upsetting the Chargers, I think, the first reaction was
a jaguars Chiefs. This one's not going to be very good, the odds
makers, have it at eight and a half but the Jaguars
as has been said this week by coach Doug Peterson are playing
on house, money, they're at a level where no one expected
them to get, they can be very loose, they can be free,
the chiefs of the
ones, more likely
to be tight, and one guy who isn't tight
on Saturdays. And I got some things to say about this after
after we hear from Trevor Lawrence. Ernst and Doug
Peterson about the fact Peter, if you haven't heard
Trevor, Lawrence is 37 and 0
in his entire life.
When playing on Saturday,
here's coach and quarterback talking about that statistical
achievement yesterday.
Take a lot of pride in that because we play on a Saturday
again, you know, so maybe you know, that would be, you know.
So having just
it is what it is. I don't really think about that.
I think about, we got to win this game, to keep going to keep
playing to keep our season alive. So, that's what I think
about. So, trying
to go 38, know, if you want to put it that way, but,
you know, about the that streak, or whatever,
just kind of, honestly, kind of a coincidence, that, you know,
I've had Saturday games on all three levels. But I mean, yeah,
let's, let's keep that going. That means we're, that means
we're playing again next week. So,
that's the, that's the plan.
Are you aware that Trevor Lawrence has never lost a home
on Saturday?
This guy
37. And oh,
high school college and pro these open first.
That's pretty impressive.
Yeah, a lot next question.
Good. I'm glad he reacted the way he did quote when I first
saw that stala and and I
I I love I love a good. And I know you do too highly.
A specific curious intriguing, fascinating stat
day of the week on which game is played. Especially Saturday,
I'm he's played two games at the NFL level on Saturday, and
they've been in the last two weeks, who cares, day of week,
who cares
when he played in high school or college,
who cares? I mean, of all the things we could care about this
whole 37. And oh, I saw that last week, or it's a and I was
just like, oh God, Add social media doing it again, who gives
a rat's ass as my mom used to say
about that stat?
I would really like to know what is Trevor Lawrence is
record? On days that he eats a Texas bacon cheese steak with
hash browns and cheese and a pecan waffle
at Waffle House.
What's his record on those days?
That's his valid? Is that other one?
Yeah, and it's amazing. It's become a thing. And I guarantee
you if they win on Saturday and he becomes 38, no,
then we won't hear the end of it. Although it will be the end
of it. Until won't be appearing in football and morning in
America. That's all I can say.
Yeah, well I can tell you this, there won't be a Saturday game
for the Jaguars until week 15 at the earliest in 2023
because they don't play Saturday games very often.
In the NFL and the Saturday games, officially end,
this Saturday, will the season officially end for the Jaguars.
This Saturday, Peter, what fascinates me far more than
Trevor Lawrence has record on Saturdays, the whole Doug
Peterson, Andy Reid,
getting together again, Doug, Peterson, a former read
Lieutenant who went to Philadelphia and did the thing
that read failed to do in all those years there as head
coach, get to the Super Bowl
and win it, two of the eight coaches. This Can trying to
become eventually the first guy to ever win a Super Bowl with
two different teams, 25% of the field, Doug Peterson and Mike
McCarthy of the Cowboys.
They each have done it with other teams. No one's ever done it.
There's been a guy who got back Bill Parcells, nobody's ever
won it with a second-team Peterson, amazes me.
And I was looking before the, the show and how many teams did
and didn't interview Doug Peterson last year.
There's some teams probably kicking himself. Starting in
Denver for not taking a closer. Look at Doug Peterson, when he
was available to anyone last year.
Here's the thing about Doug Peterson that, I like that.
I've always liked Mike. I go back to
nine days before the Super Bowl before the Philadelphia and New
England, Super Bowl. When I rode to work,
when I was going to write my column that week about a ride
to work with Doug Peterson, as he tries to
go in and slay, the dragon
who is Bill Belichick ER and or Tom Brady.
And so I met
And he had to stop at a Wawa in New Jersey for those who know
what a Wawa is. It's, it's a gas station, /, convenience
store, /
coffee hub for all the 5:30 a.m. risers.
So Doug Peterson's got to get gas
and he gets his gas
and he goes into the thing pays for his gas and everything and
not a single soul, recognizes them. And I was shocked
Philadelphia.
Yeah, South Jersey, not recognizing him Shrugged, his
shoulders,
and it was like,
who cares, you know? And
I saw that exact same thing.
The exact same. Look the exact same attitude.
When he did his halftime interview with Kaylee Hartung
on NBC and Kaylee Hartung basically says hey Doug the sky
is falling.
What do you got? And I and she doesn't say this but in essence
Doug the sky is falling. What are you going to do it?
And he goes, you know we're just going to keep chipping
away
will be. Alright, I don't have to say anything to Trevor
Lawrence. He'll be fine. He's been through it. Blah blah
blah. And I'm exaggerating that isn't exactly what he said but
his whole attitude was
I'm not worried we're going to be okay,
and he was okay.
And I think that
is the strength of a coach like Doug Peterson. That is what he
took
for me, Andy Reid, that is what he Andy Reid would do.
That's Exactly the way Andy Reid would handle a half like
that and go in.
He doesn't have to go talk to Patrick Mahomes
and say, gee, Patrick are you okay, are you going to throw up
at half-time?
No, I mean, he understands who he has, who is quarterback is
and Doug Peterson believes
that he has trained his players. He has grounded his players,
his players understand what is it stake? He doesn't have to
harangue them in their biggest game of the year. They No. And
they came out in the second half and did exactly what he
told him chip away
and hey offense,
you got a score on every possession
and they did. And I'm not saying that that's Doug Peterson.
Inspiring his guys or anything like that,
but he understands he's been a player.
He's been down that road.
He played behind Brett Favre for
a number of years
and he saw how the great ones prepare
and how losses and and deficits. They just wash right
over him.
You just move on.
Nothing can be gained by crapping your pants
at halftime of a big game.
Well, in more ways than one,
that's for sure.
And also, by the way, it doesn't make the cut for
vocabulary morning in America but harangue one of my favorite
words, but not if it's only two syllables, it really can't. It
really can't be this week's
submission by Peter, King for
a word that will
elucidate and illuminate for many out there.
I agree with you about Peterson and I'm looking at the list of
the teams that did and didn't interview him in the last
cycle. The Saints Vikings bears in Jaguars did. So at least
they kicked tires on him.
The Texans, Raiders Broncos, Giants. And dolphins did not
look his way at all and the Broncos really stand out there
because
maybe maybe the Peterson attitude
is exactly what Russell Wilson would have benefited from
in 2022, who knows?
But and this gets to something I was talking about yesterday.
Peter,
there are plenty of former head coaches out there who have done
pretty well and I wrote about this yesterday at PFT and
I listed all the names I tried to be as
expansive If as I could Bill O'Brien, Jason Garrett, Marvin
Lewis. Mike Zimmer
guys who have done it and done it. Well
then aren't even getting interviews.
Instead, you've got the owners lather, rinse, repeat,
influence by idiots, like us in the media who are trying to Peg
the rising stars. Even though we have no reason to believe
that Ben Johnson is ever going to know how to put his shoes
on.
As a head coach in the NFL,
much less command a room of grown-ass men. When there are
guys out there who have done it and done it. Well,
well, and kudos to the Jaguars
for recognizing that
Doug Peterson by virtue of the fact that he won a Super Bowl
with the Eagles has proven, he can do it pretty well.
The one thing about that, I really appreciated
and look, I have given Trent baalke a bunch of Guff over
the years, for some Personnel things that he's done and all
that. But first of all Trent baalke has done
one hell of a job
in Jacksonville,
not only in drafting, but in free agency this year
and in being the one guy who said, you know what,
I'll stick my chest out. I'll go with Doug Peterson.
Mike.
For those who don't really understand and who are not
around it, maybe as much as you, and I are, and, and and,
and especially over the years,
I have been to 50 games
in Philadelphia.
I have been to their facility 50 times
and I have slept overnight and woke up to WIP in Philadelphia
and listen to what they're saying on the radio
and read the columnists and everything.
That is a tough City, that's a tougher city than New York. In
my opinion for a coach to win
to ignore everything
and to basically, get his team ready to play.
What did Doug Peterson? Do in 2017.
He not only got his team ready to play,
but they were Innovative game after game after game,
you know, Jeffrey Lurie, loved
was an early buyer into Analytics.
Such as was how he Roseman
and I think they along with Doug Peterson,
basically, all believed, let's be a little gutsy on fourth down.
Let's put in some plays,
you know that like Philly special, that,
you know, that nobody is expecting
and the combination of innovation
and, and Steely steadiness
by Doug Peterson
in. Teen really help the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super
Bowl. After that all hell broke loose,
I get it,
there's going to be a teen books written about it and
I understand but in my opinion,
hats off, to Trent baalke shod con
for picking Doug Peterson
to not only, you know, take it, take it, you know, a very young
team,
you know, and try to make this young team. Good
ha eating to in the last 10 games.
Games. But also to tell a Young quarterback,
Hey, listen, Trevor,
this is not every year of your career is not going to be like
the Urban Meyer year. You know, we're going to show you exactly
how
a good team is built and run
in the National Football League
and you know what
you'll think you're back at Clemson,
you know, after a while the way everything runs
on time and very, very well
and that's Doug Peterson is done.
One last point, I want to make we need to take a break and
it's funny because when we started the show it's like but
we got a half hour to talk about these two games. You know
I've been talking about him all week been thinking about how
we're going to fill a half hour and here we are 45 minutes in
the one thing and Peter I look I don't want to be influenced
by the fact that I will be on the field and Arrowhead Stadium
as part of the NBC
pregame coverage. My default always is pick the home team
in that setting.
If you know what's good for you, right? Kind of like
the dynamic. That the referees
must be experiencing. When it's time to make a big call,
I would like to get out of here, alive. Thank you very much.
I'll just go with the home team.
This Dynamic of the one seed with the week off and the team
that no one expected to be there. That want a hard-fought
game
and feels good about themselves. They've got
confidence coming into this game. No one expects anything
from them. We've seen it time. And again, we saw it last year
with both number. One seeds. What happens?
You get. Caught. Flat-footed early. You find yourself in a game
and you see your season crumbled before your eyes
as the upstart team that nobody expected to be. There, makes
like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed the second time,
not the first time because obviously Rocky lost the first
time.
Well Mike, you know the way I look at this is
you know if you watch the second half
of the Jacksonville and for in look of
the Jacksonville Chargers game
was ridiculous. I I
I texted a good friend of mine
at halftime of that game and said this game. Absolutely. Is
not over.
You know what, what actually have the Chargers done other
than take advantage of? Or field position really
and so. And and look I didn't it's not that I thought
the Jaguars are going to win
but you know, I didn't think it was over but if you watch
the second half of that game
and you think the Jaguars don't have a chance to win this game?
I think you're crazy. Just yeah, I mean, you're just
crazy. Now
the one thing that Trevor Lawrence didn't face
In the wild card game that he will face in the divisional.
Game
is Chris Jones.
And you know, in my opinion Chris Jones had his close to
an errand Donald type season this year
and gave me real pause
toward the end of the season.
Am I voting for Nick Bosa for defensive player of the year?
Or am I voting Chris Jones? And I have to tell you it was
pretty close. I ended up voting for Bosa but Chris Jones,
I thought he was absolutely dominant,
you know, sort of like, Dexter Lawrence
against the Vikings last weekend.
He was in the backfield 10 times every game.
And I just think that,
that is something that
the Jaguars will have to deal with this week
that they did not have to deal with last week.
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