Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL Podcast? Is sheepish about their bangers?
Speaker 1: Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast,
Speaker 1: presented by Sirius XM. My name is Dan Hansis. I'm
Speaker 1: joined in the room filled with heroes, Mark Seessler, Chris
Speaker 1: Westling and Greg Rosenthal. What is up? Boys? Hey? Dan?
Speaker 1: Feeling fresh right now? You know we've done this show
Speaker 1: a lot, this podcast, this is gonna be your seventh
Speaker 1: season together, a lot of episodes. So whenever we can
Speaker 1: break out something a little different, a little new, and
Speaker 1: put a little spin on one of my favorite shows
Speaker 1: of the year, it just you know, it makes you
Speaker 1: feel a little more alive, a little less dead inside.
Speaker 1: We'll put Greg. We every year we like to do
Speaker 1: a a double episode banger around the a f C
Speaker 1: and forty eight minutes around the NFC and forty eight minutes. Well,
Speaker 1: we took a look at the calendar and what we
Speaker 1: wanted to hit before the season started, and we said,
Speaker 1: you know, the lightning bolt or is it the light bulb?
Speaker 1: The light bulb goes over the head, always a weird thing,
Speaker 1: lower level, Yeah, and dog Mark wouldn't see. Let's combine
Speaker 1: both conferences in one supersize show. So not only are
Speaker 1: you going to get all thirty two teams, you're gonna
Speaker 1: get probably about a seventy minute banger. And I'll tell
Speaker 1: you this. We're going around the NFL in sixty three minutes.
Speaker 1: Three minutes two minutes per team would be sixty four, right,
Speaker 1: And it's not a math error by the old Zeuser.
Speaker 1: I know that's your first thought. We have decided Erica,
Speaker 1: who as we know, is growing in influence behind the
Speaker 1: scenes in NFL media, it's only time, mat our time for.
Speaker 1: She sits us down and she said, guys, this is
Speaker 1: so hard. I was really treading having this conversation, but
Speaker 1: I gotta move on. That's a good two weeks from now.
Speaker 1: We're not there yet. But what we need to do
Speaker 1: to have any chance of holding on to Erica is
Speaker 1: to give her more pop, more power within the structure here.
Speaker 1: So what we decided and Erica agreed to, was she
Speaker 1: gets the control. There will be one team out of
Speaker 1: the thirty two. We don't know which one it will be,
Speaker 1: uh that Erica gets a step in and cut it
Speaker 1: in half essentially, and give that team just sixty seconds. Erica,
Speaker 1: That's that's what we're doing. Yeah, I think that's that's
Speaker 1: a really great idea by me. I think it will
Speaker 1: be really fun and I'm really thankful to you guys
Speaker 1: for giving me this, you know, sense of responsibility. Right
Speaker 1: before the show, Greg asked me to drag in a
Speaker 1: refrigerator for him. So things are going well over here. Well,
Speaker 1: it's something a good producer would just do. I mean
Speaker 1: they would. The fridge has been outside of the producer,
Speaker 1: not a utility man. Doesn't matter, Like I'm telling you.
Speaker 1: You think you think they're showing up to Football Night
Speaker 1: in America and the producers are letting the fridge just
Speaker 1: sit out in the hallway for a week. The producers
Speaker 1: are bringing in someone's problem solved. Yeah, and Greg, by
Speaker 1: the way, is not the one who should be pulling
Speaker 1: the refrigerator to the room. Greg is I I don't
Speaker 1: even mind. It also very small framed and I'm sure
Speaker 1: even move the thing right exactly? Can I mediate this honestly?
Speaker 1: Please Erica? Obviously? Uh? And what kind of gentleman would
Speaker 1: we be if we're asking Erica to lug in the refrigerator?
Speaker 1: We bring it in going on? You know, we're talent,
Speaker 1: We're not looking anything Erica is going to um pick
Speaker 1: up the phone and have someone help her with the
Speaker 1: refrigera exactly. I don't. It doesn't matter what's done about
Speaker 1: that producer. That's great. But also Greg on air was like,
Speaker 1: only if you were a good producer, you're calling me
Speaker 1: a bad producer? Was like, you produce your own show, Greg,
Speaker 1: I mean, can we revisit the common Man rankings after this, please? Ricky?
Speaker 1: That was very fair. Greg, that was unfair, and I
Speaker 1: think you should apologize before we get I didn't agree
Speaker 1: with that. You are great producer, Erica. I'm just you know,
Speaker 1: trying to producer Erica is not one of them. I'm
Speaker 1: your producer, I'm your friend, I'm your therapist. I'm everything
Speaker 1: for all you guys, and I don't get appreciated easily
Speaker 1: in the top two to three producers of the twelve
Speaker 1: that we've had on this show, and you're you're climbing
Speaker 1: right to the top. I mean, Greg continues to be
Speaker 1: forcefully out of bounds with everything rolls out of his mouth,
Speaker 1: just rolls. I don't know what we accomplished there, but
Speaker 1: we're down to fifty eight minutes something to see it again.
Speaker 1: We're going around the NFL in sixty three minutes. And yes,
Speaker 1: Erica has the power to chop one team in half.
Speaker 1: We'll find out who that will be. Uh. So we're
Speaker 1: gonna start with the NFC. Uh And we'll start in
Speaker 1: the East. And as a reminder, um, Greg, we will
Speaker 1: get two minutes reach team. You'll get a you'll get
Speaker 1: a little bit of a sound you have that, Ricky
Speaker 1: when we're thirty seconds to play like that, and then
Speaker 1: another tone when it's then another tone when it's time
Speaker 1: to move on. Okay, and don't and do not go
Speaker 1: over the time because Erica has all the power to
Speaker 1: step in again. This is a very big show for Ricky. Uh.
Speaker 1: And let you know that you were you were gone
Speaker 1: over and you're not respecting the game. You're saying so
Speaker 1: not even in this this business which has happened every
Speaker 1: other like finish your winding long sentence. You're not finished
Speaker 1: your sentences over over And I feel for for the team,
Speaker 1: the fans out there that only get that one minute.
Speaker 1: You know what I mean that it's kind of like
Speaker 1: an anvil hanging over this entire show. Well, it's probably
Speaker 1: gonna be one of yours based on your behavior towards
Speaker 1: Erica top through the where we are at this point?
Speaker 1: All right, let's get into it starting in the NFC
Speaker 1: East And Greg, why don't you get us going whog
Speaker 1: New York Giants. So much focus on the offense in
Speaker 1: New York and the quarterback position. But I look at
Speaker 1: this defense and I wonder, is this the most talent
Speaker 1: poor defense in the entire NFC? Is is it in
Speaker 1: that class? And if they're gonna have any chance, I
Speaker 1: think they need to have generous Jenkins to have a
Speaker 1: revitalized season. In DeAndre Baker, their first round pick, who
Speaker 1: has had a good camp, to play well. If the
Speaker 1: two of them play well at cornerback, maybe this team
Speaker 1: has a chance. How did Dave Gentleman? Of course, he's
Speaker 1: the GM under fire in in the Meadow ends, the
Speaker 1: guy that was all about the Hogmali's with the Panthers.
Speaker 1: How and the Giants have such a proud history on
Speaker 1: their on their front seven of getting pressure. It's how
Speaker 1: they wont super bowls in the ELI are How has
Speaker 1: it gotten to this point? I think he'd answer, they
Speaker 1: like their defensive line. You know, they drafted Dexter Lawrence
Speaker 1: in the first round. They have Dalvin Tomlins and he
Speaker 1: have b J. Hill. These are some high drafted guys.
Speaker 1: We gotta see them actually produce. And that's why for
Speaker 1: all the focus on the quarterbacks, they're just in a
Speaker 1: bad spot. How are you going to keep up with
Speaker 1: ranked defense in the league with those two guys. I
Speaker 1: mean it's safety you essentially. You know, it's not exactly
Speaker 1: they don't play exactly the same position, but landing Collins
Speaker 1: out Jabriel Peppers in. I think that's a downgrade you've
Speaker 1: gave gave Way Snacks Harrison some time ago. I mean
Speaker 1: that part of the Gentleman project still is very much
Speaker 1: underway on defense. If the offense to feel a little
Speaker 1: bit exciting about if Daniel Jones clicks defense, No, Well,
Speaker 1: like you said, they got rid of all their veterans,
Speaker 1: they didn't want to pay them um and now in
Speaker 1: order to turn this around, all these young guys have
Speaker 1: to they have to be hits. I I also want,
Speaker 1: what do you guys think the margin for error is
Speaker 1: for ELI, because I think Daniel Johns, since he played
Speaker 1: so well in the preseason, I feel like it's two games.
Speaker 1: I feel like we could see if they were owing
Speaker 1: two I feel like we could see Dania Jones week three.
Speaker 1: They have a pretty easy schedule early, but anytime they
Speaker 1: get two games under I think elis. Isn't that what
Speaker 1: Pat Schrummer wants to play Daniel Jones as soon as possible.
Speaker 1: I think Eli gets September, that would be my guess.
Speaker 1: I used to think it would be Halloween, but I
Speaker 1: really do. I agree that that preseason opened some eyes.
Speaker 1: I think of that organization, I wanted last start to
Speaker 1: be Pats Week six. Chris Westling the Dallas Cowboys. Let
Speaker 1: me check my notice. Welcome to the Around the NFL podcast,
Speaker 1: Chris Westling. This new wave of play callers we've seen
Speaker 1: in the NFL over the last you know, five or
Speaker 1: so years. One of the things we've noticed as that
Speaker 1: running backs used to be test with creating their own space.
Speaker 1: That's what a running back did, That's what a three
Speaker 1: down back did. Running Backs now the play caller creates
Speaker 1: space for them. That's what the best ones do. And
Speaker 1: I think you see in Dallas one of the reasons
Speaker 1: why there's no rush to get Ezekiel Elliott back in
Speaker 1: is that Tony Pollard is exactly the kind of running
Speaker 1: back you can create space for and he'll take advantage
Speaker 1: of it. He needs a play caller to create that
Speaker 1: space for him. We've seen it in preseason action. We've
Speaker 1: also seen Alfred Morris average four point eight yards per
Speaker 1: carry on a hundred fifteen rushes with the Cowboys in
Speaker 1: two thousand seventeen. So to me, all this attention on Zeke,
Speaker 1: they have the offensive line and with Kellen Moore now
Speaker 1: as the play caller, they have the play caller to
Speaker 1: still be a success on offense. I feel like Tony
Speaker 1: Pollard if you were to line up the players that
Speaker 1: are new that excited you the most on game pass preseason,
Speaker 1: for me, Tony Pollard is top ten, top five, and
Speaker 1: Kellen Moore pairing with him, with him the I'd like
Speaker 1: this situation in your coordinator wheelhouse. I feel like Michael
Speaker 1: I can't help but think about Emmett Smith back in
Speaker 1: or was it when he disappeared for two games? Uh
Speaker 1: ninety three? Cowboys lost both games? He comes back and
Speaker 1: they win the Super Bowl. Anyway, UM, I mean yeah,
Speaker 1: I guess they're set up well. Are we having this
Speaker 1: conversation now? Is it got to this point where we
Speaker 1: think that Zeke Elliott is not going to be here
Speaker 1: week one. I think you'd be there in the end.
Speaker 1: Keep an eye on Xavier Rhads their free safety. A
Speaker 1: lot of people around them think they need some people
Speaker 1: to Xavier Woods rather Uh to have a kind of
Speaker 1: a breakout season, and they need it because Byron Jones
Speaker 1: just coming off a hip injury, barely practiced. Maybe he
Speaker 1: plays week one. DeMarcus Lawrence coming off injury. I'd be
Speaker 1: a little worried the defense comes back to the pack.
