After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 4

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Visit Carvana.com to start tracking your car's value today. Every now and then when we have a chance, we need to wake you up with a little B-S-B. I used to be a closet Backstreet Boys fan. Now I'm just out there, loud and proud. I don't know how old the guys are now. They're not really boys anymore. I feel like that's an insult. But I still blast the music when no one else is around.

Only because other people get mad at me for doing it. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. It is a fry. Yay! And as if the wacky, wild, and weird 72 hours in football were not enough, we're heading into Wild Card Weekend. I mean, it's going to be tape compared to the wild nature of this week from the coaching ranks.

And man, I've said this a couple times. I'm blown away by the thought how different the world of football feels and looks on this Friday morning. No more Pete Carroll, who's been the coach of the Seahawks as long as I've worked in network radio. No more Bill Belichick in New England, which is just weird. It's even stranger, or more jarring, than Tom Brady playing for another team. Though I am excited to see what Bill Belichick can do with another franchise. And no more Nick Saban. But not in the building, because he's still there.

He showed up to work first thing on Wednesday morning. If you haven't heard his words, and we'll play some of them this hour, he explains his retirement, and explains why it had to be now. And honestly, he comes across even more selfless, and more dedicated to the success and the health of Alabama football long term, not just while he's there. Isn't that the example he set for his players?

The example he set for the entire program? This is not about you. You benefit if we all come together as a team, and we all do our jobs, and we take care of our business. Yeah, you reap the benefits, but this is about the team.

The team is bigger than just you. Preached the work ethic, and then showed up. 7.20 Tuscaloosa time on Thursday morning, getting back to work. Different office. Cleaned out his office, according to reports, and moved to a different office at Bryant Denny, but very much a large and in charge presence.

It'll be interesting to see how much he's involved, if not picking the head coach, because I have heard that he's heavily involved in that process. At the very least. Guiding. Offering wisdom. I don't know.

Does he show up on the recruiting trail every now and then? That would be unfair. That's like bringing in a ringer on your beer league softball team. That would be unfair. Completely unfair. We've got the poll up for Wildcard Weekend. Here's the problem, though.

There are six games, only four spots in the poll. Jay did it, not me. That's all I'm saying. I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even know which games he left out, so you cannot blame the radio host for this one. Jay, would you care to explain yourself? And I'm with you.

You know I back you. Should I just say the ones that I have omitted? Yes. I have omitted, Eagles, and Bucks.

What a good word. Omitted. Why? What do you have against Baker Mayfield? I love Baker Mayfield.

We do love Baker now. I just felt like of these games, that one has the least buzz. Oh, it's a buzz or no buzz situation, is it? A little bit, because the Eagles are kind of slumping into the playoffs, and so are the Bucks. They're both really not playing good football, so I know it's a standalone game, and it's going to be the one everyone's watching on Monday night, but I just think it's the worst one. It's both teams that aren't playing good football going into it. Well, the Buccaneers are not playing great offensive football. The defense is pretty stout still. As for the Eagles, yeah, there's a lot of people who are wondering about them, and Jalen Hurts hasn't thrown a pass since he dislocated his finger. There's so much talk about losing rhythm and flow when quarterbacks take the week off, when they have the bye or they don't play in week 18.

Well, what about Jalen, who has not thrown since last Sunday and whenever he went out in the game? And then, I wanted to omit Dolphins' Chief because of the Peacock thing, but I couldn't do it. The game's too good.

Peacocks, they're proud birds. Exactly, exactly. And the weather, minus 30 wind chills, I think we're looking at, it's insane. Oh, it's going to be so great. I couldn't do it. You couldn't do it? Couldn't omit it. It had to be on there. It does have to be on there.

Even though no one's going to be able to see it. Okay, not no one. 90 people that Charles O'Manihew purchased the Peacock subscription for. The next one, it was close between Browns-Texans and Steelers-Bills, but I think at the end of the day, I think I'm going to vote for Browns-Texans as game of the week because I think that's the closest matchup of the teams. I have no idea who's going to win that one.

