Welcome to Football Army, where we get into the nuts and bolts of what's happening in the world of professional football.

And this week we are just we're diving into the sheer pandemonium of this twenty twenty five NFL season.

We're looking back at a week thirteen that completely defied logic.

It scrambled a playoff map, and it's raising some pretty serious questions about the future for a lot of big name quarterbacks.

Oh, it was pure chaos.

Yeah.

I mean, if you had any kind of neat and tidy story written for this season, you can just you can just throw it out.

It's completely invalid.

Now we're past the halfway point, we're heading into that final stretch, and teams that everyone thought were Super bowlocks back in August are well, they're fighting for their lives.

And at the same time, you have other teams that have just done a complete.

One eighty eight, that complete unpredictability that really is the story of the years.

And it we're seeing teams that have been institutions, you know, dominant forces, and they suddenly look totally lost.

In your mind, what's the one single most jarring piece of data that just screams instability the league.

Right now, it has to be the Kansas City Chiefs.

It just has to be them sitting at six'.

Six just saying that out, loud six to.

Six it sounds.

Fictional it doesn't sound.

Real and for, context you have to remember this is a team that up until this year hadn't failed to reach THE Afc Championship game since twenty.

Eighteen an incredible, run an incredible, run three Super bowl titles in that.

Time so the fact that we're sitting here In december and we're actually talking about a world Where Patrick mahomes And Andy reid might miss the playoffs, entirely that's not just a small drop off a, yeah that's a seismic.

Shift we could be watching the end of an, era or at least a massive setback right in front of our.

Eyes and what's so interesting is that while that on field consistency has, gone the audience's appetite for all this dramas just through the.

Roof before we jump into the, games we really have to just stop and acknowledge that the cultural footprint of THE nfl right, now it's not just a sport.

Anymore, no it's.

Not it's a national.

Event and you're, right the league is just shattering viewership, records which you kind of proves that sometimes chaos is your best marketing.

Strategy you look at That thanksgiving the game The chiefs versus The, cowboys that wasn't just a big holiday.

Game that one regular season game drew fifty seven point two million.

Viewers that number is just.

Staggering it's.

Staggering it tells you that when the stakes are, high when you have that kind of star power on the, field THE nfl just goes beyond NORMAL tv.

Viewership it's appointment television for.

Like half the.

Country and we have to keep that, weight that massive cultural spotlight in mind as we talk about everything, else from rookie quarterbacks struggling to to the intense psychological pressure on everyone even near the.

Game, okay so let's unpack some of this, chaos AND i want to start with maybe the most remarkable turnaround, story a story that for a lot of fans probably feels like a fever dream after the last five.

Years we're talking about The New England.

Patriots they're sitting at eleven to two and just running away with THE Afc.

East it's utterly.

UNBELIEVABLE i, mean they just dismantled The giants thirty three.

Fifteen that's their tenth straight.

Win tenth.

Straight this is a team that, was you, know stuck in mediocrity for, years and now they, are without a, doubt the most dominant team in THE afc.

Standings it's an overnight culture change and all it all points back to Coach Mike.

Rabel rabel is famous for being old, school you, know, tough demanding.

Accountability how exactly is that translating into results on the field beyond just the win loss.

Record it's translated into just absolute physical.

Dominance rabel has built a team that is designed to punish, you and you can see it in how they play right on the edge of the.

Rules he even talked about it.

Openly he said he tells his, players his defenders to hit quarterbacks who stay in the, pocket who stay in bounds and don't slide.

Wow and on the flip, side he tells his own, quarterback the Rookie drake, may if you hang around near that, sideline my defense better be coached to deliver a maximally, forceful legal.

Hit so it's a, mindset it's a.

Philosophy every single play has a physical cost for the other, team and that's exactly why The giants just look completely worn down by.

The end of that.

Game and what's so fascinating is that the Rookie Drake, may he's executing this vision.

Perfectly he's not just a good rookie.

Anymore he's playing at a LEGITIMATE mvp.

Level we keep seeing the stat that he leads the ENTIRE nfl and total expected points added at plus one oh one point ONE.

Epa for anyone who maybe doesn't follow the advanced, metrics why is that number so?

Significant what does it tell?

Us?

WELL epa or expected points added is probably one of the best ways to measure how efficient a player.

Is it basically looks at how much that player contributes to their team's chance of scoring on every single.

Play it factors in everything, fuel, position down.

Distance so a HIGH epa Means may is consistently making plays that massively increase the odds of The patriots scoring.

And to be leading the league in that.

As a, rookie it tells you he's operated with the efficiency of a ten year, veteran not a first year.

Player it's just off the.

Charts so if we drill down on the film from The giants, game what's specif was he doing that explains that elite.

Efficiency, well there are actually two stats that kind of, conflict but they explain his dominance.

Perfectly and this is where you see that truly elite.

Potential, first his command against single high.

Safety coverage is just it's.

Incredible against The, giants whenever they showed a single high, look he went twelve of thirteen for one hundred and seventy four yards in a.

Touchdown so carving them, up just carving them.

Up he sees, it he processes, it and he attacks the weakness.

Instantly but here's the second.

Part you look at his pace versus his.

Aggression he's getting the ball out, fast like an average of two point eighty five seconds per, dropback.

Okay which usually means quick short throws.

Exactly but his average are yards per attempt is eight point four.

Yards that's the seventh highest in the entire.

League so he's getting it out, fast but he's still pushing it.

Downfield that's the special.

Combination he's processing information at lightning, speed but he's not just dumping it.

Off he's taking, aggressive high value shots down the.

Field he's making big without giving the defense time to.

React that is the hallmark of a truly special.

Quarterback the only potential, issue and you mentioned this in our prep, notes was in the red.

Zone they were just one for five against The.

Giants that could be a problem come playoff.

Time but you, know, regardless they go into the bye week with a huge two point five game lead over The, bills a win in week, fifteen and they clinched THE Afc.

East it's a massive power, shift it absolutely.

Is and if you shift over to THE, nfc you see sort of a parallel, story another massive, turnaround but this one's built on a completely different.

Philosophy i'm talking about The Chicago, bears who are now sitting at nine to, three.

And The bears success has been all about their ground.

Game they went Into philadelphia AND i think your word was they mauled The eagles.

Defense they.

Did, yeah mold is the right.

Word their success is all about structure and old school power.

Football the new, Coach Ben johnson has built this identity around the run game and just a relentless.

Defense but here's the really, critical almost funny.

Contradiction, Okay johnson and has come out and basically admitted that The bears are winning in spite of their passing.

Game that is an absolutely stunning thing for a coach to, say especially when you think about the draft capital they spent on their rookie Quarterback Caleb.

WILLIAMS a team that could be a number one seed relying on the run game to hide an incompetent passing attack that just doesn't feel sustainable in TODAY'S.

Nfl it definitely raises some serious red flags about the long term health of that.

Offense williams is right now on pace for a historically bad rookie, season at least from a winning quarterbacks.

Perspective he's on track to be the FIRST qb to lead a number one seed while also ranking dead last in the entire league in completion percentage since well since the nineteen seventy Five.

Cowboys.

Wow the last quarterback to even be in the bottom five and lead his team to a number one seed Was Rex, grossman also with The, bears back in two thousand and.

Six, yeah and we all know how that passing game.

Looked so What's johnson saying is the problem is it on William is it the?

System he's pointing the finger at the guys Around.

Williams he specifically said the issue is in route detail and receivers not running their depths.

Properly so a lack of, discipline.

A fundamental lack of.

Discipline, yeah in the wide receiver.

Room and it means there's no, chemistry no timing With.

Williams they're still winning because their run game and their defense are just that.

Good but if they run into a team that can stop the, run like their next, opponent The, packers they're going to forced to throw the ball with an offense their own coach says is, substandard.

And That packers game is a huge, test a real measuring.

Stick it.

Is, Yeah johnson knows.

It he called The packers defense quote might be the best defense we've seen all, year and he's not.

Wrong The packers are what sixth and points, allowed fourth in.

Yards they have elite pass.

Rushers this is going to Force williams to make plays against top tier.

Coverage this game is, huge not just for THE Nfc, north but to prove if that run heavy model can actually.

Work In, january all.

Right let's move.

South The Dallas cowboys are flying high after beating both of last Year's Super bowl teams and back to back, weeks The chiefs On, thanksgiving The eagles before.

That they are making a.

Statement Ceedee lamb is even calling their next game against The lions a playoff game In.

December the confidence is sky high down, there and they're playing, good complimentary.

Football but the thing that really Sets dallas apart is their massive investment on the interior of their defensive.

Line it's something their, Owner Jerry, jones is now publicly.

Defending, yeah that's the sixty million dollar, trio, Right leonard Williams, OsO Di gaezoua And Kenny.

Clark that is an insane amount of your salary cap tied up in three interior, guys and a lot of people have wondered how they could possibly afford to keep that group together long.

Term, Well jones answer that question.

Directly he made a pretty bold promise that they can keep all, three and his reasoning is actually really interesting from a team building.

Standpoint he believes that the sheer dominance of those three guys in the, middle stuffing the, run generating interior pressure is so game changing that it lets the team quote cut corners at other.

Spots so because the d line is so, good they don't need to spend as much on say linebackers are safeties.

Exactly because those three are just doing so much of the dirty work up.

Front it's a pretty unusual, strategy you, know putting that much money inside instead of on the edge.

Rushers But joanes sees it as a unique advantage that's worth a price.

Tag, okay let's hit some of the other Big week thirteen moments that might have gotten a little.

Overshadowed we had a pretty big upset that could shake up THE nfc playoff.

Picture The Carolina panthers beat The Los Angeles.

Rams they really capitalized on three bad turnovers From Matthew stafford and while as a team, win the real standout was the rookie Safety Leathan ransom in his first career.

Start he only got the start because the regular starter.

Was, suspended that's, right and he stepped up.

Immediately eleven tackles in his first career sack in a thirty one to twenty eight.

Win to get that kind of performance from a depth player and a pressure spot is just huge for te.

Morale, unfortunately he did hurt his thumb in that.

Game The panthers have a, bye so they have some time to figure out a treatment, plan but he definitely put his name on the.

Map and then you had the big individual heroic performance In washington's overtime win Against.

Denver, yeah that was The terry McLaurin.

Show he was coming back from a quad injury that kept him out for the better part of two months and he comes back and has a season best game seven catches for ninety six.

Yards but the big moment was that overtime touchdown.

Against Pat, certain the Second No.

Less against the reigning defensive player of The.

Year McLaurin ran a slant route and he broke a streak of five hundred and seven straight coverage snaps Where certain hadn't allowed a, touchdown a streak that went all the way back To week thirteen of last.

Year just an incredible one on one win to seal the.

Game a huge individual achievement against an elite.

Corner and, finally we have to talk about the immediate impact a quarterback returning from injury can.

Have the perfect example being The Cincinnati.

Bengals Joe burrow was back and the difference, is, well it's night and.

Day he came back after missing nine games and immediately puts up a huge fantasy.

Performance The bengals are now three to zero with him, playing and they were a miserable one to eight without.

Him that's a four win swing in just three.

Weeks it just shows you how important he is to that franchise and for anyone out there managing their fantasy teams for the.

Playoffs his schedule the rest of the way is what analysts are calling.

Yummy, okay define yummy for, us because that sounds pretty.

Subjective yehmy in this, case just means he has extremely favorable matchups during those crucial playoff.

Weeks he gets The, Ravens miami And arizona in weeks fifteen through.

