It is the JR Sportbreeze Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We have so many divisional games that are taking place over the weekend. You've got football all day on Saturday and Sunday and Monday.
You can tune into the national championship for college football to get a peek into these games, the ramifications, the odds, what things are looking like. We're being joined by Wes Reynolds who is a host at Vson. Hey Wes, how are you man? Hi JR, I'm doing well. How are you sir?
I'm excellent. Thank you for taking the time to hop on and join us here on the air. You know, we've talked about quite a few of the games, well not the wildcard, the divisional games before you joined us.
What game has captured your attention the most? Well I think it's probably a common refrain that the main event is on Sunday night right there on CBS and it's going to be Baltimore and Buffalo. Look, there's a lot of sentiment out there that hey, maybe this is going to be the AFC championship game. Now you've got a team that's 15-2 that's going to have something to say about that should they advance. But it does kind of feel like that because of the MVP ramifications.
One of these two is going to win the MVP either Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. So I'm interested to see this rematch though because Baltimore really put it to them on Sunday night football earlier this year. So Baltimore also has become the favorite because I think probably of the wildcard weekend winners, I felt that Baltimore was the most impressive. I know that Steeler offense had really been trending down over the last several weeks but the Baltimore defense has been trending up. Just a complete 180 where they started the season with arguably the worst pass defense in the league. Now they're number one in so many of these metrics, yards, points, expected points added per play, yards per play, etc. So this Baltimore defense has been dominant the second half of the season. Well, Wes, you talk about how close we expect this game to be.
We're going to see one of these guys is actually going to be the MVP winner. Why do you think Baltimore has swayed into being the favorite? Is it weather related? Is it the Derrick Henry factor?
Why do you think that's shifted? Yeah, I think it's just the fact that Baltimore's defense, like I just mentioned, has really stepped up and emerged as one of the better units in the league. And also the fact that, you know, Buffalo, you've got to give Josh Allen a lot of credit.
He doesn't have digs anymore. So I don't know if he really has a true number one receiver even though Khalil Sahir has done a nice job. But the weapons just, they don't look like they're elite on that team even though they put up plenty of points. A lot of that is Josh Allen with his legs and just his ability to improvise when he's under pressure. But yeah, I think that's why Baltimore has really become favorite because Baltimore, even though Zay Flowers doesn't look like he's going to go on Sunday, I think it's the running game.
I think that they have the ability to either outscore teams or kind of play in a phone booth, if you will. You know, where they have Lamar in the ball and they have Derrick Henry running. Justice Hill, by the way, has been a really good weapon out of the backfield. If you're looking for a prop like sneaky over receiving yards, get him out of the backfield and those wheel routes as well.
So Justice Hill has been an absolute weapon in the passing game. Wes Reynolds is joining us here from Vison talking all things NFL football this weekend. That's the main event on Sunday night. The first game that we get is tomorrow afternoon as Houston is going to be in Kansas City. We know Kansas City has been off for the better part of three weeks now and some change.
Houston, not necessarily the most exciting. How do you think this game is going to factor? Should we expect a slow or bumpy start by Kansas City or are they just going to steamroll them?
Yeah, look, I think that we very well could. I think it's probably going to be a lower scoring game. If you recall, these two teams did meet in week 17. And Houston, remember, they scored the touchdown out of the first half that Tank Bell caught and he dislocated his kneecap in the process. And then I felt you had the emotion play in where the wind just got taken out of Houston.
Sales in Kansas City was able to just keep them at bay. That spread in the first meeting was only three and a half. But a lot of that was because of the Mahomes ankle. It probably would have been five and a half or maybe in the six range had Mahomes been 100 percent clean bill of health.
But now it's up to nine. Seems like it's getting a little bit rich, but that might explain at least a little bit of the adjustment. So would lean to Houston in the points there. I think this Houston defense is legit. The problem with these guys is who is CJ Stroud going to throw the ball to when Steve Spagnolo and the defense is able to take Niko Collins away with with Dell out with digs out.
So probably a low scoring game. And also CJ Stroud in the second most quarterback stacked in the league. Well, behind Caleb Williams, who he got back like about 5000 times. It seemed like this season. But yeah. But yes. Look, they have trouble protecting a little bit.
