Takes

Patrick Mahomes is ahead of Tom Brady's pace for greatness

Yeah, I mean, it's tough to deny if he wins a Super Bowl. He is on pace... I'd say ahead of pace.

Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best defensive coordinators of all time

Steve Spagnuolo, he is probably one of, if not the best defensive coordinators of all time. When you think about what he's done, he is got three Super Bowls. He stopped the [2007] Patriots, one of the best offenses of all time... held the Ravens, one of the best teams this year in terms of offense, completely befuddled the MVP of the league.

NFL players should be allowed to taunt

I think taunting should not be a penalty in the NFL. They're pros. If you wanna do it in the college, that's fine... The guys are putting their life on the line. They're playing a passionate game. This is the biggest game of their lives. You should be able to taunt.

Patrick Mahomes' leadership was the key to his young receivers' success

He deserves a ton of credit because what Patrick Mahomes never did this entire season is give any type of complaint publicly about his wide receivers. And it's paying off now because he basically stood in front of the bullets for these guys to suck for the majority of the year... and get a Rashee Rice to a point where he's like an actually really good receiver.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' current dynasty is more fun to watch than others

I think [the Chiefs] are more fun than most dynasties like this because it's hard to watch. And Steph Curry's the same way... You can watch those two teams play and be like, holy shit, it's amazing. I love watching what this guy does. Mahomes is good for like one or two plays a game that you'll never see.

Trading Tyreek Hill was a genius move that allowed the Chiefs to rebuild a championship defense

Tyreek Hill, not signing him to a long-term deal turns out to be genius because they have remade their defense. Like L'Jarius Sneed is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. They're young everywhere. And that's just incredible roster management like the Patriots used to do.

The NFL Super Bowl should be called by the season's best announcers

I think that the Super Bowl should be announced by the best announcers that year... It should be Greg Olsen and Jim Nantz.

Lamar Jackson and Todd Monken share the blame 70/30 for the Ravens' loss

I'm giving 70% of the blame to Lamar and then 30% to Todd Monken.

Dan Campbell's aggression is why the Lions were in the championship game

The whole reason the Lions are in this spot is because of his aggression. That's how he coaches the team. That's how he's built the team... I agree with you. I don't hate that [fourth down] call because I really think people are just forgetting the fact they do not like or trust their kicker.

Onside kick rules need to be changed because they are currently impossible

They need to change the onside kick. It's impossible. You used to be able to recover an onside kick once every what, 10, 11% of the time. Now nobody does... Change it like the XFL and be like, you have to convert a fourth and 20.

Brock Purdy is on track to be a franchise quarterback

If Brock Purdy was taken with like a top 10 pick... I think we'd be like, Purdy is good showing signs of living up to his draft status... I think he's probably on track to be a franchise quarterback.

Joel Embiid ducked Nikola Jokic in Denver

We were robbed of Joel Embiid playing in Denver against Jokic. 15 minutes before the game, he's like, no, I don't wanna play. I wanna duck... He hasn't played in Denver since 2019. He likes to play Jokic at home and then he's an 'out' guy... when they get to Denver, his knee hurts.

Planes are having a moment right now

I think planes are having a moment. They are. You had Top Gun Maverick. You've got [Masters of the Air]. You've got Boeing. You've got that lady that got kicked off for farting on the plane. So a lot of stuff about planes recently.

Adrian Griffin was fired because he failed to make Giannis Antetokounmpo like him

The only reason I don't feel bad for Adrian Griffin... his only job was to make Giannis [Antetokounmpo] like him. And maybe Giannis never gave him a shot. But if you could just get Giannis to like you, you won't get fired.

Michigan fans would accept any amount of future sanctions for the 2023 National Title

He just won a national title. He beat Ohio State three years in a row. If you're a Michigan fan, you sign up for that a hundred times out of a hundred. No matter what happens after this. Who cares about sanctions?

Deebo Samuel's presence is the single biggest factor for the 49ers' success

The [49ers] are 12 and 1 straight up when Deebo Samuel starts and finishes the game, they are 1 and 4 when he doesn't. That is way more significant than the rain and how Brock Purdy looked is losing Deebo Samuel. If he's not playing, the Lions are as live as live could be.

Justin Fields could fetch a first or second-round pick in a trade

I think [Justin Fields] could be either a first-round pick or a second-round pick. But if you're talking about a first-round pick, you're talking about a team that needs a quarterback... like the Falcons at the eighth pick.

Dave Canales will be the coach that saves Bryce Young in Carolina

Canales was not the lead dog in that room... but all along they wanted to go young offensive to get Bryce Young... what Canales did with [Baker] Mayfield was tremendous. I think that's a good fit.

Every January 22nd, all NBA teams should be required to try and break the single-game scoring record in honor of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game

Darren Rovell actually had a great idea that on February or January 22nd, every single year, the day that Kobe dropped 81 on the Raptors, every team should have to try to break the record. I like that idea. That's good.

The word 'analytics' is used as a placeholder for any number that sports fans dislike

I have a take. And that's, people just use the word, they substitute the word analytics in whenever there's a number that they don't like and they're like, this is analytics.

Analytics have ruined baseball and basketball, but they've made football more exciting

Analytics or you know, advanced statistics, Sabre metrics, all these things has in a way ruined baseball and basketball... Football is the one sport where analytics and advance like metrics has made football significantly more exciting... the nineties football and early 2000 football when it wasn't even a question. If you had a fourth and two, you'd punt. Like, why would you want that?

I am officially supporting the 49ers over the Lions because the Lions are a division rival

I've reached my limit of pulling even remotely for a division rival. I I'm done, I'm done with the lines. I think I have to just go Niners. 'cause it's just, they're, they're a division rival. I was reaching my limit and I've reached my limit.

Reports from the Philadelphia media about Jalen Hurts being a 'diva' or standoffish are disgusting fabrications

There's been bullshit coming out of the media from the Eagles all year. So it's all a bunch of crap. Everyone knows the Eagles gets clicks right now, so they're making stuff up or they're fabricat—or they're embellishing what is going on in that Eagles locker room and it's disgusting.

You must always defer the coin toss if you win it

Why would you not defer, why would you not get the ball back to, to start the second half? I just assumed that was like a, a cardinal fundamental rule. And then when you look at the stats... I think you should just defer every time.

Lifting weights is significantly more effective for getting in shape than cardio

It's crazy how don don't know when we learned this as like kids what point we're like, oh yeah, to get in shape you gotta run. That's so wrong. Like cardio. Okay, fine... Dude. Lifting weights is the best way to get in shape. 'cause you just feel stronger and you start, your metabolism goes, it feels good.

Josh Allen is not the reason the Bills are losing in the playoffs

I hate the fact that we gotta hear the takes again as if like QB wins is a stat anyways. But on top of it, the teams that he's lost to for the most part in the Playoffs have been the chiefs and, and Joe Burrow... the guy has, he, he is got a hundred rating for his career in the postseason. He has 21 touchdowns for interceptions. He's not the reason they're losing these games.

The Buffalo Bills should fix their problems by moving to the NFC

Move the team to the NFC. Like on like it is dicey with the cap... You bring up a great point and obviously like digs his, his issues down the stretch... But move the team to the NFC.

Justin Madubuike should have been in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation for his performance with the Ravens

Justin Madubuike... that guy should have been in the conversation for defensive player of the year and he's just this kinda like short nondescript defensive tackle that doesn't have a big name and he's just taken it over.

Brock Purdy is a fringe top-10 quarterback, not in the elite tier yet

For me to not call Jalen Hurts one of the top five to six quarterbacks in the league, we've gotten so emotional... long story short, I think Purdy deserves a lot of credit. I think he's a fringe top 10 guy wherever you wanna put him on the, you know, on the inside of that top 10. On the outside of the top 10.

Sam LaPorta and George Kittle are currently the two best tight ends in the NFL

LaPorta, you know, with no disrespect to anybody who's been doing it at a high level longer... there's gonna be a discussion over the next couple years of who's the best tight end in the league. And I feel like at this point, like he's in line—to him and Kittle. When you look at the whole package: blocking, receiving.

NFL teams should always hire offensive play-callers as head coaches to ensure continuity

What makes me nervous about defensive head coaches is inevitably when your rookie quarterback or your unproven quarterback has success, you're gonna lose that play caller... I would go with an offensive play caller. 'cause that's what I look around and see.

The Panthers coaching job is the worst opening in the league because David Tepper has made it a toxic situation

Panthers are last. You're, you're already, you've already, you've got this owner who showed his ass and if he's not going anywhere, that's a big part of the conversation... it's incredible to me that somebody could fuck up the viability of the job that you're trying to fill so badly.

Seattle is one of the best head coaching openings in the NFL because of GM John Schneider

I think Seattle's a great job man. I really do... they got a really good GM. That's something people ignore. Having Schneider. That's the situation. Walk into and be like, yeah, that guy can, he can pick 'em.

Having a third child is the moment where you officially have to give up on all your 'fringe' enjoyable activities or time-wasting

The third kid is where you really put some of your fringe enjoyable activities in the casket. You don't realize it, but all the little shit that you used to do to waste time, you just don't waste any more time. There's no more time to waste.

Championship Sunday is a better weekend of football than the Divisional Round

I have a take, I kind like Championship Sunday the most because I like... there's just something special about booking a trip to the Super Bowl. It's like, feels historic. ... you also get that week where like all the fans of the team that booked it, it's like you don't even have to think about the game. You just get to celebrate it.

CJ Stroud had the best rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history

I called it the best rookie year for a QB ever. And it just, you just ran into an absolute buzz saw [in the Ravens]. ... But at least you know that you have hope now. Like this is a, your window is beginning to open.

The S2 cognition test people are trying to cover their asses regarding CJ Stroud

The S2 cognition test or whatever the fuck it's called... they're literally just trying to cover their ass. Like combine seasons coming up. Once CJ Stroud ended up being incredible and Rookie of the Year and all these things, they have to cover their ass some ways. So they're like, 'Haha, just a prank, it was an incorrect test score and it never should have been counted.'

The Ravens have the best defense of the four remaining playoff teams

I think I I I think they're [the Ravens] the best defense left. I think that's pretty easy to say at this point. Yeah. I think the Niners have a lot of dudes, but the Packers were able to run the ball down their throat. Like I I the Ravens just, they just have guys everywhere.

Kyle Shanahan has 'shit for brains' when it comes to clock management

You basically make the perfect football coach in terms of demeanor, scheme, intellect... and then you say, 'but let's just tweak it a little bit to fuck with him.' Let's give him a quarterback he never fully trusts and also give him shit for brains when it comes to clock management. And that's Kyle Shanahan.

Missing the field goal was slightly better for Bills fans than Patrick Mahomes throwing a dagger

Losing the game this way [the wide right] is a little bit better than if [Tyler Bass] makes that kick, you kick off to Patrick Mahomes, he's got a minute 40 seconds left and then he drives down the field and puts a dagger in your heart again... you can be like, 'fucking kickers.'

The Bills must fire Sean McDermott because he's absorbed too much sadness

They have to make a change at coach... there's just too much sadness that follows him. If you're a coach, you eat some—coaches eat those losses. Some coaches just like absorb them into their bodies and get sad and they carry that baggage with them forever. Sean McDermott has just—he's been around for too many bad moments.

Caitlin Clark's court storming collision was an 'all-time flop'

It was a flop. I saw the alternate angle. Caitlin Clark... she leaned into the contact. The girl was just running, minding her own business, and Caitlin Clark shoved her and then just did a pirouette and fell. It's crazy. This is insane. Justice for the other girl.

I am happy Mike McCarthy is staying in Dallas because he falters against good teams

As a Commanders fan, I, I said that it makes me very happy that Mike's coming back... I know that Mike McCarthy is a very good regular season coach, but when you play against really good teams in the Playoffs, you're gonna have to win three games... all I'm saying is much like you with Aaron Rodgers when the Cowboys lose, that's my Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes will not be the one to save Mike McCarthy's legacy in Dallas

People are also pointing out, like, look at Andy Reid before they started winning Super Bowls in Kansas City where it's like 12 and four, 10 and six, 11 and five. Everyone said he was a choke artist. The only issue with that is Patrick Mahomes showed up. I don't think Patrick Mahomes is showing up in Dallas.

I like the idea of Mike McCarthy staying in Dallas because it means another year of fans and media wondering how close he is to being fired

The narrative every single week with Mike McCarthy is gonna be for another year. How fired is this guy? He's been fired for like two and a half years already. ... It's good that you're coming back for another year. It's good to have another job.

I am done with the Cowboys because they kept Mike McCarthy

I said if they keep him around, I'm done with the Cowboys. I'm done with the Cowboys. Wow.

Lamar Jackson must win this divisional round game against the Texans for his legacy

Lamar [Jackson] Yeah. This is the game. Big, big time narrative. Right. If he doesn't win this game, then that's gonna, that's gonna follow him around for the rest of his career... you're a 10 point favorite, nine and a half point favorite at home against the Houston Texans rookie head coach. Rookie QB. You have to win this game if you're the Baltimore Ravens.

I am not going to doubt CJ Stroud or DeMeco Ryans until they give me a reason to

I said that I was gonna stop doubting CJ Stroud. I'm not gonna doubt CJ Stroud until he gives me a reason to. ... I'm not gonna doubt DeMeco, I'm not gonna doubt CJ Stroud.

The San Francisco 49ers' run defense is only statistically good because they are always playing with a lead

Their run defense has really good stats this year. That's only because they always play with the lead. Right. So teams only get like 50 yards rushing against the Niners because guess what, you're down by like 17 points in the first quarter.

I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl to retroactively erase the Eagles' success from last year

I'm rooting for them to get to the Super Bowl now because I want, I want it to be erased... He's gonna deal with 49ers fans being like, it never would've beaten us... I'm rooting for them to win and, and win big. And so that way we can be like, the 49ers should have been in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs.