Carolina Sports Weekend: Panthers’ Surge, Bryce Young’s Growth, And Playoff Math

Panthers grab control of the NFC South with a clean, steady win and a late defensive stand. We break down Bryce Young’s progress, Baker’s costly risk, and why Canales’ simple plan works when every snap matters.

• Bryce Young’s efficient stat line and turnover control
• Baker Mayfield’s late interception and Evans misread
• Run-by-committee balance with Dowdle and Hubbard
• Emerging chemistry with Coker and McMillan
• Special teams swings and field position
• NFC playoff picture and Carolina’s clinch scenarios
• Seattle travel edge and one o’clock kickoff factor
• Canes and Checkers weekend highlights, AHL ref controversy
• NC State’s bowl win and Hornets inconsistencies
• Hall of Fame debates and media fatigue takes

Make sure you guys are following each and every single one of us on all the socials, and you’ll hit that subscribe button on YouTube

Transcript

Welcome To Breakfast Stakes

SPEAKER_00 0:18

So I have to mute sometimes because I cough and edit right before we start the show. So I have to make sure that we're doing that. So welcome everybody to breakfast steaks. I need to cut, you know, put a jingle or something together at the beginning of uh of this show. So I gotta work. That's my that's my homework to myself uh this week. But welcome everybody. My name is Ed, also known as the Deadhead. With me, I got the mayor, uh Mr. Donnie Weiss. We are here, we're gonna be talking about anything and everything that it is Carolina Specific Sports, all right? South in North Carolina. This is your show, okay? We're gonna be here every Monday morning at 6 a.m. to talk about what happened over the weekend with Carolina Sports. The biggest thing that we could talk about this weekend, and you know, we're gonna get into it, is the uh Carolina Panthers, my friend. Uh, they uh they did some good things this weekend. Yes, they did. So I was actually watching that game um while I was uh doing some cleaning in the house, I was doing laundry and all that. So that's the game that I was watching um along with the rest of it. Because I watched the red zone. I don't know about you, but I watched the red zone channel now instead of just one game. I don't know why. It's been a couple of years now since I can't remember the last time I watched a full NFL game. The the the red zone channel has really done a really good job for me. What's going on, Phil? How are you? Enjoy your vacation, my friend. Two weeks of no school. I don't know why you're up. Uh you should be going back to that, my friend. Sleeping in. So uh yeah. Um uh how was the weekend for you, my friend?

SPEAKER_01 1:56

It was good. Um we had uh we had stuff, it seemed like the whole time. We had um family over on Saturday. Uh they came over about noon. We had the bowl games and stuff on throughout the day. Uh we did all our our normal uh stuff with uh Rhonda's aunt and uncle and cousin down from Asheville. Yeah. Um so long day uh with them. Um Friday night, same thing, just kind of watching football and stuff. Uh just some good football, baby. Just a busy weekend of sports. In fact, I think I got up yesterday morning or Saturday morning and I was trying to find uh my soccer games, soccer matches, and they weren't starting till later. She's like, You're just so obsessed with sports lately. I'm like, Yeah. Hello.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

When was the last where have you been?

SPEAKER_01 2:50

I think it just gets her that I've gotten into soccer now, and it's like she's trying to get the house clean and ready for her family. I'm trying to find a soccer game. She's like, let's let's get this done. So my soccer games weren't on on yet anyway. So you one of them was on for one of them was on, yeah. The the one was on Saturday morning. I did miss that one. I I didn't get to watch any of my soccer actually this weekend.

Weekend Life And Sports Binge

SPEAKER_00 3:13

That's a good question. Good question, and good morning to you, Sharon, as well. Uh, what's going on, Mario? Hey Mario, everybody again. This is the uh Breakfast Stakes. We talk anything and everything, North Carolina, South Carolina sports here. Um, and it's funny you say that because I got up early. Uh as you already know, like I have a kid, and she gets up early with me. So I actually ended up watching uh part of your team's uh match, uh Atletico Madrid. Uh it was it was a good game. Uh good.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

I was like, did they play already?

unknown 3:48

Gosh.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

They did. They were it was an early game, and so I was I was watching that. Um for me, Saturday. Um, so I've been off for about a week now. Uh I'm going into week number two that I've been off. Um and so uh Pele. Good question, though. Um Messi or Ronaldo.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

So I don't I don't know. I'm not a big fan of either one, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Tune in tonight uh at 8:30 uh for uh for uh break even sports. You'll we'll and we can answer that question at that point. But uh on Saturday, uh the wife and I had to go to a wedding, one of our friends' wedding here, and uh we were up in Chapel Hill and right in the heart of uh UNC. Beautiful. Um your boy went was dancing all night, even by himself. Didn't matter.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Lots of that is a nice campus.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, lots of coronas uh was coming my way, and Ed was enjoying himself a little too much. Uh, but it's okay. It happened. Um, so and then so you know, Saturday, Sunday we all woke up late. It was like, you know, so it was great. But let me ask you this, uh, you know, on that, because it was late. All right. So we we went to bed late and everything, and Darla asked me this very important question Sunday morning. What are we going to uh what is going to be our hangover food? So what is your hangover food? Because I know we we we uh usually have a couple of choices, but we went to Zaxby's today, uh yesterday, because she wanted some chicken strips. So I was like, you know what, that's fine. But usually I want a burger. That's my go-to for like hangover.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Um I don't know if I have anything specific. I would have to say, probably the one thing I would probably always want if we've been out all night and it's crazy is uh like Waffle House.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Ooh.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Just go get like uh a Gritz bowl and a waffle or something like that, or or like a breakfast sandwich. Because you do bread, like a um like a bacon, egg, and cheese on Texas toast and a waffle, something like that.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

I okay. I'm with that. Yeah, I'm with that. I'm with that.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

And sometimes you just stop at three o'clock in the morning and try to head it off, you know. It just depends on on how they're how you're going.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

So that's true, though. Like, I mean, I a good bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich or something like that. Some good waffles, man. They make some listen, waffle house make some some really good waffles. Yes, they do. Oh, golly. See, see, see what you're doing now. So uh, all right. So let's get into it. Um, I don't know if you want to get into it, like, you know, well, you know what? Let's do it because it was as a I don't know if you uh saw part of the game. It was a great game.

Soccer Habits And Family Balance

SPEAKER_01 6:38

I um so we listened to the game on the way to Charlotte, and um, since we were on the way up there for the Checkers game, and so we listened to the whole first half, and just as um just as we're coming past or coming into Charlotte, it's right before halftime. We actually drove past Bank of America Stadium right at the beginning of halftime. Nice. So it was kind of cool to kind of drive by, saw all the people out on the concourse getting their their halftime beverages and stuff, uh, things like that as we went by. Then we uh we get to the checkers and they had the Stanley Cup there, and I wanted to, I was like, that is the one thing I wanted to do is I want to go see the Stanley Cup, get a picture with it. And I thought we would take our own pictures. Now they had a a professional photographer for the team that was just to speed the line up. He didn't have to fumble with everybody's phones, had the camera, the flash set up. They took the pictures, dumped them on the website, and all you had to do was go download them. So really, yes, you didn't even have to do it. So we took a couple of little selfies as we were in line, but it was a it was a long line. It was like Disney. Like we we got in the the the doors an hour before uh the game, and it took us about 35 minutes to snake through the line, which was moving pretty good considering how many back and forths there were. It was like Space Mountain, but they had a huge TV screen set up in there with the Panthers game on. So as you're in the line, we're watching the second half, and which was crazy because, like I said, we drove past it at halftime, and by the time we got to where the TV screen was, it was like a minute left in the third quarter. It was crazy. Although I say this, we got to got there and parked and sat for about 20 minutes or so um before we even went inside. But um, so yeah, so I did get to watch a little bit of that. I got to see them make the score to go up or to go up 2020 or to tie it up twenty twenty. To tie it up twenty twenty. That's what it was. I got to see them score and make it 2020. Right, right, right, right. Um so we get in and um get our pictures with the the cup and go get to our seats, and I'm like, I'm gonna go grab a beer and some food real quick before the game starts. And I'm up at the the normal beer stand I go to, and the guy's like, Hey, how's it going? Talking to him real quick, and a a seasoned ticket member kind of walks up and drops some candy on the counter for him. I guess it's like a thing he does for him, and he's like, Hey, he's like, Yeah, I'm not gonna see you the rest of this or till next year again, because it's the last home game of the year. And uh he says, Yeah, I left the Panthers game early to get over here. He's like, It was 2020 when I left, and he's like, Oh man, do they win yet or not? And I was like, I quickly pulled my phone out and I'm like, ooh, it's 228 to go. Uh and they're up 2320, so yeah, hopefully we can hold on to win. And uh and they did. So uh so yeah, I kind of kind of kept both, kept up with both, and um I didn't see till uh later that uh we intercepted the ball to prevent them from going down to scoring.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

So it's funny you say that because I was watching the game and I was like, you know, I was you know, doing law duty. So I was like, I just sat down. I'm like, I was like, I gotta watch this last couple of minutes of the game here. Let me just find out what's going on. So what ended up happening to me is that I was like, you know what? And you know I'm a fan of Baker Mayfield now, like you know, and Teb, but like I I like them, you know, they they've been fighting all season, and so I was like, this is the time where Baker Mayfield is gonna force a throw and it's gonna get intercepted. And listen, I don't know if I spoke about it. Yeah, I saw it coming, man. I was like, you know, this is the kind of place where, you know, here where like you know, they're doing really good, but Baker Mayfield, listen, as much as like he's been, you know, he's done a really good job all year round, like this is the kind of time right here where they're gonna be like interception coming. And sure enough, you know, um listen, there was some little bit of controversy with the whole uh Mike Evans there. Like, I don't know if he was like he didn't turn or whatever. That's not for me to say, but it was like, I was like, oh, this is kind of, but yeah, threw it right away. I'm like, there it is. I was like, and I threw my hand up in the air, like, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? And you know me that I'm a Browns fan, but I'm like, you know, I last couple, like since last season, I've been saying it's like we gotta keep an eye on the Carolina Panthers, and we've been talking about the Panthers for a while now. Since I I'm here, obviously, I live here in the Raleigh area, so yeah, man, they've done. I gotta give it to Canales, man. He's done an absolute wonderful job. We're what one game up now?

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

And uh in the division, uh and you know, you control the destiny now.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

We're we're at that point, don't screw it up now. So they got uh Seattle coming up, uh which is gonna be a tough game, and then we've got to go to Tampa. And um uh speaking of the Evans thing, I did see this is where I read this morning after I heard about the uh interception. Uh Baker said after the game, I was trying to find a lane to step through and make a throw to him. He thought I was gonna scramble, which based on some of the scrambles earlier, you can't blame him. So apparently Mike Evans thought that he was getting ready to scramble out of that play. And that, I mean, that's Baker Mayfield. He's he's uh got a lot of Favre-esque uh play in him.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

100%.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

He's just not he's just not Favre. He's just he he's like uh um you know Timu Farb. Favre.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Let's call it Timu Favre. You he better not hear you. He better not hear you say that.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

He makes a lot more of those mistakes that than Favre did. Although Favre had his his share of picks when he was getting a little reckless and gunslinging as it was, as it were.

Chapel Hill Wedding And Hangover Food

SPEAKER_00 12:28

But later in the in in his career, Favre got a little bit too gunslingy, a little bit too much.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Yeah, he kind of kind of ran with that a little bit. But uh, but but the back to the Panthers, um, you know, as we've said, we keep saying it over and over again, Bryce Young is like, uh, Canalis is doing a great job of managing Bryce, and Bryce is doing an okay job of managing the team. He has his moments where he just does something and it's like uh agreed, agreed. But uh in listening to the the first half, you know, I heard uh he got stepped on and was gonna go out, and I thought, oh my gosh, I hope he's not it's like sometimes I can't stand have him as a quarterback, and then I'm like, oh god, don't go out because we got to have him as a quarterback. So I like, I do not want Andy Dalton in there.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

That's exactly what it is. It's like I do not want Andy Dalton nowhere near uh this team right now because he's not gonna be. But let me answer, let me let me answer this this uh this question really uh quick here. Well, this comment uh from Johnny Manzel. I don't know if you saw that.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

Yeah, I saw that after the fact because I didn't even know who the guy was. I didn't watch game day except for the last little bit right at the end. Yeah. Um like I said, we were busy getting ready to get it.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

He's an NBA player.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Yeah, and I so I had no idea who he was, and I was like, uh it doesn't that doesn't mean anything because they've had people at some of these schools, I don't even know. Um, or if I know the name, I just don't recognize them. And anyway, I didn't know that Johnny Manzel was supposed to have been there until I saw articles later about him partying too too much in Miami and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, well, you know what? That's on you at ESPN. You you knew what you were getting into with him.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Exactly what you're getting yourself into when you're trying to get Johnny Manzel. And and then he was like, uh Johnny Manzel was like, I'm not making excuses. Um you know, nobody knows the full story. I'm like, shut up.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, yeah. If you if you say that, that's the excuse. Like, you I'm not making any excuses. Everybody knows what well, that's the excuse. If ever if you say everybody knows what happened, yeah, that's that's the excuse. I mean, they send a they have a plane for you. There's no reason not to get there. I don't care how much you party, you're like, dude, I gotta be on this plane at X time and gone. And you that's on you being stupid.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

110.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Like, I for something ridiculous, too.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Like, you know, you're trying to make this comeback, right? You know, into into the limelight, into, you know, like, you know, doing you know, in sports and everything. And you know, ESPN, listen, you know, my uh like ESPN, uh it's in a has in a lot of faults right now. Uh, they don't know what the direction they're going in. You know, they're they're pushing us, you know, showing down our throats these bad shows, these bad, you know, uh uh commentators such as uh Stephen A. Smith. But ESPN gave you an opportunity to put yourself on college game day of all things, right? College game day, and you go and then you don't show up right at this point, no one is gonna feel bad for you. No one cares. I sure don't. I'm a Browns fan, and I couldn't stand him when he was drafted. So I do not care. I I have zero empathy for this dude. Zero.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Yeah, I mean you're on a huge stage back at Texas AM where you you made a name for yourself to begin with. Correct. You're you're a hero there for for these people. Um they're probably the only ones that still love you like they used to. Nobody else does. No. You ain't getting that in Cleveland, I can tell you that. No, not in Ohio. Not even in, yeah, right. Not even in the state of Ohio. So yeah, he's you know, when I hear the name Johnny Manzel, it's just like I mean it it's like, come on. I I'm done with Johnny Manzel.

Panthers-Bucs Setup And Stadium Drive-By

SPEAKER_00 18:22

I I'd been so I I was so over this whole like Johnny Manzel thing. You know what I mean? Like it no one wanted to, I I did not want to hear about him. Like once he was gone out of Cleveland, that chapter was closed, we were done, we were moving on. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Can you think of somebody in another sport that you feel the same way about that's polarizing like that? That you're disgustingly, like not disgusting, but like just oh, just like I don't even care what that person does. I don't want to hear what that person does.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

You know I have one in football.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Who am I missing? Um I know you're gonna say it, and I'm gonna be like, oh yeah. Aaron Rodgers. Oh, right, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, yeah, okay. I don't think of you thinking of Aaron Rodgers like Johnny Manzel, but I get it. I get it.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Uh and and and and NBA or Major League Baseball. No, not really, no. Um because and even as much as Barry Bonds, like I mean, you could tell Barry Bonds is a very smart, by the way, he's super smart when it comes to baseball. One of the most smartest baseball players you'll ever meet. He made a stupid mistake by injecting, you know, steroids, right? But everybody else was doing it. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 19:39

At this point, my problem is there were no rules. Yeah, no. I I don't, I I mean, I get that all the people that are the high and mighty. I'm not at that. I mean, I get there's people in the hall of fame now that did did crazy things.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

We got racists up in there, we got people who purposely, you know, uh kept you know black players from playing uh in the hall of fame. I'm with you there.

SPEAKER_01 20:01

I mean, none of these guys that did steroids, in my opinion, they didn't break an actual rule because they didn't have any rules in place.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Exactly. They might have done things that you're like, oh, that's against the you know, the the the morale code or whatever the you know, whatever you want to call it of baseball, but it's like dude, everybody does does it if it's not in the rules until you get caught. Yep. And several of these people, it's still just accusations. There's never been any actual evidence, no actual test to begin with. So, you know, whatever that's worth, these guys were Hall of Famers, as far as I'm concerned, regardless of whether they did the stuff or not.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

I was watching a TikTok last night and I was gonna send it to you about Greg Maddox and um Barry Bonds talking about a specific uh time where they faced each other. And it's crazy to see how they're both on separate places, they're not talking, they're known, they don't know that they're talking about the specific at bat, right? Right. But they were both on the same level. I was like, Yep, this is what's gonna happen. This is the pitch that I was gonna throw. This is what he was looking for, this is what I was looking for. And it was it was so crazy to me to see Barry Bonds just like he can break down a an at bat like no one else can.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Like listen, I I hope that someone gives him an opportunity to become a uh a hitting instructor because he is that good.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Oh yeah. I mean, I don't know if he wants the rigors of a full season. But if he if he does, I I would I if I'm a team, I'm wholeheartedly bringing him in. I mean, if you're the if you're um the Giants, there's no reason not to.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

I mean Unless you want to completely separate yourself from all of that.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, but you you haven't separated yourself. I mean, we were Eric and Patrick and I were there opening day, home opening day this past season, and they honor him Barry Bonds. So it's not like they shied away from him or anything like that. So I I'm like, just just bring him back in.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

I mean, why not? Why not? At this point, why not?

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Right. And Phil's right. Major League Baseball, they they turned a blind eye because increased viewership. I mean, chicks you know dig the long ball, all that kind of stuff. It was all about all about the home runs. I mean, the P that's what's funny. The steroids era saved baseball, and baseball turned on the steroids era. How crazy is that? Yeah. I mean, McGuire, Sosa, Bonds, all those guys, if it weren't for them after the 94 strike, baseball, who knows where baseball would have been.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Well, we're headed into another potential strike, right? You know, shutdown.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Or lockout, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

A lockout, yeah. So well, you know, we we're gonna go see what happens. But you're right, you know, Major League Baseball was fully embracing the steroid aid or at the very least, they were like, I see nothing.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

I like I have no idea what you're talking about. Like, there's there's no there's no cheating going on, there's no steroids going on, yeah, right? And yet you see Barry Bonds go from a skinny little dude to this massive behemoth of a man. Same with Mark McGuire and Jose Canseco and all of these other guys, uh Sammy Souza. Like these guys got legit massive.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

And you're telling me that you didn't know? Come on now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

If you believe that, I got some property to sell you in Antarctica. You know what I'm saying? Come on now.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

Exactly. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

Uh yeah, I don't know if I have any other uh any other player.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

I can't think of anybody from me off the top of my head, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

That I'm sure that I could come up with somebody or a couple of people here and there.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

But I don't think there's anybody whose name I hear, and I'm just like, I just don't care what that guy's done. I really don't. Like I have have no desire to to care about what that person's doing or done or going to do.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Oh God, what's who's the guy number 18 in NASCAR? MMs.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Ryan Newman? No, Ryan, uh, no, it's uh not Newman.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

It escapes me right now.

Stanley Cup Sighting And Double-Screening

SPEAKER_01 24:29

It's one of the brothers.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

Um I can't think of his name. It's been a while, but I can't stand him. Yeah, you know what I mean? Because he's just that big of an ass.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

You know what I'm saying? And so like, but other than that, like I honestly, like I said, it I think it's football. That's the one that's like it's so polarizing that you have these players that you're like, dude, just go away. Yeah, like no one cares about you. Right. Right. And now he has his own podcast, and he, you know what I mean, Johnny the Johnny Manzel, meaning yeah, and and all of this stuff. And I'm like, dude, like, go away.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Just go away.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

Barstool, um Portnoy, maybe, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Like, okay, congratulations, but like, dude, you have become such an asshole.

SPEAKER_01 25:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Or you were always an asshole, and then it's just now everybody is seeing it for you know for the whole world to see now. I could I just I don't care about him at all. Yeah. So, but yeah, like I in other sports, no. I think sports media people, yeah. There's some people that you're like, you can go away. We're okay with you just not coming back ever again.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah, I mean, I I don't I I don't care for Stephen A. There's times where I there's some of his opinion and some of his talking points where I could. Um but uh yeah, Stephen A is not one of my favorite, but there's some others I'm like, God, I'm just tired of that dude. Oh so over like Skip Bayless or uh at times Paul Feinbaum.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

See, I lost a whole lot of respect for Paul Feinbaum like a long time ago because he's all SEC, no matter what, is SEC, SEC, SEC. Like he's so blinded to like other conferences and other teams.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

And he's wishy-washy with his opinions too.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Yeah, exactly. Um, and so I was like, eh, whatever. Um, you know, it's I don't know. I don't know if I have an unpopular athlete out there that I just don't like. Uh there was uh Albert Bell was one of them, was like polarizing, no one liked them outside of Cleveland. But man, was he a good player?

