Boomer Between The Games: Week 17 Preview With Brian Jones
In Week 16 of the NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC North and the Dallas Cowboys locked up the #1 seed in the NFC. This season, NFL fans will be able to hear even more about their favorite teams in a brand new digital show called Boomer Between the Games. Hosted by NFL on CBS analyst and WFAN radio host Boomer Esiason, the former NFL quarterback gives his thoughts on the week that was in the National Football League and chats with an all-star roster of guests about the upcoming week of games.
This week on Boomer Between the Games, former NFL linebacker Brian Jones returned to the show. Jones is a College Football Analyst on CBS Sports Network and the co-host of Gio & Jones on CBS Sports Radio. Jones sacked only one quarterback in his career and that quarterback was Boomer Esiason! The former University of Texas Longhorn played for the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Raiders and New Orleans Saints. Jones finished his NFL career with 53 tackles and two fumble recoveries.
This week's episode started off with a conversation about Pittsburgh's come from behind victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Esiason said that Ben Roethlisberger's precision on the final drive was the best he's seen in a two-minute drill this season. The host of Boomer Between the Games admired how Roethlisberger took advantage of what the defense gave him. Meanwhile, Jones noted how Antonio Brown torched the Ravens defense for nine catches in the second half after he was limited to just one reception through the first two quarters. Both former NFL players loved the way Brown and Roethlisberger stepped up in the final minutes with the game on the line and won their team a division championship.
Additionally, the two former NFL players discussed Philadelphia's victory over the New York Giants. Esiason and Jones were impressed with the way the Eagles' defense disrupted Eli Manning's rhythm all night long. Philadelphia picked off Manning three times in the ball game. Jones highlighted cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and his impact on the game. Both guys agreed that Philadelphia's defense has been one of the best in football all season long. Jones called this Philadelphia's best defensive performance since the Eagles held Pittsburgh's highflying offense to just three points in Week 3.
The biggest storyline heading into Week 17 is Washington's game with the New York Giants. The Redskins need to win to get into the postseason. Esiason said this is the money game for quarterback Kirk Cousins if he wants to paid big dollars in the offseason. The former NFL quarterback has been on the Cousins bandwagon all season, but said it is time for Cousins to take care of business in a big time game. After that, Jones focused on intriguing matchup between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman. Those guys have a lot of history and Jones believes this will be a key factor in Sunday's contest. Esiason and Jones also previewed New England's trip down to Florida against Miami.
Finally, Boomer and Brian grabbed a fan question from Twitter. The former NFL MVP and former linebacker discussed the idea of teams resting their players in Week 17. As a former player, Esiason said he wanted to be on the field for every single game. The host of Boomer Between The Games thinks every game is important and coaches like Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin don't believe in resting guys for a reason. Jones agreed with Esiason, yet understands the value of allowing young guys to play in late season situations. The CBS Sports Network analyst believes late season reps can benefit young players in a big way.
Thanks for tuning in to Boomer Between the Games every week here on CBS Local Sports. Throughout the entire season, guests like Phil Simms, Bill Cowher, Bart Scott, Mike Quick, Chris Simms and Brian Jones joined Boomer Esiason. Enjoy the playoffs and we'll see you next year here at Boomer Between The Games.
DJ Sixsmith is the Editorial Director of Boomer Between The Games and a play-by-play announcer for ESPN 3 and the Big East Digital Network. Follow DJ on Twitter @DJ_Sixsmith.