REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
Doc and Marlon bring you the best takes from all of sports. #REALTALK #THATSRIGHTBROTHA
REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
Lane Kiffin’s Jump, CFP Controversies, And A Wild NFL Week
We tackle Lane Kiffin’s jump to LSU, why timing matters for players, and what rules could make college football saner. Then we pivot to playoff chaos, NFL Week 13 shocks, Week 14 stakes, and an NBA temperature check on real contenders.
• Kiffin’s move framed as a loyalty test
• early signing day distorting coaching timelines
• portal and NIL pressure on roster stability
• Texas and Miami résumé cases vs committee logic
• Georgia vs Alabama trench keys and seeding risk
• Ohio State vs Indiana as a field-first argument
• Week 13 headlines: Eagles gashed, Ravens stall
• Herbert’s hand and Chargers’ risk calculus
• Chiefs vs Texans and Cowboys vs Lions matchups
• Steelers identity issues and Ravens’ defense edge
• Packers balance at Lambeau, NFC North tilt
• NFC West intrigue with Seattle’s upside
• NBA snapshot: OKC surge, East uncertainty
And welcome everybody to another episode of Real Talk. Doc, you doing all right today?
SPEAKER_02:Yes, I am. I'm doing wonderful. Yes. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:Perfect, perfect. Yeah, we got uh uh a special guest back with us today. There's a lot of news in college football and of course uh some NFL action. Uh so John joins us again. What's up, John? How you doing, man?
SPEAKER_01:Doing great, happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, absolutely. Glad to have you, sir. Welcome aboard, uh we're glad that you're here.
SPEAKER_02:You know, you always bring something.
SPEAKER_01:I appreciate it. I try to, because I try to keep up.
SPEAKER_00:And now now, Doctor, there's a special occasion on Thursday, so uh what do you what do you got planned for your birthday coming up?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, they're gonna take me to uh seafood place out here. You know, it was my birthday. I'll be 63 gentlemen. You know, but I still thank you. I still I got my J-Do. The legs are gone. But uh we'll work on those during the summer. But yeah, I'm blessed, man. Still be around. So yeah, watching football that Thursday night, you know, so let's do it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's right. That's a that's a big game, brother. Good luck. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so we'll get into the NFL uh shortly. We'll try to make this one short and sweet for you guys today. But uh Doc, I'll start with you on this one with the Lane Kiffin news. What were your thoughts on uh him going to LSU? What's what's your uh uh uh how do you think they're gonna do in the next couple years? What was your what were your initial thoughts on on Lane leaving going to LSU?
SPEAKER_02:Well, it's a decent coach. I just don't like the way he did it, you know, leaving those kids uh the old myths, you know, left in the fray and you know, waiting and all that. You know, I don't mind a guy getting a new gig, you know, and getting more on top of that. Most people would do it, but the way he did it relative to that team can win the natty. And don't laugh, you know. They got one loss, that one loss to Georgia, one loss, you know, and it's the state of college football and NCAA, gentlemen, and the landscape because recruiting is tomorrow, the week of the SEC Championship game, and all the conference six schedule games. But to ask you a question relative to Lane Kiffin, I think it was garbage the way he handled it. And then he wanted to coach the kids. You know, if you go back way back in the 89, John, or something like that, you know, uh Bo Schumnicker, he wanted a Michigan man to coach the team. He didn't want Fred Freedom or Frieda wanted to coach. He already left for Arizona State or something, you know. And uh this is the same scenario. Now you're gonna coach Ole Miss, which is a rival of LHU, John and Mona.
SPEAKER_01:And then, you know, you're gonna coach the kids.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Go ahead. I think we have to really I think we have to really kind of dispense with the idea that that you the there is the the idea that a player is no longer loyal when he transfers or he leaves the school anymore when the coaches do the same thing. I I really think that they have to make rules different. That if a coach is going to be hired by another team, he has to finish out that season. He can't stop in the middle of the season and leave and derail the efforts those kids put in all that to that to that program. I think they have to make them finish the season and have like a kind of like the NFL as an off-season. You can't just take someone's coach in the middle of the season because you bought them. And the same thing with the transfer portal. I think they need to make guys wait a year or wait two years before they can transfer. So that way you stop the coaches from saying, hey, I got all these recruits and I can just bring them over here and start winning right away. If they had to wait two years to play again, it would be different. Especially with the NIL money, they're being paid. I don't think that's a problem, but I I just think they have to create something to stop this from happening. Because I think it looks makes college football look really bad.
SPEAKER_02:It's the wild wild west, gentlemen. And Marl, I'm glad you asked this question because we got coaching changes all over college football the last few days. You know, uh the Tulane coach, uh, you know, and all that. And uh, you know, the defense coordinates.
