About this episode
RJ bell and Mackenzie Rivers discuss NFL Week 11 recap. RJ Bell and Mackenzie Rivers open by recapping NFL Week 11, noting Fezzik’s absence and emphasizing angles others overlook. They start with the 49ers, praising Purdy and the offense while arguing the defense may be bottom-five. They discuss historic QB completion records, Otto Graham’s legacy, and how rule changes such as the Mel Blunt rule reshaped passing. Conversation shifts into an NBA tangent about Iverson, fandom, cultural vibe, and generational preferences. Returning to football, they emphasize how strong Purdy and Mac Jones have graded, with Jones ninth in their composite, while Purdy remains unqualified for full-season QBR. They evaluate explosive plays, win-probability peaks, and success-rate metrics, noting that Arizona never exceeded its opening 44% win chance and that San Francisco had the highest average win share of the week. They pivot to NFC standings, playoff bottlenecks, and division odds, then break down Seahawks–Rams, focusing on Sam Darnold’s struggles specifically vs McVay, turnovers swinging 18 points, and Seattle’s strong underlying performance despite losing. They argue Seattle might actually be better than the Rams absent the matchup issue. A long success-rate rundown shows nearly every team with higher success rate won except Atlanta and Seattle, illustrating how predictive the metric is. Discussion moves to MVP odds, Stafford’s candidacy, Drake Maye’s rapid rise, schedule context, and defensive strength-of-schedule nuances. They show New England’s recent opposing defenses have been tougher than people assume. They discuss KC’s fatigue after years of deep playoff runs, Belichick’s analytical edge, historical Patriots arcs, and how public hindsight warps perception. A long Steelers history tangent covers Rocky Bleier, 70s drafts, Super Bowl IX and X, and Pittsburgh lore. Returning to Week 11 games, they review Detroit–Philly, criticizing Sirianni’s late fourth-down call, then examine Baltimore–Cleveland, special teams swings, and San Francisco’s hidden defensive collapse. They close with thoughts on QB development timelines, how modern impatience discards young QBs too fast, and how players like Darnold or Mayfield can revive careers. The show ends with notes on New England’s rebuild, Belichick’s process, and a Kafka quote as an outro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices