Bald Guys On The Bench
Bald Guys On The Bench
From Black Monday Shocks To Playoff Chaos: NFL And College Football Collide
Recorded January 5th, 2026
A team went an entire NFL season without a single interception, and somehow that wasn’t the wildest storyline we unpack. We kick off 2026 by tearing through the most chaotic stretch of football in years: Black Monday shockwaves, a Coach of the Year race with six legit candidates, and a playoff bracket where every edge comes down to cap math, trenches, and one coordinator stealing a series.
We go deep on quarterback cap hits and how they really shape rosters, from depth to special teams to who actually gets extended. Then we pivot to the college semifinals, where Oregon’s defense looks like a first-round assembly line and Indiana’s rise under Curt Cignetti is the best identity story in the sport. NIL and the portal are rewriting power maps, and we explain why Miami’s defensive line, sideline energy, and relentless pressure make them a threat to bully their way into the title game. Our picks are on the record: Miami’s nastiness travels, and Indiana’s cohesion isn’t a fairy tale—it’s a plan.
Back in the NFL, the AFC feels wide open. We outline the Chargers’ most winnable path, why the Patriots’ pass rush doesn’t scare us, and what “run volume plus explosives” has to look like to advance. Then we relive Steelers-Ravens, from fourth-and-goal calculus and a possibly intentional PI to a fourth quarter where one throw and one miss flipped futures.
If you’re into real strategy, not hot air, hit play. Then tell us your Super Bowl and title-game picks, subscribe for the playoff ride, and drop a review so more diehards can find the show.
#baldguysonthebench #graboneandcrackone #cfp #nfl #steelers #ravens
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench Podcast with your hosts Graham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott:What's up everyone, and welcome to the first episode of the Bald Guys of the Bench in 2026. Wow. 2026. I mean, God, I remember as a kid going, God dang, it's gonna be 2000. But anyhow, as we get this party started tonight, we want to welcome a lot of new followers, a lot of new listeners. But before we go to Graham, I just want to say, I hope you guys enjoy listening to the leading interception candidates for the New York Jets. Graham and I. We as much as the NFL, you're welcome. I mean, let's go. I'm an NFL leader. Graham's an NFL leader. I mean, who can have it better than us? Nobody. Is that any good? Ah, just what can you say?
Graham:Hey, you know, they say records are meant to be broken, but I did not think that was gonna happen.
Scott:Dude, I saw something. If you would have bet that the Jets would have had no interceptions the entire season, a hundred dollars would have won you over a million.
Graham:Oh, well, I for something that's never happened. Yeah, I mean, if you just want to throw money down the drain.
Scott:Sheesh. Well, anyhow, you know, since I'm a team leader in interceptions and you're a team leader in interceptions, you know how we got to start the party tonight, right?
Graham:Hey, you know, you know what we like to do as the best on me as the oh wow. I I I'm like already jumping all over the place here. Let's get the party started, bro.
Scott:It's gone to your head that you're leading a team in interceptions. I get it. It's okay. You're allowed to have mistakes right now.
Graham:Hey, let's get let's get it started, brother. Let's grab one and crack one.
Scott:Let's do it, man. Things you never thought you would hear. An NFL team with no interceptions.
Graham:I mean, the season that they had, I I just especially coming from a new head coach who was a huge offensive player and a defensive coordinator for the Lions. Yeah. A good player, too.
Scott:Good. And then, and then this is gonna sound shitty. Oh, God. My boy Dre Bly, I went to high school with him, broke the NCAA interception record as a freshman, is their defensive backs coach. Sheesh. I mean, it doesn't help when you lose Sauce Gardner, but remember, Sauce went one-and-seven as a Jet and one and seven as a Colt. So how you doing?
Graham:I thought it was almost impossible to go eight and one and then miss the playoffs. But, you know, shit happens.
Scott:Well, like going 0-3 and making the playoffs, thank you, Texans. Right?
Graham:Well, I was just what a season. What a season. Oh, you know, Scott.
Scott:Somebody said it last night, not to interrupt you, and they said it last night, and they were like, Can you remember an NFL season that was as exciting as the one we just witnessed? Granted, it's fresh in our minds and stuff, but it was the storylines. It was solid, dude. It was amazing.
Graham:I no, it definitely was, and I'm not taking anything away from it. It's just, you know, there were certain storylines where it's just like things kind of had to happen. Per se like, perfect example. Let's talk about the 49ers. I mean, we're not I know we're still in the beginning of the show, but just quick, just quickly to say obviously them losing the players to injury, devastating. But for them to be in the position that they're in, what did we say at the beginning of the season? That schedule? I mean, look, you can only play who's on the schedule and who's in front of you. I get that. But I mean, you gotta give Shanahan credit for what he was able to do with that team.
Scott:So dude, and I was, you know, we're we're still at the beginning, but yeah, yeah, yeah. I have to. We've talked about it on the show over and over and over. Coach of the year. How many candidates are there? Vabel, Liam in Jacksonville, Ben Johnson in Chicago, Homeboy in San Fran. McDonald, Shanahan.
Graham:McDonald. Yeah. I mean, normally it's like, you know, two coaches, maybe three. Carolina? Yeah. And I don't know about Carolina.
Scott:Dude, look what. And then you got the poor Tampa Bay Bucks who just lost their last two offensive coordinators. One goes to Carolina to become the head coach, they get in the playoffs. The other one goes to Jacksonville, they get in the playoffs.
Graham:And Tampa not.
Scott:I mean, the head coach of the year, uh the coach of the year, I I don't even know. You can make a statement for everybody. Right? I yeah, I I just the the pick's gonna be Ben Johnson. We all know it.
Graham:Yeah?
Scott:We know it.
Graham:But but I could argue Cohen obviously because of the last name, different spelling, but just he would be my pick. The players that he had and what he did with them to this year. I mean, I heard something yesterday that kind of just blew my mind in the sense that just to paint the picture here an a player. How do I say this? To make the NFL, you gotta be a great player, right? Right.
Scott:So my point is this for me and you lead the chat in the exception.
Graham:My point in saying that is this you can be a good player on a team that doesn't have the pieces around them, doesn't have the right coaching, and not do well. But say, oh hey, you got lucky, you got asked to leave, or you know, they're like, we don't want you anymore, and go to another team, and all of a sudden, you're just the piece that just makes everything click. And what I'm referring to is Jacoby Myers. Coach came out and said, getting this dude just solidified our offense. He was the perfect piece that we needed and opened everything up. And I'm like, wait, hold on.
Scott:Who? Yes, Jacoby Myers? Especially, especially when Brian Thomas Jr. goes down. And remember that guy they drafted early? Yeah, Hunter. He goes down.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Dude, I it was not only that, not only that, but I'm just gonna say this. He what he's done with Trevor Lawrence is amazing.
Graham:The quarterback whisperer. I mean 2.0.
