January 22, 2025 • 22 mins
Kevin Harlan of Westwood One, CBS and TNT joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about the Bills and Chiefs facing off again in the AFC Championship this weekend and the great run by Kansas City, the #1 seed Detroit getting bounced, and the NFC title game ahead.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
They are NFL champions.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Seattlesyhawks have won Super.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 4 (00:06):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
He's a pulldozer.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
He's a beast, brought to you by the Emerald Queen Casino,
the betting capital of the Northwest.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
He was like a pincall banging off body.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
He's a trenty three yard catch it run.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Come down to the beautiful EQC Sportsbook to bet, watch
and win all season long.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hit the touchdown, Hit the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
HiT's grab by Purse.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
On Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Holmes and the gun receivers in Tidy gets the knee
high shotgun snap.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
He's craft.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
He throws as he's being tackled and it was caught
in the end zone by Kelsey. What a crap by Kelsey,
But what a play by Ma Holmes of eleven yard
touchdown pass as he was being tracked frough behind and
threaded the needle.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Not all right, boys and girls, here we go. That voice,
that silky smooth voice right there. Every single Wednesday at
five o'clock, we get the honor to talk to the
legendary voice of the NFL on Westwood One, the NFL
on CBS, all courtesy of our friends at the amra
Quin Casino, getting ready to call yet another AFC Championship
game for.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Westwood one Radio.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
You'll hear both those games starting at noon Sunday on
this very radio station. It's our friend, courtesy of the
UQC from the NFL and CBS, the NFL in Westwood One,
and the NBA on TNT, and who knows, maybe one
day the NBA on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Our friend Kevin Harlan, how are you, pal?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Hey, Buddy good Inden Championship Sunday, one of the great
sports days on the calendar. I mean, it's just such
a great day. Two terrific games, four great teams, and
really the four teams that are left the final four
in the NFL, YEP. This is this is a great
representation of what the what the season was. These are
(01:59):
strong teams that are there and it's exciting to see
this is how we've ended up.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Well, you think about how lucky you are, my friend.
You're on your way to LA to do a Lakers
Boston game for TV. One of the great rivalries and
the history of sports, and then turning around on Sunday
to call maybe the best rivalry in the NFL right
now in Buffalo and Kansas City on Sunday afternoon for radio.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And I was checking this.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
This is now the fourth time in the last five
years that Buffalo and Kansas City have met in the postseason,
and the Chiefs have ended Buffalo season in three of the.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Last four games.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
How personal do you think this is Sunday for Buffalo
and how personal is it for Josh Allen men.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, when you look at the great teams that have
risen to where they are, they always had to get
by someone that was kind of in their place. So
you can go back to Jordan and the Polls, and
they had to get by Detroit and Boston, and the
Chiefs had to get by Brady and the Patriots, and
(03:03):
they finally did and they've broken through. Now they're the
team that everybody is shooting for. And it really has
been this way with Buffalo here for quite a while.
Cincinnati would probably be thrown in that category two, but
the Bengals just missed the playoffs, so I guess I
feel like this is kind of the step by step
(03:23):
process you've got to go through. You just can't vault
into a supreme level and then you know expect to
you know, just carry on from that point on without
you know, some strain, and the strain to get by
this game and into the super Bowl for the Buffalo
Bills has been significant. If ever they were going to
(03:47):
do it, I really think this is the year they've
got to do it. Chiefs are are not the typical
defending champion, the kind of team that just seems insurmountable.
They've won the majority of their games by you know,
a single score. They've not been impressive, but they've fund away.
(04:11):
They have shown a great deal of grit, but they
are not insurmountable. And I think that is kind of
the hope that maybe the Bills bring to this game,
like they've got a chance against a team that is good, clearly,
but maybe not great like we've seen other teams in
the past hold this kind of ring.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Yeah, Ted of the chiefs fifteen wins came by a
single score, by the way, so they really do have
a great trait where they find a way to suck
it up and get it done in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
But I'm just wondering about Buffalo last week.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I mean, look, obviously, if Mark Andrews catches that two
point conversion and that game goes to overtime, who knows
what happens against you know, Baltimore. But how vulnerable is
this Buffalo team? We talk about how Kansas City looks eatable?
How about the Bill was coming off that tight one
last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Well, that was that may have been a super Bowl
quality divisional playoff game, and Baltimore played very very well
in most regards, but they did have turnovers and that
came back to get them to drop by Andrews. Incredibly
unfortunate for one of the premier tight ends in our game.
(05:25):
But you know, nothing's easy about these games. Nothing, And
so I wouldn't be fooled by maybe lack of statistical
numbers that the Bills did not put up against that
very good Raven defense, which over the last quarter of
the season was the number one defense and pro football.
(05:48):
It's not easy to say that just because the numbers
were down, maybe they just slid by. That was a
hard fought game, and I wouldn't look at the numbers
as much as just the overall performance beating the challenge
and beating one of the great quarterbacks in Pro football,
and in Lamar Jackson. I'm I'm of the opinion that
(06:08):
either of those teams could come into Kansas City, Ravens
or Bills and beat the Chiefs. Either way, it is
the single most perfect challenges to this reign that the
Chiefs have with one of these two teams. And really,
we could have probably thrown Cincinnati. They've been able to
(06:29):
make it. Bengals probably could have been in that conversation too.
But either way, you've got Ravens, you've got Bills. If
Buffalo wins it, Buffalo comes in and they provide what
I think will be an incredible challenge for the Chiefs.
The Bills have already beat the Chiefs once this season,
so they've got that confidence righting into this game.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Well, we're looking forward to hearing your voice on radio
man on Sunday afternoon. Glad that you're calling the game,
Glad that Westwood one did the right thing and let
you stay home to call the game on Sunday. Let
you sleep in your own bed, wear your own pajamas,
eat out of your own favorite cereal bowl with your
nice plastic spoon there and your jammi's and wake up
and have your coffee and head head over to Arrowhead
to watch the game. But before we talk about the
(07:13):
Chiefs a little bit more, Kevin, I want to go
back to the to the Bills ravens Uh. I think
you and I talked about it last week. That look,
I mean, legacies are on the line. Lamar Jackson hadn't
played well in the postseason. He's now three and five,
I believe in the playoffs overall in his first what
seven years in the NFL, which I think happens to
be the same record as Peyton Manning until he finally
(07:33):
broke through. But what did did Lamar play well enough
to get people kind of off his.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Back last week? You think a little bit?
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Or is that kind of maybe Millstone still hanging around
his neck.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Through down the road in a very tough environment against
the terrific Buffalo team, that that that that moniker, that
that headline over him should be taken away. I don't
he can he can win big games. Listen, he had
uh now it was it was not a perfectly thrown
(08:07):
ball to Andrews, and they could have tied it with
the two point. We know that. But it was definitely catchable,
and in big games you got to make those catches.
So that's clearly on the tight end. But I thought
I thought Jackson played well enough. I really did. He
had to hit some terrific throws. He was under pressure.
This is not a perfect Baltimore team. They had they
(08:30):
had parts that were great and and and and one
part was was Derrick Henry, who began to turn it
up as he usually does in the second half. I
I I've never really bought into that narrative about him
not being a big game quarterback, be able to win
the big game. He'll have chances before and and and
(08:52):
he said he'll have chances coming up, like and we
saw last year they had the AOH Championship game and
they hosted Kansas City and they lost. That was that
was one that got that slipped by that they that
they needed to have, that they should have, that they
should have had. This one I felt like was literally,
who is going to have the ball last?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Right?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it kind of came down to that. Actually, So
I don't hold anything against him. I don't feel that way.
I think he is every bit in that m VP conversation. Still,
although I think the people that voted for Josh Allen
feel better about that vote. And by the way, the
first team All Pro quarterback was Lamar Jackson. We had
better numbers this year after he won the MVP then
(09:36):
he did then he did last year. So I I
I would just say that that I fully believe in him.
I don't believe the narrative and I don't know how
even strong it is anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Yeah, well, Kevin, I wonder if what Lion fans should
be feeling right now. I was looking at their defensive
depth chart during that game with the Commanders on Saturday
night and it was just completely blown to bits. But
I mean, if you're a Lion fan, you lost your
off defensive coordinator to the Bears, your defensive coordinator just
took the Jets head coaching job. How much would you feel,
if you were a line fan that the window is
(10:08):
maybe starting to close a little bit on that chance
of maybe bringing a championship to Detroit.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Well, it's taking a hit. That's a lot of brain drain.
And they may have the front office rated too, by
the way, for assistant general manager becoming a GM someplace,
there's probably more carnage ahead. But to lose your two coordinators,
that's tough. When Philadelphia lost their two coordinators, it really
affected their team. They went and became head coaches at
(10:39):
Indianapolis and Arizona. And you lose that, that's a gigantic
sea change in your coaching staff. Now you got to
fill that, and you've got to re establish relationships, and
you've got to enhance, you know, titles. If you promote
from within, if you bring someone from outside, you've gotta
(11:00):
you've got to begin that whole process again, and that
that takes time to to get to know the offense
and get to know the guys you're working with. Especially
Jared Goff and Aaron Glenn clearly had a very, you know,
dramatic impact on that defense. The truth of the matter
is the attrition caught up to the Lions. They uh
(11:22):
their their offense was set once they got Montgomery back
to join Gibbs in the backfield, but that defense just
could not stop anything. They lost too much. They they
had too many significant injuries, even though they got Anzeloni
back the week before. It began to show the you know,
the deeper you get into these playoffs, the better the competition.
