Giants Hire Harbaugh, Full Divisional Round Preview, Chicago Apex, and Eggs Manske

Summary

The Ringer Fantasy Football Show – Divisional Round Preview: Giants Hire Harbaugh, Playoff Matchups, and NFL Tangents

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

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Episode Overview

The crew kicks off the full divisional round preview with huge coaching news—John Harbaugh is the new head coach of the New York Giants. They dive deep into the Giants’ hire, the implications for other coaching vacancies, and preview all the divisional round playoff matchups. Along the way, the guys riff on football history, odd stats, personal rooting interests (and superstitions), and the legendary Eggs Mansky. Stay for tangents on gum, mints, and fantasy football heartbreaks.

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1. Giants Hire John Harbaugh – Franchise-Changing Move

[02:09–15:37]

Key Discussion Points

• Danny Heifetz’s Emotional Rollercoaster:
  Heifetz is flat-out thrilled with Harbaugh's hire, recounting how numb he’d become to a decade of Giants futility.

  “Nine of the last ten Thanksgivings, the Giants had already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.” – Danny Heifetz [03:43]

• Giants Finally Land a Respected Coach:
  For the first time since Tom Coughlin, the Giants have a head coach whose “pedigree” means the franchise isn’t a punchline.

  “This is the first time the Giants have had a coach that people respect since Tom Coughlin.” – Craig Horlbeck [06:10]

• Roster Talent and Outlook:
  The crew breaks down New York’s young nucleus: QB Jackson Dart, WR Malik Nabers, RB Camp Skattebo, a strong D-line, and now a top-10 coach.

  “You have all the foundational pieces to really do something.” – Craig Horlbeck [07:06]

• Risks and Concerns:
  Harbaugh is 63; will he be the right coach for the whole Jackson Dart era? Is passing on a young offensive mind a missed opportunity?

  “If there’s a risk…it’s that maybe the Giants should have gone with a younger offensive guy to develop Jackson Dart.” – Danny Heifetz [10:19]

Notable Quotes

• “In 2017, when the Giants were awful, I was really angry. And then by, like, 2021… I was actually just sad. And in 2026, when the Giants were terrible, I kind of didn’t feel anything at all. I have totally become numb to them losing game after game… and I just want the Giants to be competitive.” – Danny Heifetz [04:23]
• “Are they going to start scoring some touchdowns?” – Danny Kelly [05:46]

Timestamps for Giants Segment

• [02:09] – Breaking the Harbaugh news
• [03:43] – Heifetz on his Giants fandom
• [05:46] – DK and Craig joke about actual competitive football
• [06:04] – Importance of special teams and coaching respect
• [07:06] – Talent breakdown and roster positivity
• [10:19] – Harbaugh’s age and the concept of “CEO” coaches

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2. Coaching Carousel: Monken’s Future & More

[13:51–17:58]

• Todd Monken Likely OC: Monken seems all but locked in as Giants OC unless he lands the Browns head job.

  “If Todd Monken doesn't get the Browns job, I think it's very clear Todd Monken will be the Giants offensive coordinator. I love that.” – Danny Heifetz [14:37]

• Other Vacancies: Steelers, Falcons, Titans coaching searches and rumors swirl. Super Bowl-winning coaches may shuffle.

• Matt LaFleur Drama: Packers’ slow contract talks with LaFleur could cause a shock opening; everyone agrees firing him would be “ludicrous.”

  “If Matt LaFleur is a free agent, I would like the Steelers to hire him immediately.” – Craig Horlbeck [17:58]

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3. NFC Playoff Preview

Seahawks vs. 49ers

[18:34–30:31]

• Seattle’s Emotional State:
  Seahawks fans are equally terrified and hopeful. Having a playoff bye is “the best feeling in the world” (Kelly).

  “My God, when your team is not playing in the playoffs… best feeling in the world.” – Danny Kelly [18:50]

• 49ers Injuries:
  San Francisco is depleted (Trent Williams in, Kittle & Warner out), and their LB corps is “signing guys off the couch.”

• QB Anxiety:
  Sam Darnold is reportedly playing, but the “two wolves inside Darnold” could cost Seattle. Darnold’s “20 turnovers” led the NFL—even as a #1 seed QB (per ESPN).

• Seahawks Should Win… Probably:
  On paper, Seahawks are better, but playoff chaos looms.

  “If Darnold's going to blow it is one… and I'm really confident they're going to kick the 49ers’ ass is ten… I'm probably at a seven.” – Danny Kelly [25:19]

Bears vs. Rams

[31:14–36:01]

• Cold Weather, Turf Monsters & Comebacks:
  The Bears’ homefield (known as “The Turf Monster”) and wild fourth-quarter magic have the guys leaning destiny over logic.

  “I’m just taking the Bears territory because, like, this team is magical.” – Craig Horlbeck [35:27]

• Injuries and Matchups:
  Chicago’s backup LT is a worry. Rams get key players healthy.

• Special Teams X-Factor:
  LA’s special teams—especially Kicker “Thicker Kicker”—could be a weak link in Chicago’s wind and cold.

• The God Factor:
  If the Bears win under these fairy-tale circumstances, does it mean “God is real”? The guys debate Bears Super Bowl narratives and whether it would top MJ’s Bulls dynasty for city lore.

  “If the Bears win this game, do you think that means God is real?” – Danny Heifetz [36:15]

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4. AFC Playoff Preview

Bills vs. Broncos

[43:07–48:48]

• Recent Playoff History:
  Bills destroyed Denver last year with dominant O-line play. Broncos desperately want revenge; playoff rematches up the stakes.

• Josh Allen vs. Broncos Defense:
  Denver’s pass rush vs. Allen’s escapability will define this game.

  “Josh Allen is the hardest person to convert a pressure into a sack.” – Danny Heifetz [45:19]

• Can Bo Nix Step Up?
  Winning against Allen would be a narrative-changer for the young Denver QB, with his postseason rep in the balance.

Texans vs. Patriots

[50:49–58:40]

• Texans’ Defensive Dominance:
  Houston’s D “lines up and says, beat us.” They don’t disguise coverages because “everyone on defense is better than everyone on offense.” [54:21]

• Stroud and Darnold: New-Age "Game Managers"?
  C.J. Stroud has wild swings between brilliance and disaster; Danny Heifetz dubs him “the Darnold of the AFC.”

  “Stroud absolutely has been the reason you’ve won games… [and] the reason you lose games.” – Danny Heifetz [56:17]

• Key Absences:
  Texans might miss WR Nico Collins; Patriots’ top CB Christian Gonzalez is questionable. Host consensus: it gives edge to the defense.

• Patriots’ Offense Still a Mystery:
  Even after 19 weeks, the show can’t figure out “who are the Patriots.”

  “There are still questions about who are the Patriots.” – Craig Horlbeck [53:19]

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5. NFL (and Podcast) Oddities & Humor

The Legend of Eggs Mansky

[58:09–61:19]

• The hosts delight in discovering “Eggs” Mansky, the last college football player to play without a helmet (and the nickname comes exactly as you’d imagine…egg-based diet).

  “Eggs Mansky was the last college football player to play without a helmet.” – Danny Kelly [60:09]

• They riff on football names of yore: “Solly Sherman,” “Cub Buck,” et al.

Gum, Mints, and Social Anxiety

[77:38–80:59]

• The gang veers into a passionate debate on gum vs. mints, hidden breath-freshener technology, and the horror of “beer breath.”

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6. Rapid-Fire Locks & Picks: Ringer 107 Segment

[69:10–74:59]

• The crew quickly makes their playoff bets:
  • Bills over Broncos (everyone can’t resist Josh Allen)
  • Seahawks -7 (“solidarity” for Kelly)
  • Bears +3.5 (“too cool” to root against Chicago’s story)
  • Waffle over Texans vs. Patriots, but they land on the Patriots

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7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• “This is the first time the Giants have had a coach that people respect since Tom Coughlin.” – Craig Horlbeck [06:10]
• “Inside of Sam Darnold, there are two wolves and one of them is…an idiot.” – Danny Heifetz & Danny Kelly [26:05]
• “If the Bears win this game, do you think that means God is real?” – Danny Heifetz [36:15]
• “Eggs Mansky was the last college football player to play without a helmet.” – Danny Kelly [60:09]
• “My God, when your team is not playing in the playoffs—it’s the best feeling in the world.” – Danny Kelly [18:50]
• "If they win the Super Bowl, you’ll find me at church." – Danny Kelly [36:39]
• “This team is magical; that’s kind of where I’m at.” – Craig Horlbeck [35:27]
• “You have a fast break… you laid the ball up. It’s probably what you need.” – Craig Horlbeck on Giants’ coaching move [12:29]

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8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:09] – Giants hire John Harbaugh, Heifetz’s fandom journey
• [06:21] – Giants’ “respected coach” drought ends
• [13:51] – Todd Monken, coaching carousel updates
• [18:34] – Seahawks/49ers anxiety, Darnold’s turnovers
• [31:14] – Bears vs. Rams, “God,” and comeback magic
• [43:07] – Bills vs. Broncos, Allen’s role
• [50:49] – Texans vs. Patriots, defensive philosophy
• [58:09] – Eggs Mansky discovery
• [69:10] – Playoff picks and betting segment
• [77:38] – Gum, mints, and social awkwardness

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9. Tone & Style

The trio maintain their trademark blend of honest fan anxiety, insightful breakdowns, and irreverent humor. Deep dives into X’s and O’s and player stats give way to debates over playoff karma, the existential dread of rooting for your team, and unexpected detours into football history and oral hygiene.

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10. Final Takeaways

• The Giants are no longer a punchline—Harbaugh brings credibility and hope.
• The NFC is pure chaos. “God/karma” are as tangible as strategy.
• The AFC could see a young QB’s narrative shift or a familiar collapse.
• Offbeat tangents (Eggs Mansky, gum, coaching analogies) are half the show's fun.

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For further info or to chime in with your all-time favorite weird football names or gum recommendations, email the show at [e-mail].

Transcript

[Danny Heifetz]

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[Danny Kelly]

Foreign.

[Danny Heifetz]

Welcome to the Ringer Fantasy Football Show. My name is Danny Heidfitz and I'm joined by Danny Kelly and Craig Horlbecker. We are going over all the the divisional round games in the NFL playoffs. But first let's get to the real news of the day. The New York Giants have hired John Harbaugh as the New York Giants head coach. TK who's got it better than us.

[Danny Kelly]

Is this the greatest moment of your Giants fandom since I've known you in I think we met in 2016.

[Danny Heifetz]

I guess winning a playoff game be better.

[Craig Horlbeck]

When they beat the Vikings. That was a big moment.

[Danny Kelly]

The Tommy Cutlets era.

[Danny Heifetz]

Maybe the Tommy Cutlet arrow that that ensured the Giants would not get Drake May or Jaden Daniels or Caleb Bl.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, it was fun in the moment.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was so fun in the moment.

[Craig Horlbeck]

What about when when Cam Scaboo and Jackson Dart took that photo together?

[Danny Heifetz]

That's got top that one night where the Giants beat the Eagles and then they were cool for a day. And then I called Craig and I was like really drunk. I'm like, the Giants are back. And then they all got hurt.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Giants are better than the Eagles. Call me Craig. The Giants are better than the Eagles. And then I still might believe that.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't know. Yeah, well, it's true. Table got fired like three weeks later. Whatever this. I am thrilled by this. I. I don't know. The way I look at this, beggars can't be choosers. And I am begging for the Giants to be competitive. You guys basically have barely known me watching competitive Giants football. It hasn't been a thing. I just keep thinking about I'm probably do this job because of how much I love the Giants and how much my family loves the Giants and how much I grew up loving the Giants. Watching the Giants with my family and I realized nine of the last 10 times, like of Thanksgiving, like I always go in for Thanksgiving. It's my family's favorite holiday. Nine of the last 10 Thanksgivings, the Giants had already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That's kind of nice. Spend time with your family. Not have to worry about anything.