Scott:Yeah, but the one before him is now in Carolina. Everybody loved him, and look what they're doing. Yeah. I mean, yeah, they have an under-500 record, and they're going in the playoffs, and they're gonna get boat raced by the Rams, but look who the Panthers beat this year. Uh, I'm pretty sure they beat the Rams at home. Pretty sure they beat the Packers.
Graham:In Green Bay. I mean this season. I mean, we say this uh I mean, since we've been on, we've been saying it multiple times, especially throughout the NFL season. But if what's saying is more true any given Sunday?
Scott:Yeah, and this year has been more of that than any.
Graham:What had happened was um, yeah, you know, uh what?
Scott:I just and I mean, and let's don't forget, it comes down, god dang it, we're skipping all over the place. It doesn't matter. This is why I love the show. It doesn't even matter. Uh Saturday night's game, the Panthers and Tampa, in Tampa, if the Panthers win, you know, they're in. If Tampa wins, they gotta get some help on Sunday, right? And help means the Falcons need to beat the Saints. Or for the Panthers. Let's don't forget the Falcons, who just last Monday night laid it to the Rams. Who saw that coming? Nobody. Uh if the Falcons would have beaten the Jets way back when, the Falcons would have won the division.
Graham:I mean, who would you be more afraid to play? The Falcons or the Panthers?
Scott:I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Falcons. Oh, I I don't disagree.
Graham:Dude, Bijan, best offensive player in the game. Uh but I know we talked about it, uh at least I ranted about it on the podcast. This was probably during week four, five, six, or six, seven, eight, right around there. There were games that they played that they lost andor won, and I took the opposite side with, and you're just like, what like them beating the bills, but then losing the the following week, and then losing again the fall. I'm like, how did you just manhandle the bills and then lose the two shitty teams? Like, what's going on?
Scott:I I mean beat the Bills 24 to 14 on Monday night football. The next week, obviously, you know, you go to the Niners, you're gonna get vote raced. Yeah. And you lose to the Dolphins. Dude, they only lost to the Patriots by a point.
Graham:I I I just I you know, make it make sense. I I don't know. I mean, speaking of make it make sense, you know, today is what they call Black Monday.
Scott:I mean, you know the best part of you bringing that up. We just went from the opening to the absolute closing of the notes, which whatever. It's hot, it's the topic right now. I don't even give a not even looking at it.
Graham:No, wait, we got notes. Um but my my sorry, but sorry, but not sorry. Um look, we'll we can still get into the coaches later, but my point in saying this is No, no, Black Monday, bring it, let's go. Raheem Morris. He didn't deserve to be fired. He didn't. But my thing is this, and it got brought back up. You paid, you paid Cousins $140 million, and then in the and then two months later, you used a first round round, first round pick on Penix. Granted, they still had other good picks in that draft, and then what they did this year, get you know, moving up and getting the two defensive players, like they were significantly better this year, but they started Pennyx.
Scott:No, it wasn't his fault. At least the GM got fired there, too. Because that was stupid. To pay to pay cousins and then the draft.
Graham:Oh, I only saw the coach. I didn't realize that they did the GM too.
Scott:Clean house. Clean house.
Graham:Well, I mean, yeah. But you don't I under like I understand setting up for the future, but in the first, like, how they could have gotten him in the second. But even still uh do we know that? I mean, yes and no, but like was he the guy that you're just like out of what's coming out of the next couple of draft classes, you're telling me you couldn't hold on for cousins for another I mean like they're hey hey they took Penix and I'm not gonna give this guy any credit. Eight. Yeah. They could have they could have taken Bo Nicks. Yeah. They could have taken McCarthy.
Scott:Not that that's looking good right now for Minnesota, but right? But I mean, whatever, dude. Uh I don't know. I don't know. That whole crazy situation is nuts. You know, Pete Carroll, he gong. Who didn't see that coming? I mean uh everyone, yeah. Best thing about that, dude. I saw something. This is hilarious. Uh, with Pete Carroll getting fired today. Uh the Rangers are now spending $50 million on coaches that are not there. Antonio Pierce, $8 million a year, McDaniels, $10 million a year, Gruden $10 million still, Pete Carroll 16, and a coordinator, Chip Kelly, $6 million a year.
Graham:But yet, you know, within the last couple of days, you still you've been seeing rumblings on the internet, like, you know, they're putting out the bat signal for Gruden. Like that he's not coming back.
Scott:If he comes back, I guarantee you he ain't going to that franchise.
Graham:Bro, he has the NFL by the balls with his lawsuit right now. There is no way they're letting the and by they I mean the NFL, they're letting him back. There's just no way. And you know, thinking about the coaches, especially with Gruden. I was thinking about it yesterday when I was watching football, and you know, they're talking about all the younger coaches now, these hot shots. It's like I feel like the league is changing in the sense of, you know, just you know, how the progression, the offense, but I mean, tell me if this sounds stupid. Does the whole Madden game have an effect and just, you know, uh just in the sense of like how how much kids are playing it, they're knowing the game. I mean, in these last X amount of years, the amount of young coaches that they're hiring in their th like young 30s is significant compared to what it was years ago.
Scott:Yeah, I understand what you're saying, I get it, but let's look at the history of these young coaches.
Graham:Well, true, where they're coming from, for sure.
Scott:How many of them are successful right now? And to say something before I even say it, I saw a clip today from Hardknocks from 15 years ago, okay? And it had O'Connell on the Jets, yeah, and Hard Knox getting fired getting released as a quarterback, and they're like, 15 years later, this guy's an NFL coach.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:So the young guys that are doing work, obviously Shanahan, McVeigh, O'Connell.
Graham:I don't know how old Cohen is in Jacksonville. 37, 36, young.
Scott:But it's yeah, I get it. You know, Kingsbury was a young head coach going to the Cardinals from Arizona or from whatever, Texas Tech. You know, I get what you're saying. I but if you look at the history, the guys with a little bit of experience, you know, are the ones doing work. I mean, McDonald, dude, in Seattle. I mean, dude, there's a guy right there. Dude, he was he was Michigan's defensive coordinator, goes to goes to Baltimore, becomes their defensive coordinator. Mentor goes to Michigan when he comes in. Look at these guys. McDonald, dude, look what he's doing. Yeah. I mean, and props to Sam Darnold. You know, everybody gives him shit for never big winning the big one. Last year he lost, you know, against the uh who was Rams. Yeah. No, and the against the Lions in a week 18 winner take all game.
Announcer:Oh, yeah.
Scott:Lost to the Lions, and then the very next week lost to the Rams. Good for him, dude. Getting the monkey office back. I love it. I love it.
Graham:Yeah, for the regular season, we still need to see that playoff win, though. I I agree. I I have all the faith, but I'm just saying you still need we still need to see it in the playoffs.
Scott:But that monkey off the back thing, you know, 100%. 100%. Anyhow, you know, Jonathan Gannon out in Arizona. What the hell are they gonna do, dude?
Graham:Where do you go? Sell the team. I mean, that's what everyone in Phoenix is saying. The owner's the worst.
