Mega Super Bowl Preview: Are the Pats Villains? Is Seattle Historically Good? What if Darnold Wins? Do Four Lokos Melt Steel Beams?

Summary

The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: Mega Super Bowl Preview - Detailed Summary

Episode: Mega Super Bowl Preview: Are the Pats Villains? Is Seattle Historically Good? What if Darnold Wins? Do Four Lokos Melt Steel Beams?
Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

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Overview

This in-person episode serves as a deep-dive, high-energy preview of the 2026 Super Bowl. The hosts explore the major storylines, narrative arcs, and what could become the legacy-defining moments for the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Mixed in are classic Ringer tangents—ranging from backup QB reclamation projects to a listener's 200-can Four Loko pyramid—with the usual humor and camaraderie. Insightful, irreverent, and self-aware, the hosts aim to place the upcoming game in broader NFL history while still thoroughly enjoying football’s inherent weirdness.

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Main Themes and Storylines

1. Sam Darnold’s Redemption Arc (02:52–17:42)

• Darnold as Super Bowl MVP?

  • The guys debate how history would treat Sam Darnold if he were to win the Super Bowl and possibly the MVP.
  • Comparisons are drawn with Eli Manning (gunslinger, memeable, turnover-prone), Joe Flacco (hot playoff run but middling career), Nick Foles, and the "game manager" tier (Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson).
  • Emphasis on the “nature vs nurture” element: Darnold’s journey from Jets bust to a top-flight team, becoming the ultimate "draft environment" experiment.
  • Quote: “Darnold is maybe the best example ever of nature versus nurture...the draft is backwards, just ask, 'Who goes to the Jets?’” — Danny Heifetz (06:33)

• NFL “Reclamation Project” Mania

  • If Darnold hits, will it spawn a decade of teams talking themselves into washed-up QBs with physical tools?
  • Players discussed: Kyler Murray (“Is he Russell Wilson 2.0 elsewhere?”), Mac Jones, Trey Lance, Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, Anthony Richardson.
  • Quote: “It’d be a fun offseason project to draft who we think is the next Darnold that's currently in the league.” — Danny Kelly (07:17)

• Darnold’s Career Recap

  • Brief recounting of every twist: youngest starter post-merger, mono scandal, “seeing ghosts” on MNF, disastrous Jets/Panthers eras, year in the Shanahan lab, and resurgence with the Vikings and Seahawks.

2. Patriots: Are They Really the Villains? (20:14–27:38)

• The surreal notion of the Patriots as "plucky underdogs" instead of their usual evil empire status.
• Hollywood comps: “Is this Cobra Kai as the underdog?” or “What if these Patriots were just the Bills? Everyone would love this story.”
• Quote: “I don’t want Patriots fans to be happy...I love the players and coaches, but I don’t want the fans to be happy.” — Danny Heifetz (25:25)
• Dissonance between hating the ‘Patriots brand’ versus the genuinely likable current roster (Drake May, Mike Vrabel, etc.)

3. Drake May's Meteoric Rise (27:39–34:18)

• If May wins, his second season enters the pantheon of all-time sophomore QB campaigns (with Lamar, Mahomes, Brady, Big Ben, etc.)
• Stat focus: May led the NFL in both completion percentage and adjusted net yards/attempt—rare for a QB slinging it deep and hitting targets at such a high rate.
• Quote: "The entire offense is about Drake May, and...you just don’t ever see that.” — Danny Heifetz (30:25)
• The contrast between May's weak supporting cast and his production.

4. Mike Vrabel & Seahawks Legacy (38:10–62:37)

• Vrabel’s Historic Coaching Job

  • Turning a bottom-tier Patriots squad (weak O-line, meh receivers, rookie QB) into a Super Bowl team—a feat compared to the rarest of NFL turnarounds.
  • “How many coaches could have made the Super Bowl with this Patriots roster? I would argue zero people other than Mike Vrabel.” — Danny Heifetz (38:40)
  • The “cut off my dick” Super Bowl quote and the mythology of the coach.

• Seahawks' Quiet Dynasty

  • Seahawks are "historically great" per DVOA (#5 ever), yet don’t feel like a legendary juggernaut.
  • Debate: Are they better than the Legion of Boom? Than last year’s Eagles?
  • Organizational excellence: 3 eras (Hasselbeck, Carroll/Legion of Boom, Darnold) of Super Bowl appearances; incredible run of draft hits.
  • Quote: “I just think the Seahawks are one of the more underrated, under-discussed, competent organizations in the NFL.” — Danny Kelly (57:20)

• Super Bowl Stakes: Must-Win?

  • Playful debate: is this the "least must-win" Super Bowl in memory? For most involved it would be icing, not legacy-cementing.

5. Matchup X-Factors & Predictions

• Patriots’ Path to Upset
  • Can the "Dark Side" Seahawks D-line just overpower NE’s weak O-line? Will Belichick/Vrabel style game-planning erase JSN, the Seahawks’ top WR?
• Seahawks’ Path
  • Are they historically good, or just DVOA darlings? Can the offense overcome NE’s defensive game plans?
• Key to the game: “If Drake May can’t do Luke Skywalker shit, the Patriots can’t hang.” — Paraphrased, 48:50

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Darnold winning the Super Bowl:
  "Are you guys mentally prepared for the possibility that Sam Darnold is holding the Lombardi Trophy in one hand and the MVP trophy in the other?” — Danny Heifetz (03:07)

• On Patriots fans:
  “I don't want their fans to be happy.” — Danny Heifetz (25:25)

• On the current state of NFL villainy:
  “The NFL hasn’t had a villain since Brady left. I mean, the Patriots were the villain for the last 20 years, pretty much.” — Danny Kelly (21:47)

• On the enduring power of great offensive coaching:
  “No one's ever spent a year with Kyle Shanahan and gotten worse at football.” — Danny Heifetz (17:10)

• On DVOA historical rankings (Seahawks):
  “According to DVOA, this is the fifth best team ever.” — Craig Krolbeck (43:54)

• On game X-factors:
  “Does anything else really matter if the Seahawks’ defensive line is literally better at every spot?” — Heifetz (48:10)

• Raunchy Ringer humor:
  Back shots, clapping cheeks, and “threading the needle” as game keys.
  “Drake May has to hit like, back shots… minimum four.” — Multiple, ~49:30–50:30

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening banter on Netflix and pets as Ringer listeners: 00:00–02:20
• Super Bowl narrative setup & “what ifs”: 02:40–17:42
• Drafting the “next Darnold” / Reclamation QB candidates: 06:46–09:40
• Darnold’s journey & mono/ghosts meme: 10:13–15:32
• Nature/Nurture - Shanahan’s QB wizardry: 17:10–19:27
• Patriots as underdogs? Are they still villains?: 20:14–27:38
• Drake May's all-time sophomore season case: 27:39–34:18
• NFL Honors, MVP and awards logistics/fan gripes: 32:38–35:52
• Vrabel’s wild coaching turnaround: 38:10–41:45
• Seahawks’ "quiet" dynasty, drafting, and competence: 57:20–61:17
• Seahawks defense vs Patriots offense — where could NE steal it?: 51:02–54:29
• Super Bowl stakes: must-win or “nice to have” for these teams?: 63:02–64:55

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Colorful Segments & Listener Emails

• Four Loko Melts Steel Beams?: “I hoarded 200 cans of original Four Loko, stacked them into a seven-foot-tall pyramid, but after two months the liquid started eating through the metal cans and erupting.” — Listener Jesse (85:03)
• College with Dad — Real Life 80s Movie: A listener relays how attending college at the same time as his dad led to humiliation and legendary class clown stories. (91:48+)

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Closing: Super Bowl Picks & Ringer 107 Competition (74:30–83:41)

• The trio make their Ringer 107 weekly picks, agonizing over whether to hedge for the competition (“Should we pick both heads and tails on the coin toss?”) and ultimately embracing chaotic energy: Seahawks -4.5, Pats’ first drive = punt, Patriots under 20.5 points, and heads on coin toss.
• “Is the thrill of starting 2-and-0 on the coin toss and a punt worth the risk of starting 0-and-2? I think the joy is thrilling.” — Heifetz (83:27)

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Bad Bunny / Halftime Show (66:51–71:16)

• The hosts reflect on global expansion and the NFL’s strategic choice picking Bad Bunny for the halftime show, discussing anticipated reactions and media coverage.

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Final Thoughts

This episode encapsulates The Ringer Fantasy Football Show’s signature blend of sharp football analysis, self-awareness, and off-beat humor, perfectly teeing up the Super Bowl for both hardcore and casual fans.

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Quick Reference Timestamps

• Sam Darnold’s Redemption / QB Legacy Debate:
  02:52–17:42
• Nature vs Nurture, Shanahan’s Influence:
  17:10–19:27
• Patriots as Villains or Underdogs:
  20:14–27:38
• Drake May’s Ascension & Advanced Stats:
  27:39–34:18
• Historical Framing: Seahawks and Patriots Dynasties:
  57:20–61:17
• Listener Emails (Four Loko, College with Dad):
  84:23–95:06
• Bad Bunny/Super Bowl Halftime:
  66:51–71:16

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If you’re looking for a primer on every major Super Bowl talking point, quirky history, and the culture/state of modern football, this episode is a definitive pregame listen—whether you’re planning your Sunday snacks or scheming your next “reclamation QB” fantasy pick.

Transcript

[Danny Heifetz]

This episode is brought to you by TaxAct. TaxAct helps tackle taxes, guiding you step by step so you can get your maximum refund. Get tips along the way, add expert assist to talk to tax experts or let our experts do your taxes for you. With Expert full service, TaxAct helps you find the deductions and credits you deserve so you can get them over with. Visit taxact.com to learn more. More conditions apply. See taxact.com for details. This episode is brought to you by Velveeta. Game day is all about the tailgate spread. First things first, who's bringing the Velveeta drip? Just like your favorite players on the field, Velveeta fans go all in on what they love. Creamy shells and cheese, melty Velveeta blocks and cheesy jarred quesos. They're taking down one taste bud at a time. Velveeta is the real MVP of the tailgate. You've got to respect the drip. Do yourself a favor and stock up on Velveeta before kickoff. Welcome to the rare fantasy football show. My name is Danny Heifetz, and I'm joined by Danny Kelly and Craig Krolbeck in person in Los Angeles. My guys, we are here through the Super Bowl. We're going to be doing the super bowl after. Well, after the super bowl. Our episode after the super bowl, obviously you can watch us on Netflix. I know we talked about that a lot and then haven't mentioned as much, but if you are listening to the show, you can watch us on Netflix. And if you don't want to do that, but you have Netflix, that's fine. Like, just turn on Netflix and type in ringer and just put us on and then, like, walk away. Like, that also is fine.

[Danny Kelly]

Right?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Maybe better background.

[Danny Kelly]

Mute it. Go to dinner.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, fine. Like if you have a dog, a cat, want to give them company, just leave our show on for hours and hours at a lot of. Like that. That is also.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sometimes my dog barks in the background.

[Danny Kelly]

You know, Liz does that. Liz doesn't really listen. My wife doesn't really listen to our show, but she'll put it on and just go about her day, which I appreciate.

[Danny Heifetz]

The first time we did a live show, I remember thinking, I think I said at the live show, this is Liz's first time listening to the.

[Danny Kelly]

She tunes in every. Every now and then. She likes the emails.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

More than the nitty gritty football talk.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay, so we're gonna go through The Super Bowl Ringer 107, which are winning at the End. And yes. So super one just last reminder is after the super lens, we still cover football. So we go all year. And also it's probably more fun because we get dumber as the off season extends. So let's just go to the Super Bowl. Let's just do the biggest storylines in the Super Bowl. I know people have talked about this, but it's a Super bowl. And so we're just going to go.

[Danny Kelly]

Through this kind of through a lens of like what could happen and if it does happen, what will that mean?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Kelly]

Because half of these great storylines will disappear after the game and we want to talk about almost what is possible before the game happens.

[Danny Heifetz]

The number one thing to me by far, and dk, you are the Seahawks.

[Danny Kelly]

Fan here, is they could win that.

[Danny Heifetz]

They could win. That'd be cool.

[Craig Krolbeck]

But like, are you great for me personally, my storyline.

[Danny Heifetz]

But I almost want to take your arc. Your arc is the real arc. I want to take the fandom out of it for a second, though.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Are you guys like mentally prepared for the possibility that Sam Darnold is like holding the Lombardi trophy in one hand and the MVP trophy in the other? Like, are you mentally. Have you thought about that?

[Danny Kelly]

I want to know where we feel like he would rank in like 21st century quarterbacks who have won a Super bowl in terms of skill, perception, how much he deserved it. Like, is he in the Eli Manning range? Is he above that? Is he below that? Is he down with Trent Dilfer?

[Danny Heifetz]

Where is.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's not down by Trent Dilfer.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's so funny. You said Eli Manning. I think Eli Manning is the comp. If you want to look at like super bowl winning quarterbacks, it's Eli because obviously Eli didn't have the benched and like you know, the whole like jets to, you know, Panthers and you know, Niners backup route.

[Danny Kelly]

Because Eli, what was he his. His third, fourth year in the league when he won?

[Danny Heifetz]

So he. Eli sat by Kurt Warner for years. Like his third, third, fourth year as a starter. But the year I think the real similarity is gunslingers who with dumb faces and had been memed a lot that don't say dumb looking faces like bad faces. It was Donald pointing being like mononucleosis. No, it doesn.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And like just like the deer in a headlights look kind of.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. And like. But also deer in the headlights behavior. Darnold led the league in turnovers this year.

[Danny Kelly]

Eli turnovers. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

2007, when the Giants won the super bowl against the undefeated Patriots, Eli led the league in interceptions.

[Danny Kelly]

He had 20.

[Danny Heifetz]

And so he's way better than, well, Joe Flacco. That was an all time run. But like, yeah, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, even Nick Foles is a weird category. But like this, I think Eli is the comp because it's the opposite of the game manager. It's the, the gunslinger where it's like he could win you the game or lose you the game. That was Eli. And like Darnold is very much in that category.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, he slots in ahead of Dilford, Johnson, Nick Foles, I don't know how you want to count.

[Danny Heifetz]

Just like Nick Foles stretches where he was good and they were statistically two of the best stretches in the history of passing football.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You know where I think he kind of fits in? This is what I thought of is the Joe Flacco range where because like Joe Flacco got really hot right at the right time for that Ravens team. I think it's 2012 and I mean he was incredible in the playoffs, but overall his, his. The breadth of his entire career. I wouldn't say he's thought of as like a great quarterback necessarily. He's had a second wind kind of.

[Danny Heifetz]

In the late career now versus what year? 2026.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, he is a Pro Bowler.

[Danny Heifetz]

Three Pro Bowler for the first time three years ago. Joe Flacco versus now is like a completely different. He's been reinvented, like. But Joe Flacco, the best four games of his career are basically the playoffs.

[Danny Kelly]

The year they won the super bowl, he had 22 touchdowns and 10 picks.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I think Darnold.

[Danny Heifetz]

But look up the playoff run because it's like the best playoff run.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I think Darnold could rise to the level of Eli. He's somewhere in between those two guys.

[Danny Heifetz]

Darnold's interesting because he's. I know I talk about this all the time, but he's just. To me, maybe if they win the super bowl, the best example ever of nature versus nurture, where the whole thing with Darnold coming out was the physical tools were there. He was mobile, like, he's faster than people think. There was a Panthers season where he was like leading league in rushing touchdowns.

[Craig Krolbeck]

In the first month.

[Danny Heifetz]

Not just quarterbacks, like running backs. Like, he's mobile enough. He can move in the pocket against Den. His arm talent's unbelievable. But he always was like, yeah, he plays like an idiot sometimes. And like. Or maybe just too much confidence. And this to me is just the ultimate example of like bet on. We were talking before the show like an Hour ago. But I love the show House. There's a line from House where he's like, I don't bet on horses. I bet on jockeys. And it's like, sometimes I think we have the draft backwards where I'm like, just don't. Who's going to be good? I'm like, actually, who goes to the jets because they'll be bad.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

And I do think that this is like the ultimate example of it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Of.

