And now Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.

What's up, everybody?

Welcome to Move the Sticks DJ, Bucky Baldy with you on a little recap Monday.

First of all, Baldi, before I get to you, Buck, where are you right now?

I don't recognize this shot?

I am.

I am an allowance at hotel and Indy before I get on the flight, DA head back.

It's uh inclement weather here.

Ah, I agreet you.

Travel will get you this time of the year.

Baldi, where were you yesterday?

Well?

Game, I was in Carolina watching Seattle just thump the Panthers looking like a good team.

It was not not fun watching Bryce Young struggle on offense the way he did.

Man, it was awful.

Yeah, I mean, it's just it's just tough to think that that can be the future if you're really trying to build that program.

They have a lot of good pieces, but that's that was not a good performance.

No, And I think we're you know, we'll get to the end of this thing.

We go through some of these games.

We'll do a little quick peak ause what we have you here on this episode, bald of some of these massive games that are coming up, you know, winner take all Division, number one seed on the line.

A lot of big games coming up, final week of the season.

But let's let's start first of all with the with the Sunday nighter, Baldy, I'll let you jump on this.

When Chicago San Francisco was an awesome game, big time shootout.

It was a shootout, and we saw performances, you know, from Luther Burdon, who was dynamic throughout the game.

And one of the reasons why you know that him in Loveland, that the two of them have really come on and really developed in the past.

The game, they had seven plays, seven plays of twenty yards and more, two of them for touchdowns.

On the other side, I mean, no George Kittle, but he got Jake.

Tongus, like you know, I'm sure you got all times, you know, I mean, what's the difference, you know, and Ricky Piersoll really made a difference.

But you know, right now, Brock Perdy, I mean, I don't know, like you're looking at Trevor Lawrence, Bucky you know, Jacksonville, I don't know if there's a hotter quarterback.

He's accounted for ten touchdown passes in the last six days, Like he doesn't make mistakes.

I mean, I know the ball got tipped and intercepted or he just shrugged that off and then they just went on on a tear.

They're doing things though, Like I don't know DJ, if Christian McCaffery is real or if he's AI because he's over four hundred touches right now, yeah, and he's only getting stronger.

You know, he's got two thousand yards, he's going to get a hundred catches.

Like he looks indestructible, and we don't see that from running backs this far into the career.

Maybe La Danian Tomlinson in his prime was doing this kind of stuff, but we just haven't seen running backs that just get stronger as the season's going on, and he's the offense goes through him and they just keep feeding him.

Yeah.

I think the one thing about Christian McCaffrey, and one of the reasons like DJ, I think we had this conversation on the pot when he got his contract, his ability to catch the ball out the backfield gave him a chance to be able to age gracefully because you could get him his production not only as a run but as a receiver.

You can lighten the load when it comes to amount of hiss that he.

Takes because he's taking perim shots from little guys as opposed to dealing with the big guys.

But this offense.

Like to sit here and think that the stimpsonsco forty nine ers or went away from being the number one seed when two of their blue chip players are out Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle.

Another blue chip player is out Brandon Aiyuk when a Wald never came back.

He was someone they were counting counting on to be a high level receiver.

To me, this is the best coaching went out on the first play, went out on first place, went out on the first play.

I don't know Austin pleasants, but he stepped in there and playing.

So to think about what they're doing, this is the best coaching job that Kyle Shanahan has done.

And I read this.

This actually came from Omar.

Omar put the tweet out there about how Kyle changed their approach this year.

Had all the veterans come over doing.

OTA's and say, hey, let's quit focusing on the super Bowl and let's just be the best version that we can be with this team and just see how good that can be.

And maybe that subtle shift in mindset where it's more processed than a getting better every week, maybe that has worked with this team, because this team, it looks like a super Bowl team.

And I feel crazy for saying that despite all the people that are out of their starting line.

No, and I think there's I want to get a lot of stuff on this game.

We can cook on it for a little bit.

But one of the other thoughts I had on this game was watching both these teams playing a ton of young players, as you know, the Niners on the defensive side, the Bears particularly on the offensive side.

And you look at some of these teams that are playing with all these young guys and then not only are you you know, you're surviving, they're in the in the mix.

There's the best teams in the NFL, and these young players are getting better each and every week, like the whole forget the whole rookie wall thing, Like these guys are, you know, getting stronger as the year goes along.

And I think some of that is that college football season has gotten longer, Baldy.

I don't think people talk about that quite as much.

You know, with with especially with playoffs and things like that.

But it's it's become a longer season.

It's not that different from from where we are in the NFL at this point in time.

But I think it speaks to the importance of having good teachers.

You know, coaches is the coaches the word we use, but teacher, to me is the more appropriate term for these guys.

Well, I mean, you know, just Chicago Ozzie Trapilo over at left tackle right now, and Luther Burden didn't do much in the first half of the season either.

The Colston Loveland we kind of questioned whether Ty Warren was the better pick.

And now you're watch in Loveland do just about everything, you know, and these guys are getting down the field for big plays.

So those are just three young guys and Kyle Manungai of course, you know, and what they're able to do.

But you know, we'll just go back to the coaching aspect of it.

Man, It's not just coaching, Bucky, It's it's it's specific game day, you know, coaching, like just watching DeAndre Swift score from the two yard line.

You know, where San Francisco's got a reduced front, they've got five defensive linement on there.

They're not running inside, they're pulling Jonah Jackson.

They got a tight end all the way outside of Darnell right to cut the outside defensive end, you know, and Swifty, you know, runs into the end zone for two yard.

And then you're watching similar things and what Kyle's doing in the run game right now with both Robinson and with Christian McCaffrey, just the subtle little tweaks of Okay, this is the anticipated front.

This is what we get.

We're gonna run juice in this motion and we're gonna come back with tongus here and the linebackers are just taking himself out of the play, and unless you're Luke Keikley, you might not ever figure out where the hell the ball is going right now.

