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Rules at cokeurl.com/slash soccer rules. Mm. Welcome to this. Post. Championship Week Edition of Overreaction Monday, Super Bowl 60 is set, and it is New England versus Seattle.
How about them apples? In Santa Clara, California, the field of genes. The Seattle Seahawks are going to try and win it all. Love it. In the home of the San Francisco 49ers, and the New England Patriots are the surprise winners of the American Football Conference after having just four wins.
The year before and the year before that. Good to see you, Chris Brockman. Congratulations to you. Hey, Rich. Oh, thank you.
How are you, my friend? I am doing very well. Ready to hit? You ready to hit? Let's go.
There's a ton to overreact to. We've got the coaching counter cell still spinning off its axis. Hit it. Hit it. That was terrible.
That was crap. That was garbage. That's why it sucks. Overreaction. Mondays.
Mondays. All right, Chris. Super Bowl 60 is set. Two games that won a snow game. Another game that was just raining points.
What do we got? All right. Talking about the raining points game, Rich. The NFC Championship, that was the de facto Super Bowl. I think that's an overreaction.
We were just talking about it off camera before here on the set. that it looks like Seattle is going to Whip New England. It does.
Okay. Certainly since, you know, Drake May. um with his legs won the AFC championship game. Uh you could basically say legs is what got New England threw it. From Drake May's legs, Andy Borogalis' leg, and Andre Sanders's leg.
And the fact that Will Lutz didn't get to swing his leg one time. because Sean Payton went for it on fourth down. And then, no doubt, lamented that as soon as he saw the Doppler radar, probably during a halftime. We're going to get to that. And so.
Um the reason why I bring all this up is because Seattle uh has been a wagon on defense. And if you take that offense from New England and put it against the wagon of the Seattle defense and the way that Sam Darnold has been playing in the playoffs, Not really needing it in the divisional round and then just absolutely showing up and showing out in the NFC championship game. It doesn't look good. I don't know if you've already checked what Las Vegas' first blush thoughts are on the subject. Yeah, yeah, Seattle four and a half, five-point favorite, depending where you look.
Let me ask you this question. Again, reiterate what I was talking about off-camera to bring it here. And of course, I'll talk about it on the flagship show later on when we're sitting on the Rich Heisen show set. Way back in the day, Uh it all started with New England supposedly going to get curb stomped by a team from the NFC West, correct? Because that's where the Rams used to play in the NFC West.
Yes, kids, St. Louis used to be geographically in the West, according to the NFL. Atlanta was out there too.
So the realignment got more geographically sound. in the NFL back in 2002. But the Rams were supposed to destroy Tom Brady and the Patriots. Yeah, I think they were, what, 13-point favorites in that game?
So the dynasty began. With the Patriots being overlooked and were supposed to be completely washed out in a Super Bowl that they wound up winning with their head coach, who is getting a second crack at it, having been in New England before as an assistant. And a quarterback in his second year in the National Football League. And now here is a quarterback in his second year in the National Football League, and the head coach getting his second crack at being a head coach, having been in New England before as a player, in fact, involved with those dynastic teams of the early aughts.
So I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about it other than just. Let's play the game. And we sadly won't be able to do that as of this taping for another 13 days.
So I understand between now and then, this is going to be a subject matter and the connective tissue between those Patriots back in the day to whom I'm referring and the current version of the New England Patriots are sitting in a very similar boat, and it could be a duck boat. And that's all I'm going to say about that. I don't want to hear it. This is an overreaction. That was not the de facto Super Bowl.
Get out of here. Interesting noise. Get out of here. What else you got? Rich, the Patriots are the cliché.
Nobody believes in us team in this Super Bowl matchup.
Well, I mean, of course. They haven't played anybody. But Seattle. They've barely scored in the rest. This is going to be a dueling.
Nobody believes in us. I woke up this morning as well, and people send me things and whatever. There is a Seattle. Uh I guess Bent site, a Seattle site that they love to see.
So yeah, whatever it is. I don't want to get, I don't want to paint a brush in that everything's a blog, but that's one way to refer to it. It's a very old word. Everything's a podcast.
Okay, whatever.
So, and the nobody believes in us, we've been disrespected card was played. uh by this writer because Kurt, Mooch, Gerald, and yours truly all chose the Rams on NFL Game Day morning.