(11:45):
It begins to to unravel a little bit and reveal itself.
And it did. And attrition more than anything else on
the defensive side caught up with Detroit. Now they got
the You know, I was I was truly sad for
them to lose. I I just thought they were a
wonderful story. You knew the coordinators would probably flee at
(12:07):
the end of the season, which they've done, and and
maybe this was kind of the last chance in this form.
But that team is still together. I'm not really sure
the big main free agents they've got, but but that
team is still together and h and they'll fill those
roles and they'll still be formidable, there's no doubt. But
the defensive injuries clearly caught up with them now.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
There's no question. I felt bad for him too. By
the way, I'm glad to hear that you're showing your
emotional side here on the radio show, because.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I always do with you. I always do with you.
I'm honest. Yeah, I'm honest. I've got very deep feelings.
Good I want to express them.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
You should sit wrong with that. Just share them more often,
share the more.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
I want you to be like Kirk Kirk Street and
start crying on the air all right during the broadcast
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Man so that was pretty happy.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
This isn't an emotional year for him, the passing of
his of his trusted dog. And then that is Alma Mater.
Then is Alma Mater winning a national championship? You did
say there at the end, he goes, you never know
really what goes on because you're not inside that building.
He must know quite a bit because he was clearly
touched by that championship, and he mentioned a couple of
(13:21):
times what they've been through. Well, the outside looks like,
well they had twenty million dollars in nil buddy, I
know what they've been through. That they've been through. The
ATM is what they've been They've been through the ATM.
But there's more too. And everybody's paying their kids. Oh god,
I will tell you this to just just asn't aside.
It's a little it's a little different watching these games now.
(13:41):
I gotta be honest, these kids are all being paid
a lot of money, and it's it's uh, it's it's
not the student athlete anymore. It's it's the price tag
and how much you're gonna pay me? And and what
can you do? To keep me and you got to
re recruit me every year. And that's part of the
challenge now for these.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
College to no question.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Well, Kevin hard And who's never been about the money,
He'll do this show for free, for crying out loud.
Just don't tell anybody is with us on the radio
show courtesy of the Emeral Queen Casino and Kevin. I
want to go back to the to the Chiefs just
for a second, the get your thoughts on the on
the Philadelphia Commander's game. Uh, if the Chiefs win Sunday,
it'll be five Super Bowls in six years. Patriots never
(14:23):
did that. Brady never did that. I believe they went
to four and seven and maybe five of eight, but
they never went to five of six.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Uh, this is new territory. If the Chiefs pull this off, if.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
They do get this thing done U and even just
win the conference.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Uh, does this go down?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Maybe is the greatest run that we've seen in the
history of the NFL, at least modern day.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Well, you're dealing with a lot here. You're dealing with
cap space and and a changing landscape and a lot
of a lot of different issues. Longer season, Yep, it's
it's it's a different landscape with players and coaching and
playing now then it was ten years ago, twenty thirty
(15:05):
and so on. Only two teams have won three straight championships,
the Packers in the thirties, the Packers in the sixties,
and now the Chiefs are trying to be the third
to do it. But do it in the Super Bowl era.
And if they would win, and like you say, go
to five and six years and win their third straight,
(15:28):
I do think this would put them in a special category.
It may not have, and I think it's got Lake two.
There's no reason it's going to stop. But it's so
hard to get to this level. But I think your point,
if they make it certainly accounts for something. If they
(15:49):
win it, I think it definitely stamps them and puts
them in a different category. Yes, I would agree.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Yeah, Well, Kevin Harlan, who's already in a category by
himself with us on the air and Manjay Daniels, rob
My Guy Michael Pettix of the Heisman Trophy last year.
But he's sure playing his guts out right now in
the NFL. Maybe the greatest rookie season ever by a
quarterback in the history of the National Football League going
into Philadelphia and winning, though maybe a little bit of
(16:15):
a different story with the atmosphere out there. Who knows
about the weather. Do the Eagles need to get something
out of Jalen Hurts in the passing game though?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
To win this game on Sunday?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I think I can't see them nut, and I mean
they not to right. I mean, there's got to be
that component. And Berkley is a one man reckon crew
and and you can, you know, deal with the legs
of Hurts, But I think you've got to get the
passing game going. And it's hard to figure out why
(16:45):
it is stagnant, why Brown has not been a more
prominent figure. You'd like to think those things will change.
I do think depposing defenses are locked in to what
his favorite targets are and have been, and they're derailing
that thought process a little bit. But as long as
you can run it and play the kind of defense
they're playing, they're going to be in pretty good shape.
(17:08):
Kurtz is always going to make something happen with his leg.
Philadelphia is going to be a tough out. But this kid,
this Jaden Daniels, Uh, he is a phenomenal, phenomenal quarterback
and every time I see him, and I saw him
early in the season win on a last second touchdown
pass in a Monday night game that we did in Cincinnati.
(17:32):
Washington came in to this season with the new coach
and a rookie quarterback and a losing you know, culture,
and to do what they've done even in one year.
They're playing with house money. I mean, like, like this
is they're loose, and I think they'll play loose in Philly,
it's a common opponent they This would be the third
time they've played them, they've split, They've split the series
(17:54):
this season. I don't I don't think they'll blank. I
really don't. Well, why would it be more ferocious in
this game and it was back in the regular season.
I think they're going to be. I think they're ready
for it all. I don't think the moment will be
too big. And I this kid just doesn't seem to
really flutter at any kind of thing that comes across
(18:15):
the doorstep. Hees He's amazing. So I give Washington a
very good shot in this one because they have zero
pressure on him yep, whereas the pressure is on the
Eagles at home, and people thought this would be the
team that would eventually go to the NFC Championship anywhere
and the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Five touchdowns for Jaden Daniels in a thirty six to
thirty three win in December. He also ran for eighty
one yards in that game. They lost earlier in the
season twenty six to eighteen. He didn't play great in
that game, but was marvelous in the second game. Hey, Kevin,
before you go, give me a thought on Aaron Glenn
getting the Jets job. I was a bit surprised they
(18:53):
went defense again after Robert Sala. What do you make
of the Aaron Glenn higher in New York?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, I'm kind of the same way, actually, I just
don't know that that. You know, it's kind of you.
You've gotten the same thing again. You've gotten a hot
defensive coordinator. And and I think Glenn is a good coordinator.
I think he had outstanding talent and he did keep
it together. He had enough good parts to keep it
together even with all those injuries. And I'm I think
(19:23):
he's a good coach. He's got a history in the
New York market clearly, So I guess that that all
you know kind of connects they're just aren't. There just
aren't a lot of good head coaching prospects out there,
quite frankly. They you know, every year, like eight nine
to ten, different jobs open up, and these guys get
(19:45):
vacuumed in and and it's been hard to replenish, and
they seem to be getting younger and younger and younger,
and even Ben Johnson, I know, Ben, people think Ben
Johnson is a slam dunk, you know, I I guess
he is. I think he might be kind of thought
the same for the Eagle coordinators that went to Arizona
(20:07):
and into NDY two and that that had fanned out yet.
So I don't know what to tell you but about this,
I just I don't think it's good to recycle. But
I and I think it's great that all these people
are getting chances to do it. You never know, but
I don't see McVeigh or a Lafleur or an O'Connell
(20:27):
on the landscape here of coaching candidates. It's it's I
think it's a little dry right now, quite frankly, and
probably one more cycle before we can get back and
and kind of replenished. There's been a lot of talk
about really hitting these college coaches and saying, hey, don't
put up with the frustration of n I L and changing,
you know, financial requirements and the re recruiting and all
(20:49):
this other stuff. You know, come join the NFL. We
just coached football, and and that Sarkisian was looked at,
Freeman was looked at. H They're all going to be
continually looked at as long as they're successful at the
college level. Pretty soon, you know, we're gonna replenish this
the supply. I have coaches, but I don't know, I
just kind of end, you know, I we knew they
were going to go. Those are the jobs, tough positions
(21:12):
in both Chicago and New York. Good luck to him.
Detroit's got to rebuild in that category. Very very interesting though,
to see that the names we thought were going to
get hired, they have been getting hired. With a couple
moretifs go I like in Dallas.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Great stuff, man, Listen, this is your time to shine
Lakers Celtics tomorrow for TNT Chiefs bills on Sunday for
radio says where I really need you to suck it
up and just bring it all right, I expect nothing
but greatness out of you.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
All right, to bring it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
On the show.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Let's get it done on the show. Let's get it
done all right. Man, you're the best buddy. How funny.
We'll talk next week, all right man, Thank you, Dave,
take care all right, Kevin Harlin with us, we're gonna break.
We got a lot more to get to on a
busy Wednesday, baby right here on ninety three to three KJRFM.
They are NFL champions.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Seattlesyhawks have won Super.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Bowl forty eight.
Speaker 4 (00:06):
As part of our non stop coverage of the NFL,
this is Softy's weekly visit with Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
He's a pulldozer.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
He's a beast, brought to you by the Emerald Queen Casino,
the betting capital of the Northwest.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
He was like a pincall banging off body.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
He's a trenty three yard catch it run.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Come down to the beautiful EQC Sportsbook to bet, watch
and win all season long.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hit the touchdown, Hit the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
HiT's grab by Purse.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
On Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Holmes and the gun receivers in Tidy gets the knee
high shotgun snap.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
He's craft.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
He throws as he's being tackled and it was caught
in the end zone by Kelsey. What a crap by Kelsey,
But what a play by Ma Holmes of eleven yard
touchdown pass as he was being tracked frough behind and
threaded the needle.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Not all right, boys and girls, here we go. That voice,
that silky smooth voice right there. Every single Wednesday at
five o'clock, we get the honor to talk to the
legendary voice of the NFL on Westwood One, the NFL
on CBS, all courtesy of our friends at the amra
Quin Casino, getting ready to call yet another AFC Championship
game for.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Westwood one Radio.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
You'll hear both those games starting at noon Sunday on
this very radio station. It's our friend, courtesy of the
UQC from the NFL and CBS, the NFL in Westwood One,
and the NBA on TNT, and who knows, maybe one
day the NBA on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Our friend Kevin Harlan, how are you, pal?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Hey, Buddy good Inden Championship Sunday, one of the great
sports days on the calendar. I mean, it's just such
a great day. Two terrific games, four great teams, and
really the four teams that are left the final four
in the NFL, YEP. This is this is a great
representation of what the what the season was. These are
(01:59):
strong teams that are there and it's exciting to see
this is how we've ended up.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
Well, you think about how lucky you are, my friend.
You're on your way to LA to do a Lakers
Boston game for TV. One of the great rivalries and
the history of sports, and then turning around on Sunday
to call maybe the best rivalry in the NFL right
now in Buffalo and Kansas City on Sunday afternoon for radio.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And I was checking this.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
This is now the fourth time in the last five
years that Buffalo and Kansas City have met in the postseason,
and the Chiefs have ended Buffalo season in three of the.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Last four games.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
How personal do you think this is Sunday for Buffalo
and how personal is it for Josh Allen men.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, when you look at the great teams that have
risen to where they are, they always had to get
by someone that was kind of in their place. So
you can go back to Jordan and the Polls, and
they had to get by Detroit and Boston, and the
Chiefs had to get by Brady and the Patriots, and
(03:03):
they finally did and they've broken through. Now they're the
team that everybody is shooting for. And it really has
been this way with Buffalo here for quite a while.
Cincinnati would probably be thrown in that category two, but
the Bengals just missed the playoffs, so I guess I
feel like this is kind of the step by step
(03:23):
process you've got to go through. You just can't vault
into a supreme level and then you know expect to
you know, just carry on from that point on without
you know, some strain, and the strain to get by
this game and into the super Bowl for the Buffalo
Bills has been significant. If ever they were going to
(03:47):
do it, I really think this is the year they've
got to do it. Chiefs are are not the typical
defending champion, the kind of team that just seems insurmountable.
They've won the majority of their games by you know,
a single score. They've not been impressive, but they've fund away.
(04:11):
They have shown a great deal of grit, but they
are not insurmountable. And I think that is kind of
the hope that maybe the Bills bring to this game,
like they've got a chance against a team that is good, clearly,
but maybe not great like we've seen other teams in
the past hold this kind of ring.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Yeah, Ted of the chiefs fifteen wins came by a
single score, by the way, so they really do have
a great trait where they find a way to suck
it up and get it done in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
But I'm just wondering about Buffalo last week.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I mean, look, obviously, if Mark Andrews catches that two
point conversion and that game goes to overtime, who knows
what happens against you know, Baltimore. But how vulnerable is
this Buffalo team? We talk about how Kansas City looks eatable?
How about the Bill was coming off that tight one
last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Well, that was that may have been a super Bowl
quality divisional playoff game, and Baltimore played very very well
in most regards, but they did have turnovers and that
came back to get them to drop by Andrews. Incredibly
unfortunate for one of the premier tight ends in our game.
(05:25):
But you know, nothing's easy about these games. Nothing, And
so I wouldn't be fooled by maybe lack of statistical
numbers that the Bills did not put up against that
very good Raven defense, which over the last quarter of
the season was the number one defense and pro football.
(05:48):
It's not easy to say that just because the numbers
were down, maybe they just slid by. That was a
hard fought game, and I wouldn't look at the numbers
as much as just the overall performance beating the challenge
and beating one of the great quarterbacks in Pro football,
and in Lamar Jackson. I'm I'm of the opinion that
(06:08):
either of those teams could come into Kansas City, Ravens
or Bills and beat the Chiefs. Either way, it is
the single most perfect challenges to this reign that the
Chiefs have with one of these two teams. And really,
we could have probably thrown Cincinnati. They've been able to
(06:29):
make it. Bengals probably could have been in that conversation too.
But either way, you've got Ravens, you've got Bills. If
Buffalo wins it, Buffalo comes in and they provide what
I think will be an incredible challenge for the Chiefs.
The Bills have already beat the Chiefs once this season,
so they've got that confidence righting into this game.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Well, we're looking forward to hearing your voice on radio
man on Sunday afternoon. Glad that you're calling the game,
Glad that Westwood one did the right thing and let
you stay home to call the game on Sunday. Let
you sleep in your own bed, wear your own pajamas,
eat out of your own favorite cereal bowl with your
nice plastic spoon there and your jammi's and wake up
and have your coffee and head head over to Arrowhead
to watch the game. But before we talk about the
(07:13):
Chiefs a little bit more, Kevin, I want to go
back to the to the Bills ravens Uh. I think
you and I talked about it last week. That look,
I mean, legacies are on the line. Lamar Jackson hadn't
played well in the postseason. He's now three and five,
I believe in the playoffs overall in his first what
seven years in the NFL, which I think happens to
be the same record as Peyton Manning until he finally
(07:33):
broke through. But what did did Lamar play well enough
to get people kind of off his.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Back last week? You think a little bit?
Speaker 5 (07:41):
Or is that kind of maybe Millstone still hanging around
his neck.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Through down the road in a very tough environment against
the terrific Buffalo team, that that that that moniker, that
that headline over him should be taken away. I don't
he can he can win big games. Listen, he had
uh now it was it was not a perfectly thrown
(08:07):
ball to Andrews, and they could have tied it with
the two point. We know that. But it was definitely catchable,
and in big games you got to make those catches.
So that's clearly on the tight end. But I thought
I thought Jackson played well enough. I really did. He
had to hit some terrific throws. He was under pressure.
This is not a perfect Baltimore team. They had they
(08:30):
had parts that were great and and and and one
part was was Derrick Henry, who began to turn it
up as he usually does in the second half. I
I I've never really bought into that narrative about him
not being a big game quarterback, be able to win
the big game. He'll have chances before and and and
(08:52):
he said he'll have chances coming up, like and we
saw last year they had the AOH Championship game and
they hosted Kansas City and they lost. That was that
was one that got that slipped by that they that
they needed to have, that they should have, that they
should have had. This one I felt like was literally,
who is going to have the ball last?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Right?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
And it kind of came down to that. Actually, So
I don't hold anything against him. I don't feel that way.
I think he is every bit in that m VP conversation. Still,
although I think the people that voted for Josh Allen
feel better about that vote. And by the way, the
first team All Pro quarterback was Lamar Jackson. We had
better numbers this year after he won the MVP then
(09:36):
he did then he did last year. So I I
I would just say that that I fully believe in him.
I don't believe the narrative and I don't know how
even strong it is anymore.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Yeah, well, Kevin, I wonder if what Lion fans should
be feeling right now. I was looking at their defensive
depth chart during that game with the Commanders on Saturday
night and it was just completely blown to bits. But
I mean, if you're a Lion fan, you lost your
off defensive coordinator to the Bears, your defensive coordinator just
took the Jets head coaching job. How much would you feel,
if you were a line fan that the window is
(10:08):
maybe starting to close a little bit on that chance
of maybe bringing a championship to Detroit.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Well, it's taking a hit. That's a lot of brain drain.
And they may have the front office rated too, by
the way, for assistant general manager becoming a GM someplace,
there's probably more carnage ahead. But to lose your two coordinators,
that's tough. When Philadelphia lost their two coordinators, it really
affected their team. They went and became head coaches at
(10:39):
Indianapolis and Arizona. And you lose that, that's a gigantic
sea change in your coaching staff. Now you got to
fill that, and you've got to re establish relationships, and
you've got to enhance, you know, titles. If you promote
from within, if you bring someone from outside, you've gotta
(11:00):
you've got to begin that whole process again, and that
that takes time to to get to know the offense
and get to know the guys you're working with. Especially
Jared Goff and Aaron Glenn clearly had a very, you know,
dramatic impact on that defense. The truth of the matter
is the attrition caught up to the Lions. They uh
(11:22):
their their offense was set once they got Montgomery back
to join Gibbs in the backfield, but that defense just
could not stop anything. They lost too much. They they
had too many significant injuries, even though they got Anzeloni
back the week before. It began to show the you know,
the deeper you get into these playoffs, the better the competition.
(11:45):
It begins to to unravel a little bit and reveal itself.
And it did. And attrition more than anything else on
the defensive side caught up with Detroit. Now they got
the You know, I was I was truly sad for
them to lose. I I just thought they were a
wonderful story. You knew the coordinators would probably flee at
(12:07):
the end of the season, which they've done, and and
maybe this was kind of the last chance in this form.
But that team is still together. I'm not really sure
the big main free agents they've got, but but that
team is still together and h and they'll fill those
roles and they'll still be formidable, there's no doubt. But
the defensive injuries clearly caught up with them now.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
There's no question. I felt bad for him too. By
the way, I'm glad to hear that you're showing your
emotional side here on the radio show, because.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I always do with you. I always do with you.
I'm honest. Yeah, I'm honest. I've got very deep feelings.
Good I want to express them.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
You should sit wrong with that. Just share them more often,
share the more.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
I want you to be like Kirk Kirk Street and
start crying on the air all right during the broadcast
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Man so that was pretty happy.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
This isn't an emotional year for him, the passing of
his of his trusted dog. And then that is Alma Mater.
Then is Alma Mater winning a national championship? You did
say there at the end, he goes, you never know
really what goes on because you're not inside that building.
He must know quite a bit because he was clearly
touched by that championship, and he mentioned a couple of
(13:21):
times what they've been through. Well, the outside looks like,
well they had twenty million dollars in nil buddy, I
know what they've been through. That they've been through. The
ATM is what they've been They've been through the ATM.
But there's more too. And everybody's paying their kids. Oh god,
I will tell you this to just just asn't aside.
It's a little it's a little different watching these games now.
(13:41):
I gotta be honest, these kids are all being paid
a lot of money, and it's it's uh, it's it's
not the student athlete anymore. It's it's the price tag
and how much you're gonna pay me? And and what
can you do? To keep me and you got to
re recruit me every year. And that's part of the
challenge now for these.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
College to no question.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Well, Kevin hard And who's never been about the money,
He'll do this show for free, for crying out loud.
Just don't tell anybody is with us on the radio
show courtesy of the Emeral Queen Casino and Kevin. I
want to go back to the to the Chiefs just
for a second, the get your thoughts on the on
the Philadelphia Commander's game. Uh, if the Chiefs win Sunday,
it'll be five Super Bowls in six years. Patriots never
(14:23):
did that. Brady never did that. I believe they went
to four and seven and maybe five of eight, but
they never went to five of six.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Uh, this is new territory. If the Chiefs pull this off, if.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
They do get this thing done U and even just
win the conference.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Uh, does this go down?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Maybe is the greatest run that we've seen in the
history of the NFL, at least modern day.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Well, you're dealing with a lot here. You're dealing with
cap space and and a changing landscape and a lot
of a lot of different issues. Longer season, Yep, it's
it's it's a different landscape with players and coaching and
playing now then it was ten years ago, twenty thirty
(15:05):
and so on. Only two teams have won three straight championships,
the Packers in the thirties, the Packers in the sixties,
and now the Chiefs are trying to be the third
to do it. But do it in the Super Bowl era.
And if they would win, and like you say, go
to five and six years and win their third straight,
(15:28):
I do think this would put them in a special category.
It may not have, and I think it's got Lake two.
There's no reason it's going to stop. But it's so
hard to get to this level. But I think your point,
if they make it certainly accounts for something. If they
(15:49):
win it, I think it definitely stamps them and puts
them in a different category. Yes, I would agree.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Yeah, Well, Kevin Harlan, who's already in a category by
himself with us on the air and Manjay Daniels, rob
My Guy Michael Pettix of the Heisman Trophy last year.
But he's sure playing his guts out right now in
the NFL. Maybe the greatest rookie season ever by a
quarterback in the history of the National Football League going
into Philadelphia and winning, though maybe a little bit of
(16:15):
a different story with the atmosphere out there. Who knows
about the weather. Do the Eagles need to get something
out of Jalen Hurts in the passing game though?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
To win this game on Sunday?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I think I can't see them nut, and I mean
they not to right. I mean, there's got to be
that component. And Berkley is a one man reckon crew
and and you can, you know, deal with the legs
of Hurts, But I think you've got to get the
passing game going. And it's hard to figure out why
(16:45):
it is stagnant, why Brown has not been a more
prominent figure. You'd like to think those things will change.
I do think depposing defenses are locked in to what
his favorite targets are and have been, and they're derailing
that thought process a little bit. But as long as
you can run it and play the kind of defense
they're playing, they're going to be in pretty good shape.
(17:08):
Kurtz is always going to make something happen with his leg.
Philadelphia is going to be a tough out. But this kid,
this Jaden Daniels, Uh, he is a phenomenal, phenomenal quarterback
and every time I see him, and I saw him
early in the season win on a last second touchdown
pass in a Monday night game that we did in Cincinnati.
(17:32):
Washington came in to this season with the new coach
and a rookie quarterback and a losing you know, culture,
and to do what they've done even in one year.
They're playing with house money. I mean, like, like this
is they're loose, and I think they'll play loose in Philly,
it's a common opponent they This would be the third
time they've played them, they've split, They've split the series
(17:54):
this season. I don't I don't think they'll blank. I
really don't. Well, why would it be more ferocious in
this game and it was back in the regular season.
I think they're going to be. I think they're ready
for it all. I don't think the moment will be
too big. And I this kid just doesn't seem to
really flutter at any kind of thing that comes across
(18:15):
the doorstep. Hees He's amazing. So I give Washington a
very good shot in this one because they have zero
pressure on him yep, whereas the pressure is on the
Eagles at home, and people thought this would be the
team that would eventually go to the NFC Championship anywhere
and the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Five touchdowns for Jaden Daniels in a thirty six to
thirty three win in December. He also ran for eighty
one yards in that game. They lost earlier in the
season twenty six to eighteen. He didn't play great in
that game, but was marvelous in the second game. Hey, Kevin,
before you go, give me a thought on Aaron Glenn
getting the Jets job. I was a bit surprised they
(18:53):
went defense again after Robert Sala. What do you make
of the Aaron Glenn higher in New York?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, I'm kind of the same way, actually, I just
don't know that that. You know, it's kind of you.
You've gotten the same thing again. You've gotten a hot
defensive coordinator. And and I think Glenn is a good coordinator.
I think he had outstanding talent and he did keep
it together. He had enough good parts to keep it
together even with all those injuries. And I'm I think
(19:23):
he's a good coach. He's got a history in the
New York market clearly, So I guess that that all
you know kind of connects they're just aren't. There just
aren't a lot of good head coaching prospects out there,
quite frankly. They you know, every year, like eight nine
to ten, different jobs open up, and these guys get
(19:45):
vacuumed in and and it's been hard to replenish, and
they seem to be getting younger and younger and younger,
and even Ben Johnson, I know, Ben, people think Ben
Johnson is a slam dunk, you know, I I guess
he is. I think he might be kind of thought
the same for the Eagle coordinators that went to Arizona
(20:07):
and into NDY two and that that had fanned out yet.
So I don't know what to tell you but about this,
I just I don't think it's good to recycle. But
I and I think it's great that all these people
are getting chances to do it. You never know, but
I don't see McVeigh or a Lafleur or an O'Connell
(20:27):
on the landscape here of coaching candidates. It's it's I
think it's a little dry right now, quite frankly, and
probably one more cycle before we can get back and
and kind of replenished. There's been a lot of talk
about really hitting these college coaches and saying, hey, don't
put up with the frustration of n I L and changing,
you know, financial requirements and the re recruiting and all
(20:49):
this other stuff. You know, come join the NFL. We
just coached football, and and that Sarkisian was looked at,
Freeman was looked at. H They're all going to be
continually looked at as long as they're successful at the
college level. Pretty soon, you know, we're gonna replenish this
the supply. I have coaches, but I don't know, I
just kind of end, you know, I we knew they
were going to go. Those are the jobs, tough positions
(21:12):
in both Chicago and New York. Good luck to him.
Detroit's got to rebuild in that category. Very very interesting though,
to see that the names we thought were going to
get hired, they have been getting hired. With a couple
moretifs go I like in Dallas.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Great stuff, man, Listen, this is your time to shine
Lakers Celtics tomorrow for TNT Chiefs bills on Sunday for
radio says where I really need you to suck it
up and just bring it all right, I expect nothing
but greatness out of you.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
All right, to bring it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
On the show.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Let's get it done on the show. Let's get it
done all right. Man, you're the best buddy. How funny.
We'll talk next week, all right man, Thank you, Dave,
take care all right, Kevin Harlin with us, we're gonna break.
We got a lot more to get to on a
busy Wednesday, baby right here on ninety three to three KJRFM.
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