NFL Cover Zero: NFL Week 1 and Playoff Picks!

00:00:06
Speaker 1: NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. It's episode two of the NFL Cover zero podcast. We welcome all the folks who listen to episode one or who just came upon this one as their first one. Please like and subscribe, maybe give us a rating, say something really nice. It's kind of exciting, Drew, to have new listeners who are not from where we're from. We're both from Kentucky. Like, I just gotta follow on Instagram from the Chiefs fans of Nashville, which is very exciting, very specific. So if I ever go to Nashville and I want to watch a Chiefs game, I will go where those people say, you know, that's drivable. We could go meet up with the Chiefs fans of Nashville if we ever need to. Yeah, I like the Chiefs fans of Nashville. I mean, I'd say Baby Taylor Swift's relatives would be part of it. But so thank you to all those folks. You can follow us. He's Drew Franklin KSR on Instagram. I'm KY Sports Radio, So feel free to join us now. Episode one went really well. We did the rankability or actually watchability of all the teams. But you know there are actually games. Now this isn't theoretical. We are recording this on Wednesday afternoon. Games start tomorrow night. Are you feeling the excitement? Oh, I'm very excited.

00:01:38
Speaker 2: I mean I watched a lot of the preseason, probably more of the preseason than the average viewer, got a good little taste of it. But now I'm ready for the real thing. And as always, we have some marquees and games right out of the gate that I watch more of.

00:01:51
Speaker 1: The preseason this year than every preseason in my life combined, which is I watched three quarters of a game. Because I don't watch the preseason. I always turned on the NFL Hall of Fame game, get excited and then say this is awful. But I did watch. I did watch some of it for the local announcers, etc. But now I'm ready for the regular games. I do have to ask you, I don't know this about you. Do you do fantasy football? Like you do you do the Hey, I got Lamar Jackson at quarterback? Like do you do this?

00:02:22
Speaker 2: I don't. And there's a story ten years ago I did like we got together, like in a group. We did the draft. It was a thing. I had an incredible year. I might have lost like one week. A lot of it was luck. I think I had, Like I think a lot of it's luck. Well, I think I had a running back. Maybe like it so far back. Maybe it was like when Steven Johnson was first put on the map. Whatever the case, Steven Jackson, excuse me, But at the end of the season, I'm a runaway winner. And the commissioner says, no one paid at the beginning of the year, but you and I had to go person by person and be like, hey, you owe me fifty bucks from September every and no, and I got like three of the guys. But it completely soured me on fantasy and I haven't done it since.

00:02:58
Speaker 1: You know, one of our fellow NFL podcasters, Bobby Bones, who I think does a podcast with the NFL with Castle, he invited me to his league and it was like him, eight of his college friends and me, and they had a draft. They drafted every year and they used it like a lot of college friends would do. They talk trash to each other, et cetera.

00:03:19
Speaker 2: And I felt bad because I didn't know any of these people, So I did like a whole year where again I never met any of them.

00:03:28
Speaker 1: I think I came in like fourth or something in the league.

00:03:30
Speaker 2: And then the next year it came for the draft, and I was like, I feel like I really didn't participate.

00:03:35
Speaker 1: So I just came in and was like, you know, you suck. But to these strangers, you know what, like yeah, you can do that because you drive up a nasty car. And I don't think they liked it. I don't think his friends thought that I should be doing that since I didn't know him. So I didn't get an invite again for the next year. So I did two years and then I got cut from the league. That's what I miss is the trash talk every week. You know.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: Now it's become this big thing to have a bet. I'm just still so mad from Molly ten years ago and the commissioner didn't collect the money that I'm boycotting it. So I don't do it.

00:04:12
Speaker 1: So we're not in it, which means we won't be like during the year talking about Who's the two things I never want to hear anybody about talk about their fantasy team or a hand in poker. Anytime anybody talks about the two of them, I punch them in the face, and so we're not going to do that this year as well. What we are going to do talk about the games. So I think we got to get started Thursday Night Football. You're going to have Mike Turco and Chris Collinsworth live from the City of Brotherly Love, where they'll give out their gaudy Super Bowl rings. It is the Eagles and the Cowboys. You know, normally this would be a celebration of Philadelphia. We've seen over the years though sometimes the team that is in this game will get upset. But the Cowboys seem like such a rudderless shift that I feel like this is almost a gimme for the Eagles. Is there any reason I'm excited about the game? But is there any reason it has any chance of being close? I don't think so.

00:05:08
Speaker 2: I think the spreads will high, it's like eight and a half. But the Cowboys, we all know the recent news not a great pr situation for the Cowboys as they come into Game one of the new season. But just as a neutral observer of the NFL, I love a good rivalry game right here, even if I don't think it's going to be very close. I love that we have Philadelphia Dallas first one up on our TV, whatever you think of it. That's one of the better rivalries in the league.

00:05:31
Speaker 1: So I like Thursday Night Football because the NFL always for the first game, they always bring a concert in, but it's like, it's usually not a huge star. They save those for later on, so they'll go, you know, they'll come in, they'll be like, not for the game, ninety eight degrees, and then they come out and sing, I swear, and people get really excited about it. But it's week one, so they can just kind of give you anything and you'll you'll be excited saying anything about Michael Parsons. Yeah, exactly. Every year there's all one massive upset in Week one happens almost every season. Any chance this is the one? I mean, is there any chance that this we get a Cowboys saying Jerry Jones middle fingers up, shirt off in the center of the field getting a victory.

00:06:23
Speaker 2: I won't ride off an upset at all. That's why I think the spreads a little high rivalry game Game one. We don't know a lot about these teams, Eagles secondary, what can they be? Maybe Deck goes back to his best form, has a great year, or the real scenario, the Cowboys win this, get all their hopes up, and they fizzle out as a year.

00:06:40
Speaker 1: It goes on the Cowboys.

00:06:41
Speaker 3: That would be the most likely. Feel there's only two. There are two sort of results. I'm looking for. One Cowboys win. Philadelphia fans. I like to see them frustrated, but you know they can't get that. First, they just won the Super Bowl, and they won a.

00:06:57
Speaker 2: Few years ago with Nick Foles, so you can't really complain if you're the Cowboys.

00:07:02
Speaker 1: So an upset it's cool.

00:07:03
Speaker 2: But second, I want the Cowboys to lose Blake thirty five because I have to tell you I've said on these here airwaves before, nothing is more entertaining than a Cowboys postgame show when it's over.

00:07:13
Speaker 1: Because there's two radio stations. There's one that's official Cowboys Radio, and they'll come on and they'll go you know, I think if Dak just starts seeing the receiver better, he's gonna be able to oh, next week, Ceedee Lamb will be more integrated in the offense. And then you go to the other one and they're like.

00:07:32
Speaker 2: Jay Jones needs to be st off on a raft like the two combinations.

00:07:37
Speaker 1: It's so great how much they diverge from each other. I like to see a big route for late Thursday night, falling asleep to a Randing postgame show at we root for.

00:07:49
Speaker 2: The star in my household. It's not the same as your wife. Well, I grew up a Cowboys fan because the Titans literally didn't exist, and then they being from Western Kentucky, when a pro team pops up an hour from your house, you're allowed to pick up a new team. But I haven't forgotten. When I was a child, my bedroom was decorated in the Cowboys stuff, so I haven't forgotten that I still root for them. You as a secondary I.

00:08:09
Speaker 1: Remember you used to walk around like in Alvin Harper socks and nothing else at the barns sometimes and I was like, what are you doing? Oh?

00:08:17
Speaker 2: I had this picture above my bed. It was obviously photoshop, but it's like Texas Stadium welcomes True Franklin, like my grandmother found it in some catalog. But a big Cowboys fan growing up. It just died as time went on. Liked the Cowboys.

00:08:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like the Eagles to win fairly easily, but I'm looking forward to it. I love Chris collins Worth. Chris collins Worth to me is kind of the modern sound of football. I still forget that al Michaels is not on the game. I think I've said probably fifteen times Alan Chris. I guess he's now with herb Street on Amazon, but I miss him. I feel like Al and Chris they were like good buddies. They both sweater vested together, and I just I kind of missed them being on TV. Chris slid I like Mike three.

00:09:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, everybody likes the Chris collins Worth slide too when he comes in uh from off screen, So.

00:09:07
Speaker 1: It'd be good to see that again. Well, then they go Friday Night, always a wild card. They're going. They're in Brazil, sal Pallo, one of the biggest cities in the world. They're going. I saw today they you know, we'll go to a foreign country.

00:09:25
Speaker 2: Sometimes we forget just to be normal, you know, So like they would these American journalists would ask the players they were doing the interviews, and.

00:09:35
Speaker 1: They were like, hey, hey, hey, Travis Kelsey, can you spell Brazil? And You're like, you don't have to act?

00:09:43
Speaker 2: Well could he?

00:09:45
Speaker 1: You don't have to act like you're going to a mystical land that no one's ever been to. It's just Brazil. But you get the Chiefs and the Chargers. Did the NFL hire influencers to go is I is I Speed? I show speed speed. This would be a big game for him. This would be a big game for him if he's going. I believe it's like the announcers are I show speed, mister Beast, now Michaels and Alex Earl. That'd get a lot of viewers those three.

00:10:13
Speaker 2: But so it is on YouTube, Yeah, I think so as a regular yout not YouTube. As I'm saying it, I'm in my own head, like how does this work? You just log on YouTube and there it is.

00:10:25
Speaker 1: Say you laughed?

00:10:26
Speaker 2: That's what That's what I'm saying it.

00:10:28
Speaker 1: I'm just on the YouTube and search football game, like where where is it?

00:10:33
Speaker 2: I got my cooking videos and over here? Then the the Chiefs Chargers pulled up. I mean I did find when when Kelsey and Taylor Swift did their podcast, I got on YouTube and it was just there.

00:10:43
Speaker 1: So that's what will happen with this game too. Yeah, no no subscription, just who's on the who calls it? I do. I'm not kidding. I think they have YouTube influence, and I don't think they're the main announcers. But I think you can watch a game where like Cay Sanat just does backflips up and down the field.

00:10:59
Speaker 2: I would tune in for that.

00:11:03
Speaker 1: I mean, I think, so, do we know who's actually doing the game.

00:11:07
Speaker 2: I'm trying to pull it up here.

00:11:08
Speaker 1: We'll get Billy O Preud like to. I'd like to know who who's on it. It's Chiefs in charge. Just another division game. You know, last year the field got all messed up. Presumably that will be better.

00:11:20
Speaker 2: So this is a chance to see if the Chiefs can kind of bounce back from what was a mediocre regular season last year. I prefer the international games when I get to wake up at nine am and they're just on TV. This one, I think we're kind of maybe an hour off time change. Isn't that crazy. I don't know what's the Brazil time. I think it's just an hour off. It's not like the London games where we get a little early morning you have some information.

00:11:40
Speaker 4: Actually, yeah, we got a little Rich Eyesen and Kurt Warner in Brazil.

00:11:44
Speaker 1: Kurt Warner, nice Rich eyes in ESPN network or ESPN and now NFL and Kurt Warner, right.

00:11:55
Speaker 4: It is YouTube and YouTube TV exclusively.

00:11:57
Speaker 1: And am I right that? Like I show Speed is in it? In there a YouTube influence with.

00:12:02
Speaker 4: Mister beasts Kai Setta. Yes, I haven't read that.

00:12:11
Speaker 1: See you last me.

00:12:13
Speaker 4: They're doing something.

00:12:14
Speaker 2: I literally named the only three people I know on YouTube and they're all there.

00:12:18
Speaker 4: All three of them are involved.

00:12:19
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:12:19
Speaker 2: So as the NFL knows it's audience, they know exactly who you wanted to see in this game.

00:12:23
Speaker 1: I wanted to see Ky Sinnett and I show Speed. Well, I'm good.

00:12:27
Speaker 2: Grill robe grill as I just pulled it up. What's a robe grill? I don't know what does that even mean? Is this robe like where a bathroom is? A person's name? Four point fifteen million subscribers? Really, what does he do? Goes to the games to Brazil looking forward to it? Okay, good? What about Todd Chris la Is he there? Actually he just got out of prison. He should be there. So I always wonder, and actually heard a player talk about this recently. I mean, we consider the travel on the players, but uh, he was talking about I think they played a game in Ireland and you have your routine of your your diet and maybe Ireland doesn't have way you go out and eat every meal and that they have to do some Some teams have to like ship entire you know meal plans to these countries just to get ready for the MBOs.

00:13:19
Speaker 1: It's got a somba. You have to sambo.

00:13:21
Speaker 2: They have the Mizalas. What was the big World Cup thing.

00:13:24
Speaker 1: They had there? Yeah, yeah, South Africa. That's a different that's a different continent. Well, World Cup was here, World Cup was there? Maybe they had them too.

00:13:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this is the They opened the World Cup in the stadium in twenty fourteen, So maybe there's still some some careapern Elia hanging around.

00:13:40
Speaker 1: I'm excited about it now that I know where to find it. I know it's on uh It's it's on YouTube.

00:13:45
Speaker 2: Excited about us.

00:13:46
Speaker 1: Actually, I won't be able to watch it. I'm going to uh Red's batting practice that night. They're letting me. They're letting me a ten batting practice. I'm gonna give Eli some pointers. Seeh I need a home run since early July. I'm gonna say tell Eli Dale Cruz gotta wait on.

00:14:01
Speaker 2: The ball while you're sitting there watching Ellie. Because it's YouTube, you can be listening I show Speed on your phone right there behind home plate.

00:14:09
Speaker 1: Do you like the Chiefs in this?

00:14:14
Speaker 2: I don't love the Chiefs.

00:14:15
Speaker 1: I don't either.

00:14:16
Speaker 2: I like the Chiefs, I don't love the Chiefs.

00:14:18
Speaker 1: What's the spread?

00:14:20
Speaker 2: The spread is the three and a half point fam three and.

00:14:22
Speaker 1: A half points. Yeah. If I were in a bet, i'd bet the charges it's gonna call. I think I'm taking the charges. Yeah, against the spread, I would definitely take the charge. As far as the game, you know, it feels like whenever there's a premium showcase when the world is watching, the Chiefs usually step up, and I feel, you know, yeah, Travis Kelsey, I'll be married to Taylor Swift, but I Show Speed is going to be there. And more importantly, Robe Grill and the Taylor Archie, Taylor, Travis and Patrick are gonna make sure they're ready. So I will take the Chiefs to win, but Chargers uh to cover.

00:15:00
Speaker 2: The Chiefs also have a big advantage. I feel like here lately, the NFL's like just put the Chiefs in the s. Last year they played on every day of the week Tuesday, Christmas.

00:15:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, just make it the chief I always put them on Christmas Thanksgiving, they make them play on Arbor Day.

00:15:15
Speaker 2: Uh, that was too far. By the way, the Arbor Day game was completely unnecessary.

00:15:19
Speaker 1: They're big on If they don't know what else to do with somebody, just send the Chiefs there and they'll take care of it. Now throughout our game picks here, we also don't want to act like there's not news. News. News happens in the NFL all the time, and Billy, our producer, is going to come in and give us in between games some news. So Billy, I have not followed the headlines. Give me give me our first headline from from the NFL news.

00:15:45
Speaker 4: Yeah, here's a piece of news for you, Matt. Today, Roger Goodell was on The Today Show and he confirmed that.

00:15:51
Speaker 1: He is a Who's on the Who's on the Today Show?

00:15:54
Speaker 4: Roger Goodell.

00:15:57
Speaker 1: Day regular host? Is it so Matt Lowers not on there anymore?

00:16:01
Speaker 2: Is this Hoda?

00:16:03
Speaker 1: I think she retired? Didn't she trouble that? I'm behind on my Today Today's Show? It's not Katie Kuric, it is hot Deborah Norville anymore? Oh, Jenna Bush isn't she on it? George W.

00:16:17
Speaker 4: I'm usually watching Morning Savannah Guthrie. Okay, Craig Melvin, I've never heard of that. Al Roker? Of course, what Al.

00:16:26
Speaker 1: Roker's still going?

00:16:28
Speaker 2: Good for Al? If I told you Al Roker was still on there, would you believe it wouldn't good for Al?

00:16:33
Speaker 1: Wow? Who's Craig Melvin? Is that what she said?

00:16:36
Speaker 2: Craig Melvin?

00:16:37
Speaker 1: Never heard of And then who else?

00:16:39
Speaker 4: Carson Daly and Jenna Bush.

00:16:43
Speaker 1: Carson Daly is on there.

00:16:45
Speaker 4: He's also the host of the Voice.

00:16:48
Speaker 1: Wow. Carson Daily? Is that what happened to Jesse? For me?

00:16:53
Speaker 2: Carson's not doing t r L anymore.

00:16:57
Speaker 1: I'm not sure to watch anymore Craig Melvin or Carson Dally on there? Okay, so he was on there? What did he say?

00:17:03
Speaker 2: Uh?

00:17:03
Speaker 4: He confirmed he's a Swiftie, and then he hinted at the possibility of Taylor Swift performing at the Super Bowl halftime show this year, said it was a maybe.

00:17:14
Speaker 1: Well, everything's maybe. I guess it feels like she should do it. I can tell you if you're gonna do it, this is the year you and your husband will be off knitting and you know going to pottery classes starting next year, so I this is the year she should do it. And then of course if Travis is playing, he wins the game, they go off into the sunset and it's she definitely she's.

00:17:38
Speaker 2: I think it's happening.

00:17:39
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:17:39
Speaker 2: The Internet even found you know, she's all about leaving the Easter eggs and the nuggets everywhere given hints, and when she did the Kelsey podcast there was like a little Lombardi trophy on the shelf and a few other things that the Internet thinks might have been hints.

00:17:53
Speaker 1: And isn't it also like her number is thirteen, yeah, and this is his thirteenth year in the.

00:17:58
Speaker 2: NFL number ology. I think she calls it. Yeah, I saw on that podcast. She also said on that podcast that she asked Jason Kelsey said what do you do for fun? And she said sour dough bread mm hmm, which I think is actually a really good answer because you know, unlike you all, I still occasionally, you know, I'm single, so I'll have to meet somebody new.

00:18:24
Speaker 1: And they havebably one of the boring first questions is what do you do for fun? There's no answer I can give that doesn't sound like I'm the most boring person in the world. You know, I watched The Gilded Age. It's seven hours of radio. I read long walks. Sometimes when it's crazy, I play golf, but you know, I've been hurt my back. So if you can answer something like sour dough bread, that's a unique I mean, are.

00:18:56
Speaker 2: You saying you're gonna still tell his answer? You're gonna say sour dough bread. That would be bad because I don't know it. But it would be nice to be able to have something unique like that. Like who she said sour dough bread, And I thought, well, that's a very unique answer, also a very homely answer for a megastar that can do anything she wants on the planet, maybe even on other planets. She has so much money, but she's like, no, I just like to sit at home and bake. She make a little Yeah she need baked. I'd like to have a little sour dough in thing, right, yea with a K.

00:19:27
Speaker 1: What does that mean when you roll it?

00:19:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're you're just needing the bread.

00:19:30
Speaker 1: You're you're just wanting, you.

00:19:32
Speaker 2: Getting getting roughed up and ready to be baked.

00:19:34
Speaker 1: All right, Well, good for her. I don't know what that has to do with this game. But I'm doing Chargers. Excuse mean charges Cover Chiefs win. You're doing you know, I'm just gonna go the upset. It's it's episode one for us of picking games. I'm not gonna sit here and be the guy picking all chalking.

00:19:50
Speaker 2: Let's go Charges in Brazil.

00:19:51
Speaker 1: Love it all right, Sunday Night Football. I'm kind of doing these games in order of my interest in Sunday Night Football. Ravens Bills, what a great game. Can't believe me? You can argue, I mean, this is probably the best game. Once again. They slide Tariko and collinswars back in. They get all the good stuff now, Lamar Josh Allen, two most exciting guys in the NFL. Probably the game is in Buffalo. They started drinking yesterday. It's gonna be It's gonna be awesome. Plus, my mom is going to be close to Buffalo at that time. And I'm not gonna tell you where she is, but let's just say it'll be one hundred and fifty miles away, Okay, draw a circle around. Yeah.

00:20:53
Speaker 2: She said to me, she goes, do you think they'll be traffic? And I was like not where you are, one hundred and fifty miles from the state.

00:21:05
Speaker 1: I think you're probably I think you're probably good.

00:21:08
Speaker 2: No one's gonna put you through a table.

00:21:10
Speaker 1: They might be in a different time zone. I think you're gonna be all right. But I'm excited about this. Who's more fun for you to watch? Lamar?

00:21:17
Speaker 2: Josh Allen. Oh that's tough. I mean when this was announced, just thank you NFL. The one game off Sunday night, wrapping up the weekend there before the Monday game, we have essentially what could be an AFC championship. I got burned on the Ravens pretty bad last year. I never make future bets. I hate like just having the receipt in my count. The last year I bet on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. I really thought Lamar was getting over the hump. They had my guy, Derrick Henry, even though I want to vomit seeing him in that jersey. I thought it was their year, and they burned me. I'm not putting faith in the Ravens again this year. I think I'm gonna make a futures bet on the Bills. I'm gonna ride the Bills to get over the hope somebody's got to get over the hump this season.

00:21:55
Speaker 1: It does don't win this year, it's never gonna happen for I mean, this is the year. I think it's it's set up well for him. They've got probably the best roster. They were the best team I think even last year, and it just you know, they ended up losing a game at the end.

00:22:11
Speaker 2: About a week one game with potential implications like.

00:22:14
Speaker 1: This is definitely this is a seating game, sure, first Sunday night. Yeah, for sure, this is a seating game. I think for both these teams, they sit there and they look at how their season ended. Both teams ended with like a pass dropped that if they won, they might have thought they'd won the Super Bowl. So I can't wait for this for this to be the best game we just so you know, we will go. We're recording episode three live right after this game is over on Sunday night, so it'll be in your feed probably Monday morning when you wake up. I'm gonna take the I'm gonna take the Bills only because they're at home. Game is in Baltimore. I would take them.

00:22:51
Speaker 2: Baltimore a one and a half point favorite.

00:22:53
Speaker 1: Here on the road in Buffalo.

00:22:55
Speaker 2: Really Yeah, but I also liked the Bills. As I just said, Ravens burn me last year when I believed in them. I do think Henry is still Dereck Henry and they're going to be right in the mix at the end of the year. But even the favorite, I'm not sure.

00:23:09
Speaker 1: No, Like that doesn't make any sense to me.

00:23:11
Speaker 2: I mean a lot of people have Ravens as the number one power ranked team, but I mean, you're going on the road in.

00:23:15
Speaker 1: The Buffalo at night.

00:23:18
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess it won't be cold yet, but still, that's that's really surprising to me. That's my first They know something does make it. It's a little fish know something. What do you think they know the outcome? Derrick Henry fill in love. He might already be married, Billy. Just for the record, I don't I have no source. He probably already married. But uh yeah, it feels like they might know something. Yeah, but I like the Bill's here, Bill's here, Okay, Josh seen to marry Josh Hallen Allen first married game right.

00:23:50
Speaker 1: He married Haley Stanfield. Yeah, Yeah, she's in uh so, he's a laser focused she's in Sinners right, yep, Yes, it's crazy. That's a good movie. First, Firson, very great movie. She's She's I It's first. Josh Allen had to spend four years his life in Wyoming and so and then he moves to Buffalo, and then he moves to Buffalo. You know what, he deserves to be happily married to, Haley state. This mind has probably.

00:24:12
Speaker 2: Blown on these road trips to LA and the thesm big cities.

00:24:16
Speaker 1: What is this? He goes to New York? What good?

00:24:23
Speaker 2: He wants to play the Jets every week?

00:24:25
Speaker 1: What in New York City? Haley? Can you believe this?

00:24:31
Speaker 2: Do you think he goes straight to the Applebe's and Tom Swift?

00:24:34
Speaker 1: It's exactly right. They got pizza open all not. I don't know why this much.

00:24:41
Speaker 2: That is what you are going to get used to all season long. We're just getting started. I'm just telling you that's what I think. He sounds like, having spent well meeting in Buffalo.

00:24:48
Speaker 1: All right. Looking at the Sunday Day games, there's a lot of matchups that are kind of eh. But the four thirty game I ranked fourth is Lions and Packers. For me, I put that fourth as the fourth best game because I want to see, you know, I think it's it's Mike, although he may not play. I got a lot of angry messages one podcast in from people telling me that Micah did not hurt his F four F five, It was an L four L five. They were like, an F four is a plane, an LF elf an L four is a lumbar injury. So I apologize to all the spine specialists out there that I screwed up in episode one.

00:25:30
Speaker 2: We don't claim to be a medical podcast.

00:25:32
Speaker 1: We are an NFL podcast. We're football guys. We don't know about L four.

00:25:38
Speaker 2: Lumbars, but I do big one one with huge implications though for for us the year goes on, I think this will be the closest division.

00:25:45
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean this is a but, but this is a division where I think our teams are gonna drop it because all the teams are good, are potentially going to be good. Do you think Michael plays. I would think you should prise it, right, he's got a when you have an L four, Yeah, I mean in an L five.

00:26:01
Speaker 2: I mean he could play if it had just been his L two or as F two, but being the F four or you don't want to further risk injuring that four. Yeah, that's too bingo. Uh No, I think he sits out. I think he sits out.

00:26:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do too. I think it just adds to the suspense. I still am gonna take. Well. Actually, we went to Week one last year in Green Bay and they lost. They're not gonna lose two years in a row on Week one. So give me the Packers to uh to win the game at home. I'm going another upset pick going Lions. What's the spread? Is it an upset?

00:26:37
Speaker 2: Green Bay's three point favorite? The odds for that division actually changed with Mike and Allons. We're a favorite to win now the Packers are. But I'm sticking with the lone. Why do you like the Lions? I mean, remember lost both coordinators. I know they're my pick to win the division, and I think, I mean, this game will go a long way and winning the division.

00:26:54
Speaker 1: Jason back, he was out most of last year. But you lose two coordinators, you know that's tough. I mean, you you lose the offensive genius. People talk about Ben Johnson like he's you know, Todd or McVeigh or Shanahan. You think they overcome it.

