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00:00and which will start at 4.30 p.m. on Saturday.
00:02But the game we're talking about, 4.30 p.m., that's going to take place on Sunday.
00:06San Francisco and Philadelphia opening numbers around three.
00:09Now we're getting five and a halfs infiltrating into the markets.
00:12Make sure you're shopping around.
00:13There are four and a halves out there and five and a halves out there,
00:15and a total of 44 and a half.
00:17Philadelphia and San Francisco duel on Sunday, Joe.
00:20What's your spread line here?
00:22This is the one game of them all here in wild card weekend
00:27in which the pros and the Joes are aligned, Donnie.
00:31And they are aligned on the Eagles.
00:33Make no mistake about it.
00:35All the money, all the tickets on both sides coming in on Philadelphia.
00:40We also saw the total being pushed down this week, too.
00:45That also seems to be in alignment with the pros and the Joes.
00:51So we're getting a lot of under money,
00:52and we're getting a lot of love for Philadelphia.
00:55You'd be hard-pressed to find a lot of folks back in the 49ers in this game.
01:00But I even saw it hit as high as five and a half, Donnie, in some spots.
01:05And there are some five, five and a halves in the marketplace now this morning.
01:09So here comes the love for the Philadelphia Eagles at home.
01:14That's a dead number, Donnie.
01:15You and I both know it at five and a half, though.
01:18Five and a half.
01:18Sounds like my birds are going to run away with that game, as they should.
01:22And then the Packers beat the Bears,
01:23and all of a sudden the Eagles have a second home game.
01:25And everybody who yelled,
01:26we're not going to get a second home game in Philadelphia.
01:28You're probably going to get a second home game in Philadelphia.
01:30And away we go, Joe, to Monday night football.
01:33That is Houston and Pittsburgh.
01:35This line opened up as a three and a half point favorite,
01:37as we've been talking about all week towards Houston.
01:39Now we're threes across the board in a total of 38 and a half.
01:43No better cold weather quarterback to have on your side than Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers.
01:47But the upstart Houston Texans, that nasty defense.
01:50They're favored right now, Joe.
01:51What's your spread line here?
01:53Well, the spread line here is that unlike Philadelphia and the 49ers,
01:58where the pros and Joes are aligned, they're not aligned in this game, Donnie.
02:02The Joes here, the public, loves themselves some Houston Texans.
02:07The pros, not so much.
02:09That hook is no longer available across the board.
02:12You're seeing flat threes right now.
02:14You're also starting to see the under money come in now.
02:18It was kind of 39, 39 and a half.
02:20It was that at the open.
02:21It kind of stayed stagnant throughout the week.
02:24But now we're starting to see 38 and 38 and a half as the weather.
02:29The weather report starts to become a little bit clearer, getting an understanding of what we're going to get.
02:34But it looks like the under, but the public loves themselves some Houston Texans in this game.
02:40Oh, yeah, it is a football Friday right here on the Sports Grid Network.
02:44Action-packed energy all day long to get you ready for tonight's college football semifinal.
02:49And then this weekend's wild card action.
02:51You know the place to be.
02:52It's right here on the grid.
02:52But right now, it's the early line.
02:54And we're going to talk some NFL firings here.
02:56Mike McDaniel.
02:57Joe, how about this?
02:58On Monday, he's like, you know what?
02:59We're going to get in front of the press.
03:00I'm like, yeah.
03:01We're going through interviews right now for general managers starting our all-season here.
03:04And everything's going to be good.
03:05Stephen Ross then on Tuesday met with McDaniel and goes, you know what?
03:09I don't know if you're the right guy for the job anymore.
03:10And fired McDaniel.
03:12And here we are today.
03:13The Miami Dolphins looking for a new head coach.
03:15I was kind of surprised by this because this week it looked like McDaniel was definitely back.
03:20And again, I don't know what took so long.
03:24To me, this had to have been in the works for a little while.
03:28I don't necessarily believe that the Harbaugh becoming available was the reason for it.
03:35But I just don't know what they waited for.
03:39Listen, if you're going to do this, you have to do it right.
03:41You've got to get the general manager correct, right?
03:45And as it turns out, ironically enough, the general manager that's in the lead maybe for this job
03:50is a former Baltimore Raven assistant to Acosta that had been there forever in Baltimore.
03:59So there is a connection to Harbaugh with the GM that is likely going to take the job.