Scott:And I remember Maddie telling me stories of you know other things and with that connection. Absolute worst. I just absolute worst. But where do they go, dude? Who wants that job?
Graham:I mean well, here's the thing. If you're comparing it to what the other jobs are available, I get your point. But someone's gonna take it because, as you said, there's only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL. Like someone's gonna take it.
Scott:I the thing is contract's a great contract, because guess what? When you get fired, you'll still get paid.
Graham:Yeah, but the thing is I don't know what I say this. Like, you can still go somewhere as a first-year head coach, even if I don't want to say even if you suck, but like as long as you show promise, and if things happen that are not under or are not in your control.
Scott:Oh, I'm sorry. Did you say if you show promise? Uh it is not uh let's build thing, it's a do-it-now thing, and there's no better example than homeboy Callahan in Tennessee. He never had a chance.
Graham:Well never, never had a chance. That's ownership. Never had a chance. The dad died, the daughter took it over and has no idea what the hell she's doing. Doesn't care.
Scott:That's that's Indianapolis, bro.
Graham:No, no, no, no, no. That's see that's for them too, but that the owner died a few years ago. Yeah, that was a few years ago.
Scott:Still, it's not you have the first round draft pick, you take Ward, of course it's gonna start off slow. What do you think? I mean, you just who did they draft? They drafted Malik Willis a couple years ago, then what was the other quarterback they drafted uh from Kentucky? The mayo guy. Uh yeah. Like, what do you expect? Uh I mean, Jiminy Crickets, the name's not even relevant. Who cares?
Graham:I have no idea.
Scott:But you know, uh the thing that got me fired up today was the Browns firing Stefansky. Okay, I understand if you're gonna fire Stefansky, but you better package that GM with that firing too. Because the GM's at fault. Stefansky did what Stefansky could do. He won some games, dude. Am I wrong?
Graham:Bro, he was a two-time coach of the year.
Scott:He went to the playoffs with Flacco.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Okay. So the GM, how many quarterbacks have they had in the last five years? Don't even answer that. Here's the question for you. And this is what I was I couldn't believe when I saw this today. Okay. Oh god. Going into next year, 2026, okay, quarterbacks with the highest cap hit. Name the top five for me. Don't look it up. Show me your hands.
Graham:Highest cap hit. Um I'm assuming Deshaun Watson.
Scott:Ding ding ding, number one. You know what his cap hit is for next year? Probably 80. Yeah, that's Stefansky's fault. Yeah, you should fire your head coach because Stefanski, I mean.
Graham:Hey, they did Stefansky a favor. A hundred percent. And you're gonna be like, how how how can you say that? Um, folks, because he's gonna have a job in a week. Yeah. He's gonna go to a better organization. He's obviously proven he knows what he's doing. Yeah, he's made some questionable calls, but let's be real. What Hall? I mean, I'm not calling a Hall of Fame. I don't okay, let me just get that up on a bit. What top coach hasn't made some bonehead plays, bonehead calls?
Scott:You know what I mean?
Graham:Like all of them. Every one of them, dude. Exactly. Every one of them.
Scott:But paying Deshaun Watson 80 million dollars, giving up this, that, this, that, knowing what's coming with the legal issues, that's not his fault.
Graham:No, it's the ownership. But I it is rare rare that I would defend Cleveland. Because you know how I feel about it.
Scott:Top five. Can you name anybody else?
Graham:Oh, Jared Goff.
Scott:He's five at 69.
Graham:Jesus, I thought he'd be higher than that. Um higher than that. Uh oh, uh Allen, I'm I'm sure.
Scott:Josh Allen's eight. Oh, wow. At 56.
Graham:Wow, who if Josh Allen is eight, biggest cap hit, Jesus. Um oh, so probably have to be a few years ago he signed. Mahomes?
Scott:Number two. Okay. 78.
Graham:Hmm. Who signed a few years ago? Oh, uh the little bo little man, uh Kyler Murray.
Scott:He's number nine at 53.
Graham:Oh, well.
Scott:You're missing three and four. Three, four, and six and seven are gonna blow your mind.
Graham:Can I get a conference? I won't go division, just a conference.
Scott:Three and four, one's AFC, one's NFC.
Graham:Oh, yeah. Thanks. You said, could I get a conference? Uh Burrow?
Scott:Uh Burrow is not in the top 12.
Graham:Wow. Wow. Okay.
Scott:I think I I think I'm sorry, top 11. I think he's 12. Herbert's 13, Burrow's 12. One of them, number three, y'all beat him last night.
Announcer:Lamar, okay.
Scott:Yeah, Lamar at 74. Yeah. Number four is not in the playoffs.
Announcer:NFC not in the playoffs.
Graham:Oh, God. Um on your fantasy team. Oh, Dak.
Scott:Dak at 74. Yeah. Number six and number seven. Ooh, all the six seven, you're welcome. Number six, we talked about earlier, Kirk Cousins at 57. Number seven, Tua, 56. Insane.
Graham:Look. I know we keep making the argument that, hey, well, the cap's gonna go up next year, but even still, like, I don't you know, there is a reason I hate bringing this up, because you know, both of us hate this organization, but probably a reason why the Patriots were good for 15 years.
Scott:Yeah.
Graham:If if you don't overspend on quarterback, I mean, Tom still got his money, but they made his contract where it was all guaranteed and it didn't go against. So it's just like there's only less than a handful of guys that you're just like, you know what, I'll give it to you and I'll guarantee. So, and we'll just take the risk of if you get hurt or not. Like, that's really what it comes down to. Otherwise, it just it is what it is. Like, you can't look in these last couple of years, and since we've been doing this podcast, there's been quarterbacks that have been getting paychecks, and we're just like, What? Who? I mean, perfect example. This is the first year that you could actually say that Trevor Lawrence's contract was was valid.
Scott:Yeah, remember when you did the extension last year, and everybody's like, I'm sorry, what? Yeah. But, you know, who? Yeah. So, anyhow, let's rewind. Okay, let's rewind. Let's go back to the top of the page of the notes, Graham. Uh whatever. This is fun. Uh I don't know. Before we even get going into college football, uh, just wanted to give a huge shout out to Taylor for coming on last week and spending some time with us and you know, opening up about some things. And we had a blast. It was fun. I think he enjoyed it. You know, he was texting me after the show. Yeah. Uh, and hey, Bush Beer, your two favorite ball guys on the bench are looking for a sponsorship. And you know, we did give you a couple shout-outs. So don't worry. Our lawyer that represents us with BCB clothing will be contacting you soon about that. But uh, you know, it was fun, it was a blast. But uh, anyhow, dude, college football, the semifinals are set, and just like you and I and everybody predicted, uh, the matchups are, you know, Ole Miss and Miami. I'm sorry, what? And Oregon and Indiana. You could have seen the Oregon, Indiana one coming, but uh all miss Miami.
Graham:Whoa, hold on. Let's back up a little bit here. You don't don't, I don't want to say sugarcoat, you make it sound like that Texas Tech Oregon game was, you know, gonna go the way that it did. Weren't you hyping Texas Tech? All season.
Scott:100% was.
Graham:And into the playoffs.
Scott:Yeah. But what I did say on the show last week, if you remember, which I know you didn't, I said whoever wins the olmus the Texas Tech Oregon game is going to the championship. I said the winner of that game goes a long way. Yeah, you did. I did have a lot of hype in Texas Tech, but dude, that game, oh my lord, Oregon, Texas Tech, like waiting for Oregon. Yeah, it was a snooze fest, 100%. Like, we had just gotten home the night before from Connecticut, and my dad and Kristen's dad were coming over for the Bama, Indiana game, and literally in the third quarter, she's like, What are you doing? I'm like, I'm bored. This game is awful. I mean, Oregon straight up domination station with their defense, dude. And you know what? If you look at a lot of mock drafts for the NFL, a lot of those Oregon defenders are in that first round. Yeah. A lot. A lot. But and then the Indiana game, dude, Indiana Bama. Like I said, before you get into it, like I said, every game Indiana has played recently has gotten better for Indiana. Like nobody respected them, myself included, and they beat Ohio State in the Big Ten. They went on the road in October and beat Oregon at Oregon by 10. Yeah, that was a long time ago. Whatever, you know. But every game, dude, they've gotten better. Every game. At the end of before the Bama, Indiana, or before, sorry, the Georgia game, I texted Taylor and I'm like, Georgia minus six and a half, right? And he's like, 100%. And I said, and he goes, Indiana and Georgia in the national championship game. And I said, Indiana was unbelievable. He goes, dude, people do not realize how good of a coach Signetti is. And I was like, obviously, the guy must be insane.
Graham:Agreed.
Scott:He was like, amazing leader. Look what he's done, dude. I mean, and at the end of the Rose Bowl, the crazy thing to me, and then I'm gonna let you go on your tangent. Dude, when Indiana boat raced one of the premier, you know, schools and college football, and their fans were losing their minds. I looked at my dad and Kristen's dad, and I'm like, this is amazing for them because it's new and they don't know what to do. That was so awesome to watch. They had no idea. They're at the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. They're known for Bobby Knight throwing goddamn chairs across the court on a bad call and getting ejected. Now they're beating the shit out of Alabama in the Rose Bowl? Yeah. The offensive line gets the players of the game. What?
Graham:You ain't wrong. I'll say this. I mean, obviously things are different now with NIL forever and all of college sports. And what I mean by that is storied programs who you would say are, oh, when you think of Duke, what do you think of? You think of the Blue Devils, you think of basketball. When you think of North Carolina, what do you think of? When you think of Kentucky, Indiana, what do you think of? You think of basketball. Now it's just like, oh, you got that bread? Shit. Come on down. I got some money.
Scott:And let's go. Like we've like we've talked about all season. My hometown team at TH4 played for older minion. We've talked about that quarterback. Yeah. Told everybody months ago he's gone. What do you do? Just signed with Wisconsin yesterday for two million. I mean dude, it's thanks for playing. You know, but anyhow, go back to what you were going to say about college, because I kind of took the floor with that one.
Graham:So yeah, no, you're all good. So, I mean, a couple things. One, before that game started, the Bama, Indiana game, a lot of uh I don't say hype, but just you know, videos that I saw on YouTube where, you know, interviews and stuff that they're showing people commentary, they're basically, I mean, look, all these sports media guys, they have to come up with stuff to talk about, right? It's all let's throw shit up against the wall and see what sticks. And my point in saying that is this the amount of people that I heard that was breaking down Indiana and basically was just like, you know, Mendoza, yeah, you know, he's good. Yeah, he won the Heisman, but most of the touchdowns that he threw were against no-name teams. When they played the big guys, he'd throw one here or one there. But it's just like, dude, the the one that obviously is most important to me, the game winner against Penn State, the dude, I mean, with the most miraculous catch of the of the year in the back of the end zone.
Scott:I I mean if you like wide receiver footwork, yeah.
Graham:I mean, kudos. Kudos to you. I mean, golf club. So it's just like everyone was, you know, when everything is about projection and you haven't like, okay, yeah, they're good, but like you have to prove it. They're proving it, and they're stepping up, and and you know, also just with Signeti, you've been seeing all these clips as of recently, especially before you know the game started, where it's just like you saw that sound bite where he's just like, you know, I didn't realize it was his opening press conference. I'm pretty sure it was his opening press conference when he got signed. And the code, you know, the yeah, the good guy was just like, So what do you think you're gonna bring to the organization? He's just like, Google me, you'll find out. And just like the look on his face. Like, do you know how big of waifos you have to have to say that in this day and age?
Scott:Think about this.
Graham:Seriously, seriously.
Scott:I talked about this months ago. Signeti was an assistant for Saban. Okay, forever. And when he told Saban he was leaving to go be the head coach of IUPUI, Saban goes, Why on earth would you do that? Signetti's wife was bitterbetty at him because he was making this amount of money as an assistant with Bama, and he was taking a 50% pay cut to go there. He produces, he does well, he goes to Elon College, bro, in North Carolina, little school, and then he goes to JMU.
Graham:JMU does work, you know, and then he goes to Indiana.
Scott:Dude, the guy, he's learned from the best in Saban, not to say that all the other four coaches that are playing in the college semifinals haven't been under Saban at one point, which is amazing as shit. But he acts like Saban. Kirk Kerbstreet was talking about and when they were giving him the awards, he goes, Oh my god, he smiled. That's the first time I've seen him smile in a month.
Graham:Yeah. On a complete left turn side, sorry, I gotta bring this up, just popped in my mind. Uh, I know they're boys, they're BFFs, but I I don't know if we've even talked. We I'm sure we have talked about this. Is it a reach to say that Saban's better than Belichick? Just based off look, they're both winners. Like we get that pedigree, everything. I and I look, they're both equally smart, but I'm just saying, the people that have been under Belichick, what they've done compared to what the people under Saban has done.
Scott:I mean Hey, I'm just gonna go out and say, Did you ask if Belichick was better than Saban or Sabin was better than Belichick? Oh, that's a good point. Did you ask? I don't know. I'm asking, I'm like, what did you ask?
Graham:Oh no, it's no, I said is I said, is Saban better than Belichick?
Scott:I'm gonna go and just say straight up Saban. Remember that guy? Tom Brady?
Graham:Yeah, he won without him.
Scott:I mean, Tom Brady's first couple Super Bowls, yeah, that was Brady. Or I'm sorry, Belichick. Yeah. Sorry, that was Belichick.
Graham:But yeah, I mean, look, Belichick's scheme, he took away their best option in every game. I mean, planning it. It's apples and oranges, it's two completely different things. I mean, one's on a pro-level column, it's different. I'm just, you know, it's just something that popped in my head when we were talking about it. I'm just like, I mean, when you're at the top, you're at the top. Does it really matter who's one A or one B?
Scott:I agree. I agree. So we got Miami on Thursday night, Miami Ole Miss, Miami's laying three and a half. What do you like?
Graham:Dude. I mean, dude, that that get the old miss Georgia game, though, like, how good was that game? It came down to the end.
Scott:I I just dude, you can't you can't you can't say how good was how was the Miami Ohio State game. Yeah. Miami's defensive line, street domination station.
Graham:I you know what? I'm gonna go out on a limb here. And I don't want to say it's going on a limb, but I heard this being said by a lot of other people. Yes, I can make decisions on my own, but you know, people make their decisions based on information that they get from others. And there's been more than a few occasions by more than a few people that said during the college football season that this team quite possibly is the best team of the nation. Their record may have not displayed that, but I'm gonna go Miami.
Scott:Their defense is retarded.
Graham:And let's be real.
Scott:The main reason I know exactly where you're going.
Graham:This is why we're boys. Are you telling me as a fan of football and just ridiculousness? Who doesn't want to see Michael Irvin on the sideline go, thank you, thank you. Watching him on the sidelines is more entertainment, or not more, but as much of entertainment as the game. Just watching him go, they score a touchdown or they get an interception, he's all up in the player's face.
Announcer:He's like, Let's go, boy, come on, come on, let's go.
Graham:Dude, after the game was over, him slapping the gate the Gatorade joke.
Scott:Hey, I love it, man. It's great, it's awesome.
Graham:I can't.
Scott:And then in the other game, Indiana Lane three and a half playing Oregon. Um I'll tell you right now, straight up, Indiana. Alternate alternates line that shit to Indiana minus, I'm gonna say over a touchdown, so say alternate line it to minus seven and a half. Wow. Yeah, I'm sorry, Oregon. Dude, like a man with no arms, you can't hang.
Graham:I mean, you can't call it a Cinderella season. No, but like what Signeti has done. What story in sports, especially college, and especially in football, would that not be the whipped cream cherry on top if Signeti bro, he's lost two games in two years for a program that's the worst franchise or worst worst football program in the country, and he's lost two games in two. Years and he takes them to the net. He wins their first Big Ten title in 800 years, and then he wins the net. Like, if you would have told me anytime before the last two years that oh, hey, by the way, in a few years, Indiana's gonna win the national championship. But I'd be like, what are you smoking?
Scott:You're dumb as shit and shut up.
Graham:Like, seriously. What? So I I it's and the thing is, I don't think like if Miami beats Oregon, I really think Signet's gonna miss almost Miami. Sorry, no, I'm just saying Miami beats Oregon. Sorry. If I if Indiana makes it to the national championship game, I just think he has those boys in the mind frame that it's just like it's it's not it's not a Cinderella to them. Like they're not gonna it's not gonna be too big for them. It's not like because the thing is like they still feel like underdogs.
Scott:Did you see, and I mentioned it a few minutes ago, they gave the player of the game to the offensive line. Did you see how those players reacted when they gave that to the offensive line? No, dude, that right there was enough for me to go game set match, they're winning it all. Their center, their center that came over from Notre Dame transfer portal, domination station. Dude, that celebration of all the other players celebrating when the offensive line got the players of the offensive players of the game for the Rose Bowl was enough. They're a team, they believe in each other, they have what it takes. Dude, I I I just don't know. Uh uh. It's cool, it's a cool story for a college football. And I might be wrong if Oregon wins, and I hope I am. I hope I'm not, because if Oregon wins, Andy's gonna win the college football pool. And but I want oh, the crazy thing is, and whoever wins the Indiana Oregon games winning the national championship. In my mind. And that's gonna be three in a row for what conference.
Graham:Big Ten, baby.
Scott:Hey, Big Ten's slow and not athletic. Okay.
Graham:Dude, ever since this NIL, the SEC is not that strangle bold is getting weaker and weaker.
Scott:You know why? Because they were paying people before it was legal. Now everybody gets to. Just throwing that out there.
Graham:Yes, and and and also I think now it's also, you know, just how society and life is and just way the way things are. People now would rather get paid. People follow loyalty, follow money more than loyalty now. But it's kind of effed to say that, but like hey, it's just if I'm a college player, I'm following money.
Scott:Yeah, yeah. Do I want to win a national championship? Absolutely. But do I want to go get paid?
Graham:Do I want to be underwood, suck for a year, and still make 40 minutes like and still like how can you say the guy sucked?
Scott:He's a true freshman. I they held him back.
Graham:I okay. Before did you think he was coming back?
Scott:Uh no, not until they hired Witty Ham. Yeah.
Graham:Nothing against the kid. I have no no problems with the kid, but I'm just saying, when you pay someone ten million dollars as a true freshman, and then you bring him back.
Scott:The kid was held back. Yeah, no, I'm just they didn't let him throw the ball.
Graham:No, I get it. I get it. We'll see what happens.
Scott:I'm just anyhow. We're a long way into this show. We haven't even gotten into it. Well, we've kind of been skipping around. Um, talking about Seattle, you know, Denver beat the Chargers yesterday, didn't score a touchdown against the Chargers backups, clinched the one seed. Just real quick, we're not gonna spend a lot of time on it. Saw a lot of shit come out today. Denver, the number one biggest fraud is the one seed in the NFL. Hey, am I gonna be surprised if they go on and win the Super Bowl? No. But I would. Yeah, exactly. I I actually am. You know, like I told you last night.
Graham:I'm like, shut up, dude. You're full of.
Scott:Yeah, I'm trying to be politically correct. Bo Nix is the game manager. I mean, if you go out and look at the Broncos, the last couple games they've played. Dude, they beat the Chargers yesterday when the Chargers didn't start anyone. They didn't score an offensive touchdown. They scored, they had a pick six in which a Chargers tight end tipped the ball pick six. They scored four field goals. Okay. They beat the Patrick Mahomes less Chiefs by seven. They got boat raced by the Jaguars. They barely beat the Raiders by seven. They beat the Broncos by a point and overtime. The Broncos beat sorry, the Redskins by a point in overtime. Okay, they beat the Chiefs the week before that by three. They beat the Raiders before that by three.
Graham:They beat the Texans by three. Dude. So off the top of my head, is their best win, which is one that I thought they were gonna lose, is their best win at home against the Bears? Is that the game they went back and forth?
Scott:Yeah. Uh I would say their best win was on the road against the Eagles. Okay, yeah.
Graham:No, I'll give you that. That was their best win, in my opinion. What have we always said? It doesn't matter what happens before you get into the dance. Everything restarts once you get there. Obviously, home field is a huge advantage. That being said, you know, for you saying how weak is the you know Broncos being the number one.
Scott:The Broncos never beat the Bears.
Graham:Wait, then who'd they wait, who'd they win that they were going back and forth with? That they lost that they won right at the end of the game. It was like 35 to oh, the oh, that's right, the Giants game. Yeah. Sorry, my bad. If you somehow would have beat them with your backups, are you feeling more confident that the Patriots are a legitimate number one seed?
Scott:No. No. Like I was talking to you last night, I was talking to my boy Joe Books. The AFC is wide open.
Graham:Wide. Wide open. It's never been this wide in a long time. It's crazy. It's crazy how wide open it is. Dude, 20 years.
Scott:I mean, yeah, the Broncos are the one seed. The Patriots are the two seed. Dude, the Patriots, they had two wins this year against teams with a winning record. Not saying they're not a great team. They're well coached. They got a great quarterback in Drake May that you didn't believe in until now when I was trying to trade for him before fantasy football. Uh, but a great team. Great team. Oh, I saw that coming. I mean I mean, just think about this. Just think about this. Okay, this is a big if. If the Chargers beat the Patriots this coming week, we go to Denver. Let's go. I ain't mad at that. When the Steelers beat the Texans this week, you guys go to the winner of the Bills. Or shit, you could be hosting the Bills. I mean, yeah. No, we'd we're going to Jacksonville. I'm just saying, if the Bills beat Jacksonville, y'all could be in the biggest. No, I'd love that.
Graham:Oh, I'd love that. I I still have I still have a big thing. I don't want you playing Jacksonville. I don't like that. I still have Blake's night Blake Bordle's nightmares. Um just dude, while you were talking, saying that the AFC is so wide open. I kind of got this little itch. Jags are plus fourteen hundred.
Announcer:To win the AFC. No, to win the Super Bowl.
Graham:No, here's what's more surprising. The Texans are plus twelve hundred.
Scott:I mean, let's go match up by matchup. Okay. The crazy thing, the crazy thing, if you look at every game this week, how good it is, there's no point spread more than three and a half points in all the games, except for the Rams and Panthers. How good is that?
Graham:Dude, the Broncos are plus 650. Sorry. To what? Win the Super Bowl.
Scott:Yeah, not happening.
Graham:I don't disagree.
Scott:I'm just saying, like I said last night, no NFL coach in the history of the NFL has won the Super Bowl with two different teams. Sean Payton ain't gonna be the first. Write it down, take a picture. I don't give up.
Graham:Beep. All right, hit these matchups.
Announcer:I I I look.
Graham:I you know, we always say, you know, like we were saying earlier, any given Sunday, things happen. Granted, it's also the regular season. Once the playoffs happen, it's more rare that the unexpected happens. That being said, I mean, just if we look if we're going by the notes, you you got your game first. Yeah, yeah. I like the Chargers. My only and also, you know, I I rep the Chargers. What I hate saying this, but it's it's more of like what team shows up. I mean, I know the defense will be there. I mean, like, they'll be ready to go. I'm I'm just like Yeah, no. I'm just nervous about that game.
Scott:I think things could go the reason the reason I loved the matchup. Yeah, I think I think in the wild card round, it's the best matchup for the Chargers. Am I saying we're gonna win? No. I'm just saying it's the best matchup. The Patriots pass rush, not that good. Obviously, we know the Chargers offensive line is banged up. Yeah. But that's why I like it. Yeah, you guys can stop the run. The best thing about it, mentor versus Josh McDaniels.
Announcer:Yeah, no, I agree.
Scott:I mean, that's solid. But I mean, I don't know. It's we're 0-4 against the Patriots in the playoffs.
Graham:Yeah, but that was Tom Brady.
Scott:That was Tom Brady, exactly. But I saw something came out tonight. It's it was like wild card referee head official for the Chargers Patriots game, Rob Forbert. He's been assigned as a head official for this wild card game since 2015 in games he officiates road teams in the playoffs, beat expectations 75%.
Graham:I mean, let's go, Chargers.
Scott:Hey, hey, a stat that has to happen. Omari and Hampton invite out. We have to have over 25 rushes. Okay. Yeah. In games that we've ran the ball more than 25 times, we're undefeated. It has to happen. Yeah. It has to happen.
Graham:Patriots are pretty good against the run. Decent.
Scott:Yeah.
Graham:Well, they're a playoff team. Like, you know, you can't you can't be in the playoffs and be bad. So exactly.
Scott:Unless there's the Carolina Panthers. And I still wouldn't say you're bad. But but anyhow, I don't know what to think. It's a toss-up. It's three and a half point line. I mean, the home team always gets three. I'm stoked for the three and a half. I'm stoked for the Sunday night game. Pumped for that. Love it. You know why? Because your boys are five and oh in prime time. Yeah. Kind of like the Steelers. Uh Monday Night Football. I mean, how many years are you on the features on Monday Night Football? Let's still even talk about that.
Graham:1991.
Scott:We're not even gonna talk about that.
Graham:I mean, I'm looking at this schedule. I mean, look, we're obviously partial to our teams and their matchups. Right? Obviously. But uh looking at looking at these games.
Scott:Before you even go in there, I'm stoked where the Chargers sit right now. For all the injuries we've had, our offensive line. If you put Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt on this team, they're your one or two C.
Graham:I don't disagree. I don't disagree. I mean, and then the play at Sofai. Yeah. The way Menture has RD playing. Could have could have gone to a home playoff game. But regardless, I d dude, what jumps off at the page? It's ridiculous that we're saying this. If you'd have told me at the beginning of the season, how pumped are you gonna be to see the Bills at the Jags? I'd have been like, yet again, what are you smoking? Um, and then obviously, I mean, division game, dude. Packers at the Bears, I'm gonna love that game.
Scott:They got the lineup, they got the lineup right for that, putting that at Saturday.
Graham:Oh, a hundred percent. Niners, Eagles, yeah. I think the Eagles will take care of business.
Scott:Rams show it boat race first time. How about this? For the first time in X amount of years.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:The AFC South winner doesn't play the first game on Saturday. Oh shit. Yeah, right. I mean, um love it.
Graham:I just it there's there's good matchups. I mean, it's gonna be exciting all day, both days. Uh, you know, the the one thing I will say, not to dip back into the college football uh playbook here, or handbag as they say. You hear, I'm pretty sure, did you hear what Dan Lansing said in the last I think it was like within last week? He basically said he's just like, look, guys, there's a system. Friday is high school, Saturday is college, yeah, Sunday is professional. And he basically was making this comment where it's just like, why are we competing in the playoffs for viewerships against the NFL putting games on Saturday?
Scott:Well, the college games are Thursday and Friday.
Graham:I'm just saying, but like they had games. I mean, there's still a Thursday night game. You know what I mean? Like, he just made a point that was just like, hey, can we get back to having our own days so we don't have to compete against the NFL? And I was just like, yeah, I mean, dude makes a valid point. That being said, what days are the are the is college on? Is it on Saturday? Thursday and Friday. Thursday and Friday. Thursday and Friday. All right, so we're safe. We're safe. I mean, dude, we have playoff football in college and pro Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Who has it better than us?
Scott:Nobody. And if I'm gonna go out there and say it, anybody that has a job, get that sick note ready. Yeah.
Graham:Because Signetti is getting that dub.
Scott:Hey, dude, it's gonna be fun. But it was so depressing tonight when Kristen got home from work and she's like, So who's playing on football tonight? I'm like, Kristen, I told you last week this is the last Monday night game. And she was like, Oh yeah, shit.
Graham:Kristen, you're asleep in 30 minutes anyway. What are you tripping on? Come on. Let's be real.
Scott:Not disagreeing with you on that one. Come on, Mama Block. As we as we wrap up tonight, something we have not talked about. Hold on, simmer down there. Something we have not talked about was Graham's heart attack last night in the winner take all Steelers game. Folks, I was on the phone with him for a while in the first half, and you know, like we always do when we're doing the podcast, we link up and make sure we're on the same time. Then called him in the second half, and we watched literally the half of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter together. At one point, uh, it was so funny. I was like, Graham, breathe, breathe. And all I could think about was back in whenever 17 when we beat the Ravens in Baltimore. Yeah. Remember when you were over at the crib in the playoffs? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And my Apple Watch at one point going, uh, your heart rate is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Is everything okay? And I wanted to throw the goddamn thing across the room. And your boy, myself, as Graham's best friend, you know, have to poke the bear, obviously. Pulling for the Steelers, obviously. But, you know, I like to call coaches' mistakes issues. And I was wearing Graham out about the lack of the Steelers getting points at the end of the first half when they went forward on fourth and goal, when they could have kicked the field goal, and I'm wearing him out about it the whole second half. I'm like, dude, you gotta go two for you can get 10 unanswered points, doesn't happen. And then what happens? Homeboy misses the extra point, and I'm like, oh my god, Graham, if they would have just taken those three points at the end of the first half, it doesn't come down to loop missing a field goal, they have to score a touchdown. Yeah. What I'm saying is that was a playoff game. A thousand percent. You gotta take the points. And before I even let Graham go into his rant about the Steelers last night, folks, I'm sure you've watched clips, I'm sure you've watched reels of real-time reactions of Steelers fans as the football goes wide right, and the Ravens fans crying themselves to sleep. The best reel I've seen, and I talked to Graham about it, I gotta find it now, was some dude in Pittsburgh that's apartment literally overlooks Heinzfield. And we all know sports on TV is delayed versus real time. And he's on his balcony, he's overlooking Heinzfield, he sees and hears. The entire stadium goes ape shit, and you can hear him go, oh my god, no chance this dude misses his field goal, no chance, runs inside, watches it on TV, like five seconds later. It was epic.
Graham:Epic. Epic reel. So as I turn this over to Graham, I'm just gonna say, Jalen Ramsey, were you on the field last night? If you were, can you raise your hand? Uh Aaron Rodgers. The second half, including the fourth quarter, you balled out.
Scott:Nobody, nobody's gonna get that dub for the Steelers in the fourth quarter, except for him. So, Graham, it is yours. I'm gonna let you rant. Even though you didn't want to make the playoffs, my dad brought that up today.
Graham:And I got something for you, T-Bone.
Scott:He's like, how's Graham feeling today after they won last night? Here you go, Graham. The floor is yours. On that note, folks, it's time to end it.
Graham:Oh, you know, it's been a hot minute since, you know, I busted out the long sigh. That being said, you know, as you eloquently put talking about how we were watching the game last night, and you know, obviously, you know, we're BFFs and you like giving me shit. I will say this. If we were on FaceTime, well, actually, I don't even just say that, because I know you and you know me. The look on my face every time you brought up the you know you should have gotten the points there. I was ready to strangle you. You're not I I'm not saying you're not right and you're not wrong. I'm not saying either way. And what I said yesterday, and I still stick by this, I'm not saying that we need to be Dan Campbell and you know, go for every fourth down. But we are in a league now that you know, analytics, all all these other things, it it behooves you to not go for it. And my point is a couple of things. One we went for it on fourth down when we were like, it seemed two and a half yards away, or a solid two yards on a tush push with Cam and his brother doing the twist, and I'm just like, you're two yards away. Like, what if you're gonna go for it on fourth, like, and you're two yards away, that's not the play you're gonna do. That play, all right, it is what it is. You need to get points at the end of the half. I agree with you. We were down three to ten. We did get look, if if Pittsburgh wasn't getting the ball at the start of the half, I think they take the points. I don't know.
Scott:You always gotta you always gotta take that too first. Yes, I understand that, but for how successful going into that play, and I actually for once agree with Andy, and I don't know if he said it on a thread you were involved in. That pass interference from Kyle Hamilton was a hundred percent on purpose. A hundred percent on purpose because that pass interference now makes it first and goal on the two or one, whatever, with three seconds left. It puts the decision in Tomlin's brain. If he doesn't make that pass interference, no chance you're kicking a field goal, right? That was a hundred percent intentional, and you know what? Checkers, it was a hundred percent intentional.
Graham:I'm gonna be honest, never thought about it like that.
Scott:100%.
Graham:I mean, look, we were on the phone together. I I'm even still now, I'm 100% okay with him going for it. What I'm not 100% okay with that play call was the absolute worst. Like, Rogers, you say you bring him in for like Tom Lenovae's been saying this the whole year. This is why we brought in Aaron Rodgers. This was the reason. If you're that guy, and I'm not saying he's not, when Baltimore came up lined up on the ball, and they had those extra defenders over there, how did he not check out of it? How did he not call another timeout? You're on the one yard line. I don't think you had a timeout. We probably did.
Scott:I don't think so.
Graham:How do you make that like I'm not look, Gainwell is shifty. I'm not saying he's not, like, he's made plays. I I get it, but with that other defender that was over there, there's no way you make that play. If I'm doing it, and here's my thing: any other team in the league, who's not doing the tush push right there? Especially teams that are successful doing it. You're telling me the Eagles not doing it, you tell me the Niners ain't doing it, you tell me Seattle's not doing it, you telling me like all these other teams, you're a yard away. You can get it. They did a touch push in the third. It was either the third or the fourth from that same distance, and they got it. Like, what are we talking about here? So I get your point, you have to take points, but it's just like if you're gonna go for it, that's not the play.
Scott:Definitely not the play.
Graham:It's so not the play. Now, granted, as you say, you have to take the points. To say that that was the play that could have potentially cost us the game. I mean, look, loop should have made that, obviously. But also, to be fair, our field goal kicker, Pro Bowler, like going to the Pro Bowl, we paid him, he's one of the highest paid field goal kickers in the league. Dude hasn't missed an extra point in a year. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like him missing that, or if he makes that, homeboy probably will make it, then we go to overtime. I would have been okay with that. Just the the gift of God of like what had happened, it's remains to be seen. But also, you can't predict what's gonna happen in the second half. I mean, there was a couple plays there. I mean, perfect, dude. That last drive.
Scott:Second half, let's talk about the fourth quarter.
Graham:Well, that's my point. That's where I was going.
Scott:Kristen was like, when I when she woke up this morning, she goes, Oh my god, I saw the Steelers won because of a missed field goal. I'm like, No, no, no, no, no, no, let's rewind and watch the fourth quarter. Because that's there's more than uh missed field goal.
Graham:On third down, Herbeck, I mean, if it was anybody else besides Lamar, has him dead to rights. Like he's sacking him, and he was 20 yards behind the line. He somehow, as he was throwing him down, Lamar has the ball in his right arm and just shuffles it out of bounds, and he's outside the you know, outside the pocket, so it's not intentional grounding. But the fact that he even got that ball away, if he gets sacked there, that's fourth and like 29. I mean, look, the play on fourth down to likely, yeah. Insane did the air get sucked out of my body? Did I think it was over? A thousand percent. No one in bro, everybody in that stadium, every Steeler fan around the world watching that game was just like, this is over. How did we lose this game? It's done. You know, F you know, F the field goal kicker for us. Like, I I can't, you know what I mean? And it's just, I mean, look, division games are division games, you know, the whole what had happened for the Steelers in the previous weeks, the whole fire Tomlin stuff, like all that, and look, my rants on this podcast with the last X amount of weeks are, you know, a bell curve, just up and down. Where are we going with this?
Scott:Speaking of Mike Tomlin, I think you owe your boys some royalties from your press conference last night.
Graham:Facts. Facts. Just throwing that out there.
Scott:And the amount of people that listen to our podcast for sending me texts, thank you. And folks, if you don't know, Tomlin said, Ask a question, and he goes, Well, you know, if my aunt had male parts, she'd be my uncle.
Graham:I think the question was like, well, you know, how would you have like what would have happened if he would have made the kick? And you just like, well, you know. My thing is this for the momentum that we had prior these last couple of games, the Detroit game getting that win, DK getting suspended. Our offense is not spectacular by any means. We have to have DK out there as a threat. Him not having a threat, like, and then that following game, and we played Cleveland. If we win that game, this last game yesterday is meaningless because we would have clinched the division.
Scott:Yeah, it's done.
Graham:The fact that Pittsburgh was more concerned about not giving Miles Garrett the sack record, which they can say what they want, that it was obvious. It was just obvious. Now, granted, Cleveland has an amazing defense, and they had a great game plan. We played like shit, and it's just it is what it is. That being said, look, everybody was healthy that could play, they put it all out on the line, and look, what Baltimore did the previous week against the Packers. You're just like, how does Pittsburgh have a chance?
Scott:Boat race him.
Graham:Look, I mean, Gainville looked good, Warren looked good, Rodgers. You know, he made the plays when he needed a play.
Scott:It it's things working coming back after being injured and makes that. That's what I'm saying.
Graham:Things just that vibe in the stadium and where things were, it you know, there was hope. And you know, going to the playoffs, does the Texans have a top two or three defense, one, two, three defense in the league?
Scott:Yes. They actually finished, they actually was hilarious when I'm watching the Chargers Broncos yesterday. It came down to the last drive for the Chargers, and Jim Nance goes, Well, if the Chargers get 20 yards here, the Texans earn the number one defense in the league. And we did, so the the Texans ended up with the number one. But the thing, you know, Texans defense is stupid. Their offense.
Graham:That's my point. You know, we are a more dangerous team when DK's out on the field. Obviously. Obviously. Him coming back. Look, I I all all I can say is this, and we'll I'll end it with this. The hope, the gratefulness that you saw from the players, especially the older players. Um I mean, dude, did you see the look uh how excited Adam Thielen was after the game?
Scott:He had a game, by the way. He had a couple of amazing receptions.
Graham:Like, that's what I'm saying. It's just like if they can keep all those guys, I mean, if we can have full participation from all those guys again, we're playing at home, we're playing on Monday night. All you can do is is hope and have some confidence. And look, I like our chances, and hey, you know the old saying, get into the tournament. Yeah.
Scott:Get into the tournament, anything can happen.
Graham:I'll I'll say this, and I'll I'll finish it with this. I want second half Rodgers versus the first half Rogers. Oh, like if Pittsburgh has any chance, we need the second half Rodgers for the playoffs versus the first. And, you know, if that's the case, then, you know, we got a shot. And that's all you can ask for. I'm not saying we're winning the Super Bowl. Like, I'm not drunk. Like, let's be realistic. But I'm just saying, can we finally get that monkey off our back and get our first playoff win since 2015? We got a chance. Yeah, we got a chance of winning another game and playing in the AFC Championship.
Scott:I mean, that's the thing I want with my Petargers, dude. Everybody gives Herbert shit. Never won a playoff game. Fucking, it's time.
Graham:It's time. It's time. But hey, win or lose for your boys bolts. I'm pumped we got here right now because remember, I was like, five games left.
Scott:I was like, we're only gonna win one, maybe two. We got in, I'm pumped. We got a lot of cap space next year. Hey, shout out to Keenan. Getting that million dollar incentive, you know, he had to get nine yards for 250 G's, six receptions for 750. Let's go.
Graham:Uh but the tournament started. Shout out to BetMGM for capping all of the bets because you knew they were gonna win. Uh thanks for not making any of that available for me to take.
Scott:Yeah. The only touchdown score they had in the entire Charger on the Charger team was Trey Lance and Charger defense.
Announcer:Yeah, it's just yeah.
Scott:But anyhow, Graham, uh, you know, we've been on the phone for an hour and something. Uh Chargers play on Sunday night, Steelers play on Monday night. It's safe to say we will not be recording on Sunday or Monday. Um I was thinking about Saturday, maybe a Saturday show during the Bears Packers, and then doing like a Tuesday reaction of the Chargers game and the Steelers game.
Graham:Yeah, I mean, you that's 35 minutes right there, but yeah. I mean, ain't mad at it, you know. No, for sure. Let's do it. I'm done.
Scott:Yeah. But anyhow, it's been fun. 2026. Let's go. I'm punked for you. Can't wait. Your boy's rocking a puma hat. That's because your boy's going over to Cobra Puma Golf. Let's go. Me and Fowler and Romano. Golf's about to start kicking up. Uh, Live Tour's about to crumble from everything I've been hearing. They're running out of money. Brooks left. Dude, it's crazy. But Graham, get us out of here. Once again, TH4. Appreciate you coming on last week. And I'll see you in May on that golf trip when I'm taking that NFL quarterback money.
Graham:Scott, it's always a pleasure doing the podcast with you. TH4, thanks again for coming on the podcast. Can't wait to have you again, especially after Scotty Wadd takes that money. Chopping at the mouth to say something. Also, everyone, yeah, I know it's at the end of the episode, but thank you for all of the uh comments and posts on Instagram. Do us a favor, like, follow, subscribe, and as the best homie always says, Bubba.
Scott:Good night, friends. Good night, everyone. Cannot wait to see my girl, Melissa Stark, and Foxborough next week. Interviewing Herbert after we wax those chowder-eaten patriots.