No, I mean it's all of that.

I want to talk on your point, DJ.

I think playing the young players, and eventually we'll talk about the Jaguars, but I would say my observation and playing the young players, James Gladstone said this, and I think other general managers are doing it.

You have to clear a pathway from them to get on the field, meaning you.

Can't bring veterans in as the backups, like coaches want the veteran.

Players and blankets.

Yes, you have to make it where this young player is the next one up and there's no other recourse but that you have to play him.

And then the coaches are adapting.

So the San Francisco forty nine is and I think Robert Solid needs to get a lot of credit for this defense league.

They're not doing what they've done in the past.

They're more bin but don't break than they've ever been this year.

Solve Zoel's keeping in front, run, rally, tackle, because with young players you have to simplify so you can give them a chance to be successful.

And the teams that I'm seeing that are playing a bunch of young players, they're not doing complex things.

They're letting them sit in these basic schemes and they're saying they're gonna get better and better each week with more reps and experience.

I think that's true.

Bucket, that's a great point.

And look, the lead of this game has brought Perty's playing out of his mind with anticipation, accuracy, the athleticism which has been incredible with him getting outside the pocket, using his legs, using his arms.

You know, that's that's kind of an X factor, which has been fun to watch.

He's just he's locked in.

Ricky Piersalz turned into a really good player, really good option for them in the pass game.

But I wanted to leave you with this thought because I was watching the game on TV last night and collins Worth, who's great, but he kept kind of highlighting, you know, Caleb missing some of these layup throws and how it's bizarre that you can make some of these incredible throws but misses some of these layup throws, and it just kind of triggered a memory of mine where I was thinking, Gosh, I remember they say the same thing about Josh Allen those first couple of years in the league.

So I'm like, you don't let me pull those numbers.

So I posted them bullying Buck Josh Allen year two fifty eight point eight percent, Caleb Williams year two fifty seven point nine total touchdowns for Josh Allen, twenty nine for Caleb, twenty eight interceptions for Josh nine Caleb six total yards thirty five ninety nine for Josh, forty one seventeen for Caleb.

Like, their numbers are really really similar and Josh was making those big splash plays, but then you have some easy misses and he just kind of slowly worked those out of his game now.

And I said, in the bottom of it, look, Caleb's supporting cast way better than what Josh Allen had at that time in Buffalo, all the way across board, offensive line, skill players, all that.

I get all that, but I'm just saying you could see it.

This is like Bucket feels like you just like you've planted this little seed in the garden and you're starting to see it kind of grow and you're like, one day this is going to be a big, old, big old tree man the way that the way the Caleb Williams is going.

Yeah, I think it's funny because I heard the commentary and even in looking at Josh Allen because he missed the two point throw that was open, like, you're gonna have some of those like that that happens.

They're no poor, perfect quarterback when it comes to they never miss or whatever.

I think we have to exhibit enough patience with the young quarterbacks that we don't nitpicking the death before they can have their full developmental process.

Okay, yeah, he misses some of these throws.

But man, can we talk about the things that he's trinky from his rookie season to now and how well he's playing in Ben Johnson's offense and how there's been.

A slow.

Increase, a slow ascent to where he's at right now.

Look, man, he's a second year player who has his team in the playoffs and they were playing for an opportunity to be the number one seed.

Let's give him credit.

And I think for these young guys that are doing it and doing it at a high level, meet them where they're at.

Talk about where we want them to go, But may can we appreciate where they are and how far they've come from their rickey season And he's.

Been clutch, baldy like whatever people want to talk about.

I mean, the numbers look good to me.

I mean, obviously the completion percentage people are going to harp on that, but the explosives, the ability to win games is a dime.

The touchdown Holly Loveland.

As much as we love Burden and Loveland, they both had easy drops on that on that last.

Time, they might win the game if Burdon doesn't.

I mean, he was eight for eight, caught everything and then the one on just going out of bounds right there.

I mean, it's a first down, and you know that one goes through his hands.

But maybe that just gives you want to crack at it.

You know.

Maybe that with the times, you know, and the yard is gained on those two, maybe they get more cracks at Ben Johnson.

Look, I know some people are criticizing him for the hooking ladder.

I just I think that's the way he goes, man, That's the way he rolls.

It's it's the shot, a shot in the four yard line, you know what it was too and four yard line they got down there.

They you know, they spiked it.

They got the first down, and so you know that guy's always going to have something up his sleeve, you know, and in any situation, they always look like they've been practicing all of those kinds of things that they do.

Yeah.

No, it's a good good test for them, a good road test, I thought, Chicago.

You know, it is right in the game against you know, one of the elite teams.

They're going to be a tough team to get out of the playoffs.

Once we get one little stat I know that.

It was well announced that the Bears had never had a four thousand yard passer in there, two hundred and seventy to go to.

Seventy to go right here.

So against Detroit with you know, a defense that uh, you know has been pretty poor of late, he might get that in against Detroit this weekend in Chicago.

Yeah, will see how much, you know, how they play those guys.

Interesting.

A lot of teams have decisions to make on if they want to try and pursue a little bit of a higher seed or whether they want to rest knowing they got to turn around play in a playoff game the next week.

Uh, Chicago one of those teams.

Baldy, you were at Seattle Carolina.

You touched on it early.

I think Seattle's defense probably the headliner in this one.

They were I mean it was a three to three game and you know, early third quarter and you know, Tank Lawrence, you know, punches the ball out of Trouba Hubbard's hands and recovers it.

I mean it was literally a peened punch, knocked it out, recovered it.

They scored, you know quickly after that, and then Julian Love, you know, just really played perfect coverage against against Bryce Young picked it off.

They went down scored, and you know, in a matter of minutes it went from three to three to seventeen to three.