I have no clue. Crazy town. Huge toss up. I saw the Steelers-Bills as a minus 10 line. It's the biggest spread going in.

T.J. Watts hurt. But Minka Fitzpatrick is back. Yeah. Didn't Minka also go to Alabama?

They're everywhere. Alabama alums everywhere. So that's really where it came down to was the buzz factor. I felt like the Steelers-Bills-Eagles-Bucks were the least buzz. You know where there's plenty of buzz?

Beehive. I mean you missed an opportunity to say right here. Right here. After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio, the network that only displays the awards we actually win. You can find me on Twitter, ALawRadio, also on our Facebook page. After Hours with Amy Lawrence.

What is the After Hours game of the week? Just stating the facts. I am fascinated. Jay and I are blown away by this idea that if the Cowboys lose this weekend, focus Jay. I'm good.

I'm good. It is a complete crap. If, which it actually is. It's a complete crap. He also said BS right? It's total BS.

It's very appropriate right now. It does. If the Cowboys were to lose this weekend, I'm going to go against the grain. I do not believe that Mike McCarthy gets fired. And I mentioned the reasons last hour.

I do not think it happens. The way that Dak has thrived this season. The way the offense has thrived this season. They haven't lost a home game in what is it? 15 consecutive appearances. They're the NFC East Champions. Three straight seasons of 12 wins. I just don't see it.

I don't see an upgrade out there. I get that Bill Belichick is a Hall of Famer. But Mike McCarthy's placed a stamp on this team and they're playing well for him. He's got a great group of coaches. If you get rid of McCarthy, and I know there's a chance you could lose Dan Quinn and a couple of others anyway, but you get rid of McCarthy and this falls apart.

Even if it is Bill Belichick, he's going to have to come in and start over. So I am not on that bandwagon. However, I do think that for the Cowboys, this is A level critical.

We're talking critical math here. It's a chance for them to not only protect the home field, to go into the next round with a position of strength or in a position of strength, but to get past the point at which they're still the Sixers. That's just wrong. Isn't it wrong that you think about the Philadelphia 76ers and what comes to mind is they can't get past the second round? Well, the Cowboys haven't been past the second round, quote unquote, or the playoffs in years. This is the time. This is when they need to take advantage.

By winning the two seed, they avoid the Niners until they would get to the NFC Championship. How about that? That's a big deal as well. Yeah, the connection between Dak and Mike McCarthy this season, that to me has been one of the hallmarks of 2023. The number of things we cover, I guess you can say that's about right.

If they go two hours, football is about 30 minutes. And yeah, just somebody that obviously I can learn from, seeing a lot in life, seeing a lot in this game. Sometimes it's the history of the game.

Sometimes it's me looking looking ahead to fatherhood. So he's just he's just been been a great friend, obviously a great coach. And I think that's what these Thursdays are about. Thursday meetings, they're not so much about football. So Mike McCarthy developing relationships and he and Dak Prescott clearly have an affinity for one another.

And I just don't think you rip that all out. I know it's a business. It's still jobs. For instance, I had two amazing bosses that I had. I have such great relationships with, even though they're no longer here at the company. It's a tough thing to lose your boss, to lose a work partner, a colleague.

Yeah, you got to keep moving forward. But those two took the offense to the next level this season. And I don't think that that's something you take lightly. And certainly what McCarthy has seen from Dak is something he raves about every week. He's always had very good command as a quarterback playing the position. But his command of the offense, I think, is clearly, I think, feels very high.

It's higher than it's ever been. And there's a number of things going into that. Obviously, this thing was built for him based off of things he's done in the past.

I'm talking particularly in the past game. We've expanded the protection part of it, too. So he's just been given more tools to be successful.

