After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 3

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So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. OMG, and I don't even say that. I am so tired of seeing rookies complain about not getting a call. You cannot be serious. I remember when only captains were allowed to speak to officials.

And now everybody does it. Can you just shut up and play basketball? Your mama raised you better than that. Have you lost your mind?

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Someone else, you must have confused me. Confused me when. Someone else, you must have confused me.

Confused me when. Someone else, there ain't no excuses. No excuses now.

Your mama raised you better than that. I do think the Ravens and Giants should be a good game. And I do think that if you look at the two teams and what they have at stake and where they are in the season. It could be a very competitive game and also has implications. The AFC North is still wide open and we know the Giants are trying to keep pace with the Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East. And those teams face each other. So look at the opportunity here for the New York Giants. But obvi, the Bills and Chiefs are the big bads and the fact that it's back at Arrowhead Stadium in 13 seconds.

I don't know if it's too soon. One Bills fan said to me that it would be okay to bring it up on Monday. So after the rematch, except, come on you guys, it's not a rematch when it's happening in the regular season. The official rematch would be in the playoffs, right? This game does not count for the same as what their game did in the divisional round. This is not the same thing as a playoff game where you win or you're done.

It's not the same. And I don't care how many times they tee it up, kick it off again, we may have some really entertaining games. It'll never be as crazy as that one. In a season in which we had maybe one of the best, most entertaining, most scintillating, enticing set of games ever in the NFL playoffs.

And you know me, how much I snicker at hyperbole. I mean, last year's postseason may have been the best ever. If not, it has to be top two. If you can name one that was better, then fine.

I think it's widely accepted. The NFL even admits this was one of the best playoff runs that we've ever seen. So many games going down to the wire.

And then 13 seconds. Are you kidding me? Now, I hope we have a game that's just as good on Sunday. But it won't be a rematch. And let's be honest, let's be fair, Bills fans, it's not going to give you vindication or redemption.

Not the kind that you want. Not until you get back to the postseason. But hell yes, I'm glad the game is on CBS and I cannot wait. The dog walk is going to have to happen beforehand and she better leave me alone until after the game is over. No, Penny runs the show. Seriously, not only do I carry her and her hair with me everywhere I go, but her schedule obviously matters way more than anything that I have to do.

Thank God for the pause button on my DVR when I need it. I tell you what, poor thing. No, she's fine.

No poor thing about it, really. But what I've noticed lately is that she follows me around the house. Really, the second I leave a room, she comes with me unless she's dead asleep because she can't hear me.

And so in order to know what's happening, and Aussies are very much about their people and what their people are doing and keeping an eye on their people. She doesn't really hurt me as much anymore, though she still does that on the sidewalk by essentially pushing me off the sidewalk. And so now whenever I leave a room, she has to follow me. And this afternoon, sorry, Thursday afternoon, she had already gone downstairs to get some water, I think, so I was still sleeping. When I woke up, I started yelling.

And I have to yell now. She can still hear, she just can't hear inside voice, which is fine because I don't really have an inside voice. But she can't hear me just talking to her the way that she always used to. Now I have to yell, which makes for some very interesting and confusing looks from the neighbors. When we're walking outside, I have to yell at the dog because I can't get her attention unless I yell. And generally, I don't walk with her on a leash anymore because it's just not necessary.

The dog has really one speed and slow. And so anyway, I woke up, she was downstairs. I always wake up and start talking to her right away, whether she's in my room or whether she's somewhere else.

Penny, Penny. And so she could hear me because I was yelling, but she didn't know where I was. And I hear her kind of click, click, click, click, click, click, clickling downstairs because she's checking all the rooms and she doesn't know where I am. And then poor thing starts whining. Mom, where are you?

I can't find you. I felt terrible. I guess it never dawned on my super smart dog that I might still be upstairs, which was the last place she left me. Poor dog didn't know where I was.

She was distraught for a little bit there. So of course I went halfway down the stairs and mom is here, mom is here, and she was good. She started wagging her tail, but yeah, I guess it just never occurred to her that I might be on the other level of the house. Instead, she was whining because she couldn't find me in any of the downstairs rooms. She's a goof. Her new thing too, in addition to being half deaf, is that when I go into the bathroom to take a shower, she lays down on the bath mat.

