PMT DB
PMT DB
Coach Jon Gruden on MVP Race, Week 16 Picks, and the Jets' Dysfunction
The weekend kicked off with a wild Thursday night that saw the Chargers pull off a comeback fueled by the first successful free kick in nearly half a century. Justin Herbert looked every bit the superstar, reminding everyone why the noise surrounding his status as a "social media quarterback" was always a stretch.
PFT CommenterCriticism of Justin Herbert never made sense
[Justin Herbert] touchdown pass that he threw as he was falling down. Oh that's the guy. When people are like, oh, Justin Herbert's only, you know, social media, quarterback, whatever. I don't even know what the criticism of Justin Herbert is anymore because it never made sense to me.
This win keeps the zombie Bengals alive in the AFC playoff race. If Cincinnati can keep finding ways to win, they might become the ultimate spoiler in January. Big Cat is already eyeing a potential matchup that would make Buffalo fans sweat.
Big CatThe Buffalo Bills do not want to see the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs
The Buffalo Bills, if they get the two seed, the last team they wanna see is the Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah. That's the only that like, you, you don't, 'cause that's the Bengals. The the crazy thing about the Bengals is they can't stop anyone. But if you get in a shootout with the Bengals, like anything can happen.
College Football Playoff and the Curse of Jim Kelly
With the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff arriving, Hank is putting his faith in the underdogs. He is looking at two specific teams to pull off upsets based on weather and pedigree.
HankIndiana and Clemson are the two best upset bets in the first round of the CFP
Indiana and Clemson are the two horses I'm riding. I think the weather, I think the big, I think the weather, it's big 10 weather. It's tough to go against Penn State and Ohio State. I think Indiana's got a shot. And I think Clemson has a real shot because Indiana's Big 10. Notre Dame's not big.
As the conversation shifted to the NFL slate, the guys looked at the Texans and Chiefs. While Houston has been a nice story, Big Cat isn't buying them as a legitimate threat to make a run because of a stagnant offense.
Big CatThe Houston Texans' offense feels broken and they will lose early in the playoffs
The Texans I had, I had hoped for them this year to be maybe a Super Bowl contender. And they've instead just slotted into like the traditional AFC South team that will lose in the playoffs because I just don't think their offense feels broken.
There is also the matter of the "Jim Kelly Curse" hanging over several young stars. The theory suggests that any quarterback who loses their first trip to the Super Bowl is doomed to never return, a list that currently includes the likes of Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Brock Purdy.
Big CatAny quarterback who loses their first Super Bowl appearance never returns to the big game
The curse of Jim Kelly is a curse that just hit the internet... essentially it's any quarterback that goes to a Super Bowl and loses their first one never goes back to the Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts did that... Stan Humphreys, Neil O'Donnell, drew Bledsoe... Joe Burrow. Jalen Hurts. Brock Purdy.
Jets Madness and the MVP Narrative
The New York Jets reached a new level of dysfunction this week with reports that Woody Johnson’s sons are using Madden ratings to influence trade decisions. While the internet is laughing, PFT thinks the team should lean even harder into the youth movement at the executive level.
PFT CommenterThe Jets should give Brick Johnson more power in the organization
I think that the problem is that Brick [Johnson] doesn't have enough power. Yeah. I feel like he's being limited. Like one day he will own the Jets. The, the way that teams get passed down, I feel like Brick, it's time to just unleash full Brick.
Speaking of narratives, the MVP race is heating up between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Big Cat thinks the scheduling might determine the winner more than the actual on-field performance, as Lamar has more opportunities to capture the voters' attention in standalone windows.
Big CatLamar Jackson will win the MVP because he has two standalone games left to influence the narrative, even if Josh Allen deserves it more
Lamar [Jackson] might win it just because he plays two standalone games. And that's all this award ends up coming down to... I think it should be Josh [Allen]. I'm just saying how these things work. He's got, Lamar's got two standalone games and Josh has zero.
Coach Jon Gruden in Studio
Coach Jon Gruden joined the show to talk ball, and he didn't hold back on the state of the league. He highlighted how much the Detroit Lions will miss David Montgomery, noting that his absence completely alters what they can do physically on the field.
Jon GrudenLosing David Montgomery ruins the identity of the Detroit Lions' team
When you lose [David] Montgomery, you lose part of the identity of your team. So I do know that deep down when Coach [Dan] Campbell gets in his car, he ain't feeling real nicey. Yeah. It's tough.
Gruden also shared his frustrations with how the game is officiated today. He’s a proponent of simplifying the rulebook, specifically when it comes to the way defensive backs are penalized for making plays on the ball.
Jon GrudenThe NFL should adopt the college pass interference rule
I would make [pass interference] the college rule, honestly, because some of these, some of these past interference calls are impacting a game. Just one play there... I don't think there's a common thread in what is and what isn't past interference.
Before heading out, Gruden gave his flowers to some of the emerging stars and veterans holding it down. He’s particularly high on Bucky Irving in Tampa and believes the Eagles are currently the team to beat in the NFC.
Jon GrudenBucky Irving is a combination of Warrick Dunn and Napoleon Kaufman
The emergence of this Bucky Irving... I mean he's a combination of Warrick Dunn, Napoleon Kaufman, Charlie Garner, he is a badass man. This guy's a hell of a back.
Jon GrudenThe Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites in the NFC
I think Philly's probably the favorite. Yeah. You gotta put Philly in there... Philadelphia Eagle defense man, Vic Fangio's got a couple rookies in the secondary... They're good man.
Fyre Fest and Hank’s Scary Month
To wrap up the show, Hank shared a harrowing Fyre Fest involving a severe panic attack that he initially thought was a stroke. After some time in the ER with Big Cat and a vow to change his ways, Hank is back and healthy. PFT followed up with his own health scare from earlier in the fall involving a blackout at a concert, proving that the guys might just be getting a little too old for their own good.
Hank didn't dunk, but at least he's alive.