And he's done a phenomenal job implementing it. So, yeah, I don't think the Dallas job is open, though there are a lot of Cowboys fans that apparently are wondering or even predicting that that's what's happening. I saw it on our Facebook page, actually.

We're asking you the game of the week. And a Cowboys fan, or maybe not a Cowboys fan, but someone about the Cowboys game said the Cowboys lose this weekend and McCarthy is fired and Belichick is hired. Heard from a listener earlier in the show who had the Dallas Cowboys logo as her Twitter avatar.

And that's what she said. Everyone in Dallas is talking about how Bill Belichick is going to get hired by Jerry Jones. There's an article on CBSSports.com from November 11th. A listener told us the date of it. It's from November 11th. That goes back two months from now. And it was already predicting that Bill Belichick would be taking over as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That that would be a good fit. Oh, huh.

What if that job is currently occupied? Do you know what the Cowboys did on November 12th? They beat the crap out of the Giants.

49-17. So not yet, anyway. Mike McCarthy talking about Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, though. Kind of cool to hear the thoughts of other coaches. Change is constant in our league, but I think when you see careers, I think you need to show respect.

Those guys have done it. Coach Belichick and Coach Saban, their numbers speak for themselves. But the championships, the consistency, the longevity.

Personally, I do feel sustained success is the biggest challenge in this league, and those two have done it as good or better than anybody. Now, see, so respectful of Mike McCarthy. I like it because he recognizes how hard it is to stick in this league and have the success that he has. Not so much for Mike McDaniel. He takes a different approach talking about the retirement of Belichick. It's a reminder to me that, you know, I'm just going to be candid, that Father Time's a d**k. You know, really, really, really not a nice guy.

But it's real, and I think it reminds you that everything is finite. I shouldn't say the retirement. Belichick's not retired. Saban is retired. Pete Carroll, he is likely not to coach again, though I guess you would say he's retired from coaching because he's choosing to stay in Seattle. Belichick, he's going to kick Father Time in the you-know-what. Only Mike McDaniel.

Really, really, really not a nice guy. He's talking about Father Time, not Bill Belichick. How many other head coaches out there do you think would stand in front of the microphone and use that word? That Father Time is a... Right, it rhymes with chick. Or flick. Or sick.

I'm here too, okay? How many other coaches would stand in front of a microphone and say that? Just out of curiosity.

Head coaches in the NFL, how many? I think he's unique in that one. Oh, I think so too. I can't see anyone else saying that in front of a microphone. He cracked himself up too, I gotta say. Just watching after he said it, he paused and he laughed so hard. He is different.

So, is it Cowboys and Packers? Micah Parsons, he's excited about this game. We heard from him on The Edge with Micah Parsons, his podcast, and he was fired up about the chance to get out there and to prove that they're worthy of the two seed and just to chase the dream, right?

Point blank, period. And he also is very complimentary of Jordan Love, who is playing extremely well right now. And Micah even says, essentially, I told you so about Jordan Love. Well, he wants to make Jordan's life miserable and he's the one guy on the field.

You always have to know where he is. Micah's a freak show, a game wrecker, and you better know where he's at. And they do such a great job of moving him around, whether he can line up on The Edge, he can line up at linebacker, at the three technique, at the shade. They use multiple personnel groupings, so they do a really good job of scheming you up and trying to create one-on-ones for him, especially in those pass rush situations. If you ever sit and watch a Cowboys game or you go back and watch tape, one of my favorite things to do when I'm watching the Dallas Cowboys play is to find Micah Parsons before the ball is snapped. It's not as easy as you think.

It depends upon your perspective, right? But if you are looking for him in the same spot, snap after snap, he's not there. It's fascinating how quickly, it's a game that I like to play with myself, how quickly can I find Micah out there on the field and where is he now and what angle is he taking and boy is he giving the O-line a headache. It's amazing what he can do and how he freelances out there. Now, granted, there's a plan and I'm sure Dan Quinn and the rest of the defense, they kind of understand what he's doing.

