Thank you so much for joining
us. Maria Taylor alongside Tony Dungy, Jason Garrett and Mike
Florio and let's get into some of the games and storylines
that we watched. And one of the big ones was obviously going to
be
Cincinnati taking on the Titans. We know it's a rematch
of last year's divisional round. And ultimately, we saw
Derek Henry, getting shut down. Only averaging, two point, two
yards per carry in this game, and it's something that
the Bangles seem to
specialize in. They have found a way to slow him down in
games. Coach know, that really surprised me. I know that That
was the plan for Tennessee coming up. We've got to
establish our big back and they never could get it going. And
so you're throwing a lot of long yardage situations, and
that's not their identity cards. There's something about
those division games when, you know, the opponent really.
Well, you study the opponent really. Well,
Cincinnati didn't blink. Tennessee can be an intimidating team,
just the physicality that they play with Cincinnati came down
there, played their Game Stop, Derek Henry. And then made
the plays that they usually make on offense, but your take away,
Mike. I spoke to Bengals defensive lineman Sam.
Robert after the game, he had a big day. Multiple tackles for
loss is sack. He said that they didn't do anything exotic or
extravagant. Their idea was they had to get multiple guys
to Derrick Henry. They know
that he is very susceptible to shedding that tackle and taking
off. So they wanted to get him on the ground. They had the one
long play the screen past. It was almost a touchdown, but for
the fumble, that was recovered In The End Zone
by Trail and Burks.
After that Hubbard said, no more.
That's it, we're done. And the rest of the day, they were able
to contain Derrick Henry. And that was one of the keys to
beating the Titans in their own building and it's crazy to
think that the Bengals are doing this. Joe Mixon didn't
play Jamar. Chase was out, but we still saw, you
know, T Higgins. Stepping up and making some huge catches,
and Joe Burrows, still making it work. Well, they have a lot
of offensive weapons that didn't surprise me, but they
really taken away.
What Tennessee does really well and force them to play. You
always talked about playing the game you want to play.
I thought Cincinnati did that. Absolutely, and Mike Florio
makes a great Point. Okay, here's what we're going to do.
We're going to put a lot of
guys around the line of scrimmage We're going to be
physical and stop them. Everybody tries to do that
against Tennessee. Cincinnati executed. Okay, let's talk
about something that we've seen this happen before Ravens up in
a game.
Ravens lose said game but this time it happens against
Jacksonville. Mike Florio. And what are we seeing kind of in
like the late game fall from the Raven? So far this season?
We thought that it was going to be solved with the arrival of
row Quinn
Smith from the Chicago Bears and the Ravens seem to have
been figuring things out. They started They seem to have been
ascending as one of the best teams in the conference,
but the best teams always beat the worst teams. And that
didn't happen today. They didn't put away the Panthers,
the way they should have. And could have a week ago, only
winning the game 2:47
and then they leave the door open for the Jaguars to come
back and steal one. That's inexcusable, that's the kind of
game that when we get the week 18 and we see the final
standings that can make the difference between
two seater three seed or wild card and have to go on
the road. Every Out of the way because maybe the Bengals win
the division. Now,
yeah, this is really difficult for me because when I think
Bangles, I think Ray Lewis Tyrell, sogs
Peter, boulware defense, and I'm not used to seeing them
blow leads in the fourth quarter and they've done it
four times this. Yeah, four times is a big number and
Mike's point of that, it's Jacksonville a team. That's
really trying to get there to be able to do that against
the Ravens.
It's a little bit of a different story but to me it's
all about Lessons. Learned, you can still learn. Learn lessons
after week 11 and the teams that play the best down
the stretch. We're going to be the ones that that thrive in
the playoffs. Oh, John
Harbaugh is a great football. Coach go get this team to
respond the right way. I feel really good about the Ravens
down, the down, the stretch and December. Yeah. Michael or Mike
Florio, you talked about the race and the AFC and
the Bangles and we're going to see the Ravens they play in week
18, you talk about like
we could be thinking about this Jacksonville game and week 18,
because everything could be on the line for the Ravens, but
just the matchup and what we're seeing so far.
