OverDrive - Harlan on the NFL Divisional Round matchups, the Bills and Ravens' battle and the Chiefs' three-peat path

Episode Date: January 17, 2025

NFL on CBS and Westwood One Commentator Kevin Harlan joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NFL, the Bills and Ravens' massive matchup, the Chiefs' pathway to a three-peat, the Lions' search for the win, the Cowboys' coaching roles and more.s

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Details at iHeartRadio.ca Here he is from the NFL on CBS, Westwood 1. You see him in the NBA NFL. You see him everywhere. Incredible. Here he is, the great Kevin Harlin. How you doing, Kevin? Hey guys, good to be on with you. Thanks for having me on and I cannot wait for this weekend. It's going to be the end. I've just been listening over the last two minutes to your conversation on Lamar and, and Josh, and uh, it's going to be a, you know,

back and forth nip and tuck all the way to the finish line for the MVP. I think the game will be just like the voting for MVP. I think this game will be very, very tight and I think both quarterbacks will perform at a great level. And if there was in every playoff cycle, we always talk about, is this really the Super Bowl?

I, in a lot of ways, I kind of feel like this this is this is one of those games that you could circle and say These are two if not the two best two of the best teams in pro football And I think it's gonna live up to the billing I whether it's gonna be as it always is It's gonna be bad in Kansas City on Saturday cold and maybe some snow. It's always challenging in Buffalo, but I Think we're going to see great performances from these two quarterbacks. Yeah I hope so I mean I'm pulling for that I just want to see a great ball game I think it'd be perfect for NFL fans you see Lamar and Josh Allen go back and forth and let the better man

better team win in the end and you know you'll be calling the Kansas City game I believe the Chiefs are gonna beat Houston let's presume that happens I'm not asking for a prediction Kevin but let's let's presume the Kansas City game. I believe the Chiefs are going to beat Houston. Let's presume that happens. I'm not asking for a prediction, Kevin, but let's let's presume the Kansas City Chiefs are still standing after this. Is there anything the Bills or the Ravens can do on Sunday that would lead to you or collectively the NFL world to believe, okay, I saw enough on Sunday that makes me believe next week they're going into Arrowhead and they're going to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Defense and running. If Cook runs well and he's had this terrific season and Josh is Josh and if Lamar is Lamar

and Henry is running like he ran all season long, I'd give either of those teams a good shot at the Chiefs. The thing that is unique about Kansas City, in addition to being a two-time reigning defending champion, they've lived with this mark, this target on their back all season long, and so they've gotten everybody's best shot, and they have found ways to win.

They have one close games. And while they've not been overpowering, like the bills and Ravens, who at the time has really been just stunningly good, but she's had just kind of gone through this season, picking and poking their way to one win here and a close wind there and never really blinking with this big target on their back. I think that accounts for something. I think that means they'll be, you know, and the rest of it, we know that. The starters haven't played now for three weeks going into this game this weekend, but

I think that a running game can travel and defense can travel and which leads you to think that both these teams the Bills and the Ravens have that running attack they both clearly have the quarterbacks can the defense come up with some plays than turnovers I mean we hear the same thing every big game it's turnovers who can run the ball control the clock you know can have long sustained drives but these are two offenses with the with the Ravens and Bills that can do that. And Buffalo's already beaten Kansas City,

so either of those teams, the winner goes into Kansas City if the Chiefs beat Houston, and I think those elements will be very, very effective against the Kansas City defense, and I have great respect for what they've done. But Buffalo and Baltimore just seem to have against the Kansas City defense and I have great respect for what they've done but Buffalo and Baltimore just seem to have the things that could really pry at what the Chiefs have done this season. I think they could break that mold. I think they'd have that kind of momentum coming out of the game this weekend into Kansas City at Arrowhead next week for

the NFC Championship. Look at the other side of the bracket, Kevin, with the NFC Games. They're both, you know, fairly big numbers on the point spread. The Lions favored by nine and a half over the Commanders. The Eagles favored by six, six and a half, depending on where you look over the Rams. Which of those two underdogs do you give a better chance of making this a tight one? Well, I don't know that I do. I don't know that I could even separate them. I guess Matthew Stafford being a veteran quarterback, you know, as always,

that's got to account for something. Whereas Washington has a rookie quarterback, right? So, so it gets down to, you know, what quarterback is going to play at the kind of game that they can play. The one thing I would say about Washington is that they've got such a found money type of mentality. They're not supposed to be in this game at the divisional round. They have a first year coach.

They have a losing record over the last couple years, they've not been able to get this kind of performance, they've gone to a rookie quarterback who is probably the rookie of the year, how will he adjust to this gigantic stage? Then again, I say that and know that I think they're going to play loose and the pressure clearly is on the Lions. The Eagles have been a hard team to get a hold of, you know, just in what they can do. Hertz comes back and we saw that they got out of concussion protocol last week and the team has another win, but they just seem to have been turbulent all season long. Will that grab them this weekend against a Ram team

that I saw win their wild card game against the Vikings on Monday night out in Arizona? The Rams are playing at a very high level. They've got a defense that of the four teams might be the most splashy defense. They make big plays, they had nine sacks against Arnold, they come up with picks, they're constantly pressuring the pocket.

This is something that Philadelphia is gonna have to contend with. And I would tell you that I guess the least surprising upset would be the Rams, but I would never close my eyes on a team that's playing with house money like the commanders are, they can get in there, play loose against a team which clearly has been the number one anointed team

all season long in the NFC. Does that pressure seep into the way they play? Well, we'll find out. And obviously, you know, in this time of the year in the NFL, you do have the games that we can focus on, but there's a whole other circus off the field that continues as you know, Kevin, um, as different teams look to hire different coaches and this week, the reports are indicating Dion Sanders, Dallas Cowboys, maybe they'd be a fit.

Maybe Dion's interested. jerry jones is interested what would you make of that idea uh... deon sanders making his pro football debut as a head coach with the dallas cowboys well i don't like the first of all dallas and the problem is not coaching it never was coaching the problem is personnel coaching, it never was coaching. The problem is personnel.

Their roster is ordinary. And they've got the highest paid quarterback in the league and his numbers aren't really over the course of these last five, six, seven seasons different than Kirk Cousins down in Atlanta. I mean, this is not an elite quarterback. No one would put Dak Prescott in the same sentence with Mahomes, with Jackson, with Josh, clearly with Burrow. There's no way. And he's not the best quarterback in the NFC. That might be Stafford. So and then there's an argument for Hertz and you go right around the horn. I, I, I guess I feel like the cowboys have really gotten themselves in a tough

situation. The family wants to make the picks, one is the way, want to sign the players, but, but the results have not been good. It's not been because of coaching. It's because of the kind of players they're getting. And that points directly at the owner and and and family members and Who their personnel staff is it just has not worked out and? One of the great things about Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore is that they've got solid personnel departments and and

That they have continually supplied dealing with camp and winning numbers uh... to to to find those right players now cincinnati uh... had a down season uh... but that's not because of of lack of of what they've been able to do in the draft and signing players

they just got caught up with the whole departure of a lot of important defensive players in free agency, which they could not afford because the quarterbacks make them so much. And so this is what teams are going through. And I don't know how Dallas, which has been challenged so far before they gave Dak Prescott all this money, I don't know how Dallas is now with even more cap restraint gonna figure out how to get players in there

for whoever is coach. If it's Deion Sanders, if it's the offensive coordinator with the Eagles who was down there in Dallas for a while calling plays, I don't know. I don't know what they're, I think they put them and they're a week late. All these other teams of openings if that at least ten days or more

to figure out the court you know and going into the coaching interview world uh... and down with the general eight start so i i i think it's going to be incredibly challenging for the cowboys with kevin harlan uh... kevin euro wisconsin guy i'm i'm curious how many times you you listen to Bob Uecker called Brewers games throughout your life? I listen to him a lot actually. You know as a former player it's hard to make that transition to play-by-play broadcaster. Some have really done a

great job and Bob Uecker is an example of that. He has learned the craft and not only had a playing career of six years, but then he was honored in Cooperstown with the Fort Frick Award being a member of the Hall of Fame. And listen, you guys have had incredible announcers up in your part of the world and Abe would say that you know, in baseball in particular, that voice, and Van Miller was kind of like that for the Bills. And I know that Don Chevrier, I mean, like I have a great appreciation for these broadcasters, but Euker played and then transferred that into calling games. Very difficult to do, to learn a second profession profession but he did and he was terrific at it and listen he lived a robust 90 years. We

could all hope to live that long and to live that kind of varied and deep and meaningful life that Bob Euker led and so it's sad that he has passed but it's a celebration of what he was for so many years calling the Brewers and what he meant to baseball overall. Absolutely. Well said Kevin, really appreciate you doing this. I know it's a busy time of year. Thank you and we'll do it again down the road. I look forward to it guys. Thank you so much. Take care. You got it. There's Kevin Harlan.