Seventeen The ravens secondary has been, Leaky miami's defense can be beaten through the, air And arizona is.

Well arizona is not good on.

Defense so he's rank as it consensus top six quarterback for the rest of the, season all because of that perfect late season.

Schedule his return suddenly makes The bengals a very dangerous wildcard.

Team speaking of, quarterbacks let's shift into what we're calling the quarterback, vortex because if The bengals showed us the peak of what A qb can.

Do minnesota is showing us the terrifying low the situation with the ROOKIE jj.

McCarthy it's becoming a full blown.

Crisis it really.

Is The vikings got shut out twenty six Near old by The, seahawks who forced five.

Turnovers that shutout ended a scoring streak for The vikings that had lasted two hundred and ninety four games almost two.

Decades, unbelievable and the analysis of McCarthy's play is just deeply.

Alarming he seems to be struggling with the absolute fundamentals of the.

Position what are the specific red flags that people are seeing when they break down the film on?

Him it's mainly two things accuracy and processing.

Speed the analysts are saying he's wildly, Inaccurate he's constantly playing off, schedule and he often runs himself right into.

Pressure he's turning potential gains into.

Sacks, statistically the comparison is just.

Brutal if you look at his first six, starts he has the slowest start of any recent first round quarterback in terms of expected points added per.

Dropback and when you say, slowest who are we to talking?

About who is he being compared.

To and this is the really concerning.

Part his start in terms OF epa per dropback is slower than almost every high profile bust from the last few.

Years Jared goff started, slower but everyone Knew goff was.

Struggling McCarthy's start is statistically worse than the starts Of Sam, Darnold Daniel, jones and Even Zach.

Wilson when you're in that, company that's a real.

Problem it's a huge.

Problem the panic button is definitely being pressed In, minnesota.

And you mentioned the team has only scored forty two points in their last four.

Games you just can't win like.

That so where did they go from?

Here especially with these Mac jones rumors starting?

Up, well the fan frustration is boiling, over and you can tell the internal talk about bringing in competition is.

Real there's chatter about whether they should just bench McCarthy For Desmond redder to finish out the.

Season and then you have analysts Like Colin cowherd suggesting a really, concrete high profile.

Move he said The viking should get on the phone With Kyle shanahan and trade for Mac jones maybe for a.

Second the idea being what to light a fire under.

McCarthy the idea is you cannot go into next season just hoping McCarthy makes a huge leap without a real competent veteran pushing him every day in.

Practice jones has struggled in one, system, sure but he's shown he can play in.

Another he could provide that necessary competition and stabilize the position for them without breaking the bank and free.

Agency all, right let's move over to The.

Giants THEIR Gm Joe shawan is stepping up and taking accountability for the team, struggles which covers both the quarterback play and some ongoing discipline.

Issues, yeah he stood in front of That New york media and, said my hand's in, it just Like brian's when he was asked about the team's lack of.

Success he's really trying to show confidence in his young guys Like Jackson dart And Malik.

Neighbors he Said dart has exceeded expectations and looks like a potential FRANCHISE.

Qb but the issue.

With dart is that his biggest, strength his, toughness is also kind of becoming a liability that the team is now having to.

Manage it's that fine line every front office worries About dart is incredibly tough and, competitive But shoan admitted they're constantly talking to him about when to.

Take a hit versus when to slide or just throw the ball.

Away they need him to protect himself.

Exactly they love the, fire but they can't risk his long term.

Health it's a really common growing pain for young competitive.

Qbs they have to learn the business of self.

Preservation and the discipline issue is centered On Abdul, carter a top three pick who got benched for the second time in three weeks against The, patriots and it directly led To New england jumping out to a seventeen oh.

Lead, yeah he set out two huge drives as a, punishment and when he was asked about it after the, game his first response was just a very dismissive as, happens not a.

Great, look not a great look at.

All he did come back in and get a sack On Drake, may but that attitude raised a lot of red.

Flags But showan's response here is really.

Important he framed the whole thing is a develop metal.

Challenge he pointed out That carter is only twenty one years old and part of The giant's job is to develop these guys as football, players but also as.

People and that idea of developing the person not just the player is a theme we should circle back.

To but first let's get to the major, injuries the biggest one Being Justin herbert In Los, Angeles.

Herbert fractured his left his non throwing hand against The.

Raiders he had surgery this, week but, incredibly he's still trying to play against The eagles On monday.

Night that seems.

Ambitious it's very.

Ambitious Coach Jim harbaugh.

Said the main issue isn't really the, pain it's the.

Mechanics, specifically can he take a snap from under center with a brace on that.

Hand if he can't grip the ball right for the, exchange it really limits what they can do on.

Offense so as a backup, Plan Trey lance is getting first team reps in goal line, situations working specifically from under, center just in Case herbert is limited to shotgun snaps.

Only and The Brandon ayig situation In San francisco is just it's, complicated it's, painful and it's financially really.

Ugly, yeah it's incredibly.

AWKWARD iok had those MAJOR acl AND mcl injuries last.

SEASON a few months, ago the forty Nine ers use a clause in his contract to void all the remaining, guarantees so.

They took away his long term financial security.

Essentially, yes and now he's trying to work his way.

Back but his own, Quarterback Brock purdy came out and said the whole situation just.

Sucks he said he misses playing with.

Him in the front, Office John lynch And Kyle, shannan they're being very.

Noncommittal they're saying they're hopeful but not counting On ayuk playing this.

Season it's just a.

Brutal reminder of the business side of THE.

NFL a player gets hurt and suddenly the contract protections can just vanish.

Exactly and the timing is awful because the forty nine ers are heading into a huge.

Stretch Run ayuk would be a massive boost for, Them but with those guarantees, gone you have to wonder what his motivation is like while he's.

Rehabbing it's a tough situation for everyone.

Involved, okay let's shift over to the transaction.

Carousel the roster churn is, NonStop and we saw one of the most surprising moves of the week In pittsburgh involving a big name veteran on each side the.

Ball this one was a genuine shock.

Wave The steelers claimed veteran Receiver Adam thlen off waivers after he asked for his release From, minnesota and to make room For, thilan The steelers immediately waived veteran Cornerback Darius, slay who they just signed to a one, year ten million dollar deal this past.

Offseason so they're basically swapping a ten million dollar corner for a veteran.

Receiver why Is slay now such a hot commodity on the waiver.

Wire it's all about the.

Money slay signed that deal back In.

March by waving him, now any team that claims him only has to pay the remaining pro rated portion of his salary for the last four weeks of the.

Season so a ten million dollar player suddenly becomes an extremely cheap rental for a contender who needs help in the secondary for the.

Playoffs it's a massive opportunity for a team with no cap space to get a proven player for pennies on the, dollar.

And that move to get a guy Like, feelin a veteran receiver it feels like it speaks directly to the frustration we've been hearing out of That steelers locker, room especially From Aaron.

Rodgers that's the critical link right.

There rogers has been very public with his criticism of his, receivers especially after the loss to The.

Bills he specifically called them out for their route detail and said he expects everyone to show up for film.

Sessions he even pointed out a specific play where he checked to an inbreaking route and his tight end Johnishms smith ran an outbreaker.

Instead so in.

A quarterback Like rogers talks about rout, detail what is he really asking.

For he's asking for precision and.

Trust in THE, nfl running a route isn't just about going in a general.

Direction it's about the, depth the, speed the, timing hitting your break at exactly twelve, yards not eleven and a.

Half When rogers checks to a play at the, line he needs to know with absolute certainty that his receiver is going to be in the right spot at the right.

Time if the receiver runs the wrong, route the whole play is.

Dead so bringing in a guy Like, felan who is known for being a precise route, runner is a.

Direct message from the front office To.

Rogers it's them saying we hear, you and we're getting you a guy you can.