It's hot in there. I don't know why she does that, but again, I wouldn't say she's clingy. I just think she needs to know where I am, which has always been the case with her.

She just could hear me, so it was a little bit different. So yeah, these days when I get out of the shower, I have to step over her very carefully because she will not move. And she doesn't seem to mind that it's super hot in there, and then she falls asleep.

So I'm trying to get ready for work and everything else, and the dog is in the bathroom. She's stretched out, so her head is now behind the toilet, snoring. I just leave her in there. She sleeps in there for quite a while. She has no idea. Poor thing.

This is what happens when you're a month away from being 13, okay? She's going to have a birthday in exactly a month, and I'm thankful for every last day with her. She makes me laugh literally multiple times a day because she's so goofy, and she still makes funny noises, and she still loves her mama, loves her walks.

Boy, does that dog love treats, so even though she's got diabetes and she's half deaf, she's still very much in love with all of the treats that we have in the closet. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. We're live from the Rocket Mortgage studios. Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage can help you get there for home loan solutions that fit your life.

Rocket Cam. So we're rounding into a football Friday. Yes, there was a winner in last night's game. Funny enough, same number of points it took to win Thursday Night Football week five. So the Colts and the Commanders come away with victories, 12 points each. That's all it took. Football continues to surprise. We've got the poll up now on Twitter. It's an exercise in futility.

Is that what you're trying to tell me? Three games. We've only done three games.

I don't know if Producer J will be really disappointed. We've only put up three games because Marco Belletti vetoed adding any other games. I'm actually really impressed that Ravens and Giants at this point have almost 5% of the vote. Yeah, let's go. I feel bad for the underdogs. I'm rooting for the underdogs. I tried to sell you on why that's a game that you must watch. Also on our Facebook page now, and I'm pretty proud of myself for finally getting these two social media posts up.

With no help from Producer J. So that's on Twitter, ALawRadio, After Hours, CBS, and then our Facebook page. And our phone number 855-212-4227.

That's 855-212-4CBS. Coming up before the end of this hour, we'll do a little preview. I love, love, love what Demarcus Lawrence has to say about how, yeah, he's pretty sure there'll be some smack talking going on with the Cowboys and the Eagles. And hey, Jalen Hurts, he's coming for you. We've got more of quarterbacks weighing in on the roughing the passer calls. It's not going away, and we'll see how those calls are divvied out.

Divvied up, I should say, and how they're administered. How the flags are administered in week number 6 on Sunday. It was good to hear in the last couple days that Tanga Valoa is at least throwing the football again and has returned to practice. I don't know why I haven't heard an update on Teddy Bridgewater. I just, I know he's not playing this weekend.

Skyler Thompson's getting his first start. But we haven't heard an update on him in concussion protocol or how long they will keep him in concussion protocol. The last Mike McDaniel told us is he had no symptoms. He had never had any type of a concussion symptom, but he was in concussion protocol, so he's being treated like he has a concussion. So I'm not sure what the latest is with him, just know that the rookie Skyler Thompson is getting his first start. It actually dawned on me, it's kind of just another example of how the NFL never works out the way that you anticipate, ever.

You think you know, but you don't know. Considering the storylines going into the 2022 season around the Patriots and the Dolphins, would you have ever thought at this point that there'd be two rookie quarterbacks who are starting? Now maybe you could have anticipated that with Pittsburgh if you weren't a big believer in Mitch Trubisky coming in and the offense blossoming with Mitch.

There was plenty of talk about Kenny before the season ever kicked off. And another big test for him, right, because the Buccaneers defense will be landing in Pittsburgh for week number six. By the way, the Bucs are the team that I picked in the Survivor pool. I do not feel good about it.

I actually feel like I should have picked the Bengals, considering that, but it's just playing in the Superdome is rough and their defense still can wreak some havoc. So I just, I don't feel good at all about my pick, but I never do. And Carlos, if you don't know this, I don't think I've put it out there on social. I've never made it past week six. There are only five of us left on our Survivor Island archipelago.

So we've got two islands, but between the two islands, five of us. That's it. And so I don't really care much about winning. What I care about is that I make it past week six.