[Danny Heifetz]

There's no stakes. It's great. The final third of the season, we don't even have to worry about.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That's my dream. Instead every year I'm like, steelers are probably going to squeak in, aren't they?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

But I was thinking, I was thinking about how I felt about this because I couldn't sleep and I checked my phone like three in the morning and like I saw the Giants hired John Harbaugh. I was like, oh my God. I was freaking out in bed and now I couldn't fall back asleep. But I was actually thinking about what Craig said about the Steelers where it's like, you watch like, why in a nutshell, was it time for Mike Tomlin to go? And I really think Craig nailed it. When you were like, I watched the Steelers lose a playoff game and I felt nothing. I felt nothing. And I think that is my. That is why I am so happy to have the Giants hire John Harbaugh. Because I. When the Giants, the Giants have the worst record in the NFL over the last decade. They have. They're tied with the jets, the Giants, I mean, fewer playoff appearances than like the Browns. I wanted to make fun of the Browns. The Browns have been to the playoffs and as many times as the Giants or more. And in 2017, when the Giants were awful, I was really angry. And then by like 2021, when the Giants were awful and embarrassing, I was actually just Sad. And in 2026, when the Giants were terrible, I kind of didn't feel anything at all. I have totally become numb to them, losing game after game and year after year and all the stats and starting two and eight, three straight years and 10 game losing streaks and the worst in 50 years and the worst this in 100 years. And I don't even care. It's like I'd be having Giants up among all my games on Sundays and I would start getting wandering eyes in the fourth quarter because they're just getting blown out over and over and over again. And I just want the Giants to be competitive. And I think John Harbaugh will make them competitive. And I guess in a nutshell, the Giants are not a laughingstock anymore. You guys and everyone have been making fun of the Giants for 10 years. And I think that if anything, what the Harbaugh hiring means is the Giants are not a joke anymore.

[Danny Kelly]

Are they going to start scoring some touchdowns?

[Danny Heifetz]

I really hope so.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Those are big. They say those are big.

[Danny Kelly]

At the very, very least, you're going to have a healthy kicker on your roster.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, yeah, that's a good point.

[Danny Kelly]

Because he's a special teams guy. He knows the importance of that.

[Danny Heifetz]

The Giants won't lose three games over two years because they didn't anticipate that their injured kicker should. Maybe they should back up on their game day.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's a tough time to talk about Ravens kickers, but yeah, you're right. I say generally, you know, it might work out. I. This is the first time the Giants have had a coach that people respect since Tom Coughlin.

[Danny Kelly]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. I think Brian D. That one season he was top, had a moment. He had that one year and I knew he was bad when the off season he went on Jimmy Fallon and people were treating like a celeb and I'm like, this rise was too fast.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

But other than that, no, no one's. I mean, Ben McAdoo showed up to his opening press conference in a suit that didn't fit. Everyone made fun of him for the big play.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Ironically, he probably forgot about that Joe Judge disaster. There's been a lot. Pat Shermer for two seasons. Yeah. To me, this is just like. And not so the difference to me Here is like, I agree with you completely. If it's. You're like, beggars can't be choosers, but that even undersells Harbaugh a little bit. Harbaugh is one of the most accomplished, respected coaches in the league. You getting him is just such a steady hand. And now different from what like, the Raiders had with Pete Carroll last year. The Raiders were still a mess. It was like, all right, Geno Smith, I guess the offensive lines of disaster. The defense wasn't good. The Giants are kind of coming in and you're like, we think we have our quarterback, right? Jackson Dart. We think we have a young quarterback that has some promise, some potential. We have a couple skill position players that we like. We have Malik neighbors who we know is very good. We like Camp Scatterboo. We have pieces on the offensive line that are okay. We have one of the best defensive lines in the league. And now we have a top five, top 10 head coach in the league. Like, you have all of the foundational pieces, I would say now to really do something.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. In order. We're way better than the jets are, which is, like, important. And then frankly, I feel maybe better than where Washington is because Jane Daniels is great. But I, I mean, they fired Kingsbury. Like, you got Dan Quinn there and the little teetering. It's like the oldest roster in the league in Washington. The Eagles are in a really weird spot. Like, I feel good about where the Giants are. I. I agree at Harbaugh to the pedigree thing. I mean, there's a lot of stats on it, but one of them was like, the only coaches with more playoff wins. I mean, harbor won 180 games when 180 and 113 in the regular season. At the reigns with Ravens, Harbaugh has 13 playoff wins. I believe the only coaches with more playoff wins than Harbaugh are like, you know, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid and like Chuck Noel and Tom Landry and Don Shula and Joe Gibbs and like, basically just all inner circle hall of Fame coaches. And then it's John Harbaugh.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It is funny that, like, I don't know, I'm sure some people are like, oh, cool. You got, you're, you know, you got the Raven sloppy seconds. You're getting John Harbaugh after he couldn't do it with Lamar Jackson. And like, to me, basically, you have John Harbaugh as your head coach because Lamar Jackson injured his hamstring.

[Danny Heifetz]

That is how I feel.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I feel like they are a zay Flowers fumble a Mark Andrews bobble from going to maybe two Super Bowls in the last three years and you just have that coach because Lamar Jackson injured his hamstring.

[Danny Kelly]

I they wouldn't have they, they would have been in the playoffs if the kicker would have made a kick.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Right?

[Danny Heifetz]

I literally, yeah, if they make the kick, then maybe the Ravens end up beating Texans in the playoffs. But DK, I'm curious what you think because I understand and this is actually how my brother feels, but I understand that there is downside, there's risk with Harbaugh. I think frankly for the Giants perspective, selfishly, it's by far the safest thing the Giants could do. If Harbaugh doesn't work out, it won't be on the team for hiring him. And then also it just is the smartest move after all these guys. But there is certainly a risk for A couple reasons. One, Harbaugh 63 if Jackson Dart does end up having a long career, Harbaugh probably won't be the last coach that Jackson Dart has because he's 63.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's like those are I feel like you would be happy to address those problems if seven years from now Jackson is still on the Giants and is good and you're like, well, Harbaugh 70 now those are like we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

[Danny Kelly]

He's a young 63 anyway. He doesn't look 63 at all to me.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, well Pete Carroll is young 73 but I, I, I don't know. But DK Decade, do you think there's any I, I think if there's risk to this, it's horrible being 63. He's a CEO coach. That's really what he bring. He's adulthood. No crazy mistakes the Giants have been making. The irony is that the Giants biggest issue was the sloppiness of blowing games they should have won. And frankly, it's also what the Ravens have been known for the last five or six years is excruciating losses in the Raven games. The Ravens should have won. But the difference to me is if there's an issue, it's more that Kevin Stefanskate maybe gets hired by the Titans and makes Cam Ward it's like a pseudo MVP candidate in Tennessee. Or that maybe Mike McDaniel does get a head coaching job and like resurrects the Falcons or does, you know what I mean? Like maybe one of these offensive guys does great work elsewhere and they're like 10 to 15 years younger than Harbaugh and you're like, oh, maybe the Giants should have gone with a younger offensive guy to develop Jackson Dart.

[Danny Kelly]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Do you think? Just because, frankly, I'm always a little skeptical when literally everyone agrees on something. And it does feel like everyone's like, great job, Giants. John Harbaugh, do you think there's a world that the Giants should have looked harder at an offensive person, or is this just like the slam dunk?

[Danny Kelly]

I mean, yeah, there is a world in which they made the wrong choice here. It's funny because if you just look at last year, there's two really good examples of both sides of the coin here. So, like, we. Craig mentioned Pete Carroll. Like, I thought Pete Carroll was going to be successful. I thought bringing in Geno Smith was a good move because it gave them some veteran stability at the quarterback position that turned out to be a freaking disaster overall. Pete Carroll was an absolute disaster in Las Vegas, but there was a lot of extenuating circumstances. Craig laid all that out like, this was just a horrible roster, horrible team. The other side of the coin is Mike Vrabel, who took the Patriots team, who just needed like a guiding, you know, adult in the room type of coach. A guy who's like getting command respect from the players and media alike, you know, that you could go down the list. There's a lot of similarities, I think, between Vrabel and Harbaugh and turned the Patriots into a freaking 14 win team with a young quarterback and like, basically, you know, no skill players or like a handful of interest and couldn't beat Pete Carroll in week one. Yeah. Uh, if I would have told you that, if I would have explained this all in week one, we would have thought it turned out the other way around. Um, but so I. It is interesting, I think, to see that there's both sides of the coin there. I think it's absolutely possible this doesn't work out, but I do think more likely than not, harbor is going to be a good thing for the organization. You know, brings in that. That institutional knowledge, I think, of, you know, how to win and how to organize practices and how to do all that, so how to deal with the media. There's just so many. There's so many variables to being a head coach, and at least we know he can handle, like, most of them. You know what I mean? I think any of these new coaches might be a total disaster in one area and like, really good at offense or whatever, but there's just, I think, fewer variables when you're talking about Harbaugh.

[Craig Horlbeck]

If it's, you Made the basketball analogy. You're like, is this a slam dunk? It's a layup. I think it is. You had a fast break and you could have tried to windmill. You could have stopped and shot a three. You laid the ball up. And you know what? It's probably what you need to get, you know, to. To get a lead.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think you're absolutely right. And also, I wanted to talk to you guys because this is time for, let's be honest, everyone's single favorite football activity, which is. So the schedule doesn't come out till May, but the opponents, you know, from the second the season ends. So I just want to quickly, with John Harbaugh now, go through the Giants schedule and just. Just preview exactly what's going to happen. So the Giants home games next year. Cowboys, that's a win. Easy fastball, high up. No chance. Eagles, that's drowning. Eagles, you're drowning. There's no way you're going to win. Commanders, that's a dub. Three and oh. Jags, Jaguars, that's. That's a loss. I'll admit. Niners, I'll be generous. That's a loss. But then Titans, easy win. Browns, easy win. Saints, Tyler Shuckett, that's an easy win. So right there, that's six wins at home, six and two at home. Away. Cowboys, that's a win. Giants dominate in Jerry world. Eagles, I'll admit, lost in Philly, beat the Commanders, beat the Cardinals, you lose to the Texans, you beat the Colts, you lose to the Rams, lose the Seahawks, you beat the Lions, 11 and 7. Sorry, 11 and 6.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Giants, 18 games. Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Well. Well, you never know. I mean, anything's possible.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That's true. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

This off season is going to be wild.

[Danny Heifetz]

So I'm just telling giants, 11 wins. They're going to win the division.

[Craig Horlbeck]

How do you feel about the. The likelihood that Todd Monkin is going to be your offensive coordinator?

[Danny Heifetz]

I like it. I like Todd Monkin. I will admit that. Part of me just thinks he's the most interesting quote of any offensive coordinator. Like, he's kind of like a philosopher. Like, the way he talks about football is interesting. But at the end of the day, he came in and the first year he was the. The offensive coordinator for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson literally won the mvp. And then the second year, was Lamar better. He threw 41 touchdowns and four interceptions and then didn't win the MVP, but maybe was better than the MVP year, arguably. And then this year, Lamar got hurt and the Ravens fumbled. Weird stuff happened, and now it's like, oh, Todd Monkin and Harbar out. And I'm like, I don't know. Seemed like he did a pretty good job with Lamar. I'm pretty into the. I mean, he was the coordinator for Georgia when Georgia won the championship, 63 to 7 or whatever over TCU. Sorry to Kai and the, you know, the Frogs. But I. If Todd Monken doesn't get the Browns job, I think it's very clear Todd Monken will be the Giants offensive coordinator. I love that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's funny.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, I like it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Is he hired yet or not?

[Danny Heifetz]

No. So Harbaugh is Monkin.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Monkin.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, he's interviewing for the Browns head coaching job. And the deal is basically, if Todd Monkin gets that, obviously he's gonna take a head coaching job. Right. But if he doesn't get the Browns head coaching job, I think he's gonna be the Giants offensive.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You know what's funny is Todd Monkin's Wikipedia right now currently says he is the offensive coordinator for the Giants 2026.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, because Ian Rapaport reported this morning that it's expected Monkin's gonna be.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yes, I saw. Expected coordinator.

[Danny Kelly]

But, like, yeah, who knows?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Which. I feel like you don't post that unless it's gonna happen.

[Danny Heifetz]

I mean, I think he will be the offensive. I mean, he's. I don't think he's gonna get the Browns job either. Like, I think that it's due diligence, I think, to interview the coordinators of your division rivals because they've gameplayed against you for years and you should probably get their thoughts for seven hours. But, yeah, so I'm thrilled about this. This is awesome.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm very happy for you. This is great.

[Danny Heifetz]

Thank you. What a week for the podcast. The Seahawks are, like, the number one seed in the nfc and then, like, Tomlin out and then harbor the Giants, like, well, sorry, I guess it's less positive for Craig, but a lot of.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Stuff for us, I mean. Well, I will say topical. I'm really crossing my fingers. I have decided that where I want the Steelers to land is I want them to hire Chris Shula as their head coach and bring in Nate Shieldhas. Is that how we say his name?

[Danny Kelly]

Sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

Sounds like a guy like a Steelers legend already.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, he's got that. It's like shieldhas works for the Pittsburgh.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like gentleman's piss club in Germany.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. Shieldhouse. I want Shula head coach, Shieldhas offensive coordinator, and we just basically steal all the good people from the Rams and they're all like 38 years old.

[Danny Kelly]

That's. Please do I want some brain drain happening from the Rams right now.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I. Yeah, I honestly do think that will end up happening. I think the interviews probably matter for the Steelers maybe more than other teams, but I think that's smart. I do think Kevin Stefanski might be the next guy hired. I feel like he will be a top guy for the Falcons and Matt Ryan, the president there now is, which is funny to say. And I think the Titans are gonna be related. Kevin Stefanski, because the titans wanted Matt LaFleur and he went to the packers. And so I think the Titans might see Kevin Stefanski as their best option for Cam Ward. I think the. Steve Bishotti, the owner of the Ravens, gave a wild press conference. He was pretty lubricated. He just. He was having a good time.

[Danny Kelly]

He was drunk.

[Danny Heifetz]

Not drunk, but he like.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He's loose.

[Danny Heifetz]

He was loose. He's a very loose guy for team that didn't make the playoffs. And he was talking about how all the former offensive coaches that did really well and were gurus in the past but had bad quarterback cards dealt to them, like Kevin Stefanski, he was fascinated by them and he just said that. So it'd be kind of wild if the Ravens hired Kevin Stefanski. That'd be crazy. Especially because the Ravens were the Browns. That would be insane. But I think Stefanski is probably the next domino. And then also the packers and Matt LaFleur. I know. I think we all kind of agree that the packers firing Matt Lafleur would be stupid because he'd instantly be the best candidate. Probably better than Kevin Stefanski, but the way it works. So he has a year left in his contract. But that teams don't. Literally 31 teams don't let coaches coach on the last year of their deal because you're like a lame duck and the players know it and like.

[Danny Kelly]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's hard to get the players to listen to a coach that his contract expiring. So they. If they have don't fire Leflore, they have to extend him. And his contract is taken a lot. It's taken like three weeks to do and it's usually done by now. So unless something happens with LaFleur, I think Stefanski is the next guy to get hired. And then there's going to be like probably a cascade after Stefanski.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'd like the record to state that if Matt Leflore is a free agent, I would like the Steelers to hire him immediately.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I agree. I just Basically, I'm not arguing. Indeed, kid. Tell me if you feel differently. I just think LaFleur has absolutely botched a lot of game management. Clock management stuff at the end of games. But it's easier for him to learn that. That find someone else who knows that stuff. And also is being able to build offenses like LaFleur has. Also, the packers average age is 25. It's an incredibly young team. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

No, I totally agree with that. I think it would be ludicrous if they fire Matt LaFleur.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I would do Matt LaFleur in a year of Malik Willis, get things going.

[Danny Kelly]

Sure. Let's pull it out. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right. Let's get to the divisional round here. Let's just dive into it. Dk, your team, the Seattle Seahawks, are hosting the San Francisco 49ers.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You had a week off to kind of relax, forget about things. Now you got a game. You got a game at home.

[Danny Kelly]

You guys, last week during the. During the wild card round, I was like, my God, when your team is not playing in the playoffs, like, but they're still in it. Best feeling in the world.

[Danny Heifetz]

Bye weeks are the best. When your team's not playing.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't have to worry about what they're gonna do in this game. It's so fun to watch.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I gotta be honest. I just think, like, straight up, across the board, some. Like, a playoff game that your team is not in is just better than a game that your team is in. Hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It's just. It's torturous to watch.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Like, you obviously want to roll the dice because your team could win the Super Bowl. But, like, if you just asked me, would you rather watch the Steelers in a playoff game or a different playoff game, I'd probably just say, different playoff.

[Danny Heifetz]

Dude, that's like the wild. That's. That maybe that's the real take. Is actually the Giants being terrible is great because I just watch all these games.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, you can just enjoy.

[Danny Kelly]

You don't. Yeah. You're like, pete, what is it? LaFleur from Dodgeball? He's like, yeah. When you have no expectations, it's. Everything is fine. And we got to tell you, it feels phenomenal. Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's like, do you want. Do you want to cook dinner for six people at a dinner party, or do you want to attend a dinner party? Like, it's just way easier.

[Danny Heifetz]

Passenger Princess is great. I don't want to figure out where we're going or drive along.

[Danny Kelly]

Along that line. Along those lines. Guess what I saw while you guys Were talking about coaching candidates. Sam Darnold has been added to the injury report today with an oblique injury. He's questionable for Saturday. Things are going great. After taking a freaking week off to rest and recuperate, he hurts his oblique in practice. This is the first time hearing about it. It just happened. So obviously we'll find out if it's like actually something to worry about.

[Danny Heifetz]

My honest to God first take with that. Is that an actual first take? But my immediate reaction is I think I would have been more worried about something like that two years ago because it's like, oh, he pulled his oblique and maybe he can't play. To be honest, we're recording this Thursday. I think there was like a couple dozen college basketball players and involved in a potential like point shavings fraud schemes. And it's like every sport has been like really heavily touched by gambling stuff and like injury reports. The NFL is. I been really cracked down on injury reports. And teams like, they're like. Because remember, this is the Ravens fault. Actually Lamar, like, Lamar Jackson, like, they didn't report that he was on the Friday that I'm full participant that he didn't play. And I think DK the optimism would say maybe Darnold's fine and he just felt it. And they're like, we're going to report it. We don't want to get anything in trouble.

[Danny Kelly]

Sure. Probably what happened. He did not.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He.

[Danny Kelly]

He played. He was off to the side today at practice and Drew Locke got starters reps at practice, which is alarming to say the least.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's super concerning.

[Danny Kelly]

That's.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's super concerning.

[Danny Kelly]

It's ironic because, like, the only reason the Seahawks are going to lose this week is because of Sam Darnold. But if he doesn't play, they will definitely lose.

[Danny Heifetz]

I.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, Drew Locke.

[Danny Heifetz]

Drew Locke, whose best game ever was to cost the Giants the number one pick. Well, I don't. Let's just get right into Darnold. I mean, you know, ESPN had this amazing stat decay. Darnold led the NFL with 20 turnovers this season. It's the first time since 1978 a player on a number one seated team led the league in turnovers.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Wow. Yeah. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Super. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, is.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Is not throwing tremendous looking trophy you got there.

[Danny Kelly]

It's a tremendous looking stat you brought to the table. Thank you for that. Yeah. And it is, you know, when you look at the entire season with Darnold, obviously, like the numbers look really good, but it, you know, if you split it up between weeks one and 10, basically that Rams game where he threw four picks can split the season in two. And from weeks one to the time I saw this from ESPN, weeks one to 10, Darnold was number one in QBR. From week 11 on, he was 27th in QBR. So that is why I've kind of been harping on this. I'm sure Seahawk fans are tired of me freaking like talking about Sam Darnold and worrying about Sam Darnold, but it just does feel like every, you know, he's got a bozo playing him every game at least. And I just really. That's the one thing that can kind of like throw this off. The Seahawks have a Super Bowl, super bowl defense. They have one of the best defenses we've seen in the DVOA era in terms of like their efficiency. So that is the worry here. Obviously, if you look at the last game, the Seahawks absolutely stifled the 49ers. They didn't let Brock Purdy do basically anything. The one big difference, of course. Well, there's a couple of big differences. The big difference for the 49ers is Trent Williams is back, which is huge. I mean, if you look at the splits with and without Trent Williams during the Shanahan era, it's dramatic, it's stark, it's like insane actually. So that's huge for the 49ers, but they're out. Kittle. Kittle is injured with a Achilles injury, so he's gone. He's obviously a big time player for them and that hurts them. And you know, obviously the Seahawks are getting Charles Cross back at left tackle, so that's, that's a bonus. It's not the exact same matchup as we saw last year. I think the big thing here is Trent Williams last in week 18, I should say.

[Danny Heifetz]

And also the Niners linebackers, which I were injured last week as well and been injured, but I don't think teams took advantage of them the same degree like the Eagles. Just because Hertz kind of struggles throwing over the middle of the field. You didn't really sense how much Eric Kendricks, who is washed like years ago and then Garrett.

[Danny Kelly]

The name I haven't heard in a while.

[Danny Heifetz]

I know, dude. The liners. Linebackers versus the Eagles to win the game where Eric Hendricks and Garrett Wallow. I think Garrett Wallow sounds like a bird.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like, you know what I mean?

[Danny Kelly]

Like that's the Carolina Wallow.

[Danny Heifetz]

Exactly. Like, you know, there's Barn Wallows and Garrett Wallows, but I feel like the nine, basically the, the Seahawks are going to absolutely just spam everything against these Niners linebackers who frankly, like, literally. I mean, Fred Warner says he might come back, but at the very least, that's Fred Warner for season ending injury with no practice.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, he's not coming back. Shanahan just said he's.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, he just said. I mean, that makes sense because I mean, Fred war. Like, I think Fred Warner might play in the super bowl if the Niners make it. But yeah, I feel like it just comes down to can Darnold or Drew Locke take advantage of the Niners linebackers more than the Niners can confuse Darnold trying to take advantage of the Niners.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Dk, what is your, what is your confidence versus nervous scale right now?

[Danny Kelly]

Like, oh, that's a good question.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The Seahawks beat the Niners 133 a little bit ago. Kind of dominated that game defensively. I mean, the Niners scoring three points. I have no. When's the last time the Niners scored three points under Shanahan?

[Danny Kelly]

Literally the first game from Shanahan, his first game, he scored three points and then a week 18, he scored three points. Those are his two worst games.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So, like, where are you at in the. I'm not that nervous. The Niners roster is completely depleted and we should win this game by 17. Or are you like, I'm terrified Darnold's going to blow this and the Niners are like a, like a sports movie team that shouldn't be in any of these games and yet they are.

[Danny Kelly]

If, if, if the Darnold's going to blow, it is. Is one. And, and I'm really confident they're going to kick the 49ers ass. Is 10. I'm probably like at like a seven. I, I feel better about this game than I would feel about if I was playing the Rams, if the Seahawks are playing the Rams. But, you know, I, you know, especially because of this Darnold question, especially because Seahawk fans were freaking rooting for this, which always makes me nervous, is they were like, everyone was celebrating. When the 49ers get to come down, it's just like, Jesus, we're just tempting fate here. But at the end of the day, like, analytically taking bias out of it, like, the Seahawks should beat the 49ers, I think that they have a very good chance to do so. But, you know, it's the playoffs and anything can happen.

[Danny Heifetz]

It just comes down to, again, inside of Sam Darnold, there are two wolves and one of them is one of them.

[Danny Kelly]

Idiot.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, you know, it's funny, I don't feel like Sam Darnold feels like he leads the NFL in turnovers this year. It doesn't feel like that.

[Danny Kelly]

It does feel that way to me.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Does it?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, it's because of the back half. It was all in the back half.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. I think the first bunches, they were so good. And everyone watched Arnold and decided like, all right, he's for real. We had Minnesota last year. We have this this year. Maybe by week 10, they were like, I've seen all I need to see. And the record is obviously so good. And the defense is able to like keep them in games even when he does commit turnovers.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know, man. When is the last, like, do you think Darnold would be the least trustworthy quarterback to win a Super bowl in a while?

[Danny Heifetz]

No, because I feel like the defensive team, I think honestly we can get to this with.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's probably Nick Foles in 2018 is.

[Danny Heifetz]

Definitely, definitely probably the last guy because I think Texans and Seahawks are actually very similar. I think CG Stroud is the same Darnold of the afc. He doesn't have the same rep, but I think Stroud is the biggest weakness on that team at this point. Which is weird because I also love the way he plays sometimes, but it feels to me like drive to drive, sometimes drought. It's. It's kind of a little Darnold esque and.

[Danny Kelly]

But it's either. It's either FS or if you go all the way back to 2012 when it was Flacco.

[Danny Heifetz]

But if you look at just like teams that almost won a Super bowl, there are plenty of great defenses that either won or almost won. Where it's like the Bucks had Brad Johnson, the Ravens had Trent Dilfer, the Bears made the Super Grossman, Colts. Yeah, Rex Grossman.

[Danny Kelly]

You're talking about a really long time ago.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like. Yeah, but it's like you go through. It's like it happens. I don't forget how people talked about Eli Manning before he actually beat the Patriots in 2007. Like, Eli Manning wasn't well thought of. That was a great defense. So it absolutely happens again. Nick Foles won a Super bowl as a backup quarterback.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I mean, even, even Russell Wilson early on was like Russell Wilson.

[Danny Heifetz]

So I think the difference is Darnold and Stroud are absolutely. Or Mark Sanchez and the AFC champ made back to back AFC championship games. I think Darnold and Stroud are unquestionably better than all of those guys, but they're not the traditional game manager. Like I think of Alex Smith in that. But they'll protect the football, but they can't win you the game.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You think Donald and Stroud are unquestionably better than like Eli Manning and Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco and all those guys? Are you talking about more like Rex.

[Danny Heifetz]

Grossman, Trent Dilfer, the Rex Grossman, Trent Dill for Brett? Because my point is that maybe I should have been clearer. The Texans and Seahawks defenses have the potential to in retrospect be viewed as all time units. Like they have the potential to be seen as the best defense so far of the 2000 and 20s if they go on a run right now, in which case it wouldn't, I think Darnold wouldn't be viewed like Brad Johnson. He'd be viewed more like a Joe Flack or Eli Manning. Like it'd be viewed more like in that tier.

[Danny Kelly]

And I do think, to be clear, I, I, the fact that Darnold can lead a game winning drive late in the game and make some like preposterous throws puts him in a different category in my mind than, you know, because I think I catastrophize it a little bit with, with the turnovers. It's, it is the main thing that worries me with him. But he's got some, he's got some magic in him too. And I, and I really do appreciate that and acknowledge that because like if the Seahawks are down two points with a minute to go, I'm feeling like pretty good about it actually.

[Craig Horlbeck]

How do you feel about Brock Purdy? Would you switch right now and take Brock Purdy on the Seahawks over Sam Darnold?

[Danny Kelly]

Probably, I think you have to probably.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Because I think there is a little bit of Purdy as well where like once or twice a game he makes a completely boneheaded throw and it's a terrible interception. Yeah, but they're a little similar in that regard. I was trying to think of like what are you even nervous about other than like Shanahan, black Magic, Darnold collapsing. Like in terms of just like talent on the field, is there any position group that you're like, we're worse? No, probably not.

[Danny Kelly]

I, I guess, yeah. That's why, that's why I said it the way I said it. I think that the Seahawks on paper, if you just take it out, take the bias out of it in the Seahawks, fear that's instilled in me out of it, the Seahawks should win this game. They are the better team. But you know, crazy Things happen. And, and that's what I'm worried about is like some weird wacky happens early in the game and it gets out of, it gets out of hand. We saw that in the last game with the Week 18. Like the Seahawks probably should have won that game by 25 or whatever, but it was close till the end because of funky shit that kept happening. Like the Seahawks kicker missed two field goals that he normally would make. He's like one of the most accurate kickers in the league this year and he just missed. He missed an extra point and a field goal.

[Danny Heifetz]

And then yeah, it's not just the Seahawks have to be able to run the ball and we can move on, but the Seahawks have to be able to run the ball because they've been tricking teams all year like the Rams have where they put two or three tight ends on so the other teams put more linebackers on the field and then they haha. And they throw in the linebackers. The Niners are not getting tricked to putting their shitty reserve signed off the couch linebackers onto the field. So they're going to have more defensive backs and the Seahawks are going to have to be able to run on the. When the Niners are matching with nickel or a dime, like, or like more defensive backs, basically the Seahawks have to be able to run on those looks and like, you know, that's been a weakness. So we'll see. We'll see. I'm sorry, dk, I'm genuinely rooting for you, but I also assume you're going to be a big Bears fan because I have to imagine. Oh yeah, nobody wants to see, no Seahawks fan wants to see the Rams.

[Danny Kelly]

The enemy or the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like Darnold said, 11 picks and 20 sacks versus the Rams in the last 365 days. So yeah, the Rams are at Chicago this week. The Rams are three and a half point favorites. Craig, you are, are you worried at all? Like where, where do your allegiances lie between your, your brother, Sean McVeigh.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I know.

[Danny Heifetz]

And your favorite team this season, the Chicago Bears.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I, I at whatever happens after the game, I'll say I was rooting for that team is my plan.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's smart.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So Rams win, I'll be like so happy for McVay. I secretly wanted that to happen the whole time. And, and if the Bears win, I'm like team of destiny. I love this fucking team. This is unbelievable. I'm most excited for this game. Out of any game this weekend, this is going to Be great. This in Chicago. It's going to be cold as hell. Be windy.

[Danny Kelly]

Playoff football, baby.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. This is fantastic. Did you guys know that I read this in an athletic piece that the, the. The field, like the actual grass in Chicago is known as the Turf Monster. Are you aware of that?

[Danny Kelly]

I've heard of the expression Turf Monster.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's nicknamed the Turf Monster and is known to trip players up in the open field. At times it feels. Feels like this is like a, like a spirit that takes over during games in Chicago.

[Danny Heifetz]

The holy ghost with the ball.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But I've been seeing a lot of stuff online about like Stafford in cold weather. I don't buy any of that. Stafford is a dog. Puk is a dog. Devonte played in Green Bay for like eight years. Like all these guys are dogs. I'm not worried about that at all.

[Danny Kelly]

They're also going to run the hell out of the ball.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I think. That's what I think this whole game is like. Who's not going to turn the ball over? Both these defenses are vulnerable. Both these defenses can let up points and I think both these offenses are like run the ball, play action, big play, score touchdowns and don't turn the ball over. And like the Rams 13 personnel stuff, they're going to get Terence Ferguson, their tight end back. The Rams are pretty healthy. I mean Stafford hurt his finger and that has to be monitored and there was a moment there.

[Danny Kelly]

He's in the Airstream, he's fine.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, they like as an epidural in his finger, so he'll be fine.

[Danny Kelly]

It's got like the back to tank, remember from Star Wars? That's what he's got in the, in the Airstream.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But like Stafford was in the snow against the Eagles last year and was great. Like I just, I don't think that's a narrative at all. To me at least I think it's going to be hard for. I mean it's fucking cold for everybody.

[Danny Kelly]

It's what I'm clinging to. Craig, let me have this. I. They're going to fold like a cheap. What, what is the tent? Tent? Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Lawn chair. Like the blue tent? Yeah, the $90 blue tent, I think.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know, man. These are like two teams that are fucking heroic in the fourth quarter. These are two offenses and quarterbacks and schemes that are just like dude crazy stuff in the fourth quarter. I'm a little surprised that the Bears are getting our underdogs by three and a half points at home. That is a little spicy to me.

[Danny Heifetz]

Isn't the Most obvious thing to just bet the Rams line and then wait for them to take a huge lead and then bet the Bears and just kind of like play both sides. Because this is basically the Rams have the craziest ways all year to lose games and the Bears have the craziest ways all year to win games.

[Danny Kelly]

Yep.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like, how much would the Rams have to be up to start this game where DK were? Like, this is over.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I mean, the number does not exist.

[Danny Kelly]

29.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's high.

[Danny Kelly]

By the way, the expression is fold like a cheap suit. I think that is.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Why wouldn't it be 10?

[Danny Heifetz]

I think it's long.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Craig.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, I was picturing a lawn chair. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Fold like a cheap suit.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Hold like a cheap suit.

[Danny Heifetz]

Why would you fold any suit?

[Danny Kelly]

Well, because if you have to pack it up and then go somewhere. I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't know.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I feel like a cheap tent makes more sense.

[Danny Kelly]

I agree.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

But anyways, yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

All the ghosts are screen or screaming at us right now, like telling us the answer. DK the Bears left tackle Ozzy Trapillo towards patellar tendon. And then Theo Benedict is now going to be the left tackle who's a little bit of struggle bust this season. I mean, basically got benched for Ozzy Trappolo at left tackle. And then TJ Edwards, the linebacker for the defense is out, but he hasn't been playing as well. I feel like the Rams defensive line has underperformed relative to where we had them. After watching that Eagles playoff game, we talked a losses about how awesome they are and then they've been not the game wrecking force I think we had envisioned. And I think it's pretty important for them for to not allow Caleb to expand plays when the Rams cornerbacks suck and are absolutely going to be the liability for the Rams on defense.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I mean, they had trouble containing Bryce Young, Tedroa McMillan and Jalen Coker, and now it's Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Luther Burton and Roma Dunes. I mean, that's a bit of a level up. I'm verging on like, I don't really care what's going on. I'm just taking the Bears territory because like this team is magical. That's kind of like where I'm at. I'm like, I don't care that their linebacker, T.J. edwards is out. I don't care.

[Danny Heifetz]

You don't care.

[Danny Kelly]

Their left tackle is Adrian.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The Rams are getting Kevin Dotson their guard back. It looks like Terence Ferguson's coming back. The Rams are healthy I'm just kind of like, maybe I'm thinking more from the spread perspective, but even straight up, I'm kind of just like, I don't know, man. I. The Bears. The Bears.

[Danny Heifetz]

Let's be honest. The Pope is from Chicago, right? And then the Bears now have the most fourth quarter comeback wins every ever in NFL history. And every week we say that they actually keep adding a more and more remarkable. Like the last four ones the Bears did were all better than the one before. Craig, do you think if the Bears win this game, do you think that it means God is real?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, I'm gonna say, yeah, I think so.

[Danny Heifetz]

Dk, how many games do the Bears have to win? Do you think God is like officially.

[Danny Kelly]

How many games do they have to win before I believe in God?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Like they have a 28 point comeback this week and beat the Rams. Are you like, like you need to win the Super Bowl?

[Danny Kelly]

If they win the super bowl, you'll find me at church.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I believe. I, I went right to church after SDSU hit that buzzer beater in the final four to go to the Natty. That's when I knew God was real on my side.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, you thought God was real when you hit a half court shot when you were in college for a pickup truck and then you realized it was fake when you didn't actually give you.

[Danny Kelly]

Then you realized the devil was God.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Didn't tell me about apr.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, lease options.

[Danny Heifetz]

You're like, I have a. I, I, I don't have a parking spot. It's a college campus.

[Craig Horlbeck]

There's a crazy stat from this game. This is Sean McVeigh's 15th career playoff game and it's against his 15th different opponent.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, interesting.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He's played every single playoff game he's been is a different team. He's played half the league in the playoffs.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's pretty crazy.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's unbelievable.

[Danny Heifetz]

Especially because of the nature of the playoffs. He's made two Super Bowls. Wait, wait, wait. That's crazy because that means so Patriots, obviously and Bengals. So he's played 13 NFC teams in the playoffs. Is that true?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Look, it was on Twitter.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

No, maybe. I, no, it is. It is true. I, I think it.

[Danny Heifetz]

So the Giants and. Oh my God. That's kind of wild.

[Danny Kelly]

Here. Do you want me to read it off?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. So I believe it is true. I saw, I think it was in the New York Times piece I read.

[Danny Kelly]

So 2025 Panthers. And then this is the Bears that last year they played the Vikings Eagles. The year before that Lions 2021, Cardinals, Bucks, 49ers, Bengals. Year before that, Seahawks, Packers. Year 2018, Cowboys, Saints and Patriots. Wow, this is wild.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's really weird.

[Danny Kelly]

And then before that it was Falcons. Yeah, actually, I might have gone back too far. When did McVeigh take over 2017? Yeah, that was Falcons. Was that first year they lost.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Do you guys think that that on paper there is a strong imbalance in this game favoring the Rams or No?

[Danny Heifetz]

I think it has to be, yes. What do you think? I mean, I just, you look everywhere. It's like, would you rather Stafford or Caleb? And it's like, I'd rather have staff. Like, frankly, like, the only reason I'm. I kind of want the death star with the Rams is I just can't believe that Harrison M is the kicker and it's thicker kicker and it's a joke.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But like special teams. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Across the board. Him kicking in the wind in Chicago. The, this Rams punt coverage. The Rams punt units are not good. I, I, that's At some point it always comes back to bite you. It's like at the end of the year, it's like that stuff always comes back around. And also I just genuinely wonder about God and Bears.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The God piece.

[Danny Heifetz]

The God piece. I will say if we got to.

[Danny Kelly]

Talk about the God piece here, to.

[Danny Heifetz]

Steal something from the rewatchables. In the rewatchables, Craig, which you produce here, they have the category Apex Mountain, which is a very Bill Simmons creation. And so I have an important question for both of you. If the Bears win the super bowl, is it Apex Mountain for Chicago?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I mean, 85 Bears. The Bulls is basically.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is Michael Jordan's Bulls run.

[Danny Kelly]

It's the Bulls.

[Danny Heifetz]

But is that better than winning a Super bowl and getting the Pope. The Pope and the super bowl in like, no, six months?

[Danny Kelly]

No, the dual two, three Pete's in Chicago. This is not Apex.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm just asking, would you rather have two three Petes or a Pope and a Super?

[Danny Kelly]

I would way rather have two, three.

[Craig Horlbeck]

To be honest. People would kick the Pope out of the Vatican in a minute to win a Super Bowl. What are you talking about? You're probably right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, there we go.

[Danny Kelly]

Popes come and go. Three Petes are eternal.

[Craig Horlbeck]

There was a great picture of Acrisure Stadium, which I hate saying Hines Field. And it said like Yinzer Conclave. And it had like the smoke and it had like, I think it was AI generated and everybody like surrounding the stadium looking for the next coach, which I thought was great. I did see a video Recently, God. Of somebody talking about how the 85 Super bowl for the Bears is more important than the entire six championships for the Bulls. Like the Bears care about. I mean, Chicago cares about football so much more than anything else that they would take the 85 win over all six. Michael Jordan.

[Danny Heifetz]

What I'm saying. Who said that? It's the Midwest.

[Danny Kelly]

There's no way that's correct.

[Craig Horlbeck]

There's no way that's correct. I think it was. I don't want to say. I'll double check.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't. Because I can't remember if it was a Chicago native or not. But I want to double check.

[Danny Kelly]

I can't believe that I would not. I would just the magic of being in Chicago during the Bulls runs. I can't even.

[Danny Heifetz]

The mythology of Jordan changes it. But if. I mean put. I guess another way to look at it is, would you rather have a Bulls title now or a Bears title now? I don't think you could find many people that I. I wonder how long you'd have to go to find someone who'd rather have a Bull.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, and like, I think it's obvious, if you said one super bowl versus one NBA championship, which would you take? They would take the Super Bowl. How many NBA championships could you get to before they take that over?

[Danny Heifetz]

Super Bowl? That's the right question.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You're like, you get three, four.

[Danny Kelly]

Another three feet. Takes me back. That's more important to me. And I was a Sonics fan.

[Danny Heifetz]

So good.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Basketball.

[Danny Heifetz]

So good. Okay, Anything else on Bears Rams other than it'll be cold and hopefully Matt Stafford can handle it. All right, wait. Sorry. Before we move on, let's cut the social breakouts right now. Let's keep this in the show, Craig. We'll post whichever. Whichever team wins. We'll post these videos. So first, Craig. Bears just won this. If they win, we'll post this.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Go, team of destiny. You can't stop them, Pope. Everything's. Everything's coming together. I don't care who they're playing in the championship game. They're obviously going to the Super Bowl. This is it. Caleb Williams, we said he's going to win the super bowl in the next three years. He's going to win a Super bowl this year and next year. Last week we were talking about how many Super Bowls versus NBA championships would you take. Would you take a three peat for the Bulls? I think the Bears are going to get a three peat.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Perfect. All right, now. Now if the Rams win, we'll do this. You're like you never. You always believed in the Rams. You never doubted them.

[Craig Horlbeck]

From the moment I did flying coach Sean McVay, 2021, I knew that. I mean, look, after we did flying coach, what happened? They won a Super Bowl. I always knew that he had it in him for a second one. And look, the Bears, they're just getting started, you know what I mean? Like they are going to win. We said last week this Bears are going to win another super bowl in the next three years. I stand by that. They even overachieved this year. And the Rams, there's a reason why Matt Stafford just won the MVP because of what he did. And it's why Drake May, who just lost to the Texans didn't deserve the mvp.

[Danny Kelly]

Throwing in other facts here.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay, next game here. Bills are at the Broncos.

[Craig Horlbeck]

This game feels weird. I don't know why. Bills versus the Broncos doesn't feel right. I'm like, what is this?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, I'll tell you what happened the.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Last like, do these teams ever play?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, they played what is this? I don't know if you're joking or not, but they played last year in the playoffs and the Bills actually kicked the living out of the Broncos.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, I remember Bo Nicks marched down, scored a touchdown. We're like, holy. He threw like a 50 yard touchdown to start the game. And then the Bills, I think it was like 42 7.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was third. Yeah, the bill. The Broncos literally didn't score again. They were, they had 31, 31 7. Yeah, this is when the Bills really went all out putting six offensive line lineman on the field. And they just bully. They just as Matt LaFleur would say, they big boy. The Broncos, they ran. The Bills ran 44 times for 210 yards in that wild card win over the Broncos last year. The Bills of the ball for 42 minutes, which is about as many as much time a possession you'll see in a game that doesn't go to overtime in the modern NFL. Like it's hard for a team to have the ball less than 18 minutes, which is what the Broncos did like crazy domination. And I just feel like this is, I don't know, it's. I feel like the Broncos like the team that got bullied at the end of a school year and then you have all summer they're trying to like get bigger or trying to get taller and lifting weights. They took like karate and tried to be a yellow belt. And now like school started again. You're going to see the bully again. And. But now it's like it's at their turn. It's like Denver at altitude. Josh Allen's, like, knee. You know, everything with Josh Allen that he's got going on foot injury. And the Broncos, I think, for their own psyche, really, really need to, like, return the favor and kick the shit out of the Bills or else it's, like, going to affect Denver.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It feels like I'm just like, the same thing is happening as last week where I was like, I think the Jags have a better roster and might be better, but it's Josh Allen, and I'm kind of like, the Broncos are a better roster, and I think they're better. It's Josh Allen. That's kind of where I'm at.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

We also haven't seen the Broncos in three weeks. I mean, they didn't really. The week 18 didn't matter. They were off last week. It's been a while since we've seen the Broncos, and they've had a lot of, like, lackluster wins. It's like they win these close games, low scoring. They lost to the Jags, and it's like, all right, we saw them beat the Chiefs on Christmas without Patrick Mahomes. Like, it has been a while. It's really since. I mean, I. Week 14, 15, since we've really been like, all right, that was the Broncos game that mattered.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, they beat the packers in week 15.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's funny, too, because the first round buy is also just confirmation bias, because when teams come out look good, you're like, man, that's why they got the one seed. And when teams suck, they're like, oh, look at them. They're rusty. I don't know, man. And the Broncos. I. The truth is, the Bills are weirdly well suited to match up with Denver in a funny way, because the Broncos are incredible getting sacks. They've led the league in sacks for two years in a row. But Josh Allen's the hardest person to convert a pressure into a sack, so that gets mitigated. And then also, the Broncos just are incredible at man coverage because you have Patrick Satan and you have Riley Moss, who, you know, one of the better white cornerbacks we've ever had. So. And we've ever had. I'm just saying, you know, take beggars. Can't beat choosers. But it's funny because the Bills counter the great cornerbacks by. The Bills don't have any receivers worth throwing to. They have, like, Khalil Shakir and they have Brandon.

[Danny Kelly]

Don't you dare say that. About Khalil Shakir, I mean, he's great.

[Danny Heifetz]

But I'm just saying, like, the Bills, everyone else is hurt. Drill Shavers is hurt. Gabe Davis is hurt. The Bills receivers suck. So the. They don't have receive. Like, it's locked down the receivers. It's fine. The Bills throw to running backs and tight ends. The Bills throw to James Cook, and they're going to throw to Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. And like, they're the most targets in the NFL per game, I believe, is Josh Allen throwing news running backs and tight ends combined. They had that in ESPN this morning. And that is how you want to attack the Broncos anyway. So they're kind of weirdly suited to. Even if the Broncos decide we don't want to let you run the ball like last time, that is how the Bills are going to attack is like, either spread them out or go heavy, whatever. But, like, I do think they're going to be throwing the ball to running backs and tight ends. Obviously, Josh has to play really well again, probably flawlessly. But I also think this is a huge game for Bo Nix because the difference between a bad game from Bo Nix and the Broncos go one and done versus beating Josh Allen in the playoffs, fair or not, will have a massive swing in how he gets talked about for the entire offseason.

[Danny Kelly]

Look, I recognize and admit that I'm just being super simplistic about this, but, like, my. If you looked at this on paper, you should. You would think that the Broncos are going to win. But then you look at the fact that the Bills have Josh Allen, and I think that they have. They're going to win. I think the Bills are going to win. So that's kind of where I am. I. I think I base. Craig basically stole all my thunder in terms of, like, talking about, like, the. The way that they've played the last, like, month has been very underwhelming. Even though they did pull out wins. You know, they. They beat a Justin Herbert list Chargers team. They beat him, a homeless Chiefs team. Then they lost the Jags before that, and then they were off last week. So I just don't have a ton of confidence in the way that they're playing right now, even though they. They've set themselves up incredibly well. You know, so that's kind of where I am. I know it's a very simplistic way of looking at it, but, like, a lot of times in the playoffs, honestly, that kind of is really what matters. So, yeah, I don't know. That's where I Am I just think Josh Allen, again, it's the same deal from last week. If he can kind of do his superhero thing, the Bills will win. If he can't, if he doesn't, if he turns the ball over, whatever, then the Broncos will probably cruise.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think you're right. And if Josh does play at that level, then I think what's going to happen is the Broncos are going to try to run on the Bills, and they're going to try to run them out of, like, two high safeties. And if they bring the safety down and try to get Bonix to, like, look like one high safety, looks, Bonix has to hit the deep throws. And that also is what's going to come out. Like, Sean Payton is saying it out. He's like, we're going to take vertical shots in this game. And part of me is like, mind games. And part of me is like, I actually think he's just so fucking confident.

[Danny Kelly]

I wanted to bring up Sean Payton at the end.

[Danny Heifetz]

What did Sean Payton do now?

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, did you see how he's a total asshole to a reporter the other day?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yes, I did.

[Danny Heifetz]

I actually missed this when he was.