00:27:12
Speaker 2: Though, Dan Campbell is the type of dude that'll walk in and take a cheese head off someone's head and just take a big bite out of it and spit it out and kind of get his boys fired up. So even though those were I mean obviously two of the best coordinators anywhere last season, I still think their operation.

00:27:26
Speaker 1: Will be just fine. Yeah. I mean, he doesn't seem like an intellect to me to begin with, so I feel like he's a he's a man. I mean, no offense to him. He feels like like a man, like a CEO type more than an exit o guy. So maybe he could find people who were as good or close to as good to replace.

00:27:46
Speaker 2: I remember when he kind of debuted on Hard Knocks, We're getting the first look at him. I remember thinking this is never gonna win. That's when he went and then he absolutely turned them around. You know that Metallica song like staring into the soul of the sea, of the depths of the abyss and then you look at it say tackle it in the ass.

00:28:11
Speaker 1: You to click that.

00:28:13
Speaker 2: That was exactly what he said.

00:28:17
Speaker 1: I think we leave it absolutely. Yeah.

00:28:24
Speaker 2: I don't know that's all those exact words, but it was. It was something but like an SNL character breaking my character over just giggling at your Dan Campbell.

00:28:38
Speaker 1: I don't think that was exactly what he said, but it was. It was was paraphrase.

00:28:42
Speaker 2: That's another one to welcome our new listeners that don't understand us exactly.

00:28:46
Speaker 1: So lions lie packers, Oh my, uh, Billy, give us another piece of news now because we can break that up into the next. Yeah.

00:28:55
Speaker 4: So this news comes from the Pat McAfee show. Do you guys watch that at all?

00:28:58
Speaker 1: Uh? Only if I'm forced to at a barber shop familiar with it?

00:29:02
Speaker 2: Yeah? Uh?

00:29:03
Speaker 4: Well, Scott Hansen was on the Pat McAfee Joe.

00:29:06
Speaker 1: With that inside and I've been to a barbershopping.

00:29:09
Speaker 4: He said that the NFL Red Zone will contain commercials in some capacity this year. His new intro, well, somebody has to pay for this podcast. Seven hours of Red Zone football starts now.

00:29:22
Speaker 1: Yeah. I was amazed they for so long did it without commercials. I would just ask this, I understand you gotta have commercials. I wish there was an option though, where you could still get it without commercial Speaking of that, do you have our log ins for Red Zone? You need to ask him for.

00:29:36
Speaker 4: That I don't know if I do. Let's see, we need to try to get that.

00:29:39
Speaker 1: But anyway, yeah, I I it's sad though, I like I always thought, what was it, Scott Handsome, Henson, Hanson, Hanson and then what was the other guy's name? Andrew Ceciliano.

00:29:52
Speaker 2: The fact that they could stand there and not use the restroom for that long, I was always very impressed. Yeah, what kind of felt like I was head in this direction when they emerged. But it does kind of take away what made it so impressive was you knew exactly what you're get Red Zone. It was just non stop. Uh we just assumed they had catheters and we're getting, you know, fed through a tube there to get through the show, fed through not the same tube as the cat through. But I'm not someone that even watched Red Zone, but I've seen a lot of people there.

00:30:21
Speaker 1: Are upsode I love it. You don't watch it?

00:30:23
Speaker 2: Well, I get Sunday ticket and then I do YouTube TV.

00:30:27
Speaker 1: Multi yeering can't. It has made it hard for me to consume regular games because I love it. I think it's the best, I guess one of the best products any sport has ever come out with. And I'm not even being a shill for it. I think it's awesome. I had the direct TV version, so I got Andrew Ceciliano and I thought he was great. And then last year I had Scott Hansen. I thought he was great. I mean, so it won't stop me from watching it, but I you know, it's a little bumm here. It's a little bit of a bummer. It's kind of the last thing where commercials hadn't. Oh yeah, I would subscribe in. I'm just kidding, my go ahead.

00:31:01
Speaker 2: I would subscribe no check in on it. But I got my routine main TV tight with sound in the side TV with four other games on Sunday ticket and that I can rotate. That's kind of every Sunday. You can expect that red zone, it's all. It was just a little too fast paced time it was. It's part of the reason I can't sleep at night. It's because of the red zone. I was so used to used to it. Well, you know, the now they have a commercial break.

00:31:27
Speaker 1: And as somebody who's done a lot of radio, when I when I do, you know, I host an ESPN Sunday morning NFL preview show, and sometimes you know, you try to use the restaurant during the break. One time a couple of years ago, I jumped up there like a minute left, and I was like, I have to use the restaurant, and I ran and I tripped over the cord and hit my head on the couch. So then I come back and my head is pounding. I've cut it. We've got like a little string of blood going. I'm like, it's sunny money with Matt Meyern. You have to get through, so I, you know, hey and them having a bathroom break. Gotta be careful.

00:32:09
Speaker 2: He said they're not going to miss a touchdown. Does that mean they're gonna look at every game and be like, okay, they're all on the other Because I don't want to miss live. That's the point of it, your bang bang bank. You've always missed some Live.

00:32:20
Speaker 1: Like they'll come back and and uh yeah, they give you that you're on one and then sometimes they'll break in. So I think it's a great product. Uh the commercials are a bummer, but it won't ruin it for me, all right. My next one is Steelers Jets, not because the game will be great, but the whole Aaron Rodgers, Uh, you know, justin fields. Although I feel like Justin Fields has got to be like, you know, I played for them last year. I think you're the first person to mention him. This one seems to care that it's the different for both. It's all Aaron Rodgers. I will be watching and booing Aaron Rodgers. I'm gonna boo Aaron Rodgers. We gonna have him as a guest on the podcast, and I would just booing the whole time. So I'm all in on the Jets this week.

00:33:08
Speaker 2: He's got a running back with the American flag and just recreate the whole interest, right like this, Yeah, my first big New York entrance didn't work. Let me try it again.

00:33:19
Speaker 1: And so you're saying Justin Fields, I'm on an NFL podcast, right, He's going back to that Stadium's kind of has to do that.

00:33:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, golla, just replay it all over, although he might have some bad memories from that. But you're a Jets fan. You just got to be like this guy.

00:33:35
Speaker 1: They have to like I you're a Jets fan if he comes in and then plays well and beat you.

00:33:40
Speaker 2: Especially if that I just mean seeing him period. You gotta have negative feelings even though bad circumstances and injury. It did not work there. If he comes back and plays well, and you know, Pittsburgh has a great he has a great game, leads Pittsburgh do a big win, that's of course, that's even worse.

00:33:54
Speaker 1: You ever been to a game at that stadium. I have Monday Night football. Yeah, I was at WrestleMania there. I've told his story in other outlets. But the New Jersey Trains system shut down. They didn't Somebody did not plan that ninety five thousand people would be trying to leave WrestleMania, and I don't know if you remember this. People got stuck in the parking lot. But I loved it because I think it was the closest that if the zombie apocalypse ever comes, what's it going to be like? The Metal Lands parking lot that night after WrestleMania, because people were physically assaulting each other trying to get in cabs and ubers. And as we drove away, I look back and I was like, it's mad Max, you know, when they're all on the car and there's axes. So I've never been to Medallands outside of that scenario. So I want to go to a game this year. I'm hoping the NFL will send us just so I could have a better experience of that entire thing.

00:34:50
Speaker 2: I also had a very unique experience there. We were going to Monday night football and I had it, four of us, and I was in charge of the tickets. But I was trying to wait till the last minute because they're all coming down. So I'm on the train looking at tickets and I lose service and I think, oh, I'm starting to cut this a little close. We get to the stadium, I buy them outside the stadium, walk right up to the gate, scan in four tickets. All good, We're inside. We get to our seat. The guy I bought him from had been scanning in at another part of the stadium. We both get to our seats. We both have the same ticket. He even says, these are my season tickets. I show him my money's gone. He shows he got my money, and he's like, well, they're yours now. I guess. He ends up buying me a beer because we think it's so crazy. We both get in on.

00:35:31
Speaker 1: The same so he was gonna not.

00:35:34
Speaker 2: He was sitting at a bar with his best friend waiting to see if the tickets would sell. I mean We waited till like fifteen minutes forer kickoff, So they just get up from the bar, walk over and we entered at the same time and get to the seats. But after he saw that he had gotten my money and I'd paid, we just laughed it off and he just kind of wandered around our section. He'd come over a little bit and squeeze in. But that was my one met life experience.

00:35:56
Speaker 1: We can go to a Jets or Giants game so that we each have a different interaction with the Meadowlands. It's not even what it's called anymore.

00:36:06
Speaker 2: Thanks I called them just in general, it's the middle Leans.

00:36:10
Speaker 1: Who you like in this one? I'm I will not pick the Steelers out of principle, so I'm gonna take the Jets, and which is a shame because I kind of like the Steelers before this, but I will not root for them as long as he's on the team, So I'll take the Jets.