So this is the ultimate test. Never made it past week six. Yeah, I didn't make it past week three this year. Yeah, well, in our office pool, producer Jay and I, I mean, we went in and out together, but I actually paid for it, so whatever.

He's not here, so of course I can tease him. We made it to week two, and then the Jets did us in. Oh wait, maybe the Browns. It was the Browns that did us in. It was the Browns losing to the Jets, right?

Didn't they play in week number two? Yeah, that's what did it for a lot of people, but Dallas got me with a backup quarterback. I didn't think Cooper Rush was going to win that game. That's because Cooper Rush doesn't play the game by himself. You've seen how good the defense is, right? Yeah, that defense. Yeah, I mean, that's what happens when you boil games down to a quarterback. Cooper may be the best game manager we've ever seen, but that's all he has to do.

I mean, that defense just provides a sweet cushion. So we will talk Cowboys, Eagles, because Demarcus Lawrence has got stuff to say. That's coming up here after hours on CBS Sports Radio.

Also, I don't know. At some point we'll have to get an insider from Denver to find out how much things have cooled around Russell Wilson. And I'm not necessarily referring to the fans, because we know fans are fickle.

That's part of being a fanatic. But the team itself was so thrilled with Russell Wilson. All we heard, all of preseason and training camp, was how hype they were, was how much energy there was. And this has to be weighing on them. And so I wonder if the team itself has cooled.

Now, you're probably not going to get anyone to say that publicly, and they shouldn't. But just the idea that this has gone so horribly wrong and that we're not seeing the Russell Wilson, maybe not from last year, but the Russell Wilson that was so good and mobile and smart and made great decisions and could make any throw in the field from those first, say, eight years in Seattle. So we'll hear from Russ a little bit as well. But I want to, for the next few minutes, let you hear from Draymond Green, because he is back with the team.

We knew this was coming. And he's typically defiant. This is Draymond, right? He does not care, or he wants you to think he does not care about anything that you have to say.

The more you push him, the more he pushes back. And whatever remorse we may have been expecting with Draymond, it's all private. There is absolutely no remorse coming publicly. Now, I've said it before, and I'll say it again just to reiterate my stance on the Draymond Green situation after the video was leaked of him punching Jordan Poole at practice, a private practice, a closed practice.

I was stunned by the number of people who, okay, maybe it wasn't that many, a handful of people who actually got on my Facebook page or my Twitter and said, you've lost all my respect, you think it's okay for someone to punch someone else. Okay, that's just dumb. When the bleep did I say that? I never said that. I said Draymond hurt himself, he hurt his teammates, he damaged trust. He brought all of this on to the point where now the team has to focus on repairing these relationships, as opposed to enjoying being defending champions and starting out with all of the excitement of banner raising and being the team to beat yet again in the NBA. I never said it was okay for Draymond to punch Jordan.

You guys just make crap up sometimes. I also said, and I'll say it again, that video never should have been leaked. Whoever leaked that video did more damage to the organization than good, did a lot of damage to the organization, and it was clearly someone who was internal, and I hope that person gets outed and fired.

All you did was make it worse, infinitely worse. The Warriors, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, Bob Myers, Jordan, Draymond, all their teammates, they already have to deal with the fallout from this, and that's a problem that Draymond created. Not all by himself, of course, but he's the one that chose to throw the punch. But the person who leaked it betrayed their organization for a buck and for some scandal. I believe that the NBA was right to stay out of it, in the same way that the NFL was right to stay out of that joint practice where Aaron Donald swung the helmet. That's not a league issue. That's a team matter. What is the league going to start doing? Demanding all the practice video from every single time the teams are behind closed doors? Start policing that?

No. It's a little bit like the federal government versus state government. We don't always want the federal government up in our business as individual states.

Not all states can be governed the same way. Well, not all teams can and should be governed or watched or monitored the same way, and at least got too many of its own issues to deal with. So I'm glad the NBA stayed out of it, and the Warriors internally decided not to suspend Draymond.

They fined him. That's up to them. It never should have been a we conversation. It never should have been an issue that we were talking about. I firmly believe that.

So the fallout is infinitely worse because of the person who leaked the video. And I hate that. I think that's gross. I'm loyal to a fault, and I've said this a bazillion times. I'm like a sad puppy. You have to kick me, essentially, to get me to go away when I decide that I care about someone.

I'm not great at walking away, and I definitely don't betray people. And I can't understand why that team employee would do this, unless he or she has an ax to grind with Draymond. But I think mostly to make a buck from TMZ. Let's be honest. That's a powerful motivation. So Draymond returned to practice on Thursday, and he was generally defiant. I actually like Draymond as a basketball player. He's the kind of player that you hate to play against, but you want him on your team.

Passion, fire, energy. He's obviously extremely talented on both ends of the court, but a defensive mastermind. He's the cornerstone, or the center cog in the wheel, if you will. Not center cog. He's the center. The center where all the spokes go. I don't know what that's called. He's the axle!

Kick saving a beauty. He's the axle in the wheel. He's the hub. But I don't love how he carries himself. But you know what? He's a grown man.

And if the Warriors are willing to put up with him, then who am I to say they shouldn't? I just remember going back to pre-season and training camp and those long, long, long stretches. Even holidays. Like we'd come back from Christmas early to campus and have to do two a days. Our coach would make us run because we ate too many Christmas cookies.

It was the worst. After, say, a week, two weeks, all you do is battle your own teammates. They cheat because they know what's coming.

They know the plays too. It's not organic. You're tired of them touching you. They're tired of them bumping you. It gets very, very edgy.

It gets very annoying. And I never threw a punch at anyone, but absolutely. They'd be pushing and shoving. I probably did throw a kick at somebody before.

Get off me! You get tired of battling your own teammates and it's intense. And these guys are professional basketball players.

So I can understand how a punch gets thrown. And if you don't think that this happens fairly routinely in practices at the NFL, NBA, NHL level, I mean, baseball's not a context board, but maybe strongly worded conversations. I mean, come on, these are professional athletes.

Almost all of them have huge egos and they're intense or they wouldn't be at this level. So come on, let's not be, like, blind or naive and think this never happens. It happens all the time! It just doesn't get leaked. And because it's Draymond, it's more interesting. It's more scintillating.

It's more controversial. So no, it's not okay to throw a punch. But if his teammates are willing to work with him, if his coaches, his bosses are willing to say, we're going to put this behind us and move forward together, I don't think we should be involved at all. But you're going to have to remember Draymond's never going to give an inch. He's never really going to be remorseful.

If there's an apology, it's so quick that if you stick your finger in your ear for two seconds, you might miss it. So you're going to hear from him coming up. He was asked about his relationship with Jordan Poole. He was asked about what he learned while he was gone, away from the team for a week. It was supposed to be a mental health break. And you know what?

Sometimes life sucks. Who knows what's going on in Draymond's life that kind of boiled over? Again, not excusing him.

Got to make sure I underline that because not so many of you, a few of you. It's just stunning how I can say one thing and you can hear something completely different. Who knows what's happening in his life? Sometimes as humans, we take crap out on the people nearest to us when it has nothing to do with them. Our emotions get the best of us.

And that's Draymond. He's that kind of person. I've been in that position before. I don't punch people, but I've said things that I wish I could take back. I mean, heck, Ron Rivera had that kind of a week where he said a bunch of stuff that he wished he could take back.

So sometimes people are stepping in it and it boils over. But if you're looking for a remorseful Draymond, yeah, not going to find that guy. So, you know, if you didn't like him before, this will probably add fuel to the fire. That's coming up next. In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter, ALawRadio. You can vote for our After Hours Game of the Week because there are actual other games.

And then on our Facebook page, too, because I figured it out. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast.

We welcome all kinds here on After Hours. Tom is listening. Actually, Tom's not listening. He's talking.

Time out. Do you have it written down or are you practicing in the mirror? No, no, no, no, no, no. I was just practicing what I was planning on saying. Tom, before I let you go, do you feel like the practice helped? Of course, yeah.

Practice makes that work more successful. And thank you for having me on the air. No, thank you, Tom. I appreciate that. I've never had someone get caught practicing before.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. All right, Carlos, was this intentional that you used Rocky music with Draymond Green? All right. See, now, if Carlos could have a sense of humor and use Rocky music, why can't you all breathe just a little bit when it comes to Draymond? Just fair warning here.

Spoiler alert. If you're looking for a remorseful Draymond, you're not going to find it. Now, I don't know what he said behind the scenes.