SPEAKER_02 26:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:48

See, I don't know. Pat McAfee I still like, but he needs to be careful because he came along that road.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

I can't think of anybody. I mean, I I was always a fan of Pete Rose, even though he was a pariah too, but I always thought, man, Pete Rose I didn't see I mean I see the gambling thing, but in this day and age and even back then, I just didn't see the gambling issue for at least for what it said he did, uh being that big a deal. I mean, I I honestly don't think he ever did anything to purposely change a game for a bet that he placed. I may be wrong on that. I just that's my personal opinion, is that I think he just bet on his team and I don't think he made any specific moves that jeopardized his chance his team's chance of winning so that he won a bet. I think he was just a horrible gambler with a horrible problem. And that and yeah, but I always love Pete Rose. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

I Pete Rose, my issue with Pete Rose is just he was a bad human.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

After after the fact, yeah, I don't like Pete Rose after the fact.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

From the time that he just own up to it, dude. That's the thing. When he when he him and Bart Giamatti got into it, that part of Pete Rose I didn't like. I will say that. But as far as as a player and what he did on the field, I had no problem with that. I thought it's just like the Barry Bonds and all these other guys. Like I said, they're Hall of Famers. He should have been in the Hall of Fame. I just I do wish he would have just said, you know what? Yeah, I I bet on baseball, and it is what it is. And the world would have moved on, and eventually he would have got in the Hall of Fame. It'd have been like I think, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

If he would have, you know, if he would have like right away would have been like, hey man, I'm sorry, I I fucked up. I made a mistake. Yeah, that's that's my problem. I'm sorry, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think people would have felt differently.

Tie Game Tension And Late Interception

SPEAKER_01 28:56

Yeah, all you gotta do is just say what you said after the fact is that I never bet on the Reds to lose. I always bet on them to win. I I placed bets on the Reds because I wanted my team to win, and I bet on us to win all the time. I mean, just own what you did. Yeah. That's the that's the thing. It's always the cover-up is always worse than the crime in every case. It doesn't matter what it is. You you try to hide it, you try to cover it up, and it's worse than just I screwed up. Yep. That's just the way the world is. People make dumb mistakes in life all the time and just move on.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Really good question, though, Phil. I really appreciate that. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

That's one that we need to ask the guys tomorrow night on the DHC Sports Show uh Tuesday night.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

Yep. So if you can remember, if we don't remember, uh Phil, bring this up again. Is there an unpopular athlete that I j that you like? Um, I I've come around on Barry Bonds uh a little bit, um, just because he was such a smart player. Like, you know, like listen, you're literally talking about hitting a round ball with a round bat.

SPEAKER_02 30:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

You know what I mean? Like, there's no, you know, you have one vote in the Hall of Fame, Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, or show shoeless Joe Jackson. I gotta go with shoeless at this point.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Yeah, I mean, he's a South Carolina guy, so yeah, I think I would have to vote for him over the others at this point.

SPEAKER_00 30:22

Yeah. And so, yeah, I gotta go with shoeless. But a close second, it will be Barry Bonds for me.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Yeah, I would go shoeless, Barry, Pete. Pete. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:34

Again, another good question from you, Phil, today.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

And you're Phil's on fire, and he's not even teaching that was just gonna say that. Like, dude, you're supposed to be sleeping right now. You should be sleeping. He he he's his mind is in in uh teach mode. He's like, we're his students, and he's gonna he's gonna school us today. So I know what the hell, Phil. He can't he can't turn it off. Wants a teacher. By the way, Phil Phil won a contest with SEC Shorts. Um the the you've seen the videos that SEC Shorts guys do. Yeah. He won a contest with them and got a sweet t-shirt with hope on the front of it. I love that t-shirt, Phil. That was a fantastic t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

Congress, dude.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Uh all right, I think we wasted enough time uh not talking about the Carolina Panthers because he was. By the way, did you see a horse?

SPEAKER_01 31:25

I was gonna say earlier when we were talking about before we got off on this stuff, um, and I was talking about watching the game on the TV in the uh in the line. The one thing that popped up on the screen while I was in the line after they scored that uh that touchdown was uh once again talking about the the number of game-winning drives Bryce Young's had this year. He had five this year, he's had 11 overall before that uh that one, I guess if that counts as a drive to win the game, it really was to tie the game. But anyway, um I'm like, oh my gosh, the media jinx. They always have to put stuff up. All good. Every time as soon as I saw that, I thought, oh God, we're gonna lose the game. And and that's crazy to think that they're just putting a stat on there. But when they do that, it always in my mind jinxes us. And so that's that was what I was concerned about. So I'm glad we overcame the jinx.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Yeah, and by the way, they wore the all-black uniforms with the black helmet. How amazing did that look?

SPEAKER_01 32:24

That was that was awesome. That there's two combinations I wish that would they, I would wish they would use the all-black occasionally, but I wish they would use the black jersey, black helmet, and the blue pants.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

Or even, you know what, another one that I would like them for them just to bring back and get rid of the the silver helmet? The teal, the teal blue, the Carolina blue. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

unknown 32:47

Woo!

SPEAKER_01 32:48

That would be awesome. Yeah, the silver needs to just go away. Go away. They need to have the black helmet all the time and do a variation with the blue helmet and just you know, maybe the silver helmet on a throwback, kind of like the Seahawks do their throwback. Or even with the yeah, all the but the Panthers, the Panthers don't have a history of more than 20-something years, so yeah, so just get rid of it. 30 years, excuse me, 30 years.

Baker’s Gamble Vs Evans And Gunslinger Talk

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Yeah, get rid of it, get rid of it. We no one no one likes it at this point. No one likes it. So, um, so you know, I'm gonna give you a couple of numbers here, you know, because actually, uh, based on on the whole game, Bryce Young actually had a much better game than uh Baker Ranfield. Bacon Ranfield was uh 18 for 26, 145 yards. He averaged 5.6, he had one touchdown in one interception. He was sacked twice, and his uh QBR was 60, right? So he was like his rating was 79.8. Yep. But then you move to Bryce Young, right? And you and me, we've been very critical of Bryce Young since we started this show. But he went 21 for 32, 191 yards, he averaged six yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions. And we've been talking about this. Like if he could control the interceptions, the turnovers, yeah, Bryce Young could be a really good quarterback. Uh, he did get sacked twice, but his rating was 102.5. So uh it won't be by uh it won't. I wanted by being on the first on the post a picture of myself dressed as the Vandy Pim. It was a version I wore for Spirit Week at my school. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

Nice, Phil. The fact that Phil wore that and it paid off in a post for something totally different. That's that's amazing. That's karma right there.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

There it is, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

Uh and so, you know, uh Bryce Young, if as long as he doesn't do the things that hurt you and and controlling the interceptions and the fumbles, correct um, and not making the turnovers, those things, those are the three things. If he can control those three things, correct, they're they're going to do okay. He still hasn't won me over as far as a quarterback that's going to win you games when he has to win you a game. We'll see if he can do that still. Because if they we'll see how the Seattle game goes, because that's going to be a tough game.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