SPEAKER_01:Uh he left for Oklahoma State in the middle of their bowl game. And it's their biggest bowl game they've had in years, and the best season they've had in a long time. This is this is I think this is their best, this is their historic season. Their coach is leaving right before that game and going to Oklahoma State. So again, I I don't think that's good for the I don't think that's good for the idea that this is an educational program, or we have to dispense that this is just a sporting event and it has nothing to do with education because the if it's actually about the student athletes, then let's make it about the student athletes, not about I bought your coach. And I I just don't like the I just don't want there's no right way to do a wrong thing, but even something that's but even if something that that's this kind of dirty, I think they could have done it better.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's not like Lane Tiffin, gentlemen, real quick, it's all that to begin with. It's not like you won an SEC championship or a natty, you know, but they gave him all kind of money because LSU is desperate for something, you know.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_02:It's one of those things where it's a recruiting hotbed in the state of Louisiana and Lane Tiffany is a name. Out here in USC 15 years ago, they left his ass on the tarmac because he got fired at USC. You know, he got fired at Tennessee. FAU. He left F. So it's one of those things where I'm allowed to finish it up. Uh, I didn't like it. I didn't like the way the kids are left out in the cold with their leader. And and and it's lucky the committee didn't penalize Ole Miss and like they did Florida State three years ago when they lost their quarterback because the language says anything uh, you know, they transverse with the coach and and older player, they can they have their own discretion, the committee does, on whether to leave a team out. Now, Ole Miss only has one loss as a reference, and that is Georgia. But those Ole Miss kids, man, you know, he didn't even say goodbye. He didn't even have a team meeting and say, I'm doing this, you know. And uh grown-ass man now. And the player said they wanted to speak to coach, you know, and and he didn't even have the nerve. That's that's that's Petrino type stuff when he left the Falcons in the night and went to Arkansas or something like that. You know, so yeah, there you go right there.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay, all right. And then on these on these on these football playoffs, uh, the two names, the two teams, if you will, that continue to get brought up, Miami and Texas. We talked a little bit about Texas last week uh or a couple weeks ago. So, John, I'll start with you on this one. Who's more likely to make it, if any team at all, Miami or Texas?
SPEAKER_01:I I really think Texas should make it. Uh just my opinion. If you played that many teams in the tournament and beat that many teams in the tournament, you should be in the tournament. That's just how I view it. Um, I think they that their schedule was tough. They opened up with Ohio State, which is the number one team in the nation. They played them on the road. They beat Oklahoma, and I just find it odd that Oklahoma makes it into the tournament, but and Texas beat them to be in the tournament. It just does to me, it doesn't make any sense. But that's that's the way this gets this is getting. We'll see how the game goes. We really will. But I just don't I just don't think it makes sense to put BYU in over Texas, and when you have the trends of the schedule that Texas played, to me it's not really fair. But AM, Oklahoma are all ahead of them, but they beat those teams.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's fair. They had an ugly loss to Florida. But it did they did uh, you know, lose to some ranked teams like Ohio State and Georgia. You know, if you if you're gonna penalize Texas, penalize Notre Dame too. You know? So that's my pain on that. Yeah, absolutely. You know, it's one of those things where Miami beat Notre Dame. So head to head, and that should count for something, you know, despite Miami's loss to SMU and Louisville, they beat Notre Dame. So go ahead, Marlin. There's it's a lot of controversy here, and I don't think Congress and all this other legislature and people in Washington should have a foot in what goes into college football, like some people have suggested with all this mess. But go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely, absolutely. I think we got some big games coming up this weekend, if I'm not mistaken. And I'm waiting for this to load up here. Yeah, we got uh um Texas Tech uh and BYU. So we'll see what happens with that one. Um who else do we have? Um Georgia, Georgia and Alabama. How you feeling about that one, Doc? Let's start with that one. You're Georgia Bulldogs. How you feeling? It's Bama now.