04:05But I'll tell you, I just I can't see Harbaugh coming to Miami with no quarterback situation whatsoever.
04:12They are kind of stuck with Tua, at least for another year until they can figure how to dump them to somebody else.
04:20Here's the interesting part, Joe, because like you started the show and you're right about this.
04:24Like the NFL's got eight coaching jobs open.
04:26That's ridiculous.
04:27There's not enough really good coaches to fill that role.
04:30So usually in markets, Joe, it's like, OK, one of the two coaches got fired.
04:34Hey, there's a lot of hot candidates out here.
04:35I better move on from my coach if I want to get one of them.
04:38The only reason I bring that up is when you go into the offseason, it looks like McDaniel was supposed to be back.
04:42What changed in Stephen Ross's mind this week?
04:44Because understand this, businessmen like Stephen Ross never go without a plan B that's already in motion at this point.
04:51So he didn't fire McDaniel like, you know what?
04:53I just don't think it works.
04:54Let's go through an extensive process and go through 15, you know, hiring cycles here to see if we can get the right guy that we want.
05:01I do believe Ross got word this week that a big name coach was like, I might be interested in that job.
05:07And that's why McDaniel is gone, because I do find it interesting where we weren't going to fire McDaniel.
05:12You know, it's a horrible actually hit the street.
05:13You knew for three months who these coaching candidates were going to be.
05:16Not a lot of people thought that horrible.
05:18You don't just say Mike Tomlin would be out on the silent.
05:20Tomlin obviously is not out because he's still coaching for Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
05:24But now that hard balls out, I got to believe there could be some smoke where there's fire.
05:27Because I don't think Ross, again, fired McDaniel by himself on a whim.
05:32Like, I just think it's time for something new.
05:34Something's got to be cooking here, Joe.
05:36Well, and it could very well be the fact that, again, keeping in mind, it's not just a coach.
05:41It's a GM and now a coach.
05:44And it would be kind of hard to sell to a GM in the interview, yeah, we're going to keep McDaniels, you know, McDaniels, your guy.
05:51You know, a GM's going to, if you're really hitting the reset button, which it sounds like that's what they're doing, they are interviewing.
05:58The guy's name is Chad Alexander.
06:01Now, Chad Alexander spent 20 years in Baltimore in that front office working under Ozzie Newsome.
06:07And he's got over a decade of experience working with John Harbaugh.
06:11Do you know who he currently works with?
06:14Jim Harbaugh on the Chargers.
06:16So this could very well be the key as to why all of this is happening, Donna.
06:22You're right, where there's smoke that could be fire, you bring in the GM who immediately brings in John Harbaugh, you've got yourself now a new era in Miami.
06:32Exactly, and something to believe in because a lot of times, again, we are in the, let's just say we, in the NFL, you're in the business of selling seats and making money.
06:40If you keep McDaniel back next year, where's the energy from?
06:44Oh, we know what we're going to do.
06:45You get a new head named head coach in there, a big-time head coach in there, you're going to fire up that fan base once again.
06:50And understand this, too, he's going to get a lot of rain in that organization because Miami's not exactly run well where they're making it to the playoffs every year.
06:56I mean, the team hasn't won a playoff game, it feels like, since 1972 at this point.
06:59But also, if we are looking in the future, Tua Tagovailoa has a decision to make, not for him, but just what the franchise is going to do.
07:08Understand this.
07:09This could be a complete teardown season where you just eat it, you cut it, or you try to get a six-round pick and readjust his contract.
07:14But understanding this, your cap is going to be screwed up for at least one to two years.
07:18Or do you keep him and say, well, if we cut him, it costs us more than actually keeping him here.
07:23We'll use him for one more year.
07:25We'll see what we have and then reevaluate.
07:26That's tough.
07:27What do you think the Dolphins, Joe, do with Tua?
07:30They're going to try to move him.
07:33You know, good luck with that because they still owe him a ton of money.
07:37And listen, I mean, you brought in McDaniel to fix Tua, right?
07:41And it looked great early on when you had, you know, Tyreek Hill, you know, still wanting to play and healthy.
07:48And, wow, they looked fantastic until they got to minus eight degrees in Kansas City.
07:53You got to find a new identity in Miami, Donnie.
07:57Let's get down to business, people.
07:59It's wild card weekend.
08:00And, again, I can't stress it enough.
08:02Two Saturday, three Sunday, one on Monday Night Football.
08:05It's your boy, DLS, along with Joe Ranieri.