That race.
Well, overall in the AFC, I mean I think the Chiefs have
emerged as the team to beat, they've made up the the game
that they lost when they
fell at home to the Buffalo Bills. They've passed them up
and they look like they're getting better and better.
They're doing what they're supposed to do. They
they play in overmatch Rams team and they don't blank,
they don't falter, they take care of business and they get
the win and they just keep checking off those W's. And
they're going to put themselves in position that Another
rematch this year with the bills, it's going to be in
Kansas City again. They're not going to have to go to Buffalo,
which I think is a huge factor in how this all shakes out.
Let's talk about the NFC, the 49ers, though, the defense that
we've been seeing from them and Coach. If we're going to talk
to you since, I'm going to come to you first 94 straight
minutes
without giving out at,
giving up a touchdown
of game minutes. I mean it's pretty impressive. What they've
been able to do but they've been doing it all season. Well,
we saw them against Kansas City and Kansas City. Put up a lot
of points in a lot of yards and you said,
gosh, this doesn't look like
8:56 assemble, they've gotten healthy
and now they've got their pass rushers back. They fly around
in the secondary and I just like, the way they're playing
right now, coach. I just remember your defenses. There
was so much speed up front, your
linebackers, ran your cover on the back end,
it didn't give up a lot of big plays, that's the formula in
San Francisco, and they're doing it better than anybody in
football. Right now, watch the game from the side and watch
the get off
of the defensive lineman, it's on believe, they're on track
stances in there up. The field disrupting the Run disrupting
the Past the linebackers are everywhere. They are really
good. Defense, John Lynch, who played Safety on some of those
great defense. Has we had when he took over. He
said coach I'm gonna build this
way, we built it and and he had his doing,
you know Mike we had some questions about the 49ers
coming into this season. They've switched now with Jimmy
G is starting but it seems as though they have gained a lot
of momentum, as we've gone down the stretch, run this year.
Yeah, and the key is keeping their key guys. Healthy and
a coach is point, as it relates to John Lynch and the guys they
have on Team,
Chris Simms, and I talk about this all the time on PFT live.
The idea that they have guys who have no hesitation guys who
will roll out of bed and kick your butt, guys. You don't need
to practice tackling to the ground. They don't need to have
double sessions, they're always ready to go. They're always
ready to run through a wall.
The problem is sometimes they get injured when they do it.
But they have that mentality. That John Lynch had. They got
a bunch of guys with that mentality, and that makes
a difference
D'Amico, Ryan, defensive coordinator, obviously, doing
a great job coaching, hopefully will be a coaching candidate.
You know, I love What he's doing? He's putting guys in
position. He motivates those guys but he is letting them
do what they do best, which is Runnin, hustle, and hit, and
they are having fun playing today. Are look at their
expressions, when they're playing
the best reactions, right? The 49ers defense. All right, last
part of our week, 12 recap is the fill in the blank game.
We start with Mike White was blank versus the Bears coach.
I'm going to say cool.
He looked like he was having fun. He wasn't worried about
anything. I was relaxed and
boy, he played lights out. Yeah, he was the perfect
solution for the Jets today.
Blank. That was good. Yeah.
That's a princess. Yeah. Now we actually drafted by quite and
Dallas to draft him in the fifth round. It was with us for
a couple years
and he has an ability to throw the football. He threw for
a lot of yards in college, I think we're seeing that but his
Poise and composure was the stuff that really jumps out
Mike, well, and
exactly what the Jets needed today. And let me tell you
a real quick story that He shared with me today because he had
the great game against the Bengals last year, then he got
banged up on a Thursday night against the Colts. And then
there was a disaster against the Buffalo Bills. And he
said, he learned last year
to not try to be the hero
to not try to throw the game winning pass every time. He
drops back, that that's part of how he has developed a matured.