Trust staying on the offensive, line the forty Nine ers might be in the market for some veteran help after a big name it hit the waiver.

Wire, yeah The Houston texans waived veteran offensive Lineman lake And, tomlinson and the forty Nine ers are seen as a prime landing spot for.

Him it makes a ton of.

Sense, first he's played for the forty Nine, ers so he Knows Kyle shanahan's zone blocking scheme inside and.

Out the learning curve would be.

Tiny and, second they have a.

Need Ben bartch is hurt and they're clearly not happy with their current backup Guard, colby who's been a healthy.

Scratch so Claiming tomlinson gives them a high quality, scheme familiar backup for the playoff.

Runt and we always see a ton of practice squad moves this time of, year especially in a division as tough as THE Afc.

North.

Oh.

Yeah ahead of their big game This, sunday The ravens signed Former steelers running Back Jonathan, ward who's mostly a special teams, guy and The browns signed Former steelers Linebacker Mark.

Robinson these aren't huge headline grabbing, moves but it's that little intelligence.

Battle teams wage grabbing guys who know the other team's playbook.

And, signals and we have to give a shout out to the absolute grind some of these depth players go through just to stay in the.

League let's talk About Shamar.

Bartholomew this guy's story is.

Incredible he embodies the sheer commitment it.

Takes this season, alone he has worked out for thirteen different, teams thirteen, thirteen The, packers The, vikings the forty Nine, ers you name.

It he's been bouncing from practice squad to practice squad and now he's back with The, packers just fighting every day to prove he.

Belongs it's a good reminder that for every, superstar there are hundreds of guys just like, him logging miles and chasing that one.

Shot and for the teams that are gearing up for a playoff, push getting guys back from injured reserve can completely change their.

Season who's starting their twenty one day practice.

Window The Tampa Bay buccaneers are about to get a huge boost on.

Offense they just designated both wide Receiver Mike, evans who's been out Since week seven with a broken, clavicle and rookie Receiver jalen mc millan to return to.

Practice this comes right after their running Back Bucky irving came back and had a great.

Game getting all that offensive firepower back right now could be enough to Push Tampa bay into THE Nfc south.

Lead and on the defensive, side The seahawks And eagles are also hoping to get some key players back In.

Seattle they opened the practice windows for Safety Julian, love who's missed nine games and defensive Tackled Jaron reid for The, eagles Safety Marcus EPs is eligible to come.

Back getting your defensive backfield and your interior line healthy right now is exactly what you need to make a deep Playoff.

Rount we have to quickly touch on the ongoing kicker crisis In.

Indianapolis the crisis.

Continues The colts finally Waved Michael badgeley after he missed his third extra point in just seven.

Games he just can't have.

That the immediately Signed Blake, group the Former saints, kicker to their practice.

Squad he's got a fifty seven yarder in his career and is about eighty percent accurate on field.

Goals The colts are just praying you can finally bring some stability to their special.

Teams all, right let's pivot way ahead now to the twenty twenty SIX nfl, draft which is looking just as chaotic as the current.

Season the volatility in that twenty twenty six quarterback class is just.

ASTOUNDING a few months, ago early mock drafts had maybe five quarterbacks going in the first, round but now that landscape has completely.

Changed guys Like Kate, Klubnick garrett Nus, meyer And drew lar who are all in that, conversation have probably slid out of the first round.

Entirely the only two who are still firmly in that mix Are Fernando mendoza And Leonora's.

Sellers which means teams might be reaching or they might be looking at a very big name who has suddenly started to.

Shine Arch.

Manning.

Yeah Arch banning's recent play has been, really really.

Strong he had that three touchdown game Against, vanderbilt a huge win Over TEXAS a AND.

M he started to live up to that immense.

Hype in, fact one very RESPECTED qb valuator said that if Arch manning declared for the draft right, now he would be the first overall pick just based on his projection and his.

Pedigree that's huge.

Praise but why the note that another year At texas could still be good for?