08:06Now we welcome in my guy, Tom Vecchio here.
08:09Big weekend on deck.
08:10Tommy, are we ready for it?
08:13I'm ready.
08:14This is, you know, arguably one of the best weekends in football.
08:17This weekend and next weekend.
08:19We have something that we haven't had for a while, Donnie and Joe.
08:22This is all teams trying to win, which is not something we've been able to say over the final few weeks, the regular season.
08:28We're in for some great games.
08:29I'm ready to roll.
08:31Let's roll here.
08:32And, Tom, we'll start you right out.
08:334.30 p.m. tomorrow.
08:34The biggest line you're going to find.
08:36And it's not a home team favored by double digits.
08:38It's a road team.
08:40There is some weather in the forecast here, which means we could get some rain.
08:43We actually saw this game just a few weeks ago, and the Rams lost this game.
08:47But the Rams are still favored by 10.5.
08:49It's been that number all week, Tom.
08:51How do you play Rams-Caroline in your mind?
08:53You know, we were talking earlier in the week, and I was expecting this line to move down to 9.5.
08:58And at one point, it moved from 10.5 down to 10.
09:00I was like, okay, things are going there.
09:02You know, at that point, I would be interested in the Rams.
09:03But 10.5 is where it still sits.
09:06You know, there's a lot of historic trends to back home teams in playoffs that are getting double-digit points.
09:12I don't know if I can get there with the Panthers.
09:14And I may not be betting a side in this game.
09:16It really just comes down to the total.
09:18I think the Rams want to get out there.
09:19They want to right the ship.
09:20They want to run up the score.
09:21They want to prove what happened a month ago at this point, wherever it was, was just a flash in the pan.
09:25They're still one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
09:27They have the second-best odds.
09:28If they're a road team in the playoffs, I think they go out and score points.
09:31I like their team total best in this game.
09:33I'd like to see it.
09:35So, the night game is interesting because we've talked about it all week.
09:39Like, I think the line of Chicago being, you know, a slight dog to Green Bay at home is the number-two seed.
09:46Tells you what the market thinks of Chicago.
09:50But we're also seeing some under money come in, which I think makes sense.
09:54So, how do you approach this game?
09:56Is it a slugfest?
09:57Is it both teams running the ball as best they – what are we going to get in this game?
10:02So, you know, to your point, love the under.
10:05There's going to be a little bit of snow.
10:06It's not going to be a snow game.
10:07I want to make that clear.
10:08I saw some, you know, people talking about it, you know, across the street.
10:10It's not a snow game.
10:11There's going to be wind.
10:12You know, if we look back to when Chicago won that game, like, they needed miracles to come back.
10:18I'm going to be onside kick, Hail Mary, all these things in order just to win that game, scrape away with the win.
10:23So, when you look at some of the numbers, when you're looking at DVOA numbers, looking at EPA numbers, Green Bay's better in basically everything across the board.
10:30And really, a lot of Chicago's success this year has been propped up by their turnover differential.
10:35So, you allow a team to drive 80 yards down the field, and then you pick them off in the end zone.
10:39It's like, well, that's not really good because those turnovers are going to be variable.
10:42I think Green Bay's the better team when it's all said and done.
10:44I like Green Bay on the money line.
10:46I think they come away with the win.
10:47And to your point, I do like the under.
10:49I think it's going to be a run-first game.
10:51Yes, Green Bay's offense hasn't been fully healthy, nor have they all been out there in a number of weeks.
10:55But this is the spot for them to kind of, I don't want to say hit the ground running,
10:59but they're going to ease into things because this matchup's easier than people think, despite the fact that they're on the road.
11:05Josh Jacobs said this week it's the best he's felt in six weeks here.
11:08Matter of fact, he's not even on the injury report on a day-to-day basis.
11:11So, a good sign there for Green Bay getting healthy at the right time.
11:14That game will take place on Saturday night.
11:16And by the way, heavy ticket count public favoring here for Chicago.
11:19Let's roll it over to Sunday.
11:20Another game with a heavy ticket count coming in on the San Francisco 49ers.
11:24But we see that movement from the Eagles as a favorite of around three at the opening number,
11:28up to five and a half at some outlets right now.
11:30Philadelphia, some windy conditions, not overly bad, not totally freezing conditions,
11:34and no precipitation in the forecast.
11:36San Francisco banged up heads into Philadelphia.
11:38Tom, how are you looking at this game here?
11:40I'm looking at a game that should have points.
11:43And, you know, I like points in some of these matchups.
11:46And next week, I think it's going to be opposite.
11:47I'm going to say there's going to be no points in a lot of the matchups.
11:49But, you know, what we know from the 49ers is that they can go out there and, I think,
11:53reasonably get to 17, 24-some-odd points in this matchup, maybe 21.
11:57But the Eagles, they should be able to pour it on.
11:59They should be able to get to 24, 28, maybe even push to 30 because the 49ers defense is so bad.
12:04The Eagles coming off a full rest.
12:06If they want to have any shot at, you know, defending the title, going back-to-back Super Bowl champs,
12:10like, they need to come out on fire.
12:12Your offense has been extremely up and down.
12:14But go out and score at least three touchdowns and prove that you are still one of the Super Bowl favorites.
12:19So, we've talked about that earlier, Tom, with San Francisco and Philadelphia.
12:24It looks like the public and the pros are all on the same page.
12:28I mean, we saw five, five-and-a-halves in the marketplace with the Eagles now.
12:32Not so much with Houston, though, and Pittsburgh because the public loves Houston
12:37and we're seeing nothing but Pittsburgh movement here and the totals coming down.
12:43What do you think we get in this game?
12:45You know, Tomlin as a dog at home, really tough to not back that spot when it's all said and done.
12:51Absolutely love the under in this game.
12:53I was on the under last week, Steelers-Ravens, and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter is not what I was expecting.
12:59You know, that game was trending under the entire time.
13:02And the live total was down to 32-and-a-half at a certain point.
13:04I thought it was all locked up when it's all said and done.
13:07Really, I think the unders are going to come through.
13:09And then, you know, my favorite prop for this is going to be Woody Marks, the running back for Houston,
13:13under 15-and-a-half rush attempts.
13:15Listen, he's a rookie.
13:16If you were to tell me that a rookie running back on the road had 16, 17, 18 rush attempts, I'd be shocked.
13:23I just don't see that happening.
13:24They're going to have a well-balanced rush attack.
13:26And, you know, frankly, the Steelers-Rush game defense, I should say, the Steelers-Rush defense has been pretty good.
13:32They got torched by Derek Henry last week.
13:33But over the past weeks prior to that, they held Cleveland in check.
13:36They held Detroit in check with Gibbs.
13:38They held Miami in check.
13:39And then prior to that, they got torched by James Cook and Henry again.
13:43So they've been a little bit up and down.
13:44But seeing the backfield that Houston has with Dick Chubb, George Jordan, and Woody Marks,
13:50I don't expect any of them to have 15, 16 carries.
13:52They'll all be around 8, 9, 10, 12.
13:54It'll be a well-balanced attack.
13:56And you simply have to do what it needs to take to get done in order to win the game.
13:59And it doesn't mean feeding a rookie running back 16 times.
14:03Yeah, and also, Tom, we always point out, you look at Pittsburgh.
14:05That's not a quick-strike offense.
14:07Pittsburgh would love to go 13 plays, take eight minutes off the clock, and then there you go.
14:10You have limited possessions and limited plays there for the Houston Texans.
14:13Agree on that.
14:14Let me flip back to one game on Sunday afternoon, Tom.
14:161 o'clock start.
14:17Buffalo and Jacksonville.
14:18Jacksonville's got an eight-game win streak coming into this football game.
14:21And they're underdogs.
14:22They've been underdogs all week long.
14:24Buffalo holding steady as a minus one-and-a-half point favorite.
14:28Do you agree with that line?
14:29And how does this game play out in your mind?
14:31I agree with the line because I don't think the books would ever want to post the Bills as underdogs.
14:37And it's just where I think things would go.
14:39This game is a coin flip when it's all said and done.
14:40I honestly think that this game is a race to 35 points.
14:44The Bills defense can't stop anyone.
14:46The Jags offense has been a rocket ship over the past month.
14:49I think either team has to score.
14:50And it's really going to be the first offense to make a mistake and the defense to get lucky.
14:54And the game is going to end 35-28.
14:58Is New England getting disrespected this week, Tom, in that three-and-a-half?
15:01Or do you think the Chargers legitimately have a chance to go in there and pull that upset?
15:05I think the Chargers are alive this weekend.
15:06And I think they are the best of the underdogs to come with the win.
15:10Tom Vecchio dropping knowledge on a football Friday.
