Welcome to Football Army.

If you were paying attention to the AFC this week, you definitely felt the tremor.

Oh absolutely, it was like the entire landscape just cracked wide open.

The tectonic plates of the league literally shifted under our feet.

And the epicenter, of course, was in Kansas City.

We were talking about the week the entire competitive map of the NFL just completely changed.

It really did.

Yeah, and it's one of those moments.

It doesn't just redefine this season, it casts a well, a very long shadow over the next one or two as well.

For sure, We're now facing a reality where the Kansas City Chiefs have missed the playoffs for the first time in an entire decade, a decade.

That news alone is seismic, you know, given their recent dominance.

But even that gets completely overshadowed by the reason why the season ending torn acl for their cornerstone, Patrick Mahomes.

It's just brutal, not just for the Chiefs obviously, but for the whole league and the immediate reaction we saw from across the football community.

It really spoke volumes about the gravity of this.

Right yead Tom Brady, who knows exactly what that's like what it takes to recover from a catastrophic knee injury.

From his own two thousand and eight ACL tair exactly, and.

He actually reached out to Mahomes called the rehab process tough.

Yeah.

I mean, when one legend is offering that kind of council to another, you know, what's serious.

And what about the shockwaves inside that building?

Immediate and powerful.

We heard from Travis Kelch, who's been so central to that dynasty.

He basically admitted that this early elimination feels and I'm quoting here obviously f up wow.

Yeah, and that it's a new feeling for the entire organization, for the fan base.

And while he stressed the integrity of playing out the season, you know, saying he'll go out there and play with love, the sting of this is it's palpable that they were expecting another deep January run and instead it's over in December, no kidding.

So today we're plunging headfirst into the chaos this Mahomes injury created.

We have to break down the total AFC turmoil, from the bizarre return of Philip Rivers in Indianapolis to the quarter crisis brewing in Miami, and.

Don't forget the spectacular implosion in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow and coach Taylor.

Then we can flip over to the NFC, where the playoff picture is tightening up dramatically, especially after some key injuries.

There too a huge NFC North rematch between the Bears and the Packers.

We have to tackle the JJ McCarthy enigma in Minnesota.

I mean, how is his non traditional play baffling everyone?

And the Cowboys collapse against the Eagles final push.

It's a lot.

It is a lot.

And then we'll hit some major roster shakeups like the Jets cleaning house and deliver a big college football update.

Arch Manning's return to Texas is huge and it's already shaping the twenty twenty sixth draft.

This was the week where pretty much every major franchise had to, you know, fundamentally reconsider its future.

Okay, so let's start right where all the chaos began.

Kansas City.

Patrick Mahomes season is over, torn ACL.

It's the biggest story of the week, maybe the year, because it didn't just end their.

Season, No, it created a power vacuum at the top of the conference.

And the immediate market reaction tells you everything you need to know about his value, right, It tells the whole story.

The Titans Chiefs spread shifted by a full eight points the second the injury was confirmed.

Eight points.

That's the definition of a player who was basically acting as the team's entire engine.

He was masking so many other issues, and it seems like his incredible almost you know, superhuman play has been covering up some truly glaring roster holes for years now.

Absolutely, when you look beyond Mahomes, that foundation looks a lot shakier than anyone wanted to admit.

The two biggest areas of concern are the receiving core and maybe even more critically, the run game.

Let's start with the receivers.

What's the problem there, It's a.

Problem across the board.

You look at the Xavier Worthy, the guy they drafted hoping for that explosive element.

He's been well underwhelming, only forty catches, four hundred and ninety one yards.

One touchdown, and he hasn't been healthy right.

Not fully, he's been dealing with a shoulder injury since week one.

But they're also asking him to run these complex over the middle, which is a tough ask for a guy with his build, and as a team they're tied for the seventh most drops in the league.

It just points to a lack of reliability everywhere.

Worthy is clearly not on a WR one trajectory.

Right now, so it sounds like a systemic issue, which gets even worse when you look at the run game.

That was supposed to be the thing that took pressure off Mahomes.

