Tiki Barber, Former New York Giants Running Back

I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. To catch up later, there's a lot to listen to.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Tiki, how you been? I've been good, Zach. How are you, dude?

I'm doing fantastic. If you were on the Giants yesterday, how many yards would you have put up? What would your stat line look like up against that dreadful Vikings defense? Well, I never had a quarterback that could take away my carries and be very productive at doing it.

I probably would have had about the same as Saquon, whose nine touches and however many yards he had, 58, were important because of the two touchdowns. But also, he was just physical. He ran hard, Saquon did, busting through a couple of tackles to get first downs. You had to be happy with what he did, but most importantly, you had to be thrilled with how Daniel Jones rose to the occasion on the most important stage of his career to this point.

How do you describe the Daniel Jones story? Because when you get basically told you're not good enough in New York and you have to overcome adversity, most people aren't able to overcome this adversity. Daniel Jones not only playing well, he's thriving right now. Well, he's thriving because he's got the right coaching. I mean, coaching matters so much.

We say it often, but we kind of discount it. We don't think about what it really means, but it happens anywhere, whether it's a high school football team or like my daughter on a cheer squad down at CJA in Kenilworth. Coaching matters, and Daniel Jones has finally found the most consistent coaching to make him the best player that he can be. It's not trying to fit him into a system.

It's doing the things that he does best that he's most confident and comfortable in. And you're seeing it start to transform this offense. I mean, I know the Vikings defense has been terrible all season, and it was terrible on Sunday. But Daniel Jones still had to execute. He still had to make the right decisions. He still had to be smart with the football, which he's been all season long.

And the evolution of his game has earned him a ton of money come free agency, which is just around the corner as soon as the postseason is over for him. We all know that Brian Dabel was a hot name in the coaching circles, but just because you're a hot name as a coordinator, how many times do we see guys fail as head coaches? What is it specifically that you see from your players' view about Brian Dabel that makes him such a good coach?

Well, there's a couple of things. Primarily, it's all about the relationship with him. He knows how to push his team's buttons exactly, not just as a whole unit, but individually. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of how Bruce Arians was as an offensive assistant.

This is back when he was mentoring Sean Payton Mannings and the Carson Palmers and Andrew Lux. When he gets you in his grasp, he wants to know everything about you so he knows what makes you tick. He sits down and he's honest with you. We saw this early in the season against the Tennessee Titans when he threw a bad interception trying to get a ball into Saquon Barkley. Dabel screamed at him on the sideline, which is something you never see happen to starting quarterbacks in the NFL, essentially saying, make better decisions. From that point on, he's done nothing but make great decisions. He holds his guys accountable because they know it's not personal.

It's a trust in him. He's had a lot of experience. It feels like he's been around forever. He's only 47 years old, but from an assistant coach at Michigan State, then the Patriots, then the Jets, then the Browns, then the Dolphins, then he goes back to New England, then he's at Alabama for a season. He's been around a lot of different, really good head coaches. I think it's crafted this person who knows how to relate to all these different situations. I think some of the problems with, I won't say young cause they're not all young, but a lot of the new head coaches are very young.

They're 35, 36, 37 years old. They just don't have the depth of experience to know how to coach everybody as opposed to just a position or a unit that they've been used to standing in front of. Tiki Barber here with us. Have you ever seen anything like this Isaiah Hodgins story?

Cause it is unbelievable. Yeah, it's my favorite one of the seasons so far for the Giants. Maybe my favorite one of the NFL. I don't see it as a cast off, but he was kind of a nobody. He was somebody that most people wouldn't have recognized before the season started. The only reason that he's on the New York Giants is because of Joe Shane and Brian Dabel who drafted him.

I think he was out of Oregon State and here he comes in. He's only played six games. He's leading the team in touchdowns with five, including the one in the playoffs on Sunday. He's truly become one of the best route runners in the NFL. I'm biased because I'm a Giants fan and I watch him daily so I see it, but he abused Patrick Peterson yesterday.

He abused Patrick Peterson three weeks ago or four weeks ago when they played him in the regular season, a game that they just lost. And Patrick Peterson could be a Hall of Famer or should be a Hall of Famer. So I think his evolution is something that's a testament to him, clearly, but more importantly to the eye of Joe Shane and the scouting department and how they've constructed this roster. Because we can sit here and look at it on paper and just say, you know, they're not that good compared to the Eagles or compared to the Bills or whoever's still left.

There's only eight teams left, but whoever's left, the Giants are probably coming near the bottom of those eight teams, but they've gotten better every single week to the point where now they're playing with a ton of confidence and in the postseason anything can happen. You've got a franchise quarterback now in Daniel Jones. You have someone in Saquon Barkley who we know it's always about just staying healthy, but also it helps the defensive side of the ball when you have a game wrecker like Dexter Lawrence who I feel like still doesn't get enough praise nationally.

No, he definitely doesn't. I mean, he got a second team All-Pro selection, which is fantastic. I mean, you're the top three or four defensive linemen in all of the National Football League, so he's got his credit where it's most important, those who are watching on a national scale. But as much as I love his game and how he's evolved, because I forget, you know, locally, a lot of people thought he was never going to fulfill the expectation of his draft position coming out of Clemson, and yet here he is as this monster, 6'4", 340, whatever the heck he is, just dominating. But so much of his success is scheme-related. And again, this goes back to the first thing we talked about is his coaching. Wayne Martinell knows how to get him in one-on-one matchups, and if Dexter Lawrence is on a one-on-one matchup with a guard or a center, he's going to destroy that player because he's so much physically stronger, and he's got a motor that you can't deny him.

And so Wink has done a great job with scheming him into one-on-one situations with guards and centers who he overmatches. Your confidence level, Tiki Barber, I know you want the Giants to win, but going into this game Saturday night in Philadelphia, how likely do you think it is that the Giants end up going to the conference championship game? Well, anything is possible, especially in a division game. You've seen this team twice.

There's been a lot of rematches in this postseason, but you've seen this team twice. You know what they're really good at? That is getting after the quarterback. We have four guys on this defense, Sweat and Hargrave and Brandon Graham and most importantly, Hassan Redick, all have double-digit sacks.

I mean, it's ridiculous. They led the league in sacks, so we know that they can pressure the quarterback. But if you can neutralize that, I think a great way to do it is with a running quarterback.

We saw it early in the Minnesota game where Daniel Jones was an option with his legs, which makes it so much harder for a defensive coordinator to call different blitzes or different coverage schemes because the quarterback can kill you picking up 10, 15 yards. My confidence is high only because I know how the Giants lay. It's going to be a one-possession game. As long as they don't make mistakes that they haven't done in a few weeks now, they can stay in the game and try to steal it at the end. You know, it's funny when I look at some of these other teams in there, some of the games in the Super Wildcard Weekend that the NFL Now calls it, I was looking at the possessions. I mean, the Bills-Miami game had 31 possessions between the two teams. Anything can happen when you have 31 possessions. The Giants and the Vikings, there were 17 total possessions and two of those were ends of half. So, I mean, 15 possessions in the entire game that were scoring opportunities. If you make a mistake, then you don't win. The Giants don't make mistakes.

If they limit possessions and slow them, pull the game down to a one-possession game against anybody, I think they have a chance to win. Other reactions from the weekend, Tiki Barber, that Jaguars-Chargers game, Brandon Staley. I didn't think he was on the hot seat really going into Week 18 and the whole Mike Williams thing happened. It's like, uh-oh, now he's on the hot seat.

I know that was as bad as it could be on Saturday night. I don't think Spanos is going to fire him, though, when he should. No, I don't think he will, even though it sounds like, and I've only heard this, but it sounds like Sean Payton is really lobbying for that job. Oh, he wants the job.

I think he's been lobbying for it for like three months. Yeah, I think you're right. It's crazy that Brandon Staley, who had such a good first couple of seasons, now is going to be judged on what was one of his most anemic games of the season. Now, it's crazy to say that because of what the final score is, but if it's not for those four Trevor Lawrence interceptions, a couple of which were not Trevor's fault, but they are what they are, they really didn't do anything offensively to Chargers. And if you go back to Week 3 when the Jacksonville Jaguars weren't nearly as good as they were when they finished the season, they got destroyed by the Jaguars 38-10 that Week 3 game was in favor of the Jags. So, I mean, if you were looking at the line, you know, the two point dog at home that Jacksonville was, it was an easy bet to take.

It didn't start that way, but I wasn't surprised that the Jaguars came back because of how dominant they had been over the Chargers earlier in the year. What do you think is going to happen with the future of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore? I don't know, man.

This is such an it's an odd and interesting journey that's been going on. And in one part of my mind, I know it's the right and kind of perfect place for him. Like he fits the M.O.

of that organization and the city like there. It's a grinding type offense. And he's so good at that. Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator understands perfectly how to utilize someone with the skill set like he has, obviously going back to his Colin Kaepernick days when he was O.C. out with the San Francisco 49ers. But at the same time, they seem very reluctant, that is the Ravens, very reluctant to commit to what he wants. And we know in the NFL, you got an MVP quarterback and he wants whatever he wants. Look at Aaron Rodgers, look at Tom Brady, look at whoever it may be.

They tend to get what they want. The Ravens seem to be, I don't know, dragging their feet a little bit and it could cost them. I just hope if he goes someplace else and he realizes that sometimes the grass isn't greener because if the situation isn't right, the coach and the system isn't right. I don't know if he's going to have the same success that he's had so far in Baltimore. If you were him, would you step on the field next year? Now since this has been two off-seasons, they tried to get a deal done and there's been no progress. I know they could franchise tag him the next few years, but would you even step on the field before getting a long-term deal?

Yeah, I think you have to. In today's NFL, it passes you by. Even though he's still really young, but I think it would be unprecedented. It would set in motion a series of conflicts that would not get solved very easily because as much as you hate or love it, the Baltimore Ravens control him via the franchise tag.

He'd get a lot of money to do nothing, or actually he wouldn't because he would toll. They could just keep tolling it over and over and over again if they don't want to lose him. I think what ultimately happens is that they will non-exclusive franchise him. I believe this will happen with Daniel Jones as well before they ultimately get a deal worked out. They'll non-exclusive franchise him. So if anybody wants to sign him, they have to give the Ravens two first-round draft picks, which is kind of what it seems like the Ravens are looking for. Wrap it up with Tiki Barber. Two more before we let the legendary Giants running back run. This Brock Purdy story is something that is really a movie.

I'm just wondering for next year, and I guess we've got to know how they finish up this year, but who's starting for them next year? Is it Lance? Is it Brady? Is it Purdy?

What would be your thought? It's Purdy. It's interesting because I feel like Trey Lance was drafted a couple of years ago because of what he offered from a running position. Kyle Shanahan is one of these offensive minds trying to revolutionize how offense is played and giving you options with the quarterback, a guy who can throw and run. We see it with Josh Allen. We see it with Daniel Jones.

We perfectly got us with the Giants. Trey Lance is supposed to be that guy, but he's not getting above the X's and O's from a scheme perspective. Yeah, he can run, but he hasn't really developed into that confident thrower that you have to be in a Kyle Shanahan system. Brock Purdy, who nobody knows about or pays attention to, was exactly that kind of player when he was at Iowa State. He's athletic. He's not afraid to run.

He ran for a couple hundred yards and he's 19 rushing touchdowns in his career at Iowa State. He knows how to use his legs, but also he plays with such confidence and awareness. It's awesome. It's almost like he's the perfect player to be coached. And I'm back to this again.

It's always going to come back to this. The perfect player to be coached by Kyle Shanahan. It's no different in that same offense than Christian McCaffrey. You watch Christian McCaffrey over the last 10, now 11 games, including the postseason. Isn't it the perfect offense for Christian McCaffrey? He's coached perfectly into it. It utilizes his skill set almost immaculately. Honestly, I think Brock Purdy is the guy going forward for the San Francisco 49ers.

The best thing for them is that it resets all of the nonsense. Jimmy will be gone. Trey Lance, who knows what his deal is, but it resets you with a second-year quarterback on a rookie deal, but you still have a great team around them. His defense is one of the top of the leagues and an offense that has skill-producing players out the wazoo. So I like Brock Purdy.

I love his story coming from the Mr. Irrelevant to undefeated and a starter in the NFL. Last one for Tiki Barber before we let you run. Who wins tonight? You going Cowboys or Buccaneers? Man, this is the hardest game in the world to pick because I don't trust Dak. I think the Cowboys' skill really all around are probably better and they should win this game, but Dak has gotten confused a lot. I've gone back over the last couple of weeks and just watched his tape and some of the throws that he's making, he's making rookie mistakes, things that he didn't do when he was a rookie, that he's doing now. It's costing them and it's putting them in tough situations in their games that they should have won and that they've lost. So I don't trust him. I don't know what's going on with him. Maybe, honestly, it's coaching, the converse of what we've been talking about. And Tom Brady is Tom Brady.

If I had to put my money on it, I'd say the Cowboys, but something in my gut tells me that the Buccaneers are going to find a way to win this one. Tiki, always appreciate the time. You be well. Thank you.

Anytime, Zach. Be well, dude. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. I'm so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes.

I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Now is the perfect time to upgrade your old socks to Grip 6 modern wool socks. Grip 6 socks are the most comfortable all-season socks ever.

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