like that, going for that fourth down when at that moment Chris Jones has taken over the game entirely is.

I hated it in real time. I don't care what the analytical model said. The flow of that game, the Texans were not scoring again and the Chiefs didn't need to do that. I love Andy, but that was a mistake. So that bit them in this game I mentioned Chris Jones. He was unreal in the second half of this football game. But the fact that the Chiefs all year long have only been able to generate any type of quarterback pressure when Chris Jones is dominant is a collective failure. I don't know how Many times I've talked to Monza about third and longs. They gave up a third and 16 in this game. They gave up. Listen, the third and 10 that they gave up on the pass interference was shaky but they gave up a third and eight previously like third and long defense was a problem. I. I'm not. Patrick's game was odd because obviously the stat line is the stat line and he missed some throws. I also.

Thought he had some heroic moments and was the least of our problems. But he did throw that pick. The. The second picky threw the one in the second half on third and six deep down the field, Hollywood Brown's open and he under throws him. The inability to get on the same page on the deep ball has been a problem all year. And when he has gotten on the same page like the bomb to Tyquan Thornton, the perfect 60 yard pass, Thornton doesn't reel it in. Kelsey has actually been really good this year. He's the. He's second in I think amongst tight ends in yards and catches. But his bad moments have been awful. The drop against Philly that flipped that game, the drop.

Against the Texans that ended this game. The total inability to have any run game other than from Patrick Mahomes, aside from Kareem Hunt in the Colts game.

Has been a killer. Patrick's led them in rushing four times this year. They're owing four in those games all. And so going into this game you knew the offensive line was a problem. They were down three starters in the first play of the game. One of the backups went down. But honestly the third string kid that came in as a Pole I think is. How you say his name, it's P O L E but I don't think it's pronounced pole played really well. And the Chiefs game plan knowing it was going to be quick, quick, quick. They didn't lose because the offensive line was in shambles. They. They lost because they haven't executed. And.

This is.

Thi. This is demons A.

Why I was so adamant all of last year that I did not care what the advanced stats say that that was a great team because winning in the NFL, we haven't solved it yet through success rate and EPA per play and dvoa. We just haven't. And it's one of the beautiful things about pro football is it hasn't been saber metric to the way baseball has where we just know everything.

And last year's team, yes of course there were some lucky bounces and yes of course there were a couple a few wins that could have been losses, but overall that team.

Understood like a great tennis player does, the four or five highest leverage, leverage moments of a match. And that's when they execute their best. This year, this Chiefs team has been the exact opposite.

And I can go. I can. Week one, after being thoroughly outplayed, you have the chargers in a third and 15.

To get the ball back. And Chris Jones doesn't keep contained. Herbert runs and you lose. Week two.

You'Re about to take the lead on the goal line and Kelsey doesn't secure the ball, tips it up and it's intercepted.

The the loss to the Jags.

Patrick doesn't see a lurking D lineman with a chance to put the game away.

He gets pick six.

And they lose.

The loss. Against the Broncos, you have Bo Nix in a third and eight with a fourth quarter lead and you let him complete an easy pass over the middle of the field.

This has happened all year.

And.

The Texans game was no different.

Fourth and one tie game. 10 minutes left. Brutal. Cold arrowhead on fire. On your own 30 against a team that has not scored in an hour and a half of real time.

And you ran a play with no threat of a run against the best pass rush in football. That's how you lose.

And so that's just.

That'S just where they're at. And I'm not going to.

Where I will. And I don't know if people want to hear this or not. Where I will give myself credit, I guess, but not really credit. This is just more.

An indictment on how other people, I think either do sports fandom or media.

I'm not going to make any of the excuses.

That people made in the other direction when the Chiefs were winning. I'm not good. Like, I'm not blaming the refs for the bad pass interference call that it led to seven Texans points. Bad calls happen. I'm not saying it's bad luck. I'm not saying this is actually deep down a great team. They're not.

And I, I talked. I don't know how much content I did after the Cowboys game. You didn't hear. You're not. You didn't hear me say one thing about the officials. Because it's the NFL, man. There's up and down officiating every single week. You bake that in. If you're not a loser, you don't create a stupid conspiracy theory and you deal with it.

And that is. That's where they're at.

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[Nick Wright]

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[Damanze]

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You got to go through the wounds of your life listening to other people's near death experiences and that's all they say. In conclusion, love is the answer.

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[Nick Wright]

Now. With all that said, Damanze.

If they beat the Chargers on Sunday.

A flicker of hope will return. Yeah, because I will now.

There is a very.

Real possibility.

Of a.

Cruel circumstance staring at me.

Which is.

Because, again.

Nothing. If the Chargers beat the. Obviously, if the Chargers beat the Chiefs, the Chiefs are dead.

But the Chargers could lose their next three.

And if they beat the Broncos, the Chiefs are dead, just dead. I, I think technically there is a different possibility of the whole, like AFC south imploding, but I don't think that's a, like, I'm. That involves like the Cardinals and the Raiders winning games like so the. For all intents and purposes, if the Chargers beat the Broncos, the chief season's over and that's in week. That's in week 18.

And.

My Broncos could be resting players at that time. So that's the.

So that's what I've tried to game out in my head of. Do I think it's likely the Broncos are not playing for something that week? So let's actually, you know what, let's just real quick talk this out right now.

[Damanze]

Let's do it.

[Nick Wright]

Because what, what we know is.

The Broncos.

Have.

[Damanze]

At least right now they.

[Nick Wright]

Don'T really have a so But I don't know if that's good for the Chiefs or not. So here's the deal. If we're assuming obviously none of this matters if, if the Chiefs don't beat the Broncos.

So that puts the Broncos at three losses.

We need Denver to be playing for. I can't. You know what, there's no way to figure this out, to be honest with you, because there's too many unknown tiebreakers because Denver and the Patriots didn't play head to head right now when Denver and the Pats are have the same record.

The Broncos have the tiebreaker. But.

So let me tell you, next.

[Damanze]

To this kind of seems like what you're saying.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, I think. I think here's what I But here's where I don't would wouldn't want them to win their next two. I wouldn't want them to win their next two. If the Patriots are about to go on a bit of a swoon and then it gives the Broncos the possibility of having the one seed locked up going, the worst case scenario is the Broncos have the one seed locked up going into week 18. That's a disaster. The so this isn't good podcast content. I'm not going to spend more time on this. What I the the Because I can't figure out the exact, you know, ramifications.

[Damanze]

Right.

[Nick Wright]

What I so what would be the the Chiefs re so the point that I was trying to make was after all of the trash I've Talked on the 11 and 2 Broncos all year, if they end up being so good that not only do they win the division, but they are able to rest players and that costs the Chiefs a spot in the tournament, which again, it for that to even be a possibility, Kansas City's gotta win all of the rest of their games. That would be a that'd be a cruel mistress, I'll tell you that much. But it's a position they put themselves in. Now, I do want to say one more thing.

Demons A before we get to the other stuff, which is.

The how does this impact the Mahomes Goat stuff? And I'm going to try to do this quickly.

But I.

I don't even think it is.

Debatable what I'm about to say. It's just very simple, kind of how linear time works. Okay.

Even when missing the playoffs this year, if they do, Patrick Mahomes, by any metric.

That you choose, stats, wins, postseason success, championships, championship appearances, by any metric.

Has had the greatest first eight years as a starter or first nine years of his career of any player in league history, of any quarterback. That is not.

A debate. That is just.

What the numbers are.

Now, obviously, in his quest to become the Goat.

You have to.

Incorporate two.

Realities. One is the guy he's chasing beat him twice in the playoffs and he'll never be able to beat him because he's long retired. That hurts. And the other one is the guy he's chasing played so incredibly long and had such an unbelievable final 10 years.

That it is unrealistic to think Patrick will play nearly as long as Tom. And so he needed and needs to rack up accomplishments early and really be ahead of the pace because almost he's not I don't think he's going to play till he's 45. So all of that is just factually true. And so in that regard.

This season hurts him a lot.

But.

One can acknowledge that while also acknowledging that the idea.

That Tom Brady or those patsy never had.

Dips, or maybe not a season quite like this, but I'll get to that in a moment, is erroneous.

Patrick has been a starter for eight years. Let's assume.

They missed the playoffs this year. In those eight years.

Patrick has more playoff wins. Eight years as a starter, side by side, Patrick and Tom.

They have the same number of super bowl wins. Patrick has more playoff wins, regular season wins, playoff appearances, regular season MVPs. Super Bowl MVPs. In those eight seasons, Tom missed the playoffs twice. Patrick missed the playoffs potentially once.

In those eight seasons.

There were three years.

Where Tom's team, I'm sorry, two years where Tom's team did not win a playoff game and three years where Tom's team did not make the conference championship game. In Patrick's eight years, again, assuming they missed the playoffs, there will be one year where they didn't want a playoff game and one year where they didn't make the conference championship game. Now.

People listening to this are yelling two things. Well, one of those years Tom was hurt, unfair to use that against him. It's totally true. And I'm not using it against him. I am simply doing linear time. First eight seasons, here's what they did. And while you wouldn't use the year he was hurt and they missed the playoffs against him, you also certainly are not going to be like that helps him like that, that the year he didn't play helps him. The other thing people say with regularity is, well, the oh two year.

When they missed the playoffs and won nine games, Tom wasn't Tom.

Okay. I mean, that's, that's an okay opinion to have, but it is a weird opinion to have. If the argument, if you are trying to make the argument.

That through eight years Tom was better, then I don't think you can make the argument that year two of that timeline doesn't count because year two Patrick was so much better than year two Tom. That doesn't make sense. Now, if the argument is at the beginning Tom wasn't as fully for himself and when he became as fully for himself, they never had a year like this. That is true. That cuts in both directions though, because if you're saying that early, Tom doesn't get knocked for a 9 and 7 season because he wasn't really Tom Brady yet, then you can't then also be like but all of the accomplishments count with the same way he does. Like the Super Bowls count for him. The missed playoffs isn't counting against him. I not going to do any of that. I'm simply going to line up the eight years next to each other. And Patrick's first eight years by any way you cut it.

Even with this year included outstripped Tom's first eight years.

Now the again the obvious argument against that is yeah, but do you think Patrick's next 15 are going to look like Tom's? That's going to be very, very, very difficult. But we're not there yet. And what I would also add is this.

You know who also didn't think.

Their next.

That the second decade of his career was going to look like it did for Tom Brady. Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Because 2011-2018 was the patch run that comes closest that actually outstrips now this Chiefs run 2011 to 2018. So the Patriots had 01 to 07. Seven years.

Three. Four Super bowl appearances, three championships. The Chiefs 18 to 25 seven years, five Super bowl appearances, three championships. The Patriots in that time or 18 to 24 I should have said for the Chiefs, Patriots in that time missed the playoffs once, didn't make the conference championship game two times. The Chiefs missed playoff zero times, didn't make the conference championship game zero times. And then there's the Patriot run of 11 to 18 that the Chiefs had been chasing eight straight conference championship games. The only streak longer than the Chiefs won right now. Five super bowl appearances same as the Chiefs. Three super bowl victories, same as the Chiefs. If the Chiefs missed the playoffs this year, then this eight year run they also went to three straight Super Bowls like the Chiefs did. Then this eight, eight year run falls just short of that one. But notice I the timeline I did Damanze was 01 to 07 and then 11 to 18. And the reason I did that and this is again if people are interested in being having a real discussion about the resume side by side.

You then.

Have to include that in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in those three years won a total of zero playoff games.

So.

The only reason I bring that up is let's assume the Chiefs missed the playoffs this year in year eight. I mean it's the, the.

The symmetry of this is kind of crazy. Tom Brady in his seventh year as a starter walked onto the field in the super bowl attempting to win his fourth championship and cement that team is the greatest team in the history of the league.

They lost and the next year was a season from hell because Tom got his knee blown out in week one. The next year they won 10 games and got beat by 20 in the wild card round of the playoffs and the next year they were the number one seed and lost to Mark Sanchez at home in their first playoff game. And then they started the 11 to 18 eight straight conference championship game run. Patrick Mahomes, in his seventh year as a starter, walked onto the field trying to win his fourth super bowl and knowing if we win this game, we are the greatest team of all time. They lost and the following year was a season from hell.

He didn't get hurt, but it looks like they're going to miss the playoffs.

Again. If Brady is following the Mahomes timeline if Mahomes is following the Brady timeline, that would mean the Chiefs don't win a playoff game again until.

2028 that the next two years they don't want to playoff game. I don't think that's going to happen. I also don't think Patrick's going to play 24 years. I don't think their careers are going to be identical moving forward. But through eight years.

It'S stunning how similar the overall team success has been.

And the Patriots after that 07 season and then the 08 season had to do a bit of a reboot. We'll see what the Chiefs have to do.

So that is the full version of it. I.

That'S where we're at and.

We'Ll see if they pull me back in with a win Sunday against the Chargers. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. Holidays are here. Sports schedules packed tighter than Santa's gift bag. Pro football, bowl games, NBA, college hoops, hockey. Whole sports sleigh is loaded. And on Hard Rock Bet, there's always something to unwrap and bet on. New customers can sign up and bet $5 on any game. If it wins, you'll find $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings stuffed in your stocking. Now that's holiday magic. Not sure what to place your first bet on? Hard Rock Bet just launched a brand new for you page, making it easy to find all your favorite teams, players and leagues all in one place. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app is the only legal sportsbook for whenever you're in Florida. It's also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia Illinois, Colorado and Michigan. Coming soon to more states also. Plus, Hard Rock Bet offers new promos daily, so whenever you're listening, just open the app and check out what you've got. Any day of the week, download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit payable and bonus bets. Not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-888-Admitted in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-809 with it gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia.

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[Nick Wright]

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[Mike Della Rocha]

For 25 years, I've explored what it means to heal, not just for myself, but alongside others. I'm Mike Della Rocha. This is sacred lessons, A space for reflection, growth and confidence. Collective healing. What do you tell men that are hurting right now?

[Damanze]

Everything's gonna be okay on the other side, you know, just push through it.

[Mike Della Rocha]

And you know, ironically, the root of the word spirit is breath.

[Damanze]

Wow.

[Mike Della Rocha]

Which is why one of the most revolutionary acts that we can do as people is just breathe. Next to the wound is their gifts. You can't even find your gifts unless.

[Nick Wright]

You go to the wound.

[Mike Della Rocha]

That's the hard thing. You think, well, I'm gonna get, get my guests.

[Nick Wright]

I don't want to go through all that. You got to go through the wounds of your life, listening to other people's near death experiences. And that's all they say. In conclusion, love is the answer.

[Mike Della Rocha]

Listen to sacred lessons as part of the My Kutura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nick Wright]

Lines and tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app is a podcast designed for hunters and fishermen to enjoy success.

[Spencer Graves]

I like the idea of, like, hey, put me on a big deer. You know, hey, there's a big deer out here. He's doing this. Be looking for this deer. But I also love doing it on my own. I love going out there and saying, running my cameras. I love patterning the deer. I like showing up at the right time, checking the wind, knowing what stand I need to be in. And then whenever it all comes together and it happens, that's the most saddest, fine thing ever. So when you do it on your own, it's like, I then can hang my hat. But if I had somebody say, hey, pull up on these dots and catch them right here and you're gonna win. And then when I go in, it's like, yeah, it's cool. I won the tournament. The ultimate goal is done. But it's like, dude, when you find them and you make them bite, that's the puzzle.

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[Nick Wright]

Listen to lines and tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Nick Wright]

All right, before we get to Monday Night Football, demonte, let's talk a little AFC title window.

[Damanze]

The Bills are now the favorite to win in the AFC after their win over the Bengals. Following them are the Broncos and the Patriots. But those are obviously younger teams with those newer quarterbacks. If Kansas City misses the playoffs, who is the favorite to win in the AFC or who has the most pressure to win in the afc. Let's say it's the Bill.

[Nick Wright]

I mean it's not.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

It's the Bills by a country mile.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

The Bills have to make the super bowl this year. It's not even. That's not a hot take. That's not complex. It is.

If they walk into the playoffs.

And the Ravens aren't there.

And Joe Burrow's not there and Patrick Mahomes isn't there.

They have to come out of it.

They have lost in the playoffs to Joe and Patrick.

Five consecutive years.

2020 AFC Championship game to Patrick. 202113 second game Divisional round to Patrick 2022 in their stadium in the snow to Joe 2023 Divisional round game in their stadium to Patrick. 2024 AFC Championship game at Arrowhead to Patrick if they go to the postseason.

And standing between them is Bo Nicks is Denver Broncos second year stud, first playoff appearance. Drake May.

The Prince and the Jags.

A moribund offense in Houston who already beat them once.

And.

Whoever the hell comes out of the AFC north if 42 year old Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers and then the Chargers and Justin Herbert.

You have to make the Super Bowl.

And I'm telling you right now, Demons A.

They would be my pick.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

I mean they've got it. Josh is playing great. This is the moment. They would be my pick. Nobody wants to play them Wild just pretending like he's not scared. He's petrified. And.

The.

It would be. It would be a catastrophe.

For Buffalo to not make the Super Bowl. And they look listen that the that game they played against Cincinnati. That's just what they get. It's just got to be Josh Allen. Live or die with your bro. We'll just you know, crazy rhinoceros Josh Allen and he looks awesome and he. It'll. The roller coaster will be back to a degree. He'll have some ups and downs. But I they shouldn't need. Here's the. Here's how I would see it playing out.

They shouldn't need.

Monster Josh Allen performance to go to Pittsburgh and win in round one. That should just happen. They should just be able to pretty methodically beat them.

Round two and then if the let's just say the seeds hold and you play Denver and New England in round two and three or New England and Denver in round two and three. Like you know, don't know which round.

Round two.

Whoever. Whenever you play Bo Nix Josh should just be able to make.

Just. That's a don't make mistakes. See if Bo Nix can, you know, make enough plays.

[Damanze]

Defense though.

[Nick Wright]

Yes, great defense. And then against, against the Patriots, I think he'd have to go superhero. I think he can do it.

[Damanze]

And.

[Nick Wright]

It'S just such a go ahead.

[Damanze]

They're plus 375 to win the AFC.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. Which is makes them like co favorites. They're my, they're my pick right now. And here is the insane thing about the NFL this year to last year. Here's the full list of monza of teams that won 12 or more games last year.

And their current situation. The Detroit Lions, currently out of the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs, currently out of the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles in the midst of a crisis. The Minnesota Vikings, awful. The Buffalo Bills pause on them. The Baltimore Ravens, Disaster. And the Washington Commanders, season from hell.

Seven teams won 12 or more games last year. Two of them, Minnesota and Washington, are dead.

Another two, Kansas City and Baltimore are hanging on for dear life.

Detroit is trying to scrape its way in. Philadelphia is in the midst of a free fall and Buffalo sitting right there.

Could not be better set up for them. And that's why I am not taking Josh Allen going to his press conference and saying never a doubt as.

A shot at me. I'm taking it as he's trying to usher as much good karma as possible. And you know what? I'm good with it.

You know, if it, if it's got to be anybody.

I'm glad it's them.

[Damanze]

It's actually like, yeah, they deserve it.

[Nick Wright]

They deserve it. Now the Rams, we're not talking to any FC right now. Bunch of NFC teams deserve it and are good enough. But just talking about the afc. All right, let's go over to the nfc. Demonte.

[Damanze]

So it's your first time rooting for the Eagles last night and it went pretty poorly because they lost the game. I don't know how many turnovers they had in that game, but that was, that was one of the craziest games I've ever seen in my life. How bad are things in Philly after last night?

[Nick Wright]

I mean, bad enough that the headline for the Philly Inquirer today is should they bench Jalen? Hurts for Tanner McKee pretty bad.

[Damanze]

Rough over there, man.

[Nick Wright]

I.

I know nobody wants to hear this from me today.

But.

I owe the audience honesty and even if this will piss off people that already don't like me, so so be it.

Because I think deep down everybody knows it, particularly people on the team.

The Eagles have a Jalen hurts Problem.

He, for some reason.

Does not trust himself on quick decisions. And because of that, the offense does not function properly. And then a game like last night comes around where.

He makes a mistake and it snowballs in honestly, cartoonish fashion. I mean, the guy had thrown two picks on the year. He threw four yesterday.

Including it's first in 10 in overtime.

Inside the red zone, and he makes a hero play and they lose the game because of it.

So I don't know, like, you can't have this much some wrong with the offense. There's something wrong with the offense. A.J. brown sounding that alarm. None of his teammates.

[Ad Announcer / Sponsor Voice]

What?

[Nick Wright]

No. What we didn't hear from any of the Eagles is, man, AJ Needs to shut up. We're fine. It sure felt like a lot of the teammates were like, man, I'm glad he's taking those bullets, because there is something wrong with you.

[Damanze]

Exactly. Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

You go three and out more than any team on a percentage basis in the NFL in the last decade. You have all this talent, and.

It can't just be Kevin Petullo. It can't be. And I understand Jalen was unbelievable in the Super Bowl. I understand Jalen has had some truly spectacular, huge games. There's no. There's no denying that. But the comp I have used repeatedly, I will continue to use the. And it's not. They are. It's not identical, but it's a lot of similarities. The comp for Jalen hurts. And this era of Eagles football is Russell Wilson and the Legion of Doom. Legion of Boom. Seahawks.

Great on the deep shot, good with his legs, good in the short stuff. Shaky in the intermediate. Great defense, winner, great running game. Wins a Super bowl, loses a Super Bowl. Jalen did in the reverse order. And for some reason or another, the team doesn't seem to fully vibe with him.

[Damanze]

Yeah, they have a bunny in the locker room. I feel like when that type of.

[Nick Wright]

Stuff is going on. Yeah, I. Positivity rabbit. I thought that was a joke. When I saw that someone. One of our first things first. One of the producers texted that. I think it was Dusty, who's an Eagles fan.

[Damanze]

He thought he got sent out or something.

[Nick Wright]

You. I thought what?

[Damanze]

He thought he got sintelled or something? Like it was a fake Twitter account.

[Nick Wright]

Yes, exactly. I was, like, annoyed by it when he sent it to me. I'm like, God. I was like, either I thought, check this stuff, man. Correct. I thought one of two things. I thought either Dusty got duped by the most obvious fake news ever, or he was sending a joke.

And then I realized it was real.

[Damanze]

Yeah, Saquon came out. Yeah, man. If it works, it works. It didn't work last night though.

[Nick Wright]

No. And now here's.

The Chargers side of this is interesting.

And I never. Here's the deal. This is so I'm about to do something very unfair and borderline unprofessional. I'm just letting you know now. But I, I own the show, so. Well, don't we own the show demonstration.

[Damanze]

I brace myself.

[Nick Wright]

No, it's not going to be. It's not what you think. I have a great Justin Herbert Take great 10 out of 10.

[Damanze]

I honestly feel like I kind of know where you're going with it, but what it. I won't guess or anything, but no.

[Nick Wright]

Because here's the deal.

Like I said, I'm going to be a.

Like world class hater these next few months. And this isn't hating on Justin Herbert.

I know that I am going to be talking Justin Herbert with Justin Herbert's number one media apologist Danny Parkins in about five and a half hours.

And.

I don't want him to have any extra time to prepare for my argument. So I'm saving my Justin Herbert take.

So that is that I, to our wonderful sponsors, to all our partners, I promise I'll make up for it. But I. It is too important to me to try to really wamboozle Danny in a few hours that I don't want. I don't want. He already has an advantage of seeing the two the TV the first two hours of First Things first. Get an idea of where I'm at on stuff.

But the too long didn't read short version of it is.

It'S very, very difficult to square the circle of.

Justin Herbert's biggest critics.

Could not hate that game from him last night and Justin Herbert's biggest supporters cannot love that game from him last night. That's the short version of it. But.

He'S. He has now put himself in position as we talked about earlier for the Chargers where all they have to do is not collapse and he gets a chance at playoff redemption and he will be. Oh, this job. I just realized something.

There's a decent possibility that the playoff game we get if the Chargers make it is chargers Jags part two oh in the playoffs and part four of their regular of their whole careers and Trevor's 3 and 0Y. Oh, that would be unbelievable. That would be unbelievable.

All right.

[Damanze]

Yeah, my bad. Justin Herbert is.

[Nick Wright]

No, you go.

[Damanze]

You know, he's kind of, he's hurt right now. Like I just.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah.

[Damanze]

And then come that, like the, I don't know. He's playing, he's playing the Texans in a couple weeks. He's, he's got some tough stuff ahead, but.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, tough stuff ahead. Chief. Chief's up next.

I thought he was gritty as hell yesterday with the running. It was unbelievable the way he, his stat line was what it was.

[Damanze]

But I always gritty, did what needed to be done.

[Nick Wright]

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[Damanze]

All right, so my Ravens are slipping further and further out of the picture with a divisional loss to the Steelers. After the loss to the Steelers, Lamar said that the frustration level was through the roof. He still thinks that we can, we can maybe slip in there if we went out with these last four games. I am, yeah, I, I, I think we can. I don't know how the math and stuff works, um, but I know that we're not completely out of it and let's win these four games and see what can happen out of out of there. And I am going to blame the refs. I am the type of person that was. What are you doing? Especially to Isaiah. Likely somebody that's had some questionable history, I guess over the last year and a half. Like, why do that dude? Where's he going to Go. What are you talking about a football move? What do I need to make a football move for him already in the end zone. There's nowhere else to go but here.

[Nick Wright]

No, listen. So here's the thing on that specific call.

And you know, I hate replay. Hate replay in sports. It's made sports worse. They promised us with NFL instant replay that the call on the field would have precedent and it would only be overturned if it was clear and obvious.

[Damanze]

Yep.

[Nick Wright]

The NFL by the way then added this year like hey, even better expedited replay. And that's just going to fix obvious errors in the Chiefs Texans game expo. The ref, the call in the field was correct about a spot. Expedited replay came in and was like no, no, no. He got the first down and then Andy was like, you got to be kidding me, challenged. And then the refs were like our bad expedited replay was wrong. That so the replay creep has gotten so massive to where it was like replay only will be for the Vinnie Testaveri. We thought his helmet was the football. We gave him a touchdown mistakes and now it's like we're just going to get buzzed down and base calls off vibes. So I, I hate, I hate it.

My opinion on the likely thing is.

Whatever the call on the field was should have stood. So I do think it was close. And had they called it incomplete, I would have argued it should have stayed incomplete.

[Damanze]

Right.

[Nick Wright]

But for them to call that a touchdown and then overturn it I think is incorrect. So I, So I agree with you that you guys got screwed on that call.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

But that's not the problem for Baltimore. No problem for Baltimore is they're not good and Lamar is playing terribly. And something lost in the weeds of this past weekend was that two minute drill Lamar attempted to run on Sunday was an abomination. They had the ball with a minute 56 and 2. Timeout and a timeout. Pardon me, at the 26 yard line.

And they had gone 8 yards and there was 45 seconds left and they had used their timeout.

They got the ball with two minutes and a timeout and they ran out of time.

[Damanze]

I think we ended up. It was just, it was like a. We weren't going to be able to snap the ball in time or something like that. I feel like we're far off the line and had to use the timeout. Are you just saying like we shouldn't have been there to.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, no. What I'm saying is it's Lamar's job to understand I can't I can't start this drive on the 26th with a minute 56 left and one timeout.

And then three minutes of real time later. Be on the 34 with 45 seconds left and no timeouts. Something disastrous has happened. Yeah, listen man, Lamar has been bad since he came back from the injury and Harbaugh doesn't know what buttons to push and I the even if they sneak into the playoffs, they are getting clocked in round one. I have no faith in that team at all. None. Like the only the, the only reason they they have a better path to the playoffs than Kansas City. But the reason that I will hold off the tiniest bit of hope is because Kansas City has been such a dominant playoff team. Baltimore's been the opposite. Now maybe you could argue oh this year if they make it it's going to be the inverse bad in the regular season, awesome in the playoffs at least. The Chiefs have two games this year, the Ravens game and the Lions gamers like man, we were awesome on both sides of the ball for 60 minutes. The Ravens have zero games this year. We're like man, we feel great about how both sides of the ball played. The closest they came to it was their win against the Bears and Lamar didn't play. So I don't know what's going on there. All right, let's talk Shador Brown's head.

[Damanze]

Coach has announced that Shador is going to be the starter through the end of the season. Kind of weird that he's making him the starter at the end of the season because you know, they went for that two point conversion at the end of the game and Shador was out of the game. What's going on there?

[Nick Wright]

Okay, I thought Shador played really well. I was impressed, had some really nice moments, one awful throw but that's so what he's a rookie.

And that's the type of performance that earns you the job the rest of the year. And now we'll see how he is over the next month. Where to see if he may be can prove everyone involved in the NFL draft process from a team perspective wrong. It's an amazing opportunity and I don't listen I, I, I said this to Danny.

On Sunday and this is the best way to explain it because I do think Shador is a good kid and I do think he's charming and I do think he's well intentioned.

The.

This is the best.

He just strikes me as like.

Some of the things that people dislike about his personality. Not the play, the personality. I Just feel like, oh, I, I know a lot of, I've known a lot of people like that. It's just like a really rich kid that doesn't quite get, you know, how.

Doesn't get how the way he acts kind of comes across to certain people, but it doesn't mean they're a bad person and it doesn't mean they're like they are ill. Like they, that they're bad.

[Damanze]

I think that some of the stuff that like, I'm not telling the guy to change or suggesting that he should change, but I do think the stuff that people have problems with or like the bigger things is like a very easy thing to turn off for like a second or like whatever little minute it might be when you're talking.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, I do too. And I, and I just think it is. I just think there are, listen, there are.

[Damanze]

Because he's also done it. Like I feel like I've seen him do that as well. But.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, but what comes naturally to. Is what comes naturally. Yeah, the kid's a super famous rich kid with a super famous, you know, dad. And like it just. Again, that doesn't make you a bad person at all. Like I, I just think.

I think sometimes that I see a lot of character traits where I'm like, oh, I knew that kid. Like I, A kid like that went to my school.

[Damanze]

Sounds nice. Basically.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. Yeah, it's a, it's a nice kid that doesn't. That sometimes just says things that people around him are like, does he even know? Like, does he get how that sounds? But they don't. That's fine. So that part doesn't really matter. It just is what it is. Like, he's good at football. What matters is his play seems like it. And he, and he now is going to have the opportunity to prove that he can do it on the field. And I thought he was really good on.

Sunday.

Here's the thing. On the two point conversion call.

That was quite simply one of the dumbest coaching decisions I've ever seen in my life.

And it was dumb in every way. Something can be dumb. It was dumb in that it was. It looked like you had never practiced it. So if the argument is no, we've practiced it a ton and we were great at it, well then something's wrong with your execution. Game day. So that's first thing. Second thing was it doesn't need. You don't. It doesn't have to be that complicated trying to get two yards. You, you have Judkins do a. What looked like it was supposed to be like a reverse pass.

That's ridiculous. Here's the other thing.

By doing that, that was the only way.

You add to the noise surrounding the dumb conspiracies with Shador.

[Damanze]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

And you can say, oh, the football coach doesn't think about that, doesn't care about that. They don't worry about that bullshit. One of the big reasons Shador went in the draft as late as he did was because teams didn't want all the noise that came along with drafting him. And so even if you are just totally convinced. Oh calling a regular run play, I'm not even saying sure has to throw the ball.

[Damanze]

He just call it a runner back in a running plate. They should have a quarterback and a running back on the, on the field. Just so it could be either way, a pass or run.

[Nick Wright]

And even, and even if you're like, nope, we have, we have seen the future and we have a 48% chance of getting this by calling a traditional play, but a 58% chance of getting this by running this play. It's still not worth it because.

The knock on effect of the. They were finally going to have a week.

With minimal outside noise. Shador played, he played well. You, you named him the starter. The, the folks that are like they're setting him up to fail, they don't like him. You know, the, the. All of it we're gonna. They had. There was nothing to say.

And then after leading a 14 point comeback in the final two minutes, you called the single worst two point conversion anyone's called in the NFL all year. And so Hanlon Drazer.

Is. Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity. Like don't, don't assume someone.

Was out to get you or there is a grand conspiracy when it could as easily be explained as that was just really dumb.

And I'm here to tell you that was. I don't think it's a conspiracy. I. And this is the biggest indictment on Stefanski for some of the things he's done. Some of the decisions Kevin Stefanski has made.

In his handling of the Browns offense. That quarterback room and Shador are so illogical.

People think.

That there must be a conspiracy at hand because he can't be that dumb.

It's just, just so, so ridiculous.

[Damanze]

I mean, you ever noticed.

[Nick Wright]

Go ahead, demons.

[Damanze]

I keep cutting in right before the ad read. I mean it sure seems like there's some sabotaging going on around there. Seems like there's a little, a little bit of somebody not liking Shadour. That's what it seems like to me. Because how do you make that. It makes no. That call made no sense at all.

[Nick Wright]

It seems like that to a lot of people. And I'm just. And I'm here to tell you.

I think.

The simpler explanation.

Is despite his Coach of the Year awards.

The guy the Cleveland Browns keep trotting out there every year to be their head coach might not always make the best decisions.

I don't think it necessarily has to be deeper than that.

But listen, that.

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[Nick Wright]

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[Nick Wright]

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[Damanze]

Lions Defeat the Cowboys 44 to 30.

[Nick Wright]

Thursday Night Football. Great win for the Lions. Cowboys not dead yet, is he? Cowboys, thanks to the Eagles. Listen, it's very simple. Final four games. Cowboys have to win two more games than Philly. That's it. No tiebreakers, no nothing because Dallas has a tie. So it's very, very simple. If. If Philly goes 2 and 2, Dallas has to go 4. And, oh, if Philly goes 3 and 1, Dallas is dead. If Philly goes 1 and 3, Dallas has to go 3 and 1 or better. That's how they get in.

[Damanze]

Next, packers Defeat the Bears 28 21.

[Nick Wright]

I mean, this game probably deserved more time than we're giving it. This was a great game. Jordan Love played awesome. Caleb had a miserable first half, a great second half, and then blew it at the end. I think Caleb is not quite there yet, but he still. He shows you these flashes of brilliance. Huge spot for the Bears. In two weeks, they get a split with Green Bay. Then you make up for this game. You lose to Green Bay in two weeks, you can miss the playoffs outright.

[Damanze]

Next, Saints Defeat the Bucks 24 to 20.

[Nick Wright]

Disaster. My Bucks are on shaky ground and Baker's been shaky for a month. I don't want to talk about it. I. It's not good. I don't like any bit of it. It cost Me money. Tyler Schuck running in the. I did not enjoy that football game.

[Damanze]

Next, Seahawks defeat the Falcons 37 to 9. You called this.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. Seahawks defense unbelievable. And poor Kirk Cousins had no shot. And Sam Darnold at 1:00 clock with nobody watching. Look out. Next.

[Damanze]

Yo. Jags defeat the Colts 36 19.

[Nick Wright]

All right, obviously the news here is Daniel Jones in the Achilles and you feel sick for him. It also the Colts. The last month for the Colts, franchise altering turn of events. Yeah, trading two first round picks for Sauce Gardner, seeing him go down with the calf strain, seeing your team fall apart, and then seeing Daniel Jones blow his Achilles. It's unspeakable how awful this was for them.

The Jags on the other hand, are legit. Really good football team. Not quite, though. As good as this next team. Next to Maze.

[Damanze]

Rams Defeat the Cardinals 45 17.

[Nick Wright]

The Rams are juggernaut right now. Just, I mean, just blowing people out with ease.

[Damanze]

Next.

Broncos defeat the Raiders 24 17.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, listen, the Broncos, it wasn't as close as this. The story on this game is the craziest backdoor cover and overhit in the NFL this season.

The Broncos beat you a bunch of different ways, man. This was a special teams touchdown. I gotta give him credit.

[Damanze]

Next Vikings defeat the commanders 31. Oh, I didn't see that one coming.

[Nick Wright]

I got this one dead wrong.

I know this will really surprise people.

But Jaden Daniels got dinged up again.

And.

Really, really brutal season all the way around for Commanders fans. I feel badly for him. Last one.

[Damanze]

Probably shouldn't have been playing. Dolphins Defeat the Jets 34 to 10. Spicy.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, and the Dolphins are in a weird spot because they have the same record as the Chiefs. They're six and seven. But for reasons I don't totally understand, even if they win out, they. They don't make the playoffs in any scenario. Like they have that old athletic. I think they just lose all tiebreakers to everyone. And so the athletic playoff predictor, if they win out, gives them a 2% chance if they win out. And so they're in, obviously in really bad, bad shape.

[Damanze]

But McDaniel's got a job next year.

[Nick Wright]

Job. Yeah, yeah, maybe they say Mike McDaniel's job. All right, before we go. I can't wait for this, guys. Are you a soccer fan? I've got good news for you. The world's biggest soccer tournament is coming to North America. Including my hometown, Kansas City is one of the 11 host cities. This year. It's bigger than ever. As the tournament has expanded to 48 teams featuring a record 104 matches and you can bet on the tournament today using the Hard Rock Bet app. Favorites include defending champion Argentina, European powerhouses England, France, Spain and five time champions Brazil. Dark horses include Norway with Holland and Colombia, Morocco and Japan and host Mexico and Canada and the U.S. are looking to make some serious noise on their home soil. So here is what I would I'm going to give for you guys is a fun route and I something I think is going to happen. The US got a great group draw in Australia, Paraguay and then a little bit of a question mark as far as who the fourth team is going to be because it there's still a playoff to be played for six of the 48 teams and one of those playoff winners will come to the US's group. It'll probably be Turkey, but we don't know either way.

The US at +120 to win their group I like a lot. I also once we once we have the full group set and we're going to do a ton of discussion of this tournament on our show but for right now.

I think the US to win Group D at plus 120 makes a ton of sense. I also think that there was one other one I liked a lot as.

Not necessarily a.

A long shot but not the favorite. Oh I I would I would consider Columbia to win group K at +2.50 but the US to win group D at +120 and we'll talk more about the tournament later. Head over to the Hard Rock Bet app today where you can bet on every single first round match with hundreds of markets available for each game. Additionally, you'll find a large selection of future markets including group winners, group runner ups, Top Scorer, Market, Tournament MVP and much more. Hard Rock BET will be your home for next summer's soccer festival. All right, Daman, let's save.

The.

The I want to save the comments and questions for Thursday's show, but I will address this one real quick because I saw it JF asks Nick, didn't you say at one point great players don't miss the playoffs in their prime? Yes, I absolutely did say that about the NBA is the NFL we're talking about here. Reminder to everybody like Rate Subscribe Review thank you to Volume. Thank you to Blue Duck. Thank you to Hard Rock Bet Boost, Wayfair and Zen. Talk to you guys on Thursday. See you guys on Colin in about an hour. What's right?

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