Chargers Choke (Hour 1)

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Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. 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. Live from the play show yet not overly ostentatious studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City sitting on top of the 10th floor 345 Hudson Street. Welcome on in to a Monday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM channel 158 and that free Odyssey app. 855-212-4CBS number to jump on in.

855-212-4227. You can always get at me on Instagram where I'm straight flexing or via the good old cesspool of Twitter at Zach Gelb. That's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Tiki Barber going to stop by an hour from now and then two hours from now we'll be joined by Solomon Wilcox. But first up producing this extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than Hot Take Kiki.

I don't know about that Hot Take Kiki. We had a wonderful weekend of football. Whenever you have five weekend games and then tonight it will conclude the wild card round between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the drama Dallas Choking Cowboys.

Whenever you have a weekend of games and it's all playoff games very rarely do you feel a certain type of way about all five games where you had to be for at least a half and for more so more than and for more of the games more than half glued to the edge of your seat. And that's where you really were like even the 49ers Seahawks game even though the final score read 41 to 23 and it seemed like it was a lopsided finish for a while that was a tight game where Geno Smith was keeping the Seattle Seahawks in the game. We all know what happened with the Jaguars and the Chargers and the Chargers up 27 to nothing and then they just choked and Doug Peterson Trevor Lawrence and company really show you it's a tale of two halves and now Jacksonville is on to the second round.

And it shows you how much better off they are without that bozo in Urban Meyer as their head coach and look what Doug Peterson does and how he'll go up against his mentor in Andy Reid this upcoming weekend. And the Dolphins bills look like it was going to be the blowout as we all expected up 17 up in Buffalo. Then that game came right down to the wire Giants and Vikings back and forth all throughout the game and the Giants to take down the fraudulent Minnesota Vikings and last night Ravens and Bengals no one including yours truly gave the Ravens a shot no Lamar Jackson the game didn't really have high expectations for Tyler Huntley. It wasn't for that fumble where Huntley went airborne at the two yard line and it ended up going for a 98 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Hubbard and the Cincinnati Bengals maybe the Ravens pull off a great upset and maybe they're advancing to the second round and we're back on the more watch so this weekend of games was awesome. Everything that you want as a football fan not a single under did hit as well which is just crazy when you look back at it because sometimes when you have injuries affect and take place like what happened with Miami and what happened with the Ravens you thought they would be lower scoring games. No it was a weekend of over over over over and more overs that did occur but we got to start off when I look back at this entire weekend in wild card weekend the game that still makes me want to have the biggest reaction overreaction proper reaction whatever you want to say is really that Chargers Jaguars game. Because I was so impressed with the Chargers in the first that when they're up 27 nothing I'm saying finally this is the Chargers team when all throughout the week people pick it against them including yours truly. Oh Brandon Staley's a moron. How do you play Mike Williams fire Brandon Staley for most of that first half when they give the effort that they gave and they're off to the start that they were off to it was middle finger central bleep everyone bleep you. We're the Los Angeles Chargers.

We're going to go to the second round. Maybe they'll go to Kansas City and open up a can of what bass on the Kansas City Chiefs third time's a charm if they could finish a game. That's what I felt like for the majority of that first half right before the end of the half even when Jacksonville gets a touchdown.

You're like oh whatever. And the take in the other direction for Jack for the Jacksonville Jaguars wonderful season. But how is it going to come crashing to an end like this. And it's all going to cave in when Trevor Lawrence was trying to be like friend to show Jake Deloem in a playoff game when he had four interceptions in the first half. And I know last year we've seen some games teams get off the big start. Then they don't find a way to win the game or even that Tampa Bay Rams game.

I think it was twenty seven up the last year twenty seven three something like that where the Bucks were down they come back but then the Rams end up winning the game. But going into halftime with the talent that the Chargers have and the lead that they have there is no way in hell anyone anyone thought that the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to win. And all those emotions that you felt in the first half. Wow what a gritty performance by the Chargers. What a statement by the Chargers. What a dominant performance by the Chargers evaporated into thin air in the second half. And I don't know throughout the entirety of this NFL season and Hickey I think you would agree with this. I don't know if there's been a team that has been on more of a roller coaster ride of emotions more so than the Los Angeles Chargers off one person and one person only. And that's Brandon Staley because before the year it was Brandon Staley all eyes are on him.