But it's always incredible to see an athlete who has the autonomy and the freedom in a system to be able to do whatever the hell he wants. Micah's a freak show. And that is Micah Parsons. I'm not saying he never lines up in the same place, snap to snap, but I'm telling you, it's one of the games I play with myself when I'm watching the Cowboys. Where is Micah? Where in the world is Micah Parsons?

It's awesome. And if you can't find him, think about the quarterback. And then, it's not only that he moves around, it's that he takes the snap or he moves from different positions too.

He can hurt you in a variety of ways. Positions meaning his actual physical body and how he's positioned. He gets his head start and his explosiveness and his athleticism. His launch point and his launch angles, they're different too. He bends and contorts his body.

The spin moves. Yeah, he's so much fun to watch. So, as much as he loves Jordan Love, Love better watch out.

He also loves playing defense. This is going to be fun. Actually, I think it might be calmer than the week we've had in football. You think? I don't know.

Father time is a you know what? It is. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence. You can take that poll, the one where we give you the choice for game of the week.

It's up after hours, CBS or on our Facebook page. I got to confess, I'm a little bit surprised that it's right now a one horse race. Or a one lion race. Or a one ram race. Don't say that 15 times really fast because you would sound like, well, father time is a you know what? Ram race sounds exciting.

Is that like running with the bulls in Pamplona? Oh, are we getting slap happy? It's been a long week.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. Around New Year's, we get a little obsessed with changing ourselves and forgetting the things we're already doing right. Like taking our supplements every morning or scheduling me time into our day. Therapy helps you recognize those victories and keep up the good work in the New Year without changing everything. BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy so you can try New Year's same you with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash grow today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp.

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We saw that this year in Germany. So, so appreciative of the fans for all the support they've given me, my family and this football team. And it's with so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots and I'll always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Did it sound like Bill Belichick got choked up? I think it did. It actually sounded as though he had to quickly catch his voice, compose himself and then keep going when he was talking about the fans. He held it together talking about the reporters, though he did thank them, too.

I really can't control that. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So Belichick, that news broke before I even got home from work about 24 hours ago or 23 hours ago, the news was already out. So a lot of you have already heard Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft.

How about Nick Saban? In his own words, why did he decide this was the moment he should retire? This last season was grueling. It was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to. It took a little more out of me than usual. When people mentioned the health issue, it was really just the grind of can you do this the way you want to do it?

Can you do it the way you've always done it and be able to sustain it and do it for the entire season? And if I couldn't make a commitment to do that in the future the way I think I have to do it, I thought maybe this was the right time based on those two sets of circumstances that, like I said, there's never a good time. But I thought maybe this was the right time. Now, when he mentioned his health and age inside the meeting in which he informed the team, blindside of the team, apparently he was still working right up until the moment that he walked into the meeting room. And the reason they waited until Wednesday, according to reports, is because some of his players were not able to get there. There was a big storm, the big storm that happened on the eastern seaboard, and some of his players had trouble returning to Tuscaloosa, so they had to wait until everybody got back. He didn't want to do it without the team there, which again I think is so courteous and speaks to his character. He was still working until minutes before he got up and walked into that meeting room. Now, I don't know if it was a charade or if he was laying the groundwork so that he can then hand over the best product and the best position possible to the next head coach, maybe knowing that he would stick around and be part of the process, whatever it is.

They had no idea. He dropped that bombshell himself when he walked into the meeting room. But one of the things that he mentioned was health. Another one was age.

And so the questions were in this ESPN interview, and it was exclusive to ESPN, so we are getting the sound from Nick Saban, these first public comments, courtesy of ESPN. He said there were no actual health problems. He's not dealing with any type of a health issue that would prevent him, only that as he looks down the road, he recognizes, I can't promise that I'll be here for the next five years or ten years. I actually thought that hiring coaches, recruiting players, that my age started to become a little bit of an issue. People wanted assurances that I would be here for three years, five years, whatever, and that got harder and harder for me to be honest about.

