Tonight’s anticipated Monday Night Football game featuring the Baltimore Ravens versus the Los Angeles Chargers will be one to watch! It has been affectionately referred to as the “Har-bowl,” with brothers Jim and John Harbaugh going head to head for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII. Pregame PowerUp’s Marshall Newhouse joined Monday’s edition of GoJo and Golic to share his insights on the matchup and key takeaways from NFL Week 12.
Before the crew got into Monday night’s matchup, Mike Golic Jr. mentioned the physical THUMPING the Eagles put on the Rams last night, to which Newhouse responded by channeling his inner Ric Flair and letting out a WOOOO! to describe what the Rams defensive line experienced at the hands of a punishing Eagles offensive line. Philly’s dominant performance drove GoJo to ask Newhouse how much closer they were to catching the Detroit Lions at the top of the NFC.
Newhouse highlighted that the gap between the Lions and Eagles is narrowing quickly. He added that Saquon Barkley showed his whole backside on national television, and what made Barkley’s performance stand out was how he was doing it, delivering explosive plays that weren’t overly complex. As Newhouse put it, they were just WHOOPING ass last night. The Eagles dominated up front, and with Jalen Hurts not needing to do anything miraculous, Newhouse believes that given the way Saquon is rushing and the way the offensive line is blocking, the Eagles are as dangerous as anyone. While Detroit has been consistent and remains the frontrunner, Philadelphia is right behind them. Given how San Francisco is struggling with injuries, Marshall predicts an NFC Championship showdown between Philly and Detroit.
.@MNewhouse73 said Saquon Barkley & the Eagles LAID THE SMACK DOWN on the Rams on Sunday Night! 💪
"There was nothing wild about it, they were just whooping ass last night…If you can rely on Saquon like that, (the Eagles are) as dangerous of a team in the NFC as it gets."… pic.twitter.com/3Gb6wn8Mxh
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) November 25, 2024
Keeping the conversation on the state of the San Francisco 49ers, who suffered a terrible 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Mike Golic Sr. asked Newhouse if there was any hope for the Niners to turn it around amid the injuries to their stars. Newhouse admitted he has lost faith in San Francisco. He had some hope, but left tackle Trent Williams not being available paired with Chrisitan McCaffrey not looking like himself has caused some concern. With the 49ers having to overcome so many injuries and remain competitive, Newhouse does not see them as a true contender.
Speaking of possible contenders, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins‘ offense are swimming upstream after defeating their AFC East division rival, the New England Patriots, 34-15. GoJo asked Newhouse where the Dolphins stand within the playoff picture despite having a record under .500. Marshall expressed that no one wants to face the Dolphins right now, especially given how potent their offense is. With Tua being out for an extended period, fans forgot how important he was to Mike McDaniel and making this offense go. The Dolphins are also playing with a boulder-sized ice chip on their shoulders, as they have faced much criticism for being unable to compete in the cold weather. Marshall thinks that if the Dolphins can go into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers, and if some of these top AFC teams slip up, the Dolphins could find themselves in contention for an AFC Wild Card spot.
Can Tua Tagovailoa and Miami’s electrifying offense reel in an AFC Wild Card spot?
“Offensively, no one wants to see them…(If) they go in there and beat Green Bay, they’re already one spot out of the playoff picture in the AFC. Another one of these top AFC teams slips up, and… pic.twitter.com/z5KWofajCW
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) November 25, 2024
The more the aforementioned Saquon Barkley continues to shine, the more it seems the Giants and their fans suffer. After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rumblings from players like rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, complaining about his target share, to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, saying the team played soft, are making headlines. GoJo asked Newhouse to do a vibe check on what it may feel like for John Mara to walk into the facility this morning with all these issues swirling. Newhouse shared it’s all fun and games when the Giants are playing scrappy to eek out wins, and even the Tommy DeVito gesture is fun. However, losing badly changes your mood significantly — not to mention the news surrounding Daniel Jones’ release and Barkley’s free agency not being handled well by the team internally seems to be causing a lot of concern.
Newhouse added that many people didn’t realize how important Saquon was like they often do with players in the league today who are getting older but still performing well. Players like Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs join Saquon as standing out from the rest and going against the trends in analytics for running backs whose value declines with age. He admits the Giants completely missed the mark here due to a lack of understanding among the players, between players and coaches and front office decisions going awry. They took a risk with their quarterback choice, which ultimately backfired and caused everything else to fall apart.
"The Giants undercalculated how much Saquon Barkley meant … The players don't have the confidence in the coaching staff. The coaching staff doesn't have the confidence of the front office.
There are a lot of points of failure in the Giants' organization." @MNewhouse73 pic.twitter.com/QhfYxwGB6K
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) November 25, 2024
As we turn the page to the Har-bowl, GoJo asked Newhouse what he is most excited about in this matchup between the Harbaugh brothers. Newhouse shared his excitement for tonight’s Harbaugh showdown, praising the intensity and physicality that the Harbaugh-led teams play with. He’s particularly eager to see the Chargers in prime time, as they’ve flown under the radar this season. He’s also curious to see how Justin Herbert performs against the Ravens’ defense, which struggles against the run. Conversely, he’s watching to see if Lamar Jackson can rebound after Pittsburgh’s game plan exposed his weaknesses.
With the AFC playoff seeding on the line, it’s shaping up to be a great matchup tonight!
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: Week 12 Recap — Eagles’ Win Steak Behind Saquon’s MVP SZN, Cowboys-Commanders Chaos & NFL’s Biggest Losers
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
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