SPEAKER_02:How you feeling? Well, we it's it's gonna be pay, it's gonna be payback for what they did to us week four in Athens and Sanford Stadium, man. We had a lot of true freshmen that had to step in and play because of injuries early in the year. And those kids have grown up, John and Marlin. I think the fact that, you know, uh this is for everything. Georgia wants a buy to rest up and heal up, and they and nothing would be better, gentlemen, than uh knock out Alabama out of the CFP as a whole. You know, they lost to Oregon and they lost to uh Florida State the beginning of the year in an ugly loss. So, you know, it's one of those things where Georgia wants, I'm tired of being one and seven. You know, let's let's get this one and back-to-back SEC champion. We won it, we we won last year. We beat Texas with ACC title last year, channel. So let's beat the border state in Alabama, who's who's owned us. So I I think uh the running game 11-1 versus Georgia. That's right, that's right, including the saving year. So I think it's gonna be a uh 31-19 type score. Because remember the Alabama running back in a brutal contest with their state rival Auburn. He left on an ankle injury and he was on he was on crutches. And uh everybody has injuries at stake this time of year. It all begins in the line of scrimmage, you know, Georgia's offensive line versus their D-line, Alabama's offensive line versus Georgia's D line. So in ACC, this is big boy, man, trenches, big guys, you know, outside linebackers weighing 255, 260. So go ahead. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I think we also have a game no one's really talking about, though. To me that the biggest game this weekend is actually Ohio State versus Indiana. It's number one versus number two. Uh I know because because because the implications of the FCC are always bigger and it's magnified, I think a lot of people haven't looked at that game. But that's two undefeated teams meeting each other. And they have again, you have to let one team that's going to be beaten by another team decide if they're gonna go into the tournament. And this is actually what the what I love tournaments. This I think they should put more teams in the tournament, not put less. I think they should just miss the end of the season after those after Thanksgiving, just be a tournament player in football. That's how I think it should be. But that's just me. I think that the I think that you're gonna get better football out of this. I still love the fact that they're gonna decide on the field. It's not a committee determining who goes. These teams get to decide Georgia and Alabama should both go to the tournament. Uh, should Indiana and Ohio State regardless of the outcome.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, these are the problems that we have, gentlemen, relative to conference. Some people say do it away with it. You're beating each other other for nothing. But I like this kind of Big Ten SEC matchup and also uh Big 12 and all that in ACC because the Big Ten, this is number one as a two, number two, as you referenced. And I think Cinetti is going to win that game, man. You know, they got the quarterback, the stud quarterback's gonna be first pick of the draft. And I I like Say in the quarterback of Ohio State, and they got Jeremiah Smith and Tate. But I think Indiana, they're living off this give us respect type thing. They're undefeated for a reason. And they had a good year last year. So I like Cinetti to uh uh upset the defending national champs. I think I'm gonna go with uh it's gonna be a high-scoring affair, man, because of the skilled people. I think 34-26 is gonna do that one. Indiana on top.
SPEAKER_01:I think the opposite. I think I'm gonna pick Ohio State because their defense. Um their defense shows up. Guys like Caleb Downs out there, like they're they're they have a they have a veteran defense that played the tournament last year coming back. They didn't lose a lot of players in that draft. And that defense really has a lot of pride. I mean, they shut down teams. They shut down a pretty decent Texas team as we see now. We thought Texas looked pretty bad against them, but Texas isn't as bad as they are, as they were in the first week one, but they still shut them down. And now you watch this team with the experience coming back in a second year. I'm not gonna bet against Ohio State on that one.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and the other one, gentlemen, Texas Tech is gonna beat the UIU. And I think uh the Duke, uh I think in the uh ACC tournament, which nobody's really talking about because of the loss factor. I think Duke might do some damage there to uh, I think it's Virginia, is it? But uh it's neither here nor there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And shout out to the uh the big man green here in North Texas. They're going against Tulane for their uh for their conference title as well, uh locally. All right, yeah. Give them a shout out. That's number 24 versus number 20, also happening this weekend. Happens on Friday.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Absolutely in the state of Texas. I believe me and Joe Green went down there. He went to North Texas. Uh I think. Yes, he did. Okay. Yeah, absolutely. Old school. But uh, yeah. Continue, Marlene. I'm looking forward to it, baby. Get your popcorn ready. Let's go. Absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so on to uh some NFL. Do a quick recap uh for the games that we had for week uh 13. So the Thanksgiving games, uh you you never know what Jordan Levy's gonna get. He came through uh four touchdowns, I believe, was was incredible in the game. Uh Amin Ra went down. We'll see what happens with him. He'll be out for a couple weeks. Dallas holds Kansas City. Now Kansas City has to win out. Dallas still pretty much needs to win out, but uh that definitely was a great game. Uh Baltimore, they look like the old Baltimore that they did comes back to Burrels back. So Fox Two things like go in there and upset them uh really bad. Chicago takes care of business in Philadelphia, which was a huge one for the number one speed right now. Uh in the NFC, uh some other notable games. Uh let's see the uh charter took care of uh the writers that was easy. Uh Aaron Rodgers, and and this this is a huge topic. I'm sure we'll talk about this in a little bit. But Rogers and this puts for I don't know if uh uh you know screen and fire Tomlin. Uh it's it's just a mess, and the defense has never looked that bad, giving up 250 yards on the ground. So that was pretty bad. Uh Carolina, they beat uh the Rams and the Colts and then uh the Texans. Uh with this Colts team, they were running away with the AMC. They were going to be the number one seed, and now they're falling uh behind. So Doc, I'll go ahead and start with you on this one. We had a crazy, crazy week 13. Uh, what do you want to dive into?
SPEAKER_01:I still think the uh, I'm sorry, I said Doc or John. I apologize.
SPEAKER_00:Doc, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Doc.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no worries. Yeah, no worries, John. Uh I just think that uh what Chicago did to Philly on Friday night, the day after Thanksgiving, running for almost 300 yards with two running backs going over 100. People better start paying attention to Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams. He has turned this kid around, man. Props to him. And Chicago is sneaky good on defense, man, and the Eagles are falling completely off the map. I don't know what the hell. It was in Philly. And then you got to talk about uh Lamar Jackson losing that home to uh Joe Joe Joe Barrow, who's coming back off of series. He ain't played in weeks. They beat them, you know, in Baltimore. So it's one of those things where two teams and the Eagles and Baltimore are going south. They're going the wrong way, you know, and and and both of them lost their home. That's what sticks out to me. Uh you can make a cage turn for Kansas City, you know, uh losing to Dallas. But that game was in Dallas, and Dallas is red hot. And I don't even know if the Chiefs are gonna make it now as six and six. But to me, gentlemen, and John, you can wear in on this, I think Lamar losing at home, and and and also um uh, you know, the other game that I mentioned, the Eagles hurts. And that's a team in turmoil and the locker room because the AJ Brown mass and all that. So those two teams losing at home, you know, the defending champs and and and and and and uh, you know, Lamar Jennings, who I think highly game, he's still hurts.
SPEAKER_01:But go ahead, John. I don't want to ramble. Those stickers. No, no, no. I I think I think the other team that people aren't giving credit. I'm I I'm I I can go, I'm gonna go on the Cowboys pray to the Cowboys fan later. But the the team that no one's gonna give credit to that's shocking right now is the New England Patriots. Really young team coming out there, and they're they're leading the AFC now. I did think that I did think that the Colts, once they got off turf, are going to collapse. That's why I thought it was really important that they win their turf games so they can get home field advantage. Without that, it's gonna be hard for them in the playoffs to win a lot of these games. Daniel Jones, in my opinion, is not that kind of quarterback. But I think the the big the the two the two games that really stuck out to me was Baltimore, how completely lost their offense looked. They had no identity in that game. Um against a a depleted Cincinnati defense that really hasn't been consistent. They didn't lose you know the top defense in the country uh in the NFL. They just kind of just disappeared. And Lamar Jackson, as talented as he is, I mean, if his name were Dak Prescott right now, he would be all over the media about about being called a choke artist or do this, whatever. He had his team. He's there, he's the MVP, he's the same guy, he's healthy, and he just didn't show up. Um the it's it's not not a knock on him personally. It's just you're seeing right now, if if they can galvanize themselves as a as a team, the defense played well early. They got him some turnovers, they got a lot of stuff, they just never capitalized on any of it. Um the the real the real problem with in Philly, I noticed was they seemed to lose their heart in the middle of that game. Like some at a certain point, I don't know if they gave up or they were tired because of the short week or what happened, but it it seemed like they just tried, they they got tired of getting hit by Chicago and they just ran flat over them. I mean, it was it was a steam train, it was a freight train just running right over them. I I've never seen Philly play like that.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely, and I agree with that because I expected them to rebound at home, you know, and it's one of those things where they didn't, you know, Jalen Hurts is who he is, and I think that locker room's in turmoil. Now, before we move on to week 14, oh the Steelers, you know, they're they're they're not gonna win that other game. I know they got a big one in Baltimore, but you know, uh the old man he's showing his age, missing guys, plus he's hurt, you know. But we gotta weigh in on Justin Herbert. Your your charges, we gotta weigh in on this before we move to week 14, brother. Your take on that. And was it a dirty shot? Was it a fluky thing? What do you expect him going forward? He's a tough guy, Marlon, but this is big boy, big news, Justin Herbert.