[Danny Heifetz]

Look what happens when you give him, like, an actual surrounding cast with an unbelievable defense and good coaching and everything. And like, look. Look what he's capable of after Vikings Seahawks. Like, it clearly wasn't. Darnold was the problem.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you think this is going to lead to a lot of reclamation projects that don't work out? People talking themselves into things like Anthony Richardson, Zach Anthony Richardson. Yes. But, you know, if. If somebody like Josh Rosen, like, are people going to go back and be like, oh, maybe we should have given him another shot on a. On a competent team?

[Danny Heifetz]

100% great comedian. One great comedian inspires 10,000 bad comedians.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. I mean, we joke about the Josh Allen thing, that that's going to spawn like a million bad quarterbacks. People thinking Daniel Jones could work, which he ended up working. I mean, Daniel Jones is another decent example.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

I just wonder now, like, I would almost like to do. It'd be a fun offseason project to draft who we think is the next Darnold that's currently in the league.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's a good idea. Should we flash do that right now, or do you want to.

[Danny Kelly]

It might be fun.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, here's the only. The immediate guy we don't have to go through. Everyone, the question is Kyler Murray? Because Kyler's shades of Russell Wilson or Jalen Hurts, where he's like a shorter quarterback that has a limited pocket skill set, but pretty impressive physical ability.

[Danny Kelly]

Totally.

[Danny Heifetz]

But the physical stuff's waning, so it's like, is Kyler is. If Kyler went to another place, what are the odds? Kyler is actually worse versus actually, wow, he's really good. He just didn't succeed in Arizona.

[Danny Kelly]

That's a great one. I mean, there's two other guys from the same draft, Mac Jones and Trey Lance.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, Mac Jones.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Mac Jones is a good one.

[Danny Heifetz]

You know, like, wow. His offensive coordinator was Matt Patricia, and that didn't work.

[Danny Kelly]

And what we've seen, I mean, Darnold goes to San Francisco, then goes to Minnesota and is great. Mac Jones comes to San Francisco, does a fantastic job Filling in for Brock Purdy. It's like he'll probably be a starting point next year and if he goes to the right team, he feels like go to the Minnesota Vikings would be funny.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's the talent reps, quadrants.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What about Will Levis?

[Danny Kelly]

I feel like Will Levis was not. He was a prospect.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, there was.

[Danny Kelly]

There was like a week where people thought he was a top five pick but he doesn't have that same. Donald was right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Right.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Kenny Pickett.

[Danny Heifetz]

Stop.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I'm just. I'm throwing out names.

[Danny Kelly]

Pickett had moments. I want to. I want to make sure people are aware of that.

[Danny Heifetz]

But you're right though.

[Danny Kelly]

What I just did that Raiders throw to Najee Harris. I'll never forget Malik Willis again though.

[Craig Krolbeck]

But different. Different hype.

[Danny Kelly]

It's people who came in with. With somewhat of a pedigree who fell off.

[Danny Heifetz]

But. But the no Willis though I do think is what we're talking about because he's the rare third rounder where the physical skill set is unbelievable because Mike Willis is the fastest quarterback in the NFL. He's faster than Lamar Jackson. Now like I think there are games where Malik Willis is faster than corner. Fair enough. I've been working out sick just as often. But the.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's true.

[Danny Heifetz]

There are games where Malik Willis is fast.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I have a six year old though, so that's.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, yeah. Karma's a bitch. I shouldn't talk. I. Malik Willis is like as fast as Lamar but he also has a cannon and the question was he kind of played in like a fake offense in college. But I don't know. I that that really Malik Willis is probably the right answer because he's going to be a free agent. It's like what is Malik Willis work where I don't have. He hasn't played as many games like Donald and play more games. But you're right.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. Richardson, Mac Jones.

[Danny Heifetz]

Richardson is going to go to. When he gets washed out. The Eagles are going to sign Anthony Richardson for nothing. As a back. As a third street developmental guy.

[Danny Kelly]

We should. We should do. This would be a great offseason episode. We should do like the backup quarterback draft.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Or the next Sam Darnold draft.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The SO one. I mean obviously we just talked about Darnold for a bunch but like my. My big storyline for this super bowl. The one. I think that will be a huge storyline if the Seahawks win. Especially like you said if. If Darnold wins the mvp. If he's the guy holding the trophy, you know on the stage his redemption Arc is like such a good story. It's straight out of Hollywood. I mean he's from la, so it kind of app there.

[Danny Heifetz]

His grandfather's the Marlboro.

[Craig Krolbeck]

His. His grandfather Dick Hammer. Just a legend.

[Danny Kelly]

You should do a cigarette ad.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Seriously. But I, I wanted to run through his career a little bit just to give you kind of like a refresher because even I like as a Seahawks fan, so I'm like, I'm. I. I'm like I can't actually remember some of this stuff so. Darnold was the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. He went to the worst team imaginable in the Jets. He was still the worst team imaginable.

[Danny Kelly]

Seven years.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Somehow they're like worse now than they were. Yeah. Then he was.

[Danny Kelly]

Was head coach Adam Gase when he started.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I believe came Todd Bowles and I'd forgotten about this, but he was just. He just turned 21. He was the youngest opening day starter for a team in the. Since the merger at that time wasn't.

[Danny Heifetz]

His first throw of his career. Pick six.

[Craig Krolbeck]

His first pass was a pick six to Quandary Diggs, who is now on the Seahawks, by the way. The jets ended up winning that game. So he didn't like remember that quite as much. The jets ended up like blowing out the lines.

[Danny Kelly]

There was so much disaster that you can't remember one specific thing, but.

[Craig Krolbeck]

So he went 13. He played 13 games as a rookie, went four and nine. Obviously the jets were not good. 2019 season is really when it started to unravel though when he was his second season in the. In the league. And this is something that is now. I mean I still see the memes. This is, you know, seven years later or whatever the mononucleosis thing.

[Danny Kelly]

Which we.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can we do that? Should I. Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's the whole. They.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't remember what Craig was too cool.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It was like Monday Night Football or whatever it was. They had. They had like a moving graphic where he just points to the screen. It says mononuclear ESPN indefinitely.

[Danny Heifetz]

Between that and airing the him. The. The mic. They got so dirty. How. How much did ESPN deciding those two things of ruin his career?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Really? Yeah. I mean first of all, have you ever heard of any other player missing time for mono?

[Danny Heifetz]

No.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The jets didn't know disease.

[Danny Heifetz]

The jets job is to tell him to lie.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Sam Darnold isn't supposed to leak that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The jets like I tweaked my foot. Sorry.

[Danny Heifetz]

Adam G. Probably just throw.

[Danny Kelly]

Why is that bad?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Get it in when you're a freshman in high school or something.

[Danny Kelly]

So what?

[Danny Heifetz]

It implies that he was a quarterback.

[Danny Kelly]

21. People get MA when they're.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Again. Have you ever heard of anyone else missing games because of mono?

[Danny Kelly]

No, but I would argue it's not embarrassing. It's. It's peculiar.

[Danny Heifetz]

Do you remember it six, seven years after it happened? You think it's weird that we remember it? It's very specific. It's a funny disease.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Mononucleosis. I like that they use the whole word.

[Danny Heifetz]

Mono is for people start making. Yeah, they knew the. That's the other thing. They use the whole word.

[Danny Kelly]

Sam Darnold frat eye will miss the game.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I missed summer camp because I got mono, you know. Anyway, he. He got mono that year.

[Danny Heifetz]

Quarterback at usc. How did I get mono at usc?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I know, right? And then in week seven was the scene ghost game. The famous scene Ghost game against the Patriots where he was caught on the sideline saying, oh, man, I'm seeing ghosts out there.

[Danny Kelly]

How much do you think playing the Patriots matters in that respect? Today or this week? I think, is he like, I. I'm actively trying to not think about that or is he leaning in and he's. It's actually motivating him?

[Danny Heifetz]

I think it's internally. It's probably that because I think like the Patriots, we don't talk about Jets. Tangent. But the patriots ruined like 20 years of jets quarterbacks because the butt Fumble ended the Sanchez era. Seeing Ghost ended the Darnold era. You had jets and also Zach. A Patriots game ended Zach Wilson's tenure. Like, there was a Patriots game where Zach Wilson was so bad that Garrett, like, the coaches were like, oh, we gotta. We went to like Mike White, you know, like, like, so another reclamation.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I know I said. I said Zach Wilson. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

But I guess TUA is another one.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Where is Zach Wilson right now? Where is. In the house.

[Danny Kelly]

Miami.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, they chose to play Quinn Ewers over Zach Wilson. What does that say about.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, he was.

[Danny Heifetz]

They would like. They're literally like, we're benching tua. We're auditioning quarterbacks. We're never going to play Zach Wil. Yeah. What does that say?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, I think they knew what they had with Zach Wilson. Well, so he's a free. He'll be a free agent.

[Danny Heifetz]

So I would take a guess. But no, I think. What do you think? I think that people don't forget shit. Like the people don't forget, like, what he's. Yeah. Internally, you're like, this doesn't matter to me at All.

[Danny Kelly]

No, I'm just trying to figure out if it is a motivator or if it's a fear factor for him.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I would, I don't think he's going to be too worried about it. I would, I would probably say that. I think, I don't think he'll be thinking about that too much.

[Danny Heifetz]

You got this far. Maybe you think about it when you're like doing your bench press on Tuesday, but when you're in the mov, he's won 14 games two years in a row. You don't do that if you can put all that shit behind you.

[Danny Kelly]

That's why so much of sports, mental strength. You do worry that like Milton Williams gets pressure the fifth snap of the game, he almost throws a pick. And you wonder in that moment like can your brain handle that?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right. Is he going to unravel or is he going to steady?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, that is, that's all there is. Well, that's why I think beating the Rams is so big, man. Like the, you know, I, I know you're right.

[Danny Kelly]

That's. I mean going from the Rams after that debacle last year to, to also beating the Patriots and the Seeing Ghost teams, that's an unbelievable back to back comeback for them.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right?

[Danny Heifetz]

It is like a movie where it's really. It would start with his grandfather's the Marlboro man, the coolest guy. Dick Hammer, Marlboro man fighter, like, like war vet. You the coolest guy alive. And then you're like going to be.

[Danny Kelly]

A cast off loser NFL quarterback and he's going to come back and win a Super Bowl.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's pretty cool.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's also so funny that if you just like woke up, if you just kind of like, I haven't followed the NFL in seven years and you just. The last thing you saw was the 2018 draft. Yeah. Darnold, he like the best quarterback in the league.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. You wake up seven years later. Yeah, I was right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. All the scouting reports were just dead on.

[Craig Krolbeck]

So I'm still only on his first team.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, sorry.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I'll go through these quickly, but basically.

[Danny Kelly]

You know, we don't have to spend a lot of time on the Panthers era.

[Craig Krolbeck]

His second season, he's actually fine. He. Well, I mean, better than some of the other ones. 19 touchdowns, 13 picks, seven and six record as a starter. The jets were pretty bad. He missed games. But third season is when it really kind of fell apart for him. He was awful. He went 2 and 10 as a starter and then he was traded to The Panthers at the end of the season and the Panthers era was, you know, he started out okay. Like there was some reason to be optimistic. Then he got hurt.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's playing there with Baker.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Baker Mayfield took over as starter when he got hurt. Baker Mayfield ended up not doing well and then asked for his release. So when Baker Mayfield was released, Darnold went back and started like some of the. The parallels and lines, Bakers and other mini.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, Baker was salary dumped and this was.

[Craig Krolbeck]

P.J. walker was the reason that Baker Mayfield wanted out because they were like, kept him as the starter. Do you remember that guy?

[Danny Heifetz]

Dude, yeah. The Brownson Panthers still need quarterbacks.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. There was a famous picture of. Of Baker Mayfield lining up on the scout team, rushing the passer in like a red jersey.

[Danny Heifetz]

Just incredible.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, some of the crap that happened.

[Danny Kelly]

He's like the leading MVP candidate for the month of September this year.

[Danny Heifetz]

Again, maybe it's the three. Figure it out.

[Craig Krolbeck]

So anyways, Darnold lasted for two seasons with the Panthers, was a free agent. They didn't resign him. He signed with the 49ers to rehabilitate his career. He ended up being a backup to Brock Purdy for a year. Clint Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, sorry, the passing game coordinator for that team that year. He signed with the Vikings after one season, did everything he did last year, and then kind of the rest is history. But I just wanted to run through that because I'd kind of forgotten some of that.

[Danny Heifetz]

The part you just said and the part of the story that I don't know will ever get told properly enough is the part that I think changed Arnold's career is the year as the backup for the San Francisco 49ers. No one's ever spent a year with Kyle Shannon, gotten worse at football. And I think that year and mentally having a year to understand the underlying principles of, like, what the Shannon offense is supposed to be from the horse, like, from the guy who actually is, like, at the cutting edge of it. It's not an accident that he goes from the year off to the Vikings 14 wins with Kevin O' Connell to the season. Like, I think that's actually the pivot point in his career.

[Danny Kelly]

And yeah, you can't overstate how important Shanahan is for these quarterbacks. Like, I guess the only one he couldn't figure out was Trey Lance, but.

[Danny Heifetz]

Who barely played football.

[Danny Kelly]

The Nick Mullen stat we talk about all the time, I think, I think this is repeating the most passing yards in NFL history in a player's first 16 games. Number one, Patrick Mahomes. Number two, Nick Mullins for the 2017 nights. Remarkable. Which is why Mac Jones is. If Mac Jones goes to a the right team next year, maybe it'll be the guy.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's the number one guy on this. On this list. Mac Jones could be maybe the Steelers. He's the number one next.

[Danny Kelly]

Arnold maybe?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I think so.

[Danny Heifetz]

But it's with but has to be the system.

[Danny Kelly]

Mike McCarthy and Mac Jones.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What world are we living in here?

[Danny Heifetz]

Sometimes we don't say it enough. I might get some of the.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like the beer gut hall of Fame. Mac Jones and Mike McCarthy.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can I say one last thing? Just because this is like a defining NFL thing, but the reason why, like, because again, getting the question of how the fuck did this happen? But your point is the Shanahan system's taken over. But like, what is that? It's just basically like a wide zone play action based like all this offense. But the point is it's Kyle Shanahan, it's his dad, Mike Shanahan, who was with the coordinator for the Niners and all that and then the Broncos and all the stuff. And it's just worth. The other person who's doing a lot of that was like Gary Kubiak, who's Clint Kubiak's dad. This is like a 45 year nepo baby thing. Like Shanahan and Kubiak inherited this system from their dads who embedded it 50 years ago. Yeah. Which is like we almost don't talk about enough. And it's not like, like Nepo baby in a way that like they did. Some Nepo babies are great. Right? I can't. There's a whole. Who is like the best Nepo baby in Hollywood?

[Danny Kelly]

Gwyneth Paltrow. I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

There you go. You forget it's even a thing. It's kind of like it's worth saying, oh yeah, he went from Shannon to Clint Kubiak. It's like, yeah, their dad's invented this fucking thing. Like they know it the best, they teach it the best.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's like AT&T thing we invented.

[Danny Heifetz]

We invented. We invented the phone.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like it's in our DNA.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well.

[Danny Kelly]

And it's also just recognizing physical talent. Like the Big Picture just did an episode about the 10 most like misused, misused stars right now. And they Talked about Rachel McAdams who just opened this movie, sent help and they, they were like talking about how great Rachel McAdams is and how she's been misused. It's kind of the same thing with, like, Shanahan figuring out that Darnold is somebody that he could. He could bring back from the dead. And it's like that recognition of talent. It's all just scouting.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I, I. And I know I'm belaboring the point, but I am trying to do the math live. But we don't talk about enough. Like, Gary Kubiak, Clint Kubiak's father was Mike Shanahan's offense quarter for, like, 10 years.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Which, anyway, I think that's the simplest answer that I've had this happen.