Seattle and Seattle needs to win it, right? Like, I mean, they're a hit, they're a first in their division.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Uh beating on Thursday, beating was a good game. By the way, I should have stayed up with you guys, but I was so tired. Um they when they were playing the the Rams, it was such a good game. I saw the the ending later on. I was like, oh my God.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

That was a hell of a game right there. Definitely. Yep. I mean, Sam Darnold has I mean, he did it last year in Minnesota and he's doing it again. And right now they're coming down to the end, which is what got him out of Minnesota. The last couple of games of the season last year, he he did not perform, and Minnesota moved on. And so let's see if he can. I mean, hopefully next week he can have a bad game. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

And listen, if you're looking at it right now, it's it's very interesting, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:59

And and well, yeah, and that picture we talked about last week with uh Baker and Sam Darnold in Panthers uniforms, you know, they were both on the Panthers at the same time. And here we are, we're playing Baker. We played Baker, we got Sam Darnold this next week, and we got Baker again. So we're playing those two quarterbacks three weeks in a row, and they're both former Panthers. They were kind of on a rehabilitating my career phase in Carolina. Oh god, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

So, and I'm looking at the standings right now and the in the NFC, obviously, because this is what concerns us right now on the show, but you got Seattle, they're the number one seed right now. Then you got the Chicago Bears, number two, the Philadelphia Eagles, number four is the Carolina Panthers, which by the way, they are have not clinched because obviously they're so close with the Tampa uh Bay Buccaneers, right? Right. Then you have the at number five, the Los Angeles Rams, which they've they've already clinched this playoff spot. The San Francisco 49ers clinched a playoff spot yesterday. Okay. Right. Then at number seven is the Green Bay Packers, number eight, the Detroit Lions. Number nine is Minnesota, they've been eliminated, but the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not technically eliminated because they're so close with the Carolina Panthers. So, like whoever wins that division goes, the other one goes home.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Yep. So and one other thing about the Panthers game yesterday, shout out to Rico Dowdle, second year in a row, a thousand yards rushing.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:35

Again, listening to it on the radio, it was driving me nuts because he got to within a half yard of the record, and then for the next like two series, they didn't even use him. I'm like, why are y'all not running him? They kept they brought Hubbard in. Yeah. And then when they finally gave him the ball, he lost a yard and a half. So he went from a half yard needed to two yards needed. But I was like, he's gonna get it at some point. I don't know if they were waiting to maybe try and uh get in a touchdown situation so he could score a touchdown by eclipsing the yardage mark. But either way, Rico Dowdle two seasons in a row over a thousand yards rushing.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

So and obviously, I think we've we've seen this with a lot of uh teams right now. The the it NFL teams are doing uh running by committee.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

Yeah.

Bryce Young Management And Health Scares

SPEAKER_00 38:20

Running by committee. So if you look at it, so you got uh Rico Dowdle, then you got Chubbo Hubbard, who um he was actually, you know, uh Rico Doddle had 29 yards rushing, Chubba Hubbard had 27, and even Jimmy Horn Jr. had 25.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

Bryce Young 20. Most of Jimmy Horns uh came on one. Well, it was one play. Yeah, that one carry for 25 yards because that was early in the game. He uh he did a sweep or something. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

So then you would yeah, they didn't get a lot of yards.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

That's the thing. They didn't run the ball, and that that was the thing early in the season that was was sustaining them was that they were running the ball and getting you know each well Rico was getting hundred-yard games left and right for a while. Um but shout out to to Bryce and the and the the receiving crew, they've they've slowly developed this year. Coker and McMillan. Oh my god. I mean, I knew McMillan was gonna be a guy. Coker has come around. Um the tight ends are kind of like one one of them will have a good game, the other will have a good game, but they've got two good tight ends to me. Leggets kind of has his moment here and there. Um, so yeah, I think they're they're developing their their one and two guys right now, definitely. Um they need a third guy.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

They do, they do. Uh, I think they're good at running back, they got really two good running backs. Um if you go over to the Tampa side, right? Bucky Irving was their their their horse. That 19 carries, 71 yards. Uh his longest was uh 12 yards, right? But then the number two person there was Baker Mayfield. Yeah. And Baker Mayfield did those, most of those in in the second half.

SPEAKER_02 40:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

In the second half, he was the one who was like the it was either I rush or we get uh we get uh turnover, so we gotta I gotta go. And he did some. I was like, listen, this dude, there was one play where he was like untouched for like 20 yards. The longest was 26 yards, that's the one at the end in the fourth quarter. I'm like, come on, guys. Yeah, like we're about to lose this game if you guys don't stop Baker Mayfield. But again, uh right after that, it was like right there, interception. So, and then you got uh Richard White, who did uh five carries for 45 yards, longest was 39 yards. So, like again, you know, they did the little things as well. Um and Buka, my god, is he good?

SPEAKER_01 40:57

Oh, yeah, yeah, he's he's a solid guy for uh receiver there. He's he's gonna kind of take over eventually the mantle from Mike Evans.

SPEAKER_00 41:05

He will. I think he would be like, you know, Chris Godwin here was did good, Mike Evans. So they have really good our receivers. Either way, those these were two good teams yesterday. It was one of the best matchups all Sunday. Um so it was pretty good. But Rico Doddle, congratulations to him. And you know, they they this game, it was good.

SPEAKER_02 41:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

It was really good. I I I was very happy. Uh, I'm looking at here just to make sure that I I'm covering everything here for um there was only one interception this whole game.

SPEAKER_01 41:37

Only one.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

And it was at the end.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Yeah, that one to end to to to end it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Yep. Um Carolina punt returns, it was like, you know, Trevor Etian. He had three uh three of them for thirty-three yards. Um Caroline, Ryan Fitzero, uh three for three. You know, his long ups was a forty eight yarder. Uh Chase uh McClog McClawging um two for two. His longest was a 50 yarder, and I saw that one. I'm like, Lord Jesus, this dude. And he could have kicked it for even longer than that.

SPEAKER_02 42:08

Right.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

So um, yeah. I mean, all around was a solid game by the Carolina Panthers. Super solid. Very happy. I think it was you and me were the only ones that had them winning.

SPEAKER_01 42:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

Out of all the guys at the DHC Sports Show.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

Yep. I didn't just do well in the other games, but I did good on this one.

SPEAKER_00 42:29

Yeah, I was happy with this one. Like, I mean, yeah, the other ones where we didn't do so good.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Um, if and you're looking at the uh right now, the the the the AFC. It's interesting because in the NFC, most of the spots already taken. But if you go look at the AFC, only two spots have been clinched. Which is very interesting. You know, Kansas City being one of the ones that have been eliminated. So very interesting that not a lot of teams have uh have uh clinched.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

You're muted, my friend. Sorry, did I see our our uh text correctly that Minshew tore his ACL yesterday? Yep. So back-to-back weeks, Kansas City's lost a quarterback to a torn ACL. Not good.