But Carolina never was in it because they have had zero passing game against Seattle.

And it's interesting because I saw John Schneider, you know, before the game.

I was talking to him.

I talked to you know, a bunch of the guys.

I've known the letter of Williams since he was drafted, Like he just keeps getting not just better, but bigger, stronger, his endurance, he doesn't fatigue.

And the entire defensive front, I don't care if it's Byron Murphy or Tank or Jiranrie, Like they just roll those guys through and there is no drop off whoever's on the field and the other thing and just talking and you know, some of the guys AJ Barner and you know, graves Able, like they just have a bond on that team, like you can feel it.

Like I know, Buck, you probably feel the same way about Jacksonville right now.

And I'm sure DJ you feel the same way about the Chargers.

You're being around him quite a bit, but just being around Seattle for the first time, like the entire teams out there on the field warming up in lousy weather and Charlotte, and they look like they're having a ball just warming up.

Whether it's Starnold throwing balls to you know, Rasie schahat whoever, it is, like the entire teams out there warming up.

They couldn't wait to play that game.

And I thought they just, you know, they took Carolina part.

Carolina's defense played well.

They've got Derek Brown and j C.

Horn this, Mike Jackson played the game of his life.

They had a lot of good performances.

But I just felt like Seattle's defense just you know, the or the hat that day.

I think that's an underrated part of what's going on with Seattle.

Their defense, particularly their front line.

Man, they can get after it with a four man rush.

And that's also the thing is DJ.

I know we're talking about Houston.

The teams that are able to do it with a four man rush just dominating the live scrimmage.

It just sets up the rest of the unit for success.

And when I look at Lawrence and Williams and Brian Murphy, all those guys that they have at the front line that can just dominate their one on one matchups.

Man, you have all these fast guys behind them, running and chasing things.

Down from behind.

It just makes it very difficult to move.

And as they continue to embrace Mike McDonald's philosophy, schematics and all this other stuff, man, you can just see they're not the legion of Boom, but man, they certainly give those vibes in terms of how they can control the name with their defense.

They got players at all three levels, and they got a ton of depth in their front so they can roll those guys through and keep them fresh.

Speaking of a team that can get home with four Philly against Buffalo, I mean I watched this game on TV, which I don't get a chance to do a lot, but I watched the whole game on TV, and the whole game it felt like the whole second half was played on the fifty yard line and in for Philly.

I mean, every drive for Buffalo would start like at the forty fifty yard line.

I was talking to one of my buddies in the in the Eagles organization last night and I said, man, it felt like when you're a kid, you know, when you're playing ping pong with your kids and you're like, all right, we're going to twenty one.

We'll start you at fifteen and see if I can see if I can get you.

I mean they're spotting them half the field the whole second half.

Then the defense just kept standing up time after time, and a lot of it was you know, Jalen Carter's he's healthy, he looked full go.

He was a nightmare.

Jalen Phillips had nine pressures in this game, which was tied for the most of any defensive lineman this week.

With that's going to go down, I posted they win the Super Bowl, that'll be like, that'll be a major discussion point was how the heck did the Eagles get Jalen Phillips for a third round pick as unbelievable.

Jylex Hunt had two sacks, baldy.

When they can get home what they're for and their secondary can smot you by the way, Epps is playing great to go along with all the other guys they got.

I mean, this defense is legit.

Yeah, and they smack you too now.

I mean you saw his from Red Blanket Ship and from Cooper Dejan like, they'll SMACKI right now.

And Zach Bond is just as steady as it comes.

He's not putting up the numbers that he had a year ago, but he never comes off the field.

Campbell was great.

Campbell played great yesterday.

John I played played really really well for Nacobe in there, and you know he's just uh, he took he didn't get benched.

But you know, they really went with Da Kobe for about a month or four or six weeks there, and he kind of got a reduced role.

But he stepped up yesterday.

And so I mean they can keep the score down against the I mean it's thirteen nothing deep into.

The fourth quarter.

I mean, Buffalo can't get a sniff.

You know, that offensive line been running through everybody the last couple of weeks.

It's a good couldn't get anything going.

You know, it's funny you talked about the Eagles and how they're able to get it done with their defense, and DJ is funny because I'm looking at this team and offensively, they couldn't move the ball at all, and so defensively, I mean, I literally feel like you're boxing from the corner the whole fight, like you you're just finding them off, like you just Mike Tyson is waylaying and you're just trying to jab him and keep them at bay.

But man, Jayalen Card on the inside, Jalen Phillips, just what they're able to do.

Vig Fangio's thing where look, they're not gonna give you.

The exposive plays.

They're gonna make you drive the ball down the field.

And it's just frustrating for Josh Allen not having the deep ball that you can just see him self run himself in the sacks because he's waiting and waiting and waiting know what can uncover and those guys get there.

And I said this, like, man, if the Eagles lean into who they are defense first, find a way to muster enough points in the playoffs, man, they have the recipe to be able to get right back and make another repeat run.

But it's gonna be the defense that does it, not the offense for them.

Now, I just don't know in a playoff spot right now, if they can be that conservative on offense, running it on thirty nine and not even trying to attack and just go okay, we'll punt, Okay, we'll take the sack, Okay, we'll throw it away.

Like, I don't know if you can just have that many wasted possessions they have in almost every game, and still think that you can, you know, stay up with the Rams or stay up with some of these other teams out there right now that you know can can certainly go up down the field and score.

Baldy.

They're not getting any push with their in their run game at all, I know, all year long, but they get Lane.

It sounds like Lane, I'm guessing be back for the playoffs?

Is that the all that you know more than me on that one.

He's visiting a specialist right now in North Carolina.

I don't know it had you know, I mean, he's trying to do this without surgery and it's great to you know, Liz Frank.

So there's still a possibility, but you won't see him this Sunday.

Yeah.

No, I've figured out for sure.

Just no matter whether they can get him back in the playoffs.

Other thing is you're gonna have to to generate offense.

You're gonna have to tell Hurts like, hey, design quarterback runs, like we're going to jump into that heavy again.

He had been running the ball much at all, Like I don't know if he's just trying to save himself a little bit till you get to the to the playoffs.

But I mean they're gonna have to find more offense.

And I saw him in person a couple of weeks ago that that team or a month ago, and you're looking out there, going, man, this is I mean, look at the group of receivers and the tight end, the running backs, like they can't be.

This bad on offense.

Well they I think they lead the league in three and outs DJ, It's crazy they I mean, they just go through possessions where they just like there's there's maybe maybe just because they're playing with the lead and they just get conservative.

But there's not much creativity to this offense.

It's not hard to figure out what they're doing and from what formations.

And on third downs they were just dreadful yesterday just I think they missed nine of them, but they were you know, they don't get anything on first or second down in the run game, so they're constantly at third nine and third and ten and you know they're not even running routes to get ten yards.

Right now, I'll say quick pause, will come back.

Hit a couple more games.

Buck your game, Jacksonville and Indy, Hey, the little old Jags a little small market Jags just keep finding away.

But I mean, like, no one respects to Jags.

Like it's just funny how that is a little small market team, just a little engine that could Now I think what's funny about it?

Like they certainly play up all of that stuff.

Liam has done a really good job of creating that edge.

They play to it.

The players have kind of embraced that.

But what I will say is he's done a really good job with this team of being able to adjust end game to whatever they're facing offensively and defensively.

And I'm gonna tell you, defensively, Anthony Kimpanilli does a great job of that.

First quarter would look like one way and then there's a timeout or breaking action and they get it fixed right away.

And that's what happened early in the game.

And Philip Rivers was controlling the game, like we talked about, not necessarily as a thrower, but his ability to get him in the right run check to get him Oh, we're gonna run to the babble, We're gonna do this, We're gonna all of this other stuff, and they shut it down and then they were like, hey, we got to get Philip backed up we got to get him in long yarded situations where his.

Arm strength comes into play.

And as long as Philip was able to play second and five, third and four mixed downs, he could get to check down and they could scare on schedule.

When they stopped the run on early downs and blanketed the receivers on the outside, they made it tough and a lot of that is just the adjustments.

And then offensively, Trevor, they had some bad turnovers right The reason why the game was tough is like two red zone turnovers that just kind of let the team hang in there.

Trevor Lawrence is dealing, he continues to deal, and his connection with Parker Washington, who has become a really good number three receiver, and Jacoby Myers and Breton Strains like they just worked inside out and the connection is there.

And the confidence that Trevor Lawrence plays with is the biggest difference because he's also using the athleticism and the legs that he showed at Clemson.

That has been the thing where he is using the legs to get himself out of trouble or to create exposive plays down the field.

DJ, we do me a favor here, will you go into your little time machine right there and tell.

Me what you got on Parker Washington, because I never thought he could be what he is right now in this office.

He's a third or fourth year Parker Washington, Penn State.

He was five oh nine six two o four.

I don't have a I don't have a forty time on him.

I think he was fast, uh slot quick, outs, quick in the top, gets knocked off a little bit, and really tracked the deep ball.

I thought he was a little quicker than fast, for that's what he is.

Yeah, that's what he time decent, But I didn't have his forty on there.

Okay, all right, but quicker than fast.

But I would tell you, And it goes back to the thing that Ron Wilf used to talk about why you want wide receivers with punp returnability.

So this year he has two punt returns to the house that a document.

He has another one that was taken back.

But what you're seeing now when you look at him, his confidence, baldy.

He is now catching the ball.

He's doing stop start maneuvers that he never did the first couple of years of the league.

He would catch again when he could and go now, he's he's like playing a video game.

He's stopping and moving back and jumping around.

And it's the freedom that the coaches have given him, like hey man, go be, you go do and he has been dynamic with the boy.

I'm gonna tell you DJ I think he had over one hundred.

It was the easiest hundred yards that I've seen.

In terms of just I mean just catch like, oh man, he has like seven or eight four, one hundred and fifteen yards.

It is a water drip where they just find the easy completions, easy outs, easy stick routes that they're diagramming for him to get open.

Well, that's interesting.

The reason why I don't have forty he didn't run one, didn't run on at the run one at the pro day, so he had an injury.

So that's probably a reason why he went where he went as well.

Real quick, then we'll get a quick pause.

I just want to give you guys a couple nuggets from games.

We're not going to cover.

Admiral Carter and the awful game to unbelievable Giants.

The Gators was no I think too many people were watching that, although it did have impact.

See the first pick was going to be bald.

He had seven pressures.

He looked dynamic and explosive as advertised.

He's got at least a half a sack in four straight games.

He's got ten quarterback hits in the last four games.

He's got six tackle for losses.

Like him and Brian Burns right now, it's like that looks like you could you could go to work with just those two guys alone.

You can start building your defense.

And that Darius Alexander showed up a bunch as well.

Some rushes like those that core right there.

You could do a lot of damage with those guys the way that they're playing, because it's running pass, its ability to escape, its ability to close, it's it's a field.

Burns, he's been unbelievable.

You just you know, you try to bootleg against him, you're gonna you're going to eat the ball at some point he's just gonna recognize it.

But a lot it was Actually that's a fun take to watch.

Yeah, that's going to be a good job.

I think to me, everybody's thinking offensive coach with Jackson Dark I could see them a lot of these top candidates, they're going to be defensive guys coming there with that front right scheme, right, coach, Yep, you could get some corners, you could you could fix that secondary real, you could fix that whole defense and started.

I'm sure you saw DJ but Dave ran a fire x stunt from the stand up inside linebacker.

Yep, got a little pick and Burnsy came free.