And it's been, to put it bluntly, an untenable situation.

Their reliance on shotgun runs in RPOs, these run pass options, it's drawn a ton of criticism because it just sacrifices the power and deception you need to create big plays.

And the numbers, well, the numbers bear this out dramatically.

What do those numbers look like, because they sound bad.

They're staggering.

The duo of Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

They've combined for only seven runs of twelve yards or more.

All season, seven on how many carries.

On two hundred and forty nine carries.

It's just it's nothing.

And if you look at the explosive run rate metric among the forty three running backs with one hundred plus carries, but Jaco ranks fortieth and Hunt ranks forty.

Seven, so basically dead last, literally dead.

Last performance territory.

This isn't something you can just patch up with a scheme change.

It's a personnel problem.

And the problem gets even worse because all of those guys are about to hit free agency.

That's right, Pitchaiko Hunt, and Elijah Mitchell are all set to hit the open market.

This basically signals a mandatory full scale overhaul in the backfield.

The Chiefs have to rebuild their entire ground attack philosophy, and that's even more critical now, especially if Mahomes has a delayed start to next year, which.

Brings us to Travis kelcea his contract is up after twenty twenty five.

Given how emotional his reaction was, is there a real sense that this might be it for him?

There is definite and painful speculation around kelce People watching him all season noted he looked physically depleted, suggesting he was already on his final run, even though he was still putting up numbers.

So the big question is does his competitive spirit let him go out like this.

Exactly ending the season Eliminated from the playoffs with his last target maybe coming from Gardner Minshew instead of Patrick Mahomes.

That's a tough pill to swallow for a Hall.

Of Famer like him.

That's not how this story is supposed to end.

Right for a guy who thrives on those high stakes moments, ending his career with a target from Gardner Minshew in a meaningless game, it's a real legacy question.

He had surgery earlier in the year.

His receptions per game were the lowest they've been since twenty fifteen, so the offseason will be huge for him to decide if he has the physical and the mental stamina for one last go.

Wow, that's a tough one for Cheese Kingdom.

Well, speaking of Gardner Minshew, that brings us neatly to the Indianapolis Colts, who are hosting the return of old man Rivers.

It is surreal.

Philip Rivers is officially the starter for Week sixteen against the Niners, five years after he retired.

And his return against the Seahawks was let's say, modest, eighteen of twenty seven for one hundred and twenty yards, a touchdown and interception.

Monest is a good word, but it's the how of his performance that's so fascinating.

The physical limitations were obvious, but the mental part of his game was on full display.

That's it exactly.

Rivers is the ultimate brain over Braun quarterback.

Right now, he's sticking almost entirely to checkdowns.

His time to throw was the lowest of the entire weekend, two point four to one seconds.

So he's turning a physical limitation into a strategic advantage.

The defense just can't get to him precisely.

And his average depth of target or a doot was just five point two yards.

That was the fourth lowest in the entire league for week fifteen.

So to put that in perspective for you, his passes are on average traveling barely five yards past the line of scrimmage.

And the stats back it up.

He completed just two of ten throws that went farther than five yards downfield.

We literally saw him straining just to throw the ball away.

Sometimes passes to the outside were just hanging the air.

The velocity is a real issue.

So he's basically running this historically quick short game offense just using his mind to process everything in two point four seconds.

Is this is this sustainable?

Well?

Coach Shane Steichen seems to think so, at least in the short term, he prays.

Rivers game management said they didn't bring the forty four year old back to sit on the bench, and Rivers himself said he felt pretty darn good after taking a few hits.

But the cost is the entire downfield passing game right completely.

The deep ball is off the menu, and that has immediate Fantasy football ripple effects.

It basically ends the splash play run for Alec Pierce and it's definitely going to hurt Michael Pittman and Tyler Warren's weekly numbers.

Okay, from Indianapolis, let's head down to Miami.

Another quarterback squarely on the hot seat.

Tua tagove Loa.

Their loss to the Steelers officially eliminated the Dolphins.