Media Jinx, Black Uniforms, And Vibes

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Yeah, not good for Kansas City. Kansas City has had like the normal season that any other NFL team that's not good. Uh welcome to the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City. Exactly. Uh, which Judkins, uh, which was their the only really like good offensive player, the running back for Cleveland, broken leg. I saw that. I saw a picture. That leg went from this to you know, like that. Like it was, yeah, you could tell it was done. So it was it's a knee injury and a broken leg. So he's done for the year. Like obviously two games left. That's it. You know, uh, it was uh it was a good game for Cleveland. I'll say that. Yeah, it was a good game. They kept it close. I mean, obviously at the end, they you know they didn't have enough firepower to keep up with Buffalo, but they made it, they made it interesting. Um it's interesting if you see right now, um uh the if you go on ESPN guys, there's this uh thing called the NFL uh uh playoff picture projections, right? And you look at the NFC, um the Panthers have a 45% chance of winning the division. Okay, they're still giving the Buccaneers a 54% chance.

SPEAKER_01 44:38

I guess because they have the home game, last game of the season, so they're giving them the edge.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

And and the Panthers have the the uh the Seattle Seahawks coming in. Um so there it is.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

Um but if Tampa's got in their their la next last game. Let's see.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Yeah, I gotta take a look at Dolphins.

SPEAKER_01 44:57

So they've got the Dolphins. So if the Dolphins can bounce back from their loss, they won't. They won't. But if something crazy could happen and the Dolphins can beat Tampa, that would help a lot.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

So we'll see. Yeah, so and but if you look at um down into the AFC, um number like so you got the Broncos one, Patriots two, Jaguars three, Steelers four, Bills at five, chargers at six, and then the Texans at seven. And then you have the Colts and the Ravens uh with seven uh percent chance of uh making the the playoff. It's great to see the Ravens not make it. It's amazing. Makes me feel good. Yep. So you know what? I I think we've been talking about this for a while now, and and let me know how you feel about this. But it feels good to finally have different teams make the playoffs, right? You know, like it's no longer the same ones over and over and over again because you got you know, right at the top of the uh the AFC, you got the Broncos and the Patriots, right? Yeah, then uh in the NFC, you've got the Seahawks, the Bears, right? Even the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl last year, are not even the top seat. The the Eagles are. The Eagles are not, I mean the Seahawks are.

Box Score Deep Dive: Young Outduels Baker

SPEAKER_01 46:18

Right. Yeah, I mean it's you it's it's a it's good. Um I mean it we had we got Patriots fatigue for so many years with Belichick and and Brady, but this is a different Patriots team. This is 100%. Hey, I I want to see what this Patriots team can do because I like uh Vrabel. I've always liked him. Yeah and um and Drake May is is is playing solid. And again, another team that went with the white helmets last night instead of the silver, and those are so much better. They get rid of the silver helmets. I know we keep beating a dead horse.

SPEAKER_00 46:54

We beat the dead horse players.

SPEAKER_01 46:56

Silver's got to go. So but yeah, so Denver being in there. I mean, Jacksonville back in the playoff picture, Pittsburgh's up there. Um, I don't know what Pittsburgh got. Houston came out of nowhere. I mean, they were like left for dead the first few weeks of the season, and they've come back. Um, I mean, this is Buffalo's window without the Chiefs being there. I just don't know if Buffalo is gonna have it this year. I mean, I don't know what to make of them. I I have Josh Allen on my fantasy team. Dude only got me like six points yesterday. I'm like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 47:28

Like, what he got hit, he got hit and was limping pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

Yeah, he's I don't know. I think I I don't think the Bills are they're not the Bills of the last few years right now.

SPEAKER_00 47:43

Nope, nope, nope. They're a very beautiful team. Yep. Uh I I am so intrigued by what's gonna happen um right now. Uh and it's funny because the AOC, if I go back to the AOC, the number one seed hasn't been decided yet. Right. Um the Patriots have a 39% chance of winning the that divid that uh number one seed, and then the Broncos have a 36% chance. The Seahawks have a 45% chance of winning uh the number one seed, and the Bears have a 12%. So which is interesting, right? And they give they make the players 100%, right? But they give the division for the Seahawks a 49% chance of winning the division, which is interesting.

SPEAKER_01 48:37

Well, the Bears have the Niners and the Lions left, and the Seahawks have the Panthers and the Niners. So both of them still have to play San Francisco back-to-back weeks. So that could determine the set that could settle things there. Yep. Um, and then yeah, just a matter of whether Seattle beats Carolina or they look ahead to that game. Um I don't know. We'll see. Hopefully. Uh the Panthers win it. The hawks are traveling east. You know, my you know, my West Coast, East Coast travel thing. It's a one o'clock game.

SPEAKER_02 49:12

I know.

SPEAKER_01 49:13

The odd the odds are in the Panthers' favor for whatever reason that is, but it's always the case.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

But no, no, it's the same. But listen, if you have uh and weirder things have happened, right? Yeah, but let's say that you beat the the the the Carolina Panthers beat the Seahawks. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 49:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:33

That's it. Game over.

SPEAKER_02 49:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

They they win the division, and you know, and the and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going home. Yeah. It's oh my god, it's so wild to think of Carolina playoff, Carolina Panthers playoff.

SPEAKER_01 49:53

Yep. I uh I kind of wish I could get tickets to that game now next week.

SPEAKER_00 49:58

So oh yeah. Well it's gonna be it's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_01 50:01

Yeah. I might have to look and see next Sunday if I can find uh last minute ticket or something. I don't know. Rhonda's probably like, I'm not gonna go. It's like if you can find somebody to go with you, you can go.

SPEAKER_00 50:13

I got it.

SPEAKER_01 50:15

Uh we'll see. I mean what you're doing at one o'clock next Sunday.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

I don't think I'm doing anything, so we'll see. Let me know.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Let's keep an eye on that this week. If we can find some cheap seats or something, I mean I don't care where we sit, to be honest with you. Yeah, we'll go up in the nosebleed and we'll we'll have a great report the following Monday, hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 50:37

So let's talk about, I want to talk about really quick here because obviously this is gonna be at the end of the year, right? You have you have those that are making the playoffs, and then you have those who are setting themselves up for uh what it is their Super Bowl, which is the NFL draft.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

Yep.

Run-By-Committee And Emerging WR Duo

SPEAKER_00 50:57

And so right now, if you were to look at this, the number one projected draft uh pick will go to the Las Vegas Raiders. Look at me finally saying Vegas Oakland. Exactly. Um the Las Vegas Raiders got number one, number two is my Cleveland Browns, number three, the New York Giants, number four, the New York Jets, and then number five, the Arizona Cardinals. Wow. Wow, indeed. With two games left, the Raiders have a forty-three percent chance of getting the number one pick, and the Cleveland Browns have a number uh twenty-two percent chance. Who out of those teams need a quarterback?

SPEAKER_01 52:01

Well, I think Arizona needs one. I think uh Cleveland. Cleveland needs a quarterback. I mean You think so? I think so.

SPEAKER_00 52:12

I I don't you're not a Shador fan.

SPEAKER_01 52:16

I don't think he's uh I don't think he's a viable long-term solution. I think he's he's uh I don't know yet. We'll see. He could develop into one. To me, he's a little bit like your Bryce Young. I thought I'm not sure about him yet. I'm not I I need to see more, and I need him to do some things that he hasn't done yet. The only the only oh you give me the bird there. Look at you. Oh no, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 52:42

I was just I apologize. I'm just messing with you. I'm just messing with you. Screw you. No, no, no, no. But you will the only quarterback that I will say would be a good quarterback this year uh is the Indiana quarterback, Mendoza. Yeah, Mendoza, yeah. I'm not impressed with any other quarterback.

