NFL Week 18 headlines: Lions send Packers 'gone smoking' | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NFL on NBC
we will begin the Pod with give me the headlines presented by Hyundai have, I said, how much we enjoy Hyundai? I have another part of the body you have, while you drive one. So I know that you did Santa Fe yeah. Okay, so you’re all-in reliable. You’re giving them money. Yeah, all we did. Ya know, get no longer are done, you’re done. You just hate you paid your debt. Thank a but it’s been such a good car, right? I’ve got would consider getting another 100 case, okay, you look at you, honey. We’re sending Buster shots
of the ABS out your way, but kisser this guy. So, this is give me the headline. So what we do here is we were in charge of a newspaper. Yeah. And it’s still print, right. We’re still in it. Maybe digital copies, right? Why are you explaining this? Like nobody’s ever heard the Superboy. So we’ll go with our Sunday night football game. The lions defeat the Packers 22:16. You give me the headline, mr. Lyons this is mine. It is don’t get me some bull crap, restore the Roar. The B kneecaps off. Like, I’ve it’s already been
used, and she are okay, like, restore the rule. Okay, what do you got on there? Johnny creativity, some with Campbell, you
know, you’re going to lay them. To rest later to, they probably even believe it will say. So yeah, we’re gonna celebrate over the start and then celebrate their death later on in the show. Exactly. Yes, yes, they are. They have been eliminated so that that that’s tongue as we just mentioned. But I’ll tell you, I have so much to say about the Lions because I don’t know that I’ve had a team that I’ve felt this good about all the reasons you mentioned, how close they are, and what they need on defense and the offense has
already there. But can I just this is like an appreciation tweet to Dan Campbell. Sure, I threw out there last night because Like he’s a strong confident coach, who obviously relates to his players, very well and they believed in him, right? And he also has a kind of an aggressive risk-taking style, like of all the coaches at like, that’s a total package, right? And it may be not the X’s and O’s, right? I am the X’s and O’s are not bad here. Exactly. The defense has got a few little issues, but I think it’s more
Talent than necessarily scheme, but it like offensively, man. Come on. It’s one of the best put together offenses in football. Nothing. And I don’t even talk about the players just the way the game is called. And I think Dan Campbell, you know, a next I-10. And I think the relationship with him and Ben Johnson. We saw Dan Campbell take over play-calling last year. I think he’s very much, you know, as far as the influence of this offense involved in that. So, there is positive. So that and I mean, yes, yes, and I think the biggest
thing is like what you said, he’s turned around their frame of thinking, their to winning frame of mind. And then, you know, within that he is a guy that as we’ve said, Many times this year, we would go pie for right now and be like, okay, let’s do it. Let’s do it for Dan Campbell, and there is something to be said about that. There’s Great Value in that, and to keep that team motivated after just, you know, minutes earlier they had seen, yeah, Seattle win that game. And then I tweeted out because I had to
regroup myself. Ooh, and so, I tweeted out this picture. I’ve been using some AI software to generate some pictures. Now that’s very cool. Look at that, I just typed in Aaron Rodgers made of cheese, Aaron rodders, Rogers made of cheese. That gave me that pen. Fire. Let’s and so I go regroup, pick up the pieces. Beat this cheese head, which is what you heard, Melissa Stark. Talk to Dan Campbell. Yeah. And they’re like, What’s your motivation? How are you feeling? Is like, we don’t want them to go, you don’t want the Green Bay Packers to
go and like I mentioned are going but they’re murdering Zone either actually and like I mentioned last, but I do feel like they played a little may be free or even Freer than they normally do without that. That pressure when I do carry something too that, you know, that? Yeah, the Packers were tight. You could tell that to definitely, you know, It seemed like the pressure got back on them a little bit, the Lions have a way of being free, no matter what. And I think that is because your coach but yes, then just with
the, you know, the added. Okay. We’re not going to the playoffs. You can be a little bit more free. There’s something to that. Definitely. And you know again I think there’s a lot then you add in. Wait. Okay. The motivation just to kick the Packers out of the playoffs, but then I think the motivation of like, some of the things we heard out of the Lions locker room this week, from the Sean Elliott, and things like that. And I felt like there was like a True disrespect with the way Aaron Rodgers talked about them after
the year. Yeah, he said after their loss, after loss loss, excuse me, and week 9. Yeah, he goes to lose to a team like that, right. Yeah, right. That’s you know, those are some harsh words, guys, are going to remember that. And of course, they turned it around. Kind of right there and then and it just as it’s cool to see a team, you know, come out of nowhere. Not that we want to pass the torch to them but I think we look at them and go. Wait, we’re going to pass the torch to them
to go, right? It looks like they’re going to be a major player. In the NFC and then the Packers, of course, you’re in limbo a little bit. I think that’s what’s interesting about that game last night too. You know first off like the pressure of the situation, whatever. There’s a few things we could talk about with Green Bay where I just go, you know, mistakes were made. I did not, you know, me going for it on fourth down early in the game. Now your defense has been playing good lately, right? Like you’re just going to
give them the ball right there. In field goal position. You’re you’re you know, not the Greatest offense in the world. To just say, oh yeah, fourth and one fourth, and two, we can make it where the chiefs were the bills, whatever I did not love that. And then, you know, of course, some of the mistakes that were made as far as the fumble and we had a missed field goal. Green Bay had some opportunities is what I’m saying to put extra pressure on Detroit. Yeah, but they kind of buckled under the pressure did not take
advantage of opportunities and as the game went on, it just seemed like, you know, Detroit was letting it fly a little bit more than Green Bay was Quay Walker rejected after he pushed the trainer. Yeah. Which was which was weird ejected. It was weird. It was weird. You know, here’s one thing I’ll say for him just in his defense sure. That’s it’s a Georgia guy. He has crossover. He was trying to get over there to like see how the hit was a friend of his was doing. I think I’m not condoning ever. Putting your hands
on there. Yeah but I think he was a little bit like checking on his friend and then the trainer came and kind of gave him the elbow and pushed away and he’s probably can’t get your hands off me, but you can’t do that but he’s a young kid and he’ll learn from that. He’s a bad guy. We soccer be Joseph, the third pick of Aaron Rodgers this year, daddy be Evans. This is a good draft for the Lions to because you got Jameson Williams, you made that big play that he played very sparingly. Yeah, I’m
just over animal while explosive. Yeah you see it Aidan. Hutchinson Joseph, their tight end James Mitchell James Houston. That’s a good draft class for the Lions. Red homes did a good job. They did a really good job with Detroit, there 11-play that I was so interesting to me was you saw at the end of the game too. Where the Packers jumped off. So it was a short yardage situation was the second in one or whatever second one before the two-minute warning. They’re going to try to pull. Let’s jump offsides and get a free time out
where the clock will stop. Bill accept it. Yes and now it’s first down again, instead of them being able to get a first down on our time outs, not matching up quite way with Downs in the two-minute warning. They tried to do the old, my Grable there. Yeah. But Dan Campbell went. No, no, no, yeah, Will decline that s…. Keep the clock running. It will take second and Again, which was very smart. Yeah, you don’t, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a team actually declined that. Yeah I don’t know if I have either. You’re
right. It said that’s a new one for sure. But there was again I think they’re a team. That’s got a lot of confidence going into the off season. You said it, there’s weapons to talk about, they got money and draft picks to play with. And then you on the other side, you got Green. Bay is a team where you go. I don’t know what’s going to happen because Aaron Rodgers. I don’t know where that stands. I think he’ll be back. I do in my heart of hearts you do. I do? I think what’s this whole
song and dance? Z using that for leverage as you really not know what cultural. I think he just takes it slow. I don’t think he like I yeah, I think he’d literally doesn’t know. He kind of just wants to, hey, get away for a little bit and see how he feels after a month. And does he still have that? Burn that fire, whatever else, I don’t think he’s gonna go somewhere else. I don’t, I think he enjoys being the king of the castle too much and he’s got everything laid out the way he wants their
and Green Bay and he has all the power. So I just don’t Envision him going somewhere else like a Raiders or something like that unless they both decide decide hey, you know what, let’s go, our separate ways, right? But his money and his contract thing that’s going to be an issue in this whole thing here. But yeah I guess if he comes back it’s going to be with Green Bay and I do think he will come back, still a very good still a good football team. You know they need some more difference makers on the
defensive side of the ball they’re going to re-sign rashan Gary probably do a good contract but another year with Watson Romeo ABS, you know, there’s still some pieces that offensive line with healthy is still good to where I would think the grass is not greener anywhere else. My big thing with Aaron Rodgers, you just got to change his approach a little bit. He’s got to change his approach the way he plays the game. Like you saw last night, first off, you know, some throws and decisions. You just go what I mean. Got lucky with another
interception. There was a penalty on the play, you know, left a left a touchdown on the board up the right sideline? Remember I think that was actually the play before the interception he threw her. Right here at Aaron, Jones up to silence a touchdown Meander through it by 10 or 15 yards. And I did not throw the ball. Well, this year, not to Aaron Rodgers. Standards did not make good decisions was not aggressive Enough by any stretch of the imagination again. This throw for 74% and protect the ball that should is over. It’s over, in
the NFL, you got to make plays, you’re going to have turnovers no matter what even if you play it close to the vest. So you got to make some plays and I think that’s where he dropped the ball. They dropped the ball and he’s got to be 40th this year, you got to be there through the thick and thin with the team. I think that’s very important. I think that was a good point you made to because it’s, like all these rookie wide receivers have to earn his trust and will take a while. It’s gonna
take a while, maybe you should start soon exactly the fabric and the DNA of a football team gets laid down in the spring. I know it’s not the most important part and I do you don’t have to be there every day, but there is something this said to be in there, you know, a majority of the time especially when you’re the quarterback and especially when you’re the highwomen. Highest paid player in the football team, you know how it works, right? I’ve you saw Mike Tirico in the building every day work in doing this stuff. You’d
go. Damn. Okay, I guess that’s what I need to do. A little bit to pick my game up, right. Damn, that’s Mike Tirico. He’s he’s running NBC sports, right? Well, that’s what a quarterback does. Are you saying Mike Tirico is at a level higher than just a little bit level? He does not do. Yes, he does it. He’s a little he does better headlines. Honestly. He’s just a little higher than, yeah. Yeah, no, I know. But that’s what I’m saying. You know what I mean? Yeah, you know, that’s that. Me, it’s throw a football team,
when the best player is your hardest worker, and then he’s also, they’re having fun, and usually like a guy like Mahomes or Josh now nerd Roberto. They’re great, guys. So where they make it fun for everybody to be there at work. Anyways, they have an infectious personality with their drive and their love for the game and all that. And that’s, you know what you need to do. Tom, Brady, learn that lesson, he learned it earlier in his career he went through a stent like 2009 2010 where he was like I’ll see you during the season.
I’m going to California, I’m doing all that. And then I think he started to realize. Wait, I’m not playing this. Good of footballs, I can play. I know there’s some issues here and whatever else and he kind of readjusted his game that way. I would like to see Rogers back in the building during the Spring, maybe he doesn’t want to do that. And maybe that’s why he can ride off into the sunset. And then, you’re going to have criticized, and you’re going to give us underwhelming performances and week 18. If you don’t want to do
that, I could talk about this game forever, but forever tells me that we have to move on, because no other games did happen in the NFL in one game happened. Wes, that impacted the Lions. Chances at the playoffs. Congratulations to the Seahawks. You are in the postseason. No one saw this. Coming in the beginning of the year. Maybe you did a little bit because you said that Geno Smith was going to be pretty good and he was more than pretty good for them. They beat the Rams in overtime. I’ve lost my duties as headline writer,
it’s back to you. What’s your headline for this one? He didn’t ride back baby. He didn’t write back, they wrote him off and he didn’t write back. I feel like this might be the last time this year. We were able to use that, so we got to use. These are use it one more time. He’s awake. Yeah, he coined the phrase, right? People try to write me off. I didn’t ride, but I didn’t write back. He said it Week 1 and here he is, he still not writing back and he’s saying kiss my butt. Look
at me, I’m in the playoffs and I had one of the best seasons in the NFL at the quarterback position. It wasn’t easy yesterday, it was not easy, right? Amit. I mean, I don’t know how much you. You saw a pretty good amount because you were on the edge of your seat here. Yeah. Now that’s still a good Rams defense jealous ramzan credit to him. He was flying all around me, feel right? Yeah. I mean Jalen Ramsey what a day, the two interceptions I think. Was the guy that jumped off the edge to make the
missed field goal at the end of regulation of, okay, that, you know, bunked off the up right there. But that was, that was a tough football game and I mean, third Downs. Look at that. 1411, you know, Kenneth Walker had a few plays, they couldn’t get it going in the pass game, they really couldn’t but they toughed it out. Made the plays when they needed to and they squeaked in the playoffs and I’m happy for them. Yeah, Geno, Smith here it is. Set the Seahawks franchise record for completions pass attempts completions A should percentage in
passing yards. That’s amazing. It’s truly. It’s you just, you can’t write some of this stuff, sometimes how it all unfolds, but it’s kind of its own. Little Hollywood script right there in Geno Smith and I’m sure you know, Pete Carroll loves that aspect, that he can can say Geno Smith one-upped, Russell Wilson a little bit in the, some of these categories. So can they, can they make a run? So they got to go to the 49ers, of course, we’re going to get as the week goes on. We’ll get into more of these matchups. We’re not
gonna do it a bunch on this or dangerous. What surprised me though, is it like late in the game? They were down three final, two minutes at the first and goal from the to add three straight Kenneth Walker. Run. I know they couldn’t get it in there, right? And so it’s just the problem of their team, right? There is an issue. Well it’s the offensive line right there. How many you know think about some of the the bigger games they’ve played this year against the better defense, has we just have gone? You know I don’t
know if they can really run the ball he might make some crazy freaky runs, right? Or you know I don’t know if they can really protect and that’s what would scare me. Like what you see in the 49ers In both games, he never had enough time to let Lockett and Metcalf, get down the field to make some big plays. So that’ll be the big question here is, can they just block well enough to let some of their play makers? Have the opportunity, right? And that’s that to me is a big question. I kind of Edge
on the, you know, side of no respect against the elite teams. They might be able to get away with some of the other teams in the playoffs, but like, 49ers Eagles. I’m not really sure about that. But again, you know, yesterday look at, you know, the That line a little bit 29 for 114 for Kenneth Walker. It’s not necessarily a great run stopping defense, by the Rams football team. Yeah, you know, it’s three point nine yards per carry one of his Carriage was 20 yards. I mean, there was a ton of carries over. No yd.
Minus 2 minus 3 0, e, rips off, and break seven ankles, and then gets around the edge for an eight-yard gain, you know. So it’s a little bit of an issue with their team and it’s an issue on the other side of the ball. I think you can kind of go there as well. Like you saw when the Rams they smashed it up the Middle with Cam Akers, kind of consistently throughout. The football game, right? And that would scare me against the 49ers as well. The Rams lost 12 games a year after winning the Super
Bowl most losses ever by a defending Super Bowl champion. Are he had that 11 losses so I added one more to that. Now, Sean McVeigh, it’s rumors that he doesn’t know what he wants to do. The rumors are real. I mean I think there’s some real real aspect to, he’s not sure what he’s going to do. I do? You know, I just I hear from too many people in the know in the NFL that this is a real thing and he is contemplating and he doesn’t want to. Part of a rebuild, you know, it’s just,
you know I just I think that’s really the biggest thing here. So I don’t know where this is all going to go but you know TV and I don’t know another head coaching job. It just seems like him back with the Rams is definitely on the fence. Right now, isn’t as the way it stands for, when you talk to people around the NFL sounds like burn out for him because I shot doesn’t delegate. I think I was reading somewhere where he likes to do it kind of all himself because he have his prints on everything.
Right. He’s was kid. I could totally see him being burnt out. He’s he is lives it. It’s 24/7. You know, seven days a week. He could. He could be, I could see him being that guy like we saw him. Maybe a Dick Vermeil. We’ve seen other coaches do it. Step away for a few years. Come back re-energized. Have a new project go at it, but we’ll see. We know, we’d be great on TV. He’s a great football coach. I don’t think it would necessarily be all that crazy hard. You know, it’s not as hard to
rebuild a football team as we’ve seen here. And I know, Don’t have draft picks and stuff like that, but they’re gonna have some decisions to make all together the Rams in the offseason as far as some contracts. Where guys are at in their career? The Matthew Stafford situation. Yeah, there’s a lot of different things that are very interesting about the rims and you dig in, so we’ll see. But I’m happy for the Seattle Seahawks to get back to that. That’s the most important thing here and they’re going to have to have a special football game
to beat the 49ers on Saturday. And that was give me the headlines presented by Hyundai, have I mentioned, how much I appreciate my Hyundai Santa. Fe definitely. Have that’s trusted to protect my children right in the back. Seat there to write, want to make sure I could made that clear. Got it. You gotta think about that. Yeah, lines bumper sticker. Do not know. I do not have a lot of Step your gaming. I do have to do that. Yeah, I got to restore the roar. You’re right on the back of my Hyundai Santa Fe stop
that dim restore. The