And that extends their postseason wind drought past a quarter century now.

And the elimination just opened the floodgates for speculation about to his future.

Absolutely after a really poor performance.

He was six of ten for sixty five yards and a pick through three quarters.

Coach Mike McDaniel, who is usually mister optivism right, he stated that everything is on the table when it comes to benching Tua for the final three games.

So is that just coach speak trying to light a fire under him or is the relationship really that damaged.

It sounds like a genuine, calculated threat.

I think it's driven by desperation to his overall assessment is just tanked.

He's ranked twenty ninth in the week sixteen QB rankings, and the underlying metrics are while they're damning.

Also, since Week seven, he's been statistically worse in EPA per play that's expected points at it than both JJ McCarthy and Baker Mayfield.

And those are two guys who are also taking a lot of heat.

So if they do benj him, who steps in.

It could be Quinnyewers or Zach Wilson for the final three games.

But the real issue here is that the problems aren't just under center, they're organizational, which is why a QB change might just be a band aid.

You're talking about that draft miss that's really compounding their depth issues right now.

They absolutely whiffed on a major pick, taking cornerback Cam Smith in the second round in twenty twenty three.

That's looking like a painful, consequential miss.

They traded Jalen Ramsey, they needed secondary help and Smith just never got a footing in Miami before they.

Moved on, and it hurts even more when you see who else was available.

That's the part that stings.

Zach sharponnet Twee Polow, two Osiris, Torrents were all still on the board.

When you only have four picks in a draft because of other trades, you just cannot afford to miss on a high second rounder like that.

That kind of inefficiency haunts you.

That's a great point, Okay.

Sticking in the AFC, let's talk about the Bengals.

Joe Burrow and the offense were completely shot out by the Ravens and it led to some pretty dramatic fan reactions.

You know things are bad when there was footage of a Bengals fan in the stands literally drafting a serious breakup text to Joe Burrow during the game.

That just perfectly captures the mood in Cincinnati right now.

But Burrow, to his credit, he took immediate accountability, which is what you want from your leader.

He did.

Coach Zach Taylor confirmed Burrow stood up in front of the team in the media and said it wasn't his best game.

Taylor's stress he takes responsibility too, but that loss officially knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs, and that's why the pressure is mounting so fast on Taylor.

So, despite those reports of a secret contract extension, his job security is now a major talking point.

His contract runs through twenty twenty seven.

The context here is that the team's now for to ten.

It's his first losing season since twenty twenty, and the organization's primary concern isn't Taylor's contract, it's Burrow's potential discontent.

Ah, So it's about keeping the franchise player happy.

Exactly.

If Burrow gets to a point where he feels the coaching is holding him back, making a change is the last lever the organization can pull.

The front office just wants to make sure Burrow doesn't reach that state of NFL specific melancholy that we saw with Andrew Luck before he retired.

Keeping Burrough stable is everything.

But before we move on, is there any silver lining for Cincy?

What about the defense?

Have they shown any life?

They have?

Actually?

Yeah, particularly since the bye week.

Defensive coordinator Lou Golden pointed out that they've really improved.

They've held teams to less than a touchdown eight times in fourteen red zone trips since the bye.

That's good execution when the field shrinks.

And what's been the biggest area of growth third down defense, specifically on third and seven ten.

Opponents are only converting nine percent of the time since the buye.

That is elite and Golden pointed to two rookies for this turnaround, Mike linebacker Barrett Carter, who's wearing the green dot and really taking over communication, and Demitrius Snite Junior, who just got his first two NFL sacks.

Their emergence is a genuine reason for optimism in twenty twenty six.

That is promising.

Okay, let's pivot to the team leading the AFC North, the resurgent Pittsburgh Steelers, now eight to six after beating the Dolphins.

It seems like Aaron Rodgers has gotten hot at the perfect time.

Rogers was incredibly efficient in that cold Monday night game.

He only had four incompletions through for two hundred and twenty four yards, two touchdowns, zero picks, eighty five percent completion rate.

