Speaker 1: NFL Inside Report is a production of the NFL in
Speaker 1: partnership with I Heart Radio. I'm Red Louis and this
Speaker 1: is NFL Inside Report. One day after the extravaganza. The
Speaker 1: schedule release is now done. We know where, when, and
Speaker 1: how all two and seventy two regular season games over
Speaker 1: the course of eighteen regular season weeks will play out.
Speaker 1: And here to help us break it all down here
Speaker 1: today our friends Judy Fatista and Jeffrey Chidya. Wow. I mean, guys,
Speaker 1: every year it just it gets bigger and bigger, and
Speaker 1: it builds and it builds. And we've been talking about
Speaker 1: schedule release since before the draft now, and we started
Speaker 1: getting some of the little tidbits right, some of the
Speaker 1: little appetizer games. You know, we have each network released
Speaker 1: a game. We had the International Series games come out
Speaker 1: all right after the draft, and now we have the
Speaker 1: whole enchilada, so to speak. Um, let's let's first start
Speaker 1: with Jeff, Judy and then and then Jeff, I'd love
Speaker 1: to just get your thoughts on the spectacle that this
Speaker 1: has become, especially for planners, right, I mean, like this
Speaker 1: is like a huge This was a huge day for
Speaker 1: everyone looking to plan their next six months right right,
Speaker 1: Like I mean, I happen to know some fans who
Speaker 1: actually try to travel to some of the away games.
Speaker 1: So for them, it's it's a very big deal right there,
Speaker 1: you're trying they or they have season tickets. They want
Speaker 1: to know. I get that. The fact that it is
Speaker 1: now a week's long extravaganza is just a credit to
Speaker 1: the marketing genius that they employed at the NFL. Because listen,
Speaker 1: it was not that long ago. I remember you used
Speaker 1: to get a phone call from somebody in the league
Speaker 1: office and they would say like, hey, I want the schedule,
Speaker 1: like literally, that's what it was. It was that many
Speaker 1: years ago that that happened. So this is just I mean,
Speaker 1: it's amazing that and and now it's like a sort
Speaker 1: of a week long thing that it's it's remarkable and
Speaker 1: credit to them because they've created another fan that everybody
Speaker 1: is wrapped up in. Yeah. I remember those days, but
Speaker 1: you would just get the the opponents was a big deal.
Speaker 1: To know they were gonna play whatever the Chiefs, We're
Speaker 1: gonna play against the AFC East. That was a huge revelation.
Speaker 1: So now to get to a place where we are
Speaker 1: just you know, waiting with bated breath to see what's
Speaker 1: going to happen with this. I remember, I remember like
Speaker 1: the cards, Yeah, put on a little mini cars. That's
Speaker 1: so twentieth century, right, come on, way beyond that. This
Speaker 1: is like I'm waiting for Jerry Joe to introduce some
Speaker 1: kind of a reality show where you actually have every
Speaker 1: city doing some big event trying to top each other.
Speaker 1: Explain this because all the social media teams out there
Speaker 1: with the team doing it right right right, Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: a great and in credit to all the social media
Speaker 1: teams out there, all departments just do a phenomenal job,
Speaker 1: you know, making schedule release into this huge piece of
Speaker 1: digital entertainment, so to speak. And it's it's really fun
Speaker 1: to see how they got the creativity that's out there
Speaker 1: amongst all of our teams, social clubs and of course
Speaker 1: our our own here at NFL Media as well. Actually
Speaker 1: watch I would watch a hard knock style show, um,
Speaker 1: the Schedule group, like the people are in the room,
Speaker 1: like the David tom Brady unretired after they had already
Speaker 1: started planning for him to be entired. I would like
Speaker 1: to watch that episode of you know, like their heads
Speaker 1: blowing up and like the woking up the schedule and
Speaker 1: going back. I think I'd watch that stuff. I would agree,
Speaker 1: because it's a great point, like how many games would
Speaker 1: have been in prime time for the Bucks, you know,
Speaker 1: if if Brady wasn't there, you know, And and now
Speaker 1: of course they're, um, they're they're very well represented on
Speaker 1: the primetime schedule clearly. So I'm also curious, um, as
Speaker 1: you guys spend many of your Sundays on the road
Speaker 1: or at games period, um, Because as well as I
Speaker 1: understand it, there's certain individual UM in our newsroom who
Speaker 1: controls many of these game assignments and many of these
Speaker 1: um quote unquote requests. And I was told that when
Speaker 1: the International Series came out, if you happen to request,
Speaker 1: you are already out of the running. Uh this, how
Speaker 1: does that work? Um? As as you guys who spend
Speaker 1: so much of your your fall in winter, you know,
Speaker 1: on the road and covering so many games in Jeff,
Speaker 1: I'll start with you, and then Judy had let me
Speaker 1: get your take. Care what does this day do for you?
