Takes

Deactivating Jayden Daniels for the rest of the season was the right decision for the future of the Commanders

He has been deactivated for the rest of the season. Deactivated for his own good 'cause he just keep trying to come back and get reinjured. I'm fine with it. I, I support the decision all in for 2027... I think it's the right decision.

The Bears vs. Packers Week 16 game is a must-win for Chicago to avoid playoff uncertainty

This one you gotta win because the Bears are most likely gonna make the playoffs if they lose this game. Then it starts to get, Hey, what's going on here? You start looking at the calculations and the 49ers are a game that's coming up next week and then the Lions in week 18. You don't want to get to a spot where the Lions Week 18 becomes a win and get in.

The Bears are currently a better team than the Packers in our fictional 2025 timeline

I'm setting this game aside. I'm just saying in general, I believe in the Bears. They look like a different team. They look like a legitimate team. I think the Bears are gonna win... I think they're better than the Packers.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is officially on the hot seat in this fictionalized 2025 season

This Z Taylor. Who's now on the hot seat officially, I would say... it feels like the hot seat is there. Whether the hot seat actually turns all the way up, I don't know.

The Bengals are the cheapest team in the NFL for failing to clear snow from stadium seats

If you would've been asked to guess which of the 32 teams would've been too cheap to pay for somebody to come remove the snow from the seats, anyone would've guessed the Cincinnati Bengals... The Bengals are the cheapest team. That's their reputation and it's well earned.

Oregon can win the National Championship behind the maturity of quarterback Dante Moore

What do you need to make a great run in any playoff... you need a quarterback who's going to take control... he [Dante Moore] has absolutely just matured into a guy who's now completed almost 80% of his passes in the back half of the season.

Aaron Rodgers is back to his old self

I think Aaron Rodgers might be back. The Old Gun Slinger... the last two games, he has looked old Rodgers like, and if he is going to play like that, then yes, I do think [the Steelers] can win a playoff game.

Mike McDaniel cannot win in cold weather

The Dolphins have lost 13 straight games, including the playoffs, with kickoff temperatures below 40 degrees since 2016. ... He keeps saying that he's not cold and he gets there early to practice in the cold. ... Mentally, physically, in all the ways, the cold has beaten him.

The Dolphins should start Zach Wilson for the final three games of the season

Why wouldn't you just play Zach Wilson the last three games? ... I don't know if you can just run it back with [Tua Tagovailoa]. [Tua] is just not good. Like the first three and a half quarters was just some really bad quarterback play.

The NCAA Tournament is the most fair tournament in sports

My Hot Seat is Joel Klatt. He said that the NCAA tournament is a joke. ... Most unfair tournament in all sports? It's the most fair.

The College Football Playoff should expand to a 16-team format

We do love Cinderellas in the first couple of rounds. And this is why they should go to a 16 team playoff and we should give the Cinderellas a chance. I'm excited to see JMU play. Fuck it.

Miami deserved a spot in the College Football Playoff over Notre Dame

You can't eliminate the fact that the games need to matter. It's why we said that Miami should be in over Notre Dame. It's why that if you win games, you should have a seat at the table.

LeBron James is officially obsessed with golf

He is checked out. He's got the bug. He's officially obsessed with golf. I would like to see his YouTube stats... I think he's deep into the Pop Does Sports Universe. He probably watched the Internet Invitational.

The 'Haters' were right about Jayden Daniels being injury prone

The haters were right. Congratulations. Jayden's shut down for the season. RG4, injury prone, made out of glass. ... Haters were right. Can't say anything to the haters. Focus on next year.

The NBA Cup means nothing to me

I'm excited to watch the game. I just don't care who the NBA cup means nothing to me. ... There's no way you'll be able to be like, oh yeah, 2025. That was the year the Spurs won the NBA cup.

Cooper Flagg is fully activated after his 40-point game

Cooper Flagg may have fully been activated. He has reached full activation. 18 years old. 40 piece in regulation. ... If we're talking just highlight tapes, he's looking good.

The future of the NBA is in Victor Wembanyama and Sam Presti's hands

I would say the future of basketball's in [Wembanyama] and Sam Presti's hands. ... The Thunder are also in Dodger land. They are in Dodger land. ... Which is insane 'cause they're doing it with a cat.