Speaker 1: I hope Jardin poison that stream with some of his
Speaker 1: glib comments in the media. Just get the job done,
Speaker 1: Washington Redskins, old Zeus or Hey, what defined success for
Speaker 1: the twenty nine Redskins? And if success means eight or
Speaker 1: nine wins in progress from rookie Dwayne Haskins when ever
Speaker 1: he gets in the starting lineup, is that enough to
Speaker 1: save Jake Gruden's job? What kind of line is Jake
Speaker 1: Ruin work with here? And what a success with the
Speaker 1: Red Skin? I think it might be, but it has
Speaker 1: to be. The narrative must drive that Jake Cruden is
Speaker 1: the reason the Twain Haskins is having success and this
Speaker 1: Jane Gruden offense is the reason. And I'm not sure
Speaker 1: after all the years we've had of him, that that's
Speaker 1: that's gonna that's gonna take a loup. If he wins
Speaker 1: eight or nine games, I might vote him for Coach
Speaker 1: of the Year. I mean that Rusto lousy. This isn't
Speaker 1: a good team. But with that ownership group. Yeah, and
Speaker 1: all the years he's been there and has never um
Speaker 1: won a playoff game or been to the playoffs. They've
Speaker 1: been to the play okay, but they haven't won a
Speaker 1: playoff game this fifth year. I don't even know if
Speaker 1: that will be enough. You're right, you might be right.
Speaker 1: I think he's actually done a good job with in
Speaker 1: a in a one of the most difficult jobs in
Speaker 1: the NFL. But it's not gonna get any easier. I
Speaker 1: wonder if he does he have the juice to make
Speaker 1: a desperate type trade with Trent Williams where he maybe
Speaker 1: tries to get a j green Back or maybe one
Speaker 1: of those players he used to be with. Considering the
Speaker 1: free agency involved doing everything without consulting their head coach,
Speaker 1: I would guess he does. Him ch seems to be powerless.
Speaker 1: To me. The measure of successes are do you have
Speaker 1: enough young players who can compromise who can comprise a
Speaker 1: nucleus by the end of the year, because they don't
Speaker 1: have an offensive nucleus. And I know that everybody's going
Speaker 1: wild over Darius guys. Y'all must have watched a different
Speaker 1: runner than I saw last week. I didn't he he
Speaker 1: hat lacked any explosion whatsoever, and I just wasn't impressed.
Speaker 1: I think he need He's gonna need more time to
Speaker 1: become what they want. But I kind of like some
Speaker 1: of their their defense. Their front seven has some young
Speaker 1: players that I can get behind. It's not a terrible defense.
Speaker 1: They haven't I don't think I've been coached very well
Speaker 1: on that side of the ball, but that you're right
Speaker 1: about having guys to build a round on offense, Josh Dotson,
Speaker 1: it sounds like won't even make the team. Maybe the
Speaker 1: killer use of y'all there, Wes and who starts first,
Speaker 1: Haskins or Jones in New York? All right, let's move
Speaker 1: on Mark Sessler the Philadelphia Eagle. Alright, on this show,
Speaker 1: I've talked about the Eagles starting six, and o X
Speaker 1: also expect them to win the division without two flak.
Speaker 1: If my haughty predictions are gonna destined to go south,
Speaker 1: it's because a Mark is vastly underrating the Cowboys. Be
Speaker 1: Doug Peterson isn't the same guy without Frank Reik and
Speaker 1: will be exposed. See Carson Wentz won't live up to
Speaker 1: the m v P hype or d none of the above.
Speaker 1: The Eagles with the class of the NFC g C
Speaker 1: Mark GC standing for a good call. We know Mark's
Speaker 1: righting out his intros when Hottie gets into says some
Speaker 1: highlighter over there. Um, so you're you're saying you're on
Speaker 1: the train leading the train that the Eagles are gonna
Speaker 1: be good this year. I'm just saying, what's their weakness.
Speaker 1: I sort of asked, like, one of these things don't happen.
Speaker 1: Carson Wentz is not an m v P. Doug Peterson
Speaker 1: is not the coach we think. You know, I'm totally
Speaker 1: underrating the rest of the division or the Cowboys. I'm
Speaker 1: with you, I would pick the Eagles to win this
Speaker 1: division and all for all the reasons that you're saying.
Speaker 1: I'm I guess there's a little bit a little bit
Speaker 1: of nerves um about Carson Wentz after two straight years
Speaker 1: ending on the i R. And we've talked about at
Speaker 1: length in recent weeks about their depth chart behind and him, Um,
Speaker 1: there's no Nick Foles as a backup plan. But yeah,
Speaker 1: it just seems like this team is really well set up.
Speaker 1: De Sean Jackson has been another subject of controversy on
Speaker 1: this show. Greg thinks he's gonna be a game breaker.
Speaker 1: West thinks he's over the hill. That will be something
Speaker 1: to watch. No, that's more of a fantasy thing. I
Speaker 1: just like it's unexciting to draft a guy who gets
Speaker 1: eight hundred yards and four touchdown. That's fair they I
Speaker 1: think we all kind of almost agreed, which is rare
Speaker 1: on this show, fairly early in the open, this might
Speaker 1: be the best roster in the NFL. And now it's
Speaker 1: like we've gotten We said that for three or four months,
Speaker 1: and we're sick of everyone now agree. You know it
Speaker 1: says that too, and is picking them to the super Bowl.
Speaker 1: But just because we've been saying it for a while
Speaker 1: doesn't mean it's not true. I mean they should be among,
Speaker 1: if not the favorites in the NFC. Well coached, great roster,
Speaker 1: franchise quarterback, a lot of guys coming back from injury.
Speaker 1: If you had to pick one thing, you know, McLeod,
Speaker 1: Brandon Brooks, Jason Peters Cox, there's quite a few need
Speaker 1: need him to stay healthy. The NFC North Minnesota Vikings
Speaker 1: Kirk Cousins debut season with the Viking generally remembered as
Speaker 1: a bust. Let me tell you some things. Sixteen starts,
Speaker 1: fourth straight with fourth straight year without missing game, seventy
Speaker 1: one percent completion percentage, career best, yards second best, thirty
Speaker 1: td s career best, ten interceptions used than as four
Speaker 1: years as a starter. One hundred passer rating is second best.
Speaker 1: H you know what, Counting numbers blah blah blah, But
Speaker 1: I believe all of this is sustainable. Uh, Dalvin Cook's
Speaker 1: healthy and there's no reason why the Vikings can't have
Speaker 1: the best offense in football this season. Who disagrees? Why
Speaker 1: not tell me why they can't. They don't have Patrick
Speaker 1: Mahomes or Tyreek Hill, but they do have Adam DeLand
Speaker 1: and Stefon Diggs and Cousins who's a numbers monster, and
Speaker 1: Dalvin Cook, who could be a game changing running back. Well,
Speaker 1: how about this be the best version of themselves, which
Speaker 1: they weren't last year because of their line. You got
Speaker 1: Garrett Bradbury, your first round picket center. It starts there.
Speaker 1: If the line can be better, that's gonna help everyone.
Speaker 1: When West mentioned the a few weeks ago how an
Speaker 1: offensive line changing from one year to the next can
Speaker 1: just transform a team, I've thought about that when a
Speaker 1: comes to the Vikings, because I think on paper, especially
Speaker 1: because Bradberry's look great and Gary Kubiak, you know they're
Speaker 1: coaching taking the line better. The talent is good enough
Speaker 1: to go from one of the worst to maybe a
Speaker 1: top ten line, And then I'm with you, Dan, I
Speaker 1: don't know if they're the number one offensive league, but
Speaker 1: in terms of efficiency, I could think they could be
Speaker 1: a top three or four type of d v O
Speaker 1: A team. They're not gonna put up that many points,
Speaker 1: but they're gonna be efficient, and they have a high
Speaker 1: floor and a high ceiling. I thought you were gonna
Speaker 1: get wild and say this could be a top five
Speaker 1: offense or something, and then you went straight to the
Speaker 1: top number one. When your line stinks. When your line stinks,
Speaker 1: it's like, you know, all these shiny part parts on
Speaker 1: the outside, it's like a really fresh looking apple and
Speaker 1: you bite into it and the inside is like rotten,
Speaker 1: dead animal. On the inside that's if they were last year.
Speaker 1: I mean, have you seen Dalvin Cook's biceps? And then
Speaker 1: he is? He is in insane human being batman can
Speaker 1: run and play football. Moving on, Green Bay Packers, I
Speaker 1: want to know what kind of support Aaron Rodgers gets
Speaker 1: and it's not from the receiver position, which we've talked about.
Speaker 1: I think that'll be fine. He can make receivers better.
Speaker 1: We haven't talked about whether he's going to have the
Speaker 1: same offensive line and if he's gonna have a good
Speaker 1: running game again this year. And I think it's just
Speaker 1: a mystery. With Matt Lafleur, we don't know what's going
Speaker 1: to happen. They've had a little bit of attrition. They
Speaker 1: used to have one of the best offensive lines. They've
Speaker 1: had some changes at guard. Is Brian Lagas still going
Speaker 1: to be good enough at right tackle? Is Aaron Jones
Speaker 1: and and Jamal Williams enough to kind of carry a load?
Speaker 1: More about la Fleur and his scheme. Could he help,
Speaker 1: you know, cook up a good running game if he can.
Speaker 1: I think they're rolling and they're fine, but they're a
Speaker 1: mystery in terms of what they're gonna do offensively. And
Speaker 1: that's that's where it starts for me, Well, Derrick Henry
Speaker 1: had the best two months of his career under Matt
Speaker 1: la Fleur last year, so that would tell me that
Speaker 1: he can he can fix the running game. I agree
Speaker 1: with you. I'd also look at that Titans offense and
Speaker 1: kind of wonder why Matt Lafleur was elevated to the
Speaker 1: degree he was in terms of the overall look of
Speaker 1: that team. That's fair. It felt a little bit in name.
Speaker 1: I would wonder if the Packers, if they found out
Speaker 1: they got three weeks into the season, if Melvin Gordon
Speaker 1: was not with the Chargers, that they would ever swing
Speaker 1: a trade. We mentioned that a while back. You never know.
Speaker 1: I mean, they haven't had a great running back to
Speaker 1: pair with Aaron Rodgers in a long time. I'm really excited. Um,
Speaker 1: of course Equan st Brown is out with an injury now, Um,
Speaker 1: but I'm really excited about MVS. Marcus Valda Scantling. Um
Speaker 1: he's ahead of Like when you pecking order, Davante Adams
Speaker 1: of course is number one? Is it MVS? Or is
Speaker 1: it Geronimo next in the in the pecking order you
Speaker 1: think for Rogers, Yeah, I feel like Allison is a
Speaker 1: slot guy, so he may get more targets, but mvs
Speaker 1: will be the big play threat on the outside. And
Speaker 1: they got Jimmy Graham, of course, who's now forgotten. Men.
Speaker 1: It's kind of got it the other way now, where
Speaker 1: people were pushing him up the last few years as
Speaker 1: a guy that could still be elite. Now you don't
Speaker 1: even hear his name anymore. But maybe he's got Maybe
Speaker 1: that horse can play in three years, Maybe the horse
Speaker 1: can still West Spurs. It is he gonna make this team.
Speaker 1: But I feel like we hear that every year with
Speaker 1: Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears, Chris Wesley. Where do kickers come from?
Speaker 1: There's all this concern about the Bears, and I get
Speaker 1: it because of the psychology of the miskick and how
Speaker 1: much attention they're putting on it. But Eddie Pinnaro, who
Speaker 1: they traded for, I had won the Raiders competition last
Speaker 1: year before he got injured. And if you look at
Speaker 1: the rundown of kickers in the NFL, here's where they
Speaker 1: usually come from. Cut by another team in September, cutting
Speaker 1: by another team in October, picked up halfway through the season,
Speaker 1: given a chance, and then they kept the job. And
Speaker 1: that is the majority of NFL kickers. The fact that
Speaker 1: the Bears actually gave something up for their kicker puts
Speaker 1: them ahead of the eight ball compared to how people
Speaker 1: how these people are required. I just wonder if Mason
Speaker 1: Crosby or Graham Gono gets cut though you know that
Speaker 1: sounds nice, but wouldn't they just go go for one
Speaker 1: of those guys, no matter how well Eddie Paniro looks
Speaker 1: the next next week. I find it funny if you're
Speaker 1: a Bears fan, because you had one of the more
Speaker 1: promising seasons they've waited for that forever, and it's because
Speaker 1: of offense to not just defense. And then the entire
Speaker 1: narrative has been the kicker. And we're this far and
Speaker 1: we're so close to the regular season, and the narrative
Speaker 1: gets hotter and more fierce. It's not quelled on any level.
