Stephen A's Take: We may see history in Jayden Daniels' Super bowl run. - The Stephen A. Smith Show

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show Episode: Stephen A's Take: We May See History in Jayden Daniels' Super Bowl Run
Release Date: January 26, 2025
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

Introduction

In this episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the NFL landscape, providing his expert analysis and bold predictions for the upcoming Championship Sunday. Focusing primarily on the NFC and AFC matchups, Smith examines player performances, coaching strategies, and team dynamics to forecast a potentially historic Super Bowl showdown.

NFC Early Game: Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Jaden Daniels Shines Stephen A. Smith opens his analysis by highlighting Jaden Daniels' exceptional performance this season. With 17 games played, 568 passing yards, 69 completions, 25 touchdown passes, and only 9 interceptions, Daniels has proven himself as a dual-threat quarterback capable of both passing and running effectively. Smith remarks at [01:15]:

"Jaden Daniels is just balling out, brother. Spectacular."

Coaching Kudos Smith commends the coaching staff of both teams, particularly Dan Quinn of the Commanders and Cliff Kingsbury, the offensive coordinator. He praises Kingsbury's strategic mind, predicting a bright future for him in head coaching positions:

"Cliff Kingsbury is doing a hell of a job as an offensive coordinator. He’s going to be a head coach again in the National Football League someday soon if he continues to do what he's been doing." [02:10]

Defense Dominance The crux of the upcoming game, according to Smith, lies in the Philadelphia Eagles' defense. With Vic Fangio at the helm, the Eagles possess one of the league's most formidable defenses. Smith emphasizes Daniels' challenges against this unit:

"I'm looking at Jaden Daniels. 17 games, 568 yards, 69 completion, 25 touchdown passes, just nine interceptions and he can run with the football. It's going to be tough because he's a dual threat. But if anybody can handle him, it's the Philadelphia Eagles." [04:00]

Jalen Hurts' Injury Impact Smith also touches on Jalen Hurts' injury woes, noting that recent concussions have sidelined Hurts during critical moments. He highlights the Commanders' strategy to exploit Hurts' mobility:

"We concussed you a few weeks ago. Your leg is messed up right now. We gonna put a hat on you. That's what they saying." [04:45]

Saquon Barkley's MVP-Caliber Season No discussion of the Eagles is complete without mentioning Saquon Barkley. Smith lauds Barkley's outstanding performance, rushing for 2,000 yards, and speculates on his MVP potential:

"Saquon Barkley may have very well been a league MVP if he had run the last game of the season for the New York Giants." [05:10]

Eagles' Path to the Super Bowl Concluding his NFC analysis, Smith confidently predicts the Eagles' victory over the Commanders, setting them up as strong contenders for the Super Bowl:

"I believe the Philadelphia Eagles are going to win this game and they're going to go to the Super Bowl." [05:50]

AFC Late Game: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes Shifting focus to the AFC matchup, Smith contrasts Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. While praising Allen's abilities, Smith questions the overall strength of the Bills:

"I love Josh Allen. I think he's great. I just don't think his team is that great." [06:00]

In stark contrast, Smith unequivocally lauds Mahomes as the premier quarterback in the league:

"Patrick Mahomes is just the best in the world. He just is. He's the best on the planet." [06:30]

Travis Kelsey's Playoff Prowess Highlighting the Chiefs' offensive weapons, Smith points to Travis Kelsey's consistent postseason performance as a key advantage:

"I have Travis Kelsey having some stuff to prove. ... Travis Kelsey ended up with about 32 receptions for over 300 yards in the playoffs." [06:45]

Coaching and Defense Smith credits Andy Reid's strategic acumen and the Chiefs' defensive coordinator Spagnolo for their team's success:

"You got Andy Reid coaching and calling plays. You got Spagnolo handling the defensive side of the ball." [07:00]

Bills' Defensive Weaknesses Criticizing the Bills' defense, Smith argues that their inability to contain Mahomes will be their downfall:

"Patrick Mahomes you’re talking about. Now, Josh Allen is .03 against him in the playoffs. ... Because the defense gives up an average of 35. That's their problem." [07:20]

Super Bowl Prediction: Chiefs vs. Eagles Wrapping up his AFC analysis, Smith envisions a Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and Eagles, forecasting a showdown in New Orleans:

"I got Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch for the Super Bowl. That's what I got going on." [07:40]

Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Stephen A. Smith delivers a comprehensive breakdown of the key NFL matchups leading up to the Super Bowl. His insights into player performances, strategic coaching decisions, and team dynamics culminate in a bold prediction: a historic Super Bowl face-off between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith's passionate delivery and in-depth analysis provide listeners with a clear understanding of his perspective on the season's climax.