15:13Thanks, Tom.
15:14We'll talk again shortly here.
15:15As for myself and Joe Renier, we will be right back after this short break.
15:19Let's get down to the business at hand.
15:21It is a football Friday.
15:22We understand the magnitude of that.
15:24It's Donnie Wright said it's Joe Renier.
15:25It's the early line right here on the Sports Grid Network Sunday at 1 o'clock.
15:28They told the Buffalo Bills, this is your year.
15:32No Lamar Jackson, no Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
15:36If you don't get it done this year, you will never get it done.
15:38As we know, things don't necessarily work out that way.
15:41But Buffalo is a favorite on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
15:46This week, Joe, it's been one-and-a-half towards the Bills, regardless of any public tickets coming in,
15:51or any money, or the majority of the volume coming in, even on Jacksonville.
15:55Let me ask you this question, because now I'm seeing a little BetMGM, a little Bet365.
16:00They're now down to minus one.
16:02Some of these games are going to get heavily influenced from now until they kick off,
16:06particularly this game, at 1 o'clock Sunday.
16:09Will the Buffalo Bills, Joe, by game time on Sunday still be the favorite?
16:14Yes, absolutely they will be.
16:17Another one of these pros versus Joe's situation in the market right now.
16:22The public is looking at Jacksonville and going, how is a team that has won this many games in a row
16:29at home playing the best football, how are they not the favorite?
16:34And yet, if Buffalo was going to fall and become the underdog, it likely would have happened already here,
16:42Donnie, because I don't think Buffalo is going to raise to two, two-and-a-half.
16:45We're not getting any key numbers in this game here.
16:48It really is, who do you think is going to win this game outright?
16:51And the pros are looking at strength of schedule and looking at the fact that of the four losses
16:57Jacksonville has, three of them against teams in the playoffs right now.
17:03Buffalo has been here and done that.
17:04Experience matters.
17:06I don't see Jacksonville getting all of this crazy love before kickoff and all of a sudden becoming the favorite.
17:12Yeah, and a lot of these games, it's almost like the trust factor starts to kick in.
17:16Like, oh, Chicago, two-seed, they're at home.
17:17Yeah, but we don't trust them and they're the underdog.
17:19Hey, Buffalo's in the playoffs.
17:21Well, we know Josh Young's been there, done that, hasn't gotten to the Super Bowl, has played in a lot of big games,
17:24and we just don't maybe trust Jacksonville.
17:26They're the underdogs at this point.
17:28Heck, even New England, who's a three-and-a-half-point favorite as a high seed,
17:31they're not getting a lot of trust against a dome team that's got to travel 3,000 miles to come across
17:35and play them with a banged-up offensive line and a quarterback that's still trying to get his hand right
17:39from surgery, from having a broken hand.
17:42But if we are focused on that Buffalo-Jacksonville game, high total, Joe, 51-and-a-half.
17:47Now, if we look at the weather conditions in Duval this weekend, 62 degrees, not really that windy,
17:52and no precipitation in the forecast.
17:54Are we looking at points in this game from your perspective?
17:57Yeah, it feels like if there's going to be a crazy shootout this weekend in a close game,
18:04it's going to be this game.
18:07And listen, Liam Cohn, once he took the training wheels off of Trevor Lawrence in this offense,
18:12they have been really good running the ball, and of course, Trevor Lawrence passing the ball.
18:17He cut down on the turnovers on the second half of the season.
18:21They can put up points with the best of them.
18:24And, you know, Buffalo has that bend-don't-break defense, right?
18:27So they're going to have their chances to put some points on the board.
18:31And we know that, Josh Allen, that you're going to play right into his hands by playing that kind of shootout.
18:37I would rather have Josh Allen than Trevor Lawrence in this spot.
18:42Another game we're going to look at on Sunday, 4.30 p.m. Eastern,
18:46the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia Freedom.
18:49Well, it's the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the San Francisco 49ers.
18:52That line between 4-and-a-half and 5-and-a-half, depending on where you're shopping at.
18:55And before we get to the breakdown here, let's get a little clip here from Robert Sala
18:58talking about Saquon Barkley.
19:00Do you think the 49ers defense has had more success against Barkley this year than the previous year?
19:09I'm going to skip that question from a schematic standpoint, but I still think he's elite.
19:13I know his production isn't what it was a year ago, but he's still a damn good football player.
19:20He's still a threat to break it any time he touches the ball.
19:24Stoutland is still one of the best O-line coaches in all of football and creating good angles
19:31and creating space for the back.
19:33So, no, but they can still run the ball as good as anybody.
19:40Ooh, Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby coming downhill.
19:44Lane Johnson back at right tackle.
19:45Joe, come on, feel the heat.
19:49Listen, I'm going to be interested in this game, Donnie.
19:54First of all, I'm very concerned with whether or not Trent Williams or Ricky Pearsall are going in this game here for the 49ers.
20:01I'm thinking, Donnie, with the move that we're seeing right now, maybe one, if not both of those guys, are not necessarily guaranteed to suit up here.
20:11We have not heard one way or the other.
20:13And let's face it, San Francisco's offense without Trent Williams, not as good when he's on the field.
20:20He's their version of Lane Johnson.
20:22We know Lane is going for Philadelphia.
20:24I'm having this feeling that the reason we're seeing all of this money coming in on Philadelphia, they might not be as healthy as we think they are, the 49ers.
20:34Smoke them if you got them.
20:35Let's go, Birds.
20:36We're all Eagles fans here.
20:37Nobody's 49ers fans.
20:38Anybody watching out there a 49ers fan?
20:40Don't see it.
20:41Don't see it.
20:41I don't think so at this point right now.
20:43Houston and Pittsburgh, Monday night football.
20:46And by the way, this is an interesting line because you would figure Steelers at home, dome team coming outdoors.
20:52Steelers probably a favorite of around three points.
20:54They're not.
20:55It's Houston.
20:55It's been there all week.
20:57But also, Houston, it was as high as a three and a half point favorite, Joe.
21:01The majority of the outlets all showing threes across the board and a total now of 38 and a half.
21:07Are the Pittsburgh Steelers being disrespected in this game?
21:10Or do you have to pull a rabbit out of a hat and Rodgers has to do what he did last week?
21:13And DK Metcalf's going to have to make big plays and you're going to have to get sacks from TJ Watt because Houston is the favorite here.
21:19Road team.
21:19Well, and I get why Houston is the favorite here, but I also get why the public loves Houston in this spot and does not like Pittsburgh.
21:29However, the pros very much like Pittsburgh in this spot.
21:34And listen, this is all about the defense, right?
21:36The defense of Houston.
21:38Most teams, Donnie, this year had to kind of alter their offensive game plan when Houston, when they were playing Houston in this defense.
21:46Pittsburgh doesn't because nobody gets rid of the ball quicker in the NFL than Aaron Rodgers.
21:55Their offensive game plan.
21:57It's they're not going to have to change anything against this Houston team.
22:00But Houston, not the same defense on the road outdoors in elements that they are inside a dome.
22:08Yes, I get the history that, you know, Tomlin and Pittsburgh doesn't want to play off game and yada, yada, yada.
22:14That has nothing to do with these two teams taking the field on Monday night.
22:19I agree with the move.
22:20I believe Pittsburgh is the right side.
22:22And I think they're a live dog.
22:23How can Aaron Rodgers pass on this defense?
22:26Well, how about this?
22:27Here's Aaron Rodgers telling us how he's going to do it.
22:29And they bring strong dog.
22:31They bring the mic and they bring 44 off the slot.
22:34And we talked from day one when I got here.
22:36I like throwing vertical peaks, first pressure.
22:39So start off by looking vertical.
22:41And we actually kind of like made eye contact in the huddle and just said, be alert.
22:47And then sure enough, he widens slightly like he's supposed to.
22:50He catches the ball with his hands.
22:51He gets 14 yards, and that's a drive continuer.
22:54We talked on through routes.
22:56If you get two men, double up, take your time, give them an outbreak look, and then go down the middle.
23:04And on the second to last drive, he ran an absolutely unbelievable route.
23:08And it was just perfect.
23:10I mean, I'm literally throwing it kind of laughing at myself because I'm like, this is it.
23:14See, I've been talking about this forever.
23:17But I'm just really proud of him.
23:18I can't say enough good things about Pat.
23:20He is an exceptional hero.
23:23By the way, let me ask you a quick question on this, too, because Aaron Rodgers is obviously invigorated.
23:26I do think he's coming back to the Steelers next year.
23:28They got a cold-weather game.
23:29He's one of the best cold-weather quarterbacks there is.
23:32But he does have the wedding ring on.
23:33Do we have any confirmation of who his wife is?
23:36Has she ever taken a picture?
23:37Has she been on social media?
23:39Has she ever showed up to Akershire Stadium to support her husband?
23:43Do we know any of this?
23:44Let's get TMZ on.
23:45No, and we probably will if he wins this game.
23:49No, Donnie.
23:50I think we'll get a much better idea.
23:52It'll be front and center.
23:53But no, we haven't, which is interesting.
23:56But kind of to my point, he's kind of telling you, like, this is – I know what they're going to do.
24:03And we're just going to do what we do here.
24:05So, I don't think the Steelers are going to be intimidated by this defense at all.
24:09And it feels like Aaron Rodgers.
24:11Been there, done that, knows what's coming.
24:14He'll be ready for it.
24:15Should be a good one here.
24:16And also understand this, too.
24:17Like, remember when Shohei Ohtani just showed up one day and, oh, yeah, here's his wife.
24:20Like, wait, how did, like, the world's most famous superstar somehow got around anybody even knowing he was dating or who he was even getting married to?
24:27And here's my wife and here's my dog, Decoy, at this point.
24:30So, Aaron Rodgers, why does he reveal the wife here?
24:32Could it be a boost here for the locker room?
24:34Maybe we'll know and find out.
24:36A little wild card weekend action coming up next right here on the early line.
24:40Whose house, as they like to say at SoFi Stadium, it's the Rams' house.
24:44Well, not the Rams' house this weekend.
24:45The Rams are on the road to take on the Carolina Panthers.
24:48But maybe it turns into the Rams' house.
24:49It was actually a house of horrors a few weeks ago when you saw the Rams trying to fight for the number one overall seed.
24:55It actually got beat by the Carolina Panthers.
24:57It doesn't matter is what the odds makers are saying.
24:59Ten and a half is the favorite for the Rams over the Carolina Panthers.
25:04Joe, and a total of 46 and a half.
25:06Matthew Stafford on the road.
25:07Maybe some rain here.
25:09They're telling you it doesn't matter.
25:10It should be a blowout.
25:12And I agree because it should be a blowout.
25:16There should be absolutely no reason why the Rams cannot handle business in this game on the road because, I'm sorry,
25:25the way to beat the Panthers, Lonnie, is to make Bryce Young have to beat you, right?
25:32And that's it.
25:33Because we know, take away the running game, put it on Bryce Young's shoulders to have to throw for 250 or 300 yards to beat you.
25:41And guess what?
25:42Not going to happen.
25:43But he'd be lucky to get to 170 yards.
25:46I mean, who are we kidding here?
25:48And I don't think he's going to have a great game here.
25:50This is an eight-win team who backdoored a place for a home game in the postseason going up against one of the favorites to actually win it all.
25:59They're a ten-and-a-half-point dog for a reason here.
26:02Give me the Rams to blow by the Carolina Panthers.
26:07Come on, Joe.
26:07Let me give you some opportunities here.
26:09The Panthers were double-digit underdogs against both the Packers and Rams and came away with two victories, Joe.
26:15Does that change your mind?
26:16Did I just change your mind on a Friday about this game?
26:19No.
26:20No.
26:20That didn't do it, Donnie, because it's still going to come down to Bryce Young having to throw the ball.
26:27I believe the Rams' defense will be able to take away the running game here.
26:33And I think having lost that first game is an absolute benefit to the Rams here.
26:39I don't think there'll be a three-or-more-turnover situation for the Rams in this one.
26:44I think they handle it rather easily.
26:47I like clockwork, Joe.
26:48You know who's back in the default?
26:48Devontae Adams.
26:49You get inside that five-yard line.
26:51That's his territory.
26:52That's his touchdown.
26:53If you wanted to wager on it this week, take a look at FanDuel right now.
26:55Minus 140 price.
26:57If you want Devontae Adams' anytime touchdown, seems like a good one.
27:00It just feels like every time they get inside the five, it's like, dude, this is your ball.
27:04Puka's like, what do I have to do to crash this party and have fun inside the red zone?
27:08Well, listen, I don't think Adams would be playing if he wasn't able to handle those red zone opportunities and chances.
27:17So, yeah, I think he will absolutely be a big part of what the Rams—you can't cover all of those guys, Donnie,
27:23which is what makes them so crazy and what makes him so valuable.
27:27Not to mention the tight end, who's done a great job in place of taking those red zone targets with Devontae Adams out.
27:35Having him back in their full complement, a very dangerous team here in the postseason.
27:41Dangerous.
27:42No doubt about it here.
27:43Green Bay's going to take on Chicago.
27:44And here's Ben Johnson talking about that Packers defense.
27:47I think both him and McKinney are really good.
27:52I don't know if there's a better safety tandem right now this year.
27:56And I know the team we faced last week had a couple guys that are hurt.
28:00Those are two really good players as well.
28:02But these two guys, you've just got to account for them.
28:04I think the safety position in general is one that is rare that you go into a game feeling like there's an impact player.
28:14And yet, this particular week, these two guys, they're all over the field.
28:20I think they're highly instinctive.
28:21They do a great job when the ball's in the air making plays.
28:26I know McKinney had all those interceptions last year.
28:28He did a great job with that.
28:29And then, I think it's been pretty cool to see Evan Williams just kind of grow over the course of his career to where he's an impact player for him now.
28:39We've got to do our best to take them out of the running game because they're very active.
28:45They do a great job tackling.
28:47And then, when our backs get them one-on-one, they have done a good job all year getting these backs down.
28:54So, we've got a big challenge in front of us there.
28:57And, you know, Halfley's done a nice job putting them in good spots.
29:03That's a good offensive coordinator that knows how to put his players in the right position.
29:06The question is, can Chicago rise to the occasion?
29:08Because why, Joe?
29:09They're underdogs on Saturday night, getting a point and a half at most outlets here in a total of 44.5.
29:14Cold conditions, some windy conditions, maybe even some snow in the forecast.
29:18But the Packers, ain't no shame in their game.
29:20They're used to that cold weather, windy conditions, and snow as well.
29:24Yeah, I mean, weather is not an issue in this one.
29:26And I don't even think the Bears being at home is, obviously, the market doesn't think it's that big of a deal either here because they're not getting any sort of credit or for a home field advantage.
29:38But this is going to come down to, I think, time of possession and who makes more mistakes here.
29:46Can Jordan Love and the Packers, can they own time of possession?
29:51Can they convert in the red zone?
29:53I think they might.
29:55I think they will be able to do that.
29:56The market thinks they're going to be able to do that.
29:58And for Chicago, you've got to hope if you like them to win, you've got to hope that the moment at the spot and Caleb Williams, he's got to make big time throws when it matters the most.
30:10And we still, Donnie, to this point, have not seen him do it.
30:14And that last win was absolutely, you are not repeating, if you give us the same effort that you did in the last game against Green Bay, it's not going to be good enough to win a playoff game against them.
30:25Take a look at the touchdown markets here for this game between the Packers and the Bears.
30:29The leader in the clubhouse right now, odds-wise, is Josh Jacobs at a minus 120.
30:33Everybody else is plus money.
30:34Understand this with Josh Jacobs.
30:36Last time they played with the Chicago Bears, he was quite banged up in that game.
30:38And also, you had the concussion for Jordan Love, a healthier version coming to town for the Packers.
30:43Doesn't always relay that way because also you're going to get some other players back, like Roma Dunze, who's been banged up over the past couple weeks.
30:49He's returning back to the Chicago Bears.
30:51Colder temperatures here.
30:52Playoff atmosphere in the Windy City should be a fun one, but I do think Jacobs finds Pader.
30:56Put it this way.
30:57You could probably correlate this game and say if Josh Jacobs carries the ball 18 times for 80-plus yards, that's a really good sign for the Packers.
31:04Didn't have those options for the past couple weeks.
31:06I like the Packers to win this game, and I think they win, and of course, cover the one and a half for me.
31:11Yeah, and I think Colston Loveland is interesting.
31:14He's been fantastic for him, especially in the red zone, Donnie.
31:17But, you know, Green Bay, top five against tight ends this year defensively.
31:23It's a tough matchup, but I wouldn't be shocked if he finds Pader in this one.
31:27Yeah, and also, take a look at the Andre Swift leader there for the Chicago Bears.
31:31Plus 160.
31:32Christian Watson, plus 170.
31:33Dobbs, Loveland, and away we go.
31:35Wild card weekend, people.
31:37Two on Saturday, three on Sunday, one on Monday Night Football.
31:41You better keep the dial right here on the Sports Grid Network.
31:43All the way through the weekend to get the latest, the best, what do we like to say, Joe?
31:46The best second screen experience in the business always goes down on the Sports Grid Network.
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