SPEAKER_03 0:12

We're back. It's Hey at Sports. Back with Samuel. We shade some crawfish. It was alright. Did you enjoy it?

SPEAKER_02 0:19

I did. I did. I ate a lot.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

Yeah, see, Samuel's from South Louisiana, so I was I was interested to see if you if you liked how we did it up here.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Yeah, they, you know, I didn't like how some people up here were eating it with a sauce, but I mean Can I tell you what my biggest ick is with crawfish?

SPEAKER_03 0:36

It's people using those latex gloves while they eat it. That's that's like bro, that's part of the experience.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Yeah, you need to like feel like a crawfish after you're done.

SPEAKER_03 0:45

Grown men in there wearing latex gloves.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

I want to start turning red like I am a crawfish. I want to eat so many of them. They were a little spicy too, but yeah. Yeah, I can eat them so fast because I don't like you put them down. I don't sit there and peel them because you just gotta pinch the end of the tail. But other than that, it was good. They were they were way better. It was a uh the place we went to really only did crawfish and you sat and ate. Usually you bring them home. So yeah, it was a different experience, but it was good.

SPEAKER_03 1:08

Yeah, they only opened during crawfish season, so they were making a lot of money tonight. I can't imagine. But this is not a crawfish podcast. This is, of course, hey, it's sports, and so we're gonna talk sports. Went real heavy on football last week. And quite frankly, we're gonna be heavy on football today, but we're gonna we're gonna uh open up with a little bit of basketball. Samuel, what's what's been sticking out to you in this in the basketball world?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

The real question in the NBA, which as viewership is declining because everybody's so good and the league has turned into a foul bait war. Um, so not as many people pay attention to it, but the question is, is anybody gonna beat OKC really in a in a seven-game series? Because I've never met anybody outside of Oklahoma City and the players' mothers that are cheering for them. So I don't uh I really all they do is foul and they they foul bait, they do all that kind of stuff. So the question is, can the Celtics or the Cavs or the Pistons, the Spurs, can any of them can any of any of them pull off the upset? What would you say?

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Man, it's so hard to go back to back in the NBA. We ain't had a repeat champion since what, like the Warriors in like 2015 or no, 2016, 2017? Or it's 17-18. I think so. But there's so much parity in the league right now. There's over the past since 2019, however many years I did, there's been a different champion. Like there hadn't been a repeat champion at all since the Raptors won in 2019. And so there's been a new new team every year. Um but man, if there's any team to do it.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

I don't, I don't, I thought they were gonna break the record. They were like 20 something and one to start the year. They kind of fell off a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 2:51

Shea got hurt a little bit, Chet's been banged up.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

It was it was looking for a second there. Like, no, they lost one game by two points out of the first like 30, and it was looking, it was like crazy. But I don't um, you know, the East, they have the Pistons that are in first, and then it's the Celtics. Um, the Knicks are up there somewhere, the Cavs. Um do you think, you know, the Pistons that they were there last year, but not really contenders. Do you think they even have a chance to make the finals?

SPEAKER_03 3:17

Or I they definitely have a chance. I mean, I think in the NBA, you see more than any other league, like you kind of have to have some experience in the playoffs. I know they made the playoffs last year, but they got bounced semi-quickly by the Celtics. But they are the one seed right now, and so I'm not sure who the eighth seed is, but I imagine they they probably make a decent run. I don't think they make it to the finals. I think either the Knicks or the Celtics take them out.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

The only two teams I can see even taking down the Thunder are uh the Spurs, but and that's only because they've seem to play them well this year. They've had a lot of success against them.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Three or four wins against them.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

And uh the Celtics, just because they've been there, their talent, they have just as much talent as them, especially with Tatum back. Um he actually just debuted yesterday as we're recording, but it's um with their talent and three-point shooting everything, they're the really the only team I think that that has a chance. I don't I don't think I think the Celtics are gonna make the finals as well. I don't think anybody can compete with them.

SPEAKER_03 4:17

So I think right now if I had to pick a team out of the East, it'd be the Celtics, especially with with Tatum coming back. Um he didn't mean he didn't play like Jason Tatum prime, but he looked pretty good last night from what I saw.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

I mean he played 27 minutes off of Toron Achilles. That seems like a lot to me, but I mean I don't I don't really know. The Pelicans just had DeJounte come back. He played a 20-something minutes first game back after uh after his Achilles too.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

So Achilles is not as detrimental as it used to be.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Definitely not, but it's more than an ACL. For sure. A lot of the Achilles injury is just you trusting it. One of my buddies, one of my best friends, tours tore his Achilles, and and he said it's more of a he said doctors, everything say it's good now, but it's more of trusting to to bounce off and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

But now that you say that, I I saw a highlight of his first basket. He dunked it and like he held he hung on the rim and like waited for everybody to get way out of his way, like waited for his body to stop swinging, and then when he landed, he like looked down at his leg, like just to make sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Yeah, it's always gonna be in the back of his head, you know, that injury he's been out so long. But if he gets back to 80% of what he was, you know, by the end of the year, then I think they definitely should be the favorites to come out of the east. But in the end, if I had to pick one, if I had to pick OKC or the field, I would pick OKC. I'm not gonna lie. And that hurts to say because I do not like them.

SPEAKER_03 5:35

I'll throw a team out there. It's not a sleeper team, but a team we hadn't mentioned yet is the Nuggets. I mean, one extra shot, and they they had the ones in the finals last year. You know, they took the Thunder to seven.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

They can win any game with the Joker. He's the best player in the world.

SPEAKER_03 5:51

Yeah, but I don't I have a buddy who said he's overrated. I I just don't see how you can say that.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

He is the best player in the world, and I don't even think yeah, it's not even really a debate to me, but he uh when you have him, you got a chance. They aren't healthy either. I I think Aaron Gordon's gonna come back. I'm not sure, but yeah, but they're um Cam Johnson. They definitely have a chance, and I I mean I'd cheer for them over OKC. I I think if OKC played Afghanistan, I'd cheer for Afghanistan.

SPEAKER_03 6:16

Oh my god. You said that, not me. That's crazy. Who you got for MVP?

SPEAKER_02 6:22

See, I I if it was up to me, the Joker would win every year because I think he's the best player. But he's already got like a big thing. But we've seen that with we've seen that with LeBron and all these all these players. They're just not gonna win, win a lot in a row. Um Shea won it last year. I don't think Cade Cunningham should be. I'm not gonna lie to you. I think his stats are better than he has actually played. He's played awesome, don't get me wrong, but I think I don't think he's the best player. So I I'd pick Joker, but the problem is the games not that you have to play 65 games to be eligible.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

All these top guys are either eliminated or like on the cusp with being eliminated to where by the end of the season they won't.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

I think Shea has two games left.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Yeah, Shea has a few, Jokic only has a few. Like there's a lot of guys like that, and and Cade's like the only guy left that's like honestly, the the guy I think should win is Jalen Brown. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

He has they lost their best player, and he has been amazing. They haven't skipped a beat. You know, they've posted you know uh stats side by side of last year and this year for the team.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

And yeah, he's not not a big enough name.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

They lost multiple. They didn't just lose Tatum. They lost Porzingis. True. Like that's two players that aren't replaceable, really, and he's really put them on their back. So I I think he's if all those players uh go over their missed games limit, I think Jalen Brown should win it. But that's kind of he's not gonna win it. Yeah, that's kind of like that.

SPEAKER_03 7:46

Narrative plays a really big role in um basketball awards. And to me, there's not a bigger narrative right now than what Cade Cunningham's doing. Two years ago, they're like one of the worst teams of all time.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

It's all about who picks up steam at the end. Like MB did that one year. Yeah. Like he was out like a political campaign for it too. It was like crazy. But yeah. It is what it is. I think, yeah, I think Jalen Brown, but The Pistons are the one seed too.

SPEAKER_03 8:12

Like, if they stay the one seed, they're I don't think they have a hard time not giving it to Yep.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

They have a good coach. Uh yeah, he'll probably I mean he's been awesome, but I just think he hasn't been as good as some other people, but it is what it is. Before we before we get into the NFL, I do want to ask you, Carter, a question regarding just college athletics. Swiss to college for a second in general. As March abandons is kind of on the horizon, and there's been there's been a lot of stuff going on in college in general. Uh things like in college football, transfer portal before the year is even over. There's players that are leaving the team that are in the playoffs that are going to a different team. Like there's, you know, teams in the national championship game that are locker room, rumors coming out because one guy makes this much. So, Carter, what's your what's your take on the portal, transfer portal, NIL? Like separately, you know, you could like one and not like the other. Like, what what is your take on that?

SPEAKER_03 9:10

I'm all for it in theory, but what it's turned into is ruining college sports. Like, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Ruining college sports. In theory, take a guy from ULM. ULM is the worst, worst team of the country. Let's say this one guy for ULM like balls out. Like, there's a Wide at Williams. He he played for ULM last year and he went to Ole Miss this year, and he balled out for Ole Miss too. Like, I think that's a great like system for the transfer portal.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

For those listening ULM, ULM is uh Louisiana Monroe now. It's like a lower level D1 in uh like almost like a farm.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

It almost makes ULM like a farm system.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Same as Southeastern.

SPEAKER_03 9:51

But I think that's I think that's good. You know, because it gets people extra chances to to get noticed, almost like an extra year of recruiting, you know. And then you have on the flip side, like um someone who who goes to a Georgia, but doesn't really live up to his potential, doesn't get a lot of playing time. Well now he can go somewhere, maybe not all the way down to ULM, but somewhere like a like a mid-made mid-level team, like a Baylor. Right. You know, and he can he can get opportunities, he can grow. If that if that was what it was, it'd be perfect.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

The portal the portal is completely killing the low D wines because anybody that's really good is gonna go to a higher level, like Ahmad Hardy went to Missouri, and he is awesome. But that's just an example. And DNI, I agree with the NIL is just like I think they should be be played, but and I don't and I'm you know, I'm gonna sit here and complain about it, but I don't know a fix. I have no idea. Like I'm not I'm not gonna be able to I don't know how you fix it, you know, all the revenue share. I don't look into all that stuff, I'm not gonna lie, but but they um it's definitely an interesting time. Like the portal window should definitely be after the year. Like why why can you transfer in the year? That doesn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_03 11:03

The calend the college football, especially football, college football calendar is ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

And next year, like there's like three weeks until the national championship game. Yeah. And next year it's four weeks. It's a whole week later. It's like everybody's worried about NFL by then, too. Like, so I mean, but kind of piggybacking off that, have you seen the uh what's happened in college basketball with the Bama player?

SPEAKER_03 11:30

Yes. How is that happening? What is going on?

SPEAKER_02 11:33

Right. I don't I don't understand. Like, like that's a whole different level. This dude has played in the NBA for three years. Yes. And he's played for three years, and he doesn't uh and then all of a sudden he he decides to come back and tries to get Alabama judges to rule him in favor of them when they graduated from Alabama or something, law school or something. It's like, but then Alabama's complaint is well, you get pros from overseas, they don't have the ability to play college over there. Yeah. So it's it's just most Alabama logic.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

That but that old mess did the same thing with Trinidad Chambliss.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

It got, you know, he he wanted to play for a sixth year or seventh year, sixth year, and it got denied by the NCAA, and so he went to to judges in Oxford, Mississippi. Like, well, obviously they're gonna overturn it. Right. So they their their team can play, can have him.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

You don't need a judge. The judge was up there like crying uh in tears saying he's eligible. Like, dude, if you care that much, you might you're probably judging the wrong thing. You're kind of biased, you know. But I mean, even that, at least he didn't go play pro. Like, how do you go play pro NBA for three years and then go back to that? Now that's like that seems insane, but college sports are all over the place nowadays.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

It it kind of stinks because college is I'll tell you who it really hurts is like a lot of high school athletes. To say you're like a three-star trying to go against like a Baylor. Baylor's a lot more likely to go pick up a guy from that's transferring out of Georgia than to look for a high school player. And so it it messes up recruiting in the high school ranks and it corrupts the college players. I think it's created this like entitlement for players too. Like Jack Pyburn, the the edge from LSU, he transferred from Florida. You know what he told Florida? He said, I want was like 50,000 a month.

SPEAKER_02 13:26

Yeah, and like certain plays he had to be in or something. Right.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Like, and that he didn't he was not like just an outstanding player for LSU either.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

No, no, the LSU, yeah. But like for instance, Lane Kiffin, like a lot of coaches have different philosophies. Now you're talking about recruiting, like for high schoolers. You know, I just know because I'm close to like, you know, LSU more than anything. And he don't really care about like he'll sign 15 players out of high school and fill the rest with transfers. Like back, you know, back years and years ago, you'd sign 25 to 30 kids. You know, like he's not he's not gonna go get on a plane and look for the 500, you know, best athletic player when he can just get one out the portal. Like you're right about that. So it's definitely definitely hurting some kids and hurting the lower schools. There's no doubt about the lower schools are really getting, lower D1 schools are really getting uh getting killed by it.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

You know how much LG's roster is this year?

SPEAKER_02 14:22

Oh, yeah, it's north of 40.

SPEAKER_03 14:23

Yeah, I was gonna say over 40 mil. Ohio State's national championship team, that'd be two years ago, wasn't it was 20 million.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

I'm not gonna tell people how to spend their money, like because I don't want people telling me how to. I don't how you have so much money you donating that much to a school football program.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

Is that not crazy? It's insane.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

I mean, I guess people, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 14:43

Because after buying out Brian Kelly and paying for Elaine Kiffin, you're about to have to pay out a basketball coach. Men's or women's? Men's. Oh, not Mulky.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

But yeah, it's it's it's an interesting time in college. I don't I mean, they say, and I believe them, like college has more eyes now than it has before, so I guess it's working with that. But the people who have been watching forever, it's kind of like it's kind of a weird.