00:36:21
Speaker 2: Remember episode one, we ranked teams on watchability. I had Pittsburgh get number thirty two. Not a big Steelers guy over here, are you taking the Jets? I'm gonna pick Steelers.

00:36:29
Speaker 1: Oh, come on.

00:36:30
Speaker 2: As much as I don't want to see it. I just think the Jets are that bat. I don't know that a Rod's gonna light him up and have a big game. I think he's just a little too over the hill. But Steelers win and cover it all.

00:36:40
Speaker 1: Right, Now, so every week I'll do the Big five, so that we're my big five. Now, let's do the sort of second tier. Yeah, I'll watch him. If it's on Raiders and Pats. Pete Carroll goes back to his old stomping ground. The Patriots have Drake May got a new coach, your guy Mike Vrabel, I miss him. It should be uh. I don't know if this game will be interesting, but this feels like the kind of game where the Raiders win and then like in week seven or eight, the Patriots might be pretty good and you go, how did that happen? So I kind of like the Raiders here in sort of a weird one o'clock upset. There is a guy, however, that does there's a radio station that's called serious like betting, and you know, they have like good people regularly during the day. Then sometimes I like two in the morning, I think they just let guys in off the street and sometimes I'll be driving, I'll hear this guy. When I hear his voice, he has a very distinctive voice. It's like his thing. The only thing he ever says when he makes his picks is West Coast team going to the East Coast. They're gonna be tired. And I've heard that for years. So when I see one o'clock game, West Coast Team go to the East, it's just it's a serious XM two am watch out pitch.

00:38:06
Speaker 2: I get it, I get it. I gotta go with my guy Vrabel, though I want the best for him. You know, it's one of those it's one of those breakups like, well, you know, at least at least he can be happy. I want him to go fund you're rooting for I am. You know, even when he had the Titans rolling a little bit, he can read for.

00:38:22
Speaker 1: Cal Perry when he went to Arkansas. Well that's what I was gonna say.

00:38:24
Speaker 2: Even when the Titans were rolling, we always knew we were we were borrowing Rabel from the Patriots. I mean, he's a he's one of their all time legends. He was always a Patriot in Titans. So you say him like, I want him to I want him to. I wanted to work for him.

00:38:39
Speaker 1: Like Kansas fans probably knew at some point Roy Williams was going to go back to North Carolina.

00:38:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, we enjoyed him, but we always knew that when that opportunity opened, he would jump at it. Also, Uh, it's kind of it's not quite Taylor Swift, but you got Cardi B might be there for Diggs. The Stefan Diggs debut I enjoyed. On a serious note, I thought I didn't know they dated. They hate Oh, it's it's the second biggest relationship in the NFL of entertainment.

00:39:05
Speaker 1: What's uh?

00:39:06
Speaker 2: I mean, I've heard of Cardi B. What what's her big song?

00:39:09
Speaker 4: Like?

00:39:09
Speaker 2: Give me a Cardi B song that I would know? What are you laughing at? What do you okay?

00:39:12
Speaker 1: Before you look it up, mister computer, what's the Cardi B song?

00:39:17
Speaker 2: I mean there's a lot of Okay, we.

00:39:18
Speaker 1: Want your name one smarty? Uh?

00:39:20
Speaker 4: Is it appropriate here?

00:39:22
Speaker 1: Go?

00:39:25
Speaker 2: Oh that she does wo yeah, Oh she likes to want.

00:39:31
Speaker 1: I know it stands for other things.

00:39:33
Speaker 2: Drip drip, wop up. I think we're starting to see a little, but I only know what watch the Patriots game, wop stands for watch our Patriots.

00:39:47
Speaker 4: There you go, it's see.

00:39:51
Speaker 1: Don't look it up. That's what it stands. You don't need to google it.

00:39:54
Speaker 2: Am I talking you into the Patriots here? No, I'm still going around Henderson in the preseason. Oh yeah, so give me another piece of Well.

00:40:02
Speaker 4: You may have heard that Roger Goodell was on the Today Show recently. He may comment.

00:40:06
Speaker 1: Craig Melvin's on There is good He.

00:40:09
Speaker 4: Made a comment and said that moving to eighteen week schedule would be a really good move. And not shortly after that interview, the NFLPA interim executive director David White told the Associated Press he hasn't had any conversations about expanding the regular season.

00:40:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, but the players Association is going to ask for, you know, something in return, because eight you know, you add an extra gay that's a lot of money, right, I mean that's some money for the TV deal and the players are gonna want more money. I think that's that's reasonable.

00:40:38
Speaker 2: Uh.

00:40:38
Speaker 1: Do you like eighteen games? I mean we used to be when I was a kid who's fourteen, then sixteen for a long time. Now it's seventeen eighteen would make sense, so you'd have the same mount of home and away games, because right now, you know, you get one more than the other.

00:40:53
Speaker 2: Even though it's been seventeen for a little bit, my brain still well occasionally when I'm making figure eight and eight, you know, doing the math on sixteen. So I never really have gotten all the way in on seventeen. So let's just make it eighteen for being even would there still be about a week. I'm never going to complain about more meaningful NFL games.

00:41:07
Speaker 4: I didn't see that detail. But the current collective bargaining agreement doesn't end until March of twenty thirty one, so we still got a one.

00:41:14
Speaker 1: So you gotta My guess is they go to two preseason games and then eighteen regular season games. That'd be about the same amount of time. You know, again, when I was.

00:41:23
Speaker 2: A kid, there were six preseason games, which is crazy to think about.

00:41:26
Speaker 4: Now, I didn't know that that's a lot.

00:41:28
Speaker 1: Well, I hope there's eighteen. But at the same time, there comes a point where you know, these dudes wear and tear. We'll start to add, uh.

00:41:35
Speaker 2: You'll have guys up there just in a full cast trying to finish the year for their team. But I'm for more football anytime I can have it.

00:41:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, well who knew Roger? Who knew the Today Show provide Jenna Bush asked hard questions.

00:41:46
Speaker 4: I guess we need to tune back in.

00:41:47
Speaker 1: Well, let's take a break right here, by the way, I just got a message here, Drew. So for people don't know that are not regular listeners bars, we own a sports bar in Lexnon, Kentucky. And and you know we we closed for a little while and reopened to kind of revitalize. And one of things we do we got this system which most people had ten years ago, but we kind of just got recently where when things go wrong, we know why. So we just got the report of orders that are voided, why they were void? Okay? Can I read? Well?

00:42:33
Speaker 2: That way you can fix what's wrong, right, Like for instance, one of them server air it was it was it was entered wrong, so I had to avoid it and put the right thing, got it. One of them was food was missing items, Fix that right, okay. One of them was kitchen is backed up, had to leave. All those are are reasonable.

00:42:57
Speaker 1: This one this customer, it's I think it's on them. Customer changed mind. You don't get to change your mind. And after the food comes out.

00:43:12
Speaker 2: As I said, at what point in the process, are you three bites.

00:43:15
Speaker 1: In and you change your mind. You can change your mind while you're ordering, but you cannot like after you've ordered ten minutes later. You know what I was thinking about it. I'm glad they didn't do that in front of me. Mister The customer is always right. Unless you're being ridiculous, you cannot change your mind.

00:43:41
Speaker 2: Imagine being at a nice steakhouse. Here you go, mister frank with medium rare blue cheese topping, baked potato.

00:43:45
Speaker 1: Oh looks good.

00:43:46
Speaker 2: You don't change your mind. I'll have the spaghetti. Take that back.

00:43:50
Speaker 1: Eat that cost. I didn't like that, so I need to investigate that more. All right. A couple more mid tier excitement. Bengals Browns. These two teams that I feel like they open with each other quite a bit. The Bengals had some crazy streak where they had lost to them like a ton and now they've kind of flipped it. This is one of those games. The Bengals are so bad at the beginning of the year. I believe they've lost something like sixty three straight season. I mean, they are bad the last few years. Can't lose this one. I know it's in Cleveland, but Cleveland has you know, my great uncle at quarterback. Right now, Bengals, if they want to sort of have a flip from the last couple of years, got to win this game, right you know, the last week. It's the most pressure any team has in Week one.

00:44:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, the last few years, the Bengals have kind of really crippled their playoff chances by losing games their favorite earlier in the season. This year, they start out with a couple of winnable games. They absolutely cannot lose Week one, two. I think Week three, we'll let them have that. But you got to be two and zero as a Bengals fan.

00:44:53
Speaker 1: Last year they ruined everybody's survivor yea by losing the Patriots.

00:44:58
Speaker 2: I think a year before that, McPherson missed like a chip shot extra point against the team they should have beaten. Bengals fans can't be crushed this early. It's the it's an in state rival, it's Flacco and everything going on up there. You gotta get it done. Gottro is healthy, you got the best quarterback wide receiver duo in the entire league. This has got to be a win for them. Gotta win, right, absolutely sure, it's a road game, doesn't matter, you gotta win.