SPEAKER_00:When when it when he got hit, I didn't think anything of it because he stayed in the game. But then when he ran to the locker room, didn't know what it was. Troy Lance is in there four stairs or two, I believe. And you know, as as every Charger fan is like, what's going on? What's going on? We heard it's just not a throwing hand, and then you know, when he came back out, it was great. But when your quarterback is taking staff and getting the ball off to the right side with his right arm, like he couldn't grip the ball, it couldn't get on the center. So that's something that's that's a concern. And so if that surgery uh yesterday, he still wants to play with eagles line out, which is the biggest game. I think the player is gonna want to fight the tosses about concern at this point. I don't know if they're gonna want to hold them out because I was talking about this cover before. We have one of the boxes, eagles, then we have the three, then we have the cowboys, then we have Texas, and then we have the Rocco. So that's the one of the tough stuff. So we have to go, we have to win at least three games to the playoffs. You know, that that first game is gonna be three going to as well, but we call the Texas left on the playoffs. So I don't know if they want to just hold them back and just okay, let's let's let's do some more work with let's go in there and play. We have a more things we're gonna be coming back. Um, but it's it's like some more injury we've seen quarterbacks play like Josh Allen and Rogers play with some of these injuries, but um, we we definitely need a full threat with the right. I think we'll play the pop up to the glove on and put them back in there. But I mean, this is the Eagles, and they haven't wanted two three games. They're they're three and four win right now. So and of course that whole stadium is gonna be uh you know green out with Eagles and getting away from that cold weather that they're getting up there. So it's it's it's a tough one. I haven't heard anything yet, but just a tough person who wants to play. So um, we're just waiting we're just waiting for some news, but uh obviously if if he can't grip the ball and and get in the center when he needs to, uh do you do you I mean Carter and and those guys running at you? I mean, you don't want that for your quarterback, and he has to protect himself. He messed around and falls on that hand. Now we're talking about shutting down for the year.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Man, Jordan Davis is 350, 6'6 on that D-line. You mentioned Carter, and they got Nolan Smith on the edge. But this is I'm wishing you luck, brother. It's gonna be a rough year. You're at the crib, you're at the house, so we'll see. Week 14 gentlemen has a lot of interesting games, man. A lot of shots, about six or seven of them, actually, you know, starting with Pittsburgh at Baltimore, Dallas at Detroit. And Marley, you got the schedule in front of you. I uh that's just on the top of my head. But we we can go through these real quick.
SPEAKER_01:Buffalo and Buffalo has a huge Buffalo has a huge portion of this, and this is actually goes over to the NFC because Buffalo played Philly later later on this month. So if Buffalo is in contention for that game, that means they're probably not gonna rush their starters against Philadelphia, and Philadelphia has to win, and Dallas is still winning. So NFL schedule makers kind of made this a little interesting now that you can't just take a week off and just say, hey, I'm not gonna play her here because these guys are gonna late in the season, you're gonna play a tough team and you gotta win. So it's gonna be really interesting. See all these games kind of matter now, and they mean a little more.
SPEAKER_02:Boy, man, you gotta give it up to what they did last night, too, you know. Uh that that coach there, and and and you know, it's one he's not a rookie coach, but he's with the organization he played for. And who saw this out of Drake May in the second season? So that's a huge matchup in New England, man. I'm taking New England in that. But the headliner in my mind, John, and you guys are in Texas, Marlene, is Dallas at Detroit. Now, Detroit's that they're pissed because they lost to Thanksgiving to Green Bay at home. Now Dallas has to go to Detroit. Dan Campbell's crew. What do you expect these gentlemen? Your call. The Cowboys are red hot. I love that offense. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:I I I think I I think Detroit secondary is way too depleted to battle with that with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens right now. I just I just really think they are. Um, I think that the Cowboys defense right now is playing inspired football. They don't seem to play, they're not, I'm not trying to hype them up, but they don't seem to be afraid of anyone. They didn't seem to be afraid to go in man coverage against the against the um against the Chiefs. They didn't seem to be go just fine, hey, we're gonna go man coverage, put five-down linemen, and do that five-man front. I don't know if Detroit's line is good enough to handle a five-man front with Dallas. Um, they that I we we we're gonna see. It's gonna be really interesting to see with the X's and O's on it. Jameer Gibbs is still there, still a great player. But how is he gonna if Jameer Gibbs and overshowing it's gonna be a battle of speed, who can win, who can win at that? I think it's gonna be fun. I just think that the injuries they've had in the secondary in Detroit make them a little problematic to go toe-to-toe with Dallas right now.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's a good point. And I kind of agree with you on that. Even though, you know, don't sell Detroit short now because they got the two-headed monster at running back, you know, Montgomery and Gibbs, and Gibbs arguably is the best running back in the league. Chance uh sans uh B. John Robinson and Derek Henry. Um Steelers and Jonathan Taylor. That's right. Leading too much that the Colts are at the Jags. And then you got the Texans, they play uh their AFC South is interesting, gentlemen. Yeah, so go ahead, fellas. You know, I I'm I'm taking I'm taking the jam, I'm taking sunshine at home, man. Coach at the jam. I think, you know, I think Danny Dyes has reverted, if you will, back to his normal self. We've seen the Giants. And I I love CJ, CJ Stroud, and that defense. Uh, I think they got a they got a road game too. I forget who's Houston.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the big the biggest playing the chiefs this weekend.
SPEAKER_01:So that's uh yeah, Sunday night football.
SPEAKER_00:That's that that's gonna be the biggest game.
SPEAKER_01:In Arrowhead, that's gonna be a game.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So between I I don't know what's uh what's a bigger game, Dallas at Dallas at Detroit or or the Houston at the Chiefs, because you can argue that if if Houston goes in there and wins, for one, they're they're the clear-cut winner for the division. But also two, you most likely knock out the Chief. So I think they go from a uh if they win there at 53 or 56 percent with a winning if they lose they're down to like 15 percent. So if they can go in there and and and DeMarco is uh doing a great job with this defense for what he did last year. But if they're playing great, they look like that goes there, they're going to all of their running backs. I feel like they're they're on their third, fourth thing running backs at this point, but they're still going in there and it's led by that defense. So if they can go in there and confuse and get a little revenge from the playoffs last year, uh I think it would be a great story, and I think everybody would love to see uh Kansas City clong trying to get in with the 15% chance with the loss.
SPEAKER_02:Well, they're a wounded dog, gentlemen. I think I'm gonna take number 15 at the crib. He can't lose another one. Pressure, they were just in the bowl. You're talking about a three-time Super Bowl champ, and I still love Jones on that edge and and and Galapes or whatever the name on the other side. And I love CJ Stroud and that defense, but you know, I I gotta take the Chiefs at at home in this one for the record.
SPEAKER_01:Go ahead, if if if they can't protect Mahomes, the the the pass rush from Houston is is just it it is it's amazing. I mean, really the amount of speed they have on that line, and uh Shakir Shakir, DJ Stingley, that defense actually won the a lot of that game for me because the offense at times seem unproductive, and then the defense will just go to three and out and take back, take control of the game. I I think Kansas City, it depends. It depends on how Kansas City recovers from that loss. If they let it go, if they do, I mean they're the champs. Yeah, they've been they've been there before, but sometimes it might be it might be the setting sun. I'm gonna take Houston on this one.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, we differ on that one. Stealing nation is all over the world, fellas. I expect Lamar Jackson to show up at home and the Steelers are in disarray. Will they end the winning of the game? I'm taking Baltimore at home because they're reeling too, man. That's another big AFC North type thing where uh the backs are against the wall for both teams. But Baltimore at home, I expect Lamar, he uh despite the injury, hamstring toe, whatever it is. I think I think the Baltimore's defense with Kyle Hamilton and Malik Malachite Starts and Roke Smith will do a number on a Believe Steeling offense. You know, your take on those?
SPEAKER_01:I think I think I think the same thing. Baltimore's defense can carry them. I don't think I think right now the Steelers are battling themselves. Kind of the way we just talked about about the the Eagles. There's too many internal distractions right now that they're going back and forth with. And I'm not sure if it's not because you look at them and really at the team, I don't think they really have a future. I mean, you have a 42-year-old starting quarterback right now, no younger, no younger talent really coming up to replace these older guys. They have a bunch of veterans they kind of brought in from Jalen Ramsey and a lot of other players they brought in here, but they don't really have a future growing there. So I think they're kind of like, I don't I don't think they have an identity right now. And I think that is either that's gonna trigger either that there's the the ownership's lack of confidence, the team doesn't seem organized. They don't seem like they have a vision on what they want to do. And because of that, I I think Baltimore went not only takes that, I think they win the division. I think they crushed us.
SPEAKER_02:Oh wow, that's good. Yeah, Bears at the Buccaneers. I mean, um, you know, the uh Saints at the Buccaneers, nobody cares about. But here's the thing, fellas. Bears at Packers. Yeah, Bears at Packers, man. NFC North. I gotta go with Jordan Love, man, and I love champion New Mexico. He might not speak to me for a month, Marlon. That's our guy. But I'm thinking uh in in Lambeau, after what they did in uh to uh Detroit on the road, I think Jordan Love is gonna have a great game with those receivers, you know, and and and you know I just think that uh I think the world of the running back uh Brandon Jacobs Josh Jacobs. Yeah, Brandon Jacobs. I think I think a good this is those those organizations are like a hundred years old. This is Black is versus Ray Nitschke type, Barst Star type stuff. Bears, Packers. That's all you need to say. Cole Leather. Lambeau. I'm taking I'm taking Jordan Love, Marlon, and John. You're taking that. That's massive, you know.
SPEAKER_01:I I I I I I agree. I think Green Bay is too balanced on that side of on the Uz team to go in and lose that game at home. But I I I think it's gonna be more interesting than we think. And we're gonna see if Chicago really is up, it really is up to the task of carrying that number one overall in the NFC. Now, if you want to defend that title, you can have the record if you want to, but can you defend the record? But this also, again, makes a playoff pitcher very interesting. I know that that game with um the Saints and the Buccaneers doesn't matter. But right now there's a battle between the Panthers and the Bucks over who wins the South right now. That's a playoff spot, and that's a wild card spot. So that's where all these games, actually, I know it sounds crazy, but this late the season.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I agree, man. And we haven't talked about the NFC West yet. I know the Rams stubbed their toe last week, but I still think the Rams are going to win that division. Although the 49ers are creeping, Marlon, you know, and and Seattle. Let's not forget about seeing why are they under the radar? I know uh the quarterback Sam Garner had four interceptions against the Rams, but I love the running back Kenneth Walker, the third, and I love uh Smith and Jigba. See, Marlon, I got his name right. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And uh defense is playing fantastic right now as well. Causing gameovers or causing just causing rockets for other teams. So they're a problem in the playoffs.
SPEAKER_00:Which brings me to my next point. Which brings me to my next point, Doc. Are you guys gonna score at least a field goal against the Seahawks this weekend?
unknown:Ha!
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, Atlanta, you know, with Kirk Cousins. I'm still over them. It's it's sickening. We lost to the Jets, John. The New York Jets. I I and overtime. And uh I was on Suicide Watch. And the only thing is carrying old doc is the Georgia Bulldogs who just beat up Georgia Deck. But the next thing to hear on there, I want Raheem Morris gone. I want Kerry Funlo gone. You know, uh we have no interior stop the run down. We'll rush to pass it with our young kids, Jalen Pierce Jr. and Jalen Walker. See, we got like 23 sacks in five games, but when it comes to nitty-gritty, I think Seattle's gonna run us out the stadium 30 to 10. You know, let's let's do that. A late touchdown. Yeah. You know.
SPEAKER_01:I mean without Drake London without Drake London, that offense is suffering. And yeah, they just um they was not really using B. John Robinson really all the ways they could. I don't know if it's a lack of will or it's a lack of offensive creativity, whatever it is. There's just not a lot there for them to generate. I I I don't I I don't think they I I think the 10 is fair. Maybe they'll get lucky into 17. Let's give them two touchdowns. I'll be I'll be nice.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, that sounds good, man. But the writing's on the wall, gentlemen, for my team. We're in disparate. Don't even have a number one pick. You know, Pierce is showing up late with far as sacks. We tried we gave up a one to the Rams to get him. And you know about Jalen Walker. But here's the thing, man. Kirk Cousins, you talk about the guy in Pittsburgh, you know, Aaron Rodgers. Kirk Cousins is past this fire. He can't throw over 40 yards. So they sit on the routes, they sit on the routes, and they take it. You can't lose to the Jets. I should make this a ramp, but you know, we we've had some bad losses, man. Shut out against Carolina week three. We lost at home, Marlon and John to Miami when Miami had one win. Actually saved a job of the coach and tour. They almost bitched tour. He threw his four TD passes at the crib in week six, seven, or eight, whatever it was. And Miami's going on a little streak. And they had one win at the time when we played them. And now, but this losing to the Jets, that's the Coupe de Gras. My owner, Mr. Blank, Arthur Blank, he needs to make the move now, you know, and take it from there. I even go to the college round to get a new coach in there. I don't care. You know, I don't want no wreath. I don't want an old ass Belichick or McCarthy, the ex-dallas coach. So we'll see how that goes, yeah. That's my little rant on that. They got my blood pressure up.
SPEAKER_00:Go ahead, Tommy. Yeah, well, shoot.
SPEAKER_01:By the way, uh great. I will just say this. We didn't we didn't call that Nika Fitzpatrick uh pick six against the Saints, where they defense didn't have a call. Uh with the middle linebacker, he called the plate on the defense, moved Nika Fitzpatrick in position, and then he takes a pick six, takes it back the house for the win. I'm not sure if anybody saw that this weekend. That was pretty impressive. But just got a player on the field, made a better call than the defensive coordinator did. I think that's amazing.
SPEAKER_02:On the Dolphins, yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, dude might have saved his job, man. You know. Really? They was he was he was on a he had one foot on the, he was on death's door. And now look at him, four out of five wins. Um, you know, these races, as you referenced, John, late in the year, these games this weekend are pressurized to say the least. We made a mistake, gentlemen. Uh Cincinnati plays at Buffalo, not New England. Yeah, I think it's the following. Yeah, the Bengals play at Bills. And I'm taking Buffalo. I'm taking Josh Allen. I love Joe Barrow, but the the uh Cincinnati's not making the playoffs. It might be a high-scoring affair. Upstate New York, cold weather. You're not gonna throw the rock around to those receivers. And I think T. Higgins is hurt, but Jamar Chase is healthy. But I just think that the too much running game with James Cook, you know, and and Josh Allen. You're talking about pressure. They can't fall behind anymore. Or they'll be on the road the whole playoffs. They're at home, and uh well, I'm taking uh Buffalo to win 27 to uh 17. Buffalo's defense has showed up too. Yeah, go ahead. Over the Bengals, yes.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, that's uh I think that's a good pick, too. Buffalo's Buffalo's strong right now. Like I said, Cincinnati's defense, I think, had a rare showing of brilliance against against Baltimore. That's not the normal, that's not the normal course of action. So I think Buffalo wins that one easy.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. I think we covered week 14. I know we're short for time. Uh the NBA, the Lakers, even though they lost last night, Mau, I know real quick, uh, they lost to Phoenix, they're still in second. But you got to give a shout out to OKC, man. They got one loss, one. And those young legs, they might say some kind of unofficial record for NBA. What is the record? Uh who did it? It wasn't a bull, it was a golden state with 73 and 10, something like that. 73 and 9. I the Golden State, I mean, I mean OKC, what am I talking about? OKC has a chance to do that, man, with Shake Gilders and break that thing. They got they're 20 and 1 or something, 20, some sick number, you know, defending champs. But yeah. But uh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Basketball is getting interesting. I I I always have this problem right now. It's kind of like when baseball is ending and football starting, I kind of like have to shift between the two. And basketball right now, the the basketballs are now it's getting it's getting interesting. But I always want to see what happens right before that all-star break. That's when you really see what these teams are made of. When Wimbinama gets back and he's healthy, because I want to see that series. I want to see Wimbenyama versus OKC. And I want to see what happens with that. Because I think that'll be it really interesting to him and Chet Hongren go at it again. But that that's something that's gonna be interesting later on this season.
