The Ringer Fantasy Football Show – Episode Summary

Episode Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck
Main Themes: Mike McDaniel’s Miami firing, NFL Wild-Card Playoff Preview, ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie talk, listener emails & genre debates

EPISODE OVERVIEW

The guys kick off Wild Card playoff weekend with major breaking news: the Miami Dolphins have fired Head Coach Mike McDaniel. They break down the stunning move, what it signals for NFL coaching movement (especially the Harbaugh brothers), and how front-office cronyism and owner motivations shape the league. There’s a spirited, detailed preview of the entire Wild Card slate — matchups, key stats, and emotional narratives. The episode closes with a lengthy, hilarious pop-culture tangent as Craig finally shares his first-time impressions of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies, plus listener emails about music genres and raw-dogging airplane flights.

KEY DISCUSSION SECTIONS & INSIGHTS

1. Breaking News: Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel (04:00–18:00)

Main Points:

• Miami’s Odd Timeline: Two days after a public vote of confidence, McDaniel was fired. Owner Stephen Ross is reportedly “tripping over himself” to land John Harbaugh, leveraging deep Michigan ties.
• Harbaugh Sweepstakes:
  • “They were prepared to go forward with Mike McDaniel and then Harbaugh got fired and they’re probably going to go after him.” — Danny Kelly (04:37)
  • Ross is Michigan’s biggest donor (Ross School of Business), adding layers to the Harbaugh pursuit.
• Coaching Carousel Chaos:
  • The Browns let go of a “two-time Coach of the Year, Kevin Stefanski.” (05:39)
  • Coaches like McDaniel and Stefanski become hot commodities as play-calling OCs, despite just being fired as HCs.
• Cronyism/Insider Network:
  • “Football isn’t any different — that’s how business gets done.” — Danny Heifetz (11:58)
  • “It’s like you couldn’t get with the girl, so you got with her sister.” — Danny Kelly (09:52)
• Where Will Harbaugh Land?
  • Dolphins vs. Giants vs. other teams (Bills, Packers) if their coaches lose in the playoffs.
  • Relationships, institutional control, and owner trust matter to top coaches—sometimes more than roster quality.
• Miami as a Job:
  • “Is Miami the best place to go?... You have a terrible quarterback situation, you’re paying Tua $50 million.” — Craig (08:21)
  • Institutional control and Ross’s desire for a quick Super Bowl drive are motivating the move.

Notable Quotes:

• “It’s like Bridgerton shit… Stephen Ross gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Michigan. Then they gave tens of millions to Jim Harbaugh.” — Danny Heifetz (06:26)
• “My brother says he’s good to work for. It’s kind of that simple.” — Danny Heifetz (10:42)

2. Fallout: What Happens Next for McDaniel? (13:10–16:40)

Main Points:

• Big-time Redeployment: Mike McDaniel becomes instantly the hottest OC candidate.
• Fantasy/Real NFL Intersection:
  • “I want Mike McDaniel for the Giants. I know that’s kind of crazy.” — Heifetz (13:23)
• Staff Swapping: Teams like Atlanta, Cleveland (both former McDaniel stops), and Washington could be his next fit.
• Older Coaches, New Trends: Player and broadcaster influence on front-office moves (e.g., Troy Aikman recent Dolphins GM advisory role).

Notable Quotes:

• “He’s like cilantro. 20% of people are just going to be repulsed by him no matter what.” — Danny Heifetz (14:09)

3. Coaching & QB Matching: The Atlanta, Cleveland, and Kirk Cousins Angles (16:17–19:19)

Main Points:

• How former Falcons like Matt Ryan could reshape the Atlanta front office, and the ripple effects on OC hiring.
• Kirk Cousins’ future: Could McDaniel want a proven, “Shanahan system” QB like Cousins for an instant turnaround?
• “Atlanta’s kind of similar to Miami. Great running back, good receiver, but no quarterback. If you can figure it out…” — Craig (16:17)

4. Wild Card Playoff Previews

a) Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers (23:16–31:42)

• Rams heavy favorites: The Rams, despite their own special teams issues and late-season losses, come in as one of DVOA’s best teams.
• Panthers are “the most pathetic playoff team of all time” (23:40) but have a knack for upset wins.
• Key stat: Matthew Stafford’s 42 TDs from a clean pocket; Panthers have lowest pressure rate in league. (31:01)
• Notable: “If it takes an act of God for the Rams to lose…it feels like they’re going to kick everyone’s asses.” — DK (30:09)

b) Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (32:00–38:46)

• Dead-even, emotional division matchup. Packers limp in, Bears have an incredible “March Madness three-point team” feel: Risky, wild, high-variance.
• “Why are [the Bears] losing so many games in the final two minutes? That seems unsustainable.”—Heifetz (33:16)
• Caleb Williams’s high-wire act vs. Jordan Love’s steadiness; Bears, despite turnovers, have the worst defense when not getting takeaways.

c) Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (38:46–45:23)

• “The Jaguars are the better team, but Josh Allen is the best player in the game.” — Heifetz (39:58)
• Jaguars are “analytics darlings”; huge for Josh Allen’s legacy, with no Mahomes or Lamar Jackson on this playoff path.
• “Feels like they took the superhero out of Josh Allen this year… this is the rare occasion where you want him to do everything.” — DK (43:29)
• Turnovers loom large for both teams.

d) New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers (45:51–51:21)

• Patriots favored at home; Chargers offensive line a disaster, constant patchwork.
• Chargers have “25 different five-man OL combos in 17 games” (46:50), and “Herbert’s been sacked 54 times.”
• The Block of Granite MVP award is a weekly locker-room drama (49:52).

e) San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles (51:21–57:13)

• Injury bug hits Niners hard; conspiracy theory about “electromagnetic substation” near their practice facility causing soft-tissue issues (52:13).
• Eagles get healthier; Niners’ offense remains dangerous, but defense a concern.
• “The Niners could have been the one seed if they just won last week.” (55:54)
• Funniest moment: DK and Craig go deep on “Bluetooth paranoia.”

f) Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday Night) (58:03–68:40)

• Steelers on a wild home playoff streak; Texans have “quietly won 9 straight games.”
• Steelers’ playoff success credited to “divine intervention”; the saga of the priest blessing the end zone surfaces.
• “The only reason why the Steelers ever win games is because of divine intervention… the Lord gets us to 10.” — Craig (64:09)
• Analytical side says Houston’s defense is the best unit in the game — but can Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf break through?