00:45:24
Speaker 1: This, gotta win. I think they will, so I will take the Bengals. The other mid tier game I have is forty nine Ers Seahawks, another game they'll have implications potentially at the beginning of the year. You look at these two teams, they have two of the easiest schedules in the league, and really especially the forty nine Ers schedule. We went over it the other day. I mean, the forty nine Ers schedule is just absurdly easy, and this, on paper is like their second hardest game of the season, and it's the one they open with. If they win this, watch out there could be a run where I don't even know if they're that good and they have an amazing record. Will say the forty nine Ers and Seahawks play this game at four point thirty nine different weeks during this season.

00:46:11
Speaker 2: Otho, I was just on the loop. They're like an here you go the forty nine Ers Seahawks.

00:46:15
Speaker 1: Listen lines Packers is your main game. We will now switch you to forty nine Ers Seahawks will take you out. Lovefinitely enjoying Matt Verseigian, But I think this will be a good game. Interesting to see what happens with with Sam Darnold. Who are you liking this?

00:46:37
Speaker 2: The forty nine Ers receiver room is held together by the tape right now in band aids. But I'm gonna take them here. They need to win. I think they're more of the forty nine Ers we saw in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago than the team that went six and eleven and was crippled by injuries last year. They got to start fresh this year and get back on the right track after last season. I'm gonna take them to win. I guess Ricky Piersoon might be the only receiver that's healthy, but he's a pretty good one.

00:47:02
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take the Seahawks. I still think the forty nine is gonna have a great record, but I think this particular game setting and all this, I think I'll go with the Seahawks. Billy, it's gonna know. News item.

00:47:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, some big injury news today coming out from Jets right guard Elijah Vera Tucker. He is out with a significant arm injury. It looks to be a trice up injury that will likely hold him out for a significant time this year. A twenty six year old was a first round pick in twenty twenty one, and in twenty twenty two he had the same injury, but on the opposite arm.

00:47:32
Speaker 1: Now that's bad luck.

00:47:34
Speaker 2: That's bad luck.

00:47:35
Speaker 4: So we'll see if.

00:47:35
Speaker 1: That's insane, because you know, you see that sometimes with like acls, because you end up putting too much weight on the other one, Right, I wonder if that happens with triceps.

00:47:45
Speaker 2: In some ways, it's like, well, I've already been through this, I know the rehab, I know it's exactly what I have to do.

00:47:50
Speaker 1: But that is crazy to be Elijah Vera Tucker.

00:47:53
Speaker 4: Yep, he was just named a captain for the first times as well too.

00:47:56
Speaker 1: Yeah, so he's on the Jets. Same thing to happen with Aaron Rodgers to me, a different injury, obviously, But I don't know that I will ever. There's never been a moment in my life that I was strong enough to conto play a tricep injury. I'm not sure I've ever used a tricep. I have one, never put it through much. Yeah I have one too, but it's been pretty sleepy.

00:48:22
Speaker 2: Most of it's you know, my trapper said, would have to do something to get You know, is there any tricep exercise except the one thing where you just like go backwards? What is this, Mario, That's not That's that's a different kind of exercept. Isn't that a tricept exercise?

00:48:41
Speaker 1: It? Well, it stinks for him, It stinks for the Jets. They just always have constant bad luck. Yeah, especially uh An injury. I mean, the season is about to start and it's the same injury you've already had on a different limb. Awful news for him.

00:48:59
Speaker 2: It makes you think about was Rondel Moore freak injury and back to back preseasons just a few weeks ago.

00:49:05
Speaker 1: You hate it.

00:49:06
Speaker 2: You're right here at the edge of all the work you put in and you're gonna have to miss the year.

00:49:09
Speaker 1: If I put thirty two, if I put every team's right guard in front of you, Wow, what are the chances you would have any idea who any of them were. They don't have their jersey on, they're just in normal street clothes. I give you all thirty two starting right guards. I would have certainly failed the test.

00:49:32
Speaker 2: I'm trying to think if I could even get four or I don't think you could get one get the Titans.

00:49:38
Speaker 1: What's his namet Rotsky?

00:49:39
Speaker 2: He's a draft pick, fear and you.

00:49:41
Speaker 1: Think you would recognize him? Not in Titan's gear. Yeah, okay, I'm challenge flag.

00:49:48
Speaker 4: I couldn't even do my own team Tampa Bay.

00:49:51
Speaker 1: I don't know that I've ever known a right guard ever. Come on for any team? Okay again, smarty pants, give me some right guards of the past.

00:50:03
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't have it.

00:50:06
Speaker 2: You didn't send a left guard to knowing you wouldn't catch me, So you don't know a right guard either, not one that I would you know recognize?

00:50:14
Speaker 1: What is Quentin Nelson?

00:50:18
Speaker 4: Uh, he's a guard, Ali Marpette, that's my one. He's retired.

00:50:25
Speaker 2: He I thought that wasn't she a lawyer on a television show at Oh?

00:50:31
Speaker 4: No?

00:50:31
Speaker 1: Sorry that yeah?

00:50:35
Speaker 2: Zach Martin.

00:50:37
Speaker 1: Spot Yeah, I couldn't. No, I certainly don't recognize. And of the people you've named, I've heard of one. Zach Martin, big Beard cowboy. Yeah, okay, Quintin Nelson said, Quintin Nelson, were you not listening?

00:50:55
Speaker 2: I'm sorry?

00:50:56
Speaker 1: Is a right guard or see a left guard?

00:50:59
Speaker 4: Now?

00:50:59
Speaker 2: We're getting it now, you're getting I know Quentin Nelson but said sorry, I popped in my head.

00:51:05
Speaker 1: Would always tell me people don't understand what Quenton Nelson means to the Colts, and I was like, no, they don't. Why would anyone understand that? Listen, our guys, it's a notre dame. I know way too much about Quentin Nelson. So if he's a right guard, that's one our guy.

00:51:19
Speaker 2: Freddy Mager, who covered Kentucky sports with us here in Lexington, he covered Quentin Nelson's draft. He talked about Quentin Nelson like Quentin Nelson invented the sport of football. You know, Danie is like triplets and Danial Loofsky. I think I had the choice, would have named them all Quinton Nelson. That should be more like Quentin Nelson. Let's they say it's all three of them all right, Let's go through these quick. Cardinals Saints.

00:51:43
Speaker 1: Cardinals are I think they're they're set up to have a good year.

00:51:49
Speaker 2: Offense has improved Kyler if he can put quit playing call of duty, I think can have a good season. And I think the Saints are gonna suck, So I'm.

00:51:56
Speaker 1: Saint stink I'll go to Cardinals, Dolphins, and the Colts. This is a loser. Their coach gets fired. Got I just I mean these two are good, good chances for first coach get fired. Like what if mind me Daniel if he loses this game at Indianapolis with Daniel Jones at quarterback's my thing.

00:52:15
Speaker 2: I can't pick the Cults with that quarterback situation. I know, I know the Dolphins aren't exactly knocking on the Super Bowls door, but I cannot pick Daniel Jones and NF.

00:52:24
Speaker 1: I'll take the Dolphins. Giants at the Commanders, Commanders, buy a lot. Commanders, you like you think things are gonna go well for Russell Wilson.

00:52:34
Speaker 2: No, I think Daniels he's married to Sierra, right, correct, Yes, I think the Commanders are gonna come down just a little bit, but they won't be threatened in this game.

00:52:46
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson, I've noticed kind of changed his swag, if you know, like he now he's like dressing like he's you know, like he's dressing like Sierra clearly got his closet. He's like out go the polos and incomes you know, versa. I don't know what designers are but Versace named name a designer of.

00:53:07
Speaker 2: Choice, they'd be careful. Jackson Dart's stelling all the attention in that room. I saw a guy tweet it was a reporter to that guy. I don't know if they're in the locker room or sideline, but the Giants coach Stables just went up to Jackson Dart hugged him and said, I love you.

00:53:20
Speaker 1: Who said that?

00:53:20
Speaker 2: The coach Giants coach. So that's not good. If you're Russell Wilson, you got Dart when people are saying they when the coach is saying he loves the backup quarterback, and then you've got Jamis in the corner eating his w's.

00:53:35
Speaker 1: I saw a picture online of somebody of Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes and they were like, Russell Wilson and why does every let me ask what? Why is everybody think Jackson Dart? Like, why is he supposed to be so great? He was? He was pretty good at Old Miss, But remember I mean that offense. You don't make any decisions. Lane Keffn tells you who you're gonna throw to before the play, Like, why are people so confident he's gonna be good?

00:53:58
Speaker 4: I think the report is that he has Aura's.

00:54:02
Speaker 1: He's one of the stars of the Bason. I have aras too.

00:54:05
Speaker 2: I have to take that vacation for it different one. If there is such thing as big a star of a preseason, he was one of them.

00:54:12
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:54:12
Speaker 2: If you look at the Risers, you know everybody does their stocks after the preseason.