SPEAKER_01 52:58

Well, the uh the Raiders have to have a quarterback, so they've got the first pick. They're if they don't take him, they're stupid. They're an idiot, yeah. Yeah, I mean that I that's almost to me a foregone collusion conclusion is that he's gonna go to the Raiders. If they have the first pick, there is no reason to give up that pick. There's no reason not to take him as your quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 53:18

Yeah, no, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 53:19

I don't know if uh Pete Carroll's gonna be able to do anything with that unless he makes some major changes on his staff, but they've also got to get an offensive line that can protect him.

SPEAKER_00 53:30

I was just gonna say, I think they're gonna go number one. They're gonna go uh with quarterback no matter what. I think it is could be Mendoza, in my opinion. I think he'll be the number one pick. Um and the after that you got the Cardinals uh who need a quarterback. Yeah, the Titans don't need one, Commanders don't need one. Uh Saints, maybe, but I think they're they're good there.

SPEAKER_01 53:58

I think Shuck's gonna be a decent guy for right now. I'm I'm okay on him. Yeah, the Dolphins sure as hell they need one.

SPEAKER_00 54:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:05

Two has got it. I mean, they're two is not gonna be gone. He could he's gonna cost them too much. But I think right now, the I think right now it was a chance to just like, you know what, sit you down. Let's see what we got in in uh in Ewers, um, and maybe wake him up a little bit. But I think they're just already preparing for next season to kind of see what they've got. If I think they're looking to see if they need to draft somebody else or if Ewers can become the guy.

SPEAKER_00 54:31

They said that if they were to keep Tua, it's a$99 million hit. If you mean if they get rid of him. No, if they keep him. Oh, if they keep him. Yeah. And I think it was less if they get rid of him, but it was still a pretty substantial hit on uh I think it's a less hit if they wait till after June to release him.

SPEAKER_01 54:53

Yeah. If they release him before June 1st, that's a big hit.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

That's a big hit. Yeah. Um they need a uh the Dolphins need a quarterback. Yeah. They need a quarterback. The Bengals don't need a quarterback, but they need a lot of help with offensive line. Like hardcore.

SPEAKER_01 55:11

Well, two is not the same quarterback. I saw something online the other day um about you know, they showed him early a few years ago the way he was running, the way he was running away from people when he would turn the corner.

SPEAKER_00 55:23

Yeah.

NFC Picture And Division Control

SPEAKER_01 55:24

He doesn't have the legs and he doesn't have the arm anymore. And I don't know if it's related to his concussion issues or what it's related to, but he is not the same player he was two years ago. And he wasn't a great player then. So um I don't know what it is. I sent you something on TikTok. I don't know if you've even looked at it, but when you get a chance after the show, look at that. I sent you it's two video clips about the state of quarterbacks in the NFL years overall, and this guy's take is pretty spot on. I don't know if I agree with his premise as to why it is, but anyway, um it's it's data, so it is what it is.

SPEAKER_00 56:06

So interesting. Yeah, um, yeah. If two wants to stay in the league, he'll become a backup. Yeah. He's not, I he's done as a starter. Yeah. I for so long, I was like, no, let's give him a shot, let's give him a shot, let's give him a shot. He's he's gonna develop. Nope, done. Yep, I'm done. Um and by the way, and again, and this is for my own thing, but I apologize, and we'll get back to Carolina here in a second. But they were saying that um Andrew Barry's gonna come back as a jam of the Cleveland Browns. He needs to go away, and he needs to go away yesterday. He has done an absolutely horrible job at drafting players. Yeah, he cannot draft players.

SPEAKER_01 56:47

And Cleveland has a bad history of management that can't draft. They have always had so many draft picks, and they've also wasted so many draft picks. Correct. I mean, for 20 years, you would think they could have built a juggernaut there, and they've just mismanaged every bit of that for 20 years. And I know you know what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_00 57:06

You would think.

SPEAKER_01 57:07

I mean, they made a movie about the draft, and Cleveland was the subject of that, and how bad.

SPEAKER_00 57:16

It was gonna be between the teams that they were looking at. I remember when they were when they were doing this movie, it was between the Cleveland Browns and I think it was Buffalo at this time that they were choosing between those two teams.

SPEAKER_01 57:29

So I mean, think about that. An NFL movie about bad draft featured Cleveland, and one of the greatest baseball movies of all time featured the Indians and what they had to do. And if there would have been an NBA movie about something bad before 2016, it would have probably been like everybody's picking on Cleveland in their movies.

SPEAKER_00 57:56

Deservingly so, man. Deservingly so. So there's nothing we can say about that one.

Rico Dowdle’s Milestone And Play Calling

SPEAKER_01 58:01

So uh I mean I wanted to touch real quick on the the Checkers game yesterday just because I was there. Um I mean, they went they split the weekend series uh with Springfield. Um, but yeah, yesterday they had the Stanley Cup from the Florida Panthers on site, so I was happy to get there and see that, get pictures with the the Stanley Cup. Um Checkers almost won the Calder Cup last year. They were so freaking close. Yeah. But this game was crazy. It was like a back and forth game. It was 1-0, 1-1. Then we went down 2-1, then we tied it 2-2, we went up 3-2. Uh, we were up 3-2. Right. I mean, and there was a referee. I know we talk about referees and how bad referees are. This dude in the first period early in the game, he was right there in front of us, could not get out of the way. I don't know if he was a rookie ref. I don't know what his situation was, but he was horrible. So he gets down in the corner, he gets knocked down. The players are down there, and they just like laid him out, and then he got in the way in the corner several times when they got they're fighting for the puck, and it's like, get out the freaking way, dude. Late in the third period, we're 3-2, they pulled the goalie. The we flicked one down to the other end of the ice. He called icing before it crossed the line. Our guy, we had two guys chasing the puck down. One guy was gonna catch it with his stick before it hit the icing line and flick it back to the other guy for a 4-2 win or 4-2 score. He called icing before he got before the puck got to the line, and everybody lost their mind. He the other two referees came over, had a convo with him. You could tell he was wrong, and you could tell they were telling him he was wrong, but they couldn't change it for whatever reason. So that set up a chance for them in the last few minutes to tie the game, which they did in the last few seconds of the regulation. Went to overtime, and luckily, I mean, it was a good back and forth overtime. And I love overtime because it's three on three. Three on three. Yeah. Sudden death. Sudden death, and with 16.7 seconds left, um our guy, uh Grayson Salchin, he flicked one in over the right shoulder of the goalie to win the game. And it was just electric to see something like that happen.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:30

Phil. I get it, Phil.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:35

I get it. You're not wrong, Phil.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:37

You're not wrong.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:39

Oh, so anyway, a super exciting game yesterday. Um, so yeah, I was in Charlotte, and the Panthers won and the Checkers won. So that was a good day in Charlotte yesterday.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:47