The Steelers are now in a great position, holding a magic number of three to lock up the division.

It's an incredible turnaround.

So with all the QB uncertainty around the league, where does this put Rogers for his twenty twenty six future.

Well, this winning streak pretty much solidifies him as the clear top option for the Steelers in twenty twenty six if he decides to keep playing.

The draft options for a franchise QB are dwindling, and these high value trades for guys like Burrow or Kyler Murray are you know, basically fantasy Rogers at forty two is looking much better, especially after that wrist injury.

He's invaluable to them right now.

But the Steelers are still doing their due diligence right hosting quarterback tryouts this week.

That's just a smart front office.

They brought in Hendon Hooker, the former Lions third rounder, and Jack Plummer.

They're evaluating every single option for the future depth chart, especially since they've struggled to find a reliable backup for years.

And we have to touch on the controversy from that game, the one Troy Aikman was.

All over taunting call.

Yeah, Aikman called the penalty on Dolphin's linebacker Jordan Brooks ridiculous, and it was Brooks just stood over pat Freyermuth for a second after a big third downstop.

It's this ongoing problem across the league where a player showing any emotion costs his team fifty ten yards.

It just kills the flow of the game.

And what about injuries?

Did the Steelers pick up anything in the wind that could hurt them down the stretch?

They lost starting left guard Isaac Simalow and linebacker Nick Herbig.

Their status for Week sixteen is still unclear, which is concerning for the pass rush because Herbig has six point five sacks this year.

He's been a great compliment to TJ.

Watt.

And finally, there's already speculation about another Rogers reunion.

Alan Lazard was just released.

By the Jets at his request.

He wants to sign with a playoff team, which is totally understandable.

He took a big pay cut but only had ten catches this year for the Jets, So given Rogers's history, the immediate thought is he could land in Pittsburgh, maybe on the practice squad.

At first, it's a low risk move that gives Rogers another familiar target for a potential playoff front.

Okay, we've seen the chaos in the AFC let's flip over to the NFC, where it's not just about who's struggling, but who's emerging and who's dealing with their own major injury crisis.

We have a massive NFC North showdown this week.

Absolutely, the Bears are ten to four, leading the division by just one game over the Packers at nine to four to one.

This week's sixteen rematch is everything.

And the playoff implications are huge.

Green Bay can clinch with a win and a Detroit loss or tie.

Chicago can clinch with a win and a Detroit loss or tie.

But the Packers just had a devastating loss to Denver.

Devastating is the right word.

It was a season changing loss because it cost them their star edge rusher Micah.

Parsons, the guy they traded a haul to the Cowboys for.

The very same He suffered a torn acl His season is over right after he racked up twelve point five sacks and twenty six QB Hits coach Lafleur confirmed the terror and said Parsons is actually in Dallas right now for the birth of his child before he has surgery.

That's a brutal blow, not just the production, but it completely exposes their defensive depth.

Who on Earth steps up to fill that gap.

It has to be Lucas van Ness, their first round pick, who just came back from a foot injury.

Lafleur said he brought a real boost of energy in his return and now he's going to be expected to basically step into Parsons' role as the main pass rusher.

But they have other injuries too, right they.

Do Christian Watson's chest, Zach Tom's knee, quay Walker Evan Williams.

The loss of Parsons just takes the teeth out of that Packers defense, and that's a huge problem against a hot, confident Chicago team, and the.

Bears are hot.

They're being driven by turnovers and protecting the ball, which is just the mark of a well coached team.

Their turnover differential is a league leading plus twenty.

Think about that.

We only have ten turnovers all year, only the Lions have fewer.

They take the ball away and they don't give it back.

And their quarterback Caleb Williams is playing really well.

He had a clean, crisp performance in that big win over the Browns and said he's excited for the moment against.

Green Bay and I want to highlight a really cool moment involving Bears rookie the offensive lineman Ausie Trapelo during that Browns game.

Yeah, that was great, a real trial by fire for him going up against Miles Garrett, probably the best edge rusher.

In football, and he gave up two sacks.

He did, which you'd almost expect.

But the amazing part was after the game when Garrett went out of his way to find Trapollo and show him respect, acknowledging how tough he was for a rookie, Getting that kind of recognition from an All Pro player is just immense for your confidence.

The Bears do have a tricky situation with their receivers heading into this game, though.

Yeah.

Head coach Ben Johnson is facing a tough call.

With Romo Donze in his ankle injury.

Johnson is actually thinking about shutting him down to protect him from himself for the long term.

That's a smart, big picture move, it is.

The news is a bit better for the rookie Luther Burden.

His injury isn't as severe, but if Odoun day out, DJ Moore becomes the clear number one target.

Okay, staying in the NSC North.

Let's talk about the JJ McCarthy enigma.

In Minnesota.

The Vikings are suddenly scoring points over thirty one in back to back games, and McCarthy's reputation has kind of rebounded.

It's definitely stopped him from being the punchline of every meme.

As one person put it, he's improved his production, cut down on turnovers, and just as importantly, his behavior before the Cowboys game, showing respect and maturity earned him a lot of praise.

It signals some emerging leadership.

But the mechanics still have people worried.

Right, it's this weird thing where the results don't quite match the process.

They absolutely do.

Analysts still call his mechanics non traditional.

They say he throws like a shortstop turning a double play, comparing it to Derek Jeter.

Which is not a compliment for a quarterback.

Not at all.

It means he's generating power from his side and his torso, not a clean over the top motion, and that causes throws to be wobbly or forced.

He's still overly aggressive, and even his big plays sometimes come on mediocre throws.

Can you give me an example, sure.

That touchdown to Jalen Naylor, it was a successful play, but the throw itself was shortened inside it forced the receiver to work back to the ball for a contested catch.

A top tre quarterback delivers that ball in stride.

His mechanics sometimes forces receivers to compensate for him and.

The connection with his number ever one guy Justin Jefferson is still a problem.

It's been called shoddy and a major point of confoundment.

They just haven't been on the same page.

McCarthy's inaccuracy rate was his highest in a month against Dallas, and the weird thing is his unexpected improvement is creating this roster confusion.

It makes Minnesota a less likely landing spot and a trade for someone like Kyler Murray, so they have to reevaluate their whole QB room.

Let's move to the NFC East.

The Eagles are trying to make a final push.

They're nine to five and can clinch the Vision with a win or a Cowboys loss, or if both teams.

Tie and they got the game they desperately needed.

Just dominating the Raiders thirty one zero.

It was a tension breaker after that three game losing streak.

Jalen Hurts followed up his five turnover game with a really clean performance.

Afterward, he just said I wanted to win.

And he's been taking a ton of heat from fans, with some even calling for him to be benched.

Which is crazy.

Coach Nick Sirianni defended him strongly, called him resilient.

But that criticism probably won't go away unless they go on a deep playoff run.

But for now they're back on track.

What's the injury report look like for them?

Though it sounds like a long list, it.

Is based on the walk through estimation.

It raises some red flags.

Saquon Barkley with a stimmer, Jalen Carter with the shoulder, Landon Dickerson with a calf, Lane Johnson with a foot.

A bunch of key guys were listed as did not participate.

That's a lot of significant names.

And then there's the Dallas Cowboys, who are supposed to be challenging for the division.

They just had a stunning collapse.

Losing to that Vikings team really dimmed their once bright outlook.

But owner Jerry Jones came out and insisted they won't tank for draft position.

He said they owe it to the fans to stay competitive over these last three games, no matter.

What Speaking of draft position, this is a team that traded away an elite player for future picks, and now the consequences are showing up on defense.

That Micah Parson's trade to Green Bay taking a lot of blowback.

They got two first round picks in twenty twenty six and Kenny Clark, but it's been a philosophical failure.

The Cowboys were built to win now and and trading a generational talent like Parsons when you're in a Super Bowl window just left a hole they haven't filled.

And the numbers back that up.

Oh, they absolutely do.

The Cowboys defense has struggled mightily.