Speaker 1: As you kind of start to begin to plot out me, Okay,
Speaker 1: this is something I could be it could be here,
Speaker 1: could be there, that sort of thing I'm sure Judy
Speaker 1: would agree with this. I think for me generally, there's
Speaker 1: different phases of the schedule that that you kind of
Speaker 1: The first couple of weeks there's a lot of build
Speaker 1: up and excitement because you you want to see these matchup,
Speaker 1: You see Bills Rams, Oh, I can't wait to see.
Speaker 1: And then by time we get through week three, week four,
Speaker 1: you kind of know who's good. You kind of know
Speaker 1: who was overhyped and who's not gonna be who's gonna
Speaker 1: be disappointing, And the game has become a lot more
Speaker 1: um harder to predict where you want to go watch
Speaker 1: teams play because you now you know you're gonna see
Speaker 1: some weird matchups, some not that entertaining matchup. So you
Speaker 1: go through that phase and you get around mid season,
Speaker 1: and then towards in the year, things pick up because
Speaker 1: you kind of know the playoff race is in play.
Speaker 1: So for me, that's kind of more of how I
Speaker 1: look at it. Just early on there's a ton of buzz,
Speaker 1: but by week three weeks four, you're kind of like,
Speaker 1: do I really want to watch the Commanders play the Texans?
Speaker 1: You know, it's just it's not It's not to me
Speaker 1: I want to see you can probably say right now
Speaker 1: you do not. Yeah, yeah, I would agree with that.
Speaker 1: I think like it's very hard to map out past
Speaker 1: weeks one and two, maybe three, where you're gonna go
Speaker 1: because things sort out, I mean, unfortunately we have injuries
Speaker 1: will happen, like you'll just you get a much better
Speaker 1: feel after was opening weeks and I not usually look
Speaker 1: at the schedule and like I look at week one,
Speaker 1: like where are we likely to be in week one? Um?
Speaker 1: And then frankly this year, I mean on a personal level,
Speaker 1: I was looking at the Christmas and Christmas Eve schedual
Speaker 1: and like, what's what's the travel likely to be there? Um?
Speaker 1: But it's really I find it's really hard to project, um,
Speaker 1: more than a few weeks out, even once you're in
Speaker 1: the season, Like it's hard to project more than the
Speaker 1: next week coming up what you're going to be interested in,
Speaker 1: because you know, the season is really fluid and the
Speaker 1: games that look great, you know there's a there's a
Speaker 1: Monday night game in the next to last week of
Speaker 1: the season that I think is Bengals Bills right which
Speaker 1: right now would seem to be like a blockbuster game.
Speaker 1: But I mean, who the heck knows, but what the
Speaker 1: season is gonna look like by then, So it it's
Speaker 1: really hard to project what you're going to be interested
Speaker 1: in past September. We've known, you know, who the opponents
Speaker 1: are going to be for quite some time. We've known
Speaker 1: now since the season ended. With the strength of schedules,
Speaker 1: we're going to be right with the Rams having the
Speaker 1: toughest strength of schedule, the NFC East having like collectively
Speaker 1: the worst strength of schedule, are the easiest strength of schedule.
Speaker 1: I guess I should say which kind of makes sense
Speaker 1: based on what we've seen from that division in recent years. Um,
Speaker 1: when you see the dates and you see when these
Speaker 1: teams are playing each other, Judy, does it feel like
Speaker 1: you have a better grasp on what those games will
Speaker 1: mean and what those teams are playing for at that time? Yeah,
Speaker 1: on both extremes, the good, the really good teams and
Speaker 1: the you know, really bad teams. Um, you know, I
Speaker 1: look at the Rams schedule the Chiefs schedule, and you're
Speaker 1: looking at like the sort of really tough stretches like
Speaker 1: the Chiefs just have. I mean, man, you know they're
Speaker 1: gonna if if they're in the NFC Championship game, again
Speaker 1: this year, which is of course entirely possible. Like they're
Speaker 1: they're gonna it, that's for sure, Rams the box, I mean, Bengals, Bills,
Speaker 1: all outside of the division, right, I mean you look
Speaker 1: at and where I look at when the schedule comes
Speaker 1: out is um. I know we're sort of saying like, oh,
Speaker 1: it's just the order that we're waiting for. But the
Speaker 1: order is really important, right, Like are they playing a
Speaker 1: ton of those games in a row where they're going
Speaker 1: from one, you know, powerful opponent to another to another,
Speaker 1: you know, and in the cases of those teams they are,
Speaker 1: So yes, I do think you get a better feel
Speaker 1: for what that season is going to be, Like, you know,
Speaker 1: it's it's gonna be hard. For instance, that the Patriots,
Speaker 1: who we haven't talked about, but the Patriots have a
Speaker 1: really tough stretch at the end of their schedule, and
Speaker 1: like you're you're just looking at that like, wow, I
Speaker 1: mean that is going to be a test of of
Speaker 1: a team that I don't think we really have a
Speaker 1: great feel on after this offseason. So yeah, you definitely
Speaker 1: get a feel for what their season might look like. Yeah, Jeff,
Speaker 1: do you kind of see the the order of these things,
Speaker 1: and maybe not even the end. But you know, we
Speaker 1: look at a team like the Chiefs really struggled at
Speaker 1: the beginning of the season last year, right, and then
Speaker 1: you look at some and then they were able to
Speaker 1: figure it out, you know, towards the middle and then
Speaker 1: down the stretch of course, But do you look at
Speaker 1: like the way teams are gonna have to start the season,
Speaker 1: like especially teams where we have high expectations, you know,
Speaker 1: and the run that they're gonna go, the you know,
Speaker 1: the road away the amount like do you have the
Speaker 1: Saints starting with three division games in a row in
Speaker 1: the first year the Dennis Allen era. There are some
Speaker 1: really interesting quirks at the beginning of the season as well. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I was. I was intrigued by by certain teams, some
Speaker 1: of the better teams. Some had really tough beginnings, like
Speaker 1: the Chiefs. I mean, you're right, seven out of eight
Speaker 1: games or against playoff teams from last year, which I've
Speaker 1: never seen that before before, with with the you know,
Speaker 1: the Tom Brady's and the Josh Allens, all those guys
Speaker 1: coming at you. But then like with the Bengals playing
Speaker 1: like their last six games are pretty are pretty brutal,
Speaker 1: with with the Bills and the Ravens and the Patriots
Speaker 1: and the Broncos and the Bucks. So it's just I
Speaker 1: do feel like there's going to be some game some
Speaker 1: some teams that if they start slow the Chiefs did
Speaker 1: last year, which was a typical they're usually a pretty
Speaker 1: good team in September, But if they start three and four,
Speaker 1: I don't see how they come back from that, Whereas
Speaker 1: on the flip side of it that the Bengals are
Speaker 1: kind of hovering around five and five, six and five
Speaker 1: going into the end of the season, trying to make
Speaker 1: a playoff push, Like, I don't know how you should
Speaker 1: buy that kind of crucible, and so I do think
Speaker 1: it makes it for more. It's more entertaining. But keep
Speaker 1: in mind, going back to the Chiefs example, last year,
Speaker 1: they were they had a stretch there after that three
Speaker 1: and four start where they were playing the Packers, the Cowboys,
Speaker 1: and I forget somebody else, um in the three games start,
Speaker 1: the Raiders in the three games stretching, Aaron Rodgers got covid. Uh,
Speaker 1: I think Amari Cooper was knocked out for COVID, and
Speaker 1: the Cowboys had a couple of d linemen down and
Speaker 1: so all of a sudden. You know, you try to
Speaker 1: predict this stuff, but people, people get hurt. Things happened, Uh,
Speaker 1: things can change. The Cowboys are like that too. Like
Speaker 1: the Cowboys I think have a tough few games. They
Speaker 1: have feet easiest strength of schedule based on last year's
Speaker 1: results in the league. But there is a stretch early
Speaker 1: where they have their tough games, and so they got
Speaker 1: to start fast and then then things he's up like
Speaker 1: they'll they should be able to roll up wins, you know,
Speaker 1: in the second half of the season, but that first
Speaker 1: part of the season they're going to get. It's a
Speaker 1: real test I think to see, uh you know where
Speaker 1: they fit in among the league's eleague teams. Yeah, and
Speaker 1: I'm just looking like Week one, he's insane, like days
Speaker 1: away from the kickoff game, which might be on paper,
Speaker 1: one of the best kickoff games we've ever you know,
Speaker 1: had scheduled with the Buffalo Bills, who you know, I
Speaker 1: don't think anybody would have batted an eye if they
Speaker 1: would have ended up in the Super Bowl, right based
Speaker 1: on the game they played against the Chiefs um and
Speaker 1: then you have you know, them playing against the Super
Speaker 1: Bowl champion L A. Rams right here, in Los Angeles,
Speaker 1: Bill's Rams insane hundred eighteen days away from that game
Speaker 1: as we sit here taking inside report today. Then you've got,
Speaker 1: like I said, a number of division games, Saints and Falcons,
Speaker 1: one of the more bitter rivalries you know in this
Speaker 1: in the league. Kicking things off, You've got Steelers Bengals,
Speaker 1: another fantastic division matchup. Got a brand new quarterback going
Speaker 1: to be starting for Pittsburgh. Um, I mean Baltimore in
Speaker 1: the Jets, the Ravens of the Jets. Two teams with
Speaker 1: great expectations now based on what they've done this offseason.
Speaker 1: Patriots and Dolphins always a fun one, and that one
Speaker 1: in Miami in September, Patriots struggle with the weather in
Speaker 1: December in Miami there huge, and then Tampa and Dallas
Speaker 1: on Sunday night, and then Denver and Russell's return to
Speaker 1: Seattle to open things up on Monday. Like I mean,
Speaker 1: you know, it's like are you not entertained well? And
Speaker 1: it's it's really is the natural extension of what you've
Speaker 1: seen happen in over the last to three years with
Speaker 1: the off season. I mean, there's just been so much happening.
Speaker 1: Was even like five years ago, it wasn't you'd have
Speaker 1: free agency, you'd have the draft. But now it's like
Speaker 1: people are making blockbuster trades and huge moves and even
Speaker 1: throwing the draft. The first day the draft, You've got
Speaker 1: eight nine trades happening. There's just so much of a
Speaker 1: push that all these teams are making to be a
Speaker 1: good So when you get to week one, this is
Speaker 1: the culmination of that. And that's what I was saying,
Speaker 1: like after a couple of weeks, you find out how
Speaker 1: good teams actually are, but you want to see how
Speaker 1: this all looks on paper. Even the Jets, you know
Speaker 1: what they've done in the last couple of years for
Speaker 1: the draft and Zack Wilson, it's intriguing. What is it
Speaker 1: gonna look like? What is too are gonna look like
Speaker 1: in Miami with all these weapons and any of the
Speaker 1: teams that aren't even the cream of the crop in
Speaker 1: the a f C. Right Sure, all right, guys, So
Speaker 1: as we you know, assessed with the schedule, you know
Speaker 1: now is going to look like once we see where
Speaker 1: and when these games are being played in what time
Speaker 1: and on what network and whether they are in prime
Speaker 1: time or not. As as we've kind of talked about here.
Speaker 1: It gives us a little bit of a better grasp
Speaker 1: on what these teams might end up looking like based
Speaker 1: on how we view them at this point. Obviously a
Speaker 1: lot can change injuries as teams develop the training camp.
Speaker 1: But we're gonna take a quick break and when we
Speaker 1: come back, it's never too early or way through early.
Speaker 1: Yes the grounds and so yes, way too early predictions
Speaker 1: of all sorts when we come back here an inside report.