SPEAKER_03 15:05

Well, like we talked about last episode, like Dante Moore. Like, in what world does it make sense for him to go back to college?

SPEAKER_02 15:12

It definitely wouldn't have years ago. I don't know what NIL he's making, but there's no telling.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

At Oregon, probably top three, like most NIL money in the country.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Oh, yeah, they got the Nike money. Nike and but what really, you know, yeah, you don't want to go to the Jets though.

SPEAKER_03 15:29

That's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

I I think I s I mean I know he'll never he'll never admit that about the Jets. But if I mean who who's another team that that might be looking for like what if the Steelers were picking second? Yeah. I bet he I bet he goes.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

You think you think he's I I seriously do.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Like, I'm not I'm not here to just hate on the Jets because the Saints are terrible, but I I think I r I don't know, like maybe it had a 25% effect on out of 100. Like, I don't know, but I think it definitely like I don't I don't I think it did. I really did. Cause he's it's not I mean he would have made more money going second overall. You're risking injury. I don't know, man. Dude, you're risking injury, you're risking a lot of a lot of stuff in football, especially. So you've seen it in basketball too.

SPEAKER_03 16:09

Like Darren Peterson, the kid from uh Kansas, he's talking about staying another year. AJ DeBonsa from BYU, he's talking about staying like unheard of five years ago.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

And and he's uh Darren Peterson, have you seen he's like he's like sitting out some games? It's weird, it's really weird. You can tell they're just done like coaches. They're coaches, they're coach, their coach is so fed up with it. And it's like, well, I mean, that's just the era we're in.

SPEAKER_03 16:35

Yeah. And why should he, you know, why shouldn't what Kyrie Irving did? He hardly played in college for uh for Duke.

SPEAKER_02 16:42

Yeah. Man, it it's it's definitely an interesting landscape right now. I don't really know what to think of it. If there were some guidelines, I think it would be way better.

SPEAKER_03 16:50

Yeah, but like you said, like what are those guidelines? How can you how can you rein that in?

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Right, yeah, you gotta have like a commissioner of college, like you gotta have somebody like that that's in charge. You can't just have the coaches because if you ask a coach for advice or something, they're just gonna say what benefits them. I mean, so it's kind of like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:06

You think uh Kirk Kerbstreet should be the commissioner of college football?

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Somebody without any bias. I don't know though. I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_03 17:14

There was a push for that towards like the end of the the season.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Maybe Nick Saban.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

Yeah, I could see that. He he needs to do something.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

Some old an old stickler. Yeah. But he's from the pre-NIL era, so he'll probably, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:27

Yeah, like somebody like him. I think he wants nothing to do with NIL. That's why you're retired. Let us know what you think. Is NIL ruled in college sports? Or do you think it's more of a benefit? All right. We're in the offseason. Do we look forward to next year? Do we look back at last year? We're gonna look back at last year. We're gonna give you our top 10 quarterbacks based solely off of last year. So we're looking at the top 10 seasons of last year. Okay. A few things to mention before you uh scold us for where we have certain people. You had to have played at least 14 games. So if you were injured and you missed time, like you just don't count because longevity is important. And so right off the bat, that eliminates Lamar, Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Daniel Jones, and Brock Purdy, and some other guys, but those are the notable people that that takes out.

SPEAKER_02 18:15

It's pretty much 13 of 15, really, that played uh that played it. And if you want to count Geno Smith, then you can count him.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Well, you mentioned that. I actually brought my bottom five. Okay. If you'd like me to run through those.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

Okay, yeah, go ahead. No order. I have a top 10. Let me hear the bottom five QBs from the last one.

SPEAKER_03 18:32

No order last year. I have whoever played for the Jets.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Is there anything lower than bottom five?

SPEAKER_03 18:38

I have nine, JJ McCarthy. I have Tua, CJ Stroud, and of course Geno Smith. That's my bottom five. I just kind of threw that together as a little bonus. Anything you disagree with there?

SPEAKER_02 18:53

No. I mean, it's kind of it's definitely kind of obvious, especially nine. I don't know what happened to him. Like nine?

SPEAKER_03 18:59

Like I don't know. So funny. Yeah. He had one decent game. He's like, that's my ultra ego nine.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

That cringy. And then he was so cringy too, dude.

SPEAKER_03 19:06

That meme is still going around.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

It was so cringy. Like so cringy, but he's he's kind of he's he's gonna run Justin Jefferson off, but that's definitely a story for a different time.

SPEAKER_03 19:15

Yeah.

unknown 19:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

It seems like it.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

I thought Justin Jeff Jefferson was quarterback proof. Nine proved me wrong.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Everybody did.

SPEAKER_03 19:24

It's it's make her cousins look like Prime Brady. It's a tough scene.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

It's a tough scene.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

Max Brosmer playing better this year. But anyway, again, had to play at least 14 games, and this is solely ranked off of last season. And so, you know, who's a better quarterback, Mahomes or Stafford? Mahomes. But if you're going solely off last season, Matt Staver had a better season, so he would be ranked higher. That's how I did it.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

And to be honest with you, my list, I mean, we do list a bit a little bit differently, which that was mine too, but I also went on some vibes too. And I ain't gonna lie, I have some I have some severe bias against quarterbacks, so you just gotta bear with me.

SPEAKER_03 20:04

We are not we don't we don't report to anybody. And it'll start right at the beginning, too. All right, I'm gonna give I have two honorable mentions. Do you have any honorable mentions?

SPEAKER_02 20:12

No, I just have I just have the first the first ten, but I actually I I'll have one honorable mention that didn't make my list, though.

SPEAKER_03 20:19

Do you want me to give me one of them or give me yours?

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Jordan Love.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Yeah, I had him as like 11 or 12 as well.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

He did not uh he did not make the list, but I I'm not high on Jordan Love at all.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

I just don't see it.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

He he's so up and down. Like he'll he'll have a game on national TV where he throws a 350 and four touchdowns, and it's only like 13 completions. Yeah. And then I'll have a game where he has you know three picks and they're terrible.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

Yeah. And then my other honorable mention alongside him was really a similar story, Justin Herbert.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

Oh wow, we completely disagree.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

I just so inconsistent, man. We will see. He started off so hot, but then it just went downhill so fast. And I know it's not entirely on him, but I mean at the end of the day, you know.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

If you have the worst offensive line in like in like the history of the NFL.

SPEAKER_03 21:07

But I mean He was ninth in passing yards, but I don't know, man. I just I didn't like what I saw, especially him being my fantasy quarterback.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

Put put Dak on that, put Dak on that team.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

They aren't as good.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Oh, you don't think?