Him because even though the physical tools are all, there scouts always want to see a quarterback master a system over a full, season you, know handle some adversity and really refine his decision.

Making another year is the starter In austin would answer any of those lingering questions about his.

Readiness it ensures he's not just drafted on, potential but on proven.

Productions that classic, debate cash in in your draft stock now or wait to be more prepared.

Later who else is climbing up the draft boards for THOSE qb needy.

Teams Shitter sanders is definitely getting a lot of buzz after winning his first start In week, twelve And Dylan gabriel is another veteran name that people are watching, closely especially for a team like The Cleveland.

Browns and speaking of The, browns there are four teams right now that hold two first round picks in that twenty twenty six, Draft The, Jets, Cowboys browns And.

Rams how do you see them using that extra?

Capital having two first rounders just gives you so much.

Flexibility The, browns for, example have their own, pick plus The jaguars pick from That travis under junior.

Trade they have all the ammo they need to move up the board to get a top quarterback if they fall in love with.

One on the other, hand a team like The, cowboys they're projected to use both of their picks on.

DEFENSE a lot of mocks have them taking a defensive end Like David bailey and a linebacker LIKE.

Cj, allen just continuing to build that defensive corps That Jerry jones loves so.

Much and The rams are in a different spot with their cap.

Situation, yeah The rams are looking at.

Cornerback they have a bunch of key corners about to become free, agents so they're going to have big holes to.

Fill using an early first round pick on a defensive back is almost an economic necessity for.

Them it gives them cost control talent at a premium.

Position moving from the players to the, coaches the coaching carousel is, spinning but that old college to pro pipeline seems to be.

Shrinking it's a fundamental, change and it's all being driven by the business of college football and il deals and the transfer.

Portal major college programs with a big opening just can't afford to wait for THE nfl season to end.

Anymore if they wait for AN nfl coach Until, january they risk losing all their top recruits and transfer targets in that Early december.

Window.

Right it wasn't always like, That, no think about.

It nineteen years, Ago Nick saban was able to wait until after his six to ten season with The dolphins was over before he left For.

Alabama that kind of patience has just.

Gone colleges need to lock in a coach immediately to stabilize their, roster.

And the hottest seat in THE nfl right now, is without a, doubt In Las.

Vegas Under Pete, carroll.

The raiders are a picture of total.

Dysfunction they're two, ten they have a bottom ten.

Defense it's so bad they've already fired their offensive, Coordinator Chip, kelly and there are rumors That carol was meddling and not Letting kelly run his own.

Offense the word out Of vegas is that the dysfunction right now is as bad as it's.

Ever, been so who's the rumored replacement For Carol the.

Name that keeps coming up Is Robert, sala who's with the forty nine.

Ers, now he's been linked to that job.

Before but any coach walking into that, mess especially respected guy Like, sela is going to demand absolute stability from the, Owner Mark.

Davis that probably means a guaranteed five or six year, contract just Like Kyle shanahan got from the forty nine, ers to ensure he has time to clean house and build the team his.

Way and one final toaching, note circling back to a Former patriots, Legend Bill belichick's name is still in the mix At North.

Carolina, yes The North Carolina athletic department has publicly committed To Bill belichick for at least another, year which is just a great way to make sure his name season the headlines and we keep speculating about his future for the entire.

Offseason let's make a pretty dramatic shift.

NOW i want to talk about the immense scrutiny and pressure that comes with these high profile roles in, football pressure that goes way beyond the.

FIELD i want to spend some real time on the story of the Former Dallas cowboys Cheerleader Claire.

Wolford this is such an important story because it really highlights the psychological toll that the modern spotlight takes on everyone in THE nfl, world not just the.

Players So wolford had been off the squad for two, years but she filled in for that Ascid Thanksgiving day, game and what should have been a really proud moment for her turned toxic because of what she called cruel body shaming.

Online she broke down in tears when she talked about the.