Speaker 1: I think he has shown something to this team, though,
Speaker 1: and that's why I don't think I can know or
Speaker 1: someone else will replace him, replace him, because he did
Speaker 1: go through this absurd gauntlet and came out on the
Speaker 1: other side, and it got lost in the in the mix.
Speaker 1: When what happened in Indianapolis with Andrew Luck, this weekend,
Speaker 1: but he split the uprights on a fifty eight yard
Speaker 1: or I think he essentially earned the job barring some
Speaker 1: type of catastrophe. UH in preseason week four, how about
Speaker 1: punching a few more touchdowns right and try to try
Speaker 1: to stop the regression on defense. I think one way
Speaker 1: they could do that. I was thinking about, like, could
Speaker 1: Khalio Mack go to another level? Could he He's had
Speaker 1: a whole camp with this team. He wasn't exactly he's
Speaker 1: a Hall of Fame type player, but can he have
Speaker 1: his defensive player of the year just Khalil Mack's career season,
Speaker 1: because that that could make them even even better? Detroit
Speaker 1: Lions Mark, I'm trying to keep Lions fans to UH,
Speaker 1: to keep keep have them listen to this show still
Speaker 1: because it's been an offseason where all we do is
Speaker 1: sort of whip them left and right and kick them around,
Speaker 1: and they've got to be wondering what we think about him.
Speaker 1: I do, they do know, but I see a few
Speaker 1: strengths when I take a look. I like, obviously the line,
Speaker 1: you've got Trey Flowers, Mike Daniel Snacks, Harrison A, Sean Robinson,
Speaker 1: DeShawn hand All the Shaun's You've got a receiver in
Speaker 1: Kenny Golladay. Okay, I think Carrie on Johnson. We all
Speaker 1: know it is a fantasy, darling. He's a potential, huge
Speaker 1: breakout character in an offense that wants to run the
Speaker 1: ball a lot. Stafford can still mash. So what is missing?
Speaker 1: Why do we look at Detroit and say they absolutely
Speaker 1: cannot do anything to stir a little chaos in this division?
Speaker 1: They beat the Patriots and the Panthers and swept the Packers,
Speaker 1: a bad Packers team last year? What is missing? Why
Speaker 1: can't they have an identity now today? I'm kind of
Speaker 1: with you on this podcast. We do sometimes get locked
Speaker 1: into our narrows and and we'll beat up certain teams.
Speaker 1: I am guilty of this as well. Titoons fans. No, uh,
Speaker 1: but you know what, I would have liked to see
Speaker 1: their offense be a little more competent, fun slash dangerous
Speaker 1: in the in the preseason so far. Give us something
Speaker 1: to hang our hat on. Maybe they're hiding something special.
Speaker 1: Perhaps maybe it's that situation, But there is a creeping
Speaker 1: sense of doom about the Matt Patricia era. For me,
Speaker 1: Despite all that, the utter lack of blue chip players.
Speaker 1: That would be the issue you have. You have some
Speaker 1: really good positions, You have above average starters at several spots.
Speaker 1: But who's your difference maker? Is he got to be
Speaker 1: more comfortable to as a head coach. I think he's
Speaker 1: shown some signs of that, if you've watched his press conferences,
Speaker 1: Matt Patricia. Because you never know that it's a short career,
Speaker 1: this might be his chance to answer your question, though, Mark,
Speaker 1: I don't put if they won ten games, I think
Speaker 1: they're one of the twenty eight teams that can win
Speaker 1: ten games. I really believe teams are so can win
Speaker 1: and they're in that they're just in a tough division
Speaker 1: West as we turn the calendar to September two thousand nineteen.
Speaker 1: Is the quarterback still a difference maker to you? The
Speaker 1: one in Detroit? It's never been a difference maker, dang
Speaker 1: bro I mean, I'm not the only one who's seen
Speaker 1: the stats like for years, Matthew like one in winning
Speaker 1: teams South Pedrel luck never beat the Patriots. Yes, Tepp
Speaker 1: of Bay Buccaneers Chris Wesley. Football is a game of
Speaker 1: one on one battles. This offensive line loses way too
Speaker 1: many one on one battles, and my question is how
Speaker 1: much is that going to be exacerbated by Bruce arians
Speaker 1: infamous seven step drop quarterbacks getting killed behind his offensive lines.
Speaker 1: Does Jamis Winston really have a chance behind this offensive line?
Speaker 1: He didn't against the Browns and then I know it's
Speaker 1: I know it was only you know, a quarter and
Speaker 1: a half, but sacked five times in nineteen minutes. My
Speaker 1: one issue with that is that they're also on top
Speaker 1: of the protection trying to get Jamis Winston to be
Speaker 1: a totally different human being. Where to throw the ball away,
Speaker 1: be safe, be smart, don't do what you're wired to do,
Speaker 1: which is make crazy plays to turn into a lot
Speaker 1: of interceptions or something great. Bruce Arians isn't going to
Speaker 1: change at this point, and hearing him after the game
Speaker 1: blame his offensive line just gave me flashbacks to basically
Speaker 1: every place he's ever coached. It's like, at some point,
Speaker 1: if you just leave five guys in the block in
Speaker 1: the NFL, your offensive line is gonna fall apart and struggle.
Speaker 1: And Arians just keeps blaming the offensive line. Look at
Speaker 1: the mirror, m We're not in on Bruce Arians now.
Speaker 1: I mean, I I think he'll be all right, but
Speaker 1: in that particular it's always a weakness for him. And
Speaker 1: they also have, like you know, a lot of talent
Speaker 1: on offense, which you could see them going out and
Speaker 1: dropping thirty five points on a team if they can.
Speaker 1: This is not the time about your love of Jamis Winson.
Speaker 1: You've got Bruce Arians. I think he's got to all
Speaker 1: pay off for you after years and we've been talking
Speaker 1: of Chris Godwin on this podcast for years now. Godwin
Speaker 1: Nations stand up. This is the time, I mean, the Godheads,
Speaker 1: this is where and it's gonna all come to pass.
Speaker 1: Peyton Barber Nations sit back, then, Jason prre Paul by
Speaker 1: the way cleared to resume rehab activities. That would be
Speaker 1: a nice edition. I don't know what that means in
Speaker 1: terms of a return, but it's a positive, a nice step.
Speaker 1: Todd Bowles Nation, just like stand up. Maybe because you
Speaker 1: have a nation, get to go to the water fountain
Speaker 1: and then come back to your A lot of nations.
Speaker 1: The Saints, Greg, oh, the Saints. You're wasting time searching
Speaker 1: for notes. I know now you're just Erica's gonna one
Speaker 1: minute you and there's gonna be nothing. Now. No, we're
Speaker 1: not going to I think this defense is as stacked
Speaker 1: as it's been in the Sean Payton era, and I'm
Speaker 1: surprised that sort of the lack of national respect that
Speaker 1: it's gotten. I like this linebacker group. I love the
Speaker 1: deep secondary. They can match up with anyone. I think
Speaker 1: Marcus Davenport is one of the players to watch in
Speaker 1: the NFC in terms of like second year players that
Speaker 1: could break out. And I've just heard a couple like conversations.
Speaker 1: I think everyone forgets how great they were at the
Speaker 1: end of last year. That's the reason they should have
Speaker 1: been in the Super Bowl, wasn't their offense in the playoffs.
Speaker 1: I watched the FS one has been airing those old
Speaker 1: NFL films, thirty minute recaps of each season. They still
Speaker 1: make them. By the way, I thought this was like
Speaker 1: a bygone but I used to arrive like on VCR
Speaker 1: tape in late July and it was like a godsend. Yeah. Well,
Speaker 1: the one on the Saints that happened to catch and
Speaker 1: they were very blunt about and then finally in the
Speaker 1: last three minutes their season and chance at the Super
Speaker 1: Bowl was stolen from them by the officials. This team
Speaker 1: was a Super Bowl team last year. So what does
Speaker 1: what does this say that they're not going And what
Speaker 1: more more motivation could you have then what happened last year?
Speaker 1: The defense, if you believe in breeze still, the offense
Speaker 1: is gonna score a ton of points. This team has
Speaker 1: a secret weapon. Remember Dante Hall, the joystick kick returning
Speaker 1: for the Chiefs. They've got a rookie named Deonte Harris
Speaker 1: who's five ft six and every time I see him
Speaker 1: return upon he gets at least twenty yards in five
Speaker 1: ft five return Guys that like used to be beer men.
Speaker 1: Little gerald Ice cub mc neal action. I'm gonna save
Speaker 1: her prediction. Our next episode is going to be our
Speaker 1: go get my lunch props. I have one Saints related
Speaker 1: I want to share it so badly right now, but
Speaker 1: I can't holster it. I can't do it holstering it.
Speaker 1: You're excited, Greg, this is your favorite team? Really? There
Speaker 1: two lane ties and all that it is. But they
Speaker 1: found some people in camp, including Emmanuel Butler. Undrafted rookies
Speaker 1: been a sensation their their first draft pick, Eric but
Speaker 1: Carolina Panthers. A final reminder that the Panthers were six
Speaker 1: and two before Cam's shoulder went bluey last year. Caroline
Speaker 1: was a top offense UH that had scored points in
Speaker 1: their previous nine quarters. Before the injury, North Turner was
Speaker 1: on fire all or nothing. Producers were pooping their pants
Speaker 1: at the thought of documenting a Super Bowl scene. We
Speaker 1: know what happened next. My question is now that they
Speaker 1: are healthy, and hopefully Cam's healthy, the offensive line has
Speaker 1: hypothetically been improved, the defense had some much needed parts
Speaker 1: added to it. Are we sleeping a little bit on
Speaker 1: the Panthers once again being a true NFC contender and
Speaker 1: a chance to win that division? Well, I would submit
Speaker 1: that this studio is not, this podcast is not sleeping
Speaker 1: on the Panthers. We see them as a contender. I
Speaker 1: put him in the playoffs in the NFL dot Com predictions.
Speaker 1: I wish I had just picked them to win the division,
Speaker 1: because you know, have some balls, but your love of
Speaker 1: the Saints, you know, because I'm like you, I think
Speaker 1: there they could be a top seven or eight team
Speaker 1: in the NFL for sure. I mean, in one beating
Speaker 1: drum that's been going on the whole time, is Curtis
Speaker 1: Samuel growing in DJ Moore's second year. I mean, there's
Speaker 1: there are some weapons for Cam Newton finally, if he can.
Speaker 1: There's no chance that Cam's is gonna come back from
Speaker 1: the shoulder surgery and become like a Chad Pennington type scenario.
Speaker 1: Now they all reports are he's throwing the ball great,
Speaker 1: but they said that but every quarterback. Now the philosophy
Speaker 1: is up at tick this summer. That's I don't know
Speaker 1: what to believe anymore. It's a really fascinating time for
Speaker 1: the organization though, because David Tepper, their new owner. You
Speaker 1: feel like he wants to make changes in terms of
Speaker 1: his coach and his GM. They've had a great run
Speaker 1: here Rivera and Marty Hernie, so it's like they have
Speaker 1: to be a playoff team or else's gonna be huge turnover.
Speaker 1: I'm with you. I feel like this is a playoffs
Speaker 1: or bust scenario for the coach and GM tad because
Speaker 1: it's the one division I think of that just eats
Speaker 1: itself up every year like the Eagles, and I think
Speaker 1: they're really complete, Like where is the weakness? I don't see.
