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Speaker 1: The Around the League podcast has great body language. This

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Speaker 1: is the Around the League Podcast, and I've just got

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Speaker 1: one question to ask. It's looking like it Greg Rosenthal

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Speaker 1: alongside Mark Sessler, Chris Westling, and oh look who is

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Speaker 1: in the studio for the first time as a dad?

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Speaker 1: Dan Handas, what are you doing here? I am not

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Speaker 1: done with my marathon paternity leave yet. However, I will

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Speaker 1: say this. I had to come in today because I

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Speaker 1: need to know that. What is that question? Again? Well,

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Speaker 1: Chris Westling, I think anyone who has ever commuted commuted

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Speaker 1: to work, Uh, you have days where it's all green

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Speaker 1: lights and you don't have a care in the world.

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Speaker 1: He just cruise on into work. And then there are

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Speaker 1: days where there are red lights. You're stuck there two

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Speaker 1: times in a row through the red light, especially in

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Speaker 1: l A. You can feel the stress building. You can't

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Speaker 1: get rid of it. Today this morning, that was I

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Speaker 1: was coming in. My Twitter mentions had already set a

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Speaker 1: record for most mansions in the morning. Uh, and they were.

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Speaker 1: There were some very creative and thoughtful and a few

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Speaker 1: jabs here and there, but very fun. Today was a

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Speaker 1: weird day. I got every red light, but as soon

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Speaker 1: as I started to feel a stress coming on. It

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Speaker 1: just immediately turned green and then like at the last one,

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Speaker 1: it turned green and and John Prime kicked onto my

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Speaker 1: music playlist, and I was just in a beautiful spot.

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Speaker 1: And I feel like that's a metaphor for the Brown's

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Speaker 1: quarterback situation. It appears that Brian Horrier will start opening.

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Speaker 1: It does the red light, but the green light is

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Speaker 1: I've got a sessler. There's probably an injury coming up

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Speaker 1: in the next is just terrible things for any new

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Speaker 1: listeners to the podcast, and there should be some out

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Speaker 1: they were picking them up each week. Chris Westling said

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Speaker 1: way back in May or June sometime that he would

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Speaker 1: eat a pair of his softball pants if Brian Hoyer

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Speaker 1: was starting over a healthy Johnny Manziel in week one,

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Speaker 1: and week after week he's been defined indignant that this

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Speaker 1: atrocity could ever happen. And here today Wednesday, August, Mike

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Speaker 1: Petton announced Brian Hoyer Week one starter. Mark, you're the

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Speaker 1: Browns fan in the room. How do you feel when

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Speaker 1: you heard the news? There's by the way, there's a

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Speaker 1: tension in the room right now. I came in. I'm

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Speaker 1: only in here for ten fifteen minutes and I'm going

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Speaker 1: back to my wife Emily and son Jack. I'm looking

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Speaker 1: forward to seeing them again. But I need to just

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Speaker 1: sort this out because Western's heat mark visibly uncomfortable next

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Speaker 1: to Western. Now, I just gotta say, I don't know

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Speaker 1: about that. I I think you gotta be honest, anyone

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Speaker 1: in the city of Cleveland that felt any uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: shock of hope when they three months ago, just three

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Speaker 1: months ago, picked up what was meant to be the

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Speaker 1: franchise quarterback and three months later, I mean, it's a

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Speaker 1: worst case scenario, not because Brian Hoyer is a bad

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Speaker 1: guy or something, but because your rookie quarterback when there

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Speaker 1: are five other rookies who looked ready for prime time.

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Speaker 1: Johnny Manzel looks completely unprepared to play in the two

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Speaker 1: games we've seen and Bang and you know they mentioned

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Speaker 1: today that he may be essentially red shirted this year.

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Speaker 1: You said it was a disaster a little bit just

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Speaker 1: as a Browns fan. You felt like a disaster. But

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Speaker 1: don't we want to think about Manzel in the long range?

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Speaker 1: I mean, is this that big a deal that he's

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Speaker 1: not the week one guy? I don't in the long range.

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Speaker 1: I actually I think the worst thing that could have

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Speaker 1: happened in a way is roll him out against Pittsburgh

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Speaker 1: and then the Saints have him getting massacred and then

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Speaker 1: have to go to Brian. I don't think either situations

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Speaker 1: good that what's good would have been. Manziel has blown

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Speaker 1: us away in two preseason games. He's what we've odd

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Speaker 1: he'd be. He's the reason Chris made that bet way

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Speaker 1: back then with some surety, was the reason I made

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Speaker 1: the bet. Well, you also, but you also expressed some

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Speaker 1: faith that they went out and got a playmaker. And

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Speaker 1: that's the frustration I would think on West's part is

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Speaker 1: West did have it right by all appearances what we've

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Speaker 1: seen from Hoyer, which has not been good. And West

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Speaker 1: basically said, Hoyer's who who we thought he was. He's

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Speaker 1: a backup, second or third string guy. He played like

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Speaker 1: that in the preseasons, and the Browns still gave him

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Speaker 1: the job. So this is there are some parallels when

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Speaker 1: I lost all those sandwiches on Johnny Manziel and the

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Speaker 1: Cowboys where I felt like I made the right call.

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Speaker 1: It just somehow got taken away from me. And that's

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Speaker 1: what's happening to us right now. He knows what it's

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Speaker 1: like for life to be unfair. Red lights everywhere is

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Speaker 1: as I told Greg and Mark yesterday before any of

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Speaker 1: this happened, I feel like I had this entire scenario correct,

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Speaker 1: except for the part that Johnny Manziel has played absolutely

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Speaker 1: horribly well. That's a big except, though that's half of

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Speaker 1: the equation. It's not half of the equation. If we

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Speaker 1: go to the tape. It all started with me foaming

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Speaker 1: at the mouth over America forgetting who Brian Hoyer was.

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Speaker 1: It didn't start Johnny Manzel. You were very high on

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Speaker 1: Manzel in the pre draft process. A softball pants never

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Speaker 1: would have gotten involved if it was just about how

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Speaker 1: well Manzel's gonna do, it was all about Brian. It

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Speaker 1: has to be a little bit about Manzel because you

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Speaker 1: never know man Uh as smart as you would bet

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Speaker 1: on Cleveland's quarterback situation in general, without the sense that

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Speaker 1: someone has arrived to remove all the chaos that's been

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Speaker 1: attached to that for twenty five years. It's a little

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Speaker 1: bit about Manzel, right, But the softball pants pants come

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Speaker 1: out when there is outrage over the entire country getting

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Speaker 1: his story wrong. For instance, people saying a couple of

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Speaker 1: years ago that Jake Ballard the Patriots stole him from

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Speaker 1: the Giants even though his knee was ruined, or people

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Speaker 1: acting like Brian Hoyer is a high quality NFL starter.

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Speaker 1: That's when the outrage comes. Well, you there was a

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Speaker 1: lot of heat, as Dan as alluding to at the desk,

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Speaker 1: and maybe it's dissipated by now. At one of you

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Speaker 1: did try to make the case that you were a

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Speaker 1: hundred percent right about this soft ball. I did not

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Speaker 1: make the case. I never you you put in my mouth.

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Speaker 1: I never said that. I thought you said you were

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Speaker 1: you were not. You felt like I said, the scenario

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Speaker 1: played out exactly how I thought it would, except for

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Speaker 1: and I used the phrase Johnny Manziel has sucked. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think Wesley was taking a jab at himself there

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Speaker 1: to some degree. What about on Monday night? What were

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Speaker 1: you thinking when you were watching Manzel Hoyer. I haven't

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Speaker 1: even talked about that game. I was thinking, turn the

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Speaker 1: TV off. Hoyer left an opening, and Manziel was awful.

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Speaker 1: The big loser by the way, West substantially a loser

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Speaker 1: potentially because he's his health is in danger now because

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Speaker 1: we know how dangerous polyester nylon zipper. Other composite parts

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Speaker 1: can be to your insides. Mark also potentially a loser

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Speaker 1: here because this is not exactly how I'm sure Brown's

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Speaker 1: fans and I think back to that guy, the YouTube

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Speaker 1: clip of the Browns fanning up bar in Cleveland draft night,

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Speaker 1: breaking down and breaking down, the tears, rying tears of

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Speaker 1: joy over Manzelle and how finally everything was taken care

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Speaker 1: of and right now it's it's it looks muddled as

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Speaker 1: ever their quarterback situation. We shouldn't get too crazy about this, Sason,

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Speaker 1: but it's the Browns. I promise you that we'll see

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Speaker 1: both of them, and we'll probably see Rex Grossman too.

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Speaker 1: You know what's great about it, though, is when well,

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Speaker 1: that's how it's played. I was called at five this

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Speaker 1: morning with this news from our news desk. David Eally

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Speaker 1: wanted to let me know they had, you know, broken

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Speaker 1: the story. Mark was already upright in it. He was

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Speaker 1: at work at four four am, according to his email.

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Speaker 1: And the first thing I thought about was West. It

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Speaker 1: wasn't about the Browns or how it could change the

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Speaker 1: Nancy North. That was like, oh my god, Wes, it's

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Speaker 1: gonna eat a soft How are we how long did

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Speaker 1: it thank you to think about it? It wasn't that

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Speaker 1: the first thing you thought about immediately, of course, because

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Speaker 1: we're so plugged into the soft But we've been talking

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Speaker 1: about this for months and months, and my my first

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Speaker 1: thought was I started to move on and not forget

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Speaker 1: about the NFL end of it. I was like, how

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Speaker 1: do we move this forward with? How is West going

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Speaker 1: to actually eat these pants? But it's not technically over yet. Well,

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Speaker 1: and a lot of people complain that the Browns, you know,

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Speaker 1: when they put it out on Twitter, should have announced

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Speaker 1: Brown's announced Chris Wesley WILLI to softball? Don't? The quarterback

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Speaker 1: scenario is always muddled. And that's second that secondary here.

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Speaker 1: We got a lot of really get great tweets, some

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Speaker 1: good photo shopping of West digging digging into pants. Mark,

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Speaker 1: you've actually reached out literally to a Food Network celebrity. Well,

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Speaker 1: it's by you know, certainly you to live in l

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Speaker 1: A and you you you have all sorts of friends,

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Speaker 1: but we are friends with a woman that one Food

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Speaker 1: Network celebrity star show. Her name's already she is a

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Speaker 1: name rageously good Indian cook. And I've tweeted at I

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Speaker 1: have not heard back because this is a complex request.

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Speaker 1: I said, help us cook these things out. And it's

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Speaker 1: funny too because Greg's wife, Emica, also a chef, but

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Speaker 1: she washed her hands of this months ago. She said

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Speaker 1: she didn't want to be involved with this. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 1: we have a daughter, and uh, she's said, I can

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Speaker 1: barely have the energy to cook for our daughter sometimes

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Speaker 1: or us. There's no way I'm cooking up softball pants

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Speaker 1: for your goofy friends, all right, West that before I go,

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Speaker 1: because I gotta get going because I do have this

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Speaker 1: family to get back to. But I want to ask

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Speaker 1: you if you're Sessler, which I hope your settler is wrong.

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Speaker 1: You know, we don't want the guy to get hurt. Well, look,

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Speaker 1: I'd rather be alive and witnesses Brian Horry injury then

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Speaker 1: dead and he's healthy. All right. If Hoyer gets through

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Speaker 1: the game unscathed, then he does start in Pittsburgh. You're

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Speaker 1: gonna eat some softball pants, right and in some fashion? Yes, Okay,

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Speaker 1: that's good. You're a man of your word. And uh,

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Speaker 1: I feel like I I can relate with you because

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Speaker 1: of the menzel On drafted thing a little bit. Only

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Speaker 1: my life's not a danger yours is. Yeah, in some

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Speaker 1: fashion it will be done. I'm not promising the zippers

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Speaker 1: will go down my throat or that the elastic band

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Speaker 1: will go down my throat. I'm not sure about that.

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Speaker 1: You know how West? You know West is death. He

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Speaker 1: said he was also rooting potentially for a man'zelle injury,

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Speaker 1: because technically the bet was that it was only over

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Speaker 1: a healthy vandel and I said, about to get the spirit.

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Speaker 1: It's been announced. Okay, I will not I will okay,

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Speaker 1: I will bow to that that even if Johnny gets

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Speaker 1: injured from here on out, I was gonna say this.

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Speaker 1: This has been such a painful moment for West that

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Speaker 1: he's turned into like a Philadelphia Eagles sportsman the nineteen nineties.

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Speaker 1: I wish I wish we could have had. I wish

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Speaker 1: we could have had I wish we could add TD

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Speaker 1: by our desks earlier today. Because Damna Chek got involved,

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Speaker 1: there was there was a lot of back and forth.

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Speaker 1: The it was heated. Yeah, it got a little heated.

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Speaker 1: For that's what happens though. That's why we even have

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Speaker 1: this podcast, because it's uh, yeah, I can I go now? Yes,

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Speaker 1: West wait, So I'm sorry that this is working out

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Speaker 1: in ten seconds Jack and a description of Jack in

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Speaker 1: ten seconds Jack Carson hands. Just by the way, Carson

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Speaker 1: has nothing to do with Carson Palmer, but it is funny,

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Speaker 1: and there were a lot of yeah it was Carson

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Speaker 1: del Yes the mtvv j uh. There were a lot

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Speaker 1: of tweets comparing cult Um Mark's child and Carson mine.

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Speaker 1: Of course, Carson Palmer superior as a quarterback to cult McCoy. Well,

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Speaker 1: by the way, we don't know that yet. Wow, Colt

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Speaker 1: McCoy's career not I was asked if I was going

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Speaker 1: to have a child and name him Blaine Westling. Uh. No,

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Speaker 1: it's great. Everything is great. It's great to have a son.

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Speaker 1: Before we let you go TD one to one word,

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Speaker 1: one question and not to get too deep here. I

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Speaker 1: hear a lot from that. Was that to know, I

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Speaker 1: hear a lot of people that when you have that

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Speaker 1: first kid, you totally become a different man. So for you,

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Speaker 1: when was that moment? Was it when you know your

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Speaker 1: wife went into labor. Was it when you first saw

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Speaker 1: your kid, when you first held your kid, when your

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Speaker 1: kid first came home? What was that moment for you

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Speaker 1: where you life completely changed? There was I will say

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Speaker 1: this Uh with that getting to gooey and sentimental. The

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Speaker 1: one of the first night in the hospital when I

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Speaker 1: was laying on the horribly uncomfortable couch, uh, and I

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Speaker 1: had young Jack on my chest. You know, they connected.

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Speaker 1: Oh wow, this is now, this is a showtime, my son.

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Speaker 1: That was a great moment um. I don't know if

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Speaker 1: I've completely changed the man just yet, but maybe that's

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Speaker 1: that's what this processes over the next week or so

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Speaker 1: or the rest of your life. Right, Yeah, it's not

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Speaker 1: gonna end. Yeah, I don't know what's happening. Dan, Thank

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Speaker 1: you for stopping by on this momentous day and around

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Speaker 1: the league podcast history. You gave us. Gave me some

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Speaker 1: chills there with that story. I love it. And by

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Speaker 1: the way, good job by Greg successfully predicted that one

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Speaker 1: of the best feelings ever also is getting home from

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Speaker 1: the hospital for the first time. That was true as well.

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Speaker 1: Fatherhood's good West, don't die. I love you and I'll

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Speaker 1: see you guys very soon. Carry all right, thanks for

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Speaker 1: coming in, Dan, So Dan hands us leaving the studio

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Speaker 1: right now, and we forgot we got a big show

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Speaker 1: here today. But quickly, let's do a little bit of

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Speaker 1: news first TV. This smile, what the rock is cooking?

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Speaker 1: The rock is gonna cook up my softball pants. Oh.

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Speaker 1: I didn't even put that all together, you know, way

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Speaker 1: back and he sent a little message for you this

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Speaker 1: smile what the rock is cooking? I thought that was

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Speaker 1: a summer Slam Referenceee, I know what's going on in

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Speaker 1: the world. I was. I was too old when I

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Speaker 1: was fourteen or so. Give me a break. Uh, let's

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Speaker 1: talk a little bit about the news angle of Johnny

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Speaker 1: Manziel before we move on, just for a minute. Mike

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Speaker 1: Patton announced today, of course, that Brian Hoyer was going

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Speaker 1: to be the starter for week one. He also indicated

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Speaker 1: that Johnny Manzel would not be coming in as a

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Speaker 1: quote unquote package player. It sounded like they didn't want

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Speaker 1: to take him off the bench. They didn't want Hoyer

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Speaker 1: um to feel like he had a short leash. When

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Speaker 1: do we think Johnny Anzel is gonna be on the field.

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Speaker 1: I don't buy that for a minute, and I'll tell

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Speaker 1: you why, because I think by halftime of the first

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Speaker 1: game against Pittsburgh, they're gonna realize they have a deficiency

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Speaker 1: at that position and they're gonna have to use everything

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Speaker 1: they can to surprise opponents. What can the Cleveland Browns

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Speaker 1: do to surprise a good a good defense. I'd be

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Speaker 1: shocked if Hoyer is still the quarterback after the Week

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Speaker 1: four by. I think we all kind of feel that

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Speaker 1: that by is a natural time to make that ship.

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Speaker 1: That's why, other than you know, Chris's internal organs, I

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Speaker 1: don't think this is a huge deal because we all

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Speaker 1: think he's gonna be out there in Week five, so

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Speaker 1: you know it's week five, week one. This will give

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Speaker 1: him a little extra it's a huge deal. And then

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Speaker 1: there was some sentiment that the Browns could be a

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Speaker 1: very competitive team upwards of five and make some noise

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Speaker 1: in the n f C North. And now they have

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Speaker 1: Brian Hoyer starting the season after a very abysmal preseason

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Speaker 1: and Johnny Manziel looks like he's not going to be ready.

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Speaker 1: Even after the Week four by, you wouldn't think he's

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Speaker 1: gonna be an One thing about this is a rookie.

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Speaker 1: It depends what system you come into, because and I

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Speaker 1: think we all think Kyle Shanahan is a good play

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Speaker 1: caller historically, that's true, but he's got a tough system

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Speaker 1: For a guy like Manzel you come from Texas A

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Speaker 1: and then where you've got two word play calls and

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Speaker 1: they're talking about eighteen word play calls. And we saw

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Speaker 1: on Monday night that he struggled with that even in

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Speaker 1: that interview with Gruden. And then there's Andrew Hawkins and

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Speaker 1: other people coming out today talking to add Kin Cabala

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Speaker 1: from NFL Media saying that listen, it's understandable, but he

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Speaker 1: we have to in the huddle actually sometimes even work

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Speaker 1: with him to finish the play call. That's he's not ready.

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Speaker 1: That's it. I mean, Petton said before training camp started,

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Speaker 1: the battle is Manzell versus a playbook, and I think

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Speaker 1: he lost it, at least in the short term. For

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Speaker 1: a couple of weeks he lost it. And one telling

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Speaker 1: quote I thought from Manzel today quote I didn't necessarily

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Speaker 1: feel like I was ready, and I felt like there's

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Speaker 1: steps I still needed to take. I mean, if you

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Speaker 1: have a quarterback saying you don't feel like he's ready,

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Speaker 1: maybe the coaches picked up on that too, and there's

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Speaker 1: no need to force it. That's why I have no

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Speaker 1: problem with them making the move. It's a little disappointing

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Speaker 1: as a football fan, but I have no problem with it.

