WEBVTT - Preseason Power Rankings 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.480 Welcome to NFL Daily, where the twelves can send their 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:10.920 complaints to Nick Shook, the author of the Power Rankings. 0:00:11.000 --> 0:00:12.200 Not me, I'm the host. 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.760 I'm Greg Rosenthal, host of this show, NFL Daily. But 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:17.800 Nick Shook is going to be one of the hosts 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:21.079 of the Power Rankings show, and he's going to be 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:24.919 on the NFL channel. That doesn't start till the regular season, 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:29.040 but the first Power Rankings are out with the author 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:33.159 Nick Shook. He's taking over the franchise for the NFL 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:37.720 in twenty twenty six. A lot of responsibility there, And yes, Shook, 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:41.519 you came out swinging by putting the defending champs at 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:44.080 number three on your first Power rankings. 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:45.160 How dare you? Frank? 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:47.720 Well, you know what, It's the inverse of what Uncle 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:50.480 Ben once told Peter Parker. Instead of with great power 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:54.360 comes great responsibilities, with great responsibility comes great power rankings. 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:57.480 Right in this first one right here, I'm taking swings. 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:00.440 I'm not trying to upset people, but I'm follow in 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.200 my heart, I'm laying the table, setting it for how 0:01:03.280 --> 0:01:05.720 I think this might play out before we even get 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:06.560 done with preseason. 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:09.000 And look, if you don't want to be on the 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:11.479 other side of a Nick Shook swing. 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:13.759 This is a powerful man. 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:16.600 So I'm happy, at least for now to be across 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.919 the country from you and poke you on these power rankings. 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:23.039 So these are already out on NFL dot com. Everyone 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:26.280 check them out, but everyone who likes to digest these 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:29.360 things audibly or on video. Thank you for checking in 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:32.319 on YouTube, and you can also join us if you're listening. 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:33.160 On Thursday. 0:01:33.800 --> 0:01:37.119 Thursday evening, Nick and I will be joining you live 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:41.160 at seven pm Pacific, ten pm Eastern to go over 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:44.120 all the preseason Week one games and update you on 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:46.360 the news. This show is all about the rankings, and 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:48.480 let's just start with the top three because I wanted 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:51.279 to get into the Seahawks discussion right away. The Rams 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.640 are number one, the Broncos are number two, the Seahawks 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:58.400 are number three. I'm starting at three because to me, 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:03.280 that is extreme spicy to put a team that is 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:07.080 essentially bringing back almost everyone that matters. 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:07.960 I know Kobe. 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.120 Bryant was a good safety, and you know that you 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:13.600 lose Kenneth Walker, but this is a young, balanced team, 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:16.280 as deep a defense as we've ever seen, one of 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:20.079 the best Super Bowl champions at least according to the numbers. 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:22.800 It like DVOA and whatnot of the last you know, 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:26.639 ten twenty years. I get putting the Rams over them, 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:29.880 but putting them at three is bold enough that you 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:31.280 have to explain yourself shuck. 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:33.240 Well, it's either that or I go chalk. And I'm 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:35.880 not going chalk here because I actually have some seven 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.800 times Chock is right. Yeah, sometimes Chock is right. Yeah, 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:40.880 But it wasn't. It wasn't just to be a contrarian either. 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:43.360 I have some semi legitimate concerns about how this backfield's 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.960 going to shake out. That's a lot of responsibility, responsibility 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:47.720 to put on Jerry and Price as a rookie right 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:49.399 out of the gate. You don't know when you're gonna 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:51.920 get Sharpenny back. You lost Walker in free agency. It 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:53.840 just feels like a thinner group than I would like 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:57.760 to see for this team. And otherwise, yeah, everything else 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:00.760 is pretty much pretty good for this group. Yeah, but 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:02.720 Sam Darnald, can he continue to find the success he 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:04.639 did last year. Let's not forget that they did lose 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:07.160 their offensive coordinator do a head coaching job with the 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:10.280 Raiders and Clint Kubiak. Let's not overlook that and yes, 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.880 Kobe Bryant left, boy A Mafe left, Rik wooland left, 0:03:14.040 --> 0:03:15.960 so there were a few guys that you have to replace. 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:18.079 Maybe you're not quite as deep as you were before. 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.160 I understand they're the rgning champs and they wear the 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:23.160 crown that they earned, and they definitely earned it, that 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:26.280 is unquestioned. But I do believe going to this season 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:28.040 that the Rams have something to say about it, and 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.280 the team in front of them, the Denver Broncos, also 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:31.240 have something to say about it. 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:35.880 So this brings up a philosophical question I'll hit you with. 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:40.600 First week, you're doing the power rankings. This season obviously 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.840 hasn't started. What's the difference between like predictions for the 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:48.920 season and like just ranking where they're at now, because 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.160 you know clearly you're high on the Broncos in general. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.600 But I guess the issue I had with it was 0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.680 man on paper, it's hard for me to question much 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:02.800 about the Seahox, And you're right about the backfield Jendarian Price. 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:04.480 By the way, he's been out of practice three or 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:07.400 four days. He's never carried a full workload. Suddenly you're 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.840 down to like George Hallani, you know, potentially starting there 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.720 are potentially holes in this team. 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:17.039 And yet have you been watching Hard Knocks shook? I 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:17.960 have not spent a lot. 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:20.160 You know why, because I've been spending some time in 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:22.800 this and some other things that'll be just described later, 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:24.240 explained later life things. 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:28.600 Yes, And frankly, it's shook week on the podcast, it 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:31.919 shook year on the podcast and throughout NFL media. But 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:36.320 you've been very busy. Look, that show is making me 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.000 even more of a believer. Something about Mike McDonald, the 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:42.480 way this team is practicing as one, as hard as 0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:45.360 they play, all those veterans. Just seeing DeMarcus Lawrence and 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:50.280 Byron Murphy and Derek Hall and you know, Leonard Williams 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:54.520 altogether just gets me fired up. And I just think, 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.680 like I think it's strengthly a little disrespectful, because I 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:00.240 really do believe that them in the Rams are are 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:03.400 far and away the best two teams going into this season. 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:05.120 I know that's how last season ended, but I do 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:08.080 believe that it's a huge gap. And then it's opinion 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:08.719 after that. 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.920 Okay, Okay, So what I'm hearing right now is that 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.000 you are taking the bit of propaganda bait that comes 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:18.359 before every season with a Hard Knocks team, this is 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:19.279 the defending champion. 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:21.400 We don't get to see that on Hard Knocks traditionally. 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.839 And you know what, I'm okay with that. And I 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:27.200 agree with you with Mike McDonald because I saw a clip. 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.400 On social media today this morning of him getting after 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:31.480 Derek Hall for getting too close to Sam Donald and 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:34.480 tossing him out, not completely out of practice, but getting him. 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:36.480 Off the field, and I was like, Oh, I like that. 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:38.880 That's an intensity that I like about the spin. 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:43.080 Watch that clip the spin on Sam Donald's passes. I 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:48.160 do appreciate this show for making me enjoy the Donald experience. 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.719 And if you are looking rose colored glasses, you think, man, 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:55.120 he takes some of that confidence and free wiggling play 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.440 and he establishes a better baseline. But it's totally fair 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:01.280 the controvert thing. And I don't think we need to 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:03.839 get go too long about the rams at one. This 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:07.000 is a loaded roster. Also, are you just anticipating Donald 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:08.480 is on the roster when putting in one? 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:09.880 Did they? Did he even need to be on the 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.760 roster to put in one? It was just all part 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:13.480 of the expectation. 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:16.960 I included it in the little blurb underneath, And did 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:18.400 he need to be on the roster. No, because I 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:20.479 don't think that they need like Aaron Donald of what 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:23.880 we knew before. He can be rotational slash guy who 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:25.560 is thirty five years old and comes in and makes 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:27.640 a few big splash plays and it still makes them better. 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:29.320 But I fully anticipate that he's gonna be on the. 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.720 Roster make the case for the Broncos at two. And 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:35.160 this is where I start to struggle, and it'll it'll 0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:37.119 get to a larger point I have about the power rankings. 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:39.320 That's very difficult before the season, like this is a 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:42.000 tough division. They're going to have to go win in general. 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.840 But if you had him three, I wouldn't have blinked, deny, 0:06:45.000 --> 0:06:49.119 But what is your reasoning and your belief that they 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.880 are at this level kind of the inner circle Super 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:53.560 Bowl contenders? 0:06:53.680 --> 0:06:55.320 You know, the thing with power rankings is it always 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.560 involves a little bit of projection, And so I'm projecting 0:06:57.600 --> 0:06:59.560 a few things that we did not see happen last year, 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:02.039 which is that one bo Nicks is healthy for the 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.200 absolute final game of the year. Because they didn't have 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:06.159 him the ANFC Championship game, they very well could have 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:08.520 been in the Super Bowl last year. He's back healthy. 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:10.360 I think he picks up right where he left off. 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:12.680 They hit their stride offensively in the second half of 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:14.360 the season, which is a big reason why he didn't 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:16.440 climb higher in the QB Index for most of the year, 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.320 because they were just so lackluster until they really needed 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:20.680 it for a lot of the season. And I think 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:22.680 that the offense and the way that he performed in 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:25.080 the back half in the playoffs is what I expect 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:26.880 them to be throughout this season. 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:28.160 Also, the return of JK. 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.680 Dobbins, who promised to everybody in Denver that he's going 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:32.360 to play a full season. I'll have to see it 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:34.000 before I believe it, but if he can actually play 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.559 a substantial portion of the season, that makes their running 0:07:36.560 --> 0:07:38.800 back room a lot better than it looks on paper 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:41.040 right now. So that's two big reasons, because the rest 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.440 of this offense continuity is there. Oh and by the way, 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.520 they went and got Jalen Waddle and added him to 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:48.080 the receiving corps, which makes this offense better as well. 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.200 It's already one of the most complete defenses in the NFL. 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:51.840 I don't really have any questions about them as long 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.520 as they can stay healthy. So on paper, they look 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:56.640 like one of the most complete teams in football, and 0:07:56.680 --> 0:07:58.640 they just have to answer or fill in those little 0:07:58.640 --> 0:08:00.000 gaps that were created last year. 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:01.400 So that's why they end up at number two. 0:08:01.840 --> 0:08:05.480 I think offensive line, defensive line, continuity and talent is 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:09.600 top and so they deserve to be this high. Four 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:13.400 through six. I'm going to group together because to me, 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.800 you kind of gave the Eagles at four, the Bills 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:22.080 at five, and the Ravens at six a totally understandable 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:27.280 bump of If I'm saying, like the best teams of 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:29.800 this decade, if I'm making a list, I would say 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.400 these are three of the four Eagles, Bills, Ravens, Chiefs 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:35.480 are obviously number one on that list. We will get 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:37.079 to the forty nine ers in a little while, who 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.760 maybe would be there close in the top five. So 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:46.520 you're kind of trusting the consistency and the expectations are 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:49.360 absolutely high. And when it comes to the Bills and 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:53.560 the Ravens specifically, you're betting on quarterbacks. 0:08:53.600 --> 0:08:55.920 But what kind of separated. 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:58.680 These three teams for you from the rest of the pack, 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:02.440 Because I tell you, man, it's crazy. After these top three. 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:08.120 You could have shaken up four through fifteen. I really 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:10.360 believe you could have shaken up four through fifteen in 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.560 a different order, and you can make the case for it. 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.800 So what is it about these teams just to group 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.160 it in a certain way that got them this high. 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.080 It's so funny because I did not do this entire 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:22.520 thing in sequential order. I got done with the first three, 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:24.240 I got to four, five, and six, and I went, 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:25.719 you know what, I'm gonna start from the bottom, and 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:27.480 I went and took care of thirty two through twenty 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.640 eight because I was I had such a hard time 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:33.160 figuring out exactly who I wanted at four or five, six, 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:35.320 And I kind of knew I went in Jacksonville at seven, right, 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:37.600 which that's a preview of what's to come later in 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:40.320 the show, of course. But I was conflicted about the 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.480 Eagles at four, and I think the consistency that they've 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.319 demonstrated in this last decade is exactly why they ended 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:50.520 up this high. It's it's kind of a battle between Okay, 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:52.040 do I believe in the Bills. Yes, they went and 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:55.080 got DJ Moore, But I've had enough reason to think, Okay, 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:57.360 you know, every year's high expectations, Are you actually going 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.079 to deliver? Do I believe in them enough to put 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:00.840 them at four? I don't think so. Even though they 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:03.000 have Josh Allen, they got James Cook, you add more 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:04.880 into that mix. I love their two tight ends. Everything 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:06.920 else right. And then I was like, do I believe 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.240 in the Eagles? And I thought, well, the vibes and 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:11.320 then I wrote this right around the start of training camp, 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:12.920 or at least started working on this around the start 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.600 of training camp. Throughout this last week, I thought, Man, 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:19.720 the vibes in Philly are unusually high. Like the energy 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.559 there is very, very positive, which usually isn't the case 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:25.640 with this team. And it seems like moving on from 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:28.080 aj Brown kind of put them in a new position 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:30.640 where they can you know, the skies have opened, the 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:33.760 cloud is gone, and everything's great here in Philly. I 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:36.640 am concerned about Jonathan Grenard and the extended absence that he, 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:40.320 you know, continues to be enduring, I guess, because I 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.440 think it does hurt some of their defensive potential. But 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:45.600 they still have Vic fangieb you know, coordinating that defense 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:49.080 and roster wise otherwise, like you know, you get Lane 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:51.280 Johnson back and he's if he can be healthy throughout, 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:52.280 you know, most of the season. 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:54.640 You got to one of the best tackle tandems in 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:55.560 the NFL. LANDA. 