Speaker 1: I think they're pretty well built team and depth at
Speaker 1: the skill positions on offense. And how about Dave Gentleman,
Speaker 1: He'd be like, hey, you're making fun of my Curtis
Speaker 1: Samuel Pick. Now give me a little credit. Up here
Speaker 1: in New York, the gentleman's called a good month. Atlanta
Speaker 1: Falcons Marksler, Dan and I picked the Falcons a year
Speaker 1: ago to go to the Super Bowl, and we were
Speaker 1: embarrassed by destiny by Mrs Fate. Yep, she's married now
Speaker 1: to an industrial plumber, Mrs Fate. But now the Falcons
Speaker 1: have Dirk Cutter, friend of Matt Ryan, running the offense,
Speaker 1: they're healthy on defense, all the big names are back.
Speaker 1: If Mrs Fate bangs us again, it's because of this
Speaker 1: filling the blank reason concerning Atlanta's weak spot. What is
Speaker 1: the reason we can't just turn around Dan and pick
Speaker 1: him again? What's not to like? Yeah, well, besides you're
Speaker 1: not gonna do it. I might do it. What's not
Speaker 1: to like with the Falcons? Do you trust their defense? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I would say four out of five years of below
Speaker 1: average defense when Dan Quinn has been there, well, I think,
Speaker 1: I well, although we don't see what they could have
Speaker 1: been last year had been been healthy, so had I
Speaker 1: I agree, I'm not ready. I think they're an entertaining team.
Speaker 1: I think the offensive line that that dimitrof. You have
Speaker 1: to wonder if his era. I mean, it's been a
Speaker 1: it's been eleven years now here with Killable. We can't
Speaker 1: just assume that first round picks are good on offensive line,
Speaker 1: That's what I mean. And they put a lot of
Speaker 1: money and a lot of picks into their offensive line.
Speaker 1: That's kind of the key. Did that work? If that
Speaker 1: doesn't work, to Mitro might be to your point. Mark.
Speaker 1: If we're going to give the Panthers a pass for
Speaker 1: the injuries last year, we should do the same for
Speaker 1: the Falcons because that injury bug ravaged them from Week
Speaker 1: one and never let go. And I think DeVante Freeman
Speaker 1: is a major X factor here um as well, because
Speaker 1: he's kind of forgotten now and Calvin Ridley another in
Speaker 1: line for a major year two bump. But I think
Speaker 1: Freeman is a guy that kind of has been lost
Speaker 1: in the mix. He was one of the best running
Speaker 1: backs in football and maybe not, maybe he's breaking down,
Speaker 1: maybe that's a situation, or maybe he's gonna return. And
Speaker 1: if you add one of the best running backs in
Speaker 1: football to that offense, look out. I like the deck
Speaker 1: cutter things. It's a narrative buster. We don't have to
Speaker 1: deal with the last offensive coordinator. Everyone brings up every
Speaker 1: time you bring up the Falcons, and this idea that
Speaker 1: dan Quinn is on thin ice, Please, I don't he's
Speaker 1: got to be in thinnes why though he's he's renowned
Speaker 1: to be a great coach. I just think he's done
Speaker 1: a solid. You gotta go find someone than him. Just
Speaker 1: fired everybody, and if they had another dark January, I
Speaker 1: think he'd be in danger. All right, let's take a
Speaker 1: pause here a reminder. Hard Knocks is almost through. Check
Speaker 1: by the way, check out NFL dot com. Slash Hands
Speaker 1: is the latest recap is up on the website, but
Speaker 1: also more content. The Hard Knocks podcast uh an NFL
Speaker 1: Films joint hosted by Peter Schrager, who takes you behind
Speaker 1: the scenes talking to um players, coaches people that no
Speaker 1: Hard Knocks and you know the Schreg bomb is plugged in.
Speaker 1: You know he's plugged in. He brings that Hard Knocks
Speaker 1: coverage with just a little bit of extra pop that
Speaker 1: you're looking st Yes, Schreger's well, he's fine, He's fine.
Speaker 1: Schreger is the insider. Doesn't need to say on the insider,
Speaker 1: he lets talking. You want to be Hard Knocks podcast.
Speaker 1: Check it out every week through next week the finale.
Speaker 1: Let's move on now to the final division in the NFC,
Speaker 1: the NFC West, starting with the old Zooster Old Zeuzer
Speaker 1: San Francisco forty Niners. I want to get the temperature
Speaker 1: of the room here. Uh, Like most of the football
Speaker 1: coagna centy, you boys were super high and Jimmy g
Speaker 1: and the Niners last year. Then came the slow star
Speaker 1: start at the torn A c L, the summer of
Speaker 1: less than glowing reviews about the boy who would be Brady. Uh.
Speaker 1: Working under the assumption that West purchased the new piece
Speaker 1: scale after the luck fiasco. Where do you boys stay
Speaker 1: in your trust of the forty Niners today? One pants
Speaker 1: totally dry? Uh? Okay, ten yellow flood, total panic four
Speaker 1: point two. So you're feeling pretty good about the Niners. Wait,
Speaker 1: tann is total panic? Ted is a totally yellow flood?
Speaker 1: All right, I'm going on six point I'm meant to
Speaker 1: be on that checking to answer it, I took the
Speaker 1: way you're asking. I'm gonna say six and a half.
Speaker 1: In reality, I'm fine if they're great or if they
Speaker 1: stink they're not good. I don't mean like personal steaks,
Speaker 1: just like a where I'm saying, where do you stand up?
Speaker 1: Do you believe this team is gonna be I'm right
Speaker 1: or good? I think they have more questions than answer. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it looks good on paper, I'm I'll put it at five.
Speaker 1: But the problem is a lot well, but a lot
Speaker 1: more tends to go wrong in a season because because
Speaker 1: I want it's a total wait and see. For me,
Speaker 1: it's like you can't. I just can't look at anything
Speaker 1: they've had over the last years and making a sess.
Speaker 1: Not in the NFC, I think the thing I'm most
Speaker 1: I don't think so either. I want to see garoppolod
Speaker 1: well with Shanahan, the receivers, you don't know who's gonna
Speaker 1: step up. The key for this team to me is
Speaker 1: Joey Bosa, de Ford DeForrest Buckner. If they're all healthy
Speaker 1: and have the type of seasons they could, they're gonna
Speaker 1: that's the best trio defensive line maybe in the league,
Speaker 1: and they alone, I think can carry this team this division. Rivera, Quinn, Shanahan,
Speaker 1: all these guys that are on thin ice. It's like,
Speaker 1: you got it? Who are you gonna go get? That's
Speaker 1: better than these coaches. They're all gonna flip flop and
Speaker 1: just hire each other's coaches. Man, I love watching Matt
Speaker 1: Breeder run. He is like he's taking Twitter by storm.
Speaker 1: This also a setback for McKinnon. So who knows what's
Speaker 1: going on with him? The Seattle Seahawks. Alright, alright, Mark Sela.
Speaker 1: You know sometimes his parents we wonder what happened a
Speaker 1: few years back. We were loose and free and staying
Speaker 1: out till four am with boundary pushing twins named Chardonnay
Speaker 1: and Ralph. But now dad's are tired, wearing dad clothes,
Speaker 1: folding laundry. Moms would rather fall asleep at eight pm
Speaker 1: than danced under the light of the scope ball. The
Speaker 1: Seahawks were that vibrant young thing for so long. Have
Speaker 1: they finally become the tired, over extended parents of the
Speaker 1: NFC NFC West Or is there one more adventure in
Speaker 1: the tank? I thought yes. Last season was kind of
Speaker 1: a a new beginning for the Seahawks rather than them
Speaker 1: holding on right. Analogy If anyone though, is kind of
Speaker 1: going out, you know, late at night and not worrying,
Speaker 1: but it's peat Carroll, you know, well that's true about
Speaker 1: in a youth. I don't know if I look at
Speaker 1: the roster that way, but I think this team is
Speaker 1: on the couch with Bob Bonds. There you go. It's
Speaker 1: a weird team. It's a weird Seahawks season. When you
Speaker 1: look at the offensive line as one of the strengths.
Speaker 1: Remember that's all we ever talked about, and now it's like,
Speaker 1: I think, actually, they should be fine. They should be
Speaker 1: able to run the ball. Well, if you have Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson and you have one of the best defensive coaches
Speaker 1: of his era, I just feel like that you start
Speaker 1: with like a six seven wind floor and so the
Speaker 1: bottom is not gonna fall out. I'm a little bumm
Speaker 1: that you're speaking this way, Greg, because I was hoping
Speaker 1: you were also going to go against Seahawks and then
Speaker 1: I could take your corner from last year when people
Speaker 1: overlook the Seahawks in the NFC and then all of
Speaker 1: the eight I'm giving them eight wins, you know. Just yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm with you. That's a boring folding. All right. Well,
Speaker 1: then I am on island here. I think it's a
Speaker 1: double digit win team. Corners open, Quarners open. I'm gonna
Speaker 1: take the quarter and you have to trust the coaching them. Wow,
Speaker 1: development has Twitter is strange podcast Beast pod. I mean
Speaker 1: there's a lot going on, do you know. And like
Speaker 1: a fantasy draft when your pick is up seven six, five,
Speaker 1: four three and you have the guy that you want
Speaker 1: and then he's there and you get to grab him,
Speaker 1: That's how it felt. Just now a good Seahawks. I'm
Speaker 1: on the corner and the same way that we don't
Speaker 1: really care about anyone's fantasy team. I'm not sure I
Speaker 1: care about that anology from you either enjoy your your
Speaker 1: fifth round picks and journeyman on the defensive line Greg
Speaker 1: the Rams. I want to see what Sean McVeigh does
Speaker 1: offensively this season, just schematically, because it wasn't just that
Speaker 1: they struggled in the Super Bowl. It was that game
Speaker 1: against the Bears and the Eagles and the Patriots did
Speaker 1: a lot of same similar things that the Bears did,
Speaker 1: and I just think after a couple of years, McVeigh
Speaker 1: is smart, he knows he needs to stay ahead of
Speaker 1: the game, and he's one of the most brilliant minds
Speaker 1: we've seen come into the league. And I just want
Speaker 1: to see what happens because I don't believe in a hangover.
Speaker 1: I believe in this roster. You know, I don't see
Speaker 1: any reason why you can't just pencil them in and
Speaker 1: put them right back in the playoffs and and probably
Speaker 1: with the Eagles as as the favorite for a bye,
Speaker 1: because I don't think the division is that great. Well.
Speaker 1: McVeigh is sort of known for running out of the
Speaker 1: same alignment, not mixing up things too much beyond say,
Speaker 1: like the jet fly sweeps in the commotion going on
Speaker 1: in the backfield. So I think it will be interesting
Speaker 1: to see if he gets more creative, comes out of
Speaker 1: those alignments and tries new things. And they can run
Speaker 1: anything from you know, any formation, so they are creative.
Speaker 1: It's just I think what he's done, he knows. I mean,
Speaker 1: that's the that's the story of the NFL. You always
Speaker 1: have to be evolving. I know, September essentially just does
Speaker 1: not matter by the time we get into the heart
Speaker 1: of the season. But they have the Panthers Saints and
Speaker 1: Brown's two of those very good pass rushes right out
Speaker 1: of the gate, and I feel like this is a
Speaker 1: team that needs a fast start to quiet the echoes
Speaker 1: on Jared Goff and the rest. And that's a taller
Speaker 1: to right out right out of the gate. It's been
Speaker 1: a quiet summer for them, and um, that's a good thing,
Speaker 1: I think after last year and all the hype. It
Speaker 1: for them to be a little bit more under the
Speaker 1: radio radar is a good thing. And one other guy
Speaker 1: it's under the radar, Cooper Cup, who tore his knee
Speaker 1: up last November. I was I believe. Jay Glazer wrote
Speaker 1: last month that Cup cups test scores coming out of
Speaker 1: his brake's agility, quickness every test time better than it
Speaker 1: was before he tore his a c L Well, that
Speaker 1: sounds promising. That offense wasn't the same without him. If
Speaker 1: Cup comes back and he's Cup right away, they're gonna
Speaker 1: be fine. I don't know about the Top Girley situation.
Speaker 1: Darrell Henderson. There's the offense. If there was any problem,
Speaker 1: it's the offensive line. Cardinals Chris Wesley close out. The
Speaker 1: NFC West spotlight is on this offense with click Cliff
Speaker 1: Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. It was an offense that last year,
Speaker 1: according to Football Outsiders, finished last on first down, finished
Speaker 1: last on second down, finished last on third down, finished
Speaker 1: last in the first half of games, finished last in
Speaker 1: the second half of games. Finished last at home, finished
Speaker 1: last on the road. Not good. That's the offense. While
Speaker 1: everybody's concentrating on that, I would submit that the defense
Speaker 1: might take the offensive place as last at home, last
Speaker 1: on the road, last on first down, last on second down. Last.
Speaker 1: This might be the worst defense in the NFL, starting
Speaker 1: with a secondary that we'll be playing without its top
Speaker 1: two cornerbacks for the first half of the season and
Speaker 1: a coordinator who really has never had success as a coordinator.
Speaker 1: Bence Joseph. Yes, you paid to bring a grim picture here,
Speaker 1: and it makes sense. Well, they spent the off season
Speaker 1: collecting everybody's cast offs and turning them into starters on
Speaker 1: on defense. I keep saying like twenty eight teams could
Speaker 1: win ten. It might be thirty. It might just be
Speaker 1: the Cardinals and the Dolphins are the ones that are
Speaker 1: hard to imagine. It's really hard to imagine the Dolphins.
Speaker 1: I mean the Cardinals having a winning record and it's
Speaker 1: Kyler Murray staying healthy. Tyler media would have to take hold.
Speaker 1: And the thing here, it's not it's not you know
Speaker 1: Vic Fongio as your head coach, where you're gonna give
Speaker 1: him three It's like Fick, Kingsbury is a very boomer
Speaker 1: Bus scenario in terms of he walked into a situation
Speaker 1: where it's good because the offense was so boring. We're
Speaker 1: gonna it's gonna be more exciting. But there was so
Speaker 1: much work to do on this roster that they could
Speaker 1: still win two or three games if they If they
Speaker 1: move the ball and they're exciting offensively, that's that's winning
Speaker 1: enough for Kingsbury in year one about David Johnson. David
Speaker 1: Johnson and Kyler Murray. If they're both looking great, you
Speaker 1: can't talk yourself unto them being contention. Is the defense
Speaker 1: gonna because of that defense? And unless they're dropping thirty
Speaker 1: five points, you know it's even maybe the running show?
Speaker 1: And how good are we talking about? Like a top
Speaker 1: ten offense? I don't know what what position is really
Speaker 1: good on this team? Maybe running back, yeah, running back,
Speaker 1: outside linebacker. When Chandler Jones is on the field, maybe quarterback.
Speaker 1: But but the is a lot of learning to do. Halftime. Oh,
Speaker 1: we haven't had that team pop up yet, the one
Speaker 1: minute team. That's right, So we're down to sixteen after
Speaker 1: how's it going? Riggy? Has the show been so far?
Speaker 1: It's going so fast it's hard to really get you.
Speaker 1: Guys are actually kind of interesting when you keep it tight.
Speaker 1: Did you make that call, by the way, about the
Speaker 1: fridge I'm working on now, I got my tool, said,
Speaker 1: and I'm I'm building it from scratch, trying now for water. Alright,
Speaker 1: so we're halfway. Just like walk it, walk by it
Speaker 1: every day for two months. You have to have some respect,
Speaker 1: self respect. Why are we digging deeper into this pit?
Speaker 1: This is our halftime show look on riggy holiday space
Speaker 1: right now. Okay, I'm not worried about it. The fridge
Speaker 1: has become an issue for the podcast. I don't like it.
Speaker 1: You know what, old Zuser might lumber up and bring
Speaker 1: it in just to end this. That'd be smart situation.
Speaker 1: Someone is dragging it in now coming in Ryan Bartlett.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, he's a corn fed Midwestern boy. Yeah. Greg
Speaker 1: keeps looking at his microphone like something's wrong with it.
Speaker 1: But I turned him down about five minutes ago, so
Speaker 1: he keeps looking at it to see if if he
Speaker 1: did something wrong. But as Mike's off and they're a
Speaker 1: producer who has more power than anyone podcast, here we go.
Speaker 1: Let's go to the a f C. Still off love
Speaker 1: you recky. All right, here we go. Let's start with
Speaker 1: the new England poop Triots. Center David Andrews could be
Speaker 1: done for the year after being diagnosed with blood clots
Speaker 1: and his lungs. Second year UH left tackle Isaiah Win
Speaker 1: looks promising, but that's their third starting left tackle in
Speaker 1: his many years. Factoring in the unsettled line, the untested
Speaker 1: options at the playmaker positions, UH, could we be looking
Speaker 1: at an especial especially sluggish start for the Patriots this year.
Speaker 1: Now we know they're slow start, but isn't there more
Speaker 1: reason to think than ever that the offense specifically could
Speaker 1: really struggle in the early going. I used to I
Speaker 1: don't know that that felt like the story during the
Speaker 1: entire offseason. And then August comes around and it feels
Speaker 1: like they're fine. I just you know, Josh Gordon's back,
Speaker 1: Sony Michelle is running better than he ever has. Um,
Speaker 1: Jacoby Meyers shows up. I don't know. I figured the
Speaker 1: Patriots are just they'll find a way to figure it out.
Speaker 1: They lost one of the best centers in football, David
Speaker 1: Andrews too. Some serious blood clots might end his season.
Speaker 1: I mentioned that, Um, but I'm saying that's the best
Speaker 1: offensive line they've ever had was last year. They brought it.
Speaker 1: They brought him back. I think when you know when
Speaker 1: should be fine at left tackle, he's looked good, but
Speaker 1: they have the deepest back to We haven't seen it.
Speaker 1: We've seen in the preseason a little bit. You're right,
Speaker 1: I mean you haven't. You haven't seen it. But I
Speaker 1: think it's a defensive team. I'm wondering what Bell like
Speaker 1: if the momentum from the end last season in the
Speaker 1: way that he can construct a pass rush through all
Speaker 1: these guys like high Tower and Van noy Winovich, you
Speaker 1: know where it's not guys who win one on one necessarily,
Speaker 1: but it's kind of like you can line up up
Speaker 1: at every any situation. I don't know. I think Belichick
Speaker 1: is just loving this girl. I think that Josh Gordon
Speaker 1: reinstatement is just massive for this team. And Belichick is
Speaker 1: very close to Tom Landry's twenties straight winning seasons. I
Speaker 1: think he absolutely that is a goal of his. He
Speaker 1: has featured heavily on the Tom Landry Football Life, and
Speaker 1: I think that it is on his radar and he
Speaker 1: is going to burn to get this team to ten
Speaker 1: to eleven. It's on his radar that he was in
Speaker 1: the football life. Know that that Tom Landry, that is
Speaker 1: one of the that is one of the records that
Speaker 1: will never happen again. I think in foot Buffalo Bills
Speaker 1: Chris Wesley. From an organizational foundation perspective, I think Josh
Speaker 1: Allen is one of the most fascinating players in the
Speaker 1: league this year. It's important for quarterbacks to command respect
Speaker 1: among teammates and coaches, but it's so rare for a
Speaker 1: quarterback with major issue us an accuracy and decision making
Speaker 1: to command that respect, which is why I find it
Speaker 1: odd that anytime a Bill's player or coach speaks about
Speaker 1: Josh Landry, it's with the utmost certainty that he's going
Speaker 1: to be a star. Everybody is so confident in Buffalo
Speaker 1: that this guy is the answer and the leader um
Speaker 1: and then a guy like Jordan Palmer, who saw him
Speaker 1: in the off season, says he's got the most talented
Speaker 1: set of physical traits that I've ever seen in a quarterback.
Speaker 1: So to me, like Kyler Murray is one of these
Speaker 1: guys who from an organizational foundation perspective, is fascinating, but
Speaker 1: Josh Allen is too. I mean, he's it's it's almost
Speaker 1: mythical his arm strength, and we know there's issues with accuracy,
Speaker 1: or maybe there is, maybe there's not, but you also
Speaker 1: forget that he led the team in rushing last year.
Speaker 1: He is an outrageous talent. And as much talk as
Speaker 1: there is about Lamar Jackson for his two way abilities,
Speaker 1: maybe Alan doesn't get enough love for that. He's truly
Speaker 1: a special specimen. I think I like what they did
Speaker 1: with the cold Beasley John Brown another team adding those
Speaker 1: two guys that may not we're talking to. Wow. You
Speaker 1: these aren't like huge, like game changing type talents, but
Speaker 1: it is exactly what Buffalo needed. They have a deep backfield,
Speaker 1: like they're deeper than they thought they would because of
Speaker 1: Devin's Singletary in the in the backfield, and I think
Speaker 1: he can He's in position to make a leap where
Speaker 1: they were the most talent poor offense in the league
Speaker 1: last year to some degree and having to do crazy
Speaker 1: stuff with their playbook, right, can Brian Dables, you know,
Speaker 1: call the right plays because with that running game, you know,
Speaker 1: Frank Gore and Losan mcquila great in their preseason effort,
Speaker 1: and Singletary had a monster camp like Lamar Jackson, Josh
Speaker 1: Allen so to have open throws, I mean because of
Speaker 1: the running game, because of his running game. But quarterbacks
Speaker 1: is not just how hard you throw it. You need touch.
Speaker 1: He has no touch that he sees, show no ability.
Speaker 1: They're still talking about how he's firing in a hundred
Speaker 1: in organic fish tag with Mark Seler. Let's drunkenly fall
Speaker 1: into that fish tank and explore why the organically reloading
Speaker 1: fins would go after Jadeveon Clowney in August serenade me
Speaker 1: with your big brains. I'm surprised this is getting so
Speaker 1: much criticism people who are really in on Oh my god,
Speaker 1: they have to rebuild, they have to tank. I mean,
Speaker 1: the point is to have good players on your team.
Speaker 1: And and if they believe that getting Clowney for a
Speaker 1: couple of pieces that they want to get rid of anyways,
Speaker 1: like Kenny Stills and Kenyan Drake or whatever it ends
Speaker 1: up being, and getting him signed long term eventually, that's
Speaker 1: the way to do it. Like to get him sign
Speaker 1: long term. It's not just you can't just there's no
Speaker 1: reason to bring him in for two seasons. Yeah, But
Speaker 1: if Kennyan Drake, if you're not him you have. This
Speaker 1: is like the framing Kennyan Drake, a guy that's a
Speaker 1: talent running back that they don't seem to love, Kenny Stills,
Speaker 1: who's gone sideways with the ownership. And let's say I
Speaker 1: don't know, a third round pick, what is what is
Speaker 1: irreplaceable from that move? I feel like it would be
Speaker 1: a no brain. I don't mind giving that up. I've
Speaker 1: been wondering if you lose you gotta you gotta draft
Speaker 1: pick for two years. It feels a little strange to me,
Speaker 1: That's all. But that's fine. But I mean there's if
Speaker 1: they have them, they are by far the most likely
Speaker 1: team to sign him to a long term extension because
Speaker 1: that's just how the NFL works. They'd have the franchise tag.
Speaker 1: And if they just give him money, I mean, that's
Speaker 1: all it comes down to. And then like, if they
Speaker 1: just pay him money wants so you know what pro
Speaker 1: athletes love playing in Southern Florida in Miami. I feel
Speaker 1: like that could be a big part of the recruitment process.