So you're going to get them behind the chain and from short drives. I look under here at under forty one and a half. Forty two. We got Wes Reynolds here from from Vison. And before you joined us, you want to talk about scoring. We know that Detroit likes to light up the scoreboard. Washington likes to light up the scoreboard. We also know Dan Campbell is trying to go back to another NFC championship game. We know that he likes to go out there and gamble. What are your thoughts on what Detroit will do in this game and then potentially in the next one?
Yeah. Look, home teams off a buy in the divisional round have not been that great against the number really over the last 20 years, about 44 percent. But I think with Detroit, this might be a little bit different. And and we know that they're priced to the moon because there's most dynamic offense in the league and then a number one seed in the NFC. But I think Detroit getting a little bit of taste of that playoff last year where they really should have went to the Super Bowl. Remember, they were up big in the NFC championship game at San Francisco and blew that double digit lead. I think Detroit's going to have attention immediately.
I do not expect a lot of rust from these guys. You do have the commanders coming in who have won so many close games down the stretch of the season. And this is their third straight road game because remember, they went to in week 18, then had to go to Tampa, then had to go to Detroit. Historically, not a very profitable situation for the road team.
It's a big number to lay full game. You always kind of worry about maybe Washington, Jayden Daniels, who's been brilliant as a rookie, kind of getting them in the back. I in first half minus six, I think they get out to a very quick start. Another game that we're looking forward to, and I don't know if their time might be up just with all the adjustments they've had to make. The Los Angeles Rams are going to take on a Philadelphia Eagles team in the snow that's trying to get their offense together. You know, you don't want to just hand the ball off to Saquon all the time, but it might be snowing.
We'll see. What are your thoughts on how that game will look, especially given everything the Rams as a team and as humans have had to go through? Yeah, and look, both of these teams really slow. In fact, have been very slow start, much slow starters.
Takeout last week against Green Bay where they got that fumble on the kickoff and they had a short field, scored a touchdown. And Green Bay was pretty much climbing uphill the rest of the game. But Philadelphia, if you look at the score, they only average about three and a half points in the first quarter.
That is the bottom third of the league. And the Rams also, when they go outdoors especially. In the first half of the outdoor games, the five games the Rams have played in that scenario this year, they've been outscored 9 to 6.4. That tells you very low scoring first half, very much slow starters. We saw it when they went on the road even against the Jets who were a dead team several weeks ago.
So, I think probably a slow start here. You may get a lower scoring game, but I think the Eagles kind of do what they do, right, JR? They start out a little bit slow and then all of a sudden that running game with Saquon and with Jalen Hurts and with Gainwell off the bench in the backfield.
They wear you down. And you've seen them do that to so many teams this year and I think eventually they pull away. But the passing game for Philadelphia has got a little bit of an issue. Not only with Jalen Hurts having been rusty off that three weeks off of the concussion, but also I don't think A.J.
Brown is fully healthy. So, I think you're going to see Philadelphia try to run the ball right at the Rams and I think that's a good thing to do. And Philadelphia, by the way, probably the best clock-bleeding offense in the league.
So, they get long drives and wear down the clock and that's very good for the under. Yeah, Wes Reynolds is joining us here on the JR sport re-show Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network. The cool thing about Sunday is we're going to get to the final four teams. The worst thing is we get closer to the end of the season. What do you think the Super Bowl is going to look like down in New Orleans?
Who are you favoring to go down to the party town? Yeah, look, I've been riding with the Eagles all season in the NFC. I know Detroit is power rated higher in everybody's power rating and their offense is so dynamic. And I think getting home field was certainly crucial for Detroit. I don't know if it's just crucial for Philadelphia here. I just think better defense, better running game.
When in doubt, I'm always going to side with that. So, I like Philadelphia. My preseason, of course, was Kansas City to go back for a third. I'm feeling Baltimore right now. I just think they got the momentum rolling. The defense is coming in. Lamar is obviously playing to MVP status and probably likely is going to win the MVP. So, I think we're getting Eagles raving in the Super Bowl.
Okay. And if Lamar Jackson walks away with it, he told everybody on draft night, I'm going to bring a Super Bowl to Baltimore. I think they're going to name some streets after him if he can go ahead and get that job done. He'll be the mayor of Charm City, as we say.
