Best of the week on The Herd

Kicked off the Monday Right and Wrong roll call feeling good about calling Seattle and New England as surprise playoff teams, flagging the Rams’ special teams as a real flaw, and noting how aggressive minds like McVay and Payton live on fourth down while defensive guys usually pocket points. I’m still out on Belichick to Buffalo as a fit, loved Indiana over Miami on quarterback play, and yes, the Sam Darnold drumbeat paid off in a huge way.

In that game, Sam’s decisiveness felt different; did anything besides the muffed punt swing it, and were you surprised he sustained that level for four quarters?

Both quarterbacks were sensational, but the edge was home field and special teams. Darnold’s quiet confidence showed up in the moments that pay the bills—he moved the chains all day and aced the situational stuff.

On TV, Seattle looks like it’s playing at another speed; did you feel that in the building?

That crowd carries a chip and a college vibe, with legends on the field and a young roster leaning into it. Mike Macdonald gave the locker room ownership of the mission, and that authenticity fuels the surge you feel before kickoff.

After an emotional classic, any trap risk with two weeks of everyone saying the Patriots have no shot?

That hangover is real, but one Sunday decides everything, so belief and process have to be airtight. Talent matters, sure, but the mindset keeps you from handing a winnable game away.

Quick one: Payton and McVay stayed aggressive on fourth down—how’d those land for you?

Love the aggression, but Denver’s call was telegraphed; you want surprise there. With the Rams, McVay trusts Stafford so deeply that if you’re going down, you go down with the ball in your best player’s hands.

If you were Stafford, would you sign on for more of this?

He looks younger than he did in camp—lock him up for years and keep rolling.

Sitting there with Seattle legends, did it make you want to suit up again?

We were amped and helpless, which is a wild combo, but the level of play and the unsung heroes made it an all-timer.

JSN just keeps separating; what pops to you live?

He’s smooth, patient, and shifts gears without tipping it, and the ball finds him even when defenses load up, helped by how willingly Seattle spreads it around.

Steelers bringing in Mike McCarthy feels safe; good move?

He’s a real quarterback developer and it signals win-now on offense; it fits the city and balances where they’ve been heavy on defense.

One weather gripe: I want elite players showcased, not buried in blizzards; Buffalo’s new build cutting wind to help Josh Allen is the right play.

Drew, this league’s full of second acts—are you surprised Darnold’s turned the corner like this?

Not at all; everyone who knows him raves about his makeup, and the adversity sharpened him like it does for a lot of high picks dropped into fixer‑upper situations.

When you play great and still lose, does it stick with you the whole offseason?

It lingers, especially when you were a yard or a possession away, but the Rams are built to keep contending if Stafford stays on this arc.

Both New England and Seattle traveled better than anyone; what does that say?

Vrabel’s protect‑our‑identity mantra travels, and that roster embraces roles over stars, while Seattle’s savvy adds and physical defense were spot on when it mattered.

Two weeks until the big one with a young team—how do you keep it loose but sharp?

Build that us‑against‑the‑world edge and stay aggressive without overthinking it, the way we did going after Indy.

Defensive head coaches in a passing age who still lean into their QBs—surprise you?

Great head coaches are CEOs now—they set standards, hire elite coordinators, and manage the game—and both Vrabel and Macdonald do that at a high level.

Bottom line on those fourth-down calls?

In Denver, go up two scores and shift pressure to a young quarterback; with the Rams cooking, you can justify the gamble, but I still lean to taking points in tight, defensive games.

On Belichick not getting in right away: he’s getting in, but with the new rules favoring coaches, Shula having waited, a thin post‑Brady record, and a Super Bowl week marred by Spygate, a one‑year pause isn’t outrageous—and the voting system itself needs work.

Still, when you see his name on a ballot, it feels automatic; how do you square that with the result?

Legends like Lombardi, Walsh, Parcells, and Jimmy Johnson didn’t glide right in either, and the cap on votes turns it into musical chairs; make it a straight yes‑or‑no and clean up the categories.

Spygate should be mentioned, but from 2007 on he still built a no‑doubt case; the Hall needs to fix a structure that pits seniors against coaches and requires voters to pass on worthy names.

Where do you land on Eli this cycle?

Not a first‑ballot résumé, but beating Brady and Belichick twice on iconic drives in New York will push him through soon.

Could McCarthy and Rodgers make peace for a one‑year run in Pittsburgh?

Yes—their relationship’s better than it was in Green Bay, McCarthy helped unlock Rodgers’ style, and the ceiling is a solid year with Will Howard ready if it goes sideways.

Did Belichick’s frostiness with media cost him votes?

Voters pointed more to Spygate and the odd ballot math, plus some assumed he was a lock and allocated votes elsewhere.

We’ll see how the tweaks shake out, but being hard to deal with carries a price, and that doc did feel tilted toward Kraft; credit to him for sustaining winning while that relationship frayed.