Ross Tucker, Westwood One NFL Analyst

What makes your skin crawl, no matter how absurd?

I want to know. Tails without fur on them, such as rats or opossums? I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. You send me your fear. I'm just so weirded out about the texture and how they can just move around and flop.

And then I go to the experts to learn how to overcome them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. What's the strangest thing you're afraid of? Tails without fur on them, such as rats or opossums? I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, where we dig into the crazy things you're afraid of. Everything from animal-people hybrids, you know people who get surgeries to look like an animal, to giant statues.

If I ever saw one of those giant statues, I probably would poop my pants. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. We continue at his exact Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Let's head out to the guest line right now and welcome in a former NFL offensive lineman. He does a great job for Westwood One, was on the call over the weekend for that insane game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts. And that of course is Ross Tucker who is featured on the Even Money Bedding podcast.

You can always check out MyFrontPageStory.com and we'll chat about that in just a bit. Ross, how did you process that Vikings comeback down 33 to nothing to the Colts after you had a few days now to sit on it? Well, you know the craziest part about it to me, Zach, is it's not like every single thing went right for them. You know, you look back on it and you think, okay, it's the greatest comeback in NFL history, right? So everything must have gone their way.

That's really not the case. I mean, twice in the second half the Vikings recovered fumbles and took it in for touchdowns, but the officials had blown the play dead previously. Not once, but twice. And then Justin Jefferson has to come out of the game after Stephon Gilmore hits him in the head. Jalen Rager comes in the game.

He stops his route and causes a second first cousin interception. I mean, it's kind of wild in the sense to me, Zach, that they probably could have come back from 40 down if they actually got all the breaks, right? I mean, they didn't actually get all the breaks at that point. Now, when you're a part of some wild comeback like that, like I was at 28-3 and it still took a while for it to really just sink in that, wow, what I just saw happen. Was it that moment that you're like, okay, wow, I was just on that call or did it take a day? No, I knew in the moment. I knew in the moment because pretty early on somebody had tweeted that since it was 33-0 it would take the greatest comeback in NFL history for them to come back.

And then, of course, we referenced that. I actually had a couple buddies that knew I was doing a game that texted me that. And so you knew it was a big deal. And I don't really have a rooting interest, obviously, right? I mean, you know, I was talking with Jeff Saturday, who's a friend before the game, and I like when my friends do well.

But, you know, ultimately I kind of wanted to see history, right? Like at that point when it was 36-21, you know, it felt like it was going to happen. There was almost an air of inevitability at that point.

Like you thought, I think it's going to happen. There was just so, it was 36-21 with like 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. It felt like they had plenty of time at that point to come back and win.

Ross Tucker here with us. What's the worst way to lose blowing a 33-0 lead or how the Patriots lost to the Raiders yesterday? That's a good question. The answer is both are horrible. I think the way the Patriots did is worse. Because, you know, the comeback, it's like a million different mistakes that everybody made and you could almost kind of see it coming. Whereas the Patriots, that's like you thought you're going to win or at least that you're going to go to overtime in that scenario and to have a total shocker the other way. I actually think Zach, like a defensive walk-off is probably the most exciting play in football. Like that Rayshawn Jenkins 6-6 for the Jaguars.

That is just wild. You know, and then obviously what Chandler Jones did with his walk-off. It's nice when it's an offensive play like Jarek McKinnon.

But when it's defensive, it's just so stunning and so contrary to where you're headed at that point that it's unbelievable. Well I think the Patriot one is also worse because we know the Colts had a lost season anyway and they're in this spot and they're not a good football team. The Patriots, I never thought they were a really good team this year, but they felt like they were still alive for the playoffs. And yesterday, with the way that you lose a game like that, for a team that has been invincible for 20 years, and I know Brady's no longer there.

That's just like a pathetic loss and it's very jet-like and that doesn't usually happen to the Patriots. You know what? It's a great point. You know what's really wild, Zach? I said this like first half.

I tweeted this. Zach Ross, Tucker NFL. The Patriots are not a well-coached team. Like, I know who they're coaching. But when you watch them, they're on the goal line and Mac Jones scores, but the receiver's moving at the snap.

So it's a false start. I mean, they leave Darren Waller uncovered down the seam. They have blocked punts. I mean, they're not. They're not a well-coached team and I think it needs to be said. They're just not.

So I'm conflicted on that because here's why. I don't think they have a lot of talent on the roster and they're 7-7. So part of me wants to praise Belichick, but the way that I would say it, Ross Tucker, is I just think they're a stupid team. The approach makes no sense with Patricia as an offensive coordinator and that Jacoby Myers play yesterday when you get the ball. Why are you throwing it to Mac Jones?

What is Mac Jones going to do and try to cut up field, what, 50 yards? They're just a dumb team. Yeah, but isn't it the coach's job to either make sure the players that are out there know what to do or don't play dumb players? Right? I mean, you know, when I was there, Zach, 0-5 and 0-6, they just wouldn't have had guys playing that would do things like that.

I don't know how else to describe it, but that's kind of how I look at it. I mean, I just don't really think that they would have players like that. Those guys got cut when I was there.

And it does seem like they have a number of those guys there, so that surprised me, really surprised me, because they didn't allow that to happen when I was there. And I don't know if it would have been Brady being like, hey, guys, get as many yards as you can, but go down. But there was obviously no communication there, and I think they thought it was just a draw. But then Stevenson got enough yards that he thought, if I lateral some of them, we might be able to do something.

And then when Myers got the lateral, I just think he totally lost sight of game, clock, and situation. We all know what Belichick has accomplished in this league. Is his seat though warm?

It sounds like a stupid question to ask, but it's just one that I'm wondering about, Ross Tucker. It's not warm in the sense that he could get fired. I think it's warm in the sense that he's going to have a very different conversation with Robert Kraft probably after this season than he's ever had before. Because I really do think that Kraft is going to say, what are we doing here? You know, what are we doing in this situation at offensive coordinator? Why aren't we so poorly coached?

Why do we look like this? I really do think that Robert Kraft should ask a lot of questions, and rightfully so. And I don't know what Mac Jones is as a quarterback because they're not putting him in a position to succeed, Ross. That's the most frustrating part with this Patriots season for me.

Yeah, I think that's true. It's hard to imagine that he's gotten this much worse from last year. And obviously, that's the thing about football.

It's never really a controlled scientific experiment where you only remove one variable. It's not just Josh McDaniels that changed. There are some different players, and you're also in a situation where it's the second year for Mac Jones. A lot of times I've seen Zach put more on the quarterback in year two. They have a good rookie year, you're feeling good about it, but you're like, man, we had a good rookie year. We got a good quarterback.

He can make this check, he can have us do this, he can have us do that. Although when I watch the Patriots, it actually seems like the opposite. It actually seems like they trust him less.

It's all this underneath, wide receiver screen, all that kind of stuff. I don't think Patricia trusts him at all, and I don't trust Matt Patricia, so I give the benefit to Matt Jones on that one because the Patricia thing has so lost me. It made no sense from the start, and I'm like, okay, I guess you give the benefit of the doubt to Belichick. But other than that Minnesota game, I haven't seen anything really positive from this offense in their approach.

No, me neither. I mean, that's the only game where they could throw the ball and Matt Jones looked good. They're trying, I think, to win the way they did early in the Belichick era, early in the gradient. I think they want to keep the score low, run the ball, play good defense, and not screw up. The problem is, they screw up a lot.

They do. You're not wrong. Ross Tucker here with us. So I saw Adam Schefter is reporting that it's uncertain if Jalen Hurts is going to be able to go against the Cowboys due to a sprained shoulder that he suffered yesterday in the win over the Bears. Now, Hurts' agent Nicole Lynn said they don't believe that this is a long-term injury.

When I look at the NFC, with that being said, before that news, I would say the Eagles' 49ers are the only two teams that could get to a Super Bowl. Where are you with the uncertainty now on Jalen Hurts and what that does for the Eagles' chances? Well, I'm not that concerned about Hurts because he made some incredible throws after he clearly suffered the injury. So, I mean, he suffered the injury in the third quarter. You go back and watch that game. He made some awesome throws to A.J. Brown and Devante Smith to win the game.

So, usually if a guy is able to come back in the game, or stay in the game in that case and do that, he's usually going to be fine. And I think that's the case with Hurts, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they had him sit out the game on Saturday, and maybe the game after that, although they need to win at least one of these last three games to make sure they have the number one seed and home field advantage. But it wouldn't be surprised if they at least let him rest this one, and then maybe depending on how things go, he plays against New Orleans the week after. Lions and Jaguars, Ross Tucker. Will either of them make the playoffs both? What are your thoughts on those two teams? Man, I hope they both make the playoffs.

I don't know if that's what you just said, Zach, but wow. I mean, you know, you want the teams that are playing the best, right? To make the playoffs. You want the teams that are the most exciting, and especially teams like this that have been so bad for so long.

Yeah, I like won it for their fans, right? Plus, it'd be fun. I mean, the Lions are playing well. They could give this thing a run. The Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence, three out of the last four games, he has been awesome.

Absolutely awesome. So, yeah, man. I mean, I would love to see them both get it.

I don't know if it's going to happen, but I'd love to see it for sure. You mentioned the calls in the Vikings game, the two touchdowns that were taken off the board. A lot of people thought that Keelan Cole was out for the Raiders, and then we saw what happened on Sunday Night Football with the commanders on the no-PI and then the Terry McLaurin illegal shift. Just what stood out to you from the bad officiating and the bad reviews yesterday? Really disappointing.

You know, the Keelan Cole I'm okay with because they utilized technology. They looked at it as close as they could from so many different angles. They couldn't definitively change it. And I'm sort of of the mindset that when in doubt, not only when in doubt, you know, keep the call on the field, but also when in doubt, like, give them the benefit of the doubt for the touchdown. As for, you know, the Vikings calls, really disappointing, really disappointing because they're actually taught to let the play play out. That's the part that bothered me the most. In that instance, I felt like the officials went against what they're told and instructed to do. That's the part that bothers me there. And then in Washington, the first one's weird because it feels like it was a miscommunication between the line judge and McLaurin. McLaurin thought he said he was okay. And I think the line judge was saying, you got to get up on the line, like pointing at the line rather than saying you're okay. The pass interference, it appeared to me like the official just had a bad angle, but that was obviously pass interference. That said, you still got to score the touchdown then.

You still got to get the two point conversion, but it's always disappointing when you feel like a clear foul was not flat. Two days away from Christmas. It's also Hanukkah right now as well. Myfrontpagestory.com. You've been telling me about this for years. How can people get a part of this and get a pretty memorable gift?

Yeah, you know what, that's not too late. Just go to myfrontpagestory.com. I know a lot of you still haven't gotten your wife or your mom or whoever anything for Christmas.

Just go to myfrontpagestory.com. It takes like five minutes to either talk to the writer or fill out a couple questions on email. They write the most unbelievable story about your wife. It's so cool to see them get it. They don't know what it is and they see that it's them.

It's them featured on the front cover of a newspaper that's framed. It's beautiful. It's so cool to tell them I had a story written about you. It just sounds good.

They almost always cry when they read your quotes like I never tell her enough how much I appreciate the little things she does. It's awesome. It really is.

Myfrontpagestory.com. You know me, I love your Oz Tucker and you're a Princeton guy, so you're a real erudite man. Did you really not know how to say cajones? Was cajones a real thing that that's how you thought it was pronounced? You know, it's funny, Zach, because you're the first person that brought it up on the air since then and I honestly am not sure what happened there because I know I've heard cajones before.

I am not sure if I've heard somebody else recently mispronounce it and say cajones, which I think might be the case, or if I just hadn't heard it in a while and I just seen it. In any case, it's an absolute disaster and my entire family was extremely embarrassed and I'll have to never be able to live it down, unfortunately. That's unbelievable. Well, Ross Tucker, we appreciate it.

Thanks so much as always. You're the best. Amen. Is there something really absurd that skeeves you out? Getting a paper cut on my eyeball. A fear you can't shake? I'm going to leak ocular fluid down my cheeks.

It's going to go into my mouth and I will perish. Whatever scares you, I want to talk about it. Join me, Larry Mullins, on my new podcast, Your Weirdest Fears. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. And add shows to your queue to catch up later. There's a lot to listen to. So get started and download the free Odyssey app today.