I don't know. We'll hear from Draymond here as well as Steve Kerr. I certainly know that if he was a defiant, a double curvy roads hole that included no apology and no remorse, it's likely that he would have been suspended. And it was reported that Steph Curry was instrumental in keeping all of his teammates together and that he really was the facilitator in the conversations that had to be engaged in for them to be able to put this behind them. So just because Draymond is not remorseful publicly doesn't mean he wasn't privately, but you know how he is about the media. Of course, he's now a member of the media, so that's funny.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio using that term media loosely. On Thursday, he was asked about fixing his relationship with Jordan Poole and how that happens. I'm not sure. As I said before, that's not up to me.

You know, so nor do I think there's much relevance. Quite frankly, we both know how to play basketball, and that is the most important thing for us. We're paid to do a job, and we're going to come and do that job to the best of our ability. And we want to continue to win, so we're going to do what we have to do to win. As far as us moving forward, Jordan's a professional, I'm a professional. We have a job to do. We both have experienced a lot of winning over the course of our lives, and we know what that takes.

And so we're going to do just that, what it takes to win. I know it can be jarring to hear, and again, I warned you, you're not going to find remorse with Draymond. But what he says is actually true. The part in which he indicates that us being buddies, us having a repaired relationship is not relevant to their winning. Now, can that damage trust affect games and outcomes? Yeah, it could, but this is a veteran team.

The core is the same. It's not like all of a sudden people realize Draymond can be a jerk. I mean, come on, let's be honest here. He's gone at his own coach before. There have been shouting matches with other players. At the end of KD's tenure in Golden State, they didn't like each other either. The reports out there about how tense it was, now they're buddies now. But all of those things happen and then some when it comes to team dynamics. A lot of alpha males, a lot at stake, a lot of money, a lot of egos, a lot of pressure.

That's a combustible combo. In an NFL locker room, you're talking 53 active players and practice squad. Not to mention the guys that aren't actually active. An extensive roster of coaches and general managers. You think all those guys get along all the time?

Hell no. Again, I was mentioning basketball. I mean, in a perfect world, a basketball team, because it's a lot smaller, everybody can get along. But all this speak from my own experience, there were times when there were teammates I couldn't stand. But when you're on the court, that has to go away. Now in a college setting, it's maybe more prominent because you're talking about kids.

But these are adults whose job is to play basketball to the best of their ability. So I don't like how he said it. Initially when I heard him say it's irrelevant, I could feel my dander up. But he's right. It doesn't matter if he and Jordan Poole like each other. And Jordan may never want to speak to him again. But Jordan's also got a job to do. Is he well within his human right to think Draymond's a big fat jerk?

Absolutely. And maybe he's told him that. Hell, we don't even know what was said before Draymond threw the punch. Once again, caveat, not excusing it. Only telling you, you don't know what was said beforehand.

We don't know what happened in the days leading up to this. These are two grown men. And whether they want to work it out or don't, maybe they never go out for pizza together.

That's dumb. But maybe they never hang together again. Right? No more double dates for Draymond and Jordan and their significant others.

But what has to happen is they have to be able to play basketball together. So I warned you, you're not going to get any type of remorse. So what did Draymond learn while he was away from the team?

Carlos? I learn by myself every day. I think, you know, as I said before, the moment you stop working on yourself, you get worse. And so I think I learn new things about myself every day. That's always the goal. Yeah, you're not going to get what you want from Draymond Green. It's an unsatisfactory type of a conversation unless what you love is soundbites. The kind that you never forget.

Oh, we got one of those. So Draymond, how did you spend your time while you were away from the team? It was great. I spent a lot of time with my kids. Made eggs with my son. Taught him how to cook. I cook really good eggs. So I taught him how to cook some eggs. Spent a lot of time with my kids, but also a lot of time dealing with this stuff, too. Well, of course he did, obviously. And to be fair, these guys don't get a lot of time with their families during the season.

They're on the road a bunch. His kids, by the way, are adorbs. And I am not surprised that he tried to find some mental health and some solace in spending time with his kids. He is a human, after all, and he is a dad. But just the fact that he says it was great. I taught my kids how to make eggs.

