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If you have a podcast and want to monetize it stress-free, you need the Odyssey Creator Lab. We'll host your podcast for free, and our experienced sales team brings in the advertisers and the revenue. Easy. Apply now at creators.odyssey.com and let us show you the money. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network.
Hey, we got Thursday night football underway right now. Los Angeles Rams and the Seahawks. We got music that makes me want to punch somebody head on, turn the music up. Yeah, music makes me want to play football and punch somebody in the mouth. And right now, We're being joined by someone who knows about uh writing and punching people in the mouth.
We're being joined by NFL Staff Rider, covers all things NFL for SI. You can catch him with his own show on Patreon. Welcome back to the show, Matt Verdoran. Matt, how are you? Doing well.
I played hockey for a long time, so I know about having to occasionally punch somebody in the game. Yeah, you have punching lots of people in the mouth.
Well, right now, we're trying to see what happens tonight. We got this big matchup that just got started between the Seahawks and the Rams. They're going to be punching each other in the mouth. You know, I just told everybody I don't have a lot of faith in Sam Darnold when the going gets tough. What are your impression on both of these teams as we wind the season down?
So, look, I think the Rams are the best team in football right now by a somewhat healthy margin. They're eleven and three. Two of the losses came early in the year because they couldn't do anything. And I mean anything in the kicking game. They.
They gave away the game against Philly. They gave away the game against $49. Uh that all being said, Look, I I do believe They Seattle has a massive opportunity here. Seattle wins this game. They're getting 12 and three.
There's no reason to think that they can't win this division, and if they win the division, they're going to be the one seed. I mean, with Philadelphia having their three-game losing free Eakin. The the Bears having a loss against the the Packers a couple of weeks back. There's no reason to think. That whoever wins this game is going to be the one seed, and if that's the case.
It's going to be tough to go in the beat sale. I agree with you. The Darnold thing scares the heck out of me. He has not ever been good in big spots. Um The Rams have been a house of horrors for 'em, team of horrors for 'em, but They're right where they need to be and Seattle's been really consistent all year.
So I I think right now you're watching the two best seasons of football going at it.
Well, let's see what happens tonight, the implications that has for the NFC West as well as the number one overall seed. You mentioned San Francisco, they're right behind them. Ten wins and four losses despite all of the injuries that they've had to deal with throughout this season. What are your thoughts on Shanahan and how he's just able to always keep this team afloat and more regardless of what changes are around them? Yeah, it's a tremendous coaching job, right?
I mean, there's a lot of guys that are in the coach of the year category. You know, Ravel's right up there, Liam Cohen's up there, Shanahan. Uh on and on. Uh Ben Johnson. But Shanahan Well it's Anika, who you are.
You lose your starting quarterback for basically half the year. Yu Brandon Ayuk just never bothered to show up and play football this year. Um Warner Bosa got. And they lost guys in the offseason. Hufunga's gone.
Greenlaw is gone. Terrarius Ward's gone. And you're tenant four? That I mean, I I know their schedule's been light. I get it.
But they they they they beat the Rams and the Seahawks on the road this year, both of them.
So it's not like they h they've been some paper tiger hasn't beaten anybody.
Well, they're beating teams. Um It's a tremendously impressive job. I think Robert Sala deserves a ton of credit as a D.C. there. Look, the coach the head coaching opportunity in New York didn't go the way he wanted to go, although I would argue that.
Vince Lombardi couldn't win with the Jets. Um, but Sala is one of the better coordinators in football. And between him on the defensive side and Shanahan on the offensive side, like you're not going to see a better coach team. They are not going to beat themselves, and they've proven that, and they're absolutely a team in the NFC playoffs that. as long as they get in, will be very dangerous.
Matt Verderam is here with us, NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, to keep talking about the NFC. You mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles. I mean, just yesterday, we started to get some words that the Eagles might be fed up. What a shock with A.J. Brown and might look to move him in the offseason.
Are they going to have to shed that weight before they get back to a championship? Or do you still think there's a chance for them to repeat this year, realistically? Never want to roll it out. But this year has been really tough for them. And look, their record's fine, right?
I mean, they're. Their record, they're gonna win the East. They're going to probably be the third sheed. Um This has been a bad year for the Eagles. I think they'd tell you that.
You know, this has been you know, this Eagles team I I ironically kinda reminds me a lot of Lashers Can't Six. Where They're winning enough games and and that's GCM. I mean they won fifteen games, but Where you watched them and just went Yeah, they're winning, but man, this is this is rough. This is just really, really tough. Um, I think no matter what happens after this year, They're going to have to retool.
I think that's pretty obvious. And I think that's where things are headed, whether they want a playoff game. Or or they don't. But I I I think it's uh it's gonna be really tough for them to repeat. Matt Verdoram here with us on the JR Sport Brief Show.
