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00:00It's what the people are calling the Tank Bowl.
00:02We got Giants, Raiders out in Vegas.
00:04Loser takes all.
00:06This is Blue Rush by the New York Post Sports.
00:14Week 17 is here.
00:16We have two more weeks left in the Giants season.
00:19Two more weeks for the Giants to end a nine-game losing streak
00:22and for Mike Kafka to hopefully get his first win as interim head coach.
00:26Happy holidays, everybody, every big blue fan out there.
00:31I'm Brandon London with our New York Post Giants beat writer,
00:34the man, the myth, the legend, Paul Schwartz is in the building on Zoom.
00:40Paul, Notre Dame isn't playing in a bowl game,
00:42but the Giants and the Raiders are.
00:44How are you feeling, my man?
00:47I'm feeling that I got to go to Vegas this weekend.
00:51And, you know, Vegas is a place for big winners and big losers, right?
00:54You know, high rollers, low rollers, win money, lose money.
00:58And are there any winners coming out of this game?
01:02You know, someone will win the game, but boy, oh boy,
01:04traveling across the country right after Christmas,
01:06right before New Year's to watch Giants, Raiders is, you know,
01:11I don't complain about my job, certainly, and going to Vegas is fine.
01:14But I've seen a lot of bad football,
01:18and now I got to travel a long distance to probably see a lot more bad football.
01:21This is one of those moments where you wish you could work from home
01:24and do everything from home.
01:27But we're going to talk about the implications of the tank bowl.
01:31I hate calling it that.
01:32But we're going to talk about those implications.
01:34But let's start off with the hottest storyline coming out of the week.
01:38Everybody has turned on Jackson Dart all of a sudden.
01:43They want the Giants to use him, I guess, to trade him,
01:47get the first pick draft, Fernando Mendoza.
01:50I don't know why all of a sudden, in the span of X amount of weeks,
01:54everybody went from dancing like Jackson Dart to now wanting to get him
01:58out of New York.
02:01Has Jackson Dart regressed, in your opinion?
02:05Well, first of all, Brandon, let's slow the roll a little bit with this.
02:09Everybody wants him traded for, you know, Mendoza.
02:12I mean, that is a very, very small, you know,
02:15maybe vocal minority on social media.
02:18But that is not – I don't think that's the widespread belief or opinions
02:22of most Giants fans.
02:23It is nowhere near the belief of the people in the building.
02:27You know, Jackson Dart will be their quarterback in 2026, you know,
02:31no matter who the head coach is and no matter who the general manager is.
02:34You know, unless there's really unforeseen things that I can't anticipate
02:39right now.
02:39So, the thing about Jackson Dart, has he regressed?
02:43Yes, he's regressed.
02:44Now, you know, I asked Mike Kafka that, and he said,
02:47I don't see it as regression.
02:48Sure, maybe the numbers aren't what they have been in the past,
02:51but I think he's playing well.
02:52I think he's playing at a high level.
02:53There's certainly things that he continued to improve on.
02:56Well, I say bull to that, okay?
02:59Just some raw numbers.
03:01In seven games with Brian Dable, Jackson Dart completed 62% of his passes.
03:06With Mike Kafka, three games, 60%.
03:09So, not a big difference.
03:11Seven games with Dable, 10 touchdown passes, three interceptions, quite good.
03:16Three games with Kafka, three touchdowns, two interceptions, not quite as good at all.
03:22The big one here, passing yards, 202.4 for Dable in seven games,
03:28139.3 for Kafka in three games.
03:32Now, these numbers are skewed a little bit.
03:34He had 33 passing yards last week, right?
03:37So, that's going to drop everything down.
03:39Look, it's the number test.
03:41It's the eye test.
03:42It's the, you know, look-see test.
03:45Dart has not played as well since he came back from missing two games in concussion protocol.
03:51Does he miss Brian Dable?
03:53Does he miss, you know, you saw it, Brandon, right?
03:55You saw it in training camp.
03:56You saw it in practice.
03:57These guys were kindred spirits, right?
03:59They were simpatico, right?
04:01They had that kind of yin-yang.
04:04There's no question.
04:05Their personalities were highly aligned, you know, vibrant, emotional guys.
04:11Mike Kafka's not that.
04:13Not saying he's not a good coach, but he's not that.
04:15Kafka had a relationship with Dart as the offensive coordinator.
04:18But is he just missing what Dable brings?
04:23You know, there's a lot wrong when Brian Dable was the head coach.
04:25But there's definitely something a little missing with Jackson Dart.
04:29And that's why I wrote this week in the New York Post, not saying at all they should sit him the last three games.
04:35But just that that thought is not crazy is really alarming and troubling.
04:42You know what I mean?
04:42Because the last thing this team needs is some kind of catastrophic injury to Jackson Dart in these last two games.
04:48And now their plans for 2026 are all messed up.
04:52So you can't play scared.
04:54And these games don't count.
04:55I get it.
04:56I mean, they count, but they don't mean anything, really.
04:58We'll talk about the tanking implications in a minute.
05:01But just even thinking maybe it would be better to sit Jackson Dart is really alarming.
05:06I don't think they're not going to do that.
05:08I don't think they should do that.
05:10But just even that that crosses anybody's mind just shows how badly the season has gone.
05:15Yeah, and that's something that I said a couple weeks ago, Paul, just because I did not want him.
05:20I didn't want something to happen to him that was going to affect his development in the offseason as well.
05:26Like a lot of people think that once the season is over, that Cowboy game is over on January 1st,
05:32that Jackson Dart's development just stops there.
05:36No, and then it picks back up once the new head coach is chosen.
05:40And, you know, you go from there in the offseason workouts.
05:43No, this is a kid that I feel like is never going to put the playbook down.
05:47It's never going to put football down.
05:48Yeah, he might go on some sort of vacation with the Instagram girlfriend and all, get away from the game,
05:54get away from New York for a little bit, go see your family.
05:57But then I feel as though this is a kid, this is a football guy.
06:00This is a Johnny Moxon from Friday Night Lights, a Varsity Blues back in the day.
06:06This is a guy who loves football.
06:07So I feel as though, like, you have to protect the kid, and I am okay with Jameis Winston closing out these next two games.
06:18What throws me off when we talk about this regression is it's not like Mike Kafka was someone who didn't have his hand on the development
06:29and progression of Jackson Dart throughout the course of the year.
06:32It's like, here's the offensive coordinator.
06:34This is a guy that's been calling plays.
06:36We know it's Brian Dable's system, and Brian Dable's the head coach, and that's his guy.
06:40But Mike Kafka was still calling these plays before Brian Dable got fired.
06:46And I feel as though once Brian Dable got fired and that bromance was now, you couldn't see that every day.
06:55Not only did they lose their edge in terms of calling plays and how they were going to call plays
07:03and manage a game for Jackson Dart.
07:06But, yeah, he has regressed when you look at the numbers-wise.
07:13But I would still say this, as a wide receiver, Paul, he still throws a pretty football.
07:18And he is – the guys are dropping balls.
07:20Guys are making him look bad as well.
07:22He's not getting any help on the perimeter.
07:24But, so, when it comes to the stat line, yes, I can say he's regressed.
07:29But in terms of putting the ball where it needs to be, I see this kid getting better and better each week.
07:34That's why I still want to put him in bubble wrap and sit him for the next two games.
07:39Yeah, I mean, they're not going to do that.
07:41And, you know, he needs to play.
07:44He needs to be careful.
07:45He needs to be smart.
07:46Yeah, I mean, we shouldn't be talking about this.
07:48You know, you shouldn't be saying, I want to put him in bubble wrap.
07:51I shouldn't be saying, well, I think he should play, but I can see a reason why he shouldn't play.
07:55I mean, these are – this is loser discussions.
08:00You know what I mean?
08:00And, you know, that's the problem, is that the games become so meaningless with nothing to play for, so to speak,
08:08that you think about things like this.
08:10And, you know, like look at the Saints, right?
08:13The Saints are a bad team.
08:14You know, the Saints, I think a month ago, people thought were probably the worst team in football, them and the Titans.
08:20And the Saints are playing well and winning some games, and they have a rookie quarterback, Tyler Shuck, that they feel good about.
08:25So they are not doing anything at the end of this season.
08:29You know, they're going to go home after the season ends, but they are playing for something
08:32and playing to have an upward narrative going into next season.
08:37The Giants aren't doing that.
08:38You know, will they win – if they win their last two games, will they – I mean, to a certain extent, maybe.
08:44You know, but really, it's – they're just kind of, you know, meandering and staggering to the finish here,
08:51and it's just bad for everybody.
08:54All right, Tank Bowl.
08:57Let's talk implications of this game that's coming because, I mean, people are going to be watching this game, not for your team.
09:03Raiders fans and Giants fans are going to be watching this game, not for the team to win before the team to lose,
09:08which is absolutely what the kids call diabolical to me.
09:11I'm on tankathon.com right now.
09:13I'll read out the top five – the teams who have the top five picks right now.
09:19Giants 2-13, Vegas 2-13, Cleveland 3-12, Jets 3-12, Tennessee 3-12.
09:27The Giants' strength of schedule is at a 531, Vegas is at 543, Cleveland's 492.
09:35So, can you break down, like, the implications of this game?
09:41Is it loser takes all in terms of you taking the number one pick overall?
09:48Oh, I think this is – yes, you can break it down that whoever loses this game is in complete control of the number one pick.
09:56I mean, right now, the Giants are at 36% to get the number one pick, right?
10:00The Raiders are at 37%.
10:02Now, after this week, those numbers will tumble tremendously.
10:07I would say the Giants will probably be, like, 70% or 75% chance to get the number one pick, you know?
10:13So, yeah, I mean, it's – and look, these are very different teams, right, Brandon?
10:18Yep.
10:18As we mentioned, the Giants could get the number one pick and do not need a quarterback.
10:23The Raiders could get the number one pick and they absolutely need a quarterback.
10:27Geno Smith is not their answer.
10:29You know, he's talking about regression.
10:31He's a guy who has just not played well this year.
10:34You know, he has played well in his career, but, you know, he's not the answer in Las Vegas.
10:38So, if you're the Raiders, you're like – and you're the Raiders fans, you're like,
10:43are we going to screw ourselves out of the first pick here by winning this game?
10:46The Giants, the thought process is from their fans, are we going to screw ourselves out of getting the number one pick
10:53so we can trade it to the Raiders or the Jets or somebody like that who needs a quarterback?
10:59That's the difference.
11:00Now, I would ask you this.
11:02Are we 100% sure that any team that does not get the number one pick who wants a quarterback
11:09is going to trade up for Fernando Mendoza?
11:12Are we sure about that?
11:13Let me – let me give – you give me a short answer and then I want to expand about that.
11:17Are we sure that – oh, just the Giants get the number one pick and there's going to be two or three teams
11:22that want to trade up to get Fernando Mendoza?
11:24Do you think that is unquestionably the case?
11:27Yeah, I believe so.
11:28With all the hype that this kid has, especially beating Ohio State
11:31and leading Indiana of all places to be the number one team in the country,
11:35I think if he wins the national championship, because this is where him on a national stage now
11:40for these next two, three games in the college football playoffs,
11:44if he plays well, then he will lock up that number one pick for sure.
11:48Okay, well, I don't disagree with that second part that – look, yes, I mean, he beat Ohio State.
11:54They're undefeated.
11:55And as you said, they're Indiana.
11:57And they're Indiana.
11:58I mean, they're Indiana.
11:59That's all there is to it.
12:00I mean, we've – you know, no one has ever talked about Indiana in football.
12:04So I agree with that part.
12:06And I also agree that these next couple of weeks, if he wins and then he wins again,
12:11that, you know, can really, really solidify him.
12:15And if he plays terribly, that will certainly hurt him.
12:17You haven't heard anything on Oregon's Dante Moore, quarterback?
12:21You know what?
12:22No to be traded up to number two.
12:25But this is Christmas Eve, right?
12:28As you know, as a follower of this, in the next weeks and months,
12:33Dante Moore will either skyrocket and people say, oh, no, he's number two.
12:38And a lot of people like him better than Mendoza.
12:40I guarantee you will hear that.
12:42Or, nah, nah, I'm not sure he's a first-round pick.
12:46You know that.
12:46It's probably the latter.
12:48It's the former.
12:49It's probably going to be – you know what?
12:50I talked to a scout.
12:51He likes Dante Moore better than Mendoza.
12:54So maybe, maybe.
12:55At this point, I don't know, but maybe.
12:57So, yeah, you're right.
12:58Quarterbacks always – people salivate over these quarterbacks, right?
13:03But the bottom line is having one is better than having number two if you want to trade that pick.
13:08Yeah, fans don't want to go off of a maybe.
13:10They want this loss so they can hold on to that sole number one pick and see what Joe Shane or who – if it's another GM to see what they can do for it.
13:20Because I'm all about the picks.
13:21I just don't want to lose for the picks.
13:23And speaking of losing, someone who is winning individually but tired – pretty much probably tired of losing, you know, in terms of being on a team.
13:34Brian Burns makes another Pro Bowl.
13:36He's having a career year.
13:3715 sacks on the season.
13:39I think he may be able to get to 20 in these next two games because the Raiders' offensive line is terrible.
13:44He can get three this game and then maybe he gets two sacks against the Cowboys.
13:49He's had five games this season so far with two sacks.
13:54Spider-Man, we saw from the spring that this kid was going to have an amazing season.
14:01Do you feel bad for him per se, Paul?
14:04Because I feel like he should be a national brand or a national name if he was on winning teams.
14:10Well, he's a terrific player in New York making a ton of money.
14:13So feel bad, but, you know, I'm not sure.
14:16But, yeah, there's no question, if you look at his record from the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants, I mean, I think he's winning at like 30%.
14:25I mean, it's just, you know, he's in last place almost every year.
14:29It's not because of him, obviously.
14:31So, yeah, I mean, you see it just takes the life out of him after these games.
14:35You know, he sits on the bench longer than anybody else on the team.
14:38He just sits there after these games and sits there.
14:40It's almost like he has no energy to get up.