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:57.319 Dickerson said, he feels a lot better than he did 0:10:57.360 --> 0:11:00.880 last year. I was a little disappointed not here McKay 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:03.040 lemon making more of a difference in camp at this point, 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:03.440 but he is a. 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:05.000 Rookie, so I'll give him a little bit of grace. 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:09.240 And I'm thinking, okay, new offense Sean Mannion, and the 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:10.880 talk out of there is that it looks a lot 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:13.200 better than it did last year. If you can take 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:15.800 this team, which for half the season looked like one 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:17.520 of the best teams in the NFL before they kind 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:19.640 of fell apart as they do in odd numbered years, 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:22.120 and figure out the offense to get out of the 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:25.120 dysfunctional offensive place they were in last year, then they're 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:27.360 going to be a top five team. And I still 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.280 believe in that and the demonstrated success and ability to 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:32.839 get over the hump over the last five six years. 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:33.760 Then I do the Bills. 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:35.160 So that's why they end up at four, and the 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:38.040 Bills go to five, where there's questions with them with 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.440 Joe Brady coming in as the new head coach. But 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:43.280 you're keeping the offensive, continuity, the familiarity, it's all there. 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:45.520 You add DJ More to give yourself another option. It's 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.120 not like you went and got aj Brown, but you 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.680 still gave yourself another option you didn't have last year. 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:52.040 I still have questions about their defense. I still need 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.080 to see them deliver because they didn't really do it 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:55.839 at a level that I wanted them to under Sean 0:11:55.880 --> 0:11:59.000 McDermott over the last couple of years. And then you 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.160 end up with Baltimore's Ken Lamar stay healthy, as simple 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:04.520 as that, honestly, because if he's healthy, they're a much 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:06.800 different team than they were prior. They also have a 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.640 new coach, they got a new offense. Those are some 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:10.000 things that they have to work out, which is also 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:12.960 why they land behind the Eagles. But overall, this is 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:15.000 still a very strong three that I have a lot 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:15.760 of confidence in. 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:21.080 Okay, So I like what you did because ultimately it's 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:26.199 saying last year was a little bit of an anomaly 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:29.000 for the Ravens. Certainly, you know, the way it ended 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:31.760 for the Bills was familiar. That Eagles have been this 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.240 up and down team. But the crazy thing about the 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:38.520 NFL this decade is that it's actually been rather consistent 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:40.840 at the top that the best six or eight teams 0:12:40.880 --> 0:12:42.600 have kind of been there. And there's a reason why 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:44.920 Howie Roseman finished his number one on all those GM lists. 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:48.040 To me, these power rankings are very much just about 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.880 who's got the players, and on defense, the only teams 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:55.120 that can even challenge the Eagles would be the Houston 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:58.040 Texans and maybe the Broncos, although Frankly, just in terms 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:01.720 of pure talent, Jalen Carter, Jordan Jay looks on Zach 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:05.000 Bond Quinnon, and Cooper Dejine in the back end, and 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:06.920 then all the depth they have, I actually would even 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.840 take them pure talent over the Broncos. So it's hard 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:12.400 to beat them. And then you have a future Hall 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:14.400 of Famer at Lane Johnson, you know, still on the 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:17.400 offensive line, you still have Saquon like a potential future 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:19.440 Hall of Famer. You have a good one in DeVante, 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:22.360 Like the players are all there. I like trusting in them, 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.640 and I like trusting Frankly and Lamar and Josh Allen 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:29.600 with enough around them as tiebreakers kind of in a 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:33.360 pretty wide open grouping. So that all makes sense to me. 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:37.960 Four through six your next group and will go you know, 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:42.120 seven through nine. I think, or maybe among the most 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:45.000 controversial things you put on this list. The Jags there 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:49.000 at seven, the Bengals at eight, and then the Texans 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.679 at nine. The Bears are round out the top ten. 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:53.319 We'll get them in a second because I kind of 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:55.360 put them in a different group, But those three are 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:56.920 very interesting to me. 0:13:57.480 --> 0:13:59.280 The Jags going at seven. 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.520 Did did you just get intimidated by Liam Cohen saying 0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:08.280 NFL dot Com specifically doesn't give enough love to the Jags? 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:08.640 Yeah? 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:11.040 I did feel like I was catching astray from Liam there, 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:13.120 but that did not motivate my decision, although I did 0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:14.560 right that I hear him and I wanted to know 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:19.160 that I respect and believe in his team very much. Look, 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.880 I am a cynic by nature, but optimism season has 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:27.160 an effect on me as well, and I cannot overlook 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:30.080 the team that they became in the back half of 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.760 last year. Yes, they lost in heartbreaking fashion in the postseason, 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:35.400 but they did things with that offense. I mean, they 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.360 turned Parker Washington into a name people actually recognize now. 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.520 First off, they got Trevor Lawrence to a place that 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:42.680 he's never been before, which is somebody who actually looks 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.440 like he is the franchise quarterback they've always wanted him 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:47.120 to be. A lot of that was because he started 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:50.120 using his legs more. They just became a unit that 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:53.440 was so explosive and so fun to watch that I'm like, Oh, 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:55.920 they've hit their groove. If they can keep most of 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:58.160 this together, stay healthy, and then into the next season, 0:14:58.160 --> 0:14:59.880 they're going to be hitting the ground running and continue 0:14:59.920 --> 0:15:02.120 to as explosive as they were last year, especially if 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.280 Brian Thomas can actually figure it out, which you know 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:06.120 he had struggles doing that last year, especially in the 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:08.040 first half of the year. So I'm thinking, all right, 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:10.640 that's cool. My only concern with them is that this 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:12.800 is a team that did probably the least of any 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.240 franchise in the NFL in the offseason in terms of 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:18.840 roster changes. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes I worry 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:20.680 if that's you're resting on your laurels, or if you 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.480 just like the continuity and the familiarity and you're going 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.600 to ride it going forward. There's also the whole question 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:26.600 of the backfield. You know, baseil toot and we've talked 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:28.240 about this before, how it's going to be a committee 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:31.240 group that with guys, you know, filling different roles. I 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.680 firmly though, I am a believer in what Jacksonville has 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:35.680 put together in a division that's going to be more 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.480 competitive than people realize. But they came out on top 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:40.720 last year for a reason because they figured it out 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:42.800 and they didn't change much. So that's why they end 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:45.480 up at seven. I'm also I'm drinking the Bengals kool 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:46.200 aid because. 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:47.680 Okay, I'm going to stop you there, because the. 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:54.160 Jaguars I actually get, and you're almost correcting a weird 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.320 wrong in terms of perception. They are the type of 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:01.080 team that normally would have a lot of people predicting 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.080 them to make the Super Bowl, a team that's very 0:16:04.120 --> 0:16:08.360 offense heavy, that really emerged last year, that finished strong. 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:11.280 It was a bad luck playoff loss, but that doesn't 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:14.360 bother me. Like they're a thirteen win team ascending a 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.440 lot of young players that make sense. You want to 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:19.840 pick them over the Texans, fine to me. The Texans 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:23.240 have been in the final eight teams for three straight years, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.760 have one of the most reliable units in the league 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:29.160 on either side of the ball in the defense, and 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:31.200 so I would have them much higher. I would have 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:34.840 them in my top five certainly, but it's not too crazy. 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:36.920 The Bengals is the one that sticks out like a 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.920 thorst a sore thumb here because it's all just projection. 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:44.760 This team has been mediocre for three straight seasons. They 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:48.520 get Dexter Lawrence and get a good couple like offseason articles, 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:52.360 and suddenly you're putting the Bengals in the same group 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.160 as these two teams that actually did it last year. 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:56.120 But you're also. 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:58.880 Putting them, you know, well ahead of the Patriots tour 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:01.440 in the Super Bowl, the Packers, who are at least 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:05.080 in the playoffs every year and have a better organization, 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:08.479 I think, the Lions, the Chiefs suffording all these teams 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:13.000 you're putting the Bengals way ahead of And to me, yeah, 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:14.280 this is this is projection. 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:15.600 This is prediction. 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.040 This is in power rankings because they're not that powerful 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:19.959 until I see it. 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:22.480 That's fair, But I think power rankings before the start 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:24.080 of the preseason is nothing but projection. 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:24.760 Fair. 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:29.720 Sometimes it's evidence based, sometimes it's projecting. Right, let's identify 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:31.520 a few things real quickly with this team that have 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:32.960 been pretty consistent. 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:34.520 Themes over the last few years one. 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:37.440 Joe Burrow has struggled to stay healthy and if throughout 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.080 a full season over the last few and their defense 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:41.880 hasn't been able to stop a nosebleed for the last 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:44.800 three Their offensive line has been meh, and it's gotten 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.560 more credit than I think it deserves. And we've known 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.320 what they've had at receiver, and that's basically been their 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:52.760 story to the point where we thought maybe Zach Tarrell, 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:54.280 Zach Taylor might get fired. 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:55.119