[Danny Kelly]

Once again, the Nepo babies win. That's the real narrative and storyline.

[Danny Heifetz]

The other people win. The other. I think, I do think the second biggest thing with this game is just maybe this matters more than me, than other people. But emotionally grappling with the possibility that the Patriots are not only back on top of the NFL, but also are doing it as plucky underdog stories.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes, I agree.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I know.

[Danny Heifetz]

What the hell. The Patriots are the plucky underdogs.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What's the Hollywood version of this? Craig, do you know?

[Danny Kelly]

I don't know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't think it's like the Cobra Kai comes back and they're the underdogs. You know from the Karate Kid.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Honestly, it's Creed, isn't it? It's like Creed, too, where he's the, Like, Right. Like, Creed's kind of. Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It's not bad.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Was he the villain? He wasn't so much of a villain as, like, a really big rival. Like, if this was. This would be like, if Drago's kid came in.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It was like this plucky Russian underdog.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. That's.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Why are we rooting for them?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. If the Patriots win, you're.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's a good story. If it's anyone else, like, I don't know what we.

[Danny Kelly]

How do we treat them? It's so interesting because the players and the coaching staff are likable. Like, if Drake, May and Vrabel and this whole team and this whole situation were just the Dolphins, they would. It would be awesome. Everybody would love them.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can I. A statement that will make nobody happy. What if these Patriots were just the Buffalo Bills?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, of course.

[Danny Heifetz]

People would be all over the story.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. Well.

[Danny Kelly]

And I, I just, I can't tell yet if the Patriots win. A storyline that I'm interested in and I'm sure Bill will talk about it is like, will they actually become the Villains of the NFL again. And yeah, they don't have Belichick now.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's like totally different.

[Danny Kelly]

And the NFL hasn't had a villain since Brady left. I mean, the Patriots were the villain for the last 20 years, pretty much.

[Danny Heifetz]

Mahomes took it over.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't think the Chiefs were villains. I don't think.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Not in the same way.

[Danny Heifetz]

The Chiefs became a monoculture because some people wanted to react against, oh, Taylor Swift being forced upon me with Kelsey.

[Danny Kelly]

People, I don't think they were villains. But the Taylor Swift stuff was even the first, like, what, four Super Bowls. Taylor Swift was not involved. I don't think they had that villainy element to them.

[Danny Heifetz]

Do you think? So Jackie hates the Chiefs, but that's.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you think the. I don't think the average football fan hates the Chiefs in the same way that we hated Tom Brady and the Patriots. I don't think it's the same.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, the Chiefs haven't been caught cheating and things like that. There was those elements of that.

[Danny Kelly]

And it's why I would argue that the team that could have been the villains that didn't or I guess hasn't yet because they need sustained success, is the Eagles. The Eagles last year actually have the building blocks to be a perfect NFL villain. They have an annoying coach, they have an annoying play style. They have an annoying, like, brash fan. They have an annoying, like, trick cheat play with the tush push. They have like a weird, controversial quarterback personality. And they have fucking mean, annoying fans. Like, they are the perfect villain team if this Eagles team could sustain it if next year they're back in the Super Bowl. They're more villains to me than. Than the Chiefs ever were.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's a good point also because you're so right about the Patriots, the two cheating scandals or whatever. Or not. They're in the news a lot. And, like, the Tush push feels closer to that than anything else. Just because for people to bitch.

[Danny Kelly]

Like, everybody hates the Tush.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Watching the Eagles, it was the tuck rule. But that's the tush push.

[Danny Kelly]

The Chiefs, it was like for the first three Super Bowls, it was like, this guy Mahomes is fucking incredible. It's like, Michael Jordan was cool. How awesome is this? And then at the end, maybe it got a little.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He sounds like Kermit the Frog. And it's like, there's something funny that Andy Reid is everybody's, you know, jolly uncle.

[Danny Kelly]

It'll just be interesting. I don't know how. How we treat this with the Patriots. Like, do. Do you Dislike them. I know you do.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't even really. That's the thing.

[Danny Heifetz]

I hate.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like I hate the laundry, but I don't hate the players to go.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, you know, you're right about that. Where it's like. And I'll be honest, and I know I. Patriots fans listening are probably screaming right now. We always say that the people. The closest you'll ever come to being a ghost is listening to a podcast and screaming and they can't hear you. And I know the Patriots fans like ghost screaming that I'm anti Patriots, but yeah, it's because I am. Because I just. But you know what?

[Craig Krolbeck]

You're right that I'm actually worse than you think. Motherfucker.

[Danny Heifetz]

I move if you take these Patriots to. I love. Individually, I love Mike Rabel. Like, he's kind of. I talked about him for like, for five years. Like my favorite coach. That isn't like. I mean, Drake May, you did talk.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Him up more than anybody.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think he's the best week to week game player in the NFL. It's like Drake May is like, how do you. Drake May is pretty unhateable.

[Danny Kelly]

Totally. I mean, what are you gonna hate about Drake May?

[Danny Heifetz]

And it's like Matt Collins comes there and doesn't wear shoes to the games and has this weird Instagram where, you know, he tries to like, tells you, like, here's how you get like oil stains out of your sh. From the dry. Like all the. They're all pretty. Like, Will Campbell, the rookie left tackle, goes on stage and is like, I will die for Drake. I'm like, how do you hate these people? But I do hate the team.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, and you can, you can hate the situation. You can hate the way they got here. Like the easy schedule thing. This being like just the. The year too early aspect of the Patriots, I think is annoying.

[Danny Heifetz]

But you know, but you know what? It really is my friend Jackson, who you guys met.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is nailed this. You don't really hate teams, you hate their fans.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

And usually I just hate all the Boston fans I know in my life. Before Bill. Well, not. Well, no, no. Before, believe me, I. My hatred of Boston, I mean, when I was 12, I remember doing like 19, 18 before. Like, you guys don't even know what that fucking means. Red Sox hadn't. This is the thing. It's all the Yankees and Red Sox fans would scream at each other because the Red Sox hadn't won a world series since 1918. So that was the chant. Anytime Red Sox fans said Anything. You're just like 19, 18.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's pretty mean. Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was great and like, whatever. But the point is, I just. I don't want. I love the players and coaches on the patriots, except Josh McDaniels, but I don't want their fans to be happy.

[Danny Kelly]

I, like. I don't know. I don't know what else. I don't know what else to do other than hate the Patriots. I've been. It's like, burned into my.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's just tradition at this point.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. It's like, I was told to hate the Yankees growing up, but, like, how many times have the Yankees won in the 21st century? Like, twice.

[Danny Heifetz]

Perfect example.

[Danny Kelly]

I. I don't feel it if you. I don't feel it as much. The Patriots. I feel it.

[Danny Heifetz]

You don't hate the Yankees. You hate Yankee fans.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. And the Yankee stuff. It's not. I was told to hate them. It was. It was passed down to me to hate them.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Inherited hatred.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Generational.

[Danny Kelly]

My grandfather. And like, watching them win in, like, the 50s and 60s, over and over and over. That's where it all came from. Like my father before now, you know?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

So I. I don't know. Like, will. Will we hate the Patriots if they win the Super Bowl?

[Danny Heifetz]

I. I really do think that's where, like, I'm not going to look at Drake May and be like, fuck Drake May. Like Tom Brady when he holds the six trophy. I'm like, God damn it. Or, well, six one, you appreciate the fourth one. I was like, God, you kidding me? We're still doing this Drake man, like, kind of happy for him. I'm more like, I can't believe they. I can't believe these fans get to be happy again. That's really. I like. I don't know. And again, so Patriots fans who've been mad at me of, why don't I like the team? I like the team. I don't like the fans.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't want to be happy. Is that crazy?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Are you gonna be mad if Bill Simmons is happy? You're gonna be upset about that.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, a little. Yes, absolutely.

[Danny Kelly]

It's just that it's just like. Really?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It's just. It's been. How long?

[Danny Heifetz]

Have they not had enough, Brady? Have they. Have they not had enough?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, my God. It's like, please. Anyway. But I think it's. But on that note, though, it is worth talking, like, to separate the hatred from the point. It is a pretty incredible. I don't know if you guys Want to talk about Drake may 1 or variable if the Patriots win this game, it's pretty. Either one is pretty insane. Whether it's Drake, man, as a second year quarterback, you know, records Wednesday, we don't know who's going to win mvp, but there's a chance Drake made does win MVP and Super Bowl MVP in his second season, which is pretty insane.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right? Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Even if he doesn't win the regular season mvp, who gives a shit? Every MVP would trade it for a Super bowl anyway. And then I could talk about Variable forever. But Drake May is probably worth.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, I think Drake May, it's, it's a great storyline. I mean he seems like a good guy. He's a very exciting young player. I just think if he, if he wins the super bowl, goes super bowl mvp, maybe the full mvp, this will be one of the greatest second year quarterbacks of all time.

[Danny Kelly]

I'm like, what? I'm unprepared for this.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Kelly]

You know what I mean? It just like came out of nowhere.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You know, and there's, there's a lot of examples of quarterbacks having great second years. But I mean he's up there with, you know, Lamar Jackson, I want to say, won an MVP in his second season, full season as a starter. Mahomes came in and he was immediately awesome. Tom Brady, I think in 20 2001, won the Super Bowl. That was like less, you know, his stats weren't as good, but he did it. And then Big Ben, Big Ben, second year, Kurt Warner did it and won a Super bowl. And then Dan Marino, second year in the league. There's a whole bunch of other examples. These are a few that I just picked out, like some of the most impressive names on the list. But I mean, Drake May's second season will go in down in history as one of the craziest ascensions for any quarterback we've ever seen. If you go back high, Fitz, week one, we're like, is Drake May good? They lost to the Raiders. He looked terrible. His accuracy was all over the place. Bill was probably sweating like, oh God, this guy actually isn't any good. What we talked about, we talked to some, some Patriots beat writers and May was really inaccurate and kind of all over the place during the off season and training camp and we were just still wondering if he was any good. And now he's, you know, potentially having one of the greatest second seasons of any quarterback ever. And if he wins the super bowl, it's going to be cemented.

[Danny Heifetz]

The thing. I still kind of go back and forth. You could convince me about Stafford or May for mvp, but the case to me about. And what's so impressive about him is to me it's very simple. It's the entire office is about Drake May and it's about doing a bunch of things that you don't usually see go together. And one, the rushing, the scrambling. He's able to scramble and obviously when the play breaks down, which I think is a skill that will only get better from next few years. But to me it's really simple. It's that Drake may lead the NFL in completion percentage this year. But also adjusted net yards per attempt, which is he completed the most passes but he's throwing the ball really deep. And just to give you an idea, if you look at. If you just sort by pass completion percentage like who has the highest completion percentage ever in a season. It's like Drew Brees, but his average pass was like five yards down. Like he ranked first in completion percentage but 30th in how far he was throwing down Fields Tua who was like first like the third best completion percentage ever. Dead last. And how far he's like the completions because he's throwing screens to Tyree Kill.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's like late career Drew Brees.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. So Drake May this year has like the 8th or 9th best completion percentage ever. But he's second in the entire league. And how far is average pass travels only behind I think like Anthony Richardson. Richardson. That was like. That was 2024. The. I forget it was a.

[Danny Kelly]

What? He was chucking the ball down the field.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh no. I'm forgetting who came in first this year. But it was, it was like a short term thing. It was like someone just slinging it down.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

But like he's literally throwing it as far as possible. And so the deep accuracy combined with the completion percentage and the rushing is. You just don't ever see that right.

[Danny Kelly]

Deep ball is unbelievable. His deep balls hit rate feels like it's 80%. I mean everything.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's actually the thing I'm kind of most worried about with the super bowl is well and chunk plays.

[Danny Kelly]

It's not like he's been playing with the best supporting cast. He's throwing a Matt Collins and Kayshawn Booty and Stefan Diggs who's 32 years old off an ACL. Hunter Henry, a rookie running back Randre Stevenson who can't hold on to the football. It's a ragtag group line.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes. It's extremely impressive. Again, I'm unprepared for It. I feel like everyone is. I feel like we blinked and it's like, Drake Mays, the mvp last year, he won one game. How is he the mvp? And there's a little bit of like, Stafford deserves one, right? You know, it's like Paul Newman won an Oscar in 1994 for some random movie, but it was like, yeah, but he deserves one. He's Paul Newman. I feel the same way about Stafford. Where I'm like, Stafford has. Has been a top five quarterback in the league for a long time. So he kind of deserves.

[Danny Heifetz]

I just looked it up. He's also not at the origin, Richard. He's the one who's first in how far. Average pass down.

[Danny Kelly]

It's Drake season.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, it's Stafford.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, there you go.

[Danny Heifetz]

Often confused for Anthony Richardson. But the difference. Stafford's completion percentage this year is 65%, which is good. Drake made 72, which doesn't sell, like, a big difference, but the entire spectrum is like 59 to 73.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you think that. Do you think his ability to run improves his completion percentage? Because if Stafford is under duress, he.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Needs to throw it away.

[Danny Kelly]

And if Drake May is under duress, he can scramble and complete it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I think adjusted completion percentage accounts for throwaways.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, for staff. But. Yeah, but to your point, the answer is like, basically, does Drake may have a higher completion percentage because he runs 100%? Because. You know who said that? Drake, maybe. Because when he had one of those. We have too many stats now, but one of them, like the first quarterback to have 50 rushing yards and a 90% completion to win. And Drake May was asked, how do you feel about having a 90% completion percentage? And he was like, I actually left some throws in the field because there were a couple of reads where I actually didn't know what the read was, so I just ran. And he's like, but that's actually like a negative grade when we go through the film on Mondays. So, like, it's not always as simple as looking at it like that.

[Danny Kelly]

Completion percentage fakes that.

[Danny Heifetz]

So Stafford is the mvp. It's funny because we do all the mvp. I'm like, yeah, but who'd you rather have for the game? And like, Stafford. You're like, so isn't it fucking him?

[Danny Kelly]

Do we like that the MVP comes a week before the super bowl or like three days before the Super Bowl? I think it should come right after the regular season ends.

[Danny Heifetz]

The only. This is the only.

[Danny Kelly]

Why not?

[Danny Heifetz]

This is the only thing the NFL is bad at is, is how to do like the All Pro, the Wednesday.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Before Wild or after the Super Bowl. Why is it in the middle?

[Danny Kelly]

If it's a regular season award, give it right after the regular season. Why am I waiting a month?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, no, they should do it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

They should do it after to build the site.

[Danny Kelly]

But now I've been influenced by everything I just saw in the playoffs.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, when they go to the 18 game season and I think what they're going to do is add a second buy for the players and then they'll make the two week gap between the championship games and the super bowl back to a one week gap. And then at that.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, you think so?

[Danny Heifetz]

I do. Because I think they, they want the super bowl to be presidents. Maybe I have my days wrong, but they want to see President's Day weekend. So that way that they have the super holiday.

[Danny Kelly]

But if they add a game and a buy, they have to push two weeks.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, so right now the supervisor.

[Danny Kelly]

Which would be past President's Day weekend if they have to push two weeks.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, but you add a game and a bias two weeks, so then you collapse this two week gap back.

[Danny Kelly]

I feel like the two week gap is necessary. I mean, honestly, just from the media perspective, they want like all this time to build up anticipation and sell out.

[Danny Heifetz]

The week is kind of insane. Yeah, but also think about, get the.

[Danny Kelly]

Guys to fly to the city. They'd have to do that the next day.

[Danny Heifetz]

But think about how much more the super bowl will be an event. If the day after the super bowl is like a federal holiday, can they.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Start a week earlier?

[Danny Kelly]

That's what I think they would have to do. I think they need the two weeks.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, they do it because Labor Day is the end of the summer and the NFL owns the fall. They love starting the Thursday after Labor Day.

[Danny Kelly]

The two weeks, though, helps with like making sure everyone's healthy and playing in the game. If somebody gets a kick, they don't care about that.

[Danny Heifetz]

You say all, all we talk about for 12 days is like, this is too long between the games. And now you want, you don't. You don't want to.

[Danny Kelly]

I understand why the NFL does it. I don't necessarily like it as a fan, but I understand why the NFL does it.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think if they could get 18 games and then they have two bye weeks during the. Which will fuck fantasy football, by the way. We got to talk to someone at the NFL about not fucking over fantasy football with that.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, but like, if that's.

[Craig Krolbeck]

We'll put. Yeah, I'll talk to somebody well, we'll call him.

[Danny Kelly]

Could you call Roger?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.

[Danny Heifetz]

But I would rather, as a fan, wouldn't you rather the super bowl be on a three day weekend for President's Day and there's a week between the.

[Danny Kelly]

Games, should be President's Day.

[Danny Heifetz]

But then, so the week after then you're like, hey, Pro bowl and NFL award the NFL honors, which they do. We're recording Wednesday, doing a Thursday night. I'm like, they try to make it a whole show. Stop doing this stuff. When the super bowl is in three days. When after the super bowl, we're water in a desert. We'll take whatever last drops like the Pro Bowl. Now I'll watch because it's the end of pro football with the awards and everything.

[Danny Kelly]

People won't give a shit once the super bowl is over. People don't care. They don't want. Then it's like, now, who won the mvp? The entire season's over.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, because it's the last gasp for football. Whereas the Super Bowls in three days, why don't we give a fuck about the Pro Bowl? When the super bowl is over and you're like, oh, there's no football left now I'll turn it on. Like, this is the last thing I'm going to get.

[Danny Kelly]

I would rather have the MVP right after the regular season ends when everyone's.

[Danny Heifetz]

Talking about, I'm open to, I'm open to that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I think that's probably better than what we have now.

[Danny Heifetz]

This is just, they want to make it a thing.

[Danny Kelly]

And then if you're not, if the actual playoff performance is not factored in, I just like don't like it because now I feel like the Drake May case has been hit because the last three weeks he hasn't played great. So now it feels weird if he wins the MVP because Stafford was good in the playoffs, better.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's also weird to give these to have a two week gap between the conference championship games and the super bowl and then give the MVP on a Thursday night before the game. And it's like, so we like. That's kind of weird too. It's like the Super Bowls in two days. Why the fuck are we whatever? I don't know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't really care that much.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, it's all I think about.

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[Danny Heifetz]

The Ringer Fantasy Football show is brought to you by FanDuel. Last call for football and FanDuel is giving you a daily profit boost every single day leading up to Super Bowl 60. Today's 30% profit boost is on first and last touchdowns and check back each day for a new daily boost because FanDuel is giving everyone something extra to cheer for during football's final week. Play your game with FanDuel. Official sportsbook partner of Super Bowl 60. Must be 21 plus and present in select states or 18 plus in President D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Opt in required bonus issued as non withdrawable profit boost tokens Restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler or visit RG Help. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Chat in Connecticut I want to talk about Variable your guy. We just did like I feel like we actually did the rarest thing in sports, which is everyone just agreed that what Kirsic did he did at Indiana was like, yeah, it's probably the best coaching performance in history. College football. Like I actually that became like a mainstream thing. Like College football's been 150 years. You're like that's the best thing we've ever seen.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And it's not wrong.

[Danny Heifetz]

And it's not wrong. It's like probably Roger Sherman did a great article for the Ringer. They're like this might be the best short term turnaround anyone's ever had of like how low it was, how high you got immediately. And incredibly, if the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Mike Vrabel is quietly up there. In terms of NFL like immediate turnarounds. I How many coaches could have made the super bowl with this Patriots roster. I would argue zero people other than Mike Vrabel could have done this.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean talk about an impossible question.

[Danny Kelly]

But yeah, short list is your point.

[Danny Heifetz]

Entering the season, how was this Patriots team perceived? Montre Stevenson was even a top 20 running back?

[Craig Krolbeck]

No, I thought it was going to be irrelevant.

[Danny Heifetz]

Offensive line being generous. We're like Patriots being generous entering the year, we're like this is a bottom five offensive line. Even if you liked Will Campbell, you're like he's a rookie left tackle, right receiving group. Entering the year, we're like this is a bottom five receiving group and that's being generous. Probably bottom three. Like the strength was quarter. Drake May who had won one game.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And I think he had won three games by the way as a starter. He went three and nine according to PF Pro Football Reference.

[Danny Kelly]

I thought he won one game as a starter.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, that's what I saw.

[Danny Kelly]

Like 1 in 10 or 1 in 11 or as a starter last year won a couple I thought. I don't know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean.

[Danny Kelly]

Well he.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well it counts. Well no, sorry. He won one as a starter but it was against the Jets. He threw three of six pass. He threw six passes in the game. I heard that like I take that from him. No offense. So he, he's one of the wins was. He came in the beginning. He threw one of the ones was against the Bills. He threw one throw which I don't really give him credit for in week 18. So technically sure, but I think he played.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay, that makes sense then.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, glad we worked that out. But the point being like Drake Mays second year quarterback who had had one. Yeah, sorry. One win where he played more than 20 snaps in the start like was the strength along with the secondary and everything else was just like free agents they added. It's like Milton Williams is the best player they had in free agency. He was the sixth best player in the Eagles defense last year. Like Carlton Davis. Like I don't know, I just. If you look at this team, I don't think it's insulting to the players to be like this is not a Super bowl caliber team. When you look at it, it's the best. Like if coaching is just the whole is supposed to be greater than the sum of the parts. How many teams do you remember being better than the sum of the parts? More than this Patriots for sure. Probably back to the 99 Rams where they went like I think they won four games and next year they won 13 and won the Super bowl like, that's kind of the last time something like this really happened.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, it's very rare. Yeah, it sucks because the, the schedule thing does cloud a lot of it, you know, But I mean, at the end of the day, they have been playing really well in the last two months or whatever it is.

[Danny Heifetz]

The individual games, when you look at each individual game the Patriots won are easy, but winning the super bowl is not easy. I don't care what anyone says, getting.

[Craig Krolbeck]

To the super bowl is not easy.

[Danny Kelly]

And look, if they beat Seattle, they beat Seattle.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

The final three games the Patriots played, no matter what happened to Bonix, is like they were the three best defenses in the NFL. So Texans, Broncos and Seahawks in 1, 2, 3. Like, even if, I mean, what are your coin. Even if the coin toss, you have an odds of 80% chance of winning a coin toss. What are your odds of winning that thing 22 times in a row? Basically, like the Patriots, what they've done, it's incredibly impressive. And the most important part of all is Mike Vrabel said he would cut his dick off if he won the Super Bowl. Do you think he's a man of his word?

[Danny Kelly]

When did he say that?

[Danny Heifetz]

He said it to busting Will Compton and Taylor Luan, the podcast. They have Wilcom to play for Mike Rabel and he said he cut his dick off.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't think he said he would cut his dick off if they win a Super Bowl.

[Danny Heifetz]

Bowl. I would do it too. Win a Super Bowl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It wasn't.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. So then. But then he negotiate.

[Danny Kelly]

What was it?

[Craig Krolbeck]

He would cut his dick off to win a Super Bowl. But the quote, not once I win a Super Bowl, I'm cutting my dick off.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, the actual quote was, there's a distinction.

[Danny Kelly]

There is actually.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You have to cut your, your dick off first in order to win the Super Bowl.

[Danny Heifetz]

Right.

[Danny Kelly]

And he, and he said, you know what? I'm going to try it with my dick attached.

[Danny Heifetz]

He did actually later walk it back.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's like, actually, I can keep my dick and win a Super bowl here.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

He actually walked it back. Do you know what he said?

[Danny Kelly]

No.

[Danny Heifetz]

He said, I'll cut half of it off. I'll leave my wife six inches. That's a quote.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Are you serious?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, my God.

[Danny Kelly]

More than enough.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay. Yeah. Again, once again, can't dislike the Patriots. I'm having a hard time.

[Danny Kelly]

It's just a bummer. They're on the. All these cool people are on the path.

[Danny Heifetz]

I do get the Patriots fans where you're like, man, everyone's rooting for the.

[Danny Kelly]

On, like the cult.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Can they just be the worst than the most annoying players?

[Danny Kelly]

Dude, I will say we're on the Cardinals. Everybody be like this. Wow.

[Danny Heifetz]

Everyone.

[Danny Kelly]

Cardinals kind of plucky.

[Danny Heifetz]

Imagine just you're a Patriots fan and you're like, oh, everyone likes the Bills. And it's mad. Their coach. Their Coach used the 911 hijackers as a motivational speech. My coach is like, I'll cut my dick off for Super Bowl. You like that guy?

[Danny Kelly]

I know. All right, I feel like enough Patriots talk.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, DK Yeah, the other thing. So this is a good segue, I guess, because I think this season has felt weird. Like the Patriots being in the super bowl feels weird. Drake May being doing what he's done feels weird. Like we're. I don't think it's really sunk in that the Patriots are in super bowl. And, you know, Drake May has had this incredible season. I also think it's kind of weird. The Seahawks are this good and people are at least, you know. And I am too, like, kind of underestimating just how good the Seahawks team can be if they win this game. My question is in. The storyline is like, where are they going to be remembered in history in terms of, like, one of the great super bowl teams? Probably because it's against this Patriots team that doesn't have great reputation. They won't go down as one of the greatest teams ever. But if you look at the stats, they're up there in terms of dvoa, this is the fifth best team ever according to D. Voa.

[Danny Kelly]

It does not feel that way.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, because we're very good.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right. Fifth best team ever according to dvoa. And obviously that's just one metric, but it is.

[Danny Kelly]

Can you name the. Who are the four above them?

[Craig Krolbeck]

So the four above them are the 91 Washington team which won a Super Bowl. The 85 Bears, who are fucking legendary. Like, you just say 85 Bears and evoke something. The 2007 Patriots, who went undefeated until that super bowl where they lost to.

[Danny Heifetz]

The Giants, they were the best team ever.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, yeah, they changed football forever. That was like a legendary team. And then the 1989 49ers won Super super bowl. And were, you know, I think we talked about them the other day, had they had like a 18 point spread. Maybe that was that team in the super.

[Danny Heifetz]

And they covered 19 points for the Super Bowl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Anyway, so these. These are for the greatest teams. And especially the 85 Bears, I feel like, are. And the 2007 Patriots are two of the most legendary teams.

[Danny Heifetz]

Here's the thing. We say that, but like take all that out. Gut check. You have to answer immediately. Is this team better than the Legion of Boom Seahawks?

[Craig Krolbeck]

No. And that's. No, I don't think like, I would. I would probably take that defense over this defense and I would take that offense over this.

[Danny Kelly]

You think this, this Seahawks are better than last year's Eagles?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yes.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, interesting.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I do think so.

[Danny Kelly]

I think of the Eagles last year as one of the more dominant teams.

[Danny Heifetz]

That would be a hell of a game.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's. That would be. I would love to see that game.

[Danny Heifetz]

That would be a. That would be a crazy game.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, that's so that's like a possible question to answer. But like, yeah, I do feel that way.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think the Seahawks is a third tier's all time team and that's. That third tier sounds like an insulting thing, but I'm talking like of super bowl winners where it's like of the top tier teams. I know the undefeated Patriots didn't win the super bowl, but I think they're a top tier team. And like the 85 bears, like whatever the 1 is, whatever your version of the best team ever, probably Peak Niners, whatever. And then I think there's like the teams that, I think we can say the 2000 ravens, like that defense, like, they're probably better. I think the Legion of Boom, I don't think it's insulting to be like, I think this team's probably slots in a little below that, which is like, probably, you know, one of the 12 or 13 or 14 best. Probably. They're probably a top 15 NFL team.

[Danny Kelly]

Bill talks about like the size of the MVP trophy depending on how good the season was. Yeah, it's like the same thing with the super bowl trophy where it's like.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right, right.

[Danny Kelly]

How big would this super bowl trophy be?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, if they win, I think it's like, it would not be a. That's the thing. It wouldn't be a. The. That's one of Bill's best takes ever. Is how MVP trophies should be in trophies. And it's like if the Legion of Boom crushing the Broncos historic offense that gets the like Stanley cup size trophy, like this is probably. We would not be like, you get the Stanley cup trophy, you get the second biggest or the third biggest would be the conversation.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree with all that, actually. I think, you know, obviously I think if you look at the CX resume for the season, it's pretty impressive. I mean, they had. So they went 16 and three, which. Just saying that sounds pretty crazy. I mean, going into the super bowl, The Patriots are 17 and three.

[Danny Heifetz]

These are two losses are by three points each, right?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. The CX lost by nine total points in three losses. They beat the 49ers twice, who finished 12 and five the regular season. They beat the Rams twice, who finished 12 and 5. They beat the Texans, who finished 12 and 5. They beat the Jags, who finished 13 and 4. They beat the Steelers, who finished 10 and 7. They were frauds. No offense, but yeah. They also beat the Vikings, the Panthers, who were in the playoffs. The Falcons, the Patriots. So the Seahawks had one of the hardest schedules in the NFL this year, and the Patriots had the easiest.

[Danny Kelly]

I'll have you know. Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New England Patriots this year.

[Craig Krolbeck]

There we go. So not frauds. That. Actually you're. That makes me feel better.

[Danny Kelly]

That's right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Are we going to remember that one set exchange right there? If the Patriots have. Can we entertain for one second that the Patriots might get their fucking doors blown off? I know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I've been entertaining it in my head all week.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, well, because I. All my instincts are like, you know what?

[Danny Kelly]

He's been entertaining it in his pants.

[Danny Heifetz]

The bloody dolls. Are you like, walking around like Ron Burgundy?

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's the pleats.

[Danny Heifetz]

The pleats, yeah. The look. I talked a ton about Vrabel. I think he's a great game planner. Him and Joshua Daniels are way more experienced than the guys at the coaches in the Seahawks side. Like, the Patriots haven't got blown out either in any of these games. But it's. I don't want to write off the Patriots. It's probably gonna be a close game. But I do keep wondering. The Seals are so much fucking better than the Patriots. Right. Drake May is a second year quarterback, and I'm like, if you just look at it, there are a couple games that the game started. You're like, oh, my God, the defensive line's so much better than the O line. Like the Chiefs Eagles last year starts. And you're like, oh, my God, the Bucks chief Super Bowl. And I'm kind of like, DK outside. Aren't all of the Seahawks defensive linemen basically all better than the guy across from them? Like, literally every single one is better than the guy the laying up.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Does anything else really matter?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, maybe not. The way that I look at this game, and I think you're dead on. There is. There is a world in which the Seahawks just dominate. I Just look at the difference between the AFC and the nfc. And it does help the Patriots. I think that they played three really good defense. Basically the top three of the top defenses in the AFC they had to beat to get here. But you know, they didn't. They weren't particularly impressive on offense in any of those games. And those other teams. Offenses were all pretty bad. And so. Yeah, I mean, I'm just looking at like the. Like again, going through what. Who the Seahawks beat this year. They've been through the fricking gauntlet and they might just be way better than the Patriots.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, it's. They call this. The Seahawks have decided to name their defense the Dark side. And I do think that like the patients winning this game is. It's like they have to be Luke sky. Like Drake man has to be Luke Skywalker. And we don't know what the deal is with Drake May shoulder or any of this stuff, but he has to literally do the Death Star. Running is to blow. He has to hit a couple. He is. He's going to get three to four deep shots and he has to hit two or three. What are we supposed to rename it? What do you want me to call it?

[Danny Kelly]

I didn't say anything.

[Danny Heifetz]

You know what you did. You know what you did.

[Danny Kelly]

You're right, though.

[Danny Heifetz]

He has to hit like Drake May has to. Now I. Now I'm watching my words. Playing scared. Drake Bay has to have three or four.

[Danny Kelly]

Really gotta hit the Seahawks from behind.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Just the back shots to the back of the end zone.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Gotta clap their cheeks, if you will.

[Danny Heifetz]

I've never. Something about back shots. I can't really.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Is a crazy phrase.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. I don't know how, but I heard everyone over there. I heard them stop moving. They all froze.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Isn't it weird that we talk like this, but like we're at work.

[Danny Kelly]

That's. I know. We're lucky that we do this for a lot.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's crazy. Anyway, you got an email. You have a calendar invite now. Yeah. Anyway, so Drake may have to do back shots. Drake may have to do back shots.

[Danny Kelly]

Is that. Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that our breakout?

[Danny Kelly]

Keys to victory. We'll have our own graphic Keys to victory. Back shots.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Minimum four.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't remember what I was saying.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You were saying they have a third. They have to thread the needle to win this game. Yeah, basically.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like there's a very specific perfect game and a couple things also have.

[Danny Heifetz]

To go their way and. But part of me is like, am I just mythologizing Mike Vrabel. My head. It's impressive they got this far. Also, the Seahawks are going to blow their fucking doors off.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, I hope that's true, but I don't really feel that that will happen.

[Danny Heifetz]

Me neither. But I keep thinking, like, why not? If anything, I just think it's maybe the sticks offense can't get moving, but I do think the Patriots like and this is. I wish we had talked about this more. The Patriots Broncos game. So much of that conversation was everyone's like, you know, the snow, man, the weather affects these games. We should play these games indoors. Maybe the snow's overrated. That game sucked before it started snowing.

[Danny Kelly]

Even in the first half. Granted it was like 8 degrees, but yes it did.

[Danny Heifetz]

But they could not move the ball an inch when it was not snowing. The Patriots have had 12 quarters of offense the three playoffs, like the three playoff games. They've had 12 quarters. They have probably had four good drives on offense the entire time. And Drakeman's been very impressive. But if this shoulder injury is anything more than a smoke signal, like I, I'm not saying it's part. I do think it's more possible than you think that it actually kind of looks like the other Seahawks Broncos Super Bowl.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. The only fear is that the offensive line stuff is a real problem and both offensive lines are vulnerable.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's the issue. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

I watched a compilation today of the Seahawks right guard just getting abused.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Anthony Bradford, man, he's the weak link, man. It is a little bit nerve wracking.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

I do think that is the key is Milton Williams. It's just the Patriots guys. You've never heard of Corey Durden on the Patriots random defensive tackle is like probably way back. The third string defense attack with the Patriots is better than the Seahawks starting guard.

[Danny Kelly]

So that's the only fear is that they just like blow everything up and force Arnold to panic and he throws a pick or two and the game is closer than you expect.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's the quarter. Yes. I think that's the script of a Patriots win.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

The other, the other part that I think is essential to a Patriots win. And I've been thinking of this more and I just, if I've learned.

[Danny Kelly]

It's funny because like remember the Chiefs losing to the Bucks. It was like the defensive line just dominated Mahomes and rattled them and they couldn't win.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. And they were all injured along the interior line.

[Danny Kelly]

That offense was fucking incredible.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it goes like that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Defense wins championships.

[Danny Heifetz]

Everyone says offense wins Championships.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Maybe it's opposite, maybe it's defense.

[Danny Heifetz]

The other thing I will say, though, just if the Patriots win, because it's. That's part of it. I do think there's a world. Jackson, Smith and Jigba is over. Under is 95 yards. Part of me is like, Vrabel played for belichick for like 12 years.

[Danny Kelly]

I couldn't agree more.

[Danny Heifetz]

Isn't the like, take him out of the game?

[Danny Kelly]

Yes. That will be one of my Ringer 107 offers to you.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes. I'm like, do you think they've had two weeks and do you think Vrabel's gonna. You know how they just get JSN the ball wherever we're gonna let him do that? Like, no way. It's gonna be like that first Rams Seahawks game this season where jsn, I don't. Did he have a catch in the first half? I don't think so. And then ag Barner got 12 targets and 10 catches in that game. And they're like, you have to throw the ball to Barnard and Cooper cup and they have to break tackles and JSN is not getting the ball. And Darnold threw four fucking interceptions in that game.

[Danny Kelly]

I mean, you know, Christian Gonzalez is one of the best corners in the league. But even if they Seahawks do things to move JSN around, like the Patriots switching to zone or doing whatever they can to like bracket him and keep him, to me, that is like, we always joke about this after games where it's like, oh, what'd they do? And A.J. brown's like, they put a safety over the top of me so I had zero catches. I'm like, belichick that easy? Well, it's like all the shit Belichick used to do. I would always think like, that always sounds like the simplest solution. It's like the most obvious solution. Like their best player. We'll just double team them and make them figure it out. So I do think with JSN, I'm like, 100 yards is a lot.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think Christian Gonzalez is going to be. Maybe not shadowing him is the right word because he doesn't really follow him to the. To the inside nickel. But I think that on the outside, it's going to be Christian Gonzalez on him. But if it's not Christian Gonzalez, they're going to. Whether it's Carlton Davis outside or Marcus Jones, like. Like it's this simple. Jackson Smith and jig was in the slot. He's going to fucking cook Marcus Jones. Like, he cannot guard him One on one. So when he's inside, I think he's getting more or less doubled every play and then only Gonzalez is going to handle him one on one. And they're like, if A.J. barner has to cook Robert Spillane and pass coverage to win, then like, all right, that's. That is what it is. But yeah, I agree. I think so. There's a world where I'm looking at JSN's 95 yards and I'm like, he might have 16 yards in this game. And that's the story of the game. It's like if the Patriots win, it's because jsn had like two catches for 90 yards.

[Danny Kelly]

You know what? He could have 95 in the first half.

[Craig Krolbeck]

But yeah, I was going to say the. And this is from Aaron shots from his dvoi preview of the super bowl, which is awesome. At FTN, the Patriots ranked 31st during the regular season at covering number one receivers. So they didn't do that for the rest of the year. Maybe they'll do that in this game and change things up, which actually would make a lot of sense. But they were just not very good at taking away opposing teams number one.

[Danny Heifetz]

You know, not the same in terms of a big number one receiver. But it reminds me of the last Patriots super bowl, which is the Patriots, the other Patriots Ram super bowl where Sean McVayan is wonderful, cool offense, ran in and then went punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, pick, punt, fumble.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That remains by the way, that's like one of the craziest strategic victories in NFL history, right? Like taking like completely taking away that entire offense. They had no answer.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was a weirdly crazy, full circle storybook ending to Belichick's tenure as the Patriots coach because literally he beat the Rams as two touchdown underdogs with Kurt Warner and he was like Marshall Fox the quarterback of this team and we are going to shut him down and we're going to just dare that we're going to basically Mike Martz wants to prove himself to pass the ball. So we're going to let them run and they're not going to do it like it is. He. Belichick himself described it as they're an up temple basketball team. We're going to slow them down, make them play like slow tempo basketball and they're not going to, they're not going to like it half court and then you go all the way. 20 years later and Belichick's beating up a crazy record breaking Rams offense again. I do think the JSN thing is kind of like Marshall Falk that, like 2000 Super bowl where it's like, like the offense is really a lot about him. And I do think they're like, if JSN can't do it, like, it's going to gum everything up anyway.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's going to be fun. I mean, it'll be a good chess match. I do think you're right, though. They probably will try and take Jason.

[Danny Kelly]

Out of it if the Seahawks do win. The other thing I was thinking about for storylines coming out of this is just like how underratedly good the Seahawks have been in the 21st century. The fact that they, you know, the Pats have been to 10 Super Bowls this century, the Chiefs have been to five, and the Seahawks, Seahawks are next with four. They've been to one in each decade. They were two in the 2000 and tens. But pretty impressive that they've had three different eras that have all taken them to the Super Bowl. You had the Matt Hasselbeck era. They were in the super bowl against the Steelers. They had two in the Pete Carroll era. Legion of Boom with Russ. One, they won when they lost, and then the Russell Wilson thing crashing and burning and Pete Carroll leaving and then just immediately turning around, crushing their first round picks over the last like three years and just getting right back to the Super Bowl. I don't know, I just think the Seahawks are one of the more underrated, under discussed, competent organizations in the NFL. Like everybody talks about all the Steelers, no losing seasons, blah, blah, blah. The Steelers aren't making Super Bowls or winning playoff games. It's been a long time. What the Seahawks have been able to do and what Schneider has been able to do, dude. Looking at their first round picks since 2022, Charles Cross, Devinze Womadunze, Charles Quass, Devin Witherspoon, Jackson Smith and Jigba Bywin, Murphy and Gwei Zabel. Pretty good. Don't forget Anthony Blackford and then, you know, signing Sam Darnold. Yeah, really impressive.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, no, I think that's. I think that's a great point. You know, if you.

[Danny Kelly]

We don't. I don't think people think of Seattle that way.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I think I agree with that. And I got lucky enough to like really get into the Seahawks starting around like 2010, you know, that was when I started covering them and I was lucky enough to write as Carol. Right. As Carol got hired. And. And if you look at since 2010, if you narrow it down to 20 since 2010, I just search this. The Teams with more wins and so like the last 15 years, patriots, chiefs. That makes sense. Packers, Steelers and Seahawks. That's the list. So I, I don't think the Seahawks, maybe nationally, they. I don't know if they get that kind of respect. I feel like they don't.

[Danny Kelly]

West Coast.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

But to your, to your point, in our lifetime. Well, Craig and I's lifetime. So last. Like since 1993, 1994, the Seahawks have had under seven wins in a season. Twice.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, but that's why it was so not. Controversial is not the right word, but it was kind of a hard decision. It was reminded me of the Tomlin thing. It was a hard decision for move to move on from Pete because he had brought Seattle so much consistent. They were consistently competitive at the very least.

[Danny Heifetz]

But that's not just Pete. I'm saying, like since 1992, they've had under seven wins twice.

[Danny Kelly]

They're just an incredibly competition organization.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm looking right now. They literally. They had like I say 7 and 10, I think is a good mark because it's like everyone's like Tomlin, no, losing to 8 and 8, 7 and 10 means you almost went 500. It's like you weren't pathetic. Like, you know, you weren't going to get.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You didn't have any like the terrible, terrible years.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, you were almost 500.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, and back then it was seven and nine, but exactly.

[Danny Heifetz]

So 2008, they had four wins. 2009, they had five wins. Other than that, they have not had under seven wins since 1992.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You guys know the only. You want to know the season that I had season tickets to the Seahawks, 2015, 2008.

[Danny Kelly]

Is it like the last season? No, no. Hasselbeck lasted longer than that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sorry. No, actually I think it was 2009. It was the Jim Mora era.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

To your point about the competency, though, I bring up that number seven wins because the Giants have had under seven wins seven times since I started working here.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I'm telling you, dude, scoring touchdowns helps.

[Danny Kelly]

To underscore they're how competent the Seahawks are. There was a stretch with Pete Carroll where they did not lose a game by more than 10 points for 95 games.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, and the other thing is like.

[Danny Kelly]

95 games, they didn't lose by more than 10.

[Danny Heifetz]

But the similarity, with all the similarity, especially between the Carol ones and this one is the drafting is amazing. The Patriots were kind of weirdly, I was talking to Austin about Austin Gale here at the Ringer about this before the show. But like the Patriots kind of built this team on the fly with free agency. The Seahawks, all these players are drafted.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

And like your point about John Schneider and everyone like the gm, like, but the Patriots, sorry. The Seahawks are like the example of like when we go to the draft show, we talk about the draft. It's like, it's funny because sometimes you're like, why do we talk about the draft so much? It's like the story of teams that win Super Bowls and are competitive for the most part is just teams that hit a lot of draft picks in a row. Well, over and over.

[Danny Kelly]

And it's the same super.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's a, it's the power up mushroom of the NFL.

[Danny Kelly]

And because yeah, just financially gives you so much, you know, breathing room. But when Carol and Schneider came in at the same time, right. 2010, their first three years, Schneider drafted Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Cam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, K.J. wright, Malcolm Smith and Byron Maxwell.

[Danny Heifetz]

You said that fast. And it's like five hall of Famers.

[Danny Kelly]

He drafted all those guys. And Russell, of course.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Five hall of Famers and then also Russell Wilson.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, and now 10 years later, he just did it again with Cross Witherspoon and Jigba Murphy Zabel.

[Danny Heifetz]

He just did it again. And also while we're here, the NFL honors hasn't happened yet. I feel very. I said this at the end of the regular season, but I actually, I mean obviously it's easier now because they made the Super Bowl. I think the Seahawks should have offensive and defensive rookie of the year. I think Nick Ammon Worre should be the defensive rookie of the year over Carson Schlesinger, the linebacker. He had a great season for the Browns, but I'm kind of like Nick Ammon Warri has unlocked the best defense in the NFL and the six of the best defense in probably this three.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Or four years been he's filled up the stat sheet and had a lot of stats, but he's not, he's not the transformational type of player that changed their defense, right?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, exactly. I like the way I'm stealing that Nick. Amber Moore is transformational player on the best defense in a few years. And then I think the offensive rookie there should be Gray Zabel who has changed your offensive line. The biggest weakness on Seattle and the offensive line. And like we're going to give the rookie of the year to like ted arrow and McMillan because he had a meager thousand yard season and like a solid year as a receiver.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't want to poo poo A thousand yard season. But.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, but like here's the thing. Who actually had a bigger impact on their team season? Tedro McMill or Gray Zabel? Like I think it's freaking Gray Zabel. I don't know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yes, I agree. I think because he stabilized an offensive line that was known as legitimately one of the worst in the NFL.

[Danny Heifetz]

I don't mean to be contrary and be like an offensive lineman deserves the rookie of the year. It's like it's for a cool award, it's a cool player, it's a cool. Get it. But you need a year where Cam Ward the Titans sucked and he doesn't deserve it. Jackson Dart didn't play enough games to get rookie of the Year. Tyler Schuck didn't play enough games to get rookie of the Year. Ash and Genty where the Raiders finish in yards per carat or yards per cart?

[Danny Kelly]

You know it's funny. Saw something about Ashton Genti had better stats than Trent Richardson and Trent Richardson won rookie of the year.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, really fitting. But that's kind of my point. It's like, yeah, it's like a weird year. Ralph's 11 should win over.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Don't say those two names together, by the way. How dare you.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay, sorry.

[Danny Heifetz]

Anything else in the game? I wanted to talk about Bad Bunny, but anything else in the game itself, do you think.

[Danny Kelly]

How much do you think we're going to learn about these two teams?

[Danny Heifetz]

We're going to learn a lot about these teams.

[Danny Kelly]

I think we're going to learn a lot.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

And I'm going to be prepared for 2026 after this game.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Must win.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is it a must win game?

[Danny Kelly]

No, not quite.

[Craig Krolbeck]

But I'm not ready to go far actually.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, now I have a take.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

It took me. However long we've been doing this, is this the least must win super bowl you can remember for the.

[Danny Kelly]

Ooh, that's.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is it actually among among must wins games, super bowl generally is a must win game. Is it really a must?

[Danny Kelly]

He's right. He's right. Daniel. He's right.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's like everyone's just happy for the Patriots. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is it a must take game?

[Danny Kelly]

I want to pull up.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can we call Bill and ask him if it's a must win game?

[Danny Kelly]

I want to pull up the Super Bowls. I mean like look last year, Chiefs Eagles. That's a three pete for the Chiefs. Huge Eagles. Fantastic team. More of a must win game. Chiefs, Chiefs, Niners.

[Danny Heifetz]

Year before that, Niners and Eagles had already lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. So that's a revenge matchup.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes. And you're right. Niners fighting to get that sixth ring. Shanahan needing it desperately.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You're wanting it.

[Danny Kelly]

Chiefs, Eagles. Maybe that one was less must win.

[Danny Heifetz]

Josh McDaniels. Josh McDaniel's been at 10 Super Bowls. Mike Vrabel won three. Like, is it really must win.

[Danny Kelly]

Rams. Bengals.

[Danny Heifetz]

Bengals.

[Danny Kelly]

Bengals didn't need it.

[Danny Heifetz]

No Burrow. No. This is second year in the league. They were happy to.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Of course they needed it.

[Danny Kelly]

That. No, it wasn't really a must win. They don't need it. Like Shanahan needs a super. You know what I mean?

[Danny Heifetz]

Shanahan. I'm. Every time Shannon loses super. I'm like, this man might die.

[Danny Kelly]

Did the Rams need.

[Danny Heifetz]

Wasn't a must win. Sean McVeigh was 33 years old when that happened.

[Danny Kelly]

It was a nice to have for Matt Stafford didn't need it. So that's. I would say that's the most recent nice to have. Which. Which game is more must win? This game or Rams? Bengals.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think. I think it's got. It's got to be. I think Rams. Bengals is more must win because everyone. The Patriots are so young.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I hate this so much, but I kind of feel that too. This is the stupidest conversation we've ever had. But I do think it was the Rams because that was almost Stafford's end of his career. Like he was getting towards the end of his career.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's my.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, but he. He languished on a bad team forever.

[Danny Kelly]

Sure. Sure.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You know, his only. The only thing holding him back from a hall of fame is getting a Super bowl. So I don't have that opportunity anymore.

[Danny Heifetz]

You're right.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It was hard to get back to the big game. Sorry I said the big game. I don't know why I did that.

[Danny Heifetz]

What is it them just being like that now.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Super bowl on the. You can't say super bowl on commercial.

[Danny Heifetz]

I have pretended to understand.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't think. Well, I can Only on this podcast on Netflix.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Don't go barking up that tree, Craig.

[Danny Kelly]

I. I don't get it.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, don't. Don't pull on threads you don't want to know the answer to. Yeah. So not a must win game for the Patriots. It's last call for football. And to celebrate the end of the season, FanDuel's running a $6 million touchdown jackpot. Just opt in place in any time touchdown bet. And if your guy scores first or last, you win a share of the prize pot. Is it Too easy to just be like, bet Jackson, Smith and Jigba. Is that our groundbreaking analysis?

[Danny Kelly]

Yes. He's good just to score first or last in the game.

[Danny Heifetz]

Then you win a share of the jackpot or the prize pot. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

So it doesn't matter which player it is. Like a player that's less likely to score is not more valuable. Or does that matter? Because then it would be like throwing AJ by throwing.

[Danny Heifetz]

I mean, it definitely matters.

[Danny Kelly]

A little AJ Barner action, I think.

[Danny Heifetz]

I mean, definitely. I mean, Ramon Dre is plus money. RamonJ is like one and a half to one.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, I see.

[Danny Heifetz]

But no, that definitely matters.

[Danny Kelly]

I think I always feel like, you know, quarterbacks. Like, I would do Drake May rushing to end the game, or I would do A.J. barnard.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is Drake May Darnold's 8, almost 9 to 1 to score a touchdown, and Drake May is like 3 to 1. Is Darnold. Is Drake May actually three times more likely to run into touchdown than Darnold? Obviously. Jack bait. Does it. Yeah. Part of me just don't. Yeah, fine.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I think so. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It probably is how the numbers bear out. Part of me is like, isn't. I kind of think Darnold could run into touchdown.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

For sure. But that. That would feel more unscripted than planned. Drake May also.

[Danny Heifetz]

He only had zero this year.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right. I was actually trying to. He's not any of them.

[Danny Heifetz]

He has no touchdowns this year.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Right.

[Danny Heifetz]

So they won't see it coming.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's my pick for last.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's my pick. Is Darnold. You're taking what? Jsn.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right.

[Danny Kelly]

I'll take Drake May.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay. You know, because he's done it before a lot. I get it. Okay. Head to FanDuel and celebrate the last call for football every day leading up to Super Bowl 60. I just want to mention the Bad Bun. We'll give you Bad Bunny. You know, Bad Bunny. I guess I just wanted to mention the Bad Bunny thing because I think there's going to be. Everyone is going to at least either feel or have someone in the Super Bowl. People are gonna be like, oh, it's in Spanish.

[Danny Kelly]

I love Bad Bunny.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. I think he's great.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

My brother.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You like him on SNL probably, right?

[Danny Kelly]

Love him on snl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't listen to his music a whole lot, but I really like him as a person person.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's like the Sting.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's funny.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't really listen to his music, but I like his vibe. Sting. I'd Call him a hero of mine. Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

My brother speaks fluent Spanish, and so he actually has been listening to that album, the. I wish it took more photos, like, the entire time. And he's like, you should play. He's playing it for me. And I'm like, oh, you actually know all the words, don't you? He's like, yeah. I'm like, oh, yeah. Okay. But, like, I. I wanted to mention the Bad Bunny thing just because the. The. We talked about this in the press box this week. Brian Curtis. But just. Just the.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You weren't there.

[Danny Heifetz]

No. You weren't invited.

[Danny Kelly]

I was working.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

But the. Basically just the whole, like, oh, this isn't for me. Like, oh, he's in Spanish. This show isn't for me. And I just want to be like, if someone says, like, yeah. Like, yeah, no, it's not. Because you're watching the super bowl, and the point of the halftime show is to get people not watching the super bowl to turn the game on. And Bad Bunny's, like, the perfect person for the NFL because they need to expand beyond just that. They've grown the domestic game as much as they can.

[Danny Kelly]

Ridiculous argument.

[Danny Heifetz]

I know. It's just like, they literally. There are 600 million people.

[Danny Kelly]

He's won the Grammy. He's the biggest artist in the world.

[Danny Heifetz]

And a crazy. But a crazy percentage of the people who listen to the biggest. A crazy big percentage of the biggest musical audience are the people the NFL's trying to be like, turn on the game. And so it's. I actually am curious. I don't know how much. Without Bad Bunny, the game would drop in viewership because, like, Mahomes isn't in it. I don't know how much that matters, but I kind of wonder if Bad Bunny, like, part of me just keeps wondering. I don't know how ratings even work these days. I kind of wonder if he's gonna shatter. He's gonna bring, like, 20. Like, I don't know. Like, last year, I think the super bowl, it used to be 110, 115. Last year, they changed to the counts, like, 130. What I mean is, like, is Bad Bunny gonna bring, like, 20 million people to this just by himself? I don't know. I don't know if anyone gives it, but maybe.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. We just did a ratings prediction on the episode. Well, of the town that comes out tomorrow. But spoiler, I took. I took the over. I think it will be the most watched super bowl ever, because last year was the previous record holder. It's like, 120 million people watched super bowl last year. I think this one's going to break it. And part of the rationale is because of Bad Bunny.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. It's not because the Seahawks and Pats have the juice. It's. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

You know, I think they're big enough markets and it's like good enough. I think that's fine. But. But that was part of it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Also, NBC weirdly has the most watched game ratings wise of the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2000s. The most watched Super bowl all four decades has always been on NBC. And, and NBC had the last Seahawks, Patriot, Super bowl in 20. What was it? 15. But the 20.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It was, it was January of 2015.

[Danny Kelly]

That was the most watched Super bowl of the 2010s was that game.

[Danny Heifetz]

So NBC is the Patriots of the networks.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Are they cheating NBC? Yeah. Or are they just good?

[Danny Kelly]

They just got Collinsworth.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. They're like, same thing. It's Tirico's first time and we're like, oh, yeah, you've been here. Okay. Is it time?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Is it. Have we talked about. Is he gonna have any big surprise guests?

[Danny Kelly]

I have no to Rico.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, no. Bad Bunny. That makes more sense.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm not the brightest.

[Danny Kelly]

No clue. There was odds for it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

A lot of like, who were they?

[Danny Kelly]

You know, Latin artists that I'm not super familiar with. I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

I felt out of my depth last year being like, here's three white men explaining Kendrick Lamar's performance. And now I'm like, yeah, no, I.

[Danny Kelly]

I can't pretend that I'm a big Bad Bunny fan because I don't listen to a lot of his music, but I do. I like him a lot. He was the only funny part of Happy Gilmore too.

[Danny Heifetz]

I loved his. He was the only funny part of that. He was the funniest guy in the whole thing.

[Danny Kelly]

He's good, man. The Shrek digital short on snl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, I've seen that.

[Danny Kelly]

Please Don't Destroy was really funny.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, he should.

[Danny Kelly]

I hope he's in Shrek 5. He should be. That's a no brainer. Shrek free idea.

[Danny Heifetz]

When's Shrek 5 coming out?

[Danny Kelly]

Next year.

[Danny Heifetz]

What?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, Shrek 5. Bad Bunny's got to be in that.

[Danny Heifetz]

When did Shrek 4 come out?

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, I don't know that I, I haven't. I think the, the first I got.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is Shrek like the biggest. Is Shrek like the most.

[Danny Kelly]

2010?

[Danny Heifetz]

Did Shrek surpass SpongeBob as like the most widely beloved cultural thing? From our childhood.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. It's probably the most. Like the movie version of spongebob.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It just feels like it's. It has lived larger. Like, I actually can't believe how long it feels like it surpassed every other movie from my entire childhood.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, that's probably right. It is. I mean, the first Shrek is the only one I really care about. Like, the second one is fine. The person Boots is fine.

[Danny Heifetz]

Tell you guys something. I haven't told you guys this yet.

[Danny Kelly]

You've never seen Shrek?

[Danny Heifetz]

No. Stop that. That would. I would. I'd be worried about that getting me.

[Danny Kelly]

Canceled all time soundtrack.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, I thought that guy wrote Hallelujah for, like, Forever Shrek when I was, like, seven. Oh, my God, this thing rips. And then I was like, this song.

[Craig Krolbeck]

This song's a salad dressing guy.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, Salad dressing guy.

[Danny Kelly]

We were talking to Austin Gale. I'm gonna out him. And I was like, have you seen. I was like, have you seen any movies lately? He's like, oh, I just watched the Sting because you guys did. On the rewatchables. Whatever. He's like, redford's so good. He's like, who's the old guy in it with him?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, no.

[Danny Kelly]

He was great.

[Danny Heifetz]

Wait, are we doxing people? I don't want to dox it. No, no, no.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you have other docs? I think that's.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm not doxing anyone.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Who's the old.

[Danny Kelly]

Cut that if we want to. What? Who's the old guy?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Paul Newman.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's so funny.

[Danny Kelly]

I liked him.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's got, like.

[Danny Kelly]

He has a look about him.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, he has, like, blue eyes or something.

[Danny Kelly]

He has a way. I think I would have cast him in more Austin. Have you not seen Butch Cassidy in the Sundance Kid? No. He's shaking his head now. Watch that next Redford and Newman.

[Danny Heifetz]

You know what's funny? You know how last episode, I think we ended with DK thought Tango and Cash and turned her to hooch and got him confused? I can't remember Tango and Cash or Butch dancing the sun. What did I say? Butch casting Sundance Kid. I'm, like, remembering the movie, and I'm like, which one's which he.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He named Sundance Film Festival after that character. Right.

[Danny Kelly]

I. I think.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I would assume that's.

[Danny Kelly]

Where that comes from.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

[Danny Kelly]

I don't know where the phrase the Sundance Kid comes from. I don't know.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I think it was a real person.

[Danny Heifetz]

I was at a.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Now I'm feeling unsure about that. Hold on.

[Danny Kelly]

But I more mean, like, I don't know what the word son. Like, where that comes from, what that means.

[Danny Heifetz]

This just sounds like a cool old timey.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's like it was based loosely on fact.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The real Sundance Kid.

[Danny Kelly]

Sundance, like an area in the. In the. Like the Rocky Mountains or something? Like the Sundance Valley? I have no idea.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't know. The Sundance Kid was Harry Alonzo Longabaugh.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's a silent Frank.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He died in 1908. He was an outlaw in Butch Cassidy's gang. Wild Bunch. The Wild Bunch.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah. But I want to know where, like.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The Wild Bunch is a great posse name, don't you think?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, they also. What's the song with Wild Bunch? It's a crazy popular. They're. They're like, not a one in one.

[Danny Kelly]

Like. What? Why? Oh, it's because while here it is. He was traveling across 3V Ranch near Sundance, Wyoming.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, so he didn't name it.

[Danny Kelly]

That is based on the place, but.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Maybe that was named after the guy.

[Danny Kelly]

You think Sundance, Wyoming was named after the Sundance Kids? See, the Sundance Kid was born in 1867. No, there's no way Sundance, Wyoming was named after that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, no, I'm sorry. I thought. Okay, I misunderstood because he was traveling to. No, no, I misunderstood what you said. I thought you were talking about Redford naming the Val.

[Danny Kelly]

I was trying to get to the etymology of Sundance.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I just didn't listen correctly.

[Danny Kelly]

I'm gonna visit Sundance Wyoming next. That'll be my next sweet vacation.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, Ringer 107. All right, we have to talk. So today's Ringer 107 is brought to you by FanDuel. We've talked about this whole season.

[Danny Kelly]

This long nightmare is almost over.

[Danny Heifetz]

Picking games at the end of each season all year, and it's. We're competing against, you know, Bill and Sal and Dabundo and JJ And Raheem, gambling experts, all the gambling people. And I need to find. Where's the thing they all relentlessly mocked us before the season about coming in last. Guess what?

[Danny Kelly]

Bill set fake lines and we were like, plus 700.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Dead last.

[Danny Kelly]

Dead last.

[Danny Heifetz]

So not only are they guaranteed to not. We are in first place. SHIELD Is one. SHIELD Capati here at the Ringer is one spot behind us. And all of the other people are locked into under 500, fighting for last place.

[Danny Kelly]

Clowns.

[Danny Heifetz]

Absolute clowns. Bill promised us a trip to Las Vegas for the winner.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And Bill, we gotta find the paper trail on that.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it's been canceled. The trip to Las Vegas that was promised to us for the winner has been canceled. But.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, yeah, I'm looking here. Yeah, we're in 450. 3 and 50. Not bad. Above 500. We've still so far probably losing money.

[Danny Heifetz]

If we go. Oh, and yeah, don't think about that. If we're 0 and 4 this week, we could go up below 500. Anything else? We're. We're above 500.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

We're a game ahead of Shield so.

[Danny Heifetz]

I kind of don't want to change our process. I don't want to try to be like, what's SHIELD Going to do? I. I just want to. I wanted. We'd be.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, how many bets we have to make? 4.

[Danny Heifetz]

4. Which be funny if we got the number wrong. And one.

[Danny Kelly]

Anyway, we're just going to grip it and rip it. We're going to take Seattle -4 and a half.

[Danny Heifetz]

No conversation.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you want to snag some unders? No one takes those.

[Danny Heifetz]

The thing I really.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's where I would lean.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay. What unders do you want?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't know.

[Danny Kelly]

Game total. You mean Darnold passing under. Oh, what is it? I don't care.

[Danny Heifetz]

Part of me thinks let's not look.

[Danny Kelly]

At any of the totals and still make our bets.

[Danny Heifetz]

That worked for us. Last week.

[Danny Kelly]

I said Drake May over rushing yards. Didn't know what it was.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can I. Can I suggest something that I mentioned this in the show, but I just had a gut instinct when I first saw it, which is the Patriots first drive result is a punt. I just think it's going to happen. The Seahawks it's minus 120 accounts and if you look at the it's plus one fit. Depends what you look. But like it's. I just kind of think that's going to happen immediately. And like, yes, maybe the Patriots get a shot play in their first play and they get a field goal or whatever, but I'm like, they're going to like run the ball and get stuff to be second and 10 and they're just going to punt and then we'll just win one immediately.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Craig, I know you said don't tell you the numbers, but can I tell you the numbers even though because you're convicted on it already, you want it. Darnold the over under for Darnold passing yards is 228.5. Drake Mays 220.5.