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Speaker 1: I thought the most telling quote was when he was saying,

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Speaker 1: if anyone saw me in my first year and a

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Speaker 1: half had Texas A and M, you could tell that

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Speaker 1: I was terrible. And he drew out the word terrible

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Speaker 1: and said, look, I was not ready to hit the field.

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Speaker 1: And he said, I'm confident that in you know, within

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Speaker 1: that amount of time in the NFL, I'll be I'll

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Speaker 1: be ready for this. I think if if Cleveland made

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Speaker 1: a mistake here, if you really want to either in

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Speaker 1: terms of roster preparation, because these other quarterbacks, these this

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Speaker 1: Matt Castle Bridge quarterback situation, if we really didn't know

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Speaker 1: what Hoyer was going to be, if you're the Cleveland

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Speaker 1: front officer just hoping he's healthy, you needed to go

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Speaker 1: out and get a better veteran to to bridge this gap.

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Speaker 1: They didn't do that. Yeah, I I totally agree. Um

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Speaker 1: Hoyer of course towards a c O last year. Unfortunately,

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Speaker 1: one of our favorite players in the league at least

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Speaker 1: mind Darnell Dockett uh towards a c L this week

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Speaker 1: placed on injured reserve. Quickly before we get to our

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Speaker 1: our a f C preview today, they placed docket on

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Speaker 1: injured reserve on Wednesday, does this, you know, take out

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Speaker 1: the Cardinals as a interesting either team of a t

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Speaker 1: L or even a playoff team. I have them in

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Speaker 1: the playoffs right now. Do you think this changes their outlook?

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Speaker 1: I didn't think they were going to the playoffs anyway,

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Speaker 1: because I had already thought they lost too much from

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Speaker 1: the front seven and Daryl Washington and Carlos Dansby. Now

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Speaker 1: they lose Docket. Bill Smith, one of our researchers here

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Speaker 1: at NFL Network, came up with a great stat that

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Speaker 1: the Cardinals defense, which was number one in the NFL

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Speaker 1: last year against the run, gave up about three point

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Speaker 1: four carries three point yards per carry. Uh, three point

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Speaker 1: four yards per carry against the run with Docket in

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Speaker 1: the lineup in four and a half when he was

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Speaker 1: on the sidelines. The run defense is going to be

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Speaker 1: in big trouble this year. I think. I do think

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Speaker 1: they have an offense that has gained power over the

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Speaker 1: off season and is coached by one of the better

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Speaker 1: minds as play caller that we have in Bruce Arians.

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Speaker 1: But you know, back when you guys were debating whether

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Speaker 1: it isn't a team of a t L because you

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Speaker 1: lose just Darryl Washington out of the gate. I I

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Speaker 1: was sort of on Greg's side. Now I'm at the

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Speaker 1: point where it's it's a tough this team is going

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Speaker 1: to be scored on. I still like them as a

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Speaker 1: potential Team of a t L because I like Bruce Arians,

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Speaker 1: I like the offense, and I just like the idea

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Speaker 1: of the Cardinals being good and feisty in that division.

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Speaker 1: They're a team I I want to root for, and

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Speaker 1: that's how I see the Team of two. I'm not

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Speaker 1: feeling too good about having them number five in my

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Speaker 1: power pol a week ago. I would definitely knock them

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Speaker 1: down a few pigs. What are your thoughts of Cardinals

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Speaker 1: on Team of a t L. I mean, do you

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Speaker 1: agree with Mark You're You're out. I would send them

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Speaker 1: to the elimination chamber. So all right, that gets us

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Speaker 1: into it the elimination chamber. We're gonna preview the a

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Speaker 1: f C today. We're gonna give you all of our

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Speaker 1: predictions of what teams are going to the playoffs and

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Speaker 1: our power poll. And while we do that, we're also

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Speaker 1: going to start eliminating teams from the Team of a

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Speaker 1: t L discussion and every team every time we knock

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Speaker 1: them out. We're gonna, you know, the three count I

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Speaker 1: don't know what they call that. What do they call that? TV?

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Speaker 1: Three counts? You know you've been, they've been, they've been eliminated.

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Speaker 1: And so we're gonna go through each team and eliminate, uh,

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Speaker 1: some potential teams of a t L. And again, if

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Speaker 1: you're a new listener and you weren't with us. Last year,

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Speaker 1: we chose the Carolina Panthers as the team of the

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Speaker 1: Around the League podcast that wasn't up until Week five,

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Speaker 1: first time we've ever done it. We're gonna try to

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Speaker 1: choose a team this year that we root for before

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Speaker 1: the season, so right before Week one. We need a

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Speaker 1: unanimous choice, so that could be difficult. We're gonna vote

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Speaker 1: on it officially on the Wednesday podcast right before the

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Speaker 1: season starts. Hopefully we'll have a team of a t L.

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Speaker 1: Then we'll see what happens. It's really just a team

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Speaker 1: that we like to root for, not not our pick

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Speaker 1: to win the Super Bowl, just a one team we

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Speaker 1: want to back. So it is allowed to go into

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Speaker 1: the regular season if we can't agree on it, if

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Speaker 1: there's no unanimous pick, that's just how it's gonna go

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Speaker 1: That would also suggest that we're waiting for a more

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Speaker 1: organic team to come to us, which I feel like

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Speaker 1: should have been the case all alone. If we can

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Speaker 1: get a team before Week one, A lot of the

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Speaker 1: fans want that. I think that's fine if we can

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Speaker 1: all agree on one. If not, so be it. We

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Speaker 1: obviously want Dan to be back in the mix. He

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Speaker 1: will be then, and so he'll be involved. But we're

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Speaker 1: gonna go ahead and eliminate some teams without him, And

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Speaker 1: let's start with the a f C East. Do any

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Speaker 1: of these teams interest you enough that they could be

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Speaker 1: a team of a t L. Well, the Patriots are

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Speaker 1: the only good team here, right, but they could be

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Speaker 1: interesting team. We don't think it may be interesting, but

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Speaker 1: you can't pick the team of a t L as

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Speaker 1: the team that wins its division every year for a decade. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would say the Patriots, like, I mean, come on

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Speaker 1: beyond that, I mean I by proxy? I uh, I

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Speaker 1: feel like Dan would throw the Jets out there. I

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Speaker 1: think that's a tough voice for me because theirs it's

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Speaker 1: not happening with me in the room. I'm not gonna

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Speaker 1: make the body the Jets, you know, I'm I'm I've

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Speaker 1: lost a little bit of my loyalties with the Patriots

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Speaker 1: over the years because I like a lot of teams.

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Speaker 1: But I'm not making that this may be the toughest

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Speaker 1: division of all to look to find a team for

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Speaker 1: this for this contest. Look, we're trying to save some

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Speaker 1: time here. Why don't we just eliminate this entire divisions?

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Speaker 1: I agree? Wow, that that was quick counted out the

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Speaker 1: whole division just like that. Let's get into these teams though.

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Speaker 1: We we look at the Patriots and we ranked them

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Speaker 1: in our overall Power Poll this year as the number

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Speaker 1: four team overall, number five overall and second in the

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Speaker 1: a f C. Do we think they've closed the gap

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Speaker 1: at all with Denver? Yes? You do, yes, because I

428
00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:54,520
Speaker 1: thought last playoffs Denver was far and away the best

429
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,120
Speaker 1: team in the FC. The only reason the Patriots were

430
00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,960
Speaker 1: where they were because they didn't face any real competition.

431
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,280
Speaker 1: They faced a very depleted Colts roster to get into

432
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,879
Speaker 1: that game. Yeah, I mean, you know, the Patriots offensively

433
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,880
Speaker 1: when they had Gronked down the stretch before he was injured,

434
00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,040
Speaker 1: were as good as any team with down that side

435
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:13,800
Speaker 1: of the ball. They got, they go out and get

436
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,479
Speaker 1: Torell Revs. You know, the Broncos got tougher on defense,

437
00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,359
Speaker 1: but the Patriots countered. I mean, and you've got Tom Brady.

438
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,040
Speaker 1: Who I mean. I think none of us are ready

439
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,840
Speaker 1: to write off as some are. It sounds outrageous to me.

440
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,120
Speaker 1: Of course, they've closed the gap because they're the best

441
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,080
Speaker 1: coach team in football too. Like I agree with you,

442
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,320
Speaker 1: but I'm a homer. I think when you look at

443
00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,200
Speaker 1: the Broncos on paper, they added a lot on offense.

444
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,960
Speaker 1: The Patriots really just swapped out cornerbacks and it was

445
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,600
Speaker 1: an upgrade for They're getting back a lot of injured players,

446
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,840
Speaker 1: and all their wide receivers who were so unreliable throughout

447
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,159
Speaker 1: the early part of last year, have another year in

448
00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:49,040
Speaker 1: the system, with which Tom with Tom Brady, is very important.

449
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,159
Speaker 1: You wrote up our a f C East East predictions

450
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,040
Speaker 1: and our preview on the Around the League website. Those

451
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,960
Speaker 1: are going to go up on Thursday. Chris, What do

452
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,919
Speaker 1: you think is the biggest concern for the Patriots. I

453
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,520
Speaker 1: think you could start with the the guys who are

454
00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,879
Speaker 1: coming back from injuries. Rob Gronkowski is so important to

455
00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,639
Speaker 1: their offense. It's a concern that we haven't seen him

456
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:17,159
Speaker 1: actually in preseason yet Vince will Folk, who uh my

457
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,879
Speaker 1: sources uh a k a. Greg Rosenthal told me was

458
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,760
Speaker 1: not even playing that well before he ruptured as achilles

459
00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,240
Speaker 1: last year. He's coming back. He's thirty thirty three years old,

460
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,800
Speaker 1: Dominic easily the first round pick coming off of a

461
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,280
Speaker 1: c L surgery. These are all their concerns. I think

462
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,040
Speaker 1: defensive tackle is is a problem spot. I'm a little

463
00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,920
Speaker 1: worried as a Patriots fan every year that they're expected

464
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,199
Speaker 1: to do really well. And granted this is on a

465
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,959
Speaker 1: scale of wait, that's every year well, but it's different.

466
00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:50,040
Speaker 1: Some years they're a little more under the radar in

467
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:51,800
Speaker 1: terms of people don't think they're really going to be

468
00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,040
Speaker 1: a super Bowl team like last year. Going into the year,

469
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,400
Speaker 1: people for whatever reason didn't think that two thousand and ten,

470
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,520
Speaker 1: when I what I think was their best team since

471
00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:02,960
Speaker 1: two thousand seven. That was a year a lot of

472
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,080
Speaker 1: people predicted they wouldn't even make the playoffs because they

473
00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,760
Speaker 1: had a ton of turnover. Gronk and Hernandez were rookies.

474
00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,359
Speaker 1: No one knew they were going to be good. I

475
00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,000
Speaker 1: don't know, Joy Greg spending a minute plus this podcast

476
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,479
Speaker 1: painting a sad story picture. All I'm saying is whatever,

477
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,840
Speaker 1: they're expected to be good, and they look really good

478
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,480
Speaker 1: on paper defensively this year and overall, it makes sense

479
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,040
Speaker 1: that they're a strong number two in the a f

480
00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,000
Speaker 1: C and their division stinks. I think they I think

481
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,320
Speaker 1: the a f C stinks. That's usually when it doesn't

482
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,600
Speaker 1: go as well. That's all I'm saying. You're you're doubting,

483
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,320
Speaker 1: you know. I think one reason that there's that there's

484
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 1: not that necessary caution here is that they have for

485
00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,639
Speaker 1: as long as any team played in a division that

486
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,760
Speaker 1: refuses to put anyone else up as a challenger. And really,

487
00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,040
Speaker 1: you look around the a f C East, we've just

488
00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,960
Speaker 1: eliminated them all from contention. And there's a good reason

489
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,720
Speaker 1: for that, well from rooting for them. You don't give

490
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,760
Speaker 1: any of these teams a chance to make the playoffs.

491
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,240
Speaker 1: The only one that's a wild card for me personally,

492
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,560
Speaker 1: and and it may biological, is is Miami because I

493
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,080
Speaker 1: don't think their defense is a disastric and hold its own,

494
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,080
Speaker 1: and we want to see what the offense can do

495
00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,600
Speaker 1: with Bill Laser, I think it's an instant scheme change

496
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,920
Speaker 1: that's interesting. The Jets, uh there's issues in the secondary,

497
00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,120
Speaker 1: and I don't trust I don't trust the quarterback situation

498
00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,760
Speaker 1: there and the Bills EJ. Manual. I mean, it's like

499
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,840
Speaker 1: the rest of the team is talented. But that is

500
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,400
Speaker 1: a sticking point. I I after I did all my

501
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,600
Speaker 1: research and just decided how it was going to predict things,

502
00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,080
Speaker 1: I started to think that the Patriots are just as

503
00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,440
Speaker 1: lucky to be in the a f C East as

504
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,560
Speaker 1: the Colts are to be in the a f C South.

505
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: And it wouldn't surprise me if the Dolphins, Jets, and

506
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:43,040
Speaker 1: Bills are three of the worst teams in the entire NFL. Well,

507
00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,520
Speaker 1: let's move on to one of these teams with actual

508
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,600
Speaker 1: concerns that the Patriots don't have. What, Well, let's hear

509
00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,160
Speaker 1: one of them. We're talking about the Jets. I think

510
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:53,919
Speaker 1: if you talk about the Jets, mark kid on it

511
00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,080
Speaker 1: their secondary, which Rex Ryan insists is not a concern,

512
00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:59,800
Speaker 1: even though it's by far the worst secondary he's ever coached.

513
00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,360
Speaker 1: And then I don't trust Gino Smith, and I've seen

514
00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,639
Speaker 1: no reason why I should trust him. I mean, you

515
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,639
Speaker 1: need you don't need three cornerbacks in today's league, you

516
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,760
Speaker 1: need five or six that you can trust. I mean,

517
00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 1: right now they've got they're talking about Kyle Wilson's breakout

518
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 1: season only because everyone else they've touted is down. Kyle

519
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:21,360
Speaker 1: Wilson got burned deep by Mohammed Sanu. That's hard to do.

520
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,120
Speaker 1: They also don't have any pass rush they I think

521
00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:29,240
Speaker 1: it was a football outsider stat created fewer hurries and

522
00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:34,359
Speaker 1: pressures last year when they just rushed four compared to

523
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,040
Speaker 1: any team in the league. And when you look at

524
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,959
Speaker 1: their roster, it makes sense. You have a great, great,

525
00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,359
Speaker 1: great defensive line. That's why the Jets have a chance

526
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 1: to win eight games is Mohammed Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson

527
00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,800
Speaker 1: and big snacks. But those guys aren't pass rushers. They're

528
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,399
Speaker 1: unbelievable run stuffers. They're good at pushing the pocket, especially Wilkerson.

529
00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,760
Speaker 1: But this isn't a team that has anyone coming from

530
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,399
Speaker 1: the outside and Russian And how do you manufacture that

531
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:02,880
Speaker 1: rush when you can't rely on your cornerbacks? There, I go,

532
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,879
Speaker 1: I don't think you can in Miami. Do we think

533
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,399
Speaker 1: that there's any friskiness possible here? Because Ryan Tannehill is

534
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,320
Speaker 1: ready for a third year breakout, I think that's possible.

535
00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,680
Speaker 1: And I agree with Mark. I'm very intrigued by Bill

536
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,720
Speaker 1: Laser's offense. Uh. I think with me, their questions start

537
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,040
Speaker 1: with the offensive line, which is being rebuilt but got

538
00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:27,119
Speaker 1: worked over by Gerald McCoy last week. And this has

539
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,240
Speaker 1: been a problem for a while. I just don't know

540
00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,199
Speaker 1: about I don't know about that whod team really and

541
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 1: and and behind that line, you know they're counting on

542
00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,720
Speaker 1: Lamar Miller to be their version of Lashawn McCoy if

543
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,639
Speaker 1: they're gonna run the Eagles centric offense. And you know

544
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,840
Speaker 1: I from what I've seen, yes, he's He's got athletic abilities,

545
00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,440
Speaker 1: there's no question about that. But I'm not sure about

546
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,800
Speaker 1: him as a feature back. Yet another question Mark. The

547
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,639
Speaker 1: Bills have a talented roster, and yet do they I

548
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,719
Speaker 1: think they do. They have Marcel Darius, they have a

549
00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,439
Speaker 1: lot of talented players on their defensive line, Mario Williams.

550
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,720
Speaker 1: They've lost Kikolonso and Jari's Bird of first of their

551
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,280
Speaker 1: top five talents they've lost. I like their left tackle

552
00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:07,919
Speaker 1: Cordy Glenn if he gets back on the field, Sammy Watkins.

553
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,159
Speaker 1: I like the receiver group. I don't think it's a

554
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,200
Speaker 1: terrible team. I would make that roster over the Dolphins roster.

555
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,480
Speaker 1: Dolphins roster because they don't have a sinkhole at quarterback.

556
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,680
Speaker 1: Are we giving up on Jamanuel already? I am. I

557
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,400
Speaker 1: don't think I was ever in on him, but yes,

558
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,720
Speaker 1: I'm giving He's a tough watch. Mark. You have the

559
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,720
Speaker 1: Bills in last place, you have them well behind the

560
00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,240
Speaker 1: Dolphins and Jets in your power pots. They are going

561
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,199
Speaker 1: to and I'm not This is not a commentary on

562
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,600
Speaker 1: Sammy Watkins, who has got a great future, but I

563
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,920
Speaker 1: think they went high giving away a number one pick

564
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,120
Speaker 1: that's gonna be uh an interesting selection for Cleveland next May.

565
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,120
Speaker 1: It's crazy how down we all are on the Bills.

566
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,000
Speaker 1: We all had them in last place. Our power poll

567
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: had the Patriots winning the division going away the Dolphins.

568
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,800
Speaker 1: Actually our consensus if you add them all up, the

569
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 1: offense where our number two team in the division. They

570
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,560
Speaker 1: were twenty fourth overall, so still not very high. Jets

571
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,280
Speaker 1: at twenty six, Bills at twenty nine, and so basically,

572
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,160
Speaker 1: when you add up what we thought, the a f

573
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 1: C East is gonna be one of the worst divisions

574
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,280
Speaker 1: in the league and they have to play the NFC

575
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 1: North out of division when they play out of conference.

576
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,680
Speaker 1: I think there could be a lot of losses there

577
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,480
Speaker 1: and a lot of a lot of chances for the

578
00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,640
Speaker 1: Lions and the Vikings and the Bears and the Packers

579
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,160
Speaker 1: to make hay against this AFC East. Let's talk about

580
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,280
Speaker 1: a more exciting division. You're a f C North Mark Sessler.

581
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,160
Speaker 1: Do you do you think there is a heavy favor

582
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,960
Speaker 1: in this division? I think there there is an increasingly

583
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 1: heavy favorite. It's not this is this is gonna be

584
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,200
Speaker 1: a rough division where I don't think the winner is

585
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,560
Speaker 1: gonna come out with thirteen wins. It's gonna be more

586
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,120
Speaker 1: like a ten and six type winner. And I see

587
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,120
Speaker 1: that as the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think we all do.