And it sounds a lot like what they need Zach Wilson to do.
And I said, I said that to him. It's exactly what you're trying
to get the second-year quarterback, to figure out and
he said,
you know, a lot of young quarterbacks have to realize you.
Can't try to be the hero every single play. That's what
white was doing last year. And that's what Wilson's been doing
too much of this year, just what the doctor ordered 266
total yards of offense for them and that was a season High,
alright, the best team in the AFC East
is. Mmm,
I'm going to say Miami right now. This instant Buffalo has
made some mistakes that were not used to seeing from them.
I think Buffalo can be the best team, but just the way they
play the last couple of weeks for I love Where Miami
is? I agree. I still like Buffalo. I still think Buffalo
is a chance to be the most complete team. The quarterback
is off the charts. He's at his best when he spreads it around.
They seem to do that a little bit more last week
and the defense is a little underappreciated in Buffalo
Leslie, Frazier done a great job there
and you know hopefully Von Miller gets back for them
sooner rather than later. He's an impactful player for their
defense and for the whole team.
Mike. Yeah. I think on paper it's the bills but as
a practical matter it is the Dolphins right now. I think
the difference may be as simple as
the bills, feel the pressure
to finally deliver to finally, get past the Chiefs to finally,
get back to the Super Bowl after all these years. I don't
sense that the Dolphins have that and and that can wear
a team down in key moments and the Dolphins got and
they play loose and they play free and
and they look pretty good today. I know it was the Texans
but they're still pretty good.
Okay, the decks of the Chargers come back when was what
critical, hey needed this. You
You don't want to have a three-game losing streak,
everything looked bad. Nothing was going right early on Justin
Herbert with a great drive to basically win the game for him.
And I think say they're see ya.
What I was going to say save their season, it's save their
season and it didn't look good late. But that quarterback is
special leads, the drive throws, the touchdown throws,
a two-point conversion
and, you know, kind of yawns. It's like,
it's nothing all day.
Yeah. He's a special player and there's no doubt that that game
kept them in the race.
Yeah, and I agree with what everyone said here, they
needed. This one badly. We saw them on Sunday Night Football,
two straight weeks games. They could have won games. They were
leading games, they blew, they needed to show themselves. They
can come from behind win a close game because they're
going
to need to do that a few more times
if they want to get to the postseason, okay? This is
a fun. One blank versus blank would be an awesome Super Bowl
matchup. Hmm.
Kansas City obviously just pulled up against Kansas City.
Okay? I see some great quarterbacks different styles.
Exciting play.
I would like to see the. Yeah, I agree with you.
I'm going to say buffalo San Francisco and okay
hard. Not to want to see Patrick Mahomes play. Yeah.
He's as good as it gets. Phillies been the best team,
but I like buffalo buffalo is going through some tough times
at different points this season in Missouri. And I think
they're going to come out of it,
I think they're going to
do. I'll be better served because of it and that
toughness will help him in the playoffs and we just talked
about San Francisco that defense gets going at defense
travels.
Mike
I'm going to say
let's go
just just because just because the game the other night was so
good. Back and forth down to the wire are two. Coaches, did
such a great job calling the game with Mike Tirico.
I actually watched the entire game the next day, that's
how much I enjoyed hearing you two guys. Is a nice.
We knew that you were going to say that though,
we didn't even have to really ask the question
Buffalo, Minnesota, you remember? That?
That would be a great rematch. Let's see it.
I don't know that, I'd survive that hahaha.
Okay, well, we're going to let Mike Florio. Go to bed and
we're going to see you guys for week 13. Football night in
America. We've got the Philadelphia or we've got
the Cowboys taking on
the Colts, the Colts.
Let's hope my producer would talk in my ear and tell me, but
he didn't, we'll see you next week.