They ran them on one side and they ran a little exit stunt, you know, the two of them, and they end up getting a holy call on it.

You know, they're they're starting to.

Get a little creative with their abilities and how they can work in combination with each other.

Yeah, it could be fun.

It could be really fun.

Buck.

This is the other nugget on a game we're not going to touch.

We're not talking about the New England game.

But Drake May I posted and we talked about the numbers comparing Caleb with Josh Allen.

How about Drake May year two versus Joe Burrow year two.

I was curious on that.

So Joe Burrow year two seventy point four percent, Drake May seventy one point seven total tds, Burrow thirty six May thirty four interceptions, Burrow fourteen May eight total yards Burrow forty seven to twenty nine, Drake May forty six twelve.

And then I just wrote elite, leady, lead, elite, elite.

That's some elite stuff right there from your tar Heel book.

Yeah.

Look, man, he's coming to his own And DJ I told you, I was too close to the flame doing the evaluation, so I saw all the wars and didn't see enough of the great stuff or appreciate enough of the great stuff.

And what has happened in New England, all of the things that he teased Carolina fans with, he has shown.

That he could be that guy.

He is athletic enough, he has arm talent, he has a little swag that is I would say understated that allows him to bring this confidence that's infectious.

And they have put him in a system and I'm gonna say this, the Stefan Diggs factor is real when it comes to what he's able to do for a young quarterback.

But this dude is playing with the load of confidence.

And Mike Rabel is the perfect coach for this team.

And Josh McDaniels has been really good for Drake May because he can appeal to his high IQ while also unlocking some of the athleticism.

This dude is good man.

He look never envisioned him being a top five quarterback this fast.

But I think you have to talk about him in the context of those guys that are on the fringe of being regarded as elite quarterbacks.

Let me ask you this, DJ.

I used to you know, we used to see these coordinators leave the nest of New England, whether it was Josh McDaniels or Billy O'Brien or you know, Charlie Wise whoever, and they would take Brady's playbook and it was it looked ridiculous trying to get Brady's all these different guys in Huston wherever they went.

How much of Josh McDaniel's playbook, because I watched these plays, DJ, might I remember this, you know with Tom, but like how much.

Of that playbook?

Like how how much do you think Drake has digested of what that playbook?

And how expansive that thing is.

I think the ability to do it week to week and continue building on it is what you know, That's what's happening.

And I mean that's the crazy thing with Tom was he was just there for so long that the rolodecks for those things got so large that they were nothing he hadn't seen.

And I just think they're just continue to just keep adding on.

It's like, okay, what's the point of the diminishing returns and they're not even close, Like they can keep loading them up and loading them up, and you haven't seen any drop off at always thriving.

So that's what's so rare about a young quarterback year too.

That volume is I mean any issue.

You know.

What's interesting to me is like they're playing the Jets, right, and so there's Morgan Moses who is a Jet like he's playing great football, and there's Austin Hooper who's traveled around this league at tight ends and he's catching balls and Hunter Henry's traveler.

Like all of a sudden, you get the quarterback and everybody looks like they're good players.

Now you know they got what the position is.

The key doesn't work until you get a locksmouth.

And when you when you get a locksmith, get that keywork and unlocks, you can open up and you can go and check the whole thing out.

That's what that's what they've been able to do with that combination with Drake May and and working with Josh McDaniels.

It's been great.

All right, let's get to Houston and the charters.

I was at this game meant weird game.

Houston comes out the first two possessions Bam bam, Iowa State bomb, Iowa State bomb hit both those rookie receivers busted coverages on the Chargers and they're in a hole early.

And then after that, Houston's offense kind of got shut down.

Jesse Menner got them locked in.

No more busts.

They controlled the game defensively.

They got a couple interceptions and gave the Chargers opportunities.

Chargers just just were terrible in the red zone and couldn't cash in chips.

You get an interception on a ball it tips off of Gatston's hands.

You get a missed field goal, the first miss field under forty yards in Cameron Dicker's career.

Hey misses an extra point.

Had missed an extra point all year long.

So then you get two shank punts.

So just from special teams, that's four points on the kicker and that's six points on the punter.

That's ten points you could look at as a big swing in this game.

But I mean, the two things I would say coming leading into this game that Houston defense was the best that I've studied on taping in a couple of years.

It reminded me a lot just with the violence they played with the old Niners defense with Alden Smith, Justin Smith, Bowman and Willis where you're just watching guys, it's savagery.

They fly around and there's nothing finesse about it, and they are going to rush through your face off the edges in those wide nines.

It is a fun defense to watch.

And I was sitting there watching it, Buck and I'm sitting there.

You remember when Jayden Daniels was coming out and we talked a lot about the VR and how basically it's like a flight simulator and they could crank it up to like one point two five speed, And I'm like, Justin Herbert, since the tackles have gone down, has had to play NFL football and like a one point five speed simulator.

I mean, like, it's incredible that the team is where they are because of the injuries that they've had, and he's he's having to play the game faster than any other quarterback in the league.

Yeah, look, it has to be really really challenging to deal with all of the musical chairs that you're dealing with up front, and you can't get set up and you can't really be the team that you want to be because you want to alleviate some of the pressure on him by being able to run the football consistently and then push the ball down the field when you want to dictate the terms.

That's it.

Look, they had more plenty of opportunities to seize this game because after those fourteen points that Houston got, they couldn't really be a drop and it's just a matter of and we're going to see it in the playoffs.

You have got to in the red zone.

You've got to make sure that you come away with points.

Everybody wants sevens.

But what we can't do.

We can't give the.

Ball away in the red zone because it just it just crushes you.

And you think about.

Those one the turnover, you think about the missfield goal, the miss pat You just wipe away all those things in these competitive games against really comparable teams.

That's the difference in winning and losing in this league, and it's gonna be the difference in the postseason.

I just I've been.

Saying, if Houston scores twenty points, you would, I mean, it's the first team they get twenty.

That's the magic number right now, just go through the whole season.

But it's just refreshing to actually watch great defense.

I mean, I mean, just to see great tackling Lassiter Stingley.

It doesn't pick a Petrie Patriot.

I mean, Toto has been awesome, by the way, Yeah, he's been awesome.

It's hard to find matchups where you feel like you can win.

I mean that the receiving core of the week before against the Cowboys, DJ like they not one defensive back to cover Trey Harris or you know, Caandre Lambertsmith.

It didn't matter.

They couldn't cover those guys like Justin Herbert couldn't get to his back foot and he was already moving out of the pocket.

They just smother you and they attack you, and uh, it's just refreshing to watch great tackling.

The Tay You know, it's funny, right because the Jags put twenty nine points on him and I don't know how because when I look at them, man, it is one of those ugly games.

I'm gonna take you back to your days in college.

You remember how good Clipson was Baldy when you were at do Home, and you remember, you remember it would be a thirteen to three game, but it never felt like you had any chance to score.

When I look at Houston, Houston just suffocates you in a way that you're like, I don't know if we can get to twenty points, Like I really don't know, Like unless someone falls down on the perimeter.

It is really.

Hard to score on that defense.

And they're just saying that no one wants to match up.

With There's one I'll let Baldy go, but I'll tell you there's one team.

I was talking to Luke Keickley yesterday.

That was the best part of the day talking football with Luke, and he's just telling me about how these teams are all playing shell defenses, which we know, and how you know run fits the way we grew up teaching run fits and watching them.

They don't.

That doesn't really play anymore.

And safety's got to come out of the sky and feel anyways, he's going through this whole thing.

The one team that doesn't play that game is Houston.

They didn't play single high.

They stacked the box they're going to make you throw it.

They're not going to give you first down.

Runs every team right now in this league, not every team, but a lot of teams.

Yeah, you want to run it, you want to go get seven yards, like, we'll give it to you.

We're not gonna get beat over the top.

Houston like their single high bullets back there, they're going to tack the line of scrimmage.

All right.

So here's the team.

And I'm gonna preface this by saying they played early in the year and Houston blew them out of the water.

But that was a team that at that time.

They played Baltimore.

Baltimore started Cooper Rush, who through three interceptions, they never got the run game going.

Stroud had a great game.

He threw for four touchdowns on a Ravens secondary at that time that was not in a good place.

And I look up now and I'm sitting and watching how they match up with everybody, and I'm thinking the one team they probably don't want to see is a four to five matchup having to go into Baltimore with Derek Henry in the run game.

And if they've kind of got that going, a little bit of Looie Gilman's kind of settled the secondary down a little bit.

They're playing better in the back end right now.

Like just of styles make fights.

Yeah, that's probably the one.

If you're a team that's going to drop back and throw it thirty five times against Houston, god bless you.

I mean, good luck blocking those guys.

But if that's not that's not how Baltimore.

Thirty six rushers they're going to win the game.

Yeah, they're going to control it again.

They ran fifty three times.

But if Derrick Henry's running it thirty six times, they're winning the game.

Yeah.

I mean they lot.

That game was forty four to ten.

And I think people will look at that and say, oh, Houston will just go clober them again.

And I'm like, no, it's not it.

That's not the same Baltimore team, And it's just from a matchup standpoint, it's cold.

It's big old Derrick Henry, you know, run a ball a million times.

I just think that's the one.

Buck.

I don't know, I don't.

I don't love that one as much for Houston anybody else that they scare off against.

I don't care where they play them.

I it would not be a comfortable afternoon for the other team.

Okay, so giving your Baltimore roots, why does it take.

Them so long to get to this point every year?

Like?

Why who you are?

Who you are?

Like, why does it body?

I feel like they've wasted almost an entire season to realize, you know, we're really good when we just lad up and just dalkey kick people with the rain game and just I mean, it is frustrating to me to watch the Baltimore Ravens play because I'm just like.

Why don't they play to who they are?

You know, I was so intrigued by Baltimore this summer.

I went to see him in training camp twice.

So one of the trips, I'm talking to Patrick McCart and Derrick Henry together and I'm like, how do you like that's five hundred and fifty pounds of just style, right, And that's all they did on this weekend.

They lined up in I formation and they just there was no misdirection Lamar Jatt like snoop Ran for a couple of times, but for the most part, they just lined up and knock you off the ball and really regards the eyes to the hole for Derrick Henry, and they just went back to the basics that I saw him training camp, going, who's gonna stop this?

You go and give Patrick Rickcard a nice little slap on the shoulder and nice seeing anybody like it's like hitting a piece of steel.

That guy is solid as a rock man.

And I'm with you DJ, like, I don't know, Bucket, I don't know why they deviate from that.

It is the bad thing to me.

You got two of the best runners or whatever, and I know Lamar Jackson has been nicked up or whatever, but I would have that conversation with him too.

Hey, bro, we're at our best when Derrick Henry runs it and you go run it, and I know what we're aging out.

You need to run it eight to ten times because it enhances what we do offensively.

When they won the football, it just drives me crazy.

I saw a cupback run and Bullard, the safety in Green Bay, is there and he's helpless, like Gerry come the train, the track, he's coming, you know, I mean, like he's sitting there helplessness, no help, nobody's coming to save him.

And then she got to like you just got to buck it.

Up and go low and hang on and just get trucked and I'm going that's the first quarter.

I'm like, by the third quarter, they were like diving in air final to stop.

You want no parts.

You want no parts of the physicality of Derrick Henry coming downhill.

And they have other running back.

So if you use Keaton Mitchell to oh, I got the hammer mail, Let's bring a little juice.

Yeah, now, let's bring a little juice.

We tend to rise to meet a little bit.

Now here comes this dude's scuorting all around.

And then if you use the quarterback to enhance that man, now you deal with it basically triple option all day and you have enough on the perimeter to throw.

I just look my wish for them.

I know we're past Christmas.

Just lean into like who you've been for like a decade plus and be okay with it.

Let me do my favorite thing, which is to put Bucky on the spot here and Baldi you can follow it up.

But I'm just gonna I'm gonna preface this by saying Tyler Shuck's played really well this year.

He's played really well, especially coming down the stretch.

He played really good football.

It's been impressive.

Saying that.

Now, if I were to tell you Buck that you are the owner of the first overall pick, which right now is the Las Vegas Raiders, And I told you that.

You know, hey, Tyler, Shuck's been impressive.

Schuck's twenty six years old.

You know who else is twenty six years old?

Malik Willis is twenty six years old.

Malik Willis this year is thirty for thirty five for four hundred and twenty two passing yards, one hundred and twenty three rushing yards, three passing touchdown, two rushing touchdowns, no picks.

So if I told you Buck you can you can just swing.

You can sign him as a free agent, pay him, you know, beat everybody out.

I'll bit everybody to get Malik Willis.

You could then use that first pick, auction it off, sell it, or would you rather say, now I'm gonna stick and pick.

I'm gonna take this rookie quarterback here with the first overall pick, and off you go.

So I'm going to give you that decision here as we sit.

What is this December twenty ninth.

Go ahead, Well, I'm more likely to take the experienced player.

Now the caveat is we talk about Malik Willis or whatever.

Can Ivreen whoever's been working with him a Green Bay because that's the version that I want, because I think is really important that whatever they've done there, and here's what I'll say, they've been able to do that from day one with him, Like whatever was.

It working in Tennessee.

He goes to Green Bay and I think within two weeks he has to make a start or play and that Willis that we're seeing now has been on display in Green Bay.

So I want that blueprint.

I want the coach.

I want everyone to come on down as a package deal.

It's almost like, hey, you get this and the extra stuff.

But yeah, that Molik Willis I absolutely could play with.

But it's important that we set up the same infrastructure that he's been successful with the green Back thirty five.

I want Killimore, Doug Ducemier with Tyler.

Yeah, yeah, they've done a great job.

Guys can come with me too.

I think they missed out in Philly a little bit, huh.

I mean Kellen and Nuss have done a great job there in New Orleans and Tyler shucks played played really really well last game here.

I know we run out of time bally, but Pittsburgh Cleveland.

I mean, Pittsburgh has it all right in front of him, and I don't want to say you blew it, but man Alive said, look, that's a great Cleveland defense with shortsy run on the show, Miles Garrett and that group, it's a really, really good group.

But they just laid an egg in that game.

Well they had it, they had it.

There's a sequence in the second quarter.

It's a you know, it's a ten to three game, and it's third and seven and Aaron runs.

For six yards.

He slides and he's pissed at himself because he slid short of the first down.

So it becomes fourth and one, and fourth and one they get.

They take a go shot to Scotty Miller.

There was no chance, Like, there's no dk.

They go to Scotty on a go route and the best receiver is Kenneth game Well, and here he is doubling on Miles Garrett and he's not even in the Like it's fourth and one, Like your best player in space is Kenneth Gainwell and has been.

And it just they came away with nothing.

You know, in a game where you know, points were at a premium.

It's just it was.

It was frustrated watching Miles Garrett was wrong when he said they were more worried about me getting the record than winning the game.

And if you watch the game, like that's all they did was try to stop Garrett and they weren't trying to do anything else at that point.

Buck, they lose Darnel Washington broken arm, and DK Metcalf with that suspension, I mean that that's those are their two bully players, one you know, one at the line of scrimmage and one on the perimeter.

They lost their bullies.

So I'm telling you, man, I feel like the Pittsburgh still just do this all the time.

As soon as you think that they are back and ready to go, they all stub their toil against the team that they shouldn't lose to.

DK Metcalf being gone certainly impacts them because now they're forced to play half court basketball and they don't have anybody that you worry about.

There's no one on their wide receiver corps that you have to double team, tilt covers two or anything.

So now you can concentrate on the running game.

You can squeeze the pocket of Aaron Rodgers, and they have no recourse and for this team to lose to Cleveland like that.

Man, if I'm Baltimore, I'm gonna replicate this in Baltimore is a more explosive with more dynamic offense.

Look, man, they.

Are going uphill in this week a team matchup against Baltimore to win the division, and I'm being honest, I just don't see how they can get it done.

Yeah we're saying that.

Well, you know, he's playing quarterback for Baltimore and it's hard to think that Baltimore is going to lose that game, just with how hamstrung Pittsburgh is offensively right now.

Bally No, I agree.

I mean, if Snoop gots to play, though, is good.

It's been good.

You know, I've seen him go to some other teams.

I never thought he was a good fit in Miami, but he's there, and you know, travel around the league, but he's.

He's a good fit there in Baltimore.

He scrambled and he had to scramble, made the throws he had to make, and you know, I thought he was I thought he handled himself really really well and a game that they had to have him, thought he did his role just fine.

Last thing, BALI will let you go.

I teased, you know, so many great games.

You've got Tampa Carolina for the division.

We talked about Baltimore and Pittsburgh for the division.

You've got for the division and the number one seed though, the heavyweight matchup in San Francisco, Seattle and San Francisco.

Just give me real quick, Baldly.

We're ways away from the game here on Saturday.

But what's your what's your key to that one?

I mean, it's gonna be it's gonna be a playoff game.

It's a play and play.

But I think San Francisco's offense right now is just clicking, and so can Seattle match that right now?

I mean, I know Seattle's going to give him problems.

We'll see if Trent Williams plays or doesn't play.

I don't know if that's a hamstring.

I don't know what it.

Is, but he pulled up on.