588
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,880
Speaker 1: I mean, there's just they've done too much on both

589
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,840
Speaker 1: sides of the Pittsburgh a couple of years ago looked

590
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,880
Speaker 1: like they were ready to maybe slowly nose dive in

591
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,840
Speaker 1: who a decline phase. And I think that the front

592
00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,479
Speaker 1: office deserves some credit for what they've done. That's not

593
00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,240
Speaker 1: the case at all, and in fact, they've gained ground.

594
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:10,920
Speaker 1: I think on the other teams in the division. I

595
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:15,120
Speaker 1: never would have thought in February that we would all

596
00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,440
Speaker 1: pick the Steelers to win the division. It's weird. We

597
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,680
Speaker 1: agreed so much and we have them as the number

598
00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:24,560
Speaker 1: six team overall in our preseason power pool. We're we're

599
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: drinking the steelerskool aid, which means they should probably be

600
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:32,040
Speaker 1: a team of a t They have exciting players. Mark

601
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,320
Speaker 1: has been fired up about Dree Archer and is four

602
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,920
Speaker 1: to six speed. Ryan Shazier looks like a cheetah playing linebacker.

603
00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,880
Speaker 1: They've got some fun guys to watch. They definitely are

604
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:47,200
Speaker 1: not getting eliminated today. We're gonna decide next week who

605
00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:48,720
Speaker 1: the team of a T L is there in a

606
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,040
Speaker 1: couple of weeks, and we're gonna carry these teams over.

607
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:52,880
Speaker 1: If any of us want to carry the team over,

608
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 1: we're gonna do it. I want to carry the Steels over. West.

609
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,840
Speaker 1: Does Mark, you at least think they're gonna be good.

610
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,320
Speaker 1: I do. I've discussed this with West many times. I

611
00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,240
Speaker 1: am not going to If I had my choice, I

612
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,440
Speaker 1: would not veto them. But I will not vote for

613
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,960
Speaker 1: them either because I have a soul. But I would

614
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,840
Speaker 1: has to be unanimous. So that's it's you are vetoing them.

615
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:13,400
Speaker 1: You at least have to make it. We can get

616
00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,040
Speaker 1: into it later, but they go on to the next round. Okay,

617
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,480
Speaker 1: so they're gonna They're gonna move on. Chris and I

618
00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,760
Speaker 1: have the Ravens in the playoffs, and the around the

619
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,240
Speaker 1: league team if you add up all our picks, has

620
00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,720
Speaker 1: the Ravens in the playoffs really as the sixth seed.

621
00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,480
Speaker 1: So I think the argument here is that the offensive

622
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,760
Speaker 1: line gets better, that the offense really gets better from

623
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,040
Speaker 1: in terms of being a sinkhole last year to being

624
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,000
Speaker 1: average or even a little above average. I'm buying into

625
00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,840
Speaker 1: the offensive turnaround. I think they lead the NFL in

626
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,840
Speaker 1: preseason rushing average behind this offensive line, and they have

627
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,400
Speaker 1: yet to give up a sack. Now, it's preseason numbers.

628
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,080
Speaker 1: It doesn't mean a whole lot, but there are signs there. Right.

629
00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,360
Speaker 1: Rice looks quicker, Bernard Pierce looks good. I think Steve

630
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,760
Speaker 1: Smith still has a lot left in the tank. And

631
00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,520
Speaker 1: I think this Gary Kubiak offense real. He fits Joe

632
00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 1: Flacco will Yeah. I went with Sinc over Baltimore and

633
00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,240
Speaker 1: as my as a playoff team, they got into my

634
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,720
Speaker 1: my slot I think was fifth or six. They're a

635
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,440
Speaker 1: wild card team for sure, behind Pittsburgh, and I don't

636
00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 1: see a lot of difference between it comes down to

637
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,400
Speaker 1: the last week of the season, like it has in

638
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:17,960
Speaker 1: the a f C North for a couple of years.

639
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,760
Speaker 1: I just think that Cincinnati, I think we don't want

640
00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:22,880
Speaker 1: to see them in the playoffs because they produced three

641
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,000
Speaker 1: of the most boring postseason shows in our in our

642
00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,760
Speaker 1: life's history, on consecutive Saturday afternoons, I believe, and they've

643
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:33,960
Speaker 1: gone defunct each time. And Baltimore could could outshine them,

644
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,600
Speaker 1: but since he does have a lot of talent, it's

645
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,000
Speaker 1: hard to look at that that team and say, oh,

646
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:41,480
Speaker 1: here's a real dark spot that's going to keep them out.

647
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,360
Speaker 1: I think just a lot of I don't know, there's

648
00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,200
Speaker 1: something about that team playing in that division. It's a

649
00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:52,840
Speaker 1: lot of tough games that we've bagged on Andy Dalton

650
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,320
Speaker 1: for so long that I've I guess I believe it.

651
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,840
Speaker 1: Even though Hugh Jackson's there, even though he's playing well

652
00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,800
Speaker 1: in the preseason. Ultimately, I think he's the third best

653
00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,600
Speaker 1: quarterback in that division, and I think it shows up.

654
00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,600
Speaker 1: I think teams in the division. Here's the one problem

655
00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,600
Speaker 1: for Cincinnati long term is Darlton's gonna have his third

656
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,560
Speaker 1: offensive coordinator in as many years. When Hugh Jackson becomes

657
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,520
Speaker 1: the coach of the Cowboys next off season. So you

658
00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,040
Speaker 1: think they're gonna have a big offensive explosion if Hugh

659
00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,240
Speaker 1: Jackson gets that job. I think he's going to be

660
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 1: rightly seen as a guy. Yeah. I think he's gonna

661
00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,000
Speaker 1: he's gonna do a lot for this offense. I think

662
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 1: he's I think a lot of us think he's an

663
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:32,760
Speaker 1: upgrade over Grood, and I think he's a sort of

664
00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 1: an underrated play caller. History is working against the Bengals

665
00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,480
Speaker 1: as a team that lost three straight playoff openers. I

666
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,640
Speaker 1: think there might only be one team in NFL history

667
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,120
Speaker 1: that's ever gone back up fourth time after one? Could

668
00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:47,840
Speaker 1: the Bengals be, in a sense average enough to do

669
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,560
Speaker 1: that though a fourth time? Could they be the most

670
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,520
Speaker 1: average team slightly above average playoff entry of all time?

671
00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:00,160
Speaker 1: The defense has been great year after year, and no

672
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,360
Speaker 1: one's talked about whether it's gonna hurt them if Mike

673
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,800
Speaker 1: Zimmer leaves. I think that's a big loss. I mean,

674
00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:08,719
Speaker 1: Mike Zimmers. Mike Zimmer's gone, and he's really cooked up

675
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,759
Speaker 1: some great performances out of that secondary. Uh. You know,

676
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,759
Speaker 1: they love their rookie Denard, their first round pick. But

677
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,560
Speaker 1: I don't know. When you look at the talent in

678
00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:20,360
Speaker 1: the back end, it's not that exciting. You got vontez Berfick,

679
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,799
Speaker 1: who signed a big contract extension reportedly on Wednesday. He's good,

680
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:26,480
Speaker 1: but if you look at the back seven, to me,

681
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:31,400
Speaker 1: it's not that impressive. I like uh, I like that.

682
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,839
Speaker 1: We all agreed on the Bengals. We had them just

683
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,120
Speaker 1: out of the playoffs, So any Bengals fans, it's not

684
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:40,200
Speaker 1: like we thought your team stunk. We had them as

685
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:42,880
Speaker 1: the number seven team in the a f C. I

686
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,360
Speaker 1: had him just a little bit lower than that, but overall, uh,

687
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,239
Speaker 1: we kind of viewed them as a team that was

688
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:50,880
Speaker 1: in the top fifteen overall and just out of the playoffs.

689
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,239
Speaker 1: Let's move on to the worst division in football, the

690
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,719
Speaker 1: a f C South. Do we think the Colts get

691
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 1: challenged in any way? All have the other three teams

692
00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,960
Speaker 1: in the division in my bottom five. Maybe if I

693
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,839
Speaker 1: would have known how the Cleveland quarterback situation played out,

694
00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,120
Speaker 1: you can change it now who I might throw Cleveland

695
00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:12,680
Speaker 1: no offense mark, but I might throw them into the

696
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,399
Speaker 1: last spot in my power rankings. I'd have a tough

697
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,000
Speaker 1: time with that based on what we're seeing from their defense,

698
00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,239
Speaker 1: but it's hard to argue with a whole lot better

699
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,040
Speaker 1: than that if the quarterback situation is a swarming mess.

700
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:26,960
Speaker 1: I like them a lot better. I like Cleveland. I

701
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,799
Speaker 1: like Cleveland as the middle of the pack team. I

702
00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:30,880
Speaker 1: like them as a six seven win type of team.

703
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,920
Speaker 1: Why not? That defense is great quarterback, So that's what

704
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,080
Speaker 1: it always comes down to. I think you can win

705
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,880
Speaker 1: six or seven games with a great defense and a

706
00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,800
Speaker 1: lousy quarterback. We see it. I mean, d J. Manuel.

707
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,719
Speaker 1: They won six games last year. I mean, granted, six

708
00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:46,520
Speaker 1: and ten isn't too exciting, but I think they could

709
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,840
Speaker 1: win six or seven games with a good coach and

710
00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,640
Speaker 1: in a really great defense. I agree with west Is

711
00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:53,320
Speaker 1: I had I had the rest of the a f

712
00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:57,440
Speaker 1: C South below Indianapolis from Area twenty four on down

713
00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,520
Speaker 1: through thirty two, and in my team was Baxonville. I

714
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:03,440
Speaker 1: think they're gonna have a turning point moment this year

715
00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,759
Speaker 1: where they're more like the Cleveland team you're describing. They

716
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,960
Speaker 1: may not have a perfect situation at quarterback, but they've

717
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:10,640
Speaker 1: got a lot of hope and they've got some other

718
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 1: moving parts. They're very well coached. I think they there's

719
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,800
Speaker 1: a chance in this division for the second place team

720
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,120
Speaker 1: to make a run at the playoffs because you have

721
00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,200
Speaker 1: such an easy schedule. You're playing the rest of the division.