They're allowing a league worst passer rating of one hundred and nine point one this season.

Wait, one hundred and nine point one.

Yes, to put that in perspective for you, Patrick Mahomes's career passer rating is one hundred point eight.

They're making every opposing quarterback look better than Patrick Mahomes has over his entire career.

The trade has hurt them in the present, even if it sets them up for the future.

Wow.

Okay.

On a different note, there was an interesting trade pitch involving an Eagles backup QB that could help a team like the Chiefs.

Kanner McKee, a sixth round pick from twenty twenty three, He's being talked about as a potential high value trade asset.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman is known for this stuff.

McKee is six foot six and he wowed people with his limited action late last season, going two to zero with four touchdowns and no picks.

So why would the Chiefs be interested in a former sixth rounder?

Because of his tools and his poise.

In his one appearance this season, he went three for three.

He's shown just enough that he could potentially be flipped for say a third rounder, to a team like Kansas City that suddenly needs a high upside backup on a cheap contract.

McKee could be a really compelling plan.

B Okay a quick look at the NFC South, which is coming down to the Bucks and the Panthers, both sitting at seven to seven.

This division race is all about their two head to head games over the next three weeks, and the Buccaneers are lucky to even be in first place after they blew that fourteen point lead in weeks fourteen.

And the focus here is on Baker Mayfield.

How has he been playing?

Well, since Week seven, his statistical profile has just fallen off a cliff.

He's twenty eighth in EPA pri play, he's dead last and completion percentage over expected, and he has the league's worst uncatchable throw rate at almost twenty eight percent an.

Uncatchable throw rate.

He can't really blame that on anyone he was.

He's just missing guys exactly.

And while his situation isn't perfect, you know, o line injuries drops, his poor play, his inaccuracy.

That's the biggest thing that needs to change for Tampa to win this division.

And on a completely different note for Tampa, they did welcome back a receiver this week after a really serious injury.

Yes, Jalen McMillan.

He returned after missing four months with a broken neck.

He told the media the injury was so bad that doctors told him he came close to being paralyzed.

His return is just miraculous.

It's a testament to his dedication.

All right, Let's talk about maybe the most chaotic organization in the league this season, the New York Jets.

They have officially started cleaning house.

It started with the coaching staff.

After that, just humiliating forty eight twenty loss to the Jaguars.

Head coach Aaron Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes.

And that move was necessary.

The defense ranks twentieth overall but thirtieth.

In scoring right.

Glenn basically said the team wasn't showing any improvement week to week, so he had to make a change.

Yeah, when your defense, which was supposed to be your strength, is ranked thirtieth in points allowed, the move is unavoidable.

And they also parted ways with the high profile receiver Alan Lazart.

He was released at his request, a mutual parting of the way so he could sign with a playoff team.

He was in the third year of a big deal, took that pay cut and only had ten catches this year, just the definition of a failed signing.

So what does their QB depth look like now?

Rookie Brady Cook made his first start.

He showed some flashes, but also made those classic rookie mistakes.

Through two picks, the team took six sacks with fields and Tyrod Taylor hurt.

They released a practice squad QB, which suggests one of the veterans might be back for Week sixteen.

They just need someone reliable to manage the offense.

Let's move down to the other New York team, the Giants.

They've had their own identity crisis, and it's been made worse by this constant kicker turnover.

The kicker marry go around just continues.

It makes the team feel amateurish.

They wave young Hoku after he badly missed two fifty one yarders.

This came after a game where he didn't even attempt to kick because of a bobbled snap.

Just illustrates a deeper problem.

They can't finish drives.

But despite they're terrible two twelve record, the internal view is surprisingly optimistic about the talent on the roster.

Is that delusional.

It's not entirely delusional, but it's definitely a case of selective vision.

The belief inside the building is that they have a good nucleus of talent and that poor coaching is the main problem.

And to be fair, the front seven is genuinely strong.

But the secondary is the glaring weakness.

It just negates the pass rushcicely.

The secondary is porous.

They need to get pieces to shore up the back end, but the real issue is that the Giants can't get out of their own way.