The Rams have the most underrated offensive line in football

The Rams, Andrew Whitworth keeps telling me he's in my ear like this is the most underrated offensive line in football. ... Just watch how many times their running back gets through the line without being touched.

Caleb Williams is the best quarterback in the NFL at throwing on the run

I was talking to my kids and we're watching the game and I said, this dude throws better than anybody in the NFL on the run. ... the velocity that that dude can put on the ball and the accuracy that he throws with when he gets outside the pocket.

Ben Johnson's 'no 50/50 balls' mentality actually hurts Caleb Williams' deep ball accuracy

When Ben Johnson said we don't throw 50/50 balls, I actually think that mentality hurts Caleb on his deep passes because there's a lot of deep passes that he throws that get overthrown because he's nervous. ... It's either gotta be the perfect ball or it's gotta be too far and incomplete.

I would not be in the business of paying Kyle Pitts a big contract

He's a very specific guy. ... you look at a guy like Darren Waller who came out of retirement and the success that he's had in Miami. ... The biggest thing I see with Kyle Pitts... he's a little bit awkward catching the ball over his shoulders. ... Somebody's certainly gonna pay him. And I, I don't think I would be in that business though.

The Bills defense is their Achilles heel but steps up in major moments

The Bills defense is their Achilles heel. But if you look at what the bills have done in some of these big time games... they have also stepped up in big time moments to make big time plays and win games. Because their offense is not the problem.

Drake Maye still holds the metaphorical 'Torch' of the AFC East

[Drake Maye] still have the torch. Yeah. The torch is ours. Whoever wins the division [is the] current torch bearer.

The Bills would be a bad team without Josh Allen

I feel like Josh Allen, he should be definitely in the MVP consideration. If you took Josh Allen off the Bills and replaced him with any other quarterback, they're a bad team. And with Josh Allen, they're going to compete for the division title.

The Chargers are currently the top 'ball team' in the NFL

I loved what Harbaugh said after the game. He goes, it's a ball team.... I think the Chargers gotta be the number one ball team. There's a difference between a great team and a ball team. There's just a pure—

Caleb Williams has proven he is a successful cold-weather quarterback

What I liked about it proved that Caleb can play in the cold. ... No, he looked so comfortable and, and it was awesome to see. He's cold weather quarterback.

Trevor Lawrence has finally become an underrated NFL quarterback

I think we've might've reached the point where Trevor Lawrence might now finally be underrated. ... I think Trevor Lawrence is one of the most underrated, if not the most underrated quarterback in the NFL.

The Rams are the class of the NFC and the most complete team in the NFL

The Rams are a scary, scary team. What Stafford and Puka have going on right now, there's nothing you can do. They look like the most complete team in the NFL.

Kyle Shanahan should win Coach of the Year if the 49ers secure the NFC's number one seed

If the Seahawks beat the Rams on Thursday Night Football and then the Niners win out and they get the one seed overall after everything the Niners have been through, I feel like Kyle Shanahan would be [Coach of the Year]. You could also make the argument that this is maybe Kyle Shanahan's best season as a coach.

Sam Darnold's performance in December is a major concern for the Seahawks

As a long time Sam Darnold defender, Sam Darnold apologist. I've started to develop some cracks the last couple weeks. ... We're in December and December is not a good thing [for him]. ... I would be worried if I was a Seahawks fan about the playoffs.

Philip Rivers' game-ending interception against the Seahawks should not be counted against his performance

When Phil [Rivers] got the ball back at the end of the game, they had to try to throw the ball downfield. I'm not counting that as an interception against Philip Rivers' name. It was not. I'm not gonna do it.

The road to the AFC Championship currently goes through Denver

They're now standing alone at the one seed. ... If they have the one seed, I would be nervous. ... The road right now goes through Denver.

The 49ers are sneaking up on people as a potential number one seed

The 49ers are better than Titans. ... People aren't talking about the 49ers, but the 49ers... if the 49ers win out, they will be the one seed. ... They definitely are sneaking up on people.

Fernando Mendoza is a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect

I'm buying stock in Fernando Mendoza as a pro. ... I think he's got it. The way he nerds out about football... reading defenses. We're gonna lose Philip Rivers, but we're gonna gain a Mendoza.

Victor Wembanyama is an unsolvable problem because you cannot design a system to stop him

Wemby is a problem. You can't design a system to keep the ball away from Wemby. You can't design a system to effectively attack the paint when Wemby's standing there. He's so, so fun to watch.

Mike Vrabel should be Coach of the Year

I'm super impressed with the Patriots this year. I think that the Patriots, Mike Vrabel is a great coach. He should be coach of the year.

Jalen Hurts is Russell Wilson 2.0 (and that is a good thing)

I said Jalen Hurts is Russell Wilson 2.0... I said Russell Wilson was a very good quarterback. I think Jalen Hurts is a very good quarterback. They, they're not the top three guys in the league, but they're somewhere after that where if their team is good around 'em, they're winning a Super Bowl.

The 49ers are the 'lurking' team in the NFC that no one is talking about enough

I will say this about the 49ers, they feel like the team that not a lot of people are talking about and they're kind of just lurking there... 49ers are right there. Yeah, they're right fucking there.

The Rams are a top Super Bowl contender because their QB/WR connection is 'stupid'

Teams that I truly believe can win at number one Rams... there's no quarterback wide receiver group right now that sees it the same way consistently. The throws and the catches are stupid right now.

Caleb Williams has absolutely stopped creating problems for himself

What do you have to see from Caleb to feel good going into 2026 and beyond? I would tell you number one, stop creating problems for yourself. He's absolutely done that now... He's more in structure, he's playing more in rhythm and timing.

Running the football in shotgun formation all the time stinks

I line up under center, every play is available to me... every direction is available to me. There's very little tendency or tell... when I'm in the shotgun, there's a smaller option of what I can do... When I'm under center, I turn my back to you in a play action fake. You cannot see the ball and the gun. You can all the time.

The James Madison vs. Oregon playoff game is not a health and safety issue

Bud Elliot said that it was possibly a health and safety issue... he was like, I'm worried for the health and safety of JMU playing against Oregon... Stop saying it's a health and safety issue. Okay... fuck it, let's go win the game.

Notre Dame's relationship with the ACC is irreparably harmed after the CFP snub

Notre Dame is now going scorched earth on the college football playoff and more specifically the ACC. The athletic director, Bevacqua... saying that the ACC absolutely fucked them over, that they did irreparable harm to the relationship with Notre Dame. This business relationship might be done.

JMU is not one of the best 12 teams in the country

I'm not saying JMU is one of the best 12 teams in the country. I think that that would be an insane take to have. I'm just pumped that we're in it.

Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, or Aziz Al-Shaair are the guys who set the physical tone for the Texans defense

There's probably three guys who I can go to: the number one being Kamari Lassiter. Even from the corner spot, he can set the tone. You got Jalen Pitre at the nickel safety position. He can set the tone. Then you got Aziz Al-Shaair. So those three guys... somebody's gonna lay a physical hit, somebody's gonna make a big play that's gonna spark our entire defense.

Alabama is capable of winning the National Championship this year

Can [Alabama] win a championship? I think yes, they can. Every team that's made the playoffs, they're deserving of it and they have an opportunity to win it. You just gotta go out and make the plays you need to make to win.

The AFC is wide open this year

This is the most wide open AFC... You're only scary teams are the Chiefs and the Ravens... It is not a gauntlet.

The Ravens are broken right now.

The Ravens are broken. They, they look off. Lamar [Jackson] looks off. He had a bad interception. He, he was, he, Zay Flowers, he was getting it going with him a little bit. He ran a little bit, but, and, and the Ravens could run the ball in this game... They just suck in the red zone.

The Colts are cooked.

The Colts are cooked. The Colts had pretty much the worst day possible in that they lost... And Daniel Jones got hurt and it could be an Achilles and now it's Riley Leonard time... it feels like the feel-good Colts are in a lot of trouble coming down the stretch.

Liam Coen should be in the Coach of the Year conversation for his turnaround of the Jaguars' offense.

Liam Coen is, he should be in the conversation for Coach of the Year. He's completely turned around this team and this offense in a way that feels real and meaningful and sustainable. He's a good coach.