[Danny Kelly]

Like, somebody asked him about getting Dre Greenlaw back and how he's, like, excited. He asked him something about, like, is he excited for him to come play downhill or whatever. I think essentially what he's saying is, like, what the impact does he bring against the run or whatever. And Sean Payton was like, you want him to attack downhill? Like, what do you know about attacking downhill in the run game? You don't know. It's like, dude, have you ever been asked a question before?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Surprised you didn't see that.

[Danny Kelly]

Cool. You don't have to be a fucking asshole.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. The reporter was like, it must be nice to get Greenlaw back as, like, you know, one of your best, like, downhill defenders. And. And Sean Payton was like, here's my chance to downhill. He, like. He, like, chuckled at it. He's like, dad, downhill. He's like, what do you know about downhill tackling?

[Danny Kelly]

Just so validating for me personally.

[Danny Heifetz]

That would work for any question, of course. Oh, you must hate that guy.

[Danny Kelly]

Don't.

[Danny Heifetz]

The.

[Danny Kelly]

The Sean Payton don't be an asshole challenge, dude.

[Danny Heifetz]

That is. Never forget how many different coaches hate Sean Payton. It's funny, though, also, he has, you know, no team has ever won. No coach has ever won a Super bowl with two different teams. So Sean Bate advances. That's, like, all you're going to hear about until they lose. If the Broncos do win, this game. Good coach. Good coach. Anything else in Bills? Yeah, Josh Allen. I also we're all kind of rooting for the Bills, right? It's probably more interesting to have new blood if the Broncos make it. But Josh, that's the best story left probably is Josh dragging the Bills probably AFC and then the Bears and the nfc.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But I agree with you though. If the Broncos are there, that's kind of frisky and fun. I, I wonder how the analytics like, I, I feel like the average person is going to be like I'll just take the Bills and Josh Allen. But I wonder if this will once again be a situation where a lot of the Sharps are taking Denver.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, interesting.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, maybe Denver's better on paper.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, of course.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, let's play the game on paper. Texas speaking with Texans are at the Patriots this week.

[Danny Kelly]

Interesting game.

[Danny Heifetz]

So we honestly because the Steelers, because Tomlin stepped down, Mike Tomlin stepped down on after the Monday football loss to the Texans. We like didn't really talk about the Texans performance washed away. So it's worth going through it again. Texans want beat the Steelers gradually and then like really suddenly because it was seven to six entering the fourth quarter and then it was very quickly like 30 to six and the Texans just went fumble six touchdown. Pick six touchdown. It just got out of hand fast. And I'm curious, Craig, were you more, more impressed by how Houston finished the game on defense than you were a little surprised that the Texans couldn't actually close, close out the Steelers for 53 minutes?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, I, I, no, I would say I was. I was more impressed with their defense and, and it is rock solid. The Steelers could not run the ball at all. I mean the Steelers had six points. It's not like they couldn't close. The Texans offense just couldn't score and Stroud kept throwing interceptions. I mean the, the Steelers kept having great field position and the Texans kept stopping them over and over. So I think the six points that they allowed in the first three in the whole game was even more impressive. I mean, I, there was a big DK Metcalf drop, but like otherwise, I mean Rogers continually had fantastic field position and they couldn't do anything with it. So no, I still feel very confident about Houston's defense.

[Danny Kelly]

I think they're great.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The, the, the wrinkle in this game is that Nico Collins, the wide receiver for the Texans unlikely to play with a concussion and then I believe has there been an update on Christian Gonzalez, the top cornerback for the Patriots? I think he's Also unlikely to play. Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Whenever I see something like that, I'm like, that advantage goes to the defense. Like the whole point of having Christian Gonzalez is to shut down Nico Collins. If neither are out, then like that's an advantage to the Patriots. In my opinion that's too simplistic.

[Danny Kelly]

But I think apparently Gonzalez, per Mike Reese, no longer in a red no non contract jersey, grabs his helmet to head to practice. This is as of three hours ago. So maybe he will play it. It's. It's gonna be touch and go.

[Craig Horlbeck]

This is funny. I mean the, the we are now 19 weeks through the NFL season and there are still questions about like who are the Patriots. Like they just beat a terrible Chargers playoff team in a game that like it feels like they could have won by even more. And it was kind of slow for a while and Drake May did not have a good first half, had a fantastic second half. But I certainly still have questions and I do think a defense like the Texans and I think the streakiness of Stroud, like if you catch him on the right moment, I think this game could be close and I think the Texans could win.

[Danny Heifetz]

You think we're going to learn a lot about these teams?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I think we're going to learn a lot about these teams and then this.

[Danny Kelly]

Is a must win game next week.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Whichever teams win this week and then are in the they'll play again next week. Those games. We're going to learn a lot about those teams.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, this is a must win game. I am the, the Drake May part. He didn't play well. I think he had, you know, his butterflies. It was like year two quarterback playing know the Chargers defense in the first half. I think, I think this is if the Patriots win. I hate to, I hate to report. I do think that it would be about Drake May and Drake May like being incredible because the Texans defense is like this death star. We've talked about it a lot and they deserve all the credit where they just, I mean they have no coverage disguises or diversity. Cody Alexander at Match quarters had a great article about this and shout out his substack and he Cody Alexander measures coverage diversity. Basically how much teams mix it up and he scales it 0 to 100. The Texans are a 1 out of 100. They literally are 1 at 100.

[Danny Kelly]

They're so much like the lob it's crazy.

[Danny Heifetz]

They are like the league.

[Danny Kelly]

They line up and they're like okay, go ahead beat us.

[Danny Heifetz]

Which you have the luxury of doing when everyone on defense was better than everyone on the offense and all. And honestly, it's funny. All it comes down to all their guys who can cover, can tackle. And when you watch the Texans, all of them can tackle. And so in all the corner like, and that matters in the run game and it changes everything. And so the all the, you know, Will Anderson's an amazing pass rusher. He can stop the run. Like everyone just does everything well. Petrie, Jalen Petrie is like the best nickel in the league, probably.

[Danny Kelly]

So exciting and so fun to watch. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Mario Lasseter is amazing quarterback. So because it's everything simpler, they play faster. That's why they get the wow, this defense is flying to the ball award of the season because there's no complexity. It's just like, see, they run and hit and so they still have to pick how you're going to beat them though, right? Every defense has to pick. You get beat, they pick. Okay, sure. Deep shots to the outside on early, downs on first and 10, second and whatever, second and eight. If you think you can get a deep pass to the sideline and you will have not get sacked or intercepted by Derek Stingley or Kamari Lasseter, go for it. That is what Drake May will win the MVP on is the cross crazy deep passing accuracy. He's had to Diggs Kaan booty down the sideline like Drake May all season is a crazy deep accuracy. Bill Barnwell wrote a great comedy ESPN where he kind of was saying he thinks Drake May should win the MVP in part where if you look at like catches over expectation this season and receiving yards over expectation, it's like puking a co and people. And then it's like three of this top six are Patriots receivers. It's like Matt Collins, Diggs and Booty. And you're like, that's a Drake May stat that three of the top six receivers. So anyway, that is to me the New England in a nutshell is they have to run. You can't go horizontal. They're too Texans defense too fast. You have to run vertically and throw vertically and that's New England's only shot. However, the other thing I wanted to ask you, DK is I think the real chance for New England WINS game is C.J. stroud being New England's best player. C.J. stroud, I really think he's the Darnold of the AFC and I feel like.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, that's weird to say, but yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

We need a new term for game manager. When I think of game manager, maybe everyone is different. I think of Alex Smith where he's not likely to be the reason that you can win the game, but he's not going to lose it for you. And I think we need a new term for like Sam Darnold or Stroud where Darnold absolutely has been the reason you've won games, you've started, you've gotten huge leads, you've had comeback wins. Darnold's also absolutely the reason you lose games. Stroud's like that too. And I feel like that is the real concern here is that Vrabel figures out how to get into Stroud's brain.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. Because I mean, if you look at just this last game is a perfect example. Stroud fumbled the ball five times, five fumbles. He lost two of them. He had a couple of the biggest bozo plays I've ever seen him.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He did. He played really bad.

[Danny Kelly]

It was like he was pressing. There was a couple plays where he. I think he thought he had it. And so he like tried to make some miraculous play. Just didn't have it in him and he turned it over. But at the same time, I'm looking at. The Texans were 10 of 15 on third down. Like they were really good when it was like in those clutch situations in the ma. In the, in the moments that mattered. Obviously those turnovers were glaring and, and horrific. But you know, compared to the Steelers who went to a 14. Aaron Rodgers, you know, just could not do anything. This was literally. I saw this from Nate Tice, great stat that just kind of like tells you how good Houston's defense is.283 playoff games where a quarterback had 20 pass attempts. Aaron Rodgers game was 283rd in drop back success rate and EPA per drop back. That was the worst game we've seen from a quarterback in the playoffs. Basically.

[Craig Horlbeck]

All right.

[Danny Kelly]

You know, so not great, but gentle. More complimentary to the Texans because I think just they were. I think the Steelers were just completely overmatched.

[Danny Heifetz]

But on that.

[Danny Kelly]

But yes, I think what you were saying, Stroud is the X factor. I feel exactly the same way I feel about Darnold where Stroud could make some incredible plays. He's got it in him. He could make some, you know, just pinpoint down 30 yards down the field, drop it in a bucket. But he needs to stop with these bozo plays because that, you know, in a different world could have sunk the Texans in the first round. The Steelers couldn't do anything. But the Patriots can do stuff on offense.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I, I do think that no, Nico Collins is a big deal.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And if Nico Collins are in this game. I think I. I would have taken the Texans, dude.

[Danny Kelly]

Christian Kirk is like their playmaker right now.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it's Xavier Hutchinson, Christian Kirk and two rookies.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I think. I think that matters a lot.

[Danny Kelly]

So I think that's fair.

[Danny Heifetz]

So one other thing here on this game. This is important, guys. So I saw the stat. On Monday night, Houston became the second team in playoff history to score multiple defensive touchdowns in a game without allowing a touchdown, joining the Bears in the 1940 NFL championship game versus Washington, which they won 70 to nothing.

[Danny Kelly]

The legendary 1940 Bears.

[Danny Heifetz]

So obviously I looked up the 1940 Bears, and I'm happy to report it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Won the game 70 to nothing.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes. It's like the.

[Danny Kelly]

I feel like we've talked about this game before.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's a hilarious game. Yes. 70 to nothing. In addition to the Bears having a guy on the team named Solly Sherman. Okay, I was going through the names, and I'm getting like, you know, a little immune to it. And then I saw one of the guys names on the 1940 bears was named Eggs Mansky.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yes, Eggs. E. Ggs.

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs. Yes, his name is Eggs.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs.

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs.

[Danny Kelly]

Eggs. That's so good.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And you know, it's like a hobo name. He literally just had eggs every morning, and they were like your eggs called an egg.

[Danny Kelly]

So that he ate eggs one time, Craig. And then he was eggs for the rest.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like, that baseball player didn't drink, so they called him sloppy.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

So do me. This never gets old. Do me a favor, dk. I'm sending this guy's Wikipedia page. Do me a favor, dk, Okay, I want you. You've never seen this before. I want you to read the first two sentences of Eggs Mansky's Wikipedia page. Don't read it ahead of time. Just read it out loud for me.

[Danny Kelly]

Eggs, man.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs Mansky.

[Danny Kelly]

Read the first two lines.

[Danny Heifetz]

Read the first two lines blind.

[Danny Kelly]

Go, Edgar John Eggs Mansky was an American professional football player who was an end for six seasons in the National Football League. Mansky was the last college football player to play without a helmet. I love it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

No helmet on his egg.

[Danny Heifetz]

Do you know how much restraint I've had to have to not share that with.

[Danny Kelly]

He was the last guy. This is like the freaking old hockey players who didn't play with it without.

[Danny Heifetz]

Football, with a helmet.

[Danny Kelly]

Unfortunately, his name is Edgar, which makes eggs make a lot more sense.

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs Mansky, though.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs Mansky was out there running around without a helmet. The last one to do it. How does that.

[Danny Kelly]

Pretty handsome.

[Craig Horlbeck]

How wasn't he a part of an entire team that was the last one to do it. It couldn't be just him.

[Danny Heifetz]

Don't know.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Was he refusing?

[Danny Kelly]

Everybody else got grandfathered in.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Some guys would still have neck rolls. You know, even though it looked old.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's like he just boycotted the helmet. Everybody else had one.

[Danny Heifetz]

This used to be a sport. Game's not the same as it was.

[Craig Horlbeck]

What? How old did Eggs Mansky make it?

[Danny Kelly]

I think he died at the age of 89.

[Danny Heifetz]

89.

[Danny Kelly]

He lived a solid 89 years before that helmet.

[Danny Heifetz]

He lived to 89 years old.

[Danny Kelly]

This old.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Has there ever been a better case for no helmets in the NFL than eggs Mansky dying at 89 years old?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

You know, I have seen radical arguments about like football and concussions. Like helmets are the problem. They would hit less hard and because hit their heads.

[Craig Horlbeck]

When you put a weapon on your head, essentially with a helmet, naturally our human instinct is to protect the head. So if you played without a helmet, theoretically, you would never lead with your head.

[Danny Kelly]

He was also In World War II, of course, which is. Which is a given.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He lived to 89. He died in LA in. In 2002.

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs. Eggs. Wow. What a absolute legend. He was an old 1932 Olympian bronze medalist. Oh, wait, no. He's married to a 1932 bronze medalist.

[Jane Fonts]

Jane Fonts Jane this message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of the most useful things in my life lately has been my Apple Card. Great for game nights, vacations, just life in general. And applying was so easy and quick. You can apply, see your credit limit offer and if approved, you can start using your card in minutes. Do it while watching a basketball game. You could start making purchases with Apple Pay before halftime even rolls around. I also love how I can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase. That's more daily cash to use for game tickets. I feel like I scored big time when I started using Apple Card. Apply in the wallet app on your iPhone. Start using it right away with Apple Pay. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and.

[Danny Heifetz]

More at applecard.com Speaking of which, wow. Pivoting here to college football. So Indiana is playing Miami on Monday. You know, we have a show between now and then. We don't get too in depth into the game, but I want to shout out Roger Sherman for a former ringer colleague who texted me, you'll never guess who. The first head coach of the University of Miami's football team. Was.

[Danny Kelly]

Who was it?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Milt Plum?

[Danny Heifetz]

Better guess.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Clois Box.

[Danny Heifetz]

Not as good.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Buzz Nutter. Chug Jug. Cub Cub Buck.

[Danny Heifetz]

Cub Buck was the first of the University of Miami Hurricane football tape. Buck was the first coach Miami's ever had.

[Craig Horlbeck]

There were.

[Danny Kelly]

Have we ever showed each other a picture of Cub Buck?

[Craig Horlbeck]

By the way he looks. There were only like 27 people back then, dude.

[Danny Heifetz]

I tell you, they didn't have enough people.

[Danny Kelly]

Cup.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Buck looks like a funny little guy.

[Danny Heifetz]

He looks like he didn't have a helmet playing football.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, man.

[Danny Heifetz]

We don't have to get too. Yeah, I know. We don't have to get too deep in any on Miami. I mean, Fernando Mendoza used to walk to the Miami campus. He was like less than a mile away growing up and he's like hundreds of family in the Miami area. So that'll be a big storyline and obviously just kind of. Kind of love when a team actually makes the home stadium. The fact that Miami's playing in Miami, it's unfair, but I kind of love it. The thing I want to ask you guys about briefly is Dante Moore went back the quarterback at Oregon. Went back to Oregon.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Which to me is basically spurning the jets to go back to Oregon. Dk, I'm curious what you think of this Dylan Raiola, who transferred Oregon off a broken leg. He's gonna sit behind Dante Moore for a year. As you know Dylan. You know, Dante Moore did behind Dylan Gabriel. I'm just curious. Just call spade a spade. The draft a lot less interesting now that it's like Fernando Mendoza and then.

[Danny Kelly]

It'S basically like one first round quarterback. Unless you count Ty Simpson, which some people may. Some people might not. Craig, A lot of people are giving him to the Steelers and mock drafts. It's going to be a very popular pairing. But yeah, I mean, it definitely makes things a little less interesting. This is going to be, I mean, right now, off the. Off the cuff, it's probably not. Not a great class. But you know, we'll get into it and everything.

[Danny Heifetz]

But we'll talk about it more next Wednesday. And just going forward on the. We're gonna cover the draft all season.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Like, I don't want Ty Simpson. I would like the record to show that I don't want Ty Simpson.

[Danny Heifetz]

But do you want to record a social clip in case he's great? We can post.

[Danny Kelly]

Ty Simpson just has it. He's got the it factor.

[Danny Heifetz]

I never doubted Ty Simpson.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't care that he's only played 15 games and he's 23.

[Danny Kelly]

Can't be any. He's. He's nothing like Kenny Pickett whatsoever.

[Danny Heifetz]

On that, on that note, I. We don't have to. We'll talk more draft on Wednesday. But I just. The question I keep wondering about this Dante Moore think dk. What does it say about the NFL draft, maybe this year's draft or the draft in general, that the narrative is basically, hey, Dante Moore Jr. If you come out, you will definitely be the second pick in the draft to the jets or at worst like the third pick to the Cardinals and.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You'Ll get 40 to $50 million guaranteed.

[Danny Heifetz]

And yet everyone who studies the draft and like, advises people the NFL draft, everyone's like, hey, Dante, you're not ready. You should go back to school because you're not even close to ready. And this guy who everyone's like, hey, you need more reps. Would 100% be the second pick in the draft?

[Danny Kelly]

Desperations is stinky cologne.

[Danny Heifetz]

I yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

I think it's. When you saying this, I'll. I think he made the right choice. I think if you look at the list of quarterbacks who have one year, he was like one year and change starter in terms of the number of games that he started is like basically one and a half years. And if you look at the guys throughout history have that few starts in college, it's a lot of misses in the NFL. I think he just looked at that and was like, I need more experience. We talk about this ad nauseum. It's just the rep. He needs the reps. He needs the experience before he gets the NFL. Especially to the freaking jets of all team. Of all teams. So I think he made the right choice for the long term. Obviously people could say like, he's going to make a lot more money if he comes out now. If you wait another year, then there's a lot more variables. You could get hurt. You could have a better quarterback class. There's a bunch of guys that people are excited about next year, which is what we say every year. But it is true with Arch Manning and Lenora Sellers, some other guys, it's going to be a deeper class potentially at quarterback. So that could like have him fall. But at the end of the day, if he wants to have a successful career in the NFL, the odds are he's going to be better off playing more in college and getting more starts and getting more experience. And so when he gets to the NFL, he can hit the ground running rather than try and learn all that shit on a terrible jets team.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You know what I mean, yeah, I think this is less like he didn't want to play for the jets and more. He just. He wanted more experience. Probably. I mean, spoiler alert, the jets are going to suck again next year and he'll probably. He could still be.

[Danny Kelly]

He could still go to the Jets. Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So it's like. But yeah, it's. To your point, though, it is funny that, like, the, the guaranteed second overall pick in the NFL draft is like, I'm not ready to go to the NFL. And yet the NFL is like, please, you'll be the second pick in the draft.

[Danny Kelly]

It's a very mature decision by him.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it's very mature. All that money. I was gonna say, yeah, he'll get whatever. How old is Phil Knight?

[Craig Horlbeck]

80S.

[Danny Kelly]

I mean, I'm. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I think Phil Knight took care.

[Craig Horlbeck]

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[Craig Horlbeck]

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[Danny Kelly]

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[Danny Heifetz]

Okay. Ringer 107. Today's Ringer 107 is brought to you by FanDuel. I think I was convinced during the Bills Broncos thing to go Bills. And you know what? It's so funny. You can talk about whatever you want when the game comes on. You're like, I want the Josh Allen team. Like, it's so simple.

[Danny Kelly]

Right?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I agree. It's. It's so fun rooting for him. It's like having like rooting, like picking him in. Ringer 107 is like a 10% of what it feels like to have him in fantasy. It's. It's just nice to have him on your team.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Because there's like, it's, it's again, it's the bell curve meme where you're like, actually, you should bet on Josh Allen and then the wise get the end. It's like, you should probably take also.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Especially because the lines that we were sent. The Bills are underdogs by a point and a half. Like, I'm happy. I'm, I thrilled to get that.

[Danny Heifetz]

Let's just do it. I thought about doing the Broncos, and then if we lose, we get the Bills to go around. But now let's take the Bills.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Let's do Seattle -7.

[Danny Heifetz]

Seattle solid blind solidarity. I don't want any mixed emotions if the Seahawks win.

[Danny Kelly]

By the way, Darnold says he's gonna play.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay.

[Danny Kelly]

He said he felt something, a little something in his oblique today during practice, but he's gonna play.

[Danny Heifetz]

Dk, do you want to take the Niners as a reverse jinx and or like an emotional hedge?

[Craig Horlbeck]

No, that'll be a wuss.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay. But when the Seahawks lose to the Niners, are we going to be upset that we did?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, we will be.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, I'm going to be upset. All right. I'm going to be upset.

[Craig Horlbeck]

If our good pals team loses, we'll be upset.

[Danny Heifetz]

But shouldn't we, like, maybe be like, hey, at least we would have another.

[Danny Kelly]

How many times do we have to say no?

[Danny Heifetz]

All right. There you go. Okay.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I want to skip Texans, Pats, Bears, Rams. I want to take the Bears. Getting three and a half. The three and a half is lovely.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't want to root against the Bears. The Bears are too cool. Obviously. The Rams are an awesome team, but.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I love the Rams.

[Danny Heifetz]

Fun of a story. I don't want to be rooting against Chicago. Chicago is, like, clearly the best story this season. It's not even close to me.

[Danny Kelly]

I picked the Rams, but I'm okay with taking the Bears.

[Danny Heifetz]

The Rams are going to win the game. I just, I, I, I, maybe this.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Is stupid, but, like, I, I don't know. I, I do not feel confident. The ra. I don't feel confident either way, but I don't think it is a lock at all that the Rams are going.

[Danny Kelly]

To win this game.

[Danny Heifetz]

I, I just, I just. Look, I'd rather the Rams blow the Bears out and we feel stupid for taking the Bears then rooting against the Bears the entire time. And as they win again and they're like the coolest story and we're like, just rooting against them for bringing one to seven.

[Danny Kelly]

It's going to be 24 to seven at half and then we're going to be like, we're fucking idiots. And then things we got to double.

[Danny Heifetz]

Down if they're losing in the middle of the game, we have to double down and put more money on them in the middle.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Let me ask you a question. If you hurt your finger bad enough to where the next 12 throws you. You throw. You go 2 for 12 on. It still hurts. I bet right now, like, is that.

[Danny Kelly]

What happened in the game?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Was the one immediately after?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, there are things you can do in the moment, perhaps, but I'm like, I don't know. A sprained index finger on his throwing hand probably still hurts. Even if it's fine. Sprains do not heal in six days. And I'm kind of just like. And the. The pointer finger of the quarterback's finger hurts.

[Danny Heifetz]

That.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That probably matters. Hurts. Even if it just hurts and it's cold.

[Danny Kelly]

Matters it's cold. So I think could be like 19 degrees to put his hand out. My fingers hurt.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's landscaping. I don't know.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm just thinking about that. Like, oh, the guy. The quarterback's pointer finger hurts. That probably matters.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, Craig, what are you thinking for Texans Patriots?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know. I was. I actually, my gut was Texans plus three. We talked about it a little bit, and now I think I could be swayed. I think the no Nico Collins thing matters. Variable, I trust. I don't know. I was originally Texans plus three. Now I think I'm open. Where are you guys?

[Danny Kelly]

I wrote down Patriots the first time, and I'm kind of almost the opposite of you, Craig, where I'm just, like, picturing the Texans defense just smothering everything the Patriots try to do with, like, we're, like, worried about Keisha Booty. We're, like, worried about how old is Stefan Diggs now?