Comments it was obviously very, severe she.

Said people were calling her obese or saying she wouldn't have made the team back when they.

Had stricter weight.

Rules but the part she really emphasized wasn't just her own.

Pain it was the ripple.

Effect she said that these anonymous trolls have no idea who they might be, triggering girls who are bigger than, her girls who are smaller than, her who see those words and just internalize.

Them it speaks to a level of cruelty that The internet just makes so.

Easy and that public judgment is piled on top of an incredibly intense schedule that these performers, have especially around the holidays.

Absolutely one of the CURRENT dcc, members a woman Named, phillips she talked about the.

Grind she, said the weeks leading up To christmas are.

Grueling they have performances Every friday And, saturday plus The sunday And thursday.

Games that kind of schedule requires not just physical, stamina but immense mental compartmentalization to perform at that level while people are judging your every, move and.

We can draw a direct line from that brutal external.

Pressure back to the conversation about players and, accountability we saw a really powerful example of leadership On Hard knocks From Jalen.

Hurts hertz is the gold standard for internal.

Accountability there was a segment On Hard knocks that showed a miscommunication between him And DeVonta smith on a critical third, down and immediately After hurts took full public.

Responsibility he didn't Blame smith at.

All he blamed.

Himself he SAID i wasn't detail enough in instructing him what to, do and he said the failure was a group.

Effort that's real leadership shouldering the.

Blame and we heard a similar philosophy from The GIANTS Gm Joe showen when he was talking about his struggling Rookie Abdul.

Carter the organizational mindset is so.

Important showmen emphasized that their job isn't just to make good football, players it's to develop these young men as.

People he acknowledged that these are twenty one year old kids who are thrust into the spotlight in a place Like New York city and they need guidance on how to handle failure and public.

Judgment it's the organization trying to build the mental and personal maturity that you need to survive in THE.

Nfl it's a really fascinating, contrast isn't.

It you have organizations trying to build internal accountability and mental, strength but at the same, time the culture around the game subjects people Like Claire wolford to this incredibly, brutal anonymous.

Scrutiny it creates a tremendous.

Burden when a young player Like carter says something dismissive like s, happens it might just be a defense.

Mechanism he's a twenty one year old who hasn't learned how to handle that massive public attention and internal discipline at the same, time and it puts a huge responsibility on the organization to bridge that, gap to teach them personal responsibility while also trying to shield them from the toxicity of the outside.

World we have covered a remarkable amount of ground.

Today we saw the unbelievable rise of The, patriots powered By Drake may's efficiency and the really strangest scent of the bear who are winning despite their ROOKIE.

Qb we analyze the quarterback crisis In minnesota and the measured accountability we're hearing from The.

Giants we track the constant roster, churn The steelers choosing route precision with feel in over a high priced, corner to the really complicated injury situations facing guys Like Justin herbert And Brandon.

Ayuk and we even looked ahead to that volatile twenty twenty six draft Where Arch manning is suddenly the biggest name in the.

Conversation the league right now is.

Just defined by, extremes extreme physical, pressure extreme, success and extreme public.

Exposure the physical and mental toll is.

Constant it doesn't matter if You're Joe burrow coming back from an injury to save a, franchise or a rookie struggling to sign your, way or a cheerleader facing brutal body, Shaming that expectation for perfection under intense scrutiny is always.

There so as you reflect on this wild season and the stories of accountability and vulnerability we've talked, about here's a final provocative thought for you to.

Consider we see organizations like The giants and leader Like Jingen hurts actively focusing on developing the person and prioritizing accountability at the same time that brutal anonymous public scrutiny like the body shaming Of Clare, wolford is an ever present.

Reality IF nfl teams truly want to develop these young people who are thrust into the, spotlight what specific actionable responsibility does the organization have to shield them from the severe mental toll of public, judgment especially when they are only twenty one years.

Old is their job just internal, discipline or does it have to extend to proactively managing the mental health impacts of their immense.

Fame