I taught my son how to make eggs. Right, there's no remorse there. Uh-uh. Wait, can we hear it again?

Because it's just so Draymond. So Draymond, what did you do while you were away? How did you spend that time?

It was great. I spent a lot of time with my kids. Made eggs with my son. Taught him how to cook. I cooked really good eggs. Taught him how to cook some eggs. It was great.

Spent a lot of time with my kids, but also a lot of time dealing with this stuff too. Oh my gosh. I'm sorry, I don't want to laugh, but I can't, I mean, I just can't take it seriously. I can't take him that seriously when you know what Draymond is about. Well, I mean, you just, that's who he is.

He's not going to change. Love him or hate him. It's like the Dallas Cowboys, right? Some people love him, some people hate him. It's like Duke basketball, Yankees baseball.

What are you going to do? That's Draymond for better or for worse. And I know it sticks in the craw of a lot of people that they're defending champions again. They wouldn't be without Draymond, right? That's, that's true. It might be much less dramatic, far less dramatic without Draymond, but they wouldn't win.

They wouldn't be champions again without Draymond Green. And so you got the team obviously has chosen that they will, they'll deal with this. He's fire all the time, right?

And they need that. It's just sometimes he controls his emotions and channels them. And sometimes they control him. It's, uh, quite a fine line to walk.

Russell Westbrook's another guy that reminds me of that, right? He rides that fine line. He lives on that edge. That's where he gets his fire from. But, but it's hard because it just never seems to let that guard down. And of course, he's a husband. He's a dad as well. He's a human. Just very rarely get to see that side of them, right?

They're too busy pushing back. 855-212-4227, good to have you with us. I gotta go record my CBS Sports Minute.

I do like eggs. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. Third down and one. Malcolm Brown is checked in at running back. Stafford is under center on third and one.

And play fake to Brown. He's rushed and he's sacked. And the ball came out and Dallas picks it up. It's Lawrence coming left to the five and into the end zone. And it looks like a Dallas touchdown. This is After Hours on CBS Sports Radio. Brad Sham on Cowboys Radio. I know there are a lot of people out there who are willing to say publicly that it was in fact, or it is in fact the Cowboys and Eagles that is the game of the week in the NFL. It's After Hours here on CBS Sports Radio.

You can take the poll. And I recognize that it's a slanted playing field. Almost like it's slanted these days on the field in favor of the offense. It's slanted right now in favor of Bills and Chiefs. And yet there are other games that carry major implications and that I will not miss like Cowboys and Eagles on Sunday Night Football.

855-212-4227 on Twitter, After Hours, CBS or on our Facebook page to take that poll. So Demarcus Lawrence will have the job of trying to corral Jalen Hurts and trying to keep him from busting loose some of those long runs or scrambling to extend a play. He's obviously very athletic and has a ton of weapons around him now.

And might we see, I don't think we'll hear it unless the mic is closed, but might we see a little bit of joy from Tank Lawrence to the Eagles quarterback? You know, I think it's still areas that he struggles in. So, you know, just to take the areas. In all honesty, I really don't think about things like that. You know, it's just trying to put as much pressure on the quarterback, making them uncomfortable, you know, as much as possible.

There really ain't no science to this, you know what I'm saying. Football is played at a high speed. And, you know, being able to attack and be relentless, you know, all four quarters, that's what the game is all about.

So, you know, we just play our style. Is this the biggest challenge the defense has faced this season? Yes, it will be a good test for us, you know what I'm saying. I feel like, you know, they do have a pretty good offense. You know, they got a good receiver core, good quarterback, you know, good offensive line.

So, you know, they're well rounded. And also, we done boys. Remember that. Don't worry about it.

Y'all will see it on Sunday. So, that's all it takes. It's very hard to win in this league, you know, and I think that's the balance that I have to obtain in knowing how hard it is, but also being eager and hungry to want more.

I mean, that's what it is. You know, when you have self-disappointment, that's a breed to self-improvement. Just striving for more, you know, and that's always what I'm going to do.

Enough is never enough, and it's always going to be that way. You know, and for me, win, lose, or draw, the process remains the same, and it goes on. Much more philosophical, Jalen Hurts, than Tank Lawrence, and I am assuming that there was some type of facial expression when the reporter asked whether or not this would be their toughest test of the year as the Cowboys defense, and he maybe deadpanned or rolled his eyes, so we couldn't see that part of it. Maybe it's on social if you wanted to try to find it, but just the fact that they laughed would seem to indicate, and then his very carefully chosen words about the fact that this would be a good test for the Cowboys defense. So, it's going to be amazing, and I love, love, love the division rivalries, especially when the teams are good, right? So, we were hoping that this would be the way for the AFC West.

It's not top to bottom yet. We'll see if the Denver Broncos get the memo, but what did we see last week between Raiders and Chiefs? Was that Monday?

That was Monday, right? Raiders and Chiefs. And when you got the AFC North, that's real good, and those battles that have history and have great players. Certainly thinking about it in the NFC East now, but also the NFC West. I mean, man, they're battling and bruising each other in that division.

So, what is the after-hours game of the week? Just throw a bone to Ravens and Giants, for heaven's sakes. Just, you know, let them have a few votes too. It's like charity votes.

Jalen Hurts, one of the latest quarterbacks to weigh in on roughing the passer penalties in the NFL. Yeah, I think there's a balance with it. Obviously, you know, I want to be protected back there, but those are things that I really can't control. So, I just kind of let them do their job.

That is really the only way that you can handle it. You could, I guess, be careful that you don't incur a fine if you want to criticize. We've seen and heard guys like Josh Allen this week and others talk about how it makes no sense. Cam Jordan, the Saints PR team, was not thrilled with what he had to say. They were worried about it creating the wrong impression.

And so, they actually took it out of the video they posted on YouTube, which I thought was really interesting. So, yeah, roughing the passer will definitely be scrutinized this weekend. So, two weekends ago, it was Tua. That was the number one conversation. This week, or I guess that was last weekend, sorry.

They all blend together. This weekend, it will be roughing the passer, but still coming out of that Tua Tango Veloa question. And the fact that he had that second hit that sent him directly into concussion protocol was scary, too, for the world to see. Tony is in Atlanta. Tony, you just have two minutes. Welcome to After Hours.

Hey, thanks a lot, Amy. Real quick, I got to go. I just want to weigh in real fast on Danny Snyder. I guess one thing that I thought about, I said he's not the only guy that has money. So, how's he going to sit up and say, I'm going to investigate, or I have dirt on the other owners when they can do the same thing he can do? And then who's to say that he just won't come up missing one day? That he won't come up what?

Come up missing because he's the one that said the NFL has ran, you know, like mafia style. So, what do you think? I don't think any of them want to be outed.

I think it's pretty obvious that as human beings, we all have things in our lives that we would not want the rest of the world to know. And when you consider the climate in our culture with social media these days, whether it's tape, whether it's stories, I mean, just think about how the Daniel Snyder investigation has been protected by the NFL. And I think it's because they circle the wagons with their own people. It's only when it becomes a situation that they just can't escape. Like, for instance, the Jerry Richardson in Carolina. Now, he agreed to sell the team before they forced him, but it looked like it was going that direction. I mean, I think it's fairly obvious that the NFL has decided to keep this investigation internal, all except for the John Gruden emails, right? Like, weird that that was the part that they decided to allow out. Or, I guess, it got leaked.

I don't know who leaked it. But I'm pretty sure that the pattern we see in the NFL is always that they protect their own. And it's not because they like each other. It's because they realize they could be in that position. They realize it could be them next who gets exposed. So they're very careful about how they deal with one another because they don't want to be the next person who gets forced to sell their franchise.

I was thinking the same thing, especially with John Gruden, but I wonder why he was so special where he had to be out. Yeah, and I shouldn't say the NFL leaked it, Tony, because I don't actually know that. But it was somebody in the league offices, right? It was somebody who had access to it. Maybe it was an investigator, but that seems pretty personal to have an investigator do that. Thank you so much for your phone call in Atlanta.

Good to talk to you. Yeah, I don't know where that came from, and that's been something the NFL's been investigating, who leaked that. But it's just so crazy. That's the only thing, right? Out of hundreds of thousands of emails, that's what got leaked.

But the owners are protecting each other, not because they like each other, because they're fearful of what might happen. It's after our CBS Sports Radio. Download the Odyssey app today. So get started and download the free Odyssey app today.