They get up to that bad start. Oh get rid of this moron and Brandon Staley then with all the injuries that they suffered leading into the final week of the season already knowing that their playoff birth is decided and they're in the postseason. Oh wow Staley is doing a good job. Look he had to deal with the Herbert injury Bose was out for most of the season during James in and out of the lineup injuries to the offense alignment for Sean Slater being out. Mike Williams Keenan Allen in our lineups. We were given a lot of praise to Brandon Staley leading into the final week of the regular season with a big question all throughout the year was is that Chargers job going to become available for Sean Payton. That was the big question all throughout the year. And for most of the year we were trying to find ways and we were given ways to say Dean Spanos you should fire Brandon Staley and leading into the final week of the regular season. Hickey said it.

I said it. He's going to be back. He's going to be back because whether you want to say it's because the Spanos family is cheap or not but based off merit he deserved to be back when you have that team going to the postseason. And then right when we are about to have the roller coaster go right into the exit line and really just end the roller coaster ride and it was an eventful ride where the cart flipped upside down and all that right as you were coasted into the finish line. It went for another loop. And that other loop was Mike Williams at a game that meant nothing that no significance to your playoff positioning. He got hurt. And even with that being said, it brings back up that conversation.

Do you get rid of Brandon still he's in over his head he's gets too smart he gets too cute. And when they get out to a 27 nothing start when it looked like that roller coaster ride was about to start right back up of craziness up you're going right back to the finish line when you're up 27 nothing still he's good. He had a great message.

He had a great response, and he's going to be good for next year. But then what happened in that second half was disgraceful. And you could blame multiple people. You could blame Herbert in the second half. You could blame Joey Bosa in the second half, but it all starts and ends with that head coach and Brandon Staley.

Because here's the thing you have a team that is has a roster that has so many names that are talented potentially great players in this league. And last year, their season ended in miserable fashion. This year, their season ends, even though the goal was to get to the playoffs in miserable fashion, because there are 27 points.

27 nothing. And they blew it. And I watched that game, no matter who you want to blame and however you want to divide up the blame. The biggest amount of blame goes on the shoulders of the head football coach, because he didn't have an answer.

When he was spotted a 27 nothing lead, and his team under his tutelage and under his leadership is not reaching where they should go. I think there's only one decision to be made. Dean Spanos needs to fire Brandon Staley. That's the obvious take. That's the right take.

That's the only take. Fire Brandon Staley and bring in Sean Payton. But even though I think that's the only decision to make, even though I think that's the obvious and right decision to make, I have about 0% confidence that Dean Spanos is going to do that. Because I think Dean Spanos is going to talk himself into, well, year one, we didn't make the playoffs.

Year two, even though it was an embarrassing end, we made the playoffs. And I have to pay Brandon Staley this amount of money if I have to go get Sean Payton, maybe I have to pay him $10 million a year and give up a draft pick, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's a bunch of bullcrap. It's a bunch of excuses that talks you into not having to pay two coaches at once. And that's the reality of the situation. I'm not saying Brandon Staley can't one day go on to be a good coach. But in the NFL and in life, timing is everything. And the time for Brandon Staley to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers is not good timing right now.

And his time should be up because if you go through this song and dance next year and it has a similar outcome, even if you slightly improve, you are still wasting the window of this team. And we all know it in the NFL. We've seen it with the good and the bad. You never know how long a window is open in the NFL.

Two examples where I could show you positive and I could show you negative. Look at the Seahawks from years ago. The Seattle Seahawks won a Super Bowl the next year.

They are one yard away from going back to back. One decision to throw a football instead of running the football closed their window for a team that looked like they were ready to go on a dynasty. You look at the Giants the last five years, the Giants have been in the toilet.

They've been horrible. They bring in the right coach, the right general manager, not even with the most talented roster in the world. Now the Giants have some sort of window. The Giants are in the divisional round and no one in the world. I don't care if you're the most clairvoyant man in the world or woman, you could have never predicted the Giants to get to the divisional round, let alone the playoffs this year. So the point is with Staley, you have a coach that has a roster that is ready to win.

We don't know how long their window is going to last. But it's clear to me that with Brandon Staley as their head coach, he will not take you to your apex. He will not allow this team right now to reach their full potential. Maybe in five, six, seven years he goes on to be a really good coach.

But is really good enough, you need a great coach right now. And you have Sean Payton available and he wants that job. It's the worst kept secret in the NFL right now. Sean wants the Chargers job. He's wanted it all year.

He's been hoping for it all year. And if you're Dean Spanos and you actually care about being a good owner, it's one decision to make. You get rid of Staley. Thanks for all you've done in two years. You get him out and you bring in a coach that's ready to win.

And that is Sean Payton. With that being said, as obvious of a decision as it is, I have zero percent confidence. Zero.

I'll reiterate that again. Zero. Nada.

Zilch. That Dean Spanos is going to get rid of Brandon Staley. If we get a breaking news alert in the next 24 to 48 hours, that hasn't happened yet. That game was on Saturday.

Usually that would come on Monday or late Sunday. But you don't always want to interfere with the games. The NFL is sensitive to that.

If we don't get that report by tomorrow, it ain't happening. And so far, even Jordan Schultz, longtime NFL reporter, he's even talking about how it's likely that there's going to be staff changes in Los Angeles, but Brandon Staley is going to keep his job. Hickey, I know you've been along the ride here on this roller coaster ride of emotions with the Chargers, along with me all throughout the year.

And usually when we disagree, we've been in lockstep here. For most of the year, it was get rid of Staley, get rid of Staley, and go to Sean Payton. And then leading into the final week of the season, it was, Staley's done enough to keep his job.

Even if we thought, still, Sean's still a better coach, you should get him. Based off merit, he did enough to keep his job. But what we've seen the last two weeks, this guy should not be back. But I do think he will be back because I have no faith in Dean Spanos to do the right thing. Your thoughts?

I agree. And like I said, you look at this roster, look at the talent, the fact that they're able to jump out to a 27-0 lead, dominate the first half. Look, you get the right coach in there.

I got some pushback on it on Twitter after I was tweeting that Saturday night. I think this team, like no joke, is truly a superl team if you have a guy like Sean Payton running the team because he's a guy who knows how to win, and that's a roster that has a lot of talent. I get it there, a lot of injuries always every year. But there's a ton of talent on that team ready to go.

If you have a guy like Sean Payton in there, I love where this Chargers team is going. Like I said, it's just brain still. He's learning on the job.

He's very inexperienced. And the fact that you keep on going through these bumps, whether you put it perfectly, the window is long with Justin Herbury. They close a lot faster than you think. You've got to capitalize. Now, this should have been the final straw. You can't blow a 27-0 lead in the playoffs and live to talk about it. Now let me just be clear on one thing. The only reason why you got some pushback on Twitter is because you said, if they hire Sean Payton, the Chargers will win the Super Bowl next year. That's a pretty adamant statement in the moment that they'll win the Super Bowl next year when they still have to go up against the likes of Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and then the NFC, whatever the future of the 49ers, Eagles, and whoever else emerges from the pack a year from now. So that's why I think you got, because you've developed a little reputation here.

Just in the year of 2023, you know, forget about all the takes in the past, but just in the year of 2023, you walk out of the Rose Bowl, Penn State's going to the playoffs next year. Watch out. No big deal. No big deal. And now the moment after the Chargers' worst moment, it's bringing Sean Payton.

You're locked to win it all and hoist the Lombardi Trophy. That's why I think people are going after you and having fun at your expense. I don't, this is going to sound like now I'm probably petty and now I'm going to try to defend myself.

But I will say, same person, that when Jimmy G went down, still picked the 49ers, and a long way to go, Brock Persig and good, did not panic. So in the moment, yes, some have, well, nothing has played out yet. Some may seem crazy, some may seem out there. Once in a while you find one that wins, or one that looks good.