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Not even close. He doesn't have the he doesn't have the movement that Herbert does. Dude, they Herbert don't have much movement anymore. He gave up a pick for Trevor Penning. That's how desperate their O line was. Both of their all-pro tackles were out.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Trevor Penning kind of turned his turned it around this year. He was terrible.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

He was terrible. You should have seen Chargers Twitter. Chargers Twitter. Oh my gosh. When they did the pro football focus when they played in prime time, everybody was in the bottom ten. It was crazy.

SPEAKER_03 21:47

It was like 38. We'll get to that though.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

He's way higher up my board. Way, way up there.

SPEAKER_03 21:53

All right. Who who's your number 10?

SPEAKER_02 21:55

My number 10 is somebody I don't like. So and people forget at the beginning of The year, he was really bad. Even though they won, he was really bad. He would barely win games against terrible teams, especially right at the end. Right at the end of games. Uh, do you have any guesses?

SPEAKER_03 22:10

I have I have two, but I don't want to say them.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Number 10 is Bo Nicks.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Yeah, that's what I was looking at. Number 10 is Bo Nicks. That's pretty crazy, man. I he disagree.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Because he went off against the Bills. I mean, is what it is. Everybody did. But if you look at some of the scores beating the Raiders 13 to 10, barely beating the Giants, they're just, they did not have like their defense carried a lot. And Bo Nicks, I think he is a especially the first half of the year, it just wasn't. It just it really wasn't good. And people really do forget it because they kept winning. And people were like, How are the you know, because they you know, Nick's got hurt at the end, but you know, people were really like, How are the are the Broncos the worst eight and two team or whatever they were? Eight and one team that's ever been. Yeah. It's because Nick Nick's would somehow barely win, but a lot of it was the defense. So I I'm not a fan of Bo Knicks. I didn't think he was that good in college. I don't think he's amazing. I'll give him he he is clutch at the end, at the end of games. But other than that, I I don't I liked everybody that I put ahead of him.

SPEAKER_03 23:07

Yeah. I had him hire. Um I won't say we're just yet, but I did have him hire. He had uh let's see, he had 3,900 passing yards, 25 touchdowns. Pretty respectable. They won the most one-score games in the league. At least in the AFC. The Bears may have had more, actually. But one score one-score games, fourth quarter, like game winning drives, Bo Nicks had a bunch. And so when it mattered, he he pr he delivered. And that that carries a lot of weight for me.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

What if his defense wasn't very good though? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 23:39

It's kind of like But you saw what happened when you took him away, too. They couldn't do anything against the Patriots.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

Yeah, the weather. I mean, dude. And the Patriots couldn't either. It was a it was a blizzard. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

But I mean but they have no running game. The his receivers aren't very good.

SPEAKER_02 23:53

He has a top three offensive line as well.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Yeah, and Sean Payton.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

Right. I mean, I watched as a Saints fan, Sean Payton made Teddy Bridgewater look good. So it's kind of, I mean, I don't know. It's just it's also biased because I just have never really thought he was that good.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

But they had the like second best record in the league. You don't do that if you don't have a good quarterback, no matter how good your defense is. Look at uh the Texans, CJ Stroud.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

Put him on put Bonex on the Packers.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

I think they're a better team.

SPEAKER_02 24:21

Really? I think they're just pretty much the same. I mean, I could be completely wrong, uh, but I mean ain't nobody gotta tell us we're right. I don't know. He's he throws a lot of short, you know, it's like a Sean Peyton type type deal, but we'll see. I mean, we'll we'll as t time will tell, you know.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Yeah. Uh my ten, actually, I just realized I miscounted. My ten is Herbert. So he is in my top ten.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

Same same things we said, but he's way higher for me. He'll have to slide in at 10. My number nine at Baker Mayfield.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

I think he is not on my list.

SPEAKER_03 24:53

Really?

SPEAKER_02 24:54

I wonder who I have that you don't probably the next one.

SPEAKER_03 24:56

He was an MVP candidate halfway through the season. Like he was my MVP at the midway point. And then his receivers got hurt. Um, his he had some linemen go down. I think with what he had, and I just think Remayville's so fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Watching him at the end, it seemed like something was wrong. I think he was hurt. I I think he had an injury he was dealing with, and he came back soon from it. He was so bad at the end. Like the Saints and what his shoulder? Yeah, I think it was his shoulder. Yeah, like the Saints beat him. Like, I just at the beginning, I do remember they were like they 5-0, 5-1. There was something really good. And it just it just seemed like everything uh had Buka roll rolling and it just seemed like everything fell apart. They had two chances to beat uh well, no, they beat the Panthers the last the last game of the year, but then the Saints lost. So I put him out. Yeah. Yeah, but they lost to the Panthers the first time they played, and it's like, man, I don't I like Baker. I actually do like Baker. Like I'm biased in favor of Baker, but I couldn't put him on here. He ended he ended the year. I mean, he would have been on my honorable mention list if I'd have remembered him in love.

SPEAKER_03 25:59

He didn't finish as well as he started, but I think that start was so hot, man. Week like four or five bucks versus the biggest.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

He was a massive choke. How are you five and one or something and don't win the NFC South? I think the Panthers had nine games. That that's tough, though.

SPEAKER_03 26:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

That's tough. But I mean I've rated mine off some off-team success as well, like probably more than you, but is what it is.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

All right, who's your nine?

SPEAKER_02 26:20

My nine is Caleb. Caleb Williams.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

Whew, okay. Max, well, yeah, that's not too bad.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

He I mean, he's pretty much the same as Knicks to me. They were terrible for three quarters, and then all of a sudden at the end of at the end of games, he uh and again, I'm biased against Caleb Williams. I'm not a fan of Caleb Williams either. But at the end of games, I have to give him, especially in the playoffs, I had to give him at least some respect. He had to be on here over Baker to me, just because he won a game in the playoffs as well and should have beaten the Rams. He just forced a throw at the end of that game.

SPEAKER_03 26:49

Like they should have and uh Buffalo Bill DJ Moore quit on the route.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

They should have won that. Really? That's what, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

That's what I saw that play.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

I don't know why they were run rolling down the field, and then he he he didn't have to throw it so far either, you know? Yeah. But but Caleb he earned he earned my respect. It he's like almost identical to Nick's to me because he could also be a uh the reason he's doing this is because of his coach as well. Like like that could also be a thing, but but Caleb showed me a little bit more. I think I think he's more talented as well. So him and Nick were close to me. It was pretty much the same.

SPEAKER_03 27:23

Yeah, I'll I'll echo a lot. Like I had him very close to Nick's as well. He did the same thing, like a lot of fourth quarter comebacks, game-winning drives, that kind of stuff. So you have him higher? Higher than you do. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

With your reaction, I thought I thought he wasn't.

SPEAKER_03 27:38

I thought I had him higher than I actually do. But yeah, I I there's there's something about fourth quarter drives for me that I think carries a lot of weight. And he he, you know, second seed in the NFC, could have very easily been in the NFC championship had he not, like you said, made that one mistake, but at the same time, he's the only got him there.

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Do you think their season is exactly like the 2024 Commanders and they're due for serious regression? They won on a Hail Mary, they won on all kinds of wild stuff at the end, and then you know, it seemed like the everything went went right for him this year, just like the commanders in 24.

SPEAKER_03 28:10

I don't because coaching, number one, they also have the best O line in the week. Ben Johnson, they they traded for a good O line today, oh good O lineman today, too, from the Patriots.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Yeah, it seems it seems like but it seems like with that division too, like literally anything can happen.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

Yeah, but their defense is a lot better than the commanders was last year, too. So maybe not um same level of success, but I don't think they drop off as much as the commanders did.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

I agree. I agree with that.

SPEAKER_03 28:36

Okay. Number eight. I actually have a tie for eight and seven. I just couldn't differentiate between the two. So I'll I'll let you go first. And if you say one of them, I'll number eight. I have golf. Okay, yeah, he's one of them.

SPEAKER_02 28:46

I have Jared Goff at eight. Um he's just steady, Eddie. You know, like you know what you're gonna get. He does play way better in the indoors, but Detroit plays indoors a lot. Um Detroit had, I mean, it's year after year they have so many injuries on defense. You know, their defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. And it's like well, I mean, I don't I don't think that's golf's fault, you know, too much. Amon Ra got banged up this year. Sam Laporta was out for the year. It just seems like he's always gonna have the stats because he's gonna throw for a lot, he's gonna have really good games. It was just kind of a kind of a fill-in spot. I think he's better than Caleb and Bonex. So so he was kind of uh uh and honestly, seven was also it was really close. I think they're the exact or one almost the exact same player for me.

SPEAKER_03 29:26

Your next one? Number seven, do you want me to say it? Dak. Zach. Yeah, those are those are the two I couldn't I couldn't differentiate.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

They're very like they're they didn't win a ton this year. They throw the ball very well, like their stats are always really good. They don't run a ton at all. Like they're literally pretty much almost the same exact player.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Yeah, you look at the top nine.

SPEAKER_02 29:43

Run game's good for both teams, too.

SPEAKER_03 29:44

Yeah, the top nine in passing yards. I'll read you the records 12 and five, and then nine and eight, seven, nine and one, and then fourteen wins, fourteen wins, thirteen wins, eleven wins, fourteen. Like they had the most success without team success. Like golf was second in the league in passing yards, and Dak was third. Chalk it up to their terrible defense. They had to pass all the time. But definitely a disappointing year for the Lions, uh, but he still performed. I think he played just as well as he did now two seasons ago, but the rest of his team just couldn't keep up.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

It's always a catch-22. It's like Drew Brees in his prime. You know, a lot of times stats are elevated because your defense is terrible. That's right. You know, Bo Nicks, for instance, when your defense is really good, you can worry about the run, your offense, play your offense slower. You know, it's just it's just a whole different, whole different thing. But I mean, golf and deck are pretty much the same player.

SPEAKER_03 30:36

Golf might be a little more consistent, but I I could I have eight slash seven written next to both of them because I just I couldn't be proud of it.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

No, it's gonna get I have somebody that wasn't on your list of come that we talked about earlier.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

Um so number six, I lied again. Justin Herbert's not number ten. Scoot everybody down one. I have uh Caleb Williams but six.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

Explain why he's higher than than Dak or Goff.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

The wins team the team, the his ability to win a game. The Bears smoked the Cowboys, they split with the Lions. I mean, if you go off stats, he didn't have as good a stats, but the wins, I mean that that carries a lot of weight for me, like I said. And so um to come back in the playoffs against Greenby, it was awesome. So fun to watch. Did you watch that? It was like the fourth and whatever play live. You saw it live. That was crazy. Oh my gosh, that's insane.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Yeah, that was and the game still wasn't even close to like they were still trying to come back. But my number six is Trevor Lawrence. Okay, he played. I've never thought he was that good either. I'm gonna sound like he's like, see, I I didn't say it, but I think Dak. I've always thought Dak was underrated. Um, like I I'm a fan of his. I like Dak. But Trevor, I never really thought he was amazing, you know, but he also couldn't really say healthy a ton. But he performed so well at the end of the year, like, like so well. And they went on a stretch where everybody thought, you know, they were really gonna make a run. If you look at the teams he beat, a lot of people didn't. You'll be like, okay, like they should beat these teams. But um, there was one team they beat, I think it was Denver. That was the only one that was kind of uh a really good team they beat at the end. But he played super well, impressed me. It really shows, you know, the offensive coaches how much the league is going to that. But Trevor Lawrence at six, with what he had, um, especially with his legs and staying healthy, he's really good with his legs. When he uses them more, they win. And so I put Trevor at six.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

Dude, he was electric beginning of the year. That game is against the Chiefs on Monday night.

SPEAKER_02 32:34

Or he like fell over or something.

SPEAKER_03 32:36

But like that whole game, it was like, who this is like Clemson Trevor Lawrence. Right, right. Yeah. This is by far his best season as a big one.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Definitely, definitely, I agree.

SPEAKER_03 32:44

Um I'm not gonna lie, I've really screwed my numbers up here. I'm just gonna reread my top ten. So I've got it at ten. Start at ten. So I have Baker at ten, Dak slash Jared Goff at nine slash eight, Caleb at six. So my number five. You skip seven. Okay, scratch everything. Caleb Williams is my number seven. My number six, Sam Darnold.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

Why is he so low?

SPEAKER_03 33:07

I just like I like what I saw from the uh No, no, I have him higher. Well, yeah, I I see what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

I'm surprised. I'm surprised.

SPEAKER_03 33:14

In hindsight, I'd move him to five or yeah, to five over who I have at five.

SPEAKER_00 33:19

He won the Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_03 33:21

He did, yeah. I I'm so happy for Sam Darnold. Like, what a great story.

SPEAKER_02 33:27

He went from seeing Ghost to seeing To getting cut when he won 14 games. Yeah. I mean, it's just it's a it's a resiliency.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

They cut him for nine.

SPEAKER_02 33:36

Four he went fourteen and three and they cut him and he went and won the Super Bowl. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

Went fourteen and three again this year. Nobody was expecting the Seahawks to make the playoffs. Nobody was expecting that defense to be like that.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

That defense. I mean, I know we're talking about quarterbacks, but nobody expected that. I mean, it was again their GM put on a masterclass.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

Yeah, best coach in the league, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

He's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 33:57

Um yeah, in hindsight, I'd have him hire, but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna sweat it too much.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

Right.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

But you want me to go with my number five? Yeah, you go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

This is where we get in the Justin Herbert talk. I have him at number five.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

Ow.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

It seems like there's two, like there's two sides, and there's no middle with Herbert. You either think he just he's just overrated, or you think, or there's this side that thinks his O-line was awful, and if the Chargers didn't have him, they wouldn't win anything. There's literally like seems like no in the middle.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

I think both are true.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Like it, there's two sides, it seems like, and I think he is I know I know he struggled in the playoffs. You know, I'm I'm I mean, there's no hiding that, but I'm mainly focused like in the regular season, if they didn't have Justin Herbert, I don't think they even come close to Sniff in the playoffs. I think he is unbelievably talented. His legs, he uses his legs uh when he needs to. And I I really like Justin Herbert. I mean, obviously I put him at five, but uh, it's mainly because his O-line was so terrible that I think his talent isn't it doesn't show as much with wins, I guess is what I'm trying to say, because of how bad his his talent is. And his his weapons are not amazing either. You know, they didn't really have a running game either. Marion Hampton, you know, when you don't have a running game and your offensive line, I mean it it's it's terrible. It's it's it's interesting. But like, for instance, if Justin Hurt, if Justin Herbert, let me think, if Justin Herbert was on Denver, see, I feel like they win like 16 or 15 games this year. Like, I think he's that much more I think these I don't know if him being better than Knicks is a hot take, but I don't think it is. I think I think a lot of most people would think that.

SPEAKER_03 35:36

I'd probably take him over Knicks in general, but I think Bo Knicks had a better season. I just I feel like I've seen quarterbacks do more with less, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 35:45

Tom Brady.

SPEAKER_03 35:46

The defense is still very good. They had a very good defense.

SPEAKER_02 35:49

They did. They did.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

And I mean Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, that's not a bad receiving core.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

Quentin Johnston was the laughing stock of Twitter like two years ago.

SPEAKER_03 35:58

I know, but he was great this year.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Did Ladd McConkey even play?

SPEAKER_03 36:02

He he wasn't as good, but Quentin Johnston broke out.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

Keenan Allen's about to pull from his 401k.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Yeah. Keenan Allen's playing in the celebrity all-star game.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yeah, but no, that's it seems like there's two for Justin Herbert, and you either think he's overrated. Like, just in general, the argument like on when ESPN and everything is you think he's overrated or extremely underrated. Like, there's no like he's really good. So, but I'm a Bo Nicks hater, so I think Herbert is definitely better than him.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

My number five, Bo Nicks. Best record in the league, tied for at least. Um, and they were just so steady, man. Like you could say he didn't just he like he just he did what he needed to do. He was he was reliable. And it related twins. And when the game was on the line and he had the ball, they won. It even showed in the in the playoffs that when when he had to win against the Bills, the refs bailed him out and threw pass interference calls. You know, it's it he he he did what he had to do. You know, you talk about Justin Herbert not having a lot of help. I would I would argue the Chargers have a better all-around roster than the Broncos.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

I think coach makes a huge just such a big difference.

SPEAKER_03 37:06

For sure. And I think we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 37:08

So I just think I think that's how good Sean is, John Payton.

SPEAKER_03 37:11

And we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

I try I mean when I try and do this, I try and take like quarterbacks off a different team and put them in other situations and see what I would think. You know, that's how I I try and Mike McDaniel.

SPEAKER_03 37:22

Maybe he can do something with Justin Herbert.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

Um well they he if when they get both of his all-pro tackles back, you know, I think that's very true.

SPEAKER_03 37:29

Uh you gotta remember that. They lost Slater before the season started, and then Joe Alt before really got going.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

Right. So I think once they get this back, I think I think the Chargers are big contender this year, but you know, it's that's for a different a different pod. But I I think I mean they just gotta stay healthy.

SPEAKER_03 37:44

So Bo Nix is my five. Again, I'd I'd probably switch him and Sam Darnold in hindsight, but it's what it is.

SPEAKER_02 37:52

Number number four, have Darnold.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

Have Darnold, number four. I couldn't put him over the top three. Um, but he earned a lot of respect this year, couldn't perform in the big game, couldn't do all this. I mean, there's really not much to be said about Darnold. He was awesome this year, and and he's uh he deserves whoever pays him. I mean, if you think about you talk about weapons, think about his he only I mean Cooper Cup didn't really do much at all. Like it was JSN, and that was it. Ken Walker didn't do anything to the playoffs. Like, you know, it wasn't it wasn't like he was it wasn't like he had the uh Rams receiving core out there or anything, you know.

SPEAKER_03 38:27

So he threw for 4,000 yards though. Oh, yeah, he was Dan Age is pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

He should have been talked about more for it seems like a lot of recency bias with Darnold for the previous years, you know, like nobody was you know will really say how good he was this year, but hey, there's not much to say he won the Super Bowl. He was awesome.

SPEAKER_03 38:44

Quick side note. I have a theory on this, but I want to see what you think. Why why are passing stats so much lower in this era than they were before? I think there's a few reasons, but I want to see what you think.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

You know, I heard a former quarterback talking about the defense of coverage. Well, first off, it's because a lot of people on defense are not letting you beat them deep. A lot, they're playing a lot of too high to where you they'll they'll give up the five-yard. They'll give up the five-yard pass, but they won't give up the big bomb. Um, also, like, the defenses are just more complex, and it's also part of that is the quarterbacks just going to try and take whatever uh they give to you. And the third one is there's way more running quarterbacks. That was that was one of the big things for me is you don't see Tom Brady's, you don't see Tom Brady's around anymore or any of that stuff.

SPEAKER_03 39:32

So I mean Jared or Jared Goff, uh Matt Stafford threw for 4,700 yards. That's a lot in today's day and age.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

Right. And there's an extra game, too.

SPEAKER_03 39:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:43

Now nowadays.

SPEAKER_03 39:44

Something else I think is the way that kickoffs have changed. Used to a touchback, you got the ball at the 20-yard line. And so you're going on 80-yard drives to score.

SPEAKER_02 39:54

And kickers can kick from 60 yards now. Yeah. So you don't continue to drive. You don't go for it.

SPEAKER_03 39:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 40:00

So I mean, if you can't all you gotta do is get to the 50. You just get to the 50 nowadays and you can kick it. Yeah. That's like 25 yards for a touchback now. You literally have to go about 25 yards. It's it's Pause the uh the um conversation with the quarterbacks for a second. What would you do you think there should be an implement any rules of you have to go for it at a certain spot? For instance, if it's fourth and five or less, you know, from like the 45 you can't kick it. You have to either go for it or punt, something like that. I mean, not not that I'm I'm trying to think of a better example, but stuff like that to where, I mean, these are there's too many parameters you have to put on it.

SPEAKER_03 40:35

Because what if it's like fourth and five, you're down two points and there's three seconds left.

SPEAKER_02 40:39

Or maybe you only you can only kick a now I heard this one, which is interesting, you can only kick a certain amount of field goals a game.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

I I don't like that.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

I I think they should make it and make the coaches a lot more decision making.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

Yeah, Dan Campbell probably wouldn't have a job anymore.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

Um he wouldn't he wouldn't reach his max ever. Yeah. He don't ever kick.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

I think I think they should stop giving the ball at the 35-yard line to start.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

You know what team went forth the least in the NFL and it wouldn't even close?

SPEAKER_03 41:04

I'm I guess the Saints, since you know that.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Seattle.

SPEAKER_03 41:07

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 41:08

Seattle. They kicked every single time pretty much. Um but they have a really good field kicker with Myers. They didn't miss in playoffs. They kicked like literally almost every single time. They had the uh highest, just kick it. Their coaches say kick it, get the points, and they won the Super Bowls or something. Yeah, you know, so now they could trust their defense more than a lot of teams, you know.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

But just like the Super Bowls at the Lions, you know, and they they went barely over 500. It's what you call reckless, yeah. Yeah, that was he'd go for like five times in a row. Right. And then he'd go 0 for five.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

It's so reckless. But who's your number four?

SPEAKER_03 41:42

My number four is Trevor Lawrence. Again, the best season he's had all his career. If I try to take my Bills bias away, I think the Jaguars were the best team in the AFC this year. Um what a lot of people said is if if they had played anybody but the Bills in the first round, they'd have won and they'd have made a run. Um they're so fit. We're not this and I'm not gonna get that actually, because that's more of a team thing. But Trevor Lawrence, man, had Parker Washington and Jacoby Myers looking like absolute bona fide studs, you know. And you could probably chalk that up to Liam Cohen.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

I can agree that they were definitely like top. I mean, Denver's defense was so good, you know. But uh, but I mean they were like, you could argue make an argument, they were the best. Now I'm thinking, you know, there wasn't any dominant this year in AFC for sure.

SPEAKER_03 42:26

And like you said, the the more he ran, the better they were. Um I'd I'd like to see that open up more next year. And I don't know if he gets higher than fourth best quarterback in the league, but I think he I think there's still room to improve for him. You know, he's gotta do it again. He's gotta show he can be consistent.

SPEAKER_02 42:44

That's what I'm trying to see. I have no arguments with him at four. I mean, I have him at six, it's not that big of a difference.

SPEAKER_03 42:49

Sounds like they're the same top three, unless something crazy. Mine's Josh. I have Josh now at four. I have Josh higher than you. Really?

SPEAKER_02 42:59

I have May at three.

SPEAKER_03 43:00

May had better more yards, more touchdown, not more touchdowns.

SPEAKER_02 43:04

I can't get over the schedule.

SPEAKER_03 43:06

That's that's fair.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

Or his performance in the playoffs either.

SPEAKER_03 43:09

Yeah. Well, Josh had four turnovers in the playoffs as well in the one playoff game.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

That's a lot more more run. He scored a lot of points, though. Yeah. I mean, Drake May, I know they made it to the Super Bowl, but they played multiple like four games. I don't know what their points were combined, but I could I couldn't know. I understand he was second MVP voting, like I get that. But like, if Josh Allen's on the Patriots, do they win the Super Bowl? Yeah, absolutely. At least compete in the Super Bowl. I mean, they didn't even compete. It was like, you know, so it's kind of like I mean, I understand putting Drake too because he was second MVP if we're basing off last year. But voter bias as well with Josh Allen. If Josh Allen if the Bills do not have Josh Allen, dude, like I think they're a mid to lower tier team without Josh Allen. Well that you can say that about it, you know, any top tier quarterback, but But if you put May on the Bills with the Bills roster this past year.

SPEAKER_03 44:04

So you could argue the Patriots roster wasn't that good either. At least on offense.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Their schedule was bad. Their schedule was that bad. It was that bad. Like the more I looked at it, the more I was like, man. It was ridiculous. Now getting to play the Dolphins and the Jets twice a piece is is is always a good thing. That's the thing.

SPEAKER_03 44:24

They only played like three different teams than what the Bills played. Yeah. Like instead of the Raiders, they we played the Chiefs. Instead of the Titans, Titans, we played the Saints.

SPEAKER_00 44:35

I guess the Saints played everybody.

SPEAKER_03 44:36

Like we played the Texans instead of the Titans. And then we played the Eagles instead of like the Giants or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

That's just massive differences, though. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 44:44

Yeah. I don't he led league completion percentage. I think he's good.

SPEAKER_02 44:49

I think he's really good.

SPEAKER_03 44:50

4,400 yards, 31 touchdowns.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Like I just can't in my right mind put him over Justin. Can't do it.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

I Josh is the best quarterback in the league, but if we're going strictly off last year, I think Drake may have a better season. Last year was a down year for Allen. Like I I won't make any argument that it wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 45:04

I can't overlook the schedule and I can't overlook. It's kind of the same as Justin Herbert to me. Not like Josh Allen. I'm not talking obviously, it's not the same, but I think the supporting cast and the line and everything for Josh Allen, he elevates that team so much. You know, he plays so well that people don't realize it. They just look at the scoreboard of the stats, but he plays so well that that people don't realize it because the stat line might not pop out sometimes, but but they don't realize how how much he means to them. But again, we're kind of splitting hairs here.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

And I'll just I'll say what Josh Allen fan haters are saying. We had the leading rusher. We we ran the ball a lot this year.

SPEAKER_02 45:46

Part of that is people worried about Josh. Yeah, but I mean people worried about Josh Allen's legs and Josh Allen this and you know, playing coverage for Josh Allen, that's gonna open some lanes. You know, I mean that's just part of that's part of Josh Allen.

SPEAKER_03 46:00

I'd like to see us get back to the I forget what we called him, like when he was just making like borderline stupid decisions, but it worked. But he was slinging it. But now we're so competitive or not competitive. We all hired the offensive coordinators. I don't know what that's gonna be coming. Now we're so conservative. The the one game I was like, oh my gosh, was against the the Bengals. We opened up to our playbook so much against the Bengals of all people. I was like, if we could do this every game, we would we could go somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 46:29

When he's reckless against the Chiefs in the playoffs, he's way better just throwing it, you know. That's his game. Even though they lost, he was unbelievable. He's been unbelievable every year, you know.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

Other than this year, we have never lost playoff game and said that was Josh Allen's fault. It's always the defense letting us down.

SPEAKER_02 46:42

And this was more of um, you know, this was fumbles happen. You know what I mean? Like it wasn't like it wasn't like he was just throwing the ball. I mean, he had some interceptions, but the fumble at the end of the half was when I got it.

SPEAKER_03 46:53

That was the that was that that was all Josh. Like that was the ugly part of his game. That wasn't good. But he was in a boot the day after the season ended. You know, he he played through injury. That's not to excuse what he did, because that like I just can't fathom being so reckless on that in that position.

SPEAKER_02 47:08

Every year, don't he? He he's played through injury, but I mean that's kind of how he plays. Yeah. You know, like he plays with that you just kind of live with it. He plays with the I'm gonna run you over.

SPEAKER_03 47:16

I think I think our goal this year, like this past season, was just do enough to get in and then let him take over, but he got hurt anyway. And so it was just it was tough. But I have him at three. I don't like it, but I th I do think Drake may have a better season.

SPEAKER_02 47:33

Yeah, it's kind of splitting hairs, you know.

SPEAKER_03 47:35

We kind of talked about now Matthew Stafford was my one.

SPEAKER_02 47:38

I mean, he won the MVP. There's not at that age he's now he has the best weapons and everything, but I don't think you could you could put I mean he literally won the the MVP, I don't think it would have been right to put anybody.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

Yeah. He led the league in yards and touchdowns, only eight interceptions. That's that's pretty good, I'd say. Um one of the lowest interception rates percentages in the league as well. Sure. Like you said, he had the best best receivers, Puka and Devante together. I mean, it don't it doesn't get much better than that. No, but at the at the end he still made the throws. He still had the Rams looking like the best team in the league for the majority of the season. Like even when the Seahawks beat them in the end, at the end of the regular season, I still thought the Rams were the best team in the league.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

Me too. I thought they were gonna make the playoffs. But I mean, so did everybody. Or I mean I thought they were gonna make the Super Bowl. Yeah. So did everybody. Everybody doubted Darnold, including myself. Like, I just I mean, I don't watch every game in Seattle, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 48:36

But watched them smoke the same.

SPEAKER_02 48:37

He performed. He per he didn't even have to do anything, though. All they did was they returned punts and picks. That was before Tyler Shuck started, would have been different. But anyway. Yeah, I don't, you know, it's again, Matthew Stafford was the best player last year, and I think the MVP was deserved.

SPEAKER_03 48:51

Yeah, we had a lot there were a lot of people, I mean it's Patriots fans, but they were like talking about how it was rigged and like people like Danny Olofsky voting for Matt Stafford just because he was a teammate and all this stuff. Like, you can't argue Matt Stafford this year, in my opinion. No, no, he was again like I know stats don't tell all, but he led in all the major stats.

SPEAKER_02 49:12

And I'm I mean, I know I keep going back to this, but I think the schedule really also played a factor with Drake May. Like, I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about the voters. Like the people who vote for MVP. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like that definitely, like that definitely played a role. But if Drake May would have won, like it's not, you know, I'd have thought Stafford would have won it, but I don't I wouldn't have screened robbery either way.

SPEAKER_03 49:31

I'm glad Drake May didn't win it because that'd have been toxic as a Bill.

SPEAKER_02 49:34

Oh, as a Bills fan, yes, that would have definitely been toxic.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

Because we already deal with Lamar hater or Lamar fans. I don't I don't know if you're on any kind of Bills or Ravens Twitter, but it is the most toxic thing I've ever witnessed.

SPEAKER_02 49:46

Like, even still it's like this LSU and all Miss Lane Kiff and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 49:49

Like it's worse than that. No way. I'm telling you, dude. Like it'll like there'll be a video of Lamar like just throwing a a touchdown.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

They can't both be good.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 50:00

Like I mean, they're both top five when healthy, so it's what it is.

SPEAKER_03 50:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:05

But they both ain't won a Super Bowl. Exactly. I mean Patrick Mahomes don't get brought up in the discussion.

SPEAKER_03 50:11

I'm obviously taking Allen over um Lamar. Not that it that's not what we're talking about right now.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

I mean I do too. I mean, I think you have to, but we'll talk about that later. Yeah, that'll be we talked about that last podcast uh when the year started, how you're a Lamar hater. That's right. Are you are you the one on Twitter that that's doing all the stuff? I don't participate.

SPEAKER_03 50:33

I just it it's so toxic, dude. I can't I can't do it.

SPEAKER_02 50:36

Twitter used to be a fun place.

SPEAKER_03 50:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 50:39

Now it's now it's terrible. It's terrible.

SPEAKER_03 50:42

Alright, run run through your top ten 10 to 1 real quick.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

My top ten, let's see. Number 10, Nick's, nine, Caleb Williams, eight, golf, seven, Dak, six, Trevor Lawrence, five, Herbert, four, Darnold, three, May, two, Allen, and one Stafford.

SPEAKER_03 51:01

My ten to one Baker, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Bo Nicks, Trevor Lawrence, Drake, or Josh Allen, Drake May, Matt Stafford. A lot of similarities, a lot of differences. That's the video sports. We all look at we all view it differently.

SPEAKER_02 51:20

Way too early Super Bowl prediction. Um Bills when we are recording this at the beginning of March.

SPEAKER_03 51:26

Bills versus whoever. I don't care. DJ Moore, Super Bowl MVP.

SPEAKER_02 51:29

Give me.

SPEAKER_03 51:31

I can't even say it. The Saints.

SPEAKER_02 51:34

No, I'm playing. Saints, Titans. Saints and the Dolphins. No, I'm playing. I'll take the uh here in early March Super Bowl. It was just last month. I'm gonna take the Rams versus in Stafford's last year. I think it's gonna be one of those endings. Rams. McGrae Lewis. Not the Chiefs because Mahomes might miss the first two weeks as well.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

At least, yeah. Kelsey's last year, probably.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

Dude, I can't say the Bills. I've said the Bills for the last like four years. I can't do it.

SPEAKER_03 52:05

I can't hate you for that. It's Kelsey's last year, too.

SPEAKER_02 52:08

We're gonna get to the playoffs next year, and everybody's gonna be like, Bills are gonna win it. And it's like, no, they're not. And I want them to. I'm cheering. I'm cheering for the Bills. I really am in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 52:17

My hope is dwindling.

SPEAKER_02 52:18

I'm gonna take the Broncos. I think. Now I don't know about the free agency and stuff, but with the their O-line. So their O-line is top tier, and they're in a division with the Raiders and uh the Chiefs might be down next year, and the Chargers, they get hurt every year. So I think that uh that might be kind of a chalky pick.

SPEAKER_03 52:37

But what about Mac Jones? Do you think he gets moved?

SPEAKER_02 52:40

He's uh he's also a system quarterback, just same as everything in the Niners offense. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

I don't know. He played pretty well. Who do you want him to go to? I just I was I saw his name and I we hadn't talked about him. I was wondering. The Dolphins? I was thinking like the Falcons.

SPEAKER_02 52:53

If you're the Falcons, do you want Mac Jones or Kyler Murray?

SPEAKER_03 52:56

Mac Jones. At the end of the day, Kyler Murray's 5'6.

SPEAKER_02 52:59

Might be too tall.

SPEAKER_03 53:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:00

That might be too high.

SPEAKER_03 53:01

That'll wrap up our quarterback rankings. Be sure to flame us in the comments on Instagram, on Spotify, wherever you wherever you uh listen to your podcast. We'll move on with the uh you know who you didn't mention was Joe Flacco today.

SPEAKER_02 53:16

Did he retire? He hates to.

SPEAKER_03 53:17

I'm talking about our top 10. He played 14 games. He played uh 13. I put him over.

SPEAKER_02 53:23

I'd put him over Knicks.

SPEAKER_03 53:24

Wow, that's a hater. Sam hates Bow Nicks too. It's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 53:29

I just picked him to make the Super Bowl, too.

SPEAKER_03 53:31

Be on the lookout for future episodes, future content. Tribble to our running backs, receivers, maybe even our pullbacks. Time off, pay it sports, go build.