722
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,440
Speaker 1: The out of division schedule is not that tough for

723
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,000
Speaker 1: this division. I think they play then NFC East, which

724
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,760
Speaker 1: is ideal. So I don't know. Isn't there a chance

725
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 1: that one of these teams, the Titans, the Texans, are

726
00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,280
Speaker 1: the Jaguars get a little lucky and they're in the mix.

727
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:41,279
Speaker 1: Let's say in Week fourteen, still competing for a playoff spot. Well,

728
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,600
Speaker 1: it's so hard because the Texans for me, would be

729
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,799
Speaker 1: the obvious choice. But then I'd have to believe that

730
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,440
Speaker 1: Ryan Fitzpatrick could do that, and I have no belief

731
00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,840
Speaker 1: that he could do that. I would think that Locker

732
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,040
Speaker 1: is the friskiest quarterback outside of Andrew Luck, but the

733
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,440
Speaker 1: rest of that roster doesn't really have any stars on it.

734
00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,840
Speaker 1: It's you know, the Titans in a weird way, remind

735
00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,560
Speaker 1: me of last year's Chargers, where we all want to

736
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,719
Speaker 1: automatically overlook them. I'm not saying the same team, but

737
00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,040
Speaker 1: they've got a good coach in Whizz and Hunt, and

738
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,800
Speaker 1: if Locker stays healthy, they've got some other parts. And again,

739
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:14,239
Speaker 1: if the schedule helps him out. We can't get all

740
00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,520
Speaker 1: these right. We're looking at the South. We're gonna we're

741
00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,560
Speaker 1: gonna get every single one of them we're writing. We're

742
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:21,960
Speaker 1: writing the South off entirely for the third year in

743
00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,720
Speaker 1: a row, and things change, We're gonna be surprised. It hasn't.

744
00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:28,239
Speaker 1: They haven't gotten us wrong, or they haven't made us

745
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,560
Speaker 1: look stupid in a while. I I agree that the

746
00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,920
Speaker 1: Titans could be interesting because they have a lot of

747
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:37,600
Speaker 1: offensive pieces. I mean, they have a quarterback that has

748
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:41,880
Speaker 1: some talent, a good coach. Their offensive line at least

749
00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,920
Speaker 1: it looks respectable, should be really good. It should be good.

750
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:49,200
Speaker 1: But Lavitre wasn't as good as you expect. Ruce is

751
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:52,160
Speaker 1: a guy they're trying to replace. Uh, you signed Michael

752
00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,799
Speaker 1: or for right tackle. I don't know if that's like

753
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,600
Speaker 1: a Gangbusters line. You you lose Munchak, who is an

754
00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,160
Speaker 1: old line guy, although I don't know if that ever

755
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,720
Speaker 1: really translated. Then Zach Medenberger comes in week three, four

756
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,120
Speaker 1: thousand yards sets the record for most strip sex. What

757
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,040
Speaker 1: about his motion? Well? What about overlooking bordles here? Why

758
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:16,440
Speaker 1: can't why shouldn't. I had the Jacksonville Jaguars as my

759
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:19,239
Speaker 1: second team. Yeah, that's true. You had him twenty four

760
00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,799
Speaker 1: overall though, so not a huge show of faith, not

761
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,400
Speaker 1: burning down society necessarily, but that's about where I had

762
00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:27,959
Speaker 1: him too, and I have them as the second place

763
00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,040
Speaker 1: team in that division as well. I think the Jaguars

764
00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:36,000
Speaker 1: have a chance. Um, I just don't know if there

765
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,360
Speaker 1: can score enough points. Like, even if the Blake Bortles

766
00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:43,719
Speaker 1: does start and looks good, what are the chances that

767
00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:47,640
Speaker 1: that equates to more than seventeen points a game. Well,

768
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 1: he hasn't faced really any blitz or any first team

769
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,919
Speaker 1: defenses yet, that's a lot different than what he's done.

770
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,160
Speaker 1: And like you said, we can see what traits he

771
00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,120
Speaker 1: has and be high on him because he's played well,

772
00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,880
Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean he's gonna play well against the

773
00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:05,120
Speaker 1: NFL starters when defensive coordinators starts scheming against him. Do

774
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,239
Speaker 1: we think the Cults are a legit championship contender? No?

775
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,520
Speaker 1: I think they have too many roster holes and is

776
00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:14,759
Speaker 1: as great as Ryan Grigson was his first year a

777
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:18,239
Speaker 1: general manager. This this roster has the same holes it

778
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,319
Speaker 1: did a couple of years ago. At one point you

779
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:23,560
Speaker 1: were thinking I was ready to pick them as a

780
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,799
Speaker 1: Super Bowl team, albeit as an incomplete one. And we've

781
00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:29,400
Speaker 1: seen teams with the thirty second ranked defense go to

782
00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:31,960
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl in the last seven years, so you

783
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,840
Speaker 1: don't need to be perfect. But the Colts concern me. Uh,

784
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,440
Speaker 1: they're gonna be an out I think, a very interesting offense.

785
00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,200
Speaker 1: But but Wesleyan's right, it's like the holes persist. The

786
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,440
Speaker 1: same stories I remember writing when they lost to the

787
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:47,600
Speaker 1: Ravens two years ago, Like that issue still is around

788
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:49,800
Speaker 1: in terms of their offensive line, in terms of Andrew

789
00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:52,640
Speaker 1: Luck still running for his life. It's how long can

790
00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:56,360
Speaker 1: that last? Only one of us even put the Colts

791
00:39:56,920 --> 00:40:01,480
Speaker 1: into the top ten teams in the NFL not I mean,

792
00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:03,919
Speaker 1: there's even though we all think that they could win

793
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,160
Speaker 1: the division, there wasn't a lot of faith that the

794
00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,280
Speaker 1: Cults are legit at all. They finished behind these teams

795
00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:14,360
Speaker 1: in our Power Bowl, the Bears, the Ravens, the Eagles,

796
00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:18,480
Speaker 1: the Chargers, the Cardinals. So we we tend to see

797
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,960
Speaker 1: the Colts closer to a team like the Redskins and

798
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:24,479
Speaker 1: Lions in our Power Poll than we do the real

799
00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:27,600
Speaker 1: up echelon. Maybe we're not giving Andrew Luck enough credit.

800
00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:29,279
Speaker 1: I was just saying, the only reason that that high

801
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,480
Speaker 1: is because of Andrew Luck. All Right. I put them

802
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:35,000
Speaker 1: ninth in my power rankings, and it was basically that

803
00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,480
Speaker 1: much faith in Andrew Luck because the rest of the roster. Okay,

804
00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:40,879
Speaker 1: they're good at tight end and wide receiver, but offensive line,

805
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,040
Speaker 1: running backs and the defense that got trampled last year

806
00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,680
Speaker 1: in the playoffs. How are we supposed to be optimistic

807
00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:50,759
Speaker 1: about that? They're a team, uh, that we don't see

808
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,120
Speaker 1: doing well in terms of going far in the playoffs,

809
00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,600
Speaker 1: but we do, as as a group pick them to

810
00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:00,239
Speaker 1: win the division by leaps and bounds. No other team

811
00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,799
Speaker 1: in that division is in our top twenty five of

812
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 1: our Power Bowl. We have the Jaguars as the second

813
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,960
Speaker 1: place team in the a f C South, but deep

814
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,880
Speaker 1: at Texans as the thirtieth team in the league and

815
00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:16,040
Speaker 1: the Titans as the thirty first. So we pretty much

816
00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,800
Speaker 1: agreed on burying the a f C South. So let's

817
00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:21,480
Speaker 1: now that we predicted those two divisions, let's go back

818
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:25,040
Speaker 1: into the elimination chamber decide on if any of these

819
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,480
Speaker 1: teams we want to consider as the team of around

820
00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,120
Speaker 1: the league. In the A f C South, You guys

821
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:34,319
Speaker 1: want to throw out any teams that that you at

822
00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 1: least want to push forward for a week. I would

823
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:41,560
Speaker 1: like to save the Colts, okay, I would save the Cults,

824
00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:44,840
Speaker 1: God's hardest, save anyone else in that division. I wouldn't

825
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,000
Speaker 1: mind talking about the Jaguars. Fun team to root for.

826
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:49,799
Speaker 1: I could go, I will, I don't want to. Let's

827
00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,520
Speaker 1: let's move them forward another week. Can we save the

828
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,759
Speaker 1: Texans for clowney and purposes? Now? Well, so you can

829
00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,320
Speaker 1: if if you want to put him forward. I would

830
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,799
Speaker 1: like to save the Texans for a little bit, as

831
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:04,600
Speaker 1: long as you don't know, you don't eliminate other teams

832
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:07,440
Speaker 1: based on bad quarters. I don't know, because there's no

833
00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:10,759
Speaker 1: chance that they're gonna be team right. All right, let's

834
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:16,080
Speaker 1: get about it here. Well, I and I think you

835
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:19,520
Speaker 1: and are closer to being keenomites than others. But let's

836
00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:24,840
Speaker 1: get rid of him. And we almost forgot about the Titans.

837
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:31,960
Speaker 1: There's no way we're making this vanilla, all right. We're

838
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,359
Speaker 1: moving the Colts forward, removing the Jaguars forward. Bortles is

839
00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,960
Speaker 1: taking first team snaps this week in practice. He is

840
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,440
Speaker 1: playing with the starters in the third preseason game. I

841
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:42,759
Speaker 1: know they've said to and he's the starter, but I

842
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,040
Speaker 1: feel like there has to be a five ten percent

843
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,320
Speaker 1: chance he's the week one starter, or else they wouldn't

844
00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:49,640
Speaker 1: be doing this. So maybe if Bortles is the week

845
00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:53,719
Speaker 1: one starter Jaguars, that's why we keep them alive. Wait,

846
00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:56,959
Speaker 1: did we discuss the North? We're moving on to that next.