They insist on doing things their way institutionally, which means ignoring the secondary to keep loading up the defensive line.

And a key part of that supposed nucleus is their rookie QB Jackson Dart.

What's the analysis on him?

He is promising, fans should be excited about his playmaking, but the big criticism is his reckless playing style.

It's very similar to Jayden Daniels in terms of taking unnecessary hits.

He holds the ball too long, which contributes to his high sack.

Rate, and that recklessness has led to availability concerns already.

That's the core issue.

He's already had a concussion, been pulled for precaution multiple times.

He just refuses to protect himself and that's a huge factor in long term success.

If he's going to be their guy, he has to learn self preservation and fast.

Let's quickly hit the Tennessee Titans, who have just had awful luck with injuries this season, especially in the secondary.

Week fifteen was a disaster for them.

They lost six key contributors, put three safeties on ir ending their seasons, and this is just piling on to a problem that's plagued them all year.

It's just constant, rotational instability.

So if the Titans could steal one player from the Chiefs, who would it be to fix that secondary.

It's got to be cornerback Trent McDuffie, a two time All Pro.

He'd fill their shut down corner need instantly.

The Titans are just living proof that every contender is one injury away from a total collapse, especially in the secondary.

And what about their own rookie QB cam Ward.

How's he handling all this chaos?

Ward actually showed some progress.

He wasn't sacked for the first time all season against the forty nine ers, which is a nice milestone, but he still missed open receivers through a couple of passes that should have been picked.

He's shown flashes, but he still has a ways to go.

We have to pause for a moment to talk about the dream of the big man touchdown.

It's one of the best parts of football.

Forty nine ers tackled Trent Williams, a future Hall of Famer, admitted this week his career long dream of scoring a touchdown has now faded.

And this game, right after Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons caught a goal line touchdown in the same game.

Exactly the exact type of viral big Man touchdown that Williams had been dreaming of.

It's a hilarious moment that just highlights how rare those plays are for the guys doing all the dirty work in the trenches.

And finally, let's look ahead to Christmas Day.

Netflix is providing the entertainment.

Yeah, they're hosting the Lions Vikings game, and they've announced Snoop Dogg will headline the halftime show.

This follows last year's event, which had Beyonce and Mariah Carre wait.

I have to jump in here.

They went from Beyonce and Mariah Carey to Snoop Dogg.

I mean, you can understand why some fans feel personally attacked by that booking decision.

The fan reaction was immediate and it was loud.

They are slamming Netflix for it, but hey, it keeps the entertainment stories flowing and shows Netflix is committed to making that Christmas game a huge cultural event, even if the musical choices are a little polarizing.

Okay, Transitioning to the college world, The biggest announcement this week completely impacts the twenty twenty six NFL draft, quarterback Arch Manning announced he is returning to Texas for the twenty twenty six season.

This is huge.

A lot of draft analysts thought Manning might be a first round pick this year just based on pedigree and talent alone.

By staying, he completely reshapes the conversation for next year's class.

And his coach, Steve Sarkisian, supports the decision strongly.

He said Manning needs another year of growth, not just physically to handle the NFL, but mentally to become a true field general.

He used the phrase that Manning has unfit finished business at Texas.

So what does that refer to?

Specifically, two things the team's goals and its personal consistency.

Texas started ranked number one but finished ninety three.

But Manning himself really rebounded after a tough start.

He threw for.

Almost three thousand yards twenty four touchdowns, and he finished the season on fire with three three hundred yard games and twelve touchdown passes in his last five starts.

Sarkjian wants him to build on that.

Looking at the college football playoff, Alabama is getting ready for Oklahoma and health is a big factor for them.

They expect a big boost with tight end Josh Quavis and running back jam Miller likely returning, but their QB Ty Simpson admitted he's looked like a shell of himself recently, which is a real concern.

And on the Oklahoma side.

Their defense is going to try and force Simpson into obvious passing situations because their own QB, Jackson Arnold, has been pretty limited, throwing for under two hundred and twenty five yards in five of his last six games.