It was a good day. And also, if you go up a little bit more up to the Raleigh area, you got the uh the Casparella bowl um in which uh NC State beat Memphis uh 31-7. All of the points, every single one of the points, every single one of the points were scored in the first half, second half, no score. Just so you guys know, NC State still came out on top uh and won that, but just want you guys to know that happened.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:16

Unlike another bowl game or actually another playoff game that was 0-0 at the half.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:21

0-0 at the half, Miami and Texas AM.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:24

Yeah, we'll get into that Tuesday night.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:26

Yeah, stay stay tuned for that. Um, because it was interesting. Um FCS was good. FCS was good.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:34

FCS was good.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:35

So and you were talking about uh before we got came on about um about your hurricanes. Yeah, uh they won back on Wednesday, uh, not so much um Friday and Saturday. Nope. Nope, they did not Florida Panthers uh in a shootout four or three on Friday night. Um and then uh Tampa on Saturday. And they were up, they were up. They were up three nothing in the Tampa game. I like I said to you beforehand, Chris Storm was texting me. He and Julie were at that game, and he was uh distraught when it was three nothing. And then he kept texting pictures. We're coming back, smiley emojis and all kinds of stuff. I was like, dang.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:21

I kept watching the on the on the ESPN app, and I'm like, there it goes. There it goes. There it goes. I'm like, yep, and lost. It's so frustrating. I don't know what's going on with them this year.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:33

I mean, they're still in first place right now. They are. They've got a good lead. Uh, of course, my Panthers, Florida Panthers, uh, they ended up losing the next night, uh, or yesterday, I should say. Um, or no, excuse me, they they lost Saturday. That was Tampa. They lost to St. Louis on Saturday. Uh, so they're not having a great uh a great run. But yeah, the Hurricanes still have a four-point lead. Uh that division, the Metropolitan division, I mean, it's all the way down to the Rangers, it's only you know seven-point difference there, eight points to the Penguins. I mean, it's it's a it's a tight division. I mean, the Atlantic division's even tighter. That's within five points of all but two teams in that division. So the whole Eastern Conference is very competitive. Very competitive right now. I mean, and Tampa, Tampa's got a plus 19 differential right now. That's they're the only ones in the Atlantic division. Actually, they don't they're only one of two teams in the Atlantic division with a plus differential. Um whereas the Hurricanes Caps both have plus eighteens. Um and Springfield yesterday against the Checkers, that's the Capitals AHL team. So there were a lot of Capitals fans in Charlotte for that game.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:51

And by the way, shout out to uh the Anaheim Ducks. They were first in their Pacific division. Right? Um, that's uh uh Patrick's uh favorite team, the Anaheim Ducks, and uh MIB had history, make sure you guys are following him. Uh but yeah, I was like, okay, all right, look at them.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:10

And right behind them, Vegas Golden Knights.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:12

Yep. Let's see, there's some interesting ones here. So I don't know.

Around The League: AFC Chaos And Injuries

SPEAKER_01 1:04:17

Is that is that Val's team, or is it just that's her team? Yeah, she lives there. So she kind of pulls for them. I guess correct. Yeah. I thought maybe she she could be a Dallas Stars fan since she's from Texas, but I don't know. I think she's a Knights fan since she lives there.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:31

Exactly. Um you unfortunately are a Panthers fan.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:37

Panthers are yeah, they're they're middling right now. Hopefully, they're in the middle of the stuff together and and and make her run. It's still early on, so I'm not too worried.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:46

Yeah, I'm not worried about the Carolina uh hurricanes. I think they're gonna pull it off eventually. I just dude, stop losing these games that you're already ahead. Like you're not you're doing a horrible job. So just please get your shit together. Exactly. Please.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:01

Yeah, and then lastly, the the Hornets. Uh they uh they lost Saturday uh to Detroit. Bad 112-86. They couldn't even get 100 points, but they had a pretty good game uh on Thursday, I think it was. Wednesday or third, let's say Thursday, I think it was. They're not a good team. Yeah, they're not they're not a good team at all. No.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:23

They're 9 and 19, dude. Yeah. Oh, Phil going to a Swamp Rabbits game.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:30

Okay. All right. Enjoy that.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:33

Yeah, Thursday they beat uh Atlanta 133 to 126. I gotta get up to Swamp Rabbits game. I want to go to I want to go to Greenville for their game. I want to go to um I need to get to a Stingrays game in Charleston at some point. I think they're playing against the uh the Ghost Pirates, which is our other team, our our ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers and Checkers. Nice. Um so I want to get to that. And then at some point I've got to get up to Greensboro to a gargoyles game.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:03

That's right. The Gargoyles.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:04

They're right up in your area. I want to go check them out. They're actually owned by the same group that owns the Checkers, even though they're not affiliated with our family of teams.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:12

Yeah, they're just an independent.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:14

Well, no, they're affiliated, they're just affiliated with a different team. Different team. They're just they're just not part of the Florida Panthers line of teams.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:21

All right, no, no big deal. Yeah. Uh guys, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Make sure that you guys tune in tonight, 8 30. Uh, we are going to be talking about uh the English Premier League, the Liga. I want to touch on what's going on with the UFL. Uh yeah. There's some crazy things going on with the UFL. I don't know if you've seen some of the news that came out of there.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:44

A little bit. I was I was a little surprised when I saw that um that Skip Holtz stepped down from Birmingham and AJ McCarron took over as coach. And I don't know if something's going on with Birmingham as a team or between the league and the team. It's like there's a little it seems like there's something there. I just don't know what it is because they've been they've been on a run. I don't know if it's just these guys are like burned out or what, or it's because the league's changing, they're like, I'm out.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:13

Well, and just to touch on this, um, because they are doing a major league-wide redraft. So they're taking all those players back again and they're redrafting. There's some new coaches in new places, new GMs. So it is all, you know, what's up, Mike? I know I saw it. Yeah, you're the referees bail you guys out. Don't worry, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:39

I texted him what you texted me, Mike. Just so you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:44

Uh hey, listen, it was a good game. It was a good game by uh both the uh the Steelers and the Lions. It was a back and forth. I had the Lions winning, but you know, it listen, it is what it is. Uh, you can't commit an in offensive pass interference right there in the end zone. I thought that they should have at least replayed the down. I don't know why they couldn't replay the down, but whatever. Um, Phil says they thought about going to the Carolina Hurricanes game until I saw the ticket prices. You're right. Don't do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:11

Hey, come to Charlotte, Phil, go to a Checkers game. Much better prices, and and and to me, it's it's close as you're gonna get to NHL for a good price.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:22

There you go. So all right, guys. So again, we'll be back uh on Monday. Uh you know, at this point, we'll we're I'm trying to put it out into the universe that the the Carolina Panthers are gonna win the division uh by beating the Seattle Seahawks. That's my my hope into that, but we'll see how that goes. Uh, we will see you guys Monday at 6 a.m. Make sure you guys are following each and every single one of us uh on all the socials, and you'll have that subscribe button on YouTube.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:48

And we'll have a recap of the Clemson game, which is coming up on Saturday this week. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:53

A ball game. There you go. All right, guys, have a wonderful night. Well, actually, wonderful day.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:57

And we'll see y'all tonight on break even.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:00

That's right. Bye.