This is a, well, I almost don't want to say it's tough, but we saw a couple of guys go down over the weekend with these ACLs, including Michael Parsons. We'll get to. Patrick Mahomes in a minute there. You know, I looked at Green Pay as being one of these teams that wouldn't surprise me if they went to the Super Bowl, but I think now missing that premier edge rusher, I don't have the same type of confidence in them. Do you feel the same way?
Yeah, yeah, okay. I thought about the Packers for a couple of years now. Like every year in training camp Sports Illustrated sends us all on our our respective frame can force. And based outside Chicago, I always do the Midwest.
So I always hit All the teams in the NFC North, I see Indy, I see Cincy, I see Cleveland, I see Cities, so on and so forth. And every year I see the Packers. I think about the same thing. I think about this is a talented team. It's a good team.
I like the coach a lot. But They don't have the guy. Who is the guy? And then they got Parsons. And it was like, okay.
And then Kraft developed. Those are the guys. Those are the guys. And now they're both done for the Earth Tornado shells. And I just In this year, it's so wide open.
Yes, like I do think. There's a world where the Packers are playing in the NFC title game. That's possible. But I think it's a lot tougher. They're going to have to play almost perfect football.
Love's going to have to be spectacular. Jake is just going to have to really carry the mail. They're going to need Rashawn Gary to be a superstar and not just a borderline star player. Ah. I I still like them.
But I don't I don't think they have the feeling that they had before those guys got hurt. But you talk about injuries. I know you cover the Kansas City Chiefs. We know they're not going to the postseason. We don't know when we will see Patrick Mahomes following the ligament tears in his knee.
Is I don't want to say the injury for the best, but knowing that he's going to have some time to recuperate, slow things down, is this not for the better for the Chiefs to get a reset?
Well Well I think I think what this whole season has done is it has forced them, and by them I really mean Andy Reid, Fred Veach, It's forced them to take a look in the mirror here and say, All right, well, like, what what are we doing? Because I know this is going to sound bizarre to anybody who's not a Chief fan, but the last time avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start? Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin, or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtac, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one.
You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews, all on the app. Download today. That 365 is paying out before the final whistle. Check out Bet365's unrivaled early payout offer. When you bet on the team to win and they take a 17-point lead, you get paid no matter the final score.
Forget the final whistle and start counting that cash. Hold up. You get early payout on parlays too. Download the app and see why it's never ordinary at FED365. Gambling problem?
Call 1-877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov. Must be physically located in North Carolina. TNC Supplies. If you have a podcast and want to monetize it stress-free, you need the Odyssey Creator Lab. We'll host your podcast for free, and our experienced sales team brings in the advertisers and the revenue.
Easy. Apply now at creators.odyssey.com and let us show you the money. Even though they've gone to the Super Bowl twice and won one of them. The offense has gotten worse and worse and worse every year. And in 2023, they won because they had an unbelievable defense.
And Mahomes, to his credit, made plays in the playoffs and did did what he did needed to do and did Mahomesian thing. And last year, they were great in the fourth quarter. And that's why they won all the games that they want. This year that's reversed and that's why they're 6-8. I don't think this team's much different talent-wise than last year's team.
They just played a lot better in the fourth quarter last year. and they really kind of danced on that high wire a lot better. But, you know, look. This off season. And they would tell you this, I've talked to people in that building over the last few weeks.
They know they need to revamp that defensive line around Chris Jones. They know they need to completely overhaul the running back room. They know that they need to do something different in the depth portion of that wide receiver room. Like this is This is coming. And I don't look I don't think their mindset is anything other than we're going to get back to Super Bowl next year.
We will retool. We will regroup. You will be back week one and we will get rolling. But. Um Look, I do think that this whole season, regardless of his injury.
is force them to really consider how they have to change.
Well, Matt, knowing that there will be no Chiefs in the postseason this year. Do you think Buffalo, is this their season? Or are we going to have one of these younger upstarts, the New Englands, the Denver Broncos, maybe even Jacksonville? Who do you think has the the leg up with the Chiefs out? I think that the favorite and a slight one because they're probably gonna be a Wascar team on the road for a week now, two, probably three of the games, is Buffalo because of that one.
But I would say this, but if you're the Bills, you better win this year. If you don't win this year, that is a disaster.
Okay, and I. I know, like, I'm a friend of a bunch of people who cover the bills up there, and there's kind of this thought of, like, well, It's not fair to say it's a disaster if they don't win because Yes yeah it is. Yeah it is. It it's if if they don't win if they don't at minimum get to the Super Bowl this year, That's a disaster. But you You have to do that.
You have to get through this conference. No, look, I have to take nothing away. From Denver, who's deservedly going to be the one seed here, borrowing some real big surprise. And New England, who's had an excellent year. And Jacksonville, who the last seven weeks has scoring over 32 points a game.
You have all the experience. You have the best quarterback in the playoffs. You've got to get there. I don't care if you're on the road. Like, you've got to find the way.
And I would argue with them. Like, if you don't... Yeah, that that's going to be something that you're sitting there all off season going, how in the world did we not get there? I I I think that's just the reality for the Bills. It's an odd thing to be a wildcard team under an immense amount of pressure.
I think that's where they're going to find themselves.
Well, I mean, they they had a lot of pressure last year and now with the no Mahomes, no chiefs. They they gotta turn things around. Speaking of a turnaround. Mimi dolphins are benching to a tongue of a lower. There have been a lot of conversations about what the Dolphins do throughout the course of the season.
Mike McDaniel is still there. Greer has been fired as the GM. Do you think Tu has thrown his last pass in Miami? Yeah. Because by benching him.
Yeah, you know, they're not benching him for a guy who you're like, oh, he's the future. They're benching him for Quinn of yours. But they're not. They're just done with they don't want to watch them anyway. They're done with him.
They're fed up And you know, Jerry, it's not it's not just The way he's played on the field or he's been bad on the field. It's also been all this stuff in the press conferences The odd answers, the weirdness, like throwing guys under the bus at times. I just think he's lost the room. I just lost the room. Like, when you lose the room, you're done.
You're done. Like, There there's no coming back from it. I mean, unless unless you're an all-time great player, maybe. because you're that level of a player, you kind of win the room back through your play. He hasn't done that.
And so if you're Mike McDaniel and they do keep him, and I think there's a reasonable chance they will. I think you might be damned. You're going to ownership. You're going to Steven Ross and say enlist. I can I can win.
I can't win with this guy. And I and I I get it. Like we You know, we have them long term, but the GM who signed him isn't here anymore. And we gotta move off 'em. The hard thing's gonna be who's gonna trade for 'em.
Because he's got three years left. His cap hits are not massive for a starting quarterback, but they're significantly over 30 million. And so, who's going to trade? I look at a team like the Raiders. This is a team I keep my eye on with that.
Oh, my goodness.
Well right but right, and that that is the correct response. But who are the Raiders? Like, they are like Geno Smith has been awful. And they have shown no patience whatsoever. Pete Carroll, if they keep Pete Carroll, is going to be 75 years old in September.
Like You don't have time to have a five-year rebuild. You'll be 80 years old. Like, you've got to. You gotta do something.
So look I think I think between Tyler Murray and Tua this offseason, very, very interesting she would have. And we'll see what happens. I got one more quarterback to talk with you about before I let you go. This is another team with a quarterback that's gone to the Super Bowl, one of the best in the league, but once again on the sideline, giving sullen answers, okay? And that's Joe Burrow.
A lot of talk about him. I don't think he's going anywhere. Do you think this is smoke and mirrors? What do you think is going on?
Well, if you know anything about the Bengals. It it it's gonna it's gonna take. An unbelievable amount. For them to trade Joe Burrow at any point. I mean, that's just not.
They're not going to get bullied. Mike Brown doesn't care.
Okay, Trey Henderson's been trying to get out of there for two and a half years. He can't do it. Yeah. They're not going to move them. Um, that being said, I will say I would be very worried about Shinsana just based on the way he's talking.
Like When you got a guy Who's a smart guy, who knows what he's saying, is going to be parsed a million ways to start that. When you heard a guy saying Yeah. You know, I you know, I just gotta think about, you know, if it's if it's fun for me and There's a lot going on, you know, professionally and personally. He's footing out there. He's not happy.
And not easy. In the NBA, we're so used to guys saying they're not happy and getting traded like five days late, right? But in the NFL, you don't hear guys. Say that. Can you imagine if Mahomes just walked up to the podium in Kansas City and was like I don't know if I'm happy.
Like you would like, that would be able to leave Sports Center for a month. And so I I think if now the Bengals here Look, Burrough's been great. He's been in the lead now for six years. He he hit the bus twice. Like at some point, it's got to change, and I think he's kind of realizing that here as he's approaching 30.
Yeah. Bengals make people unhappy. It's not a surprise then. They don't. None at all.
Well, it is it is the holiday season. Matt, I want to wish you all the happiness to you and your family in the world. I appreciate you for coming through and joining us. Tell everybody where they could listen, watch, pay attention, read, fill us in. I'll send to you and yours.
SI.com. You can read all my work. My Patreon show, the Matt Verdoram show, you can check that out, subscriber only. And then I'm on that football show on KCSN, which is on YouTube for free twice a week.
So I am I'm all over the place and I'm certainly on Twitter all the time at uh at Medford. And many thanks to Matt Verdoran for joining us. Enjoy your holiday, Matt. Talk to you soon. Hey you too, take care.
Uh That 365 is paying out before the final whistle. Check out Bet365's unrivaled early payout offer. When you bet on the team to win and they take a 17-point lead, you get paid no matter the final score. Forget the final whistle and start counting that cash. Hold up.
You get early payout on parlays too! Download the app and see why it's never ordinary at SET365. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov. Must be physically located in North Carolina.
TNC Supply. Make money from your podcast with the Odyssey Creator Lab. You create the show. We bring the advertisers. Apply now at creators.odyssey.com.
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