Notable Quotes:

Stephen A. Smith [01:15]: "Jaden Daniels is just balling out, brother. Spectacular."
Stephen A. Smith [02:10]: "Cliff Kingsbury is doing a hell of a job as an offensive coordinator. He’s going to be a head coach again in the National Football League someday soon if he continues to do what he's been doing."
Stephen A. Smith [04:00]: "I'm looking at Jaden Daniels. ... he's a dual threat. But if anybody can handle him, it's the Philadelphia Eagles."
Stephen A. Smith [04:45]: "We concussed you a few weeks ago. Your leg is messed up right now. We gonna put a hat on you. That's what they saying."
Stephen A. Smith [05:10]: "Saquon Barkley may have very well been a league MVP if he had run the last game of the season for the New York Giants."
Stephen A. Smith [05:50]: "I believe the Philadelphia Eagles are going to win this game and they're going to go to the Super Bowl."
Stephen A. Smith [06:00]: "I love Josh Allen. I think he's great. I just don't think his team is that great."
Stephen A. Smith [06:30]: "Patrick Mahomes is just the best in the world. He just is. He's the best on the planet."
Stephen A. Smith [06:45]: "I have Travis Kelsey having some stuff to prove. ... Travis Kelsey ended up with about 32 receptions for over 300 yards in the playoffs."
Stephen A. Smith [07:20]: "Patrick Mahomes you’re talking about. Now, Josh Allen is .03 against him in the playoffs. ... Because the defense gives up an average of 35. That's their problem."
Stephen A. Smith [07:40]: "I got Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch for the Super Bowl. That's what I got going on."

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of Stephen A. Smith's analysis, highlighting key discussions and his confident predictions for the NFL's championship games.

Transcript

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Stephen A. Smith (1:01)

I gotta transition back into the NFL because we got to get to my picks for championship Sunday. We'll start with the early game in the NFC where the Washington Commanders head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. Look, Jaden Daniels is just balling out the brother. Spectacular. McLaren's no joke either. They run by committee. Their defense bends a lot but doesn't necessarily break. Dan Quinn is exceptionally coaching this team. Cliff Kingsbury is doing a hell of a job as an offensive coordinator. He's going to be a head coach again in the National Football League someday soon if he continues to do what he's been doing. Give props where props is due, but in the end, here's what this is coming down to. I think it's coming down to the Philadelphia Eagles defense. They're number one for a reason and when you look at Vic Fangio on that defense and the way they get at you, I'm looking at Jaden Daniels. 17 games, 3. 568 yards, 69 completion, 25 touchdown passes, just nine interceptions and he can run with the football. It's going to be. It's not going to be easy because he's a dual threat. But if anybody can handle his the Philadelphia Eagles. And remember when they lost to Washington in the beginning of the season. Okay, let's remember something. Not the beginning of the season. Near the End of the season, Jay, Jalen Hurts didn't play for a vast majority again because he got hurt. He got concussed in that game. Now he got concussed on the design run and you heard coach with the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders talking about how once he jumped, once he runs out of the pocket, we are going to treat him like a runner and we are going to hit him like a running back. So guess what? We concussed you a few weeks ago. Your leg is messed up right now. We gonna put a hat on you. That's what they saying. They giving them something to think about. I love that. I absolutely love that. Because it's within bounds, it's fair game, it's within the. It's within the confines of football. Ain't a damn thing wrong with that. Let's get that out the way. Number one, number two, Saquon Barkley. How can we mention Philadelphia Eagles without mentioning him? Saquon Barkley's rushed for 2,000 yards. 2005 to be exact. Saquon Barkley may have very well been a league MVP if he had ran the last game of the season for the New York Giant. I mean, you know, against the New York Giants, his old team, he was 101 yard shot of all time single season Russia record. And Nick Sirianni didn't let him do that. You better win this damn conference. You better get to the Super Bowl. You sacrifice Saquon Barkley and his MVP caliber season for that. You better win. You better get it done. So let's throw that out the way. Okay? We got to do that. So having said all of that, Saquon Barkley running the football, AJ Brown having some stuff to prove. Jalen hurts knowing people are questioning him. Philadelphia Eagles being top notch and you being at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia as great as Jaden Daniels is, I believe Philadelphia Eagles are going to win this game and they're going to go to the Super Bowl. In the afc, the late game features a matchup of Josh Allen heading to Kansas City with the Buffalo Bills to take on the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. I love Josh Allen. I think he's great. I just don't think his team is that great. Now one could easily say the same thing about the Kansas City Chiefs because you know, they got some question marks. But I got news for you. Patrick Mahomes is just the best in the world. He just is. He's the best on the planet. And Travis Kelsey is that stud. I don't care what he did during the regular season. Didn't do much during the regular season last year either, but ended up with about 32 receptions for over 300 yards in the playoffs. I think that's the kind of thing that we're going to expect from a Travis Kelsey. You got some weapons out there for the Kansas City Chiefs. You got Andy Reid coaching and calling plays. You got Spagnolo handling the defensive side of the ball. They're at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. I'm looking at Buffalo last week. I understand you did what you needed to do because the objective is to win the game. But you ain't beating Patrick Mahomes. Throw for 125 yards. Ain't gonna happen. You're gonna have to air it out. You're gonna have to air it out, which means you got to get Amari Cooper involved. He can't have one target and zero receptions and you gonna be Kansas City. I don't expect that to happen for a second week in a row to Amari Cooper, but I'm here to tell y'all right now, just so we are clear, this Patrick Mahomes you talking about Now, Josh Allen is.03 against him in the playoffs. Josh Allen, in terms of rushing and passing yards, 343 per game, 28 points per game in those three playoff games against Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City that he has lost. Why did he lost? Because the defense gives up an average of 35. That's their problem. And I think it's going to be a problem again. I don't see how they going to stop Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs. I really, really don't. I got Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch for the Super Bowl. That's what I got going on, a rematch of the Super Bowl. That's what I see coming down the pike. I got the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles going to New Orleans.