This matchup looks like it's going to be a defensive struggle.

And the coaching carousel still spinning even for playoff teams.

It is number six.

Oly Miss will play their first game under new head coach Pete Golding, who is promoted after Lane Kiffin left for LSU.

Oly Miss chose not to le Kiffin coach the playoff game, but Chulaane, their opponent, is allowing their outgoing coach to finish the season.

Just a philosophical difference in how you handle that transition.

We've also got some transfer news highlighting the powerships in the SEC.

Alabama got its first big transfer commitment for twenty twenty six, tight end Josh Ford from Oklahoma State He's a massive target six foot six, two hundred and sixty five pounds.

This just shows Alabama is already adapting and plugging potential holes for the future.

Let's get a quick preview of one of the NANZIAFP Bowls, the Cure Bowl.

It's Old Dominion versus South Florida.

Both teams are going for their tenth win, but they'll also both be starting backup quarterbacks due to opt outs.

There's only one career start between the two.

Of them, so it's real test of depths exactly.

The prediction favors South Florida twenty seven to twenty one, mostly due to their strong run game and friendly crowd there in Orlando.

Shifting back to the twenty twenty six tract, Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love announced he's coming out.

He is exactly the kind of prospect that a team like the Chiefs should be looking at.

He's a tempo setter, strong frame, can run inside, and has this untapped receiving ability.

He could be a fantastic mid round pick to revitalize a struggling run game.

And looking at some early twenty twenty six mock drops, who are the names trending high.

Right now, you're seeing Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate mock to the Browns to fill their need for a vertical threat.

He didn't drop a single pass all season.

Jordan Tyson from Arizona State is another receiver projected high.

On the O line, Spencer Fano from Utah to Baltimore, and on defense, cornerbacks Jermaud McCoy and Avion Terrell are top prospects.

Finally, let's revisit the Packers free agency situation for twenty twenty six.

They might lose some key guys but get some valuable picks back.

Right.

They're likely to lose left tackle Rashid Walker in free agency, which should get them a compensatory four round pick in twenty twenty seven, and linebacker kway Walker is also an unrestricted free agent.

If he leaves, he could also bring back a fourth round compick.

It's a strategic way to offset losing good players.

And back to the running back market, where do we see Breese Hall potentially landing in twenty twenty six?

The Minnesota Vikings are named as a top spot.

The current running back Aaron Jones is getting older and missed time this year, they could save over seven million dollars by moving on Hall's skill durability would bring so much needed stability to that backfield.

We've covered just a remarkable amount of volatility this week, from the AFC Championship picture just collapsing because of the Mahomes injury and the Parsons injury defining the NFC North race, to the unexpected emergence of guys like JJ McCarthy next to the serious struggles of Tua and Baker Mayfield.

It really feels like instability is the new normal in the NFL.

It truly does.

The quarterback carousel and the talent vacuums are just shaking up entire divisions.

But let's end with the most fascinating question that was raised by our look into the Giants organization.

They're two twelve, but in fernally they believe they have a good nucleus of talent and that the coaching and organization are the real issues.

And that sentiment, you know that the talent is better than the record.

That's a major theme across the league.

The consensus is that the Giants can't get out of their own way because they insist on doing things their way institutionally, and that leads to undisciplined play like the recklessness we noted with Jackson Dark.

So this raises a really interesting, provocative thought for you the listener, to think about this week.

When a team has bottomed out with a terrible record, but the belief is that the players are fundamentally sound, does that team need a whole new draft class, a complete teardown, or do they primarily need a fresh, non traditional voice in the front office and coaching staff to maximize what they already have.

It's an age old question of nature versus nurture in the NFL, right organization versus pure talent.

We've seen the Bears start to do exactly that, building an identity around their existing core.

If the Giants have the players, but those players are being reckless and lacking discipline, then an organizational shift is far more important than anyone draft pick.

It's about maximizing what's already there before you tear the whole foundation down.

Definitely something to watch as the coaching carousel starts spinning.