[Danny Kelly]

I think we take under on Drake.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Drake.

[Danny Heifetz]

What is Drake. What is Drake saying?

[Craig Krolbeck]

220.5. So 20 and a half the other.

[Danny Heifetz]

Question we could have is Drake May. Just what is his number for completions?

[Craig Krolbeck]

It is 20 and a half for Drake. Drake, by the way, I think I have these stats correct. Has averaged 177 passing yards in the playoffs in the last three games.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we just blindly do that, Drake, beyond our passing yards? I was going to ask him again what the number is, but you're right. Maybe we shouldn't know. Don't we think the 6D is good? And if the. If it's Patriots win this game because it's like they got Darnold to do dumb shit.

[Danny Kelly]

The most completions he's had in a game in the playoffs is 17.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we do the under and passing yards?

[Danny Kelly]

17, 16 and 10. Well, here's the thing. Drake May is so. Is such a good deep ball thrower.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Actually, should we. Should we take the ender on the completions, not the yards?

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, well, it depends because it's. They're probably going to be. It's going to be threes and layups. I think for the Patriots, it's going to be a lot of, like, short completions because that's what the Seahawks defense funnels you to with a few calculated deep shots.

[Danny Kelly]

Let me hit you with one. What's Ken Walker's rushing total? I'd like to take that under.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's high. It's really high. I think it's like.

[Danny Kelly]

I think my gut says that's gonna go under.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, he's. No, he's gonna play a ton.

[Craig Krolbeck]

73 and a half.

[Danny Heifetz]

He's gonna play like. I don't think he's coming off the field.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I do. I do think they're gonna have a hard time running.

[Danny Kelly]

Just feels high to me.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, I do. I agree, though. If he makes an impact, it's probably as a receiver. Ken Walker under.

[Danny Kelly]

What is Cabone.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can we do the JSN under a 95 or is that crazy?

[Danny Kelly]

Kenneth Walker, 62 yards against the Rams, 116 against the Niners. And then if you go back one more week, 63 against the Niners.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can I throw one other one at you guys that I just saw and, like, immediately was like, we should just bet this. And I kind of like, I think we've done it our best all year when we haven't thought about it at all.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

A.J. barnard to get one. One rushing yard.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, for the Tush push.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's. Do they do the Tush push? They kind of do it every other week, but it's like.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Is that.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that actually the Overall, it accounts and everything. It's plus 115. Actually. I kind of don't care.

[Danny Kelly]

Is it a half yard? Is it a half yard?

[Danny Heifetz]

It just needs one yard or more. It's like in this because you don't. You get one you1 carry for one yard. We win the game, we win the bet. Don't even just think that's gonna.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I like that. It does require them being in fourth and short. Which.

[Danny Heifetz]

Or third. Yes.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, it does happen. But I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

Don't you just. Here's the thing. If you take everything else, I don't hate it. Isn't that just gonna happen? Like. Like that's gonna happen.

[Danny Kelly]

That one doesn't tickle me in the same way that the others do. But I, but, but I like to lay my trust in you two if you feel strongly about it. That's more important to me is that you care about it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What was the Ken 73 and a half. And you said you really like the JSN under 93 and a half.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's scary to bet against Jason. I also. What I don't like about the unders is what I like about what we've been doing for the playoffs. And I, you know, I'm the captain. We should just bet all Unders all the time. But I don't. I like. And we are winning in part because we just have blindly been like we're not putting ourselves into position to root against Seattle. So my fear with JSN is are we going to be subconsciously upset that jsn catches a 30 yard pass? I kind of don't want to feel that way.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It matters really. I think it's because you don't care to win. I think it's going to be a low scoring game. That's how I feel about it.

[Danny Kelly]

Well, you. Why don't we just take the under on the. What's the game total?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, that was what I was going to say.

[Danny Heifetz]

But if we have. If jsn is a 60 yard touchdown, we're going to be like, we lost the bet. Like, I don't want to feel that way.

[Danny Kelly]

Dk. I'm a little. I'm worried that you don't see the ringer. The importance of the Ringer 107 competition.

[Danny Heifetz]

Because like my team's in the Super Bowl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I've got more at stake.

[Danny Kelly]

Concerned that you don't understand the gravity of the situation.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The total is 45 and a half right now.

[Danny Kelly]

You want the under.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

A part of me is like Well, I was going to say that. Do you actually think the Seahawks defense is One of the 10 or 15 best defenses in the history of football? NFL football?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, they're pretty good.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we just take Patriots under 20 and a half points and be like, if the Patriots going to win this game, it's going to have to be with 17 to 12 or something? Like, should we just take Patriots under 20 and a half?

[Danny Kelly]

Well, do you like that more than just banking on the whole game being under 46 points?

[Danny Heifetz]

Kind of.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Did you. Do you have a score prediction in your head? No, I think mine was 16 to 10.

[Danny Kelly]

I think this game is going to be like. Like 20 to 17 if New England wins, and it could be like 35 to 13 if Seattle wins.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's the thing. It's like, oh, okay, so then maybe we do go.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is it patriots under 20 and a half?

[Danny Kelly]

Maybe.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay.

[Danny Kelly]

Pat's under 20 and a half's not bad.

[Craig Krolbeck]

God, it's gonna suck if the Patriots win.

[Danny Heifetz]

I know. Well, can I. Can I throw out something else as like a trader move?

[Danny Kelly]

All right, wait, so we.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is there a world we should do? We should play both sides so we come out on top. Because you realize if we just win one bet, we guarantee being over 500. So part of me is like, is there a world where we just take both Drake may over 23 and a half, 10. Drake may under 23.

[Danny Kelly]

No. Let's just bet heads and tails.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, there we go.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Just guarantee a dub.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we just do heads and tails and just go 2 and 2 and dare shield. And dare shield and win three bets?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, because we could guarantee going 2 and 2.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we just do that? We just.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Pretty funny.

[Danny Heifetz]

The card, when they put up the graphics, just says Seahawks like minus four and a half, Patriots plus four and a half.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I feel like that kind of goes against the ethos that we've had all.

[Danny Kelly]

Year, which I know we are kind of gaming it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

But it looks like we care which we need to win, which we care about. Here's what we seem like we don't.

[Danny Kelly]

Here's where we're turnkey on Seattle minus four and a half. I like Hivetz feels strongly about the Patriots first drive ending in a punt. And maybe we like pats under 20 and a half. That's three locked in.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we put heads on the coin toss to fuck with them?

[Danny Kelly]

That would be kind of an all time flex.

[Danny Heifetz]

Wait, why do we do CX minus four and a half heads on the coin toss and we put that straight up in.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Heads on the coin toss and then.

[Danny Kelly]

All right, we have it then. I mean, punt under 20 and a half. Seahawks 4 and a half and heads.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can we wait for you feel that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Good about a punt?

[Danny Heifetz]

I just kind of think it's going to happen. I can't explain it, but I can't.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You just.

[Danny Heifetz]

I just is. First of all, the thought of starting 2 and O is incredible. We just hit heads. I will say that they punt, but can we linger in two seconds if it's the tosses tails and then the Patriots just get like a meager field goal in the first drive we start. Oh, and two. Are we going to be upset? Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

What do you mean?

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that worse?

[Danny Kelly]

That worse than going to be bummed? If 30 seconds into the game we're owing to.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is that worse than the joy of starting two and. Oh, and a 20 toss and a punt?

[Danny Kelly]

I don't think so.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think the joy of that is thrilling.

[Craig Krolbeck]

This is the way that we're deciding this.

[Danny Kelly]

Who cares?

[Danny Heifetz]

So Seahawks minus four and a half. Pat's first drive is a punt. Pat's under 20 and a half. Heads on the.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

Today's Ringer 107 is brought to you by FanDuel. Odd subject to change. Okay, you guys want to do an email or two? Get out of here.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Let's do it. All right.

[Danny Kelly]

I just sent the odds into the guy who does it. Just typing in heads on coin toss and sending. That is so fun for him to put this on the graphic.

[Danny Heifetz]

Could do coin toss, colon, heads, whatever.

[Danny Kelly]

He'll do whatever he does.

[Danny Heifetz]

So funny. Yeah, no, it's gonna piss him off.

[Danny Kelly]

I just think it's hilarious, us sending.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's good.

[Danny Kelly]

Our super bowl picks to win this competition and we literally chose something. Actually just a 50. 50. 50 shot. Yeah, we're just playing Russian roulette.

[Danny Heifetz]

So funny. Dude, I'm so into the coin toss, though. Okay, you guys. Four loco story and then a college story.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Actually, I kind of want to read both.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

This is from Jesse J. Bone. We asked someone who had an original Formula 4 loco to email us.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Whoa, wait, what?

[Danny Heifetz]

We asked someone who had original. Are you on Twitter?

[Danny Kelly]

What are you doing?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I was trying to find something.

[Danny Heifetz]

Were you trying to. On Twitter?

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's important. It's for the show.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay, okay, Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I mean, it's not that important, but it's for the show. I. I wasn't just around.

[Danny Heifetz]

We asked. You asked for someone or you? I don't remember who asked for someone to send us Original four Loo. Original formula for lo.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, the real.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, to send it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we want some products.

[Danny Kelly]

Does anyone have one sitting in the basement?

[Danny Heifetz]

So we got an email from Jesse.

[Danny Kelly]

Jesse.

[Danny Heifetz]

The subject line is, I hoarded 200 cans of the original.

[Danny Kelly]

Holy wow.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He loved it that much. That's hilarious.

[Danny Kelly]

Jesse writes, honey, what are these in the closet?

[Danny Heifetz]

Nothing.

[Danny Kelly]

They're going to be valuable one day. Those are going to.

[Danny Heifetz]

So in fall of 2010. Sorry, Jesse Reds. In fall of 2010, I just graduated from college. I was living in New York City with several friends. Four Loko was my whole personality. I went as Four Loko for Halloween in 2010. Oh, my God.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He's not kidding.

[Danny Heifetz]

When it was announced it was getting banned in late 2010, we were devastated. So using some of our very first adult paychecks, we went to several bodegas and bought all of the four logos just bottom up, stocking up on them. 200 cans. We stacked them into a seven foot tall pyramid in the living room and rationed them to deserving loved ones. This is like Lane with the sponges and Seinfeld for loco worthy.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Amazing.

[Danny Heifetz]

So Jesse writes after a shockingly short amount of time, a couple months, one day I hear this fizzing noise coming from the Loco pyramid. I walk into the room to find that they're growing angry. A Four Loko. The Four Loko had eaten through the sides of several cans. Cans apparently simultaneously with.

[Craig Krolbeck]

They all. They all decay at their exact same.

[Danny Heifetz]

You see the scene in Breaking Bad where the bottles are all popping? Yeah, it was like that. Where basically multiple cans, they all erupted.

[Danny Kelly]

At the same moment.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it was so. It was literally eating through the metal of the cans.

[Danny Kelly]

Jesus Christ. And that's in your stomach and that's in your stomach?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Only for a little bit.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Fine. This was two months worth.

[Danny Kelly]

The best night of your life.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Life.

[Danny Heifetz]

But yeah, he says that they had to get. They had to get rid of the cans after that. So they just drank them all. But it was eating through the metal, so they had to drink all them as quickly as they could because it was exploding in their living room.

[Danny Kelly]

I love the idea of metals are eating through metal. We got to drink these like it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Does melt steel beams. It's like crazy. That's.

[Danny Kelly]

They're all 23 years old and every night they're like, how many we got to drink these? John, I saw you only did two tonight.

[Danny Heifetz]

Huh?

[Danny Kelly]

You got a quote in Girl Scout cookies.

[Danny Heifetz]

They'll just have ulcers and they're Like, I wonder what's going on with this. Oh my God.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I Wait, so he doesn't have any left?

[Danny Heifetz]

No, that's put.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Got to put him in. Like, he's like, what, what? What do they keep acid in?

[Danny Kelly]

Jesse's like, what's up? Breakfast this morning was a for loo.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay. This one, this is a unique email. This one is bizarrely also it's from a different Jesse.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

J Bone.

[Danny Heifetz]

So Jesse who had emailed us about something else.

[Danny Kelly]

But any breakfast from either of these Jesse's.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, sorry. He's following up from a previous story about something else. He sent a breakfast and he replied to it. So the reply didn't have a breakfast.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay, all right.

[Danny Heifetz]

The original one, I don't remember, man.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay, go ahead.

[Danny Kelly]

It's the only thing I care about.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, I'll. I'll pull it up right now, since you asked. Fine.

[Danny Kelly]

It's a window into these.

[Danny Heifetz]

It is. It is good. It is a good window, especially if you're a parent.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What'd you have for breakfast this morning?

[Danny Kelly]

I had Greek yogurt with banana, blueberries and walnuts and some honey.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Wow, that's pretty, Pretty good. I had a really weird breakfast because I'm at the office and I don't have my normal stuff. So I had two hard boiled eggs.

[Danny Kelly]

Popping a soda.

[Danny Heifetz]

No, no.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, close. I had two hard boiled eggs, a.

[Danny Kelly]

String cheese, the hard boiled egg from the fridge here and the strain cheese.

[Craig Krolbeck]

These, they're free range.

[Danny Kelly]

Austin just, just verbally potable gas. Potable exhale.

[Craig Krolbeck]

When Austin. Yeah. Austin doesn't. He doesn't.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm gonna docked Craig Gaines who is like. Because we're talking about how all the people email in are talking about like.

[Danny Kelly]

The store bought hard boiled egg has never.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, that, that one's. Well, the new 7 11s, they're kicking the gym. It's good, it's good, high quality. But the. I can tell who's a parent because of what they eat because they're like eating off their toddler's plates for breakfast.

[Danny Kelly]

Like scrambled eggs with my hands.

[Danny Heifetz]

Kids.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

And Craig Gaines who has young kids was like, yeah, this morning it was like I had like Doritos for breakfast.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I snack, I snack on. I'm making. When making Calvin a lunch, I snack on a lot of the stuff I put in his lunch. Yeah, it's good. Like raisins, chicken nuggets, Ritz crackers. What else we got? Hummus.

[Danny Kelly]

You must be excited about the big slices. Advertisement Calvin for the Super Bowl.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Can't Wait, what?

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, big. Remember the big Ritz ad? Who's in against John Hamm?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, easy. Sorry.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, my God. I just. I just realized the thing I want.

[Danny Kelly]

To do after this I just realized.

[Danny Heifetz]

The thing I want to do after the game, but I can't tell you otherwise. It'll ruin it. But I just realized that a way we can. We're going to grade which was the best commercial. But actually I waited.

[Craig Krolbeck]

We were. We were thought of it like trying to get you to find the thing. We were stalling, so.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, you talked so much about breakfast that I. Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Have you been looking?

[Danny Kelly]

What did Jesse have for breakfast?

[Danny Heifetz]

He didn't actually include it. I'll read someone else's breakfast. Nick had a slice of carrot bread and black coffee.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Carrot.

[Danny Kelly]

Carrot bread.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's what I.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That's carrot bread.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is it just like carrot cake, but it's carrot. Well, carrot probably. Carrots and bread, right? I mean, people.

[Craig Krolbeck]

No, I guess it would be like.

[Danny Kelly]

Like zucchini.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

It's like a banana bread.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. Wow. Wow.

[Danny Heifetz]

Emails.

[Craig Krolbeck]

But I want that now, man.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm getting back into sourdough.

[Danny Kelly]

Nick, can you send us the carrot bread?

[Craig Krolbeck]

How'd you get out of sourdough?

[Danny Heifetz]

I let my starter die. Come on. No, I. Well, we can't.

[Danny Kelly]

One of the biggest misconceptions is that it's hard. You can make a starter. It's not that hard. Hard. Everyone's like, I need to borrow some starter.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I've always thought.

[Danny Kelly]

Also I borrowed literally, like flour and water. And you wait.

[Danny Heifetz]

But shout out to Joyce, who let me borrow the starter.

[Danny Kelly]

You know, you can go to bakeries and they'll give you some starters.

[Danny Heifetz]

They have starter daycares now where bakeries take in. And like, we'll take care.

[Danny Kelly]

But some bakeries, if you just like go to tartine and you're like, can I please have some starter?

[Danny Heifetz]

They're like, yeah, here you go. No way. Don't dox the place that did it for you.

[Danny Kelly]

No, they didn't. I just named a bakery I could think of. I don't know if tartine does it, but I'm saying you can go to.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Some bakery that seems like.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm just saying. I'm just saying it. All the kids are saying it.

[Danny Kelly]

We are not sponsored by tartine.

[Danny Heifetz]

No. What was I doing?

[Danny Kelly]

They do make great bread, though, that the recipe I make is based off tartine.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, yeah? Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

What was it? Oh, I was reading an email there.

[Danny Kelly]

Have you been to a tartine?

[Craig Krolbeck]

I don't know.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, I don't know what that is.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Did you.

[Danny Heifetz]

Isn't that a French pastry with the little pears?

[Danny Kelly]

Tartine is the name of a bakery that is here in LA and I.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Have you taken us to one?

[Danny Kelly]

No.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Then I haven't been there. I don't know how you.

[Danny Kelly]

He's like, I only eat hard boiled eggs unless you take me to a restaurant.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm.

[Danny Kelly]

I am the.

[Craig Krolbeck]

What is it called? A passenger. Princess.

[Danny Heifetz]

Princess.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I'm like, where are we going? I'll go.

[Danny Kelly]

I am taking you guys to a great restaurant.

[Danny Heifetz]

We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. We all bring different things to the table.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Having said that, where are we going?

[Danny Heifetz]

We take five trips a year and this man hasn't called an Uber in years. And to the point where I called an Uber last night to the wrong spot. He even say a word? Because he's like, yeah, that's all right.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I'm never. I'm like you. I will not complain. We went like two blocks.

[Danny Heifetz]

Bucks. Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

The guy was like, is this where you guys wanted to go?

[Danny Heifetz]

I was distracted. Anyway, this email, despite all that, is worth reading. Jesse writes. I think it's worth mentioning since Craig talked about the College of the Redwoods. My dad and I both went to the College of the Redwoods.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Nice. What are they? The Redwoods? Go Redwoods.

[Danny Kelly]

I have no idea.

[Danny Heifetz]

Okay, let me assume.

[Danny Kelly]

So Jesse writes, you mean their mascot?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yes.

[Danny Kelly]

Let me look it up.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sorry. Keep interrupting you.

[Danny Kelly]

Sorry, go ahead.

[Danny Heifetz]

Jesse writes that my dad and I both went to the College of the Redwoods at the same time.

[Danny Kelly]

What?

[Danny Heifetz]

Nice. You heard me. He went to College of the Redwoods at the same time as his dad did.

[Danny Kelly]

They dorm together.

[Danny Heifetz]

I'm glad you asked. So.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, no.

[Danny Kelly]

This is a movie, man.

[Danny Heifetz]

Why do you think I wanted it?

[Danny Kelly]

An 80s movie.

[Danny Heifetz]

God damn it. I can't believe this has. They've done motorcycle jousting and they haven't done this as a movie. So Jesse writes, after my dad turned 50.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Wingman. Name of the movie. Oh.

[Danny Kelly]

Like Father Like Son. That's a cheaty like father. 80s title.

[Danny Heifetz]

Father like son. No, like father like son is good.

[Danny Kelly]

Yeah, like father, like son.

[Danny Heifetz]

Should we cut this?

[Danny Kelly]

Martin and somebody.

[Danny Heifetz]

So good. Yeah.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Something in there?

[Danny Heifetz]

No, that's like the tagline. It's not the title.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Can I tell you the story?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

Sorry. So Jesse writes, after my dad turned 50, he suddenly decided he wanted to earn a degree.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay, sure.

[Danny Heifetz]

And this was about A year or so before I graduated high school. So my dad enrolls and puts in a full year at the College of the Redwoods.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And my dad, he's case in the joint.

[Danny Heifetz]

My dad basically spends the entire year becoming this polarizing class clown.

[Craig Krolbeck]

And he's like, so popular.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes. He's involved in every possible after school group. He takes over the school like Ferris fucking Bueller.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Wow.

[Danny Heifetz]

And so I grad. So Jesse writes, I graduate high school. I decide I just want to get some gen ed kids credits. College of the Redwoods, they live. Like, he says, it's an easy campus in the town that we live. He says our campus at high school was actually across the street from College of the Redwoods. So he can like walk to this college. He's like, I'm gonna get some gen ed credits. Like, okay. At the same time. So Jesse writes, I don't know how many people in the world have ever been big brothered by their own father, but I have. Because every teacher that at college was like, you're not as funny as your dad. And then they're like, oh, all the teachers like, your dad's funny. I thought you'd be funny. And then it turns out that a lot of my dad's papers were about me. So I go to a professor and it turns out my dad wrote a paper about how messy my room was. My dad wrote another essay about how I had no ambition, which was a little personal. And then my dad is just doxing me to his teachers and classmates and he just basically put me on blast. And then it ends up. They end up taking a psychology class together. And he said, and this is what made him drop out of College of the Rebels. Spoiler. He didn't. He didn't stay. And he says, it's like this. My dad was the class clown of psychology and just blurted stuff out and everyone loved it. And he said to the point where Freud would come up and about, like, you know, the young man and like, loving their mothers. And my dad would be like, sounds.

[Craig Krolbeck]

A lot like more than loving your mother.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, yeah, well, mother lover reading emails here.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

But Anyway, it's another 80s movie, but.

[Danny Heifetz]

They'Re reading emails, they're reading about Freud. And then Jesse's dad's like, yeah, sounds like my. It sounds like Jesse's always at his mom's house. And then everyone's like, laughing, point, laugh.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Dad, you're ruining it.

[Danny Heifetz]

And he's like, everyone would turn and look at me like I'm the. In this situation.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, my God, this is turning into, like, a tragedy.

[Danny Heifetz]

Is.

[Danny Kelly]

It's not. It's not as funny as the story. You could, like, you could totally build in the storyline of, like, the girl who, like, hooks up with both realize that they're related.

[Danny Heifetz]

Like Indiana Jones.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's the part of the movie that's the part of the movie where, like, you're like, oh, the dad went too far here. Like, like, okay. And then so I, I.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He actually dropped out after that.

[Danny Heifetz]

He dropped out and he went to a different college.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Probably the right. Probably the right move is this dad did. Are they on good terms now?

[Danny Heifetz]

I think so, yeah. I mean, he emailed. This was a long, long time ago, though.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Sure.

[Danny Kelly]

That's iconic.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I know. That's good.

[Danny Heifetz]

That was incredible.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's, like, accepted, sort of, but different.

[Danny Kelly]

Imagine, like, showing up to a frat party. You're like, dad's doing a beer bong in the back.

[Danny Heifetz]

Everyone's like, larry, Larry, Larry. So good, dude. Them taking psychology together. Is the part of the movie where you're like, this would never happen. I can't believe that. I can't believe you do Friday. Your dad's in class, and everyone's like, yeah, why are you always at your mom's house, man? All right, that's all I got.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Kind of a sick burn.

[Danny Heifetz]

So funny.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Can't come back from that.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, we're going to have our super bowl recap. We'll be up after the super bowl on Spotify. Netflix. Again, if you don't want to watch this on Netflix, there's no hard feelings. Just turn it on on Netflix and just let it play.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Just do us a solid.

[Danny Heifetz]

We're kidding, but, like, we're not. Just do that. Thank you, dk. Thank you, Craig. Thank you, whatever musicians coming up. I start, I can't see everyone who's in this room, but thank you, Carlos and Kai and Austin and Cam. Cam. And who else is here?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Abu.

[Danny Heifetz]

Abu. And I'm definitely missing someone. I'm sorry. Thank you, everyone else who's here. It's really dark, and these lights are really bright. Thank you, Lord.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Lord, thank you, Luther Vandross Heifetz asked me to do that. That's what I was researching. I was wrong. Who did he ask me to write?

[Danny Heifetz]

You've had four days. Do you know what that is a reference to?

[Craig Krolbeck]

No.

[Danny Heifetz]

Oh, my God.

[Danny Kelly]

You didn't see the whole Grammys thing with Cher?

[Craig Krolbeck]

No.

[Danny Heifetz]

So Cher gets up and gets the lifetime achievement award at the Grammys. And I have a question about this Please, go ahead.

[Danny Kelly]

No, no, you explain it, and then I'll bring them.

[Danny Heifetz]

Well, I. She seemed deer in the head. I think she genuinely probably isn't great in front. She said. The first thing she said is, like, I'm not good at public speaking. She was also seemed, like, really high and, like. Or at least she was having a good time, but, like, in a fun way.

[Danny Kelly]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

Not a nervous way. Like, she's like, oh, my God, I can't believe I'm here.

[Danny Kelly]

Slanderous.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Like, in a Larry way. Like, at a party.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, like, in a cool way. Like, in a cool way. Like you would want to hear.

[Danny Kelly]

We should also be noted. She.

[Craig Krolbeck]

She was pulling a Larry.

[Danny Kelly]

She's 79 years old.

[Craig Krolbeck]

79.

[Danny Heifetz]

It's crazy. Wow, look at Dolly Parton.

[Danny Kelly]

There's the Grammy for record of the year. She opens it up. She makes some joke. Like, oh, I. It's not on the prompter. I guess I got to read it off the card.

[Danny Heifetz]

She said, they told me it'd be on the prompter. She used to read the card. She stares at it, and I see what happens.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's hard to read at that age.

[Danny Heifetz]

So she.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, I mean, because of your eyesight, not because you're like, you forget how to read.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

And she. I don't think anybody was thinking that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay.

[Danny Heifetz]

People listening. Like, yeah, it's hard to read because of the brain. Yeah.

[Danny Kelly]

Like, well, Sheriff forgot how to read.

[Craig Krolbeck]

I guess the teleprompter is not gonna help. They do just a picture of who won.

[Danny Heifetz]

So she opens it, and the. So she. The nominee was a Kendrick Lamar song named Luther, but it's also she.

[Danny Kelly]

And the song is about Luther Vandross. So.

[Danny Heifetz]

So. And it says there, like. And I think they had a Sam. Luther Van. I forget why, but Luther Vandross is. Vandross is like a person. So she just reads the record. The Grammy goes to Luther Vandross.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Everyone's, like, confused.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was incredible.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

And then they're, like, apologizing.

[Danny Kelly]

Warren Beatty.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah, yeah.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was like that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

God.

[Danny Kelly]

But she. And Kimmel gets up after and goes, warren, what did you do? Warren?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Oh, no. Oh, talk about, like, truly the worst nightmare, dude.

[Danny Heifetz]

They got. They got put. They got left out to dry, Warren. And Cher got left out to dry guy.

[Craig Krolbeck]

So wait, so did so Cher up? Or was it like, kind of haha?

[Danny Kelly]

It was like, no, it's not a huge deal.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It's fine. It was.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was funny because, like, Kendrick Lamar was, like, talking the award and the other guy whose name she read. He comes up, he's like, yeah, shout out Luther Vandross. And then she's like, apologizing. You can be like. He's like, no, it's fine.

[Danny Kelly]

My question is, was the name. The name Luther was obviously on the card. Was the. Was the Vandross on the card or did she just fill that in herself?

[Danny Heifetz]

I think.

[Danny Kelly]

Do you think Share was aware that the song Luther is about Luther Vander?

[Danny Heifetz]

No, I think that because it's.

[Danny Kelly]

His name was on the card.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think he samples his music so he. As a credit, like, he was listed.

[Danny Kelly]

You think?

[Danny Heifetz]

So she's looking at Luther. Why would she think the name of the song is Luther? She's thinking, like, you read the first.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Thing you see there.

[Danny Kelly]

But you think the word Vandross was on the card.

[Danny Heifetz]

Yes, I do think it was. That's why.

[Danny Kelly]

Because I don't think she knows that the song is about Luther Vandross.

[Craig Krolbeck]

No. Warren, what did you do?

[Danny Kelly]

What did you do, Warren? Dude, that's so brutal. The La Land guys got up there and they were like.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Like, this doesn't for us.

[Danny Kelly]

That was moonlight one.

[Craig Krolbeck]

That makes me. It's painful to think about this. And I have no relation whatsoever to any of these.

[Danny Kelly]

Dude, we had some crazy Oscars moments. We had that, and then Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.

[Danny Heifetz]

That's one of our best episodes ever. I had so much fun that day.

[Danny Kelly]

That was unbelievable. I still can't. That is. I. I still in shock.

[Danny Heifetz]

That was crazy.

[Danny Kelly]

We still don't. We don't spend enough time on that. We're going to be telling our children too much. One of the biggest, biggest movie stars ever just got up and slapped one of the biggest comedians ever in the middle of the Oscar.

[Danny Heifetz]

Get your wife's name out your mouth.

[Danny Kelly]

I thought it was fake.

[Danny Heifetz]

I thought it was a.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Everyone thought it was fake.

[Danny Kelly]

It had to be.

[Danny Heifetz]

Do you know what I think about.

[Danny Kelly]

Like, back and like, he hit him. Chris Rocco's greatest moment in the history of television.

[Danny Heifetz]

And then I think, wow, bro.

[Danny Kelly]

Wow, bro.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Or dude.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think, wow, dude.

[Danny Kelly]

Wow, dude.

[Danny Heifetz]

It was a gr. Jane Chalk. You know what else I think about all the time is, like, because Will Smith then, like, wins the award later.

[Danny Kelly]

Yes.

[Danny Heifetz]

And then Denzel. Denzel Washington stands up in the commercial.

[Danny Kelly]

He won best actor.

[Danny Heifetz]

But the other part of, like, that, I think breaks the fourth walls. Like, the Denzel Washington, apparently, between the commercial breaks, comes up right to him and he's like. Gives him, like, a legit Denzel Washington, like, Training Day level. Denzel speech. And he's like, at your greatest moment, that's when the devil comes for you. And he like hypes up Will Smith. He's like, the devil's coming for you right now. And he's like, you have to be a warrior of God. I'm like, can you imagine, Den, like, Denzel Washington's telling him this in the commercial break.

[Danny Kelly]

That's kind of age the worst, I think.

[Advertisement Voice]

Don't you think?

[Danny Heifetz]

Yeah, it's. You're not the victim here.

[Danny Kelly]

He was like at the governor's ball after the, after the award, like, partying with everybody. Will Smith. I'm like, maybe we should have not done that.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Take it down a notch.

[Danny Kelly]

He just assaulted a man on live television.

[Danny Heifetz]

I think Chris Rock was really mad about that for literally years as he on tv just hit me.

[Craig Krolbeck]

He just slapped me.

[Danny Heifetz]

That was crazy.

[Danny Kelly]

Oh, good times.

[Danny Heifetz]

All right, it. Oh, we already did the thank yous. Okay. Just goodbye, everyone.

[Danny Kelly]

Luther Vandross. I watched a documentary on him once at Sundance.

[Craig Krolbeck]

It was okay, Great story, compelling and rich.

[Danny Kelly]

Don't remember a lot from it.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Okay.

[Danny Kelly]

But I didn't know who he was really, so it was nice to watch.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Yeah. Okay, cool.

[Danny Kelly]

All right.

[Danny Heifetz]

Now it's goodbye, everyone. Must be 21 plus and present in select states. For Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 in present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-G GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-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. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770-7867.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that.

[Danny Kelly]

Special someone in your life a gift.

[Craig Krolbeck]

Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless.

[Danny Kelly]

So here's the idea.

[Craig Krolbeck]

You get it now, you call it an early present for next year.

[Danny Kelly]

What do you have to lose?

[Craig Krolbeck]

Give it a [e-mail] switch.

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