00:54:17
Speaker 1: It's great hair. I don't how much that's playing in everybody's thing. I think part of it. I think when you're handsome, people want you to be good.

00:54:25
Speaker 2: Got an X in his name, Jackson.

00:54:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that helps darkly. I think it's a really good point. If it was j A. C K. S O N. I don't think people was worst I had been, but the seed, but the hair is key. Handsome get you a long way when when you're a quarterback. To be honest with you, I kind of want my quarterback to be handsome. I mean, think about the great quarter Peyton's the only ugly one, right, I mean, I mean, no offense to Peyton, but I got big four it. But like like like Tom Brady, handsome, Aaron Rodgers in his prime, pre vaccine stuff, handsome Mahmes, handsome, Montana.

00:55:03
Speaker 2: Rockets, surgery at one time, but probably Srosburger as the time went on. I think.

00:55:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, but in his prime handsome Burrow, Jalen Hurts, handsome, Jaydon Daniels, uh, Joe Namath.

00:55:21
Speaker 2: So who are the ugly quarterbacks? Well, Peyton, Peyton catching straights?

00:55:26
Speaker 1: Is John Elway good looking?

00:55:28
Speaker 4: I wouldn't say that maker place, I'd say John Elway was a good looking guy.

00:55:33
Speaker 2: You think, so, yeah, I'm just gonna rank the hottest quarterbacks here. That's what people want to people want.

00:55:38
Speaker 1: People want to know.

00:55:40
Speaker 2: What about the way back in the day when the guys looked like they were fifty years old?

00:55:44
Speaker 1: Why a tittle was not the most handsome quarterback in the world. He played with a horse shoe, he was balled, He played like with a horse. Stabbler, Tadler stables, my country coming up TV started, You know, Terry Bradshaw maybe not eight man handsome. I think there's something to my theory. So I think Jackson Dart that's partially why people are are excited about YEP.

00:56:14
Speaker 2: In New York and Brian Daveo loves him.

00:56:16
Speaker 1: Jimmy g Well, he hurts because he's too handsome, and that's not good by the way. I'm a Jimmy G.

00:56:37
Speaker 2: Truther.

00:56:38
Speaker 1: I think he's gonna do well with the Ring. As a matter of fact, let's just go ahead and get to their game, Rams Texans. I didn't put this as one of the games. It could have been in the sort of mid tier games. It's just it's hard for me to ever get excited about watching the Texans. But these teams, both these teams could be good.

00:56:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, at least the Texans picked to win their division, even though I might go against that. I like the Rams here. I think the Texans are due for a little bit of a come down. AFC South's terrible. I don't even know if they'll win that division.

00:57:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna go. I'm going Rams. Go with Jimmy G. There's probably he's probably gonna play right. Uh, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go with the Rams. Let's do uh Panthers Jags the Chris Meyers Special. Liam Cohen makes his debut. I'm excited to w I actually will watch a little bit of this one, just to say hi to Chris Myers. Always miss inghim during the offseason.

00:57:30
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go with h I'm gonna say Liam gets out with w in his first one, give me, give me the Jags. I'm going with the Liam Cohen experience. Well, I think he'll be good for Trevor Lawrence and you have to turn this game on just to see what they're actually doing with Travis Hunter. Like, I mean, if they're truly playing in both ways, that's gonna be pretty insane to watch. You think he's gonna be you think you will, They'll do it a little bit. I don't think he can consistently do this for a career, even season, but I think early on they're gonna try it out.

00:57:56
Speaker 1: It'd be fun to watch. That's what.

00:57:58
Speaker 2: When's the last time you're like, man, I want to turn on a Jags game. You haven't, But I think Travis Hunter now has made.

00:58:04
Speaker 1: It to that point. Yeah.

00:58:04
Speaker 4: My news note here is Travis was listed as the starting wide receiver but backup corner on the Jags depth chart that just came out.

00:58:12
Speaker 1: Starting wide receiver, back up corner. Yes, so I could see like they play him at wide receiver a lot and then doesn't get much action at corner that, but then but gets enough that so that you're able to say he plays both Who's the last play. I mean, I know occasionally they would throw Dion out there at wide receiver, but not regularly. Has there been a guy who's the last one. I can't think of anyone to do what he's trying to do.

00:58:31
Speaker 2: I mean, sure they've put a corner at wide receiver here and there to try something.

00:58:36
Speaker 1: They would put a receiver in to try to But like.

00:58:39
Speaker 2: Listing a guy on offense and defense on your depth chart, I don't know that happened.

00:58:44
Speaker 1: Titans Broncos. I'll let you take the floor.

00:58:48
Speaker 2: I love him, I just I don't have a lot of faith. Maybe cam Ward can be something special and have a Daniels Commander's like surprise a year ago, but I don't think he has the pieces around him outside of a Calvin Ridley. So I'm going with the Broncos here on the road, yea one time the Titans aren't on at one o'clock too, Yeah, four o'clock game.

00:59:10
Speaker 1: This will be on in exactly three percent of the country, uh beyond in my house. But Broncos. Broncos would be are the pick for me.

00:59:19
Speaker 2: Spreads eight and a half, though I will say that's.

00:59:21
Speaker 1: Funny and the Monday night my Bears make their debut. JJ McCarthy starts for the Vikings, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. Cale's got all the weapons. Feels like a perfect time for my team to get this are they're hard destroyed. I want the Bears to win, but I will pick the Vikings because it's the kind of game where we get our hearts broken.

00:59:44
Speaker 2: I'm gonna believe in you. If you won't believe in your team, I will thank you. I actually believe in the McCarthy Viking experience, but I say in this first gay one, it would be too much for him and Soldier Field eat them up on Monday Night football.

00:59:57
Speaker 1: I love it. I hope you're right. I wish I could go, actually, but maybe I will go. Why not just go? Life short? What are you gonna do? I'll go? Yeah? Uh all right? So those and what any other news items?

01:00:09
Speaker 4: Uh, there's one more. You guys didn't mention the Bucks Falcons game and Tampa Bay Bucks right tackle Luke Gettikey just four year, ninety million dollar extension with fifty million guaranteed this week.

01:00:20
Speaker 1: I forgot to mention.

01:00:21
Speaker 4: By the game, I mean that's for the NFC South.

01:00:23
Speaker 1: You could have it. Maybe I should have mentioned that.

01:00:25
Speaker 2: Well, that's the thing. You never know if you're going to get to all your games. Mentioned here who signed an extension.

01:00:31
Speaker 4: Luke Gettikey. It is the right tackle for the Bucks.

01:00:35
Speaker 1: That's really a big news item.

01:00:37
Speaker 4: Well, you got to invest in your offensive line.

01:00:40
Speaker 1: You just wanted to say that because you're a Bucks.

01:00:41
Speaker 4: Or your ninety the Bucks fan on they winning, You can't you can't forget the Bucks. Yeah, they're winning. They're at home.

01:00:46
Speaker 1: Okay, I'll take the Uh it's in Atlanta, but that's a great start. It's travable. I'm taking Atlanta Hot Lanta. Well, I think Falcons win another game. That couldn't pay me to watch, but I will. I'm going to take Atlanta. What do you got you're going against make or play right here? Yes, this is Michael Pennix Junior. It's time for him to make his make his nut again. Just like I picked your Bears, I'll pick Billy's Bucks here. Even though we're not exactly sure where it is, I think they'll handle the Atlanta atmosphere. Well, we're actually it's gonna be somewhere in between. The Orleando obile on the way all right, so now it is time for our official let's do it. Let's do our official cover NFL cover zero playoff picks. I'm gonna go first. I'm gonna do the NFC. Let's start with Philadelphia Eagles will win the NFC East. In the NFC North, I'll take Green Bay. In the NFC South, I'm gonna take the Atlanta Falcons, and then the NFC West. Because of the schedule, I'll take the forty nine Ers my wild card teams. I'm gonna go with the Commanders as a wildcard team. I'm coming out of nowhere. The Bears, even though they lose in Week one, will be one of my wild card teams. And then I'll take the Rams as the final wildcard team. Those are gonna be my seven teams. Lions miss the playoffs for the NFC, give me your NFC.

01:02:15
Speaker 2: I will start with the NFC East with our defending Super Bowl champs, even though the Commanders will give them a fight.

01:02:21
Speaker 1: I think the.

01:02:22
Speaker 2: Eagles win the NFC East NFC North. This one's gonna be a little closer. The Packers are favorite favorites that flipped with the Micah Parsons trade, but I'm sticking with the Lions. Yes, the Packers will be better with Micah, but it's still the Lions division. I will go to the NFC South with Billy here. I will pick your Bucks. That's probably just because I watched an entire preseason game of the Bucks and they look good beating of my Titans. But I actually think maker play field in those running backs will have them winning that division. And in the West, it's a little torn between the Rams and the forty nine ers. I'm gonna go with the Rams. DeVante experience will work well. I don't know what Matthew Stafford will be, but maybe your guy Jimmy g leads them to the playoffs and wins its wildcard wild card teams Packers, as I mentioned, they'll be in contention with the Lions, but won't win the division. Forty nine Ers, I just said, and then the Commanders. All right, you're going, chalk bet. I went a little bit off the beaten path, all right, so I got a bund You don't hear me, all right? My sound went out over here, So I'm doing okay, Just make sure let's go.