14:42But the one thing, Brandon, he is going to be a great teaching tool for this franchise and for anybody.
14:49Because, yes, as you mentioned back in the spring, how many times have you been at OTAs or a training camp when guys talk about, I did this differently.
14:58I did that differently.
15:00I changed my body.
15:02I have lower body fat.
15:03I'm in the best shape of my life.
15:07You know, I worked on this.
15:08I worked on that.
15:09I changed things.
15:10And sometimes it pays off.
15:11And very often it's like they're kind of the same player.
15:14And Brian Burns was a terrific player, you know, last year with the Giants.
15:19He was banged up and he was terrific.
15:20Not as good as he is this year.
15:22And so he definitely said that he changed things in his process mentally, physically, emotionally.
15:28You could tell from the first practices he's running after guys.
15:32He's giving it his all.
15:33He's trying to be a leader by what he does on the field.
15:36He's not the most vocal leader.
15:38And so all those things did not translate it all to wins, but it translated to his best season by far as an NFL player.
15:45So he can be a guy that whoever the coaches are next year and he can then talk to young players and say, look what I did.
15:52I was a really good player who reassessed everything about my career and changed a bunch of things.
15:59And now I was the best version of myself.
16:02Yeah, no, he's been he's been the best player on the team.
16:06You know, Andrew Thomas has been the best player on offense, but he's been banged up.
16:10So it is, you know, you know, if you're going to give an MVP of this season for the Giants, it's Brian Burns, number one.
16:16And there's really no number two.
16:18You know, there is no number two.
16:19That's how much better he has been than everybody else on the team this year.
16:23Yeah.
16:24And I say I feel bad for him because we talk about how players we can now brand ourselves.
16:28We're not looked at as a distraction or as an I guy, me guy when it comes to going and creating content, doing commercials.
16:36Fifteen sacks in New York, Paul, should get you a Chunky Soup commercial at least.
16:42He should be there with Jake from State Farm doing Spider-Man commercials or Geico commercials at least because this here is New York City.
16:51And we've asked him to like what the the players that come into this city and they they go and they search for the fame.
17:01They ended up crashing out.
17:03New York is a city to where if you work hard, you play hard and you produce the city, the fan bases will heighten you, will make you bigger and better, bigger than life.
17:14And I feel like this kid should be doing should have a guest appearance on Spider-Man shows, all of that, because he's doing everything he's supposed to do.
17:23He's not searching for the limelight, shows up, does it right.
17:27But since the fact that these last two years his team is not winning, he has not become a national brand yet.
17:33So hopefully next year, you know, he can have an even better season and the Giants have a better season overall.
17:38And now he can get the flowers that he deserves.
17:41But shout out to Brian Burns.
17:43Congratulations being the only player in New York for Jets and Giants to make it to the Pro Bowl.
17:49Can't wait to see him, you know, next year.
17:51Hopefully he can top that.
17:53Paul, we run out of time.
17:55Quick thoughts going into Sunday.
17:58Yeah, look, two teams carrying in nine game losing streaks.
18:03That's a bomb.
18:04That's abysmal.
18:05But, you know, it happened last week with the Commanders and the Giants on long losing streaks.
18:09The Giants didn't win.
18:10Here's what I would say if you want to talk about two terrible teams, right?
18:13The Giants have lost nine straight.
18:15Their plus minus, their scoring differential is minus 99, okay?
18:20Not incredibly bad for a team that is 2-13.
18:23The Raiders' point differential is minus 169, okay?
18:28Giants minus 99.
18:30The Raiders minus 169.
18:32So, the Raiders have been a much worse team than the Giants this year.
18:36I know we talked about tanking and losing and all these things.
18:40Vegas is not a big, you know, home field advantage for the Raiders, certainly.
18:43There'll certainly be Giants, New York people there in Vegas.
18:46So, as much as we talk about the tanking and don't want to win and all this other stuff,
18:51the Giants as a team, as players, as coaches want to win.
18:54Kafka wants to guess his first win.
18:56So, this is, the Raiders are the worst team in football in my mind.
18:59The Giants go in there and lose this game.
19:02There's a new champion crowned, and the Giants are officially the worst team in football.
19:07That's all there is to it.
19:08The point differential says it's the Raiders.
19:10The point differential Sunday will tell us who it really is.
19:15And there you have it.
19:17Happy holidays, everyone.
19:18Thank you for watching another episode of Blue Rush.
19:22For Paul Schwartz, I'm Brandon London.
19:25Have a great weekend.
19:26Spani and Water Brew.
19:39A committee for the já pitiful and sipping.
19:41Yeah, we'll follow anyone in the을.
19:46Have a great weekend.
19:47And then we'll see you next time.
19:49And then we'll see you next time.
19:50And then we'll see you next time.
19:52Go big.
19:52I'll see you next time.
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