Now, see, that's looking out for the program. He could have said, sure, yes, I will be. But he didn't want to lie. He didn't want to misrepresent his future or his plans.

How many coaches would just tell the recruits what they wanted to hear? Plus, it's transfer portal, right? You can justify it by saying, if I leave, they can just enter the transfer portal and go somewhere else.

What's the big deal? But that's not how he works. That's not how he conducts his business.

That's not his character. And so as people asked, families asked, would you be there the whole time? Will you be there? As assistant coaches said, well, just kind of wondering what kind of a commitment we're talking about. He couldn't say three years or five years. But honestly, think about it. How many coaches would tell the truth? How many coaches would, would express, well, that's my plan? Sure, absolutely.

Or just, again, justify it by saying, well, if they come to Alabama and we win a championship, well, who cares? But that's not who he is. And I admire that so much.

After hours here on CBS Sports Radio. He even admitted that because of his age and some of what he felt like were his limitations, that he wasn't doing the job the way he used to. I just have a high standard for how I do things. And if I can't, if I don't feel like I'm living up to that standard, I'm really disappointed. I wasn't disappointed in the season. I wasn't disappointed in the team. I wasn't disappointed in the players. In fact, this team was fun to coach. It was a, they came a long ways. And I was really proud of the way everybody bought in and did what they did to have the success that we had.

But at the same time, I felt like I could have done a better job if I was younger. Wow. Not only is that an honest, authentic, candid assessment of yourself, but holding yourself to that kind of a standard. No wonder he doesn't crack under pressure. No wonder he is just fine. Standing in front of a passionate fan base that demands championships. No wonder he can stare at a standard and live up to a standard that requires you're in the conversation, you're in the playoff. You're a championship contender every single year and it doesn't get to him. He's unflappable.

Why? Because his standard is higher than a standard that anybody else could put out there for him. He holds himself to a harder, harsher standard with higher expectations for himself than anyone could have for him. For most people, that would be impossible to live up to.

But not for Sabin. Because he's willing to work to get to it. He's willing to work to meet his goals. And he mentioned in another part of the interview that he's not at the point in his life where he could go to bed at two, wake up at six, and motor along.

Right. Because that's what's required. No, that's what he required of himself. I'm just so impressed by him. And again, you recognize right away why the pressure of coaching at Alabama football never got to him.

Or if it did, it only served to motivate him more and make him more determined. Because he's his own worst critic. And as someone who, and I'm not saying my standard is that high, but as someone who feels the same way, I understand it.

You'll never judge me more harshly than I judge myself. And for that reason, he was perfectly suited to the pressure cooker in Tuscaloosa and in college football. And he has admitted that the changes in football, in the sport, also were taking the beloved game to a place where he wasn't willing to follow. You wonder, and I've heard this speculated about, how much the changing landscape in college sports, not just football, but NIL, transfer portal, the wild, wild west, the NCAA slow to react and respond, the playoff, which may be to a lesser extent. But all of these changes that have really left college sports as a free for all. There's so little regulation. You're buying player services.

You can say whatever you want. NIL still, it may not be everywhere, but when schools want it to be, it's just a front for pay to play. Again, it's not that way everywhere, but when you're luring top flight players by telling them that you can give them a million or 2 million or 3 million or you outbid another school that's interested, that's absolutely pay for play. If you missed my conversation with David Cone earlier in the show, he's a former Michigan quarterback, so he played prior to Jim Harbaugh being there, but understands kind of how the landscape has changed.

He's a radio host now, craning company is the show, it's on the daily wire, and he really talked, we were able to break it down, and his comments are very insightful about how much it's changed college sports and why it's a problem. But I'm wondering, is that costing us some of the greats in coaching? The guys are older, right? Roy Williams was older, Mike Krzyzewski was older, Jay Wright though, do you wonder if that's one of the reasons why he walked away from Villanova? It certainly hastened the retirement of Nick Saban. It's kind of a bummer, right?