[Danny Heifetz]

It's like the entire argument is just Drake May is totally legit. Mike Rabel and Josh McDaniels are incredible coaches because frankly, I don't see and. Or you don't believe in Stroud.

[Danny Kelly]

The only way I see them moving, the only way they see the Patriots moving the ball is they're going to throw a touchdown to their running back somehow. That's how they're going to score.

[Danny Heifetz]

The argument is the Texans were up seven to six versus the Steelers because Stroud turned over three times and it's Mike Vrabel versus C.J. stroud. That is the argument to be for New England. Let me see if we. Is there an alt line we can mess with if we did, like the Texans getting seven and a half and would you guys want the under.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't like Doing that.

[Danny Heifetz]

We haven't done that all year.

[Danny Kelly]

I originally wrote down the Patriots, so I'll stick with that. What do you think? Craig, where are you at? You're with. You're on Patriots. I got every one of my picks right last week, guys. It just straight up.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Hiz, where are you at?

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm desperately trying to find an al. The alternate total page on fanduel to.

[Craig Horlbeck]

We've been straight shooting it all season.

[Danny Heifetz]

I know you don't want to do it now.

[Craig Horlbeck]

No.

[Danny Kelly]

All right. We went three and two flipping it last week. Wait, let's.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Where is your lean, Heitz? In your gut. Your life is on the line. What are you doing?

[Danny Heifetz]

I like that. Framing. Life is on the line because what matters and you come back to what matters and it's. It's.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You're probably taking the Patriots if you're.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like top tier is coaching quarterbacks and defenses. And I. You know what Stroud. I have my issues with. But the truth is Drake May also has Carson Wentz moments in him and he had the first half versus the Chargers. There was a lot of fumbling.

[Craig Horlbeck]

This is the hardest one for sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

My brain says Houston.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

My gut says Patriots. And I think we go with the gut. Now. Do we want to be rooting for the Patriots, though? Do we want to be staring at our televisions being like, go, Drake May defeat the Texas defense. Well, we want to be.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, yes. Because then if they lose and we lose and Drake May sucks, then we can say he doesn't deserve the mvp.

[Danny Heifetz]

No. Yeah. Unless they win by one and we. And they win.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That would suck.

[Danny Kelly]

That.

[Danny Heifetz]

That was. That's what's going to happen.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Like a game winning drive by Drake made a win by two. That would suck.

[Danny Heifetz]

That would suck. Okay, screw it.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Today's Ringer 107 was brought to you by FanDuel. Odd subject to change.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Can you guys start calling me Eggs?

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs Roll back.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. Craig's sounds like a breakfast. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Wow.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That is correct. My friends jokingly call me eggs sometimes. I should admit.

[Danny Heifetz]

Egg.

[Danny Kelly]

Why didn't you bring this up before? What the hell, Craig?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs Horrible backstory.

[Danny Kelly]

We had that whole eggs thing and you didn't bring up that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Eggs Horrible sounds like. Like a version of eggs Benedict. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Eggs Horlbeck.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'll get the eggs.

[Danny Kelly]

Eggs Horlbeck Instead of hollandaise, it's what? Salsa? I don't know. I'm just.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Situation.

[Danny Heifetz]

Speaking of which, though, we have to talk about. So we were talking about Taco Bell sins as a business Idea that legally you were not allowed to take from us. You are not allowed to take our idea of Zins, but for like Netflix.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Will sue you if you take the idea you're bringing in the big lawyer. The idea was that like Zins, we invent a Zinn, but for tasty food. So when you're craving fast food, you just pop a Zen and it tastes like Taco Bell.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's like you put in McDonald's fries, Zinn and you eat broccoli, but you guys get the pouch in.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can't take that idea. So, Jared E. Milden J. Bone that we got Wonka'd.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Willie Wonka, he said so. This is from the Charlie and the chocolate factory film.fandom.com wiki which is what the Internet's great. In Willie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka had a three course dinner chewing gum. That was a piece of gum Willy Wonka invented that feeds a person like they're really eating dinner.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh yeah, I remember that.

[Danny Heifetz]

Tomato soup as an appetizer. Roast beef for dinner, baked side and then a blueberry pie and ice cream for dessert.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And violet beef. Violet turned into a blueberry. A giant blueberry.

[Danny Heifetz]

She turned into it. Yeah, unfortunately.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, so that's a faulty product. Ours would never do that.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, no. But yeah, Get Wonka by. By. By our product.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But ours is not gum.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, ours is.

[Danny Kelly]

It put it in your lip.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, exactly. Ours gets into your bloodstream via little shards of glass.

[Danny Kelly]

Our lawyers very clearly. Ours is not gum.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's a gordita zin.

[Danny Kelly]

How dare you suggest that like gum.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm looking this up here. This says the concept inspired real life food scientists to explain explore multi flavor sequential release gums using technology. Yeah, see, it can't be gum.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, it's not gum.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Gum not gonna work.

[Danny Kelly]

You're not chewing on that.

[Danny Heifetz]

No.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You don't want to chew on it.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I don't.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You guys like gum? You gum people?

[Danny Heifetz]

I love gum guy.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You love gum. Dk.

[Danny Kelly]

I'm huge on gum.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Really?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You chew gum daily?

[Danny Kelly]

No, but I like gum.

[Craig Horlbeck]

What's your favorite gum brand? I don't care, just say it. Free ads.

[Danny Kelly]

Orbit.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Orbit. Do you find that what is the most important? Is it long lasting flavor or is it the integrity type of gum?

[Danny Kelly]

It's the integrity of the gum if it starts to crumble. That's disgusting. I actually have like, I have dreams where I'm like my. That like the gum is starting to like turn into like paste.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

For some Reason I have that dream. I don't know what the tone would be.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Have you guys seen those videos on like Tick Tock and Instagram of people who basically make natural at home gum? And I've always wanted to try one of those, but I'm not going to spend like $35 on a stick of gum.

[Danny Kelly]

But also super $35 on a sticker.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's not. It's like more expensive, obviously, because it's like all natural ingredients, handmade, whatever. But I've always been curious about that and it's like good for your teeth and good for your gut, blah, blah, blah. But yeah, I'm not a gum guy.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Email [e-mail] about gum.

[Danny Kelly]

If I go out without gum, it's like going out naked.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Really?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. I hate.

[Craig Horlbeck]

To me like, I don't.

[Danny Kelly]

I hate the idea of having like beer breath.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, I. You. You were the one who told me. I remember. I.

[Danny Kelly]

Breath is the worst.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, I remember you were the one, like if someone offers you gum, never turn it down. But maybe that's just because you love gum.

[Danny Kelly]

No, it's probably because you have bad breath. Yeah. Yeah. Unless they're just being polite and they want to offer when they pull out a stick of gun gum, I'd much.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Rather have a mint. I feel like two minutes into chewing gum. I'm sick of it.

[Danny Heifetz]

I 100, Craig. That's exactly where I'm at because I'm not a gum guy. So DK gives me gum whenever on our work trips. And I genuinely don't know if it's cuz my breath sucks or he has nice. Like he's being a nice guy. So I put in the gum like five minutes later. I'm like, what the do I do with this gum? I got to reach it in my mouth and put it in a piece of paper in front of all these people. I'm like, I don't want to deal with this thing. What do I do with it? What's the socially acceptable thing?

[Danny Kelly]

I want a mint.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Give me a mint.

[Danny Kelly]

I think a mint is fine, Craig, but what is. There's no good mint carrying systems. Like, are you gonna put a tin of Altoids in your pocket and carry it around? What the are we doing here?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, the real move is a Listerine strip. Those are small.

[Danny Kelly]

See that? Fine with me. I'm okay with that. But those little intense though.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But though, yeah, those are so potent that like you cannot eat anything within an hour of having that because It'll just taste like.

[Danny Kelly]

Feels like it's burning your mouth.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that the one where it's like molly, you put it right on your tongue?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, it's like a tab of acid. Yeah, he.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it's like acid. Yeah. Leave it there.

[Danny Kelly]

If you can. If you can come up with a good like Altoid delivery system, I'd be fine with that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But I mean don't want to.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't want to pack it a loose.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is this another tax in my.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You just want a small container to hold mints? Yeah, I feel like that's doable.

[Danny Heifetz]

Could we make silent mints? If they didn't rattle, I would carry them. He's right. If you didn't sound like an idiot walking around with them, I'd have them.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I have like you can you have.

[Danny Kelly]

Like a little pouch, like a little purse of. Of mints and you carry it around. But then if you take it out of that. People think you're taking drugs.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, I was going to say if you have like one of those little cocaine bags with like three white pills.

[Danny Kelly]

In there, you're like hanging it. You know, like people think you're doing drugs.

[Danny Heifetz]

This is my problem with lactaid. So lactate Jackie. Cuz I am lactose intolerant and so Jackie got me this funny little lactates in a bottle and it's like a milk. A little dare. It's like a keychain and it's this little like dairy container, like a milk carton on my keychain and I could put lactates in it. She's like here, now you don't have to look like an idiot ripping open all these papers at the table and you can just open it.

[Danny Kelly]

But the problem is eating dinner with high fits. There's just like dozens of just wrappers at our table.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Sometimes if he's in a real like if he's already eaten a slice of cheese pizza and he needs a lactate, sometimes he'll crush it up into a powder and snort it.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, yes. With his credit card.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Get into the bloodstream quicker.

[Danny Kelly]

He carries a like a little mirror around down so he can snort the lactate.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, on that note. All right, thank you dk. Thank you Craig. Thank you Cam. Thank you Carlos. Thank you Kai. Thank you Austin. Thank you everyone for listening. Email us at ringer fantasy football gmail.com about gum. I guess I should be more specific, but I don't really have anything. Tell us if you can fix gum. If anyone can help us make a.

[Danny Kelly]

Good mint delivery system.

[Danny Heifetz]

We should make silent. Like make the. The mint.

[Danny Kelly]

A PEZ dispenser.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I was thinking about that PEZ back. Those are kind of big. You know what? A PEZ dispenser.

[Danny Kelly]

Kind of clunky.

[Danny Heifetz]

Imagine pulling one out of your pocket.

[Danny Kelly]

Also then you look like a nine year old.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Eat pez. Although that might be cool. I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

Maybe be pretty cool. Thank you, Lord.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Lauren.

[Danny Kelly]

Thank you, Jackson Brown.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Jackson Brown. Running on empty. Banger.

[Danny Kelly]

Rosie. Banger. Have you heard that one, Craig? It's about masturbating. Go check.

[Craig Horlbeck]

No, I haven't. You perverted. But you'll have to tell me about it, I guess.

[Danny Kelly]

So, Rosie, hold on. I gotta pull up the lyrics because it's actually hilarious. He's talking about how he's like third or fourth in the band in terms of sexiness and all his bandmates always take home the girl. And so he gets to go hang out with Rosie, who is his Rosie Palms. Oh, wow. But Rosie, you're all right. You wear my ring when you hold me tight Rosie, that's my thing. When you turn out the light I gotta hand it to me. Looks like it's me and you again tonight, Rosie. Wow, fucking great song.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I love that. He was like, you know what? Fuck it. I'm gonna write a song about this.

[Danny Kelly]

I'm fucking jacking off. Every night we're gonna sing this song.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You know what's funny? There's another song with Rosie in it by Neil Diamond Cracklin. Rosie. And that song is about how much he loves wine.

[Danny Kelly]

Really?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

All right, Rosie. Yo, right?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Sing it.

[Danny Kelly]

Sing it in my ring. I'm getting up. I'm fucking up the melody here, but it's. It's great.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, thank you, Rosie.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Palm and thank you, Rose Wine. Sometimes the two. The two of those go hand in hand.

[Danny Kelly]

Just drinking rose sobbing. Are those happy tissues or sad tissues?

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, goodbye, everyone. Must be 21 plus in present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus in present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-678-9-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY in New York.