Now I chose the Rams on NFL Game Day morning, as did Kurt. because we chose the Rams back in November when we had our mulligan On NFL game day morning, we always choose prior to the season and This just in, nobody chose the Patriots. And why would they? I don't know who would have chosen the Patriots preseason anyway. Not even me.
But. Seattle wasn't chosen preseason by anybody either. I don't recall if anybody got on them. At Thanksgiving time when we're allowed a mulligan from our preseason picks. I hopped on the Rams.
So did Kurt. And so we chose the Rams to win the NFC Championship game based on the fact we called it in November. Why am I changing it now? What am I seeing from the Rams over the last two weeks except heart, grit, determination, winning on the road? What have we seen from the Rams against the Seahawks in the playoffs prior?
What have we seen from the Rams against the Seahawks this year, but tight contests? They could easily go in. And the things that they needed to go their way at the end of that game did not go their way.
Some of them, you know, Sean McVay had an opportunity to kick a field goal instead of going forward on fourth down late in the game. All they would have needed was another field goal by the end of the game. Who knows if they would have still had that opportunity that they did have at the end of the game where they had to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal? I bring all of this up to say. The disrespect card gets played by Seattle quite a bit.
And I understand why. Last week in this chair, I looked directly at the camera to Seattle Seahawk fans to say, it's not you, it's us in the media right now. The reason why we're not going to be talking about your. Curb stomping of the San Francisco 49ers is every other divisional round game was far more compelling with a result that was far more in doubt. And so that's another reason why we were just not going to talk about Seattle as much coming out of that weekend.
Now it's time. They win the NFC. They have every reason to crow about it. They are 100% the favorites going into Super Bowl 60, and deservedly so. The guy on the right there, who's taking a selfie with the head coach he chose, is John Schneider, who is the guy who's like, Yeah, Gino, we're not going to pay you that.
We're going to flip you to Las Vegas, and we're going to get Sam Darnold. And we're going to win with Sam Darnold. Yeah, you know, Sam, you're not going to throw to DK Metcalf because we're going to flip him to Pittsburgh for some draft capital in the future. And we're going to make Jackson Smith and Jigba the number one receiver here. And he's going to go ball out and he's going to make massive plays in the NFC championship on the screen.
And hey, guess what, Rams? You're going to stick with. you know, your plan and you're going to go and get Devontae Adams. Great move. That means Cooper Cup's available for us.
We're going to get Cooper Cup. I mean, John Schneider has made one move after another. He hired clearly the right guy in Mike McDonald. These are all reasons why Seattle should feel great about its chances in the Super Bowl as well as moving forward.
So the Patriots. Nobody believes in us for this matchup. There's going to be one disrespect card after another. It's going to be like a game of war when you play it into cards. You know?
Disrespect. Exactly. It's going to be all over the table.
So I'll call this an overreaction, too. This is an overreaction, man, because the Seattle Seahawks fans feel disrespected. And nobody believed in us all year. And for good reason, man, we needed to see it. I needed to see it, I thought.
And then towards the end of the year, I believe that the Rams were going to. On Thanksgiving, going win out. And what ended up happening is the Seahawks beat the Rams twice when they needed to beat them and won to get the game at home on Sunday. It didn't. Help that Devontae Adams got hurt before the Thursday night game against Seattle.
But everybody gets hurt. Everybody deals with players who are not available. Zach Charbonnet was out yesterday on Sunday against the against the Rams in the national championship game, pardon me, in the NFC championship game. And Kenneth Walker, the third. Played out of his skull.
Yep.
So, disrespect card on both sides, overreaction. Three great matchups between those teams. All three total combined, seven points between the three of them. Awesome. Great games.
The quarterback of Seattle, you mentioned him. The Sam Darnold. The Sam Darnold redemption arc is the best storyline of this matchup. Wow, you're going narrative on me here. I am going narrative here.
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Um he is along with I believe Chris Chandler, um, the only quarterbacks to make his first Super Bowl. uh having uh on his fifth team Wow.
So there's that. Then you've got he's the eighth quarterback ever to start a Super Bowl in their first season with a team. The only other quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl in their first season with a team are named Tom Brady with Tampa. And Trent Dilfer with Baltimore. Let me give you a couple more right here.
He's the first player in Seahawks franchise history with 300 or more passing yards, three or more passing touchdowns, and no interceptions in a playoff game. That's what he just did on Sunday. Fourth highest passer rating ever by a quarterback to attempt at least 30 passes. In a conference championship game. And let me give you one last one right here.
Oh, yeah, this is a great one. He is the first. XJet to start in a Super Bowl. At quarterback? Just to give you your full circle right here.
He was awesome on Sunday night, man. First ex-jet quarterback to start. In the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers doesn't count, folks, because Aaron Rodgers wasn't an ex-jet yet. when he played for the Green Bay Packers all those years ago.
So, I don't think this is an overreaction. There are so many other ones, obviously. Vrabel being a former player, coming back. And then now taking the team to the Super Bowl in its first year as the head coach there with Drake May. You know, and it's going to be a very Patriots week because the Thursday night is NFL Honors Night, and we are all expecting Belichick and Kraft to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame Canton class of 2026.
But I'll buy this. I mean, again, Sam Darnold, even with his 14-win season in Minnesota. The last two games, the wipeout. Against the Lions in the regular season to send the Vikings on the road rather than a day, a week off at home as the one seed, and then getting wiped out by the Rams, only to get wiped out by the Rams in his first go at them this year with four interceptions in a game that still was close. Only to have a disastrous first three quarters against the Rams in week 16.
And then from that moment on, pivoting And finishing strong and doing what he's done in these playoffs. Again, I understand how good the defense is of Seattle, but the two wins over the Rams were because Sam Darnold was playing out of his skull. They gave up a lot of points. He was playing out of his skull. Fourth quarter overtime NFC Championship game.
Superb, great stuff. He is the reason. Why Seattle is moving on with the rest of the year? I know he called it a team game, but you can absolutely make the case that you've just made. I won't call that an overgame.
I gotta check that.
Okay, great. Let's talk about the what-ifs, Rich. The Super Bowl matchup would have been Broncos Rams if Peyton and McVay had just kicked short field goals instead of going for it.
Well, McVay, let's start with the AFC champions game. Had Sean Payton kicked the field goal early on, it would have been 10-0. And obviously, in a much better position to combat any comeback from New England. And then. When points were At a premium.
Disappeared. And disappeared because the snow came and totally dismantled what would otherwise have been a normal looking football game. Um clearly you know, Sean Payton, if he knew That weather report was in fact going to be accurate or hitting, or I don't know what his awareness of the weather report was. But if he knew at that point in time of fourth and one, what the second half was going to look like, clearly he would have kicked it. Uh, and it would have made a difference in the fact that it would have been a 10-0 lead.
I don't know if New England would have felt more pressure. Um I'd imagine Uh when you're up by two scores. Would Jared stid him? have thought to himself, this is not a good idea. For me to just take a ball and shove it and chest pass it like I'm a member of the Denver Nuggets and just.
For the second straight week, give the Patriots a live grenade tossed up. by the opposing quarterback deep in his own end to flip the script. And completely change the momentum of a playoff game, would he have thought differently? Maybe not. Would the Patriots have been down 10-7 at that point?
Maybe so. Would this game have been 10-10 in the fourth quarter? Would we have seen overtime? In the snow. They might still be playing.
And how it goes. That's still up in the air. I don't know. Nobody knows. Drake May was playing, even though you look at his numbers at the end of the day.
Jared Stidham had a better passer rating than Drake May did in the AFC championship game. But Drake May won it with his legs. He won it with his legs, obviously, scoring a touchdown. And then calling his own shot, apparently Omaha, but without the rest of even of his offensive line knowing that the game-winning game ceiling third-down run for a first down was supposed to be a handoff. And the offensive linemen of the Patriots were all saying to a man after the game.
That why is everybody I'm supposed to block be running the other direction right now? Like, oh, That's because Drake May's taking off. They had no idea he was doing that. Could he have done something similar to that in overtime? Could he have done that something similar in Borrigalis?
Could have become like a Vin interestingly enough, Vinatieri's the one who handed out The Lamar Hunch trophy to the Patriots in a snow game that Borogalis could have won with a Vineteri-like kick. It's entirely possible.
So I'll call that an overreaction. Sean McVay going forward on fourth down rather than kicking the field goal. Again, you know how I feel. I'm screaming at the screen nonstop this entire playoffs, all January long. Take the points.
Take points. Take points. Um and but when you've got Devontae Adams and Puka Nakua and Um Matthew Stafford. I understand why you're going for it, but if you take the points there, you only need to get one defensive stop in half the field. And I thought that would have been the play.
Don't run the risk of putting all your eggs in the basket right here. And you get your three points. And then at the end of the game, you play defense, you get the ball back. And all you need is just half the field potentially to to to go win the game. Um with the way it did play out.
You know, I don't I don't think there was enough time left anyway. Yeah, there wasn't. There wasn't enough time left. He could have kicked it on the on the fourth down where Stafford, you know, miraculously made it with his legs. And you could have saved three, two, three minutes.
And then maybe that was fourth and one, though. That was a tight one. The one I'm talking about was fourth and four. No, I know. I'm talking about if he's talking about that one too, but also, but if he had kicked it earlier on that drive on fourth down, they would have had much more time left and navigated a victory.
I get you. I didn't have a problem with them going for it on the first fourth down that Stafford picked up with his legs. And that was a wild moment right there because he had an opportunity to flip it out to his running back. I think it was Rivers that was standing out there in front of him. Instead, he decided to take it himself.
The fourth and four, I thought, I literally said out loud, kick the field goal, play defense, get half the field, and get the hell out of here. But I understand why both of them went for it. Uh if I if I am sitting here thinking one is lamenting The lack of a field goal, which Sean, if you're asking me which Sean laments it more, I would say Payton. I would say Payton.
Okay. 100%. Rich, this is going to be a topic I feel like, maybe not this week, but next week. It's definitely going to be talked about in the lead up to the Super Bowl. All right.
The Vikings and Titans should fire everyone who chose to get rid of Sam Darnold and Mike Brabel. Um, well, I think the Titans did already fire everybody. Fire them again. Fire them again. Find out wherever they are.
Find out wherever they are and get them fired from that job. Listen, you know how I feel about J.J. McCarthy, and we'll see how that plays out. Let's just see how that plays out. It ain't going to play out like this darn old magic carpet ride is.
I got it. I got it. I I I I Don't blame Vikings fans for having. Seahawks envy right now. I don't blame 'em.
Consult your doctor. No, yeah, I know. It's find out if what McCarthy's right for you. If nine is right for you. That's right.
Yeah, that one we're going to have to see play out a little bit. Because if McCarthy turns into honestly Jets fans right now, like, really? We gave up on Sam Darnold because, you know, it didn't work out with Adam Gase, you know, and everything else wasn't working out. And you know they gave up on him they absolutely gave up on him Now he's these many years into his existence and he's ready.
So you got to look at McCarthy and say, would we turn him into the next Sam Darnold by letting him go right now? And he's a young pup still. He's younger than Drake May, J.J. McCarthy. Right.
He was younger than anybody else in the draft class. that Drake May beats to the Super Bowl finish line. over anybody else.
So, yeah, I understand why Vikings fans could be upset and what you're bringing up right here on this front. And I understand the envy that they have. But this one needs to play out. Don't forget, Kevin O'Connell came on this show and said organizations fail young quarterbacks well before young quarterbacks fail organizations. And I think Sam Darnold starting in the Super Bowl gives.
credence. He's the avatar of that sort of thing. Um Getting rid of Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.
Now that one. I didn't understand it then. Don't you remember? Taylor LeWand was on our show when it happened. He told him he.
He couldn't believe it. Um So that one. Uh, yeah, like find out the people who you've already let go and Tell them they're let go again. And they could say, Well, you don't have a right to do that. And they so what?
And they could say, Yeah, too bad. Unless, you know, it's the owner who needs to be held to account. We'll eventually find out the full accounting on that sort of thing. But right now that man. Uh holding up the Hunt trophy.
I told to Cooper, my 14-year-old is a Die Hard Patriot fan who doesn't recall a lot of the previous years, that Bill Belichick used to treat that like a hood ornament. He would take it and just hand it to somebody, like, this thing is not what we're playing for. But for Vrabel, to be able to hold that thing up. You know, like a beacon, like he's the statue of liberty. Um, he has every right to do that because that is a very important trophy for him and this franchise and and for maybe to show it all the way down to Nashville, Tennessee, and say, How do you like me now?
I mean, he won't give voice to that. Certainly, over the next 13 days, someone's going to try and pry that out of him. And good luck to that. Rich, let's go back to August. We're sitting in these chairs, wondering what's going on down the street with the Rams quarterback not participating in the preseason.
Something up with his back. There's a weird van outside where he's getting all kinds of treats. What's going on with Matthew Stafford? Right. What is going to happen?
He ends up having a phenomenal season, probably going to be named MVP, first team all-pro, he was. And he looked awesome in the NFC championship game. There's no reason for Stafford to think about retirement. He'll be back next year. I hope so.
I hope so. I mean, Sean McVay was asked that question at the end of his press conference yesterday. He goes, What the hell kind of question is that? Um Stafford was asked at his locker um And um he was asked Yeah. about it and he was he was uninterested in discussing it.
But Listen, when I spoke to him prior to the game in London that we called. on NFL Network against Jacksonville. And um, when he came on this show, What, about a month ago? We had him on about a month ago. Yeah, I think you're right.
When he came on the Rich Eisen show a month ago, he said he was having the time of his life. He's having a blast. Oh, throwing a 12, throwing a 17. It should. McFan is here.
I mean, it is once he's done with his seat. Um I think Playing quarterback for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams is going to be the most coveted. Spot of any spot By anyone Looking to change teams, looking to force their way out for a trade.
Okay, I think once Stafford steps away. That will be quite a day. to keep an eye on A handful of other stars in the league who may have already twitched in the direction of not wanting to be where they currently are or is given that impression. And if they so want to. um force their way out like an NBA player, we'll see.
Like that's how Good. of a spot. It is to play quarterback for Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams. And I think deep down, Stafford knows that. And if he still enjoys playing as much as I think he does.
I do not know. Nobody knows. Only he and his wife. And anybody in his immediate circle knows what he goes through. And I think that's an appropriate way to describe it.
You have to get ready each week to play at his age, at the level that he's playing at, and keep his arm as fresh as it is, and his shoulder as fresh as it is, and his ribs as it is throwing dimes on some of it in his back. Um we don't know what that requires. And that's only up to him once his head clears. But if the price is right, And I'm assuming it's going to be. Um And he wants to do it, there's no reason for him to.
to sit it and at age thirty eight. He turns thirty eight the night before the Super Bowl.
So he could have been staring out of Santa Clara window, you know, getting ready to play the Super Bowl the next day, turning 38. Instead, he's going to be turning 38, wondering if he wants to keep playing. I don't know if that's the case. Um but I hope he does 'cause he's Awesome. He had the best year of his career.
He was never a first-team All-Pro. Check that box. I think he's going to be the MVP. You check that box. And then, you know.
The Rams are clearly a favorite to win, you know, to go to Super Bowl 61. Here in LA, that might be another reason to just give it one more shot and maybe walk off like Whitworth. Yeah, I mean they're going to have to kind of give them a boost dollar-wise. The Rams also have Puka up that they're going to have to keep. If there's anybody who's going to figure out what I understand.
There's just going to be some financial gymnastics to work out this. Those are things of Out of my concern when it comes to this subject matter. This is not an overreaction, but I just gave you the reason why it could be. All right, a few more, Rich, before we get on with our Monday. And look, I know this is going to be a hot-button topic for people.
I understand the waters. I'm waiting. But I want people to be honest with themselves when they watch these games. what they're enjoying and what they're seeing, okay? One of the games on Sunday had 58 points.
And it was awesome and unbelievable. Ping pong match. Couldn't get enough of it. It was amazing. I know you're going.
The other game had 17 points. One team didn't score for 55 minutes. And in the second half, both teams were running three times and punting.
Okay? No more of these weather games. Championship Sunday should be like the Super Bowl, played at a neutral site in perfect conditions. I want to see these teams at their best. At their best.
You enjoyed watching the AFC Championship game. I already said in the college football playoffs, the teams coming off of a buy should have their second round games, their first game in the college football playoff held on campus. There should be a home field advantage for those teams. Because we're already seeing The teams that play the week before after they have a long enough break themselves. you know go in and be seven and one.
Seven and one. In those second-round games. It's crazy, man.
So um There needs to be a home field advantage for it. It's unfortunate that there were only 17 combined points. in the AFC championship game that's tied for the third third fewest Combined points in any conference championship game all time. The only ones that had. Uh I guess worse.
Total points to phrase it the way that you're positioning this. Jets, Dolphins in 82 had 14 total points. Rams, Bucks in 79 had just nine points. The Patriots, 10 game-winning points are tied for the second fewest in a conference championship game win all time. The nine scored from the Rams.
The Buccaneers were all. Rams points, they won 9-0.
So the Patriots 10 is tied with the Bills 10 against the Broncos in 91, and the 11 that the greatest show on turf scored indoors. Against the Buccaneers in that 11-6 final in 99. But I remember that game was intense, and we were on the edge of our seats. And I don't think anybody was complaining the next day how boring that was. But whether or not, if defensive play is the factor.
You're fine with it. But the weather clearly took both teams out of this game. Jared Stiddam, at one point, he was looking to go downfield and balked because he couldn't see where the Patriots defenders were because they were wearing white and it was all white out. And I just can't wait for all the Neanderthals in the comments. Oh, that's football weather.
Really? You still ride a horse to work? You still use dial-up internet? It's okay to evolve. And the NFL is at the cutting edge of innovation constantly, except when it comes to this.
You can't be happy with that product in Denver on Sunday. I understand. It's stunk in that regard. And you wanted to see. You wanted to see better.
But you just want to see RJ Harvey doing his thing on Portland Sutton. Sit him in perfect condition uncorked a beautiful 50-yard pass downfield to set up their only touchdown. I want to see more of that. I want to see Drake May throwing bombs, and we were completely robbed because of this stupid-ass snowstorm. But you can't rob somebody of home field advantage.
It wasn't a home field advantage for Denver. You still can't do that. Even it could have been a 30 perfect, you know, it could have been the entire game, could have been the first half. Weather. It's just, it's, it's unfortunate.
It would have been, hold on, hold on. It would have been terrible if the game was in New England, okay? We talk about the snow game all the time. Like it's like it's the Immaculate Reception game. It's something that's not a game.
And that game was not great. It came down to like a controvert, the most controversial play of all time. It's not because it was snowing. You're talking about the vinitaries? You're talking about Vinitari's kick in the snow.
When your son Cage is old enough, you're going to sit him down. You're going to show it to him. Absolutely. And you're going to talk about it. It's like one of the greatest moments of your life.
That game would have been way cooler and more high-flying and more action if it were played in perfect conditions. Also, that wasn't the championship game. I'm talking about the championship game. You have made your point. I call it an overreaction move.
What else you got? All right, two more, and we'll get out of Dodge. And, Rich, this is not a shot at you. I just want that. What a setup.
I just want that on the record. What a setup. It's the most Jets thing of all time that Sam Darn is playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. There's no question. What else uh what do you want me to say?
What do you want? What is two sets? I mean, as a former Jets fan, what are your feelings of seeing your guy who you thought was the savior now taking on your bitter rival? Patriots are back after that. And they're back.
Well, I mean, and Bills fans. How do you think Bills fans feel about this? Bills fans think that they were robbed out of a chance to maybe go in 10 inches of snow to try and take it. Again, to my point on the last topic, I got it. If you really wanted to watch Bills Patriots 3-0 in two feet of snow, I think the game would have been played.
How does that sound? I don't think the game would have been played. You know, obviously, I'm talking to my in-laws this morning. Yeah, two feet of snow. They're snowed in.
Everybody's snowed in. in New England. But all all that said, Bills fans, you know that they win the division. How many years in a row? Six?
Right? Five, six years in a row? Yep, yep. Never made the Super Bowl. That's a shame.
Patriots gave him that shot. Trying to add your window and then the Patriots win it again. They go to the Super Bowl. Bills' fans have got to be sick to their stomachs watching the Patriots go. And then Sam Darnold.
He's the first quarterback from that draft class to go. And so you're looking at what, Browns fans, Bucs fans, seeing Baker not the first to go? Josh Allen's not the first to go. It's Sam Darnold. Lamar Jackson.
So, I mean, Bills fans have got to be a little bit sick to their stomachs seeing this matchup, too. Patriots versus Sam Darnold. Josh Allen and all those years of trying to win the division. I'm not deflecting. I'm not deflecting because the Jets in this entire time haven't had a pulse.
The Bills had every possible shot. The Bills have an MVP quarterback in a future Hall of Famer that the Jets didn't take. Because they took Darnold and then wasted his His few years that they had there, and then discarded him and watched others, like Carolina, not utilize him, I might add. Um So listen. It's a tough pill to swallow.
This is not an overreaction. I appreciate the caveat of you saying you're not doing this to troll me, but I think you are. I don't think that's an overreaction. I think the biggest overreaction was you setting it up and your setup was an overreaction more than the actual subject matter. Sam Darnold.
All right, last one. A coaching carousel topic here to take us out the door. The Steelers go with Mike McCarthy over the weekend.
So still a few jobs remaining. If Pittsburgh was just going to hire Mike McCarthy, they should have never let Mike Tomlin quit.
Well, you can't let him not quit. He could have gained a raise. I don't think that had anything to do with it. Bigger house. I don't think it had anything to do with it.
Like, what are we doing? Come on, Pittsburgh. Listen, I think the proper way to frame this is to every single Pittsburgh Steeler fan that wanted Mike Tallman out. And I was always saying you never know what you're going to get after that. Um And Mike McCarthy has every opportunity, certainly in this you never know league, certainly as we're talking about this entire podcast, this entire show, about a team that was down and out and chose a kid third overall, the third quarterback taken in the draft, third one.
And he's the one that goes to go to the Super Bowl first with a new head coach in Mike Vrabel. Right? that that's possible. Sam Darnold is doing what he's doing with his career is possible.
So it's entirely possible that Mike McCarthy in his third bite at the apple does get his second Super Bowl ring, and he does have as many career wins right up there with John Harbaugh.
Okay, he's right up there with that. He's now, I mean, you want to talk about legendary. Franchises I don't know. I mean, you never say it's all three. You never say never, but will we ever see another coach?
With a resume of coaching the Packers, Cowboys, and Steelers. I don't think we'll ever see anything like that. I guess Parcells comes close: Giants, Patriots, Cowboys. I mean. Dude, with all due respect to the giants.
You know The Patriots don't go back to the Lambo, Curly Lambo, and the Steelers go back. I mean, you're talking about old school going back in the day. You know. Pre-war franchises here, with the exception of the Cowboys. Listen, um Anything's possible.
Anything can happen. But you look at Mike McCarthy's resume since. you know, um, since his Super Bowl win, He did win some playoff games in Green Bay, but There's been a lot of futility in winning playoff games in Mike McCarthy's career. Um since his last win, he had one playoff win for Dallas. Yeah.
He might just beat in the futility years that everybody tired of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. That's just the one playoff win. That's all McCarthy had with Dallas. And with Green Bay, probably since the last time Tomlin won a playoff game, he's probably down one and nothing in that regard to the new Mike in town. Or town, is that how you say town?
Ton.
So so yeah, I I I understand that, you know. Steelers fans, you wanted something different. You got something different where your team didn't go ahead and hire somebody who's a defensive-minded person in their mid to late 30s and you can grow old together with. You went with a guy who's in his early 60s who's an offensive guy. You're going to go draft somebody, or you're going to go bring somebody in, or you're going to look at Will Howard and say, This is your guy, and tell McCarthy, this is your guy.
What about Aaron Russell? That's why we hired you. You think he's back next year? Mm-hmm. I don't I have no earthly idea.
But while running it back with a different mic is going to get a similar result, I think, within a roster that's going to be one year older. I'd imagine you gotta. You hired McCarthy. Again, he's not some 40-year-old. You need to get started.
To me, I always think to myself, I've said before, Malik Willis. Go get him. You go get him. You tell McCarthy. Hey, the guy who succeeded you in Green Bay has done a lot of great work with him already.
You you continue it. That might be the move here. But this is an overreaction. Never let Mike Tomlin quit. I think he was gone.
And that was based on the circumstances of a lot of people in that place saying, you know, I don't want him here anymore. And now he's not there. And now you got Mike McCarthy. And we're just going to sit here and have to see. And that's it for Overreaction Monday.
That's it, babe.
Okay, everybody. Hey, appreciate everybody taking in this podcast throughout the. Playing season. We will be back next week with another, I guess, pre-Super Bowl week edition. You're going to have to really conjure up a lot more of those narratives.
Let's go. And then, of course, will be the Rich Eisen Show in San Francisco Super Bowl Week, Wednesday through Friday. And then the football season ends. Love it. I don't love that.
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