SPEAKER_02:Well, who's coming at the East right now today, John? I think you said it, but I forgot. I like the Knicks and the seven and six and beat is out again with his sorry ass. But uh Detroit, Kay Cunningham, do you trust Detroit late in the year? Do they have to go now to go deep in the playoff run? They're a young team too.
SPEAKER_01:But I don't think they will. Uh I I just don't think they will. The East is up for grabs. Milwaukee is essentially kind of uh perennial because of Giannis, but the East is up for grabs, and that's that's really the the kind of been destroyer of the East for last but since LeBron left. I mean, that's that's really been the East is up for grabs. If Boston is healthy, maybe they take it. I'm not sure. It's it's kind of dicey right now. A lot of these teams really don't have an identity, they're kind of figuring themselves out and getting over injuries and stuff. So we'll we'll see how that goes. Because I'm I'm I'm gonna wait and see in the East before I pick it before I pick who comes out of there.
SPEAKER_02:Well, there you go, Mama. And and I'll add this little tidbit. You know, uh Cooper Flag's doing his number. He took a little while. He's still a rookie. Saw him the other night, he did really good. But Davis can't stay healthy. Yeah, 18 years old. Out of Duke. And then it's one of those things where uh they're missing Kyrie, because I don't trust Davis at all, fellas. You guys are in Texas. So, like you referenced, John, it's coming out the West, you know, this year again. Whether it's Denver, OKC, or whatever. And Denver's um flying under the radio, they might be better without Porter. Porter's gone. I forgot about that, you know. But go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:You know, I I got to see Cooper Flag play um play live a few weeks ago, a couple weeks ago. Uh he was playing the Pelicans. Wow. Um really great, really great, really great talent. And he forgets sometimes when he's playing, he's only 18. I mean, he he really is only 18, and he dropped 35 points in a in an NBA game. That's not that's not easy to do. And I don't think people have appreciation maybe sometimes for how how much talent is out there at 18 years old who walk out in the court and play against the best in the best basketball uh league in the world. He heard that um it is it is fun, it's gonna he's good to see, but I think just let's be realistic, the Mavericks are in no position to contend for a title right now. Their team is too banged up, but it is gonna be interesting to see how they develop and how they create the talent. I believe they just complete the trade for uh uh Clay Thompson to go to Los Angeles. Is that already have go through?
SPEAKER_00:Or what I did not hear that.
SPEAKER_01:I believe that's a tra I believe that I that's what I heard. There was a trade going between Alvin and sending Clay Thompson to LA. Oh wow. Wow.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Okay, but I haven't heard nothing.
SPEAKER_00:Nope.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, you're on record, China. Uh when it when is the trade day? They could trade anytime in NBA, I guess. I I I didn't hear that yet. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:They said they were trying to send uh trade for uh Clay Thompson to uh to LA.
SPEAKER_00:That has not gone through. Oh my god. Uh if if if it's if it's gonna happen, that that has not gone through. So yeah, I definitely would have heard that for sure.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, yeah, good job on that, John. We'll see, we'll keep that out. We covered everything, fellas. And Marlon, you you're doing a great job with the with the you like the point guard and all that, but I know we press for time. That's but gentlemen, I love both of you for the record, and it's John, it's always a pleasure. We we went college, we went pro and then we went basketball. You know, when college basketball really heats up, we'll get into that. But right now, the NFL in college football is really too hot right now for that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm still in the National Recruit Day for Football still, so I'm I'm still having fun with that. But yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah, I'm a geek, recruiting geek. We'll talk about that another time. Gentlemen, it's been fun, man. I love you guys. Thank you, John. Happy birthday, gentlemen, both of you.
SPEAKER_01:Just let you know that.
SPEAKER_00:Hey, appreciate that, thank you. Thank you. All right, we will catch you guys next time. Peace. Peace.