I can't say that it looks better. You are the definition of a blind squirrel finding a nut once in a while. I'm not a broken clock, all right? I'm better than that. In your world.

Whatever makes things tick the way that they do in your brain. This is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. Important right now that we do say Happy Martin Luther King Day to all as we remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and all that he did stand for and the way that we just try to continue to carry out what he did fight for, for years and years and years.

So just wanted to say that out of the gate as well. This is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. When we come on back, will we get a hickey apology to one giant quarterback?

And also, I want one thing to happen by the end of the show today. For about two months, every Monday or Friday, but usually Monday, Scott in California, who's a mega Vikings fan, will call this show and every other show on the network. And he would say, you guys are calling the Vikings frauds. Why are you Vikings haters? And I would explain to Scott in California, I'm not a Vikings hater. Go to my Twitter profile picture.

It's me and Justin Jefferson. I have no issue against Minnesota, but the way that they lost games this year, extremely fraudulent football team, that they were just a good football team, not a great football team. Well, after the Vikings went up 7-0 yesterday, the Giants took control of that game. So, Scott, you said a lot of things for two months, a lot of things about your football team, how great they were, and how they're going to the Super Bowl.

And all of us here at CBS Sports Radio, and I picked the Vikings yesterday, but you said all of us were haters, all of us. Don't be the guy that just calls when you think things are going well, and you don't call when your team folds on the big stage. Scott in California, if you don't call this week, if you don't call today, you're banned. Banned. I'm not even just saying from this show, Hickey.

I don't even know if I have this power. But go into the system and ban him from every other show. If he doesn't call, and I want to hear from Scott in California today and try to defend that nonsense from yesterday. 855-2124 CBS, 855-212-4227. Scott, you don't need the phone number. You know the phone number.

We better hear from Scott in California today. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app, your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown, and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams. Pause or rewind your local sports and news and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

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Unbelievable turn of events. Nonstop coverage from the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Podcasts dedicated to each NFL team and postseason games streaming live for free. Thinks the handoff, looks right, throws right, hands on clock, touchdown. Your playoffs, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. The Minnesota Vikings. Yuck. Yuck. What the heck was that yesterday? As Denny Green once said, take the Bears out of it, the Vikings are who we thought they were.

Oh, my goodness gracious. I've never seen a team have that good of a record and everyone in America knew that that team was not as good as what their record says. Especially in a year where you could look at the NFC and really Philadelphia was the team that for the majority of the season you felt really good about. I know later on after the 49ers start off the year 3 and 4 and haven't lost since, the 49ers have entered that conversation. But in a year where Dallas had a lot of skepticism, you would think the NFC is wide open. And Minnesota, to start the year, they took it to Green Bay.

Then they get blown out by Philadelphia. But then they had some good wins, close games, all that. Remember the Buffalo game.

But there's just too many performances throughout the year when for the most part they went up against better competition. Whether it was Philly, whether it was Dallas, whether it was the second time against the Green Bay Packers who were trending in the right direction. Whether it was when they were a 2.5 point dog to the Lions before we knew how good the Lions could be.

They were a dog to Detroit and Detroit beat them pretty good. So all throughout the year it felt like you saw Minnesota's record but you said, hold up, wait a second, not as good as what their record says. And shame on me because for most of the week I thought that the Vikings were going to lose the game. And then I allowed everyone else that was saying the Giants were going to win, the Giants were going to win, the Giants were going to win. I'm like, hold on, everyone's on the Giants.

So I said, that concerns me, I'll go with Minnesota. And Minnesota opened up the game in a fantastic way. But then the Giants answered back and once the Giants answered back, you never got a sense that Minnesota was going to win the game. And I thought the biggest difference in the game, when you just look at the sequence on why the Giants won and the Vikings lost. Fourth and one, O'Connell, aggressive, going for it, as he should. Christian Garrisau jumps, you have to settle for a field goal. Giants, next drive, driving.