Speaker 1: I mean, it sounds like he's into Philly and Seattle,
Speaker 1: so we'll see money will could change that. What else
Speaker 1: you got, I mean the Dolphins. To me, I find
Speaker 1: interesting because of the Josh Rosen thing, because you have
Speaker 1: to figure out what you had. All this rebuilding thing
Speaker 1: was about going into next year's draft and getting their quarterback.
Speaker 1: You've got one that you think you want to look at,
Speaker 1: and the reviews have not been good. And for all
Speaker 1: the reasons we thought that we would be ahead of
Speaker 1: Josh Rosen's arc of he's not a problem. Forget this
Speaker 1: millennial issue and all this other business. He's not someone
Speaker 1: that coaches seem to love wherever he goes. Fish Patrick
Speaker 1: in the preseason by far, I mean it's been mixed reviews.
Speaker 1: You've heard things like that, and then you've heard things
Speaker 1: like the same old stories are. That's hard to He's
Speaker 1: hard to evaluate behind that offensive line. New York Jets
Speaker 1: greg Or isn't all. Is this gonna be Joe Douglas's
Speaker 1: finest hour this week? I mean, this is Joe Douglas week.
Speaker 1: Jets fans didn't like that. I said they might add,
Speaker 1: you know, five ten players before the season starts. They've
Speaker 1: already done too. They've already added two veterans, including including Okay,
Speaker 1: we've got two and we haven't even got the cuts
Speaker 1: yet they made a trade for Nate Hairston. The bottom
Speaker 1: of this roster is one of the worst bottom of
Speaker 1: the rosters in the NFL. I think that's what separated
Speaker 1: the Patriots, for instance, from other teams. They have a great,
Speaker 1: great thirty to fifty and I think if if Douglas
Speaker 1: can have a big week, let's say, Nate Hairston, this
Speaker 1: guy they just traded for from the Colts ends up
Speaker 1: just being a solid contributor. Keep stacking guys like that
Speaker 1: and you and you have a decent bottom of the roster,
Speaker 1: the player. You know, the sky's the limit. I think
Speaker 1: this is a playoff talent team at the top. He
Speaker 1: doesn't get his first real bite at the apple until
Speaker 1: obviously free agency and the draft process. That was the
Speaker 1: unusual nature of the turnover in the front office for
Speaker 1: the Jets. But yes, this is his chance now to
Speaker 1: start making the minor moves to treat. Can't you just
Speaker 1: iagine the moniche meta, you know, the hot piece in
Speaker 1: mid October, going through all the guys they added in September.
Speaker 1: It's like, these are the Douglas boys. You know, no
Speaker 1: one wanted them, and now the Jets are five spot
Speaker 1: right now, because if the season goes terribly, he won't
Speaker 1: get killed for it. And if they overperform and things
Speaker 1: like that happen, he will be hailed as a savior.
Speaker 1: So yes, as much pressure as there is on Douglas,
Speaker 1: and there are reasons why people would have said, why
Speaker 1: didn't he hang back and wait for more job offers
Speaker 1: so he could weigh the different ones as opposed to
Speaker 1: take taking what seems like a curse job in general
Speaker 1: with the Jets. Well, maybe because the opportunity is here
Speaker 1: to really build something and Sam Donald's a big part
Speaker 1: of that time. I think the switch flipped on Donald
Speaker 1: last December. I was waiting to see a little bit
Speaker 1: of what happened this summer with him too, and every
Speaker 1: little bit of evidence suggests that it did, and that
Speaker 1: is huge for New York. Douglas needs to find some
Speaker 1: pass rushers, some linebackers periods, like linebackers, cornerbacks. It's tight
Speaker 1: ends the offensive line is set, but I don't know
Speaker 1: if it's gonna be good or not. Joe's having out
Speaker 1: a pass Russia since John Abraham a boot thousand five.
Speaker 1: Al Right, Moving on the a f C North Chris Westling,
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers. I think I'm guilty of this. I spent
Speaker 1: the offseason hyping the Browns and I still love the roster.
Speaker 1: But we know, and Mark has hit on it, they
Speaker 1: have a major concern on the offensive line. And now
Speaker 1: I look at the Steelers, look up and down their roster,
Speaker 1: and where is the concern? I think some people think
Speaker 1: wide receiver is unproven, but haven't the Steelers earned the
Speaker 1: benefit of the doubt at that position by now? Oh yes,
Speaker 1: to me? They have the third best playoff odds in
Speaker 1: the a f C, behind the behind the Chiefs and Patriots.
Speaker 1: And I see no week spot on this team. Me too,
Speaker 1: because I like the secondary and if there's a weak spot,
Speaker 1: it's like I want to see Mike Tomlin turn uh
Speaker 1: a sizeable amount of talent into a top six or
Speaker 1: seven defense. Just hasn't happened. It's very He's always in
Speaker 1: that ten to twelve range in terms of defensive devo
Speaker 1: and not a bad defense, not a great one. This
Speaker 1: should be his best defense. Well that's on Keith Butler too,
Speaker 1: But I'm with you that I feel like you know
Speaker 1: this offseason and it's so interminedly long, that like we've
Speaker 1: come full circle where now we do see the Steelers
Speaker 1: for what they are, one of the best offensive lines
Speaker 1: in the a f C and lots of talent, and
Speaker 1: why we why were we ruling not us, but people
Speaker 1: knocking them out of the playoff picture three or four
Speaker 1: months ago. I mean, it's absurd. I think it's because
Speaker 1: of your Browns, I know, but that and then it
Speaker 1: that all becomes but please, no, no, no, don't take
Speaker 1: it easy. I'm saying it's because the Browns are the
Speaker 1: new kids on the block. So it's like we have
Speaker 1: to get rid of somebody. The Steelers were done with
Speaker 1: the Steelers already, but the reality is the Steelers are
Speaker 1: not done. And for what was just saying this team
Speaker 1: is loaded division. We didn't know that James Washington was
Speaker 1: going to come into camp a different player than he
Speaker 1: was a year ago. We didn't know that Deonte Johnson
Speaker 1: could be an impact rookie, or that Devin Bush was
Speaker 1: gonna be that guy they've been looking for to replace Shasy.
Speaker 1: Some of the young guys in the secondary trill Edmonds Um,
Speaker 1: Cameron Sutton supposedly looking really cam Kelly from the A
Speaker 1: you know, so that makes a difference. They need Roethlisberg
Speaker 1: gonna be a little better. I mean I think he was.
Speaker 1: I think last year was probably his worst year. I
Speaker 1: can put Outsiders disagrees with you vehemently. They have him
Speaker 1: as one of his best passing seasons. Watcha for Devon
Speaker 1: Bush to moving on to the Baltimore Ravens and the
Speaker 1: old Zeus ser Sorry, guys. The popular line of thought
Speaker 1: this offseason is that the year two growth of Lamar
Speaker 1: Jackson will dictate whether the Ravens are an NFC a
Speaker 1: f C contender or an also ran. But that's obviously
Speaker 1: too sample. What besides a stumble from Jackson will keep
Speaker 1: this team from contending for a division title come December? Like?
Speaker 1: What else? What are? What are? What's another chink in
Speaker 1: the armor? I don't ye? Go ahead. They lost more
Speaker 1: than half their sacks, pressures and hurt hits from their defense.
Speaker 1: UM still surprised. Drill Suggs isn't on the team anymore.
Speaker 1: Tim Williams, Tis Bowser, These guys they've drafted in the
Speaker 1: past who haven't played much at all, they're gonna be
Speaker 1: taking major snaps now. Jalen Ferguson he drafted in the
Speaker 1: third round. It'll be interesting to see what he does.
Speaker 1: But I think that front seven can they get after
Speaker 1: the pastor because that secondary has been used to them
Speaker 1: getting after the past. I mean, Lamar Miller talked about
Speaker 1: recently throwing the ball thirty times a game. I'll wait,
Speaker 1: I'll see. I'll believe it when I see it. Number one,
Speaker 1: But thirty times a game, to who like, I like?
Speaker 1: It just doesn't to me is not a wide receiver
Speaker 1: group that's gonna get you out a lot, a lot
Speaker 1: of a lot of I think Mark Andrews and Hayden
Speaker 1: Hurst are like the tight ends in Willie Snead and
Speaker 1: and yeah, and the rookie Miles Boy can. I mean
Speaker 1: you're right, we haven't seen Hollywood Brown except for a
Speaker 1: few plays, but he's an ex factor. But I picked
Speaker 1: him to win the division. I think they're I think
Speaker 1: they're a very solid team and they're right up there
Speaker 1: with Pittsburgh for in terms of reliability. For I have three,
Speaker 1: at all, three top AFC North teams in the playoffs.
Speaker 1: The secondary with Earl Thomas, I mean, I think he
Speaker 1: could be come back player there. All those young guys
Speaker 1: you mentioned Russ in the past or West supposedly haven't
Speaker 1: stepped up having had a good camp, and Pernell McPhee
Speaker 1: their old friend is probably gonna start, which is a
Speaker 1: bad sign thing for them. Uh. Man, that would be
Speaker 1: kind of weird if it was the front seven of
Speaker 1: the Ravens that that let them down. You're so used
Speaker 1: to the defense carrying the carrying the load. I don't know.
Speaker 1: I feel like they've earned the bed of the doubt
Speaker 1: from me, the same way the Steelers with the wide
Speaker 1: receiver room that they're going to figure out. That's fair
Speaker 1: to man, Mark, that's the top of division. Really it
Speaker 1: always has been. Nothing's changed. I think everyone assumed all
Speaker 1: these things have changed. Nothing's changed the Cleveland Browns. Greg
Speaker 1: alright in Cleveland. I had a whole spiel, but I'm
Speaker 1: now peaked by by what Mark just said. How it's ridiculous.
Speaker 1: How now the people have gone away from the Cleveland
Speaker 1: Browns as we approached this season? Is this is this
Speaker 1: on your radar? I may not be level headed on this.
Speaker 1: So if you had a logical argument, continue with it. No.
Speaker 1: I mean, uh that you think like people are now
Speaker 1: dismissing I think there's the exhaustion with the Browns, which
Speaker 1: if it were another team, I would totally be buying
Speaker 1: into and feeling that exhaustion. So I I understand. I
Speaker 1: take a look at that pass rush against the Buccaneers
Speaker 1: with Olivia Vernon and Miles Garrett meeting at the quarterback
Speaker 1: on every play that I don't get you fired up
Speaker 1: about the Brown I feel like they may have to
Speaker 1: have some games where their defense, if the line is
Speaker 1: the offensive line struggles and they are not scoring points
Speaker 1: the way people think. It may be the pass rush
Speaker 1: and the defense that has to get them out of
Speaker 1: jams and win some games. But I think they're gonna
Speaker 1: be fun. They'll be relevant and fun. That's all you
Speaker 1: like to say. Sign up, Fawn, it's my world. That's
Speaker 1: the team you cut in half. It's my world. That
Speaker 1: was you like to say, sign up, Fawn, it's my world.
Speaker 1: Oh you heard that is untoward. Let's move on. Mark
Speaker 1: to the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, and I get another team
Speaker 1: that I This fan base is on my back thinking
Speaker 1: that I constantly kill him, and I do. So I'm
Speaker 1: gonna give you a couple of things I like about
Speaker 1: the Bengals, beyond Joe Mixing and a J Green, I
Speaker 1: like rookie runner Nie Anderson, who looked great catching the
Speaker 1: ball against the Giants. He's been out of football for
Speaker 1: a year. I like Ryan Finley is Dalton's backup. I
Speaker 1: don't know what that does unless Dalton gets hurt, though.
Speaker 1: I like the depth in two places tight end. I
Speaker 1: like the D line, maybe wide receiver. But what am
Speaker 1: I missing? Is there anything here to make me look
Speaker 1: like anything other than a raging flousy for predicting doom
Speaker 1: for Mike Brown's plaything. I want to be more positive.
Speaker 1: Help me a loose woman. Yeah, I'd be like a
Speaker 1: male version of a loose woman. If I get this wrong,
Speaker 1: you hit on it. It's the defensive line and and
Speaker 1: maybe the names don't jump out, but just what what
Speaker 1: we've read in camp and the depth that they have
Speaker 1: with Atkins Dunlap. They think Carl Lawson's really gonna step up.
Speaker 1: He's looked great, Sam Hubbard. I think Andrew Billings is
Speaker 1: a good guy in the middle, like they have numbers there,
Speaker 1: and I think if they get a good enough pass rush,
Speaker 1: it could be a better defense than we've seen. That's
Speaker 1: that's their recipe. We all agree that the other three
Speaker 1: teams in this division are either a F C contenders
Speaker 1: or very free ski with a with a very high ceiling.
Speaker 1: I think, Uh, speaking of the Browns, um it just
Speaker 1: seemed to be in such a tough spot. I mean,
Speaker 1: it's just it's almost I mean, they're announcing that an
Speaker 1: undrafted rookie Damian Willis is starting at wide receiver like
Speaker 1: weeks before the season. That's not most teams aren't doing that.
Speaker 1: I think if you look at there, If you look
Speaker 1: at there, because they were such a good drafting team,
Speaker 1: you look at their first round picks over the four
Speaker 1: last four or five years, they have not panned out
Speaker 1: for injury or play, and that's where I think started
Speaker 1: things start to go south a little bit. They've had
Speaker 1: a lot of bad luck on that offensive line combined
Speaker 1: with bad drafting. Cedric Abouoller and Jake Fisher killed them
Speaker 1: for a few years, and now Jonah Williams out Billy Price.
Speaker 1: Looks like the year after you get taken number one
Speaker 1: overall as a center, you can't even beat out a
Speaker 1: journeyman for the starting job. Yeah, I mentioned I wonder
Speaker 1: if they'd trade for for Trent Williams. Tasty Moving on
Speaker 1: to the a f C South, Chris Westling the Tennessee Titoons.
Speaker 1: We mentioned it earlier. We've seen the stats on on
Speaker 1: Matthew Stafford against winning teams. Kirk Cousins similar one. Winning percentage.
Speaker 1: Wolf can't beat good teams. Winning percentage terrible. You know
Speaker 1: who can be good teams. Marcus Mariotta has the third
Speaker 1: best record of any quarterback against teams with a running
Speaker 1: record since the two thousand fifteen season. Only Big Ben
Speaker 1: and Tom Brady have better records. So how how can
Speaker 1: they go nine and seven every year? They're not good
Speaker 1: because he's always hurt, He's inconsistent. You don't know which
Speaker 1: Marcus Mario is gonna show up from week to week.
Speaker 1: He can't beat good teams. We've seen him in the
Speaker 1: playoffs beat good teams. I mean, alright, so he's I
Speaker 1: don't know if he's the one beating them. But does
Speaker 1: he pass the eye test on any other level of
Speaker 1: someone you want to build around for the next three
Speaker 1: or four years after what we've seen for the past
Speaker 1: four during the regular season, I'm not there yet to
Speaker 1: build it. I would not give him a contract right now,
Speaker 1: But like I said, he's there are games where he
Speaker 1: looks the part. He looks like a guy you want
Speaker 1: to build around, and then the next week he takes
Speaker 1: eleven sacks against the Ravens. I feel like he could
Speaker 1: be the third starting quarterback we see yanked for one
Speaker 1: of After one of these guys getting pulled for a rookie,
Speaker 1: I just think maybe short there. I guess my my
Speaker 1: counter West is and you know how I feel. But
Speaker 1: at what point is that just who he is and
Speaker 1: it's not waiting for it all to click. Maybe he's
Speaker 1: just an inconsistent, injury prone passer. Fish is brilliance but
Speaker 1: also driving nuts. I agree with you. I think that
Speaker 1: is who he is, except who they have to evaluate.
Speaker 1: That sounds exactly, by the way, like Ryan Tannehill. If anything,
Speaker 1: I think he's been kind of consistent. He's been kind
Speaker 1: of middle of the road. He I haven't seen the flash,
Speaker 1: but not from game to game. Consistently inconsistent, I guess.
Speaker 1: I mean he hasn't been surrounded by great talent. I'll
Speaker 1: buy that they've They've rotated coordinators like, there's a lot
Speaker 1: of factors. That's why he's gonna need to get help.
Speaker 1: I think the offensive line is worth questioning, especially with
Speaker 1: Luan out for four weeks. Saffold struggled a little bit
Speaker 1: in the preseason. Rabel's got to cook up some some
Speaker 1: stuff with with his defense here make them a little
Speaker 1: more noteworthy. The Houston Texans with Andrew Luck out the door.
Speaker 1: The a f C South is the Shawn Watson's playground. No,
Speaker 1: it's his property. Everyone else's renters, and all you doubters,
Speaker 1: all you Bill O'Brien haters, jealous of his hands on
Speaker 1: leadership and dimpled chin have to deal with it. Deshaun
Speaker 1: Watson is a in savage in that pocket, and he'll
Speaker 1: skip back to the playoffs with his friends Nuke and
Speaker 1: JJ and maybe Jadeveon. Sorry, you're all wrong. Not even
Speaker 1: throwing it up for a question, that's a statement. Well,
Speaker 1: so hey, that's why you've liked the Texans last five
Speaker 1: years because his dimple. It makes sense now, I didn't
Speaker 1: really like ever totally said you guys are jealous of it.
Speaker 1: I mean, I I don't know if I've ever thought
Speaker 1: about you mean, the dimple right in the middle of
Speaker 1: his little chin there. Absolutely, it's very strong, not dominating.
Speaker 1: I don't really understand your Texans bit. I think I
Speaker 1: need somebody to explain it to me. It's not a bit.
Speaker 1: It's like I get behind a team that that was
Speaker 1: really good last year. It's kind of like the whole
Speaker 1: Bob cost this thing Mark used to like him during
Speaker 1: the prime of his career. That prime is long over.
Speaker 1: There's nothing more to understand or leaving the team. I
Speaker 1: don't understand what's so hard due to see about that? Now?
Speaker 1: I think, I think Watson has the potential to be
Speaker 1: one of the top five quarterbacks in football, and he
Speaker 1: showed lashes of that last year. And I look on
Speaker 1: why not think that he could take this division over
Speaker 1: for the foreseeable future? And it almost found like O'Brien
Speaker 1: coached with handcuffs on because he didn't want to put
Speaker 1: Watson uh at risk in the running game or being
Speaker 1: nearly as creative as he was during Watson's rookie year.
Speaker 1: And I think you'll see a little bit more of that. Listen, West,
Speaker 1: all the things you point out, whether it's the offensive
Speaker 1: line or maybe the lack of depth on both sides,
Speaker 1: all fair. The running game doesn't drive you crazy, uh,
Speaker 1: But you know what, I don't think this division is
Speaker 1: flawless by any means. Secondary looks if you put this
Speaker 1: t same team in the a f C or a
Speaker 1: f C North, for instance, I want to be as excited.
Speaker 1: I think their offensive line gets eaten up. We could
Speaker 1: just tact and Carrie Hyder looked like the stee curtain last.
Speaker 1: A lot of teams have offensive line struggles. Uh not.
Speaker 1: All teams have a coaching staff and a quarterback that
Speaker 1: can overcome it. Just wait, I'm not sure they have
Speaker 1: the coaching staff that can overcome Just wait. Moving on. Oh,
Speaker 1: you guys are gonna look so bad on that one,
Speaker 1: cults Greg Rosenthal. I can't wait, right, whatever, you know,
Speaker 1: they wouldn't give the Coach of the Year last year
Speaker 1: to Frank Reich. He just lost out to it to Mattneggie.
Speaker 1: How about he gets it this year in his version
Speaker 1: of Chuck Strong. I don't know, Jacoby Strong. Whatever it is,
Speaker 1: they're gonna rally, and I think it's because Ricky Holidays.
Speaker 1: You know his favorite fantasy pick, t Y Hilton. It's
Speaker 1: still gonna be a monster. Don't worry that you lost
Speaker 1: and luck Yeah, yes, yes, here's the thing. Hilton was
Speaker 1: catching passes from in camp and mentioned that he had
Speaker 1: caught twenty nine thirty targets percent throws a beautiful deep
Speaker 1: ball that is unquestionable. What do you mean? What am
Speaker 1: I doing? Andrew Luck to t Y Hilton? How was
Speaker 1: I supposed to know? How it is a little aggressive?
Speaker 1: He was walking with a limb for the past six months.
Speaker 1: I'm in. I'm in on these cults after watching like uh,
Speaker 1: just rally the troops, and I think there's a lot
Speaker 1: to like, especially offensively. Uh. And I think Prissette can
Speaker 1: keep the train moving. Um. Hilton, by the way, kind
Speaker 1: of disappeared off the radar when he had extended play
Speaker 1: with Jake Briskets Slice two years. That team was a disaster.
Speaker 1: Well you know, and you know, Dan, you're your little
Speaker 1: Texans with all the one thing about them is that
Speaker 1: about it? Constant, constant like disorganization, chaos going on upstairs
Speaker 1: between the coaching staff. Every eight months they're firing a GM.
Speaker 1: The cults are tight. Is a fist GM coach, quarterback,
Speaker 1: entire roster, They're all on the market. Were only two
Speaker 1: of thirty prognosticators to pick them. I stuck with it, baby,
Speaker 1: mainly to sink it to Danny. See what happened in
Speaker 1: your feelings on this culture in our logic, our logical minds.
Speaker 1: They even talk about rock gyas in, there's a defensive rookie,
Speaker 1: theyr underdog. You couldn't even win the division with luck
Speaker 1: last year, Jess, You're gonna win it without it? What
Speaker 1: happened in the playoffs? What happened in the playoffs? When
Speaker 1: it matters? There's some serious AFC South. You know what,
Speaker 1: it's America's division. This is the podcast right here. Jaguars Jaguars.
Speaker 1: If you're John d Filippo and you're angling for a
Speaker 1: comeback after being fired less than a year ago in Minnesota,
Speaker 1: all right, you got your boy Foles, but what's about him?
Speaker 1: What's around Ubond beside Leonard four Nett. I'm a little concerned.
Speaker 1: You don't have zach Ertz and Dallas Goddard anymore a
Speaker 1: tight end. You've got Jeff Swain, James O'Shaughnessy sounds like
Speaker 1: an Irish harp duo and rookie Josh Oliver who's missed
Speaker 1: the entire preseason. No Jaguars receiver a cross state hundred
Speaker 1: yards a year ago. And if Fulls goes down, the
Speaker 1: backup is a human named Gardner Minshew. Should d Filippo
Speaker 1: be d filipping out. Yes, this offensive line might be
Speaker 1: worse than the Texans offensive line well done. This offensive
Speaker 1: line could undermine the entire team this year. And there
Speaker 1: is one receiver who looks intriguing. D Filippo has said
Speaker 1: that D. D. Westbrook is the best route runner he's
Speaker 1: ever been around, including Stefon Diggs and Adam Feeland, which
Speaker 1: is high praise. D Filippo is predicting a huge breakout
Speaker 1: year for D. D. Westbrook. It was interesting they gave
Speaker 1: Bowls a ton of money and said here fix it.
Speaker 1: Here starts sixteen games, which you've never done. Yeah, and
Speaker 1: it's it might be a big ask when you factor
Speaker 1: in what they've surrounded him with. That that's fair. You
Speaker 1: need the defense to be next level special, not they
Speaker 1: need to even better than they were a year ago,
Speaker 1: which was very good. By the way, they should be
Speaker 1: better than you know, they were fifth or six I
Speaker 1: think in defensive d v O A last year. They
Speaker 1: were one of the best defenses of the decade the
Speaker 1: year before, and they have a lot of those players back.
Speaker 1: You add Josh Allen and I mean, do you got
Speaker 1: to be a top two or three defense? And if
Speaker 1: you give Nick Foles that then I think you got
Speaker 1: a good they didn't have nearly as many turnovers last year,
Speaker 1: but that it's hard to judge any of that year
Speaker 1: to year um if they kind of regress to the mean, Yeah,
Speaker 1: Josh Allen Calais Campbell, Darius Miles, Jack Jalen Ramsey. I mean,
Speaker 1: I mean you get to hold teams to fourteen points
Speaker 1: week after week. That's it's a tall order in this league.
Speaker 1: I'm not as worried about the receivers. I've always thought
Speaker 1: Chris Conley could do more than he has. I mean,
Speaker 1: it's it's asking. Everybody always thinks that about Chris Conley.
Speaker 1: Let's close it out with the a f C West.
Speaker 1: Uh Does John Gruden believe in his quarterback? Do the
Speaker 1: Raiders believe in the quarterback? I've been watching Hard Knocks
Speaker 1: for four weeks attempting to gauge cars influences place on
Speaker 1: this team. I got nothing. I've seen moments that caused
Speaker 1: me to speculate that Car doesn't have this team, including
Speaker 1: the most recent episode when he tried to talk to
Speaker 1: a wide receiver about a run a running route. Who
Speaker 1: here will be surprised when rap She's was reporting in
Speaker 1: October that Antonio Brown is unhappy with the quarterback play,
Speaker 1: and if that happens, who are the team's gonna have
Speaker 1: qb ones back? See, I don't think I thought you
Speaker 1: wrote this very well and you're right up that there's
Speaker 1: just this sort of unidentifiable mismatched between Gruden's personality and Cars,
Speaker 1: which we've seen, and it makes you kind of uncomfortable
Speaker 1: when you're watching it because not natural the way that
Speaker 1: community because Car, I don't anyone got blocked on Twitter,
Speaker 1: but what's But here's my thing. I think Car seems
Speaker 1: like a totally stand up, awesome dude and everything that
Speaker 1: he says he is he is. But my issue a
Speaker 1: little bit is that he's not Jeff George where there's
Speaker 1: all these people thinking he's some sort of a hole.
Speaker 1: He just the culture of that team and him and
Speaker 1: the coach, there's something not quite there and that is
Speaker 1: a concern. Knock on. What if you're with me, who
Speaker 1: does he have chemistry with on that team? Keelan Dawson,
Speaker 1: I don't know. No, to answer your question, I will
Speaker 1: not be surprised if Antonio Brown is miffed at there.
Speaker 1: In fact, I'll be surprised if he's not miffed at
Speaker 1: him by the Yeah, I'm excited to watch their offense.
Speaker 1: So I think they got so much talent, and I
Speaker 1: think Car is good enough if they protect I'm not
Speaker 1: a huge Yeah, I don't think Car is gonna be
Speaker 1: a top ten quarterback, but there's so much around him,
Speaker 1: and I think Gruden will have a good season. I'm
Speaker 1: not that worried about the past. Yeah. I think that's
Speaker 1: important to point out too, Not just because I don't
Speaker 1: want to get locked again, is that I don't think
Speaker 1: Derek Carr is an untalented quarterback. I might like him
Speaker 1: a little bit more than others, but um, it's just
Speaker 1: more a feel thing based on watching a reality docuseries.
Speaker 1: I mean he got beaten US in those past few years.
Speaker 1: I mean he played, He's playing through a lot of injuries.
Speaker 1: They have upgraded their talent, though. I mean it's significant.
Speaker 1: How much better this roster is Mayock. This draft class
Speaker 1: looks pretty good. The free agent class with the Marcus Joyner.
Speaker 1: I know we don't love on this's perfect. I think
Speaker 1: he'll help there at their better I don't believe Josh
Speaker 1: Jacobs has been able to sit out all of hard knocks.
Speaker 1: Here we go Kanvas City Chiefs Mark Sessler, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: read the blurby, offered NFL dot Com about who's gonna
Speaker 1: win this division. The Chiefs returned their entire offensive corps
Speaker 1: with added weapons, and Nicole Hardman and Darwin Thompson football heads. Oh, Erica,
Speaker 1: you're I'm like, I actually I actually defend you before
Speaker 1: the show, and that's what I get. You're You've islands
Speaker 1: Greg's Mike and done that to me twice. You're making
Speaker 1: no friends in this room. And I also imagine Dan
Speaker 1: is probably take a look at my laptop and you apologize.
Speaker 1: I don't want to see what's on your laptop. Hr Mite. Sorry,
Speaker 1: those are the rules, Mark Later, Well, sorry to chiefs Man.
Speaker 1: That's it. We're not talking about the Chiefs. Was like
Speaker 1: the rules or not. I thought that it was only
Speaker 1: one team I thought about to to talk about in
Speaker 1: weeks seven team when they win the division. That was
Speaker 1: this guy of like God, you say, it's my world
Speaker 1: die quickly? Do you want to finish your blurb? Not really? No,
Speaker 1: I think that I'm not gonna try that again, because
Speaker 1: you're right, it wasn't the rules. No good to NFL
Speaker 1: dot Com and read it's on the pick section. Their
Speaker 1: defense has got to be a traffic There's a lot
Speaker 1: to like the I think they're the favorites. They're the
Speaker 1: favor They're the favorites on the Denver Broncos Chris Westling, Sorry,
Speaker 1: Chiefs fans. There's an article this week uh by John
Speaker 1: Kim of ESPN dot com by bub, a Redskins beat writer,
Speaker 1: interviewed Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVeigh, and Matt Lafleur, who were
Speaker 1: on the old Shanahan coaching staff, and he asked all
Speaker 1: three of them, who's the toughest defensive coordinator to prepare against?
Speaker 1: And they all said Vick Foncio, every single one of
Speaker 1: them immediately. Vic Fongio is the toughest. Hey, you look
Speaker 1: at Bradley Chubb and Von Miller, who are already the
Speaker 1: most productive sack duo last year. Chubb his reasonable to
Speaker 1: expect he's gonna be even better this year. Shelby Harris,
Speaker 1: a guy who I loved last year, made big play
Speaker 1: after big play. To me, looks like he can be
Speaker 1: in a Keem Hicks type of guy under Faggio. Maybe
Speaker 1: Justin Simmons or safety who's a playmaker can be in
Speaker 1: Eddie Jackson type of guy. If Peyton Manning can go
Speaker 1: to the Super Bowl washed up with a great Denver
Speaker 1: Brock defense, with this defense, Piston, well, there's not been
Speaker 1: the early season surprise in the NFL. I think if
Speaker 1: you want to make an argument that the Cults fall
Speaker 1: down a step, that there's teams that are knocking on
Speaker 1: the door to take a team out in the a
Speaker 1: f C and the wild card race, Denver fits the bill.
Speaker 1: There aren't a lot of There's a lot to like
Speaker 1: on Deef. It fits the mold of how they got
Speaker 1: their last time. I think their floor is a little higher,
Speaker 1: to your point than people think Chubb and Miller is.
Speaker 1: It could be an absolutely insane Chubb got a couple
Speaker 1: of votes for Defensive Player of the Year and are
Speaker 1: just because of how good he's looked in the preseason.
Speaker 1: That that alone with Foia forget it. Well, if you
Speaker 1: remember when everybody was going nuts about Jimmy Garoppolo and
Speaker 1: the preseason game going over six with no yards, nobody
Speaker 1: noticed that it was the Broncos that were absolutely wreaking
Speaker 1: havoc with Chubb leading the way, uh causing two turnovers. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and in fact in Faccio and all their skill talent,
Speaker 1: you know, the offense. If you want to believe in
Speaker 1: Joe Flacco, that's one thing, and I suggest you don't.
Speaker 1: But the d do not doubt. I don't know if
Speaker 1: i'd say all their skill talent, but they Okay, finally
Speaker 1: close it out, Greg, The Los Angeles Superchargers proved me wrong.
Speaker 1: Philip Rivers, you know you've been proving people wrong. You've
Speaker 1: been overcoming a bad running game and offensive line for
Speaker 1: almost your entire career. Uh, Thomas, until last year, they
Speaker 1: had literally below average for a decade straight after after
Speaker 1: Thomas not happy with you right now? No, Uh, you
Speaker 1: got who is it? Trent Scott? Trevor Scott at left tackle?
Speaker 1: You got Sam at right tackle? It it looks it
Speaker 1: looks like a disaster. You play in eight games essentially
Speaker 1: on the road. Everyone, I've been on their corner forever,
Speaker 1: and I feel I feel like I'm giving up. But
Speaker 1: Philip Rivers is just such a such a joy to
Speaker 1: watch that he's proven people wrong throughout his career, like
Speaker 1: he's overcome a lot. I think it's gonna be like
Speaker 1: another one. I think he's feeling that weight on his
Speaker 1: back proved me wrong, because I this looks like a
Speaker 1: team where the bottom could fall out and you can
Speaker 1: go from twelve and war to seven and nine something.
Speaker 1: I feel like you've somehow made both arguments there. Yeah,
Speaker 1: where do you? Where are you coming down on this?
Speaker 1: I'm I want him to prove me wrong, But I
Speaker 1: think this is a team set to fall. You hear
Speaker 1: you hear coaches talk about Philip Rivers as a absolute
Speaker 1: mastermind when it comes to pass protection and meet him
Speaker 1: with the offensive lineman for hours each week to sort
Speaker 1: it all out. And he's great at the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 1: But we've seen Philip Rivers have seasons ruined by bad
Speaker 1: offensive lines and for that team, including the end of
Speaker 1: the most promising season he had in almost a decade.
Speaker 1: I mean, they their season was ended. They were miserably
Speaker 1: miserable offensively in that game against Lamar Jackson. They didn't
Speaker 1: have any more yards in the Ravens, and they were
Speaker 1: terrible against the Patriot. And would you be shocked if
Speaker 1: this was a top seven defense? Though, no team, it's
Speaker 1: a really it's still a talented team, so they have
Speaker 1: a chance. It's just that sort of their Achilles. They
Speaker 1: got um run over on defense and they're mostly recent
Speaker 1: preseason game. Um, I don't know what to take out
Speaker 1: of at but also what is Darwin James coming back?
Speaker 1: Not for not for the year. Potentially it could be
Speaker 1: right up right. You got you have a nice cornerback group,
Speaker 1: Casey Hayward, Desmond King. Uh. You know, you've got a
Speaker 1: great pair of pass rushers. But I really think the
Speaker 1: whole you don't have a home field thing, and you're
Speaker 1: kind of this second second class team right now. It's
Speaker 1: a drag all right, there you go. We just went
Speaker 1: around the NFL and sixty three minutes, Mark, I really
Speaker 1: think we should hear the Chiefs. I mean, they're a favorite.
Speaker 1: I guess it was sixty We have something inspirational um
Speaker 1: to play. I just I don't as long as I'm
Speaker 1: not gonna get you, you're gonna blow me up. I
Speaker 1: can feel it. I'm gonna okay, because he's gonna lose
Speaker 1: it if you blow them up. The Chiefs return their
Speaker 1: entire offensive corps with added weapons and me Cole Hardman
Speaker 1: and Darwin Thompson, football heads close to the team, believe
Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes has grown even more comfortable in the offense
Speaker 1: even more comfortable. Fill my belly at bath Salts, and
Speaker 1: I'll pick someone else to win the West somehow. That's
Speaker 1: snuck on nfl dot com, along with like Brian Baldinger's
Speaker 1: very serious paragraph about another team. I don't know. It's
Speaker 1: my world. Okay, Erica has now with her little ditty,
Speaker 1: eaten up nine and a half minutes of our sixty
Speaker 1: three minutes around the league. There we go. I like that. Littles,
Speaker 1: the Quiet Star, the Mailman, the Old Boss, and Ricky
Speaker 1: Hollywood behind the Glass Sandwich Props. Friday