2025 NFL Week 1 Preview and Super Bowl Picks

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we never get tired of naming some guys. I'm Greg Rosenthal here in the Chris Wesleyan Podcast studio packed house for our first preview show of the twenty twenty five season. To my left the indomitable Steve Weiss. To his left Jordan rod Reeg and yes, the man who inspired the Claymates.

00:00:30
Speaker 2: It is a Claybond.

00:00:33
Speaker 3: We're back this, We're here week one. Is here real football? Jordan on the preview show.

00:00:39
Speaker 4: Oh my god, this is an honor.

00:00:41
Speaker 1: We sent out our weekly schedule and I don't know if we've really talked about it on the show, but we were going to have the same group of folks covering every week on the same days and our preview show as long as Steve is available next one. I know he's busy sometime, but otherwise otherwise we got we got our Tuesday crew, we got our preview crew, and we've got our Sunday crew. Jordan, myself, Patrick and Shook. Shook helping me out on the recaps. And uh, I'm so excited, and I'm also excited to finally remember to announce that yes, the competition to decide the name of Patrick's fan base ended up being the Claymates, beating out the clay Bon Bonds and the clay Bond Vivans, which got a lot of comments.

00:01:27
Speaker 2: But those are alls.

00:01:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, but they are officially known as the Claymates forevermore and they're going to be excited about this week one schedule.

00:01:37
Speaker 3: Congratulations to all their were revolved. Thank you. I can't believe anybody took their time.

00:01:42
Speaker 2: Thousands you saw it, like six.

00:01:45
Speaker 3: That's thousands of people. Love you. No, they'll do it. You could have been like, hey, what's what should I have a cheese sandwich? Or you've got thousands? But thank you for anybody that thinks of me.

00:01:57
Speaker 1: Ever, I also love this show, maybe more than the because Patrick assists me here and like sets up all the games and makes it easy with the point spreads and the announcers like it's all happening.

00:02:08
Speaker 3: We're doing it, and why don't we fire this place? Let's could do it right now. We will start with Sunday Night Football, win a game playoff rematch. It is the Baltimore Ravens at the Buffalo Bills, who are giving up a half of a point. The over under fifty one and a half. You know the names, Mike to Rico, Chris Collins, Roors, and Melissa Stark. All there, Carrie Underwood. It's gonna be a fun time. Greg, how do you see the playoff rematch going?

00:02:35
Speaker 1: Well, we're gonna get to super Bowl picks later in the show. You should have mentioned that I'm putting everyone on the line here that we just have to plant the flag. Jordan doesn't like picking anything. She is gonna be involved in picking the super Bowl and we're gonna have Survivor picks again. We're all starting, Oh yeah, yeah, I'm annoyed because this game should be a bigger deal, right like if this was any other week of the season. The Bills and the Ravens literally in Vegas, the two favorites, co favorites to win the Super Bowl this year, they have the best odds. And yet because there's so many other great games going on in Week one and so many other plot lines, like, I feel like this isn't getting enough.

00:03:15
Speaker 3: Pop.

00:03:15
Speaker 2: I want to, you know, throw this to you, Jordan.

00:03:17
Speaker 1: We were going to do something on our show on Wednesday, and you know, or on Tuesday, and you know, I was going to come back to this It was going to be a part where we said pick a team that you're not so sure is going to make the playoffs that at everyone expects to make the playoffs, and I forgot to do that part of the show. But you were going to say Bills.

00:03:35
Speaker 4: Which is it's paraphrasing what I said a little greg, as you tend to do, but yes, it was. I'm worried about their defense. I'm scared for the Bills because I'm worried about their defense. I still think this is a playoff teams.

00:03:49
Speaker 3: Not making the playoffs, advancing through the playoffs.

00:03:51
Speaker 4: Josh Allen is still on this football team. Advancing deep into the playoffs is what I'm more worried about with this Bills team. And I'm worried about what this defense will look like right away. They're missing some guys in this in key spots. I'm especially worried about their perimeter corners. Jordevius White is nursing some injuries obviously, Maxwell Harston was hurt, and Christian Benfort. Benford is still you know, his status is still limited in practice this week. So I am super worried about this secondary. And I really think that you know, with Lamar and the passing game. And we saw Lamar run like many, many many times to start the season last year. I think we see him throw it a lot to start the season this year.

00:04:31
Speaker 3: I look, Buffalo is going to the playoffs.

00:04:34
Speaker 4: Their division is this is like this is this is the Rails.

00:04:37
Speaker 1: Early category literally was team that everyone expects to make the playoffs.

00:04:41
Speaker 2: That doesn't.

00:04:43
Speaker 4: Out loud, you know, I'm kind of worried about the Bills, and Greg goes, oh, I'm bringing it up tomorrow.

00:04:49
Speaker 5: Look, this is more when you think about Baltimore the slow starts last started zero and two, right, so they finished with one more lost in Buffalo last year. So I have to go up in the snow and then this is truly a home field advantage game right here. And so I think, you know, doesn't look like the Ravens are gonna have Isaiah likely, which is tough because I think they're gonna try to do a lot of too tight stuff early on.

00:05:12
Speaker 3: But that's still what they're They're they're probably.

00:05:14
Speaker 2: Gonna go Charlie Kohli.

00:05:15
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean they got pat Ric hard too. They'll they'll do what they have to do. But I just think this is when you listen to the stuff coming out of Baltimore, like they're like, we remember who beat us last. So it seems like this may mean more to them, so to speak. Not that it doesn't mean a lot to Buffalo. I I just I think the Ravens are are going to be soloaded, and I'm with you. I think it's gonna be throwing the ball in their deep to and their defense was the Ravens defense last year the first six weeks was terrible. They're gonna be better. I got Malachi Starks in there. I was a training camp. He looks sick back there with Kyle Hamilton and safety. This guy stopped to run against Buffalo Josh