5. Rapid-Fire: Ringer 107 Picks & Bet Flipping (69:37–78:10)

• Hosts need to make weekly ATS picks for their Ringer competition.
• In real time, they debate “flipping” all picks (take the opposite of their first instincts) to ride their mediocre luck and perhaps leapfrog rivals: “Yolo. Let’s do the flip.” (77:31)

6. Pop Culture Zone: Lord of the Rings & Listener Emails (78:10–end)

- Palindrome Content (78:12–80:33)

• DK’s love for palindromes; highlights include “Debone Tulsa nightlife filth gin a slut” and Weird Al’s “Bob”.
• “Stop letting hot people make music”: Music genre beef, “mom rock,” talent-show songs, and why certain male vocalists drive Craig nuts.
• “Raw-dogging” airplane flights: Inspired by a new Keanu Reeves movie where the entertainment system is down and passengers are forced to talk to each other.
• Craig’s First ‘Lord of the Rings’ Watch (87:40–104:49)
  • Marathon with his wife’s family over the holidays.
  • “Two, Three, One" is his movie ranking; Two Towers (“the two buildings”) is the favorite.
  • Fascination with Samwise, confusion about Legolas hype, love for the sheer world-building and New Zealand settings.
  • Fallout: He’s now bombarded with memes, backstory questions, and appreciation for the movie’s technical and story depth.
  • Discussion around what was left out of the movies (e.g. Saruman’s death in theatrical cut, Tom Bombadil, raising of the Shire).
  • “I think movies should be shorter, but I don’t think these should be shorter…by the end you’re like ‘we did it!’” (90:03)
• BONUS: The hosts nerd out on specific behind-the-scenes stories, practical effects, Peter Jackson’s major sound stunts, and soundtrack tips for productivity.

MEMORABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• On Harbaugh & Miami:

  • “It’s super weird, like you couldn’t get the girl, so you got with her sister.” — Danny Kelly (09:52)
  • “Football isn’t any different — that’s how business gets done.” — Danny Heifetz (11:58)

• On “Dance Card” and Sports Language:

  • “The only time anyone uses ‘full dance card’ is this time of year for coaches — what the hell is a dance card, anyway?” — Danny Kelly (06:03)
  • (Fun aside as Craig googles ‘dance card’ origins)

• On why the Dolphins went for Harbaugh:

  • “Stephen Ross is 85, he wants to win a Super Bowl now.” — Heifetz (06:26)

• On the Steelers’ luck/God’s role:

  • “The only reason why the Steelers ever win games is because of divine intervention.” — Craig (64:09)
  • “Don’t bet against God.” — Bill Simmons’ Manifesto, invoked by the trio (63:27)

• On raw-dogging flights and Keanu Reeves' new movie:

  • “Raw-dogging the flight — stared straight ahead, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t listen to music, reorganized my life. Would I do it again? Absolutely not.” — Danny Kelly (86:12)

• On Legolas’ appeal and Lord of the Rings pop culture:

  • “I don’t understand why Legolas got so popular. I mean, Viggo Mortensen is way more attractive.” — Craig (90:23)
  • “He’s just…by far the least interesting character.” — Craig, re: Legolas (91:44)

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|--------------| | Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel | 04:00–18:00 | | Harbaugh/Michigan/Owner Analysis | 06:56–11:03 | | McDaniel’s Future/Hot OC Trends | 13:10–16:40 | | Falcons, Cousins, Front Office Trends | 16:17–19:19 | | Rams vs. Panthers Deep Dive | 23:16–31:42 | | Packers vs. Bears Preview | 32:00–38:46 | | Bills vs. Jaguars Insights | 38:46–45:23 | | Chargers’ OL Woes, Patriots Matchup | 45:51–51:21 | | Niners-Eagles, Bluetooth Conspiracy | 51:21–57:13 | | Texans-Steelers, Priest Metaphysics | 58:03–68:40 | | ATS Picks, “Flip” Debates | 69:37–78:10 | | Palindrome/Music Genre Emails | 78:12–87:40 | | Craig Watches Lord of the Rings | 87:40–104:49 | | Final Wrap, Dune Chatter | 104:50–end |

TONE & STYLE

• Wry, self-aware, and extremely conversational — the trio’s banter hops from deep NFL X’s & O’s nerdery to pop-culture, with running jokes, self-deprecation, and openness to tangents.
• Jokes about nepotism and NFL cronyism run alongside earnest movie/personal taste talk; memorable analogies abound (“cilantro coaches,” “march madness three-point team,” and “raw-dogged flights”).

EPISODE USEFULNESS

Perfect for:

• Catching up on the major NFL playoff storylines with context and editorial perspective.
• Understanding the impact of off-field owner/coach relationships in the league.
• Getting amused by pop-culture tangents you won’t find on other fantasy football shows.
• Settling arguments about Lord of the Rings rewatch orders (and the importance of Samwise Gamgee!).

Feel free to use this summary as a reference for the entire episode, including timestamps for any segment you want to revisit or skip.