We made it through the regular season! The fun is just getting started though, as this weekend we have our first ever Super Wild Card Weekend, as the new expanded playoff format will give us 3 games on both Saturday and Sunday. For this episode of Til The Whistle Blows, Sam and I do a complete analysis of every team out of the playoff, what to take away from their season, and what to expect from them in the draft. We also briefly recap the Week 17 games and preview the upcoming playoff matchups. As always, there’s a ton to cover, so be sure to tune in! I first come on at the 8:38 mark. Featured on this episode:
The Doug Pederson tank job: Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson benches QB Jalen Hurts to play backup Nate Sudfeld in a primetime season finale against division rival Washington, therefore ensuring the loss. Why this was a sad, pathetic, disrespectful, and awful move on top of an already awful season by a coach who is officially a loser.
The Dolphins defense collapses in a blowout loss to the Bills, and the Dolphins miss the playoffs. Calls to draft another QB are way too premature, but how will the Dolphins handle Fitz and Tua heading into the offseason and next year?
Can the Falcons shed their choking reputation and give Matt Ryan some team to work with before he retires?
How are things looking for Trevor Lawrence on the Jaguars?
How the hiring of Adam Gase ruined the Jets and Sam Darnold.
The Patriots finish at a respectable 7-9 for a rebuild year. What’s next for them, and is this it for Cam Newton?
The 49ers competed hard despite their record, and they should be back on track next year with a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo and co.
Another late season defense collapse sees Jon Gruden’s Raiders finish 8-8 and outside of the playoffs.
It’s rebuild time for the Lions. Will Stafford stick around?
The Cowboys look to bounce back next year with a healthy Dak, hopefully on a long term contract. But the same organizational problems remain.
What will Matt Rhule do at QB next year for the Panthers?
The Browns just slip past the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger, but they now have to face them again, this time without their own head coach.
Zac Taylor is sticking around. Fingers crossed for Joe Burrow.
The Seahawks win due to some late Russell Wilson magic, but what on earth has happened to this offense?
Which teams are in the mix for Justin Fields?
Deshaun Watson just had a phenomenal year on an awful team and leads the league in passing.
The Packers wrap up the 1 seed in the NFC, but Mahomes is still more deserving of MVP honors, and the Packers need to prove they can get it done in the playoffs.
The Eagles head into an incredibly long and complicated offseason. What on Earth are they going to do with their QBs?
Why is there a playoff game on Nickelodeon?
All that and much more, so be sure to tune in!
Til The Whistle Blows is available wherever you listen to podcasts, including on Apple. Have fun watching the games this weekend, and be sure to check back next week for more in depth analysis!
Sam and I are back to discuss an eventful Week 16 in the NFL! On this episode:
Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray have a lot of work to do this offseason.
Fitzmagic makes an insane throw downfield to win it while getting his facemask yanked backwards. But is Brian Flores making a mistake with his handling of Tua?
Gruden deserves criticism for another year where late season defensive struggles cost the Raiders a playoff opportunity.
How the Steelers came back against the Colts, who could be looking at missing the playoffs despite likely finishing with 11 wins.
How the Falcons almost beat the Chiefs but managed to blow it yet again. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, knowing they can score at any time, just seem uninterested in playing unexciting, play by play football.
The Jets have now won 2 in a row and are officially out of the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. Will they stick with Sam Darnold next year? Should they?
The Dwayne Haskins debacle: Why was he released, and what does he need to do to turn things around?
Which NFC East team would have the best shot at keeping things close in the playoffs?
Josh Allen has a huge arm, has improved his accuracy, and is playing with tremendous confidence. That’s a dangerous combination. Meanwhile, both Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham struggle as the changing of the guard in the AFC East has finally arrived.
The Titans have major problems on defense.
Barring anything crazy happening, Trevor Lawrence is going to Jacksonville. It could be a good fit for him.
Deshaun Watson’s career year on an awful team continues.
Interim coaches manage to put Stafford and Watson in harm’s way for no good reason, and both of them get hurt.
The Buccaneers dominate the Lions, but that doesn’t tell us much.
After starting the year phenomenally on offense and terrible on defense, the Seahawks have now switched. Their defense is good, but can they get their offense going again?
The Rams are moving in the wrong direction.
The Vikings will miss the playoffs after a slow season start doomed them, and Zimmer needs to figure out their issues on defense.
Unfortunately, meaningless late season wins for the Bears, Bengals, and Chargers may convince owners to hold onto coaches and players that they shouldn’t (Matt Nagy, Mitch Trubisky, Zac Taylor, Anthony Lynn).
Taylor Heinicke, Chris Strevelor and John Wolford will be starting games at QB next week, all for teams that need to win. Remember that next time someone tells you that Colin Kaepernick isn’t good enough to have an NFL job.
Lastly, don’t buy into the hype. Why, despite what you are hearing, Patrick Mahomes is more deserving of the MVP award than Aaron Rodgers. (Note: When I said on this ep that Rodgers struggled against Tampa, going 16/35 for 160 yards and 2 TDs, I meant to say 2 interceptions. He did not throw a TD in that game.)
Sam and I also discuss the playoff picture and give our Week 17 picks but unfortunately, we had some audio troubles during the last 15 minutes or so (and sporadically throughout as well). It was my first time appearing on video for the pod and there seem to have been some issues. We’ll do our best to work this out moving forward.
This was quite the week for the NFL, as the Jets upset the Rams to take themselves out of position for the first pick in the draft, and the once undefeated Steelers lost to the Ryan Finley led two win Bengals. Sam and I talk about this and much more on this week’s episode of Til The Whistle Blows, including:
The Chargers finally win a game in the 4th quarter.
Marcus Mariota taking over for the Raiders.
An inexcusable loss for the Rams.
The Jets can’t even tank correctly, as they gift Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars in a game that could have just changed NFL history. But is it even possible to “tank” in the NFL? And what could or should they have done differently?
Derrick Henry, Marcus Mariota, and the Titans continue to dominate–as do Josh Allen, Brian Daboll, and the Bills.
The Falcons have become an absolute embarrassment as they once again give up a huge lead.
The Bucs’ tendency to fall behind big early in games does not bode well for their chances in the playoffs.
The Patriots’ long run as head of the AFC East is finally over as they are officially eliminated from the playoffs.
Is something going on off the field with Dwayne Haskins?
The Saints keep it close with the Chiefs, but without Michael Thomas they are unlikely to make a playoff run.
Baker Mayfield is getting hot.
The Steelers are broken and they’re not likely to fix it anytime soon.
Jalen Hurts had an excellent day as this offense once again gets rolling without Carson Wentz.
I know close to nothing about basketball, but Sam starts keeping track of my NBA game picks regardless to see if I’m a prophet.
Sam and I also look at the playoff picture, where the AFC has finally overtaken the NFC with a ton of new faces. Plus, a look at the draft order and as usual, our weekly game picks.
Cary Krongard's Football Blog 