PTI

What's at Stake in the Rams/Seahawks TNF Matchup?

24 min
Dec 18, 20254 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

PTI hosts discuss Thursday Night Football's Rams-Seahawks matchup, the Chicago Bears' potential stadium relocation to Indiana, and preview college football playoff games with analyst Booger McFarland. The episode covers NFL playoff implications, transfer portal trends in college football, and various sports storylines.

Insights
  • Home field advantage is a critical factor in playoff matchups, particularly in loud outdoor venues like Seattle's Lumen Field
  • Quarterback performance under pressure directly correlates with playoff success; Sam Darnold's turnover management is key to Seattle's chances
  • Stadium relocation threats are often political leverage tactics rather than genuine moves, especially when teams have existing development plans
  • The college football transfer portal has become more impactful than the coaching carousel, with recent Heisman winners predominantly being transfers
  • Defensive injuries (like DeVonte Adams' hamstring) can significantly shift playoff game dynamics despite overall team strength
Trends
College quarterback transfer portal activity exceeds coaching changes in significance and frequencyNFL teams using stadium relocation threats as negotiation leverage with state/local governmentsHome field advantage becoming increasingly valuable in modern playoff footballDefensive end production and draft prospects directly influencing college playoff outcomesOffensive coordinator continuity issues affecting team performance in playoff scenariosG5 conference teams showing competitive potential against Power 5 programs in playoff matchupsPlayer injury management strategies shifting toward extended rest periods before playoffsMulti-state stadium relocation discussions creating political controversy in professional sports
Topics
NFL Playoff Seeding and Home Field AdvantageRams vs Seahawks Thursday Night Football AnalysisChicago Bears Stadium Relocation to IndianaCollege Football Playoff PredictionsCollege Football Transfer Portal TrendsQuarterback Performance Under PressureDeVonte Adams Injury ImpactAlabama vs Oklahoma College Playoff GameG5 Teams in College Playoff MatchupsNFL Draft Prospect EvaluationCoaching Carousel vs Transfer PortalSam Darnold Turnover ManagementSports Stadium Development PoliticsJaden Daniels Injury RecoveryWayne Gretzky NHL Scoring Records
Companies
ESPN
Mentioned as provider of ESPN unlimited streaming service and coverage of sports events
Amazon Prime
Referenced as platform for streaming college football games
People
Michael Wilbon
Co-host discussing NFL and college football analysis and predictions
Tony Kornhizer
Co-host engaging in sports debate and analysis throughout the episode
Booger McFarland
Guest analyst providing expert commentary on playoff games and quarterback performance
Sam Darnold
Key player whose turnover management is critical to Seahawks' playoff success against Rams
Kevin Warren
Executive announcing Bears' exploration of stadium relocation to Indiana
Lane Kiffin
Recently moved to LSU; previously Ole Miss coach involved in college football coaching carousel
Jaden Daniels
NFL Rookie of the Year 2024 now sidelined with multiple injuries in 2025 season
Wayne Gretzky
Commemorated for 42-year anniversary of reaching 100 points in 34 games
Kevin Garnett
Rejoining Timberwolves organization in off-court role after previous ownership disputes
DeVonte Adams
Hamstring injury status unclear for Thursday night game against Seahawks
Marcel Reed
Key player in Texas A&M's college playoff matchup against Miami
Carson Beck
Inconsistent performance affecting Miami's playoff chances against Texas A&M
John Sommeral
Former Tulane coach now at Florida; his departure affects Tulane's playoff performance
Bob Chesney
Leaving James Madison to coach UCLA; affects team's playoff preparation
Mike Elko
Praised for building explosive offensive team for college playoff run
Quotes
"The Bears are not going to ever have their home games played in Indiana. Never. Did I stumble? Did I stammer? Never going to play in Indiana."
Michael WilbonMid-episode
"The last three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks were all transfers. The three quarterbacks who were finalists for the Heisman this year all transfers."
Tony KornhizerCollege football segment
"If he plays well, I think Seattle wins. If he sees ghosts, I'm going to favor LA."
Booger McFarlandRams-Seahawks analysis
"I don't do business with snakes. I don't do business with snake mother bleepers."
Kevin GarnettGarnett segment
"Sam Darnold is the ultimate key, Tony. If he plays well, I think Seattle wins."
Booger McFarlandGame preview
Full Transcript
from 30 for 30 podcasts. Brian Padda, senior defensive lineman for Miami. Gun down. The key to this case, it's Brian. Boy, it's grand bear. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction being placed under arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Michael Bonthony. A naked man in Colorado broke into a police cruiser, took it for a joy ride. I'm Tony Kornhizer. I'm still not sure how I got to Colorado. I don't remember. All these stories are either AI or they're, you know, a takeoff on a Florida man. And I don't believe it. I think they're real. I think they're all real. I think the Florida man, I think all of these are real, and I don't really understand your insistence that they're not real, but don't believe a single word. Welcome to PTO, boys and girls. In today's episode, the Chicago Bears threaten to move to Indiana. Another college quarterback enters the portal and Boogamick Farland joins us to break down this weekend's college football playoff games. But we begin today with tonight's Thursday night game, a really good one. The Seahawks hosting the Rams. The Rams are 11 and three. Currently are the number one seed in the NFC. Seattle is also 11 and three. And at the moment is the number one wild card. Five weeks ago, these teams met in LA and the Rams won 21 to 19, intercepting Sam Donald four times. Wilbarn, what is at stake for each team? The number one seed, a division championship, you know, more than likely, although the Rams schedule is so easy, you can just sort of paint theirs in, and a better road to deeper in the playoffs. I don't want to say Super Bowl, but that's what we're talking about, Tony. These are the two teams that sort of hold all the cards right now. And I know that at the trade deadline, I said I thought that Seattle was going to win and be the number one seed in the national football conference. Well, that's at stake. That's what's at stake tonight. And so even though, you know, they've got a hard of path, so I think that Sam Donald holds all of Seattle's cards. He can't go out there and get picked off multiple times. But Seattle, and I know you remember that game, because you did pick the Rams to win that game. Seattle nearly won that game despite Sam Donald's performance on the last second field goal they damn near did. So I got Seattle, I got Donald playing a lot better, and I got Seattle winning at home tonight against the Rams. So I'm not going to disagree with any of that, and you know that I have the Rams in the Super Bowl. And I believe that the Rams are the best team in the NFL right now, but I'm not sure I like them tonight. Because as you say, they intercepted Donald four times and at home still only won by two points. And it was a 61-yard field goal that didn't make it, but if it had, Seattle was going to win that. So it just doesn't feel like they can do that again. Mike, we have spent this whole year, if we isolate on a team that we think is a really good team in week A, that team seems to always lose in week B. I could go through Detroit, I could go through Green Bay, Philadelphia, Buffalo, some people thought New England. I think this maybe is the Rams' turn to be in that box and lose. I mean, their second best receiver, Devonte Adams, who is a touchdown machine. He's got 14 touchdowns. He's got a bad hamstring, his status is unclear. And the other part is Seattle, I think, is the loudest venue in the league that's outdoors. The Rams haven't heard anything like that. So even though I think the Rams are a better team, I don't like them tonight. Big game tonight. Yeah, let's move to a story that has your name all over it, Will Bonn, it's about the Chicago Bears maybe becoming the Indiana Bears on the verge of their most important home game in years, hosting the Packers Saturday night, a game you went to Chicago to see in person. That's right. The President of the Bears, your good friend, Kevin Warren, your boy, said the Bears are looking into the possibility of a new stadium in Indiana. Will Bonn, how do you feel about the timing of this? You see the clock up there says a minute 30 or so and ticking down, you can bring that down to about six seconds. The Bears are not going to ever have their home games played in. They're never going to move to Indiana. Never. Did I stumble? Did I stammer? Never going to play in Indiana. I don't care about this. They announced they were going to play on the lake front. They had renderings I could show you. Oh wait, they're not on the lake front yet. That building is not being constructed. Oh wait, the McCaskey family bought all the land in Arlington Heights and they're going to move to Arlington Heights and it's been announced to Arlington Heights but they're not playing there yet. And now this is politics. This is the second most political city in Chicago in the country. Behind Washington, I live in both. The Bears, let me say it one more time for people on the West Coast are never moving to Indiana. You got that? You took a lot more than 15 seconds. You said 15 seconds and you went along. We had to fill. I don't know what to say about this because the Chicago Bears to me are the Chicago Bears. They've been there for 100 years. The governor of Illinois basically said what is going on here? Of course. I mean I could understand if you were moving out of the city of Chicago to something nearby in the state of Illinois but Indiana is another state, right? I have my geography right, that's another state. Yeah but it's closer than Arlington Heights. The site of Indiana is I can walk there from where I grew up. It's not about geography. They're not playing in Indiana. You can't have it in another state. You cannot have it in another state. We had the same thing where I'm sitting in Washington, D.C. last year. Yes. Where Ted Leonsis attempted to move the Wizards and the Capitals to Virginia out of the capitol of the United States of America. And he announced that while he was in negotiations with the District of Columbia. At that time I used the word villainous. I can't believe you don't feel the same thing about this. No, no because it doesn't matter. It's not villainous. I understand people need leverage. People need to do what they need to do to get the wheels churning to threaten this group to make that group move quicker. It, listen to me. This story, which is getting a lot of run here in Chicago. It's a non-story because it ain't happening. Okay? Okay. Just like I told you that night. Because in Washington. Huh? That was never gonna happen. In Washington. Right when I knew that. In Washington right now, they're moving the football team back in. Of course. Inside the line and people are rejoicing as a result of that. As it should be. Okay. I'm not even sure all into the heights. I don't believe that. Now, let's turn to something that matters. College football and the growing number of quarterbacks hitting the transfer portal. Missouri's Beau Pribula is now heading into it. Joining Nebraska's Dylan Reola, Florida's DJ Lagway and Cincinnati's Brendan Soresby. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mazzosa. He's a transfer as you remember. As was runner up Diego Pavia. Tony USA. Today's Matt Hayes wonders whether the quarterback carousel now rivals the coaching carousel. What do you think? Does it rival it? No, it's left it in the dust. Are you kidding me? The last three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks were all transfers. Mendoza's a transfer. Jaden Daniels, Caleb Williams. Before that, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, they were all transfers. The three quarterbacks who were finalists for the Heisman this year all transfers. Mendoza, Pavia and the kid from Ohio State saying the last three coaches to win the national championship. Ryan Day basically came up the system in Ohio State. Jim Harblaw didn't transfer from another college. He came in from the pros and Kirby Smart, I don't think was a head coach before he got the Georgia job. So yeah, so though there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the transfer portal, the college stuff. This was an anomaly year. This was a freak year because all those coaches, big name coaches were fired in the middle of the season. It's not doesn't touch the quarterbacks. The college quarterbacks all transfer who gives a damn. 80% of them transfer. Well, Indiana cares. They all transfer. They all do so it doesn't matter. Indiana cares. Let me tell you about a coaching care. Let me tell you about two guys that could be on the coaching carousel or two schools that could be in the coaching carousel after tonight. Okay, because when Alabama loses to Oklahoma, let me say it again. When Alabama loses to Oklahoma, the coach of Alabama, half the people in the state will want to run him out and he'll be on a carousel. Oh wait, that's a G five being flown to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he is said, Oh no, I ain't got no interest in that. He'll have interest later tonight. And then Alabama will be in the coaching carousel. They'll be looked at tomorrow. They'll be looking for 20 here. Friday Friday. Friday, who cares? Right. Right. The Alabama coach is going to have a job on the line situation in 24 hours and then headed to Michigan once he loses. And then Alabama's looking. Then what are you going to say? Your anger is voluminous. It is. Let's take a break. Coming up should Alabama be favored over Oklahoma and Norman tomorrow? I will answer. Will have to program with follow team. He favors. Obviously Wilbott doesn't think so. Just tell him he's going to win. We'll also ask him if he's a two-lane or James Madison has a chance of pulling off an upset. I'm angry because it is stupid Indiana story. It's stupid. It's lame. And it's not going to happen. And we just spent a minute and fifty on it. Idol money lies in your current account picking crumbs out of its belly button wondering, should I eat them? But when you start investing with Monzo, your money's always busy. It turns on regular investments, invests your spare change and tops up your stocks and shares, Isa. It even helps you make sense of risk and return. Monzo, the bank that gets your money moving. You could get back less than you invest. Monzo current account required UK residents 18 plus T's and C's apply. Attention. Attention. Rail travelers, platform paces, window gazers and arm rest negotiators. Have you heard? The big rail fare freeze is here. Railfares have been frozen across England until March 2027 on standard class tickets, including off-peak, anytime and season tickets. For more information, visit nationalrail.co.uk slash fares freeze. T's and C's and exclusions apply. You are watching Part in the Interruption, presented by Grey Goose. Part of happy hour. We've got football questions for our great friend who has chosen to celebrate part of his birthday talking to two old muppets, the SBN, NFL and College football analyst, Booker McFarland, running a shirt from President Reagan and Dallas. Let's start with this. The college playoff kicks off tomorrow night. Oklahoma beat Alabama at Alabama early this season. And yet, until today, I think Alabama was favored in this game. They're not right now. Do you see the Sooners as having the edge again the second time around? Yeah, I don't know if the Sooners have the edge and I think I can understand why Alabama is favored. I think, you know, the odds makers and the betters look at Alabama's offense and the ceiling has been higher for the offense of Alabama. When you talk about Todd Simpson, Jeremy Bernard, Ryan Williams, that offense has been really explosive. Now, I know Alabama can't run the football, but they're going to be going against the best part of the Sooners team, which is their defense. And I think if you're a better or you're an odds maker, you're looking at the Sooners offense and man, they've been abysmal. Ever since John Mateer broke his thumb in the Red River rivalry against Texas, the offense really hasn't looked the same. So am I surprised? Not really. And if you also remember the last time they played in Tuscaloosa, Alabama turned the football over three times, Tony. One of them was the pick six. So can you really count on getting three turnovers from Alabama again? I don't know. I'd probably favor Alabama again. Also, I think their ceiling is a little bit higher than Oklahoma. Although we've seen one thing in these playoffs, home field advantage does matter. It's going to be an amazing scene in Norman, Oklahoma tomorrow night. Okay, so we go from tomorrow night, bugger to a super Saturday of football from dawn till, you know, midnight, it seems starting with Miami heading to Texas A&M. You see a clear cut advantage for one or the other. You know, Texas A&M has been the better team all season long. When you look at what they've done, Mike Elko has done a fantastic job. Marcel Reed, Casey, Concepcion, Mario Craver, like it's a very explosive team. I think the issue for Texas A&M is going to be what happens if Miami plays to their ceiling? Because Miami has been juggling high. They've been up and down all season long. Carson Beck, I don't know what he's doing down in South Beach. Sometimes he's good. Sometimes he's bad. He's throwing four or five picks in the game. If he plays a clean game and plays to the level that Carson Beck can play, this game is going to go back and forth. I'd favor Texas A&M because they're the home team. But let's not forget, Miami has two defensive ends, Mezzador and Bain. Both of them are going to be drafted probably on the first two days of the NFL draft next year. If they can contain Marcel Reed, they're going to put the pressure on somebody else on A&M to make a play. And then it gets really dicey for the 12th man in College Station. I like how you have that one potentially going back and forth. Nobody has the next game I'm going to ask you about going back and forth. The two G5 teams to Lane playing Ole Miss. And of course, James Madison's Tony's favorite playing Oregon. Booger, do you see a possibility for either of the G5 teams scoring an upset in those matchups? You know what, I would love to come on here and say it's going to be an upset, but listen. I think first of all, Oregon can name their score against James Madison. Nothing against JMU. I like Bob Chesney. He's leaving to go to LA to coach UCLA. He probably should have went ahead and went right now because this score is going to get ugly up in Alton Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. As far as Ole Miss and Tulane, I'm not saying it's going to be an upset. But here's what I am saying. I think the game is going to be a lot closer. The last time Tulane went to Oxford, Ole Miss beat them about 35 points. And you got to know that Tulane is going to come in there and they're going to be sitting up there saying, you know what, they can't do it again. John Someral, the coach of Tulane is now the coach of Florida. He's a very, very good football coach. I think he keeps this game close. And here's the key. This is the Ole Miss's coach Pete Golding's first game. Remember, Lane Kiffin is in Baton Rouge. He allowed the Office of Coordinator to go back to Oxford and call plays. So there's a lot of back and forth and a lot of confusion, maybe potentially there for Ole Miss. This game is going to be close. I would still favor Ole Miss, but I think there's a chance this game could be really close in the second half. I have to say how happy I was to hear Will Bond start talking about the G5, which a term I'm sure he heard just this morning. And that's because he's so familiar with flying on a G4 that he understands G5. We'll get you out of here on this. We have a very big game in the NFL tonight. It really is the Rams and the Seahawks. What do you think the key will be in this one, Booger? I think the key is going to be Sam Donnell. Remember the last time we saw Sam Donnell in one of these games where the winner is probably going to be the one seed, the loser is going to be the five? He was playing for Minnesota against Detroit and Sam Donnell went to bed. So now we get another opportunity to see Sam Donnell in one of these games because in all likelihood the winner of this game is going to be the number one seed and get the five. The loser is going to have to go on the road to take on either Carolina or the Buccaneers. And I think if you're Sam Donnell, you've got to play a clean football game. You can't go out there and see ghosts like they said you saw four or five years ago. You've got to be clean because I think if you're Sam Donnell and you're Seattle with no Devonte Adams for the Rams, I think you should win this game. But it's going to be up to him to play a clean football game. They got to run the football, but I would favor Seattle in this game, especially with no Devonte Adams with the hamstring. I don't think he's going to play tonight, at least I wouldn't play him. I'd sit him down and he would get 10 days rest. I think Sam Donnell is the ultimate key, Tony. If he plays well, I think Seattle wins. If he sees ghosts, I'm going to favor LA. Booger, thanks very much and happy birthday. Happy birthday. Appreciate it. Appreciate it, gentlemen. As always, enjoy spending my birthday with you guys. Yeah. Good. Let's take one last break. Still to come, the NBA reportedly considers holding the NBA Cup championship at Cameron. What? At Cameron? That would be, that judge would be about like Booger enjoying spending his birthday with us. And Oklahoma City returns to the court tonight for the first time since losing to the Spurs. They're not playing that thing at that day. Stop it. Stop it. Why would you, why would you play in the NBA tournament on a college gym? They're not. They're all kinds of stupid venue questions out there today. We, of course, had one earlier. We already have ESPN unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account. Or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN, all in one place. Sign up or activate now. 911, where is the emergency? It's the middle of the night in a small town on the Jersey Shore. Someone reports an abandoned car on a bridge. A search gets underway for the missing driver, 19 year old Sarah Stern. Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows. Old friendships, buried cash, and a sinister plot that was once pitched as a movie plays out in real life. I'm Juju Chang from 2020 and ABC Audio. Listen now to Bridge of Lies, wherever you get your podcasts. Part of the interruption is presented by Great Goose. Make time wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of happy hour. Happy time people. Happy 25th birthday, Jaden Daniels. Last year's NFL rookie of the year has had nothing but trouble this year. Daniels has missed seven games with three different injuries. A knee, a hamstring, an elbow. Daniels has thrown eight touchdown passes and three interceptions. And has a two and five record this year as Washington's starter. Last year was 12 and five. Took the commanders to the NFC championship game. This week, Dan Quinn said Daniels would be shut down for the rest of this season. So Daniels has gone from Heisman Trophy winner in 2023 to rookie of the year in 2024 to a season fully lost in 2025. But happy birthday. Well, this just means next year, Tony, he can be comeback player of the year. How about that? Yep. Title there. A trophy for that. You know, I hope he's healthy. Yeah, well, Joe. And I hope he's real good. Joe Burrow did that. Right there playing for it. Joe Burrow did that twice, actually, Burrow. Happy anniversary, Wayne Gretzky. On this day, 42 years ago, the Great One scored his 100th point of the season in Edmonton's 34th game, a 7-5 win over Winnipeg. Yes, I set 100 points in 34 games. Gretzky had two goals and two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finished the season with 205 points and was only good for his fourth best scoring season ever. Gretzky is the only NHL player to get to 200 points. He did it four times. Gretzky scored over 100 points 15 times, 13 of them consecutively. Mario Lemieux is second with 10 100 point seasons. Connor McDavid is working on his ninth. Nobody owns a record book in a league like Wiltz owns the NBA record book, but there are places, Tony. There are chapters, as you know, where Gretzky has a Wilt-like hold on some of those important numbers. He's the greatest player of all time. I think we all know that. Absolutely. Happy trails to Kevin Garnett's separation from the Timberwolves. Garnett has reportedly agreed to join his old team in an unspecified off-court role and will have his jersey retired in the next two years. Garnett's frigid relations with the organization have thawed under new owners Mark Lorian Alex Rodriguez. Garnett told the Athletic in 2020 that previous owner Glenn Taylor had broken promises made to him, adding, quote, I don't do business with snakes. I don't do business with snake mother bleepers. I try not to do business with people who are openly snakes or people who are snake-like, unquote, fascinated with snakes. Is he not? Yeah, none of that has anything to do with Kevin Garnett. Look, there are people in that state like Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killer Brew and Tonya Leiva and Fran Tarkenton and the purple people eaters who may have had a greater hold for longer. But Kevin Garnett ought to be associated with that franchise in Minnesota. Big finish quickly. The NBA is reportedly considering hosting the NBA Cup title game at a college arena like Duke's Cameron Indoor. Do you like that? No, it's dumb. College towns don't care about the NBA. Back-to-back Si Young Award winner Terrick Scoobel announced he will play for Team USA in the world baseball classic. Your thoughts? That's great. Is he going to play for the Tigers or is he on the block? 24 and 2 Thunder hosts the 6 and 20 Clippers tonight. You're not smelling upset, are you? The upset will be if SGA plays at all in the fourth quarter. That'll be the upset. Nationals hire 31-year-old Ani Kilambi as their new GM. You excited? 31 there, 33-year-old manager, 35-year-old GM. They're like kids taking out their dad's car. The last one, X-Bots Bowl tonight. Missouri State, Arkansas State. Which state do you prefer? I got a game on Amazon Prime. I'm going to stream just like you. I don't stream. Time, time, Tony.