Most definitely. And speaking of championships, I know you're out in Vegas with Vison. Obviously, everybody is looking at Mark Davis. People are looking at Tom Brady. What are they going to do? Who's the next head coach? Who do you think is lining up to go ahead and fill that spot, that coaching vacancy in Vegas?
Yeah, this is going to be interesting. Now, Ben Johnson is obviously – there's always a hot candidate, right, in the coaching carousel that's kind of that hot coordinator. And I think Ben Johnson, he may end up having the pick of his jobs.
So, he has certainly interviewed. And I'm going to be interested to see who it's going to be. I don't think it's going to be a McCarthy or one of the guys that were recently let go. There was rumors about Brable. Now, those have been put to bed that he's returning to New England. So, I think as of now, Ben Johnson certainly would be the favorite.
Okay. Now, are you enthusiastic about Tom Brady being in the building? Mark Davis is going to take a little bit of a back seat now, right?
Well, we'll see. Look, Tom is doing his broadcasting career, which is kind of, you know, I guess conflict of interest. If you want to say he's the lead broadcaster and the lead analyst on Fox, and yet he has some ownership and decision-making power clearly with the Raiders. So, maybe a little bit of a conflict of interest there.
I guess Fox doesn't think so and that's the important thing. But yeah, look, they've got to get, they've tried to do it with New England where they tied McDaniel's with the general manager. That did not work. Then they hired Telesco from the outside and promoted AP Antonio Pierce after they had that hot end of the season.
That didn't work. So, you got to tie that relationship together. And certainly Tom is going to have some input with Mr. Davis. Now, I certainly hope he has a whole hell of a lot of it. Hey, Wes, we talk about a broadcaster, someone who was a broadcaster and then went back to being a coach.
It's Deion Sanders. You think the odds are high or low that he's going to stay at Colorado? We should expect him to stay, right? Not Dallas. Yeah, look, I don't see him, I don't see him getting the Cowboys job.
I think, you know, a lot of this is a good story and clearly he and Jerry have a very good rapport. Maybe he's leveraging for a little bit more money. Because all of a sudden these reports out of Boulder are leaking that, you know, Deion's going to the ADE and the powers that be out there at Colorado. Like, hey, we need some more NIL money.
You know, we need some more to get these players in here. As good of a recruiter as he's proven to be. So, I think for the interim he's going to stay there. Do I think, you know, he's long term, five, ten years from now at Colorado? No, probably another college job. Especially if they have a big season out there in Boulder. He says he likes Boulder, but he's still putting his name out there for other jobs. So, you never really know, but I don't expect him to be the next coach in Dallas. Hey, Wes, speaking of college, last question for you. Should we expect Ohio State to smoke Notre Dame?
I don't know about smoke. They may get off to a slow start. But I think Ohio State, if you've watched them throughout the season, when they're at their peak, they're the best team in the country.
Nobody's better is better than their better, shall we say. And I think they showed that against Tennessee. They showed that against Oregon. Texas, I thought, had a very nice game plan. Boy, Texas has got to be kicking themselves because they had the opportunity there. And then decided to run that top sweep against one of the fastest defenses in the country.
And then next play, of course, the sacks fumble returned by Jack Sawyer. So, I think that this is going to be a higher-scoring game, though. And that's going to favor Ohio State because I think Notre Dame, if they're going to stay in the game, they've got to run the ball, use Riley Leonard and his legs, set some packages up for him.
And they've got to slow the tempo down. I just don't think that they could go stride for stride with Ohio State and make this a big up-tempo high-scoring game. Well, I hope we have a better game than what we had last year.
I'll just go ahead and leave it there. I think it will be a little bit closer. I hope, Wes. I hope. I hope so. And look, I'm a Midwest guy, so I like two Midwest teams here.
So, I'm fine with the SEC having a year out of the championship game. I can dig it, Wes. Hey, where can people follow you and all of your amazing work hosting at Vison? Yeah, I am on the X or the Twitter or whatever Elon is calling it now.
At Wes Reynolds, R-E-Y-N-O-L-D-S and then the number one at the end of that and then obviously our website at Vison.com. You also can get our various streaming platforms. We are back on Sirius XM, channel 158. So, follow us there. We're very excited to be back on Sirius XM.
Hey, Wes. Thank you so much for the time. We'll catch you on down the line. Enjoy all of the football, okay? You bet, JR. Thanks for having me.