Fourth and one, they convert, eventually get a touchdown. That right there, for a Vikings team that has more talent than the Giants, was the biggest difference in the game. Because you could have the most talented roster when another team has you on the ropes and you have a chance to counter and you stumble. The Giants then followed up with a knockout punch. And I got to give a lot of credit to the Giants. And Brian Dabel has done such a fine coaching job.

We've talked about this all year. But look at now the confidence the Giants fan has with Daniel Jones at quarterback. And it's not easy in New York when a player fails or when people are saying this player can't do this, this player can't do that.

Having to overcome adversity in New York is so tough to do. And Daniel Jones now is the giant quarterback. Daniel Jones is getting an extension this offseason. You probably knew that a few weeks ago, but on the big stage yesterday, Daniel Jones was dominant. Dominant with his legs, the timely throw. I know everyone talks about the Hodgins catch.

That was an excellent throw by Daniel Jones. You look at this Giants team and remember, this is just year one of Dabel and Shane. They got to make significant improvements to this roster. But you look around this roster, you feel good about the coach. You feel very good about the quarterback, feel very good about Saquon Barkley. They're running back and it's good to see Saquon Barkley healthy. Dexter Lawrence, Paul Allen, the voice of the Vikings said he's going to be the next Aaron Donald.

Well, Dexter Lawrence on the big stage yesterday, he made a big statement. And shame on the NFL refs too. Because you knew all throughout the year, we've talked about every week it seems like, this is the worst roughing the passer call we've ever seen.

And I'm watching the game in Colorado with my dad who's a big Giants fan and my brother-in-law who's a big Giants fan. And there were expletives flying all around the room, even with the new baby in the family, Hickey. They were cursing in front of my niece. I said, you animals, you knock it off. I know it was a bad call, but we don't want to teach this baby some bad language already.

I know what her first word's going to be. Yeah, the F word. F the refs.

F Goodell. Oh my God. I was like looking at my brother-in-law and my father. I can't believe the words that I'm hearing right now. Oh, the horror. Oh, the travesty. But they were right because it was a weak, soft ass call. That was terrible. But I'm just happy, even though I bet the Vikings yesterday.

And I took them lane three, lane three. I'm happy that that dumb call didn't impact the game and didn't cause the Giants to lose the game. Because the Giants were the better team yesterday and they deserve to win. And the Giants, we talked about this before the show, how many foundational pieces do they have? Like Jones is their quarterback. We know Saquon Barkley is one of their more talented offensive players.

They're the most talented offensive player. You look around, Dexter Lawrence, foundational piece. Thibodeau can be a foundational piece. Thomas, their offensive lineman, foundational piece.

We'll see what Evan Neal turns out to be. But you're only talking about five or six foundational pieces and it just shows you what culture does. And when you hire the right people, the immediate impact it has. Because Nick Gates, who joined us two, three weeks ago, he even acknowledged it. He said, people just go to work this year with a different mentality. Like we're all happy to go to work, which wasn't the case when Pat Shermer was the coach. Wasn't the case when Joe Judge was the coach. So you got to give a lot of credit to the Giants yesterday because they made a big...

I don't even care what happens in Philadelphia on Saturday night. They made a big time statement and this year could not have gone better. You could not have authored this script if you were a Giants fan before the start of the season. Because now you feel good about the coach, you feel good about the quarterback. You know you got Dexter Lawrence, you know you got Saquon Barkley, some other pieces they have there. But this is just the building stages and the building stages right now, you're seeing an immediate payoff without even having the future potential roster, the guys that you really need to add on to this roster to really become a winner. You're in the divisional round of the postseason. So Hickey, I have admitted and I've been very critical of Daniel Jones.

And I never thought he was going to be a franchise quarterback for the Giants. But about a month and a half, two months ago I said, looks like Jones is going to be back next year. And even up until last week, Hickey, you've sat there and you've been digging your heels right into the turf. And you've been saying that you're not that big of a fan of Daniel Jones.

Where are you at today? Because I have people tweeting me left and right over this weekend, Hickey's got to apologize to Danny Dimes, Hickey's got to apologize to Daniel Jones. Is the apology coming today? I will say this.