Again, their age a factor too, maybe even a bigger factor. But I hope we're not losing some of the greatest coaches that the college sports have ever seen because of this landscape in the game or landscape at the college level that is nearly impossible to police or manage or regulate. It's kind of out of control, and it's going to cost us in college sports.

I don't think we know the full cost yet. On Twitter, A-LOL radio, also on our Facebook page, what is the after hours game of the week? Blame Jay if you don't see your game.

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Laugh it off with us. And the after hours sad sap of the week. I think more than any other subject this week, that includes Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel, Wildcard Weekend. We got the greatest reaction to a caller from Ann Arbor literally hours after Michigan won the national championship and wrapped up a 15-0 season.

His name was Aaron. When we first got him on the phone he seemed reasonable, logical, relatively calm. But the more he talked about the reporter we'd had who was answering questions about Jim Harbaugh. The more incensed he got and he could not control his temper. This guy comes on and wants to get the last little drops of click bait that he can, right?

And he frames it in the context of somebody that's already been painted as a bad guy, a liar and a cheater. No, no, I disagree with you. I disagree with you. I waited two hours on the phone to say what I had to say. Can I please be allowed to say what I have to say? And then you respond to what I'm actually saying, but when you interrupt me and don't let me make my points, you know, it's like I've wasted all this time trying to make a very important point. You also said earlier about how, boy, we must all be happy.

Well, when all you hear every day, even in the face of this, is this crap, not any real talk about or acknowledgement of the team, you know, maybe a thousand to one ratio from the entire media of whether they're talking about Michigan football or the phony scandal. Did you hang up on me? No, because I just heard silence all of a sudden. You asked me to listen to you, jerk. You asked me to listen to you, so I was listening to you.

Okay. Seriously, more than any other element or comment or guest or piece of audio this week, our caller, who I just wanted to be happy, I implored him, will you please just be happy? This is hours after your team won the championship.

Every day, even in the face of this. Crap. Jay is in there, like you should see the smile on his face, having all kinds of fun with Aaron from Ann Arbor, our sad sap of the week. Although if it wasn't Aaron from Ann Arbor, it would be the Portland Trailblazers who just got shellacked by the thunder by 62 points last night. We're not really doing much basketball this week, but are you kidding me? 62 points?

It's a complete crap. Oh, and then there's Darko, who was the highlight of my week for sure. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Hearing from our Cleveland audience, Keith says there is no better story than the Browns this year in the NFL. Both Belichick and Saban coaching together in Cleveland and now retiring together.

I think it's a sign for Cleveland. Well, just to clarify, Belichick did not retire. Although Pete Carroll did, so I don't know if you can weave that in. Nick Saban retired. Belichick did not retire. According to Belichick, he's ready for what's next.

He's looking forward to what's next. But Keith, I would agree with you that the Browns are an amazing story. Starting five different quarterbacks this year. 38-year-old Joe Flacco being the one who will trot out there on the field tomorrow.

Except D'Amico Ryan's, eh, meh. I'm really not concerned with the other quarterbacks. I know C.J. is playing well for us, so we're excited what he's doing for us right now. Also, I would just like to clarify to Keith that a rival incredible story in the NFL this season is in fact across the field from the Browns come tomorrow. I get that the Browns are an amazing story.

Absolutely. They lose their fully guaranteed starting quarterback. They lose one of the best running backs in the NFL. They've lost other pieces. In fact, what did I see yesterday that Denzel Ward injured his knee in practice.

I hope it's not serious and that he will be on the field tomorrow. It's phenomenal what they've been able to accomplish as not just a wild card, but a team that won way more games than many would have expected. We're talking about an 11-win Browns team.

This is awesome. But how do you say that's a better story? We're just going to have to put them as 1 and 1A. Then the Houston Texans with their rookie quarterback and their rookie head coach and one of the youngest teams in the league. And they win the AFC South.

Wow. That's also a pretty phenomenal surprise. So the fact that the two of them are on the field at the same time is awesome. And of course, I love the aspect of Deshaun Watson going back to Texan. Well, Houston against the Texans for his first playoff game. I know he's not in it, but he's part of it.

It's his franchise, so yeah, there's that as well. What are the chances the cold steals the show this weekend? I think high. You think so? I think it's going to be some serious, serious cold this weekend. It's not going to be cold in Houston, so the Browns are getting off a little.

Actually, you know what? I take that back. Hold on. My mom sent me a text. For those of you who don't know, my mom lives in Houston. Sent me a text last night that said, hold on, it was about the weather, and she said, oh yes, 77 here yesterday, going down to 16 by Monday. Oh, they're just going to miss a cold snap in Houston. You got weather. But in Kansas City and Buffalo, what are the chances that the weather steals the show? I was just reading this thread, which apparently as quickly as I read it has been defunct, but that there was an actual chance that the Bills game could be moved to Cleveland because the weather is going to be so bad in Buffalo. No, no way. You do not move a playoff game unless it's a tornado or a hurricane.

You can't move it because of the cold. I saw that there was like a rumor. I saw it on Twitter, so it's obviously not true. But as quickly as I've seen it, I've already seen people debunking it. Defunking. It might be.

Okay. Defunking. Defunking. I like defunking better. It's a Friday. Just be careful how you say it.

It's a complete crap. Oh, are you done? I'm sorry. I thought you were. I guess I'm done. Well, you said defunking and we just went off the rails from there.

Okay. So there are people, and I don't agree with them, but there are people who think that there are jobs on the line this weekend, so there's that element to it as well. Mike Tomlin does not have the same quarterback that he started the season with either, right? So no Deshaun Watson for the Browns and no Kenny Pickett for the Steelers as they head into Buffalo, but he's really happy with what he's seen from Mason Rudolph.

And I like the fact that Mason's been on a slow burn and this is his first playoff start, even though he's been in the league for several years. I've said this repeatedly when asked about him. He has an unflappable confidence in himself. He's highly professional.

He's always preparing and prepared. And I think that that provides the platform or the performances that you're that you're seeing. Najee Harris has played a much bigger role in the Steelers success offensively over the last couple of weeks. So that certainly helps with Mason Rudolph.

Remember the pouring down rain in Baltimore. He is the one who kind of carried the load there. And so what do they need to do? Because they are massive underdogs against the Bills. People are going to load up to minimize our run game.

It's going to create one-on-one opportunities for receivers, for example. And so the strength is in the collective. We've got to be balanced. We've got to be capable of anticipating tactics that people might use and responding to tactics that people use. And we can and do do both. Tactics. I like that. Strategies.

Tactics. It almost seems these games better be good because it almost seems like the games themselves are anti-climactic after the week we've had. Is that sacrilegious? It might be. No, I agree. But I think the second the first game kicks off, the buzz will be right back. You think so?

I do. Buzz or no buzz. We won't talk about Bucks Eagles until we get to Sunday night into Monday morning. But there's plenty of buzz around the two Sunday games, especially the afternoon slash evening games with the reunions and the histories and the traditions. Just don't come back to me on Sunday night into Monday morning and complain about Peacock.

Here's why. The game will be on NFL Network within hours. So listen on the radio if that's what you want to do. Pilfer it somewhere.

Oh, I didn't say that. Sorry. Go to a sports bar if you want to see it live or if you don't want to leave your house. I swear to you, it will be flipped on NFL Network within hours.

You'll be able to see it. Oh, maybe stay off Twitter. Don't look at your computer. Don't find out the score. Just get some breakfast on Sunday morning and watch it on NFL Network. It's a complete crap. And on that note, we'll talk to you Sunday night to enjoy the weekend.

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