But regardless, like their offense right now, I feel like they can get plan with the best of them and they can execute with the best of them.

So I don't know that Seattle's offense.

Rashi Sahi went down in that game.

It felt like they lost a lot when they did, but uh is vanilla as San Francisco's defense is, and I know Seattle can score as well, but I feel like San Francisco right now, I think I would have to take them just the way the offense is clicking.

How about Sam Baldy, Sam second year in a row, He's gonna go and a has to go on the road.

But it's a one It's a one to five game, right It's the number one seed or the fifth seed.

That's no higher stakes than that, you.

Know, I think, yeah.

I just was talking to Sam yesterday, like his whole career really changed when he went to San Francisco and he saw how Kyle, how hard you have to be coached during the week, and what game planning looks like, and what talent and how you get the edge in coaching and all that.

I think he saw that first hand for the first time in his career, and I think it really opened his eyes.

I mean thing, he's probably really thankful sitting there and watching rock Party that year, but he's going to get a great opportunity here this weekend to be the number one seed.

Everything go through Seattle, you know, I think I think they have they have a chance because I think the two backs Charbonnay and Walker right now, the way they're playing, they're pretty good shape right now.

Yeah, Look, this is about an even a matchup.

Az.

I can think when I think about those three teams in the West, the Rams, the Niners, and the Seahawks, like you can play around Robin and I think all of them that were ended with the same number of wins and losses if we did it over time.

The thing about Seattle and San Francisco having played, having to play in San Francisco, I think the advantage goes to the Niners just because the energy is going to be through the roof.

It's gonna be able to help the Niners defense.

But offensively, man rock Perty is in such a rhythm that it's hard for me to make against Like they've been scoring touchdowns since the end of November and barely put it, like Thomas more Stead is doing wisprints, doing putts just so we can get his cardio up because he's not being utilized.

This offense is on fire, and normally in these games I'll lean towards defense, but I just don't know if you can stop the Niners offense enough to put up enough points to beat them.

Yeah, I mean it's to me, it's it's fascinating just from the standpoint of I'll give the Niners offense the edge of over Seattle's offense, and I think, but I think it's somewhat close when Seattle's get rolling, and I would give Seattle a huge advantage on defense versus the Niners on defense.

Sure, but that's not taking into account Kyle Shanahan and Rock Party being in this rhythm and flow that they're in right now with you Check and the motions that they're using with him, Baldy.

You know, Buck's going to spend a good month as someone who loves to just run the football, hates hates quarterbacks, hates receivers, doesn't want to ever throw the ball.

He's going to spend a month studying all these motions in this run game of the Niners.

I'm gonna see at Granada Hills next year.

I'm just telling you right now, you see all these.

I texted Luke Kickley.

I was watching if I was putting myself in TJ.

Edwards shoes, and I'm going, what should I do here?

Like I see them, I see Jews coming in motion.

I see Tonga is coming back the other direction.

I'm like, am I going to take myself out of the play here?

In this cutback by McCaffrey, Yeah it Kyle's good, man, Kyle's good.

That's good stuff.

Hey Baldy, you're the best buddy.

Thanks for the time you see you next week, New year man, Happy New Year.

There he goes Brian Baldinger.

Buck, this is a fun one.

Good to be back together and uh, the meaningful football at this time of the year.

I love colleg schipball.

I love we get the playoffs, you know, big, some big playoff games coming up here.

But the quality of the football that we've seen the last couple of weeks in the NFL, like these big matchups, these heavyweight fights that we've seen, I don't know, this is some of the best football I've seen in my lifetime.

It's been unbelievably good.

It's unbelievably good.

And we're going into a playoffs with DJJ is not a prohibitive favorite in terms of who's going to win the super Bowl.

And we can talk about matchups because matchups will matter in this.

Tournament in terms of who you get who's on your line, but It's fascinating because I can't remember a time.

I mean, when was the last time it was is wide opening the NFC and the AFC field in terms of anyone who gets in the tournament can.

Feel like DJ.

If the Baltimore Ravens get in, they have to feel like, Hey, you know what, all that is great, Let's put it past this.

We just need to win three games to go to the thing.

We can make it right by playing the right way for three games and we can go to the show.

Every team is gonna feel like that.

There's not a weak team that is going to skate into the postseason.

Everybody has a legitimate chance to win it.

And that is what it's going to make it such a compelling watch it.

And I'm just sitting there going, I mean, just very very quietly.

The Philadelphiagles have gotten their defensive pieces back and all of a sudden, I mean, do you remember this if you were on a team like this, Because I do think there is something to this where you're late in the year and to go on the road against a quality opponent, like a super Bowl caliber team and kind of beat them up like that's got to be a huge confidence builders Philly's not going to be at home to the playoffs, are more than likely going to have to get on the road a little bit.

But I think they've kind of just as a defense, are like, yeah, that's Josh Allen, that's the Buffalo Bills wet Weather, Like we can take this show anywhere we need to take it.

Well, one big fango Canstondon Road and be like, look, that's arguably be the best quarterback in football.

We're not going to face anybody that's better and more dynamic than him.

So we get snuffed him out of hold them to thirteen points.

Who best running team in the NFL?

Yeah, who can't we beat?

Going to it?

We've seen all the other teams dealt with the Rams before, Like they can just go through this laundry list of teams and know that we can do it.

And there's something about like your attention going up when you've been a champion, when you get to this part of the year where it really matters extra attention to detail, just knowing what it takes to win it.

That's a huge advantage for them in this postseason.

I've kind of forgotten about a little bit with these asc or NFC West teams looking like Juggernauts to go along with the Bears.

But I'm gonna be an awesome, awesome playoff, gonna be a great Week eighteen with three division titles on the line.

Cannot wait for that.

It's gonna be fun, all right, Buck, We're gonn get out of here.

We will see you next time, right here on movie sticks.