Yes. Well, a half apology. I will apologize to Daniel Jones for not giving the benefit of the doubt against the worst defense in the NFL. I will give him credit that in the last two games he has played in the two arguably biggest games of his career, you clinch against the Colts week 17 and this game, the playoff game, he plays two best games in the two biggest games of his career with what was on the line for the Giants. But not a lot around him.

And I would agree. The cast around him is not very good whatsoever. And he had his he was great. He was great yesterday.

He rose to the occasion. I had my doubts. I'll be honest about Brian Daybell sitting the starters in week 18. I thought it was a bad move with all the momentum they had after the Colts game week 17. I would have played the starters in week 18.

I thought that was not for me a move that I didn't think. Daniel Jones was good enough to sit after the best game of his career and then kind of get back on the right right path to them. Play as good of a game as they did in Minnesota yesterday. So I apologize for underestimating Dan Jones in that aspect. He was great yesterday. I got nothing to say outside of not only did he play great, that 49ers team.

You saw the reason why we called the frauds. That defense is a sieve. You mean the Vikings team? Yes. What I say? I think you said the 49ers.

Really? Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't know why they're in my brain. I apologize. You're rattled.

The Vikings defense is terrible. What you are hearing right now is a rattled man, a man that does not like to apologize. And he just gave a half assed apology. So then he starts talking about the 49ers.

Well, because then you know what the conversation is. Oh my God, Daniel Jones is the guy. Now the Giants have found their quarterback. I can't sit here and tell you he's going to win a Super Bowl. I don't know. Sure. But if he's a franchise guy, yes, he's definitely going to be in New York long term. Will this work out in a year or two?

I don't know. He is playing like a top ten quarterback right now. And that statement is something I never thought I'd be able to say on the radio whenever talking about Daniel Jones. But on the other side, not taking anything away from Daniel Jones. He was awesome in the game yesterday. My first reaction to the Vikings losing is actually not to kill Kirk Cousins, because even though I don't get thrown the ball short of the sticks on that fourth down play, I know that Dexter Lawrence is right in his face.

KJ Osborne was open, but he wasn't looking at him. That defense, which earlier on the year made a little bit of a statement. But then ever since getting some praise early on, that defense has been embarrassing.

And Patrick Peterson is a Hall of Fame cornerback. Look, lost yesterday. Zadarius Smith was a no-show for most of the game yesterday. Looking at the rest when he's trying to get a call and then basically stop playing. That Vikings defense, woof. Like if you're on the offensive side of the ball for Minnesota, you thought you did enough yesterday. If you just got an okay level of play from the defense, you'll probably win the game. But that defense, just like it was last year, once again this year, has mega, mega, mega problems. And if Kevin O'Connell and Questia Dofamensa do not fix that defense, well, there will always be a stigma around the Vikings that they'll choke if given the opportunity to choke. But if they don't find a way to drastically improve that defense, they'll never win anything in this league. I know it's easy to make Kirk Cousins the pinata, and you could get on him for that final throw yesterday, but I don't care what Kirk Cousins does in the game yesterday.

No one is winning a playoff game with that defensive performance, and it was brutal yesterday for Minnesota. We'll take your phone calls on the other side. Leon Richard will get to you.

855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. Also on the other side, Brock Purdy. Is he starting to push Trey Lance out of the Bay Area?

We will get into that conversation next as the 49ers are off to the divisional round where they will await the winner of this Cowboys Buccaneers game that comes your way later on tonight to wrap up Wild Card Weekend in the NFL. 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 talked 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. 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 talked 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. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. Is Aaron Donald's main focus still football? During the games yesterday, I saw a little tweet. Aaron Donald changed his Twitter profile to former NFL player with the Los Angeles Rams. And then about 10 minutes later, after thinking that Aaron Donald was maybe going to spend the rest of his life just relaxing and probably every three hours going into a Dr. Teal's bath, you get the Adam Schefter report. Now, Aaron Donald has changed his Twitter header back and it says that he is still playing with the Los Angeles Rams and he is not retired.

How bizarre was that, Hickey? Was that just a, I don't even get what a social media person would screw up there if someone's running his account, which is something that, you know, is not crazy to suggest that happens. I don't know what his account was previously, but it said former defensive tackle for the LA Rams. And right before it, it said former defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Panthers, his college football team. So I don't get what you would change. Maybe, though, social media person potentially tipped the hand and showed the hand of what could be coming in the next week or two from Aaron Donald is maybe an official announcement that he's going to retire from the NFL.

I don't know why, though, you'd have to prep your social media page or your social media person to put that in your bio. So wasn't that bizarre? Out of all the things that happened this weekend, there were a lot of bizarre things this weekend. Like Al Michaels forgetting how to call a football game with his legendary career.

We'll get to that coming on later on. I don't think anything was more bizarre than Aaron Donald maybe taking a page out of Sean McVay's playbook of just trying to be an attention whore when no one's talking about you. Let's pretend like I'm going to retire, then I'll actually retire. Maybe he's just following suit of and the lead of his head football coach there, Hickey. That was weird. That, or maybe he's like Kyle Lavergne trying to get a new deal.

Kyle Lavergne scrubbed the pictures of the Cardinals. I know. I'm just, I'm just trying to make that yes. And like, you can't, you know, you like schedule tweets that, you know, come out a day later, three weeks later. But that's different. You can't schedule, you can't schedule like a Twitter bio update in like a month from now.

They just hit publish now instead of publish later. Holy cow. That was weird. 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS 8 5 5 2 1 2 42 27. Let's go to Lee in San Diego next up on the Zach Gelb show. Lee, what's shaking? Hey, loving your show, man. Appreciate it.

What do you got? I got, I want, Sean Payton should be the next Chargers head coach. He should be, but he won't be. No doubt. If they don't hire this guy, they don't want to win a Super Bowl.

Oh yeah. That's fair to say, but you know, money's going to play a role in this and I'm not disagreeing with you. I think 100% Sean Payton wants the job. I think he should be the coach next year. I don't think Brandon Staley's time is right now to be successful in the NFL, but Dean Spanos is going to look at this as I'm not going to want to pay two coaches at once. I could talk myself into Brandon Staley's doing a good enough job, even though he's embarrassing over the weekend, where the goal was to make the playoffs this year, they made the playoffs. Do I think next year I expect Brandon Staley to be that much different?

No, I don't. And you know what actually annoyed me with Staley a little bit? Hickey and it's weird. Because I think you got to stay true to yourself. And Brandon Staley is someone that in year one was super duper aggressive. And I thought in year two you had to find like a medium, a little bit of a meeting point. It seemed as if now he's gotten so afraid to actually go for it because of what the conversation was. And it just appears as if he's not been that aggressive this year. But you could talk about Herbert and how he has to play better in the second half. You're not wrong. You could talk about Joey Bosa not freaking out and losing his mind.

And you're not wrong. But when your team loses a 27-0 lead, and you don't advance to the next round, and your coach is not popular, and you have a guy that has made the playoffs nine times in his career, has won a Super Bowl with an organization in the Saints that made the playoffs five times in their existence before Sean Paden got there, we saw what Sean Paden and Drew Brees did together. Why can't Sean Paden with Justin Herbert, who's been better his first three years of his NFL career than Drew Brees was his first three years of his NFL career, why can't they go to the heights, I'm not saying of Herbert being a top ten quarterback of all time, but winning a Super Bowl if you bring in Sean. And I think they should bring in Sean. I don't think though Dean Spanos is going to do it. And that's why he's a bad owner.

There's no other way around it, so I'm with you. I'm with the caller. Yeah, he should be the coach, Sean Paden.

But he's not going to be, because I don't think Dean Spanos has the cajones, or he just doesn't want to go into his pockets to pay two coaches at once, especially with the deal that Sean is going to command. Let's go to Richard in Florida next up on the Zach Gelb show. Richard, what's happening? Richard? Yep, go ahead. My name's Mitchell, but...

Okay, go ahead, Mitchell. I'm from Florida, and I want to say, Zach, that I agree with your take about the Minnesota Vikings. Complete fraud from start to finish. They ought to try to go ahead and make maybe one more season with Kirk Cousins, then cut their losses and go to the portal or to the free agency market. And as a devoted Jacksonville Jaguar fan going back to the Coughlin days when we were terrible then and then got good for a while with Martin Luther.

I'm glad to see the angst that we placed in Southern California, because this is what we've been going through for years. We've been the butt of jokes since we've been in the NFL, but now it's our turn to bring the angst to the other fandoms and run to Kansas City and beat the Chiefs. Go Jags!

That would actually be pretty cool. Hey, Richard, can I get a Duval? Duval! I love the passion, Richard. I think Kansas City's going to win and win big this weekend, though, with that being said. But judging Hickey, by the way, we picked games this weekend.

You may want me to pick Kansas City if you're Richard, or Mitchell, I guess, whatever the guy's name is, in Florida. But it just shows you the importance of coaching. If you could see anything from this weekend, with what Dable has done with the Giants, and what Peterson has done with the Jaguars, and who was before them in Urban Meyer and Joe Judge, it's not as if those teams drastically changed overnight with what they have on the roster. I know Jacksonville got Christian Kirk, and they got St. Jones, they got Evan Ingram, but none of those moves were praise when it happened.

None of them were praise. We all lambasted those moves. Look at what coaching does when you have adults in the room that know how to deal with grown men, and know how to coach and delegate. That's what you see with Doug Peterson and Brian Dable. Without a doubt, I mean, we obviously talk about quarterback a lot, and rightfully so, that does have a major impact on winning. But especially when it gets to the playoffs, you see, coaching and defense makes all the difference in the world as well. And the teams going home this weekend, it's either bad defense in the case of Minnesota, bad coaching, what we saw of Brandon Staley, you could even argue with Mike McDaniel as well for, I mean, look, credit him getting him in the game, but also, too, kind of also losing in the game at the end with some of the delay games, getting the play calls in late. Like, coaching and defense, it's two things that aren't talked about a ton, but you see in the playoffs, they matter immensely. By the way, the 49ers just continued to impress Brock Purdy in his first postseason game through three passing touchdowns.

He continues to rock out with his Brock out and be Purdy awesome. I think one of the more fascinating questions for this offseason is who is going to be starting week one for the 49ers next year? Because we were right ahead of the curve when the moment McCaffrey got traded, I said to Peter King, I think Brady's going to be their quarterback next year. And there were some reports over this weekend that, you know, maybe the 49ers are going to be interested in Brady, or Brady's obviously interested in the 49ers, whatever it may be. The way Brock Purdy is playing, I think he's starting to say to Trey Lance, go grab some bench.

Because if Brock Purdy wins this week and takes down either Dallas or Tampa, it's an ashy title game. And if he plays good against the Eagles, they lose, they're good, and they win, they go to Super Bowl, maybe the 49ers, they haven't lost since they were three and four, so they could absolutely win a Super Bowl. That is something to monitor because right now, Hickey, I think it's more likely that Brock Purdy or Tom Brady is starting week one next year for the 49ers than it is Trey Lance. And I tweeted this out during the Niners game. What would Trey Lance even get you in return with all that you gave up for him?

Because it's not like he's done anything in the league and he hasn't played football practically in three years for any consistent period of time. It's going to be fascinating to see how the Niner season ends and then what the conversation is throughout the offseason. Is it Brady?

Is it Purdy? What a statement that is right there. Or Trey Lance moving forward. Right now, I think the least likely to start for the Niners next year, the guy they had the most invested in, be with all the picks they gave up, is Trey Lance. I hate to say it because I'm a Trey Lance fan.

I want to see him succeed, but I think you're right. I mean, three touchdowns, three yards in the first playoff game, Brock Purdy is playing himself into the longtime starter for sure. And by the way, good for Doug Peterson, too. Going back to that Jaguars game, because a lot of people didn't want Doug as their head football coach. Jet fans two years ago saying, no, we got to have Robert Sala, no Doug Peterson.

Look at what Dougie P's doing in the NFL once again. Tiki Barber joins us next. Your playoffs, your Odyssey.

Get in the game and download the free Odyssey app today. 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. 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.