Speaker 1: I bet you're with you on NFL Inside Report. Judy
Speaker 1: Batista and Jeffrey Jadilla are joining us here today as
Speaker 1: the dust is now settled on the two game NFL
Speaker 1: regular season schedule after our big schedule release extravaganza on
Speaker 1: NFL networking throughout the NFL media social platforms, and now
Speaker 1: we know where, we know when, we know how all
Speaker 1: of these teams will be playing, and you know, let's
Speaker 1: just talk let before we get into the predictions here, guys.
Speaker 1: You guys kind of laid out some prime time predictions earlier, right,
Speaker 1: and so you both said that that Judy, you said
Speaker 1: the Chiefs you wanted to see essentially in prime time
Speaker 1: all season long. I would like an entirely separate package
Speaker 1: of a f yes, like, but the Chiefs. I think
Speaker 1: the Chiefs will be well represented in prime time? Does
Speaker 1: that satisfy you? Yes? Yes, But I would watch I
Speaker 1: mean seriously, I would watch the Chiefs every week if
Speaker 1: I could. And then, of course, Jeffrey, you said, the Bucks,
Speaker 1: who also have five prime time games, we're gonna see
Speaker 1: him on Sunday night, will seem on Thursday night, Monday night.
Speaker 1: You know, all of the prime time mechanisms, and they'll
Speaker 1: have three of those games at home Chiefs, Ravens, and
Speaker 1: Saint It's gonna be phenomenal. And then on the road
Speaker 1: at the Cowboys and the Cardinals, Like, there's there's a
Speaker 1: lot to like there too. As you know, Tom Brady's
Speaker 1: returned through a wrench into the scheduling algorithm. Oh yeah, no, definitely. Yeah.
Speaker 1: You wonder how much, you know, you wondn't what the
Speaker 1: schedule would have looked like if he wasn't playing. Even
Speaker 1: with that, you know, they're going to an international game.
Speaker 1: They're playing, Like, would that have happened? Would he have
Speaker 1: been playing over there? I doubt it, But they said,
Speaker 1: they said they committed to the box going to Germany.
Speaker 1: They knew he was retired, so they were going then
Speaker 1: he retired, Like what a deal? What? What a deal?
Speaker 1: Maybe that's why Brady came back because they were going
Speaker 1: to Germany. That's it right, sure? Okay, So I wonder,
Speaker 1: by the way, if Brady like is looking at the
Speaker 1: Fox schedule, like huh, I'd be doing this game, that game,
Speaker 1: this game, that game. Right, that's a whole different podcast,
Speaker 1: right there, no doubt. All right, let's run through some
Speaker 1: of these predictions here, just based on how we see
Speaker 1: it now after the schedule has been laid out, we'll
Speaker 1: take it um, division by division. Will start in the
Speaker 1: a f C, and let's start in the a f
Speaker 1: C East, and we'll go, Judy, give your years first,
Speaker 1: and then Jeff you'll follow up for all the a
Speaker 1: f C teams, and then we'll flip it for the NFC.
Speaker 1: So let's start in the East here, Judy, what do
Speaker 1: you got? I have the Bills. I don't think anybody.
Speaker 1: I think maybe the Dolphins closed the gap a little bit,
Speaker 1: but not not nearly enough, because the Bills I think
Speaker 1: got better. Um, they filled their only holes were I
Speaker 1: think cornerback they needed, and and then they got von
Speaker 1: Miller to rush the passer when they really need them. Yeah,
Speaker 1: the Bills certainly for me, Jeff definitely Bills. I mean
Speaker 1: they have own the ship this year. Yeah, and they
Speaker 1: have to this. This is beyond the division. This is
Speaker 1: about getting a Lombardi Trophy. So if they blow the division,
Speaker 1: I can't imagine with that time will do And and
Speaker 1: perhaps you know, beginning to run now of Patriot like
Speaker 1: dominance in the a f C East with a quarterback
Speaker 1: that's certainly capable of it. Very interesting there are, Judy,
Speaker 1: Let's move to the north. I have the Bengals um
Speaker 1: in part because I have a few. First, all the Steelers,
Speaker 1: we don't know who their quarterback is going to be.
Speaker 1: Their defense is intact, but we don't know what their
Speaker 1: quarterback is going to be. Cleveland, you have no idea
Speaker 1: what DeShawn Watson's available. If he could be, he could
Speaker 1: be there on Week one, he might not be there
Speaker 1: at all. So you can't predict anything about them. And
Speaker 1: then the Ravens I have high hopes for, but like
Speaker 1: you know, they had to rebuild part of their because
Speaker 1: of injuries. They had to rebuild some of their defense.
Speaker 1: Lamar's got to stay healthy. So I feel most confident
Speaker 1: about the Bengals, and also I'm a huge Joe Burrow fan. Yes,
Speaker 1: yeaham with you, and people, for whatever reason seemed to
Speaker 1: write off the Bengals as if they were just some
Speaker 1: nice little story that there are really continue better that
Speaker 1: got better excited went to the draft, that having to
Speaker 1: do a whole lot. I mean, it's like they were
Speaker 1: really stacked team. And so I'm with you. You they're
Speaker 1: the safest pick in the a f C North, and
Speaker 1: I think that after the way they played last year
Speaker 1: and the way things went down in the Super Bowl
Speaker 1: against the Rams, that they're going to be highly motivated.
Speaker 1: I don't see how they I think they're they're a
Speaker 1: very strong pick in that division. And they're young exactly right.
Speaker 1: Their studs are young like the Bills, like could be
Speaker 1: in a position to do this for quite a while.
Speaker 1: How about the South duty I'm going with the Colts.
Speaker 1: I like what they did this offseason and I don't
Speaker 1: like what happened in Tennessee this offseason. So the combination
Speaker 1: of those things I have. I think Matt Ryan brings
Speaker 1: a really important stabilizing influence. The defense is going to
Speaker 1: be good in Indianapolis. I think the Colts do it
Speaker 1: this year. Look, I mean, they were almost a playoff
Speaker 1: team last year except for catastrophic failure at the end,
Speaker 1: So I think this is the year they win the
Speaker 1: division again. Yeah, I'm with you on that one as well.
Speaker 1: They got a huge game against Jacksonville early in September eighteen,
Speaker 1: which allows them to exercise and demons from the end
Speaker 1: of last year. They played the Titans twice in October,
Speaker 1: so they could actually get ahold of this division early
Speaker 1: and lost them, you know, two times last year. I
Speaker 1: think that they've been a quarterback away for while, and
Speaker 1: I think Matt Ryan's the best coreback they've had since
Speaker 1: Andrew Luck was there. And I do feel like the
Speaker 1: Tennessee Titans took a step back losing A J. Brown.
Speaker 1: I think you don't know what dere can we getting
Speaker 1: hurt in this past year. Is he starting to that
Speaker 1: point running back start getting more and more banged up?
Speaker 1: So I trust the Colts a lot more. And by
Speaker 1: the way, Matt Ryan had a really good season with
Speaker 1: practically no offensive what last year, no receiving, so like,
Speaker 1: I have a lot of faith in Matta. Some improvements
Speaker 1: there for sure. Let's move then to the a f
Speaker 1: C West and feel free to throw your hands. Um,
Speaker 1: I'm still going with the Chiefs. I cannot pick against
Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes until proven otherwise. Um, but wow, that division
Speaker 1: is going to be spectacular and I cannot wait for
Speaker 1: that Chargers Chiefs game like wee week two on Thursday night,
Speaker 1: Like that game is gonna be crazy. And how about
Speaker 1: Chargers Raiders to kick things all of it? What about
Speaker 1: the I mean, we're not even talking about the Broncos.
Speaker 1: We haven't even mentioned the Broncos Russell So but the Chiefs.
Speaker 1: I'm going with the Chiefs. Yeah, finally we're gonna differ here.
Speaker 1: I'm going Chargers. I feel I feel like they were
Speaker 1: so close to uh winning the division last year. Obviously
Speaker 1: a lot of fourth down calls by Brandon Staley blew
Speaker 1: up in his face, but justin Herbert, in my mind,
Speaker 1: is everybody as good as Patrick Mahomes now, Um, I
Speaker 1: mean as far as talent, he hasn't won as many games,
Speaker 1: but he's a cyborg as well. And I think the
Speaker 1: moves they made the off season with Khalil Mack and
Speaker 1: j C. Jackson and cal Vanoy and the safety they
Speaker 1: got J T. Would I mean, it's just if they
Speaker 1: are healthy. On paper, they look like one of the
Speaker 1: top two or three teams in the a f C.
Speaker 1: I can't bet again. I think I think they're there,
Speaker 1: certainly with a with a quarterback that has all the
Speaker 1: tools to get it done. Let's now move to the NFC,
Speaker 1: shall we, And let's start with the East. A team
Speaker 1: and a division. I guess that benefits by playing each
Speaker 1: other based on strength of schedule. It's just I've never
Speaker 1: seen that before. All four teams of the NFC East
Speaker 1: that the lowest random in terms of the easiest strength
Speaker 1: of schedule. So there you have it. Uh, Jeffrey, why
Speaker 1: don't you lead us off here in the NFC? What
Speaker 1: do you got an ease? I'm going to Philly and
Speaker 1: I know the Cowboys went it last year, but I
Speaker 1: just feel like the Eagles. I think getting a J.
Speaker 1: Brown is gonna help out. Dylan hurts a lot. I
Speaker 1: like what they have offensively around him, even though he's
Speaker 1: got to improve as a pastor. With Davante Smith and
Speaker 1: Dallas Goddard and Miles Sanders. I feel like Nick Serianni
Speaker 1: is a better coach, and I thought he was gonna
Speaker 1: be and I got I just think Dallas is talented,
Speaker 1: but it feels like every other year you don't know
Speaker 1: what you're gonna get from them. I have the Cowboys,
Speaker 1: but I'm not completely just because I do think the
Speaker 1: Eagles have very much closed the gap. UM, And I
Speaker 1: agree with you, Sirianni is a better head coach than
Speaker 1: I thought he was gonna be rid of the gate
Speaker 1: and I think Jalen hurt so be just fine. I
Speaker 1: opted to go with the Cowboys because, you know, I
Speaker 1: trust Dak Prescott. Of all of the quarterbacks in the division,
Speaker 1: I trust him the most. UM. But you know, but
Speaker 1: on my solid and they were undefeated in the division
Speaker 1: last year, and I think I think that in some
Speaker 1: ways they're they're they're gonna be a little bit better, UM,
Speaker 1: as long as they stay healthy along the offensive line,
Speaker 1: which has been a real difficult piece of that equation
Speaker 1: in the last few years. Let's move to the North, Jeffrey, Oh,
Speaker 1: this is it's this green based division as wet as
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers just playing quarterback. It's probably gonna compete for
Speaker 1: the worst division in football. If you took the package
Speaker 1: out of there, you couldn't find even without Davante Yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean it's just Packers, I mean Bears, Vikings, Yeah, Lions.
Speaker 1: I can't see them coming anywhere close can being with
Speaker 1: the Packers in this one. I think the Packers like
Speaker 1: if Aaron Rodgers said I'm going to play this season
Speaker 1: throwing off my left hand instead, like okay, yeah, let's
Speaker 1: do that to liven things up. And then in the
Speaker 1: South Tampa bay Um runs away with it again. Jeffrey,
Speaker 1: how do you see if I don't know if they
Speaker 1: run away with it, but you know the Saints will
Speaker 1: give them problems because the Saints have been beating them
Speaker 1: every t and the regular steve exactly until until it
Speaker 1: matters most. But yeah, I think Tom Bradie coming back again.
Speaker 1: This team once we about two years ago and had
Speaker 1: a lot of key players banged up. They're getting them back.
Speaker 1: I think keeping top bowls. They're moving in the head coach.
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of uh excited. I think
Speaker 1: he'll bring a different vibe to it. And so yeah,
Speaker 1: I think Brady is in a Swan song potentially not
Speaker 1: betting against that. Yeah, I have the bucks to that
Speaker 1: that roster is still almost entirely intact from the Super
Speaker 1: Bowl roster. Um. Uh, look, it's Tom Bradie. I'm not
Speaker 1: betting against Tom. We've all done that, we made that,
Speaker 1: we're not doing it again. And then finally Jeff in
Speaker 1: the West back to back Rams champs or what I think. So,
Speaker 1: I mean, the Niners a lot of offseason drama there
Speaker 1: with Deebo Samuel, and you just don't know if Trey
Speaker 1: Lances their starting quarterback, I don't know what you're going
Speaker 1: to get. If Jim Garoppolo was still there with I
Speaker 1: doubt he will be. That would just be awkward and strange.
Speaker 1: I just think that the Rams are the safer pick.
Speaker 1: And and look, they made some good moves in the
Speaker 1: off season too. They've done very well bringing in Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, they've got better at linebacker, They've gotten better
Speaker 1: at receiver. Um. I don't know how less Steve is
Speaker 1: doing it, but they always need to find money to pa. Yes,
Speaker 1: I agree, I think the Rams window is still wide open. Um.
Speaker 1: The fact that there's so much uncertainty at the Niners
Speaker 1: really sends them down my list. Um, you know, what
Speaker 1: what are you getting from Trey Lance if he's the
Speaker 1: starting quarterback? Is deeper Samuel going to be there? I mean,
Speaker 1: you know, no, I you know, I have a lot
Speaker 1: of faith in Kyle. But no, all right, there's your
Speaker 1: eight division winner. So now the big one. All the
Speaker 1: way to February are super Bowl progressions on May, Judy. Thanks. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So my super Bowl matchup is Bucks Bills. Oh yeah,
Speaker 1: And I have the Bills winning the Super Bowl mostly
Speaker 1: because I think that roster is they finally the bride.
Speaker 1: The roster is just loaded. And if you get through
Speaker 1: the a f C, you have already gone through the gauntlet. Right.
Speaker 1: The a f C all loaded this year they will
Speaker 1: be battle test if not to say the box won't be,
Speaker 1: but not to the degree that the a f C
Speaker 1: teams are going to be. And I just think Josh
Speaker 1: Allen is at such a high level. Umu, they are
Speaker 1: my champion. The Buffalo Bills. Yes, dudey just stole my thunder,
Speaker 1: But I'm going Bills Bucks. I want to pick the
Speaker 1: Rams because I like what they did last year. I
Speaker 1: just don't it's so hard to pick teams to repeat
Speaker 1: even get back there, and so that's what is holding
Speaker 1: me back from picking them. And so I think, who's
Speaker 1: the second best team in the NFC to pick, and
Speaker 1: it'd be the Bucks. I think Tom Brady comes back
Speaker 1: and the rebounds and gets them that championship game. But
Speaker 1: I agree. I think Buffalo right now almost like the
Speaker 1: Bulls with Michael Jordan back in the days, having to
Speaker 1: go through the Celtics and having to go through the
Speaker 1: Pistons and having to go through all these other great
Speaker 1: teams to get to where they want to be. I
Speaker 1: think Josh Allen showed me a lot and losing that
Speaker 1: game last year in the ANC Championship game, in the
Speaker 1: way he responded to it was colmost like, Okay, one
Speaker 1: more thing we got to get through. It wasn't like
Speaker 1: we're gonna complain about the overtime rules. We're not going
Speaker 1: to make a whole bunch of excuses. We had our
Speaker 1: chance to get to an SC championship game, we'd be
Speaker 1: blew it. I think if they get to the a
Speaker 1: f C, and which I think they will, this team
Speaker 1: is ready to go, and Bob Miller is gonna help
Speaker 1: them get those right. I don't understand right, not for
Speaker 1: the reg season, guys. The Cardinals are playing at home
Speaker 1: in the Super Bowl this year. That's just the thing.
Speaker 1: That's the thing we do. We're playing the super Bowl
Speaker 1: at State Farm stadium in Arizona, and going by the
Speaker 1: last two Super Bowls, the Cardinals are going to win
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl in their home stadium. It's just that
Speaker 1: after what happened for years of never happening, it's now
Speaker 1: happened in back to back seasons, so that let's make
Speaker 1: it three in a row. So there you go, Jeffrey
Speaker 1: and Judy. Guys, thanks so much for your insights and
Speaker 1: for having some fun here with us and Inside Report
Speaker 1: certainly appreciate it, and uh, we'll catch up with you
Speaker 1: guys again here real soon. Take care and that's gonna
Speaker 1: do it or this episode of NFL Inside Report. Appreciate
Speaker 1: you guys for being along here with us on the
Speaker 1: ride following the schedule release, and we will continue to
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