847
00:42:57,640 --> 00:42:59,799
Speaker 1: Let's do uh the North. I think the Browns we

848
00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,080
Speaker 1: have to move forward. I think we moved the hole.

849
00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:04,960
Speaker 1: Oh wow, you don't want it. I would get rid

850
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:06,839
Speaker 1: of the Browns in a heartbeat after they chose Brian

851
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,799
Speaker 1: Hoyer as the star. But what if Manzel's in there

852
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,400
Speaker 1: a week in week two? Or what if Manzel becomes

853
00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,160
Speaker 1: the team because you out of Johnny Manziel. I don't

854
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,200
Speaker 1: think he's helping him this year. Wow, I like the Browns.

855
00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:21,399
Speaker 1: Let's at least move him forward a week. Bengals, No way,

856
00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,719
Speaker 1: we're not rooting on the team. No. I got no

857
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:31,320
Speaker 1: interest in the Ravens. We think are gonna make the playoffs.

858
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:35,000
Speaker 1: But can you really imagine rooting for the Ravens? Really

859
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,359
Speaker 1: you want to push them? They're an unlikable team. We're

860
00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:41,560
Speaker 1: pushing the Jaguars and Browns. Okay, I guess we're being nice.

861
00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:45,320
Speaker 1: No comment on the Ravens. There's no there's no chance

862
00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:46,759
Speaker 1: the Ravens are going to be the team of a

863
00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:49,000
Speaker 1: t L. The Steelers are going through since we we

864
00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:51,440
Speaker 1: like them so much. That brings us to our final

865
00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:55,400
Speaker 1: division of the day, the a f C West, A

866
00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,880
Speaker 1: division that it wasn't really hard to pick first place.

867
00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,839
Speaker 1: Did you guys debate the about second place in terms

868
00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:03,880
Speaker 1: of the Chargers in the Chiefs. Did you want to

869
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,759
Speaker 1: give the Chiefs any chance at all? I did not. Uh,

870
00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:12,040
Speaker 1: after seeing Kelsey looked really good and Dwayne Bow look

871
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:15,120
Speaker 1: a lot better, maybe I would reconsider. But I think

872
00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:17,759
Speaker 1: for me, the offensive line is a major major red

873
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:21,520
Speaker 1: flag there. I I had the Chiefs ranked twelve spots

874
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:24,920
Speaker 1: lower than the Chargers in my power poll. I for me,

875
00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:28,560
Speaker 1: it went Denver, uh, San Diego, Kansas City, Oakland. And

876
00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,520
Speaker 1: I think that the Chargers for me, are a very

877
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,520
Speaker 1: interesting team in the NFC. The Chargers to me, smell

878
00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:38,160
Speaker 1: like a team of around the league. I'm just gonna

879
00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:42,279
Speaker 1: say it. Don't they have a good chance? You don't

880
00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:44,520
Speaker 1: think so? Well? This is just gonna end up being

881
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:48,879
Speaker 1: West's team anyway. So you know, I Philip Rivers doesn't

882
00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:50,600
Speaker 1: excite me. I know you like him, but to me,

883
00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:53,399
Speaker 1: he's not an exciting quarterback. What about the offense has

884
00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:55,960
Speaker 1: no stars on it? What's to speak of? Oh, I

885
00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,560
Speaker 1: don't know. If you've met the guy named Corey Legit,

886
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:03,000
Speaker 1: a lot of jersey sales for that guy on the

887
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:05,320
Speaker 1: interesting team. I would push them on for sure, a

888
00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:07,560
Speaker 1: lot of people. Yeah, we have to push them forward.

889
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:10,440
Speaker 1: I mean we put them in the top. Uh. I

890
00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:12,879
Speaker 1: think eight teams overall in our power pult we were

891
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:15,359
Speaker 1: very high on the Chargers, almost a consentus that they

892
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:17,239
Speaker 1: were going to make the playoffs. Only one of us

893
00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,600
Speaker 1: had them out of the playoffs, which which was surprising

894
00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:24,120
Speaker 1: to me, and that was Kevin Patra. Uh, the Chargers

895
00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:26,239
Speaker 1: are going to move forward. Do we think there's any

896
00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,760
Speaker 1: chance that they challenged the Broncos in this division? They

897
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,720
Speaker 1: who played the Broncos better than anyone last year? Chargers

898
00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,360
Speaker 1: not over the course of If you're talking about winning

899
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:37,560
Speaker 1: and ending with a better record against when the when

900
00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,560
Speaker 1: the NFC West is the other team that they have, Yes,

901
00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:43,960
Speaker 1: the standings will be determined wins and losses. Again, well, no,

902
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,040
Speaker 1: then no, I mean, can they go one? Can they

903
00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:49,319
Speaker 1: beat them once in the season like they did last year? Sure? Yeah,

904
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:52,319
Speaker 1: there's no reason to manufacture some kind of debate here.

905
00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:57,840
Speaker 1: That's fair Pagano. For whatever reason, the Broncos three worst

906
00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:02,320
Speaker 1: offensive performances on till the Super Bowl Yardagewise was against

907
00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:07,120
Speaker 1: the Chargers all three. So they had good plans for them.

908
00:46:07,160 --> 00:46:09,040
Speaker 1: And if we see the Chargers as a team, that's

909
00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:12,319
Speaker 1: clearly the number five seed, which is what our consensus is.

910
00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:13,879
Speaker 1: To me, I mean they should be in the mix.

911
00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:17,719
Speaker 1: It's a very tough out of division schedule with the NFC. Uh.

912
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:20,640
Speaker 1: What did Pagano's defenses do against the other teams in

913
00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,160
Speaker 1: the league? Not very good, at least not until December.

914
00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,919
Speaker 1: That defense is confusing to me. I don't know why

915
00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:28,319
Speaker 1: it was so bad, But there aren't, like you said,

916
00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,280
Speaker 1: a lot of stars. There are we thinking the Chiefs

917
00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:35,080
Speaker 1: are gonna sink to the bottom of the NFL or

918
00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:38,640
Speaker 1: just sink to mediocrity. I think mediocrit. I think they

919
00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:41,960
Speaker 1: have they have h a really good front seven on defense,

920
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,840
Speaker 1: Alex Smith is solid. They I feel like their weapons

921
00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:47,680
Speaker 1: should be a little bit better this year. They could

922
00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:50,320
Speaker 1: be if you wanted to go from worst to first,

923
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:52,759
Speaker 1: right in the middle of the pack, what could be

924
00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:56,120
Speaker 1: Kansas City right around eight and eight. I think even

925
00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:59,520
Speaker 1: if they are in eight and eight type of team,

926
00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:01,279
Speaker 1: at least compared to what they were last I think

927
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,000
Speaker 1: they were only an eight and eight team last year.

928
00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:07,919
Speaker 1: That's the thing. They got lucky they were. They were

929
00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:11,719
Speaker 1: nine and oh with the easiest schedule possible. They had

930
00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:15,879
Speaker 1: the second fewest adjusted games lost out of starters corning

931
00:47:15,920 --> 00:47:18,040
Speaker 1: of Football Outsiders, and that that basically means they had

932
00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:21,080
Speaker 1: great injury luck. They were really healthy all year, and

933
00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:22,799
Speaker 1: they were not a good team down the stretch. They

934
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:25,839
Speaker 1: were two and six with a lousy defense. I think

935
00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:28,680
Speaker 1: they could sink past the middle. I had them as

936
00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:31,120
Speaker 1: the twenty four team in the league. I just think

937
00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:33,479
Speaker 1: they're like a six or seven win team. And even

938
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:36,280
Speaker 1: though that win total is giving Andy Reid some credit

939
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:38,080
Speaker 1: that he'll just cook up some magic, they were straight.

940
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:40,960
Speaker 1: If they, for instance, lost Jamal Charles, then then and

941
00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:43,240
Speaker 1: there there are a four win team. I mean, they're

942
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:45,480
Speaker 1: that kind of built where you don't see the other

943
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:49,279
Speaker 1: parts there. I could see Alex Smith playing well and

944
00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:52,680
Speaker 1: them going seven and nine, Like if Alex Smith regressed

945
00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,080
Speaker 1: they could be a four or five Witten type of

946
00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:59,680
Speaker 1: team with this schedule and this division. There any chance

947
00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:03,960
Speaker 1: they up behind your Oakland Raiders was no chance. Nobody.

948
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:06,640
Speaker 1: No team has a possibility to slip behind the Raiders.

949
00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:09,920
Speaker 1: When the Raiders see match Shop every day in practice,

950
00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:11,759
Speaker 1: they have to know the arms not there, and they

951
00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:14,840
Speaker 1: still continue to trot him out at quarterback, and it's

952
00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:19,840
Speaker 1: it's a charade. I could not agree more because Oakland,

953
00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:23,800
Speaker 1: to me, is really really taking it to their fan base.

954
00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:27,239
Speaker 1: When you're continuing to roll out this pr campaign about

955
00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:30,360
Speaker 1: Matt Shop, they have given their fan base a collective Weggie.

956
00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:33,919
Speaker 1: I think they are coming to terms. We talked about

957
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:35,879
Speaker 1: last show of what Shop is, and that's a guy

958
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:38,520
Speaker 1: that can't throw deep at all, and now they're trying

959
00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:42,040
Speaker 1: to coach around him, and that's just a losing proposition.

960
00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:46,839
Speaker 1: Coach around him with what I was in their camp

961
00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:50,760
Speaker 1: the other day and he was told by them, NFL

962
00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,600
Speaker 1: media insider Ian Rappaport was tooled. We are going to

963
00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:58,480
Speaker 1: use a good offensive line and running game to hide

964
00:48:58,840 --> 00:49:02,120
Speaker 1: Matt Shop's limitation and coach him up and adjust to

965
00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:04,920
Speaker 1: play calling. I don't know if they've seen the running

966
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,600
Speaker 1: game in offensive line in the preseason. It's non existing,

967
00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:09,960
Speaker 1: you know, and have the parts to do this. You know,

968
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:13,799
Speaker 1: it's crazy. You know what, the most interesting position to

969
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:16,920
Speaker 1: me on the entire team is wide receiver. And what

970
00:49:16,960 --> 00:49:18,640
Speaker 1: do you have there? A bunch of guys who can

971
00:49:18,719 --> 00:49:20,759
Speaker 1: run down the field other than Rod Streeter. I mean

972
00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,560
Speaker 1: you have Denarius More, you have Andre Holmes who's got

973
00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:26,560
Speaker 1: some speed. You have James Jones, maybe not a burner,

974
00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:28,520
Speaker 1: and yet there's really not anyone to get them the

975
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:30,600
Speaker 1: ball on the outside. This isn't a bat. They have

976
00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:33,400
Speaker 1: enough weapons with Michael Rivera to have a halfway decent

977
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:37,120
Speaker 1: passing attack. You know, when they started today right without

978
00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:39,480
Speaker 1: a quarterback, they started to make some plays. When Derek

979
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:42,200
Speaker 1: Carr was throwing the football, he got a little lucky.

980
00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:44,440
Speaker 1: But I think, yeah, what's the over under for when

981
00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:50,640
Speaker 1: Derek Carr starts, uh week two? Yeah, it's no for

982
00:49:51,040 --> 00:49:54,239
Speaker 1: they paid him too much money. They're gonna come look,

983
00:49:54,320 --> 00:49:57,560
Speaker 1: these weirder things have happened. I don't think you understand

984
00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:02,640
Speaker 1: how done Matt shob is and and consider this forgetting money.

985
00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:05,080
Speaker 1: This coaching staff doesn't need to worry about money. They're

986
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:07,520
Speaker 1: gonna gonna have jobs themselves if they If they float

987
00:50:07,560 --> 00:50:09,759
Speaker 1: this season the way last year win, well that that's

988
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:13,640
Speaker 1: the trick. They're already done. They're coaching staff and GM.

989
00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:18,520
Speaker 1: They gotta go Reggie. Reggie mackenzie needed to hit home

990
00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:21,040
Speaker 1: runs with a few drafts that he's had. He just

991
00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:23,000
Speaker 1: does not have a lot of things. She'd be canned

992
00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:25,560
Speaker 1: just for what he's done at quarterback since he's been hired.

993
00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:31,040
Speaker 1: So he drafted Tyler Wilson in the fourth round, signed

994
00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:33,080
Speaker 1: to Matt Flynn as a starter, then cut him after

995
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:36,640
Speaker 1: one start, and then traded for washed up match. I

996
00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:41,759
Speaker 1: think he inherited the worst depth chart situation that any

997
00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:47,200
Speaker 1: GM's inherited last five or six years. That is absolutely true,

998
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:50,879
Speaker 1: absolutely true, and he has exacerbated the problem. I tend

999
00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:53,520
Speaker 1: to agree he's a media favorite. I think he's a

1000
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:56,800
Speaker 1: nice guy. Right. He also drafted Car and if Car

1001
00:50:56,800 --> 00:51:00,000
Speaker 1: comes in and shows progress, then that that storyline change

1002
00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:03,800
Speaker 1: did find someone. I'll grant you that. Well. The Raiders

1003
00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:06,239
Speaker 1: were the team we agreed on the most in our

1004
00:51:06,239 --> 00:51:09,279
Speaker 1: power poll. All four of us that voted had them

1005
00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:12,319
Speaker 1: either as the thirty feet or the thirty second team

1006
00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:15,160
Speaker 1: in the league. So by consensus, we have the Raiders

1007
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:18,200
Speaker 1: as the very worst team in the league. Uh. The Chiefs,

1008
00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:20,399
Speaker 1: you guys basically saw as the middle of the pack team.

1009
00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:22,640
Speaker 1: I had them a little lower overall. They ended up

1010
00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:25,480
Speaker 1: uh eighteenth on our power poll, so that's about a

1011
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:28,719
Speaker 1: seven and nine record. We like the Chargers go into

1012
00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:31,080
Speaker 1: the playoffs, and we like them as a top ten team.

1013
00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:34,480
Speaker 1: So this is a legit team that cannot only compete

1014
00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:36,600
Speaker 1: in the a f C West or in the a

1015
00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:38,680
Speaker 1: f C, but can maybe beat the forty niners in

1016
00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:40,799
Speaker 1: one of those non conference games, you know, that can

1017
00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:42,880
Speaker 1: beat the Cardinals and Ramps, because they're gonna have to

1018
00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:45,120
Speaker 1: do that to be a top ten team. And then

1019
00:51:45,120 --> 00:51:47,520
Speaker 1: we have the Broncos as our a f C favorites

1020
00:51:47,600 --> 00:51:50,440
Speaker 1: fourth overall uh in our power pull. So not as

1021
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:52,680
Speaker 1: good as the NFC teams, but I guess by our

1022
00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:56,560
Speaker 1: predictions we have the Broncos going back to the Super Bowl.

1023
00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:59,359
Speaker 1: I don't agree with that. I'm putting the Patriots back

1024
00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:02,880
Speaker 1: in well teaser. They have to be the heavy heavy

1025
00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:06,760
Speaker 1: favorites to be meeting again in the conference championship game. Right.

1026
00:52:06,800 --> 00:52:09,200
Speaker 1: It's weird that there is some serious it looks like

1027
00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:11,279
Speaker 1: their separation again in the in the a f C.

1028
00:52:12,120 --> 00:52:14,000
Speaker 1: I'm gonna pick the same Super Bowl I picked the

1029
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:16,160
Speaker 1: last few years. But we'll we'll hold on that until

1030
00:52:16,200 --> 00:52:19,640
Speaker 1: the next show. Let's finally get back in the elimination chamber.

1031
00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:22,400
Speaker 1: Who should we move forward and who should we advance?

1032
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:24,600
Speaker 1: Let's start about the Broncos. There anyway we consider the

1033
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:26,759
Speaker 1: Broncos as a team of a t L. Can't come on,

1034
00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:29,000
Speaker 1: I don't think so. They're too much favorite. Yeah, you're

1035
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:35,520
Speaker 1: too You're too good. Broncos, You're done. I'll just even

1036
00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:43,640
Speaker 1: get through with it. Raiders and uh, the Chiefs, No, no, no,

1037
00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:49,080
Speaker 1: And I'm pushing the Charges forward and uh, they're one

1038
00:52:49,080 --> 00:52:51,879
Speaker 1: of my couple of favorites. If I had to pick,

1039
00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:54,520
Speaker 1: uh two or three teams, they're definitely in that group.

1040
00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:57,080
Speaker 1: I like the Chargers. So we'll we'll decide on the

1041
00:52:57,080 --> 00:52:58,560
Speaker 1: team of a t L in a couple of weeks.

1042
00:52:58,640 --> 00:53:01,759
Speaker 1: We moved those guys forward. We're gonna preview the NFC

1043
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:05,680
Speaker 1: on Friday. We're gonna do our fantasy preview. Are our

1044
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:09,160
Speaker 1: long awaited fantasy preview? So long awaited most people have

1045
00:53:09,239 --> 00:53:11,640
Speaker 1: done their fantasy drafts by the time they listen to it.

1046
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:16,879
Speaker 1: Next thing next Wednesday will be our fantasy show. Any

1047
00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:21,480
Speaker 1: final thoughts on a momentous day for you, Chris, No, no,

1048
00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:24,200
Speaker 1: no final thoughts. We want to get out of here.

1049
00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:27,560
Speaker 1: We're not gonna let you perish. Well. I feel like

1050
00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:30,440
Speaker 1: we can turn this into a celebration, a gala if

1051
00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:33,360
Speaker 1: you will like that. We could invite chefs in. We

1052
00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:36,279
Speaker 1: could we could make this very safe experience. What this

1053
00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:38,719
Speaker 1: happens on the Food Network. It could be they could

1054
00:53:38,719 --> 00:53:41,080
Speaker 1: make the saltball pants into a dish that maybe you

1055
00:53:41,080 --> 00:53:43,719
Speaker 1: guys will even want to try. Try it. I would try.

1056
00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:46,800
Speaker 1: You know it doesn't happen. For solidarity, maybe we should

1057
00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:49,080
Speaker 1: all go down eating some softball pants. I'll eat a

1058
00:53:49,160 --> 00:53:53,160
Speaker 1: vegan portion of softball pants being fried up or cooked

1059
00:53:53,200 --> 00:53:55,080
Speaker 1: or putting a suit. Make sure none of the zipp

1060
00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:57,839
Speaker 1: reports getting your meal. Maybe I can get emmaca my

1061
00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:01,440
Speaker 1: wife into the spirit who knows all right? For Mark Sessler,

1062
00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:06,200
Speaker 1: Chris westleyn Dan Hansas. Thanks for stopping by and t

1063
00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:08,919
Speaker 1: d behind the glass. M Gregg Rosenthal, We'll see you. Frank.

1064
00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:15,160
Speaker 1: Daddy gotta get home and babysit. It's not a babysit

1065
00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:17,520
Speaker 1: when if it's your baby. People telling me that I

1066
00:54:17,560 --> 00:54:21,520
Speaker 1: totally disagree. Absolutely not true.