01:03:23
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go to the AFC Bills win the East easy in the AFC North Ravens easy. AFC South Jacksonville Jaguars end up winning the South. Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence surprise everybody and take it. In the AFC West, I'll go with the Chiefs. My wildcard teams are gonna be the Broncos. I'm gonna go back to the North and get the Bengals, and then the last one can go a lot of different ways. I'm gonna say the Texans even squeeze in and get the last one because the Titans and Colts are so bad they'll add up those wins. Those are my wildcard teams. All right.

01:04:06
Speaker 2: I got my soundback so I can actually hear myself. I'm pretty pretty chalky in the AFC. But I'll start with my upset pick, which you also just picked. I'm gonna go with Duval in the looking out, both of us picking Jackson. I just think the Texans they're not as good as they were a year ago. They're fluky. They took advantage of a bad division. The Jaguars have come up. They're gonna take that one. And then East gotta go with the Bills, heavy favorite North going with the Ravens, sorry, Bengals and then West Chiefs. Also there my wild cards. I'm gonna do two out of the West Chargers and Broncos, and then I do have the Bengals making the playoff as the other wild card.

01:04:43
Speaker 1: Neither one of us pick the Patriots. No pack, that's interesting. And you don't even pick the Texans in the playoffs. No, no, no, no, had two West teams and the Bengals. All right, there you go. Okay, every week, we're gonna do a couple of sort of predictions for the week that we will keep score of. We'll start with we're gonna try to do a survivor league. I ran a fifty person celebrity Survivor league las year, and it was over after Week four because everybody missed so many games Week one. You look at this Week one slate, there are almost no gimmis. I mean, trying to just get through. I would tend to want to pick the Eagles, but I don't want to be out night one, right like that would be the worst to be in a survivor league. I very rarely make it past Week one. I'm gonna take the Broncos over the Titans, but that is gonna be my That is gonna be my Survivor League team. Now the rules of this are, once I pick, Drew can't pick the same team, and then Billy can't pick that one. Then next week Drew can go first, I'll go last, etc. So I'm gonna take the Broncos over the Titans as my Survivor League. Of course, I can't use the Broncos for the rest of the year, Drew, I will let you go. What do you got.

01:05:55
Speaker 2: I'm gonna take Washington playing the Giants.

01:05:59
Speaker 1: I like that one.

01:06:01
Speaker 2: Washington's got a pretty tough schedule if I'm gonna use them. Let's just go right out of the gate with the team that I think is gonna pretty tier. Rile, you're at home, So I'll take the Commander's Week one, all right, Billy.

01:06:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, he took my pick. I'm gonna have to scramble here, but you guys got me on the Liam Cohen train a little bit. I'm taking Jacksonville at home.

01:06:21
Speaker 1: I mean, that's a lot of belief. You might be out right here, Billy. That's fine.

01:06:25
Speaker 4: If Bryce Young can get a done Week one, then he's made a believer out of me.

01:06:28
Speaker 1: Wow. All right, So Billy takes.

01:06:30
Speaker 2: None of us picked the Eagles, which is probably I would say the Eagles are probably gonna be the most common pick.

01:06:37
Speaker 1: The Eagles. I guess maybe Commanders will be the other one that'll be the most common picks in this league.

01:06:41
Speaker 2: I'll be honest. The thing that deters me from the Eagles is being Thursday. I don't want to be the first person eliminated, and then you got a way to the same with Fridays. So I think it's hard to pick those those early Thursday games since just embarrassing to be out before the weekend definitely is.

01:06:54
Speaker 1: Then the other thing we want to do is guaranteed touchdown. So to add a little wrinkle, when Drew picks one, I'm gonna let you go first this week. When you pick one, you are picking a person and a position. Okay, So if you pick a quarterback, then Billy or I have to pick a running back or a wide receiver and vice versa, and it's score a touchdown. So if you throw it as a quarterback, that doesn't count. You've got to actually score it. So going first, you get to pick the player, and you take the position off the board. We will tally over the course of the year. How many people get right? The position thing is an added wrinkle. I'm counting for purposes of this tight end as a wide receiver. Okay, tight end as a wide receiver. And if you want to pick a defensive one, here's what I will say. If you want to pick a team to score a defensive touchdown, that is also available, and you get two points if you pick a defense and they score a touchdown. So there's some value in reaching out and trying to get a defense. So there you go. You quarterback, running back, wide receiver, slash, tight end or defense. But defense is worth two points, Drew, what do you got? Earlier in the show I mentioned I don't play fantasy. My fantasy is anytime touchdown bets. I love it. I bet won.

01:08:12
Speaker 2: Every single game one o'clock, spray the board. I have a player in every game, and I already had picked one out. It's actually I've already bet this and it was my first NFL bet of the entire season. That's how much I like this. We're going to Ohio where Joe Flacco will find in Djoku against the Bengals for touchdown. So that's a tight end and joke, and it's a little bit of a long shot. It's plus two point fifty for a touchdown bet. That's some good odds. I don't trust shot that you could pick anyone and you're picking the joke going ons listen as the season goes on, anytime get odds for this my bet.

01:08:45
Speaker 1: This is just a point. This is my life.

01:08:47
Speaker 2: I've already bet it.

01:08:48
Speaker 1: It was the first bet I made of the entire NFL lave.

01:08:51
Speaker 2: You're going with Nadjoku? Buckle up anytime? Touchdowns is what I do. You all can have your believe, take your Saquon Barkley's take your Derrick Henry S. Don't want it this, No, it's not fun picking Saquon Barkley score touchdown. I'm having fun. Flacco hits an Joku against that Bengals defense.

01:09:07
Speaker 1: By the way, you can only pick a person once during the year, just for the record, so like you can't ever pick Nadjoku again. You want to do you want to waste your Najoku pick right.

01:09:16
Speaker 2: I can't stress this enough. I already made the bet. I bet it before any overs unders any week one bets I am on.

01:09:23
Speaker 1: Flo good all right? Throwing out Billy what do you got.

01:09:26
Speaker 4: I'm not gonna overthink this. Christian McCaffrey scored in sixteen straight NFL games. It's an NFL record. He's coming back from injury. I think he's got a score a week one.

01:09:35
Speaker 1: Interesting. Yeah, that's I like that pick. Right, So you got McCaffrey. Well, that leaves me. I can get a quarterback or I can take a run into defense. Uh the Unders are pretty good in the first game of the year. But I'm not gonna take a defense yet. I'll only do that if I get behind. I'm gonna take a quarterback. I'm gonna go Jalen Hurts. Right If if you're giving me a quarterback to take, he's playing against the team, it's not very good. Push pushy, whushy. Uh So uh, I will take Jalen Hurts with my pick as well. So there you go. You got Najoku, McCaffrey and Hurts, And if you want, we could do Should we do anytime parlay for cover NFL cover zero?

01:10:15
Speaker 2: I have so many touchdown parlays on Sunday, Well.

01:10:18
Speaker 1: We should do it, Najoku. So I'll tell you what. If you're a listener to this podcast, if you bet the Nadjoku McCaffrey hurts touchdown parlay and it wins. You can be happy. I'm not gonna give you anything because I don't know how many of you actually listen to this, so it might be a lot, but you will have won a lot. I mean that'll probably be know that'll pay very well. Don't you think that'd probably play what thirty to one? Maybe if you got all three of them? Yeah, I was trying to pull it up on the flat.

01:10:46
Speaker 2: It's a little harder to do than I imagine, but yeah, I got I got a bit of a long shot in there for us, which is definitely gonna hit.

01:10:51
Speaker 1: Yeah. So so there you go. That's our that we'll be keeping that competition. Guys looking forward to it. We will be uh Sunday night here late at night taping the next episode. And that was a lot of fun. I hope everybody feels completely has all the news they need to get ready for the week.

01:11:13
Speaker 2: I feel like everyone can now watch the games they were excited but didn't know what to watch now that they've heard cover zero Okay, Aaron Rodgers is going back to.

01:11:21
Speaker 1: And now they know what Dan Campbell sounds like, right, they didn't know before that.

01:11:27
Speaker 2: That was the holliwas podcast.

01:11:30
Speaker 4: I wasn't hot quarterbacks for you.

01:11:32
Speaker 2: No, I didn't get a hot quarterback, right, I mean, maybe one week we'll just write them, Yeah, some Wednesday.

01:11:37
Speaker 1: Historically hottest quarterbacks. Thank you very much. Don't forget to like, subscribe, review, tell your friends, wear it on a billboard. It's NFL Cover zero. NFL Cover zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio is the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast