PMT DB
PMT DB
Eric Mangini on Coaching with Belichick, The Sopranos, and Wild Card Weekend
Wild Card Weekend is finally here, and while the rest of the world is busy with their healthy habits, we’re settling in for the best four-game stretch of the year. PFT is already making the case that this might actually be the peak of the football calendar, even over the Super Bowl, because of the sheer volume of high-stakes games we get in such a short window.
PFT CommenterWild Card Weekend is the second best football weekend of the year
This is the second best football weekend of the year. I might even say first best because we do have the college football finals on Monday.
Big Cat isn't quite as optimistic about the aesthetic quality of every matchup, specifically the defensive slog brewing in Jacksonville. Between the Jaguars' nasty front and the Bills' limited offense, he’s bracing for a game that might set football back several decades.
Big CatThe Bills vs. Jaguars Wild Card game is going to suck
My hot take for this game, and you're probably not going to like it, I think this game's going to fucking suck... in a bad way. This is one of those games where you look like both offensive lines... and the Jags offensive line's not very good. So no Shady [LeSean McCoy]. I feel like this is going to be one of those games we sit there and like, ew, gross.
The Man Genius in Studio
Former Jets and Browns head coach Eric Mangini joined the show to break down the playoff field and give us a peek behind the curtain of the Belichick coaching tree. He talked about the reality of the "Super Bowl hangover" and how hard it is to maintain that edge once you've tasted success. According to Mangini, it’s all about how a team handles that sudden relaxation.
Eric ManginiSuccess relaxes teams like a martini, leading to Super Bowl hangovers
Teddy Atlas always used to say success is like a martini. It relaxes you. And it's true. You think that you can go into the next season and be exactly the same as you were, and you're going to glide through those games, but everybody else has looked at you. Everybody else is playing their best against you.
He also gave some major credit to the Saints' evolution this season. While everyone knows Drew Brees can sling it, Mangini thinks the addition of a dominant ground game makes them look more like a championship team than they have in nearly a decade.
Eric ManginiThe 2017 Saints are more dangerous because they finally have a legitimate running game
Now they've actually got a legitimate running game, and they've got backs that can hurt you... to me, that adds a dimension that they haven't had since the last time they went to the Super Bowl.
Beyond the X's and O's, we got into the important stuff, like Mangini’s cameo on *The Sopranos*. We even did a full table read of his scene at Vesuvio’s, with Big Cat putting on his best Tony Soprano voice. Mangini also shared the legendary story of his "five mile Fridays" with Rob Ryan and how he caught Rob hiding a drawer full of Doritos while they were supposed to be dieting together.
Playoff Predictions and Cold Andy Reid
As we looked toward the actual games, the conversation turned to the Chiefs and Titans. PFT is fully bought into the "Cold Andy Reid" factor, predicting that the big man will be so bundled up he won't even be able to reach his challenge flag—which, as any Chiefs fan knows, is actually a massive schematic advantage. He’s laying the points with Kansas City.
PFT CommenterThe Chiefs will easily cover the 9-point spread against the Titans
Andy Reid is going to look like that kid from your Christmas story that can't walk because he's just too layered up... I got the Chiefs easily covering nine points.
When it comes to the NFC side of the bracket, Big Cat is sticking with his Falcons. Despite their up-and-down season, he believes they are the most dangerous team in the field because they haven't even peaked yet.
Big CatThe Falcons will beat the Rams in the Wild Card round
I like the Falcons... They have yet to play their best game of the season... I actually like the Falcons as well. I think the Rams are a little too banged up on defense.
Meanwhile, PFT is skeptical of the Rams' ability to transition their regular-season fireworks into the grind of January football. He thinks the flashy L.A. style might not hold up when teams start committing to the run and playing physical.
PFT CommenterThe Rams are not built for the playoffs
I think, they're not built for the playoffs... The Rams do not play postseason football. They play regular season football, lighting up the scoreboard. But as we know in the playoffs, you have to stop the run.
Segments and Resolutions
We wrapped up the show with a "Sheeeeeesh" update, Josh Rosen's red flags, and our New Year’s resolutions. Big Cat is committing to a fitness journey that sounds impressive on paper but might be slightly less grueling in practice.
Big CatI am going to do five crunches a day as my New Year's resolution
I'm going to try to do five crunches a day... Someone added it up, and it was like 1,900 crunches. I was like, oh, shit. That's way more than I thought.
We also took some time to address the ongoing beef between humanity and the sun. With the polar vortex hitting the East Coast while the Earth is technically closer to the sun than usual, Big Cat called out the sun for being a total fraud.
Big CatThe sun is a keyboard cowboy and a bitch
So the sun's like basically a little bitch, like a keyboard cowboy. Or the sun is just... We show up to its grill, and we're like, hey, say something to my face. And the sun's like, no, we're good here.
Good luck to the Bills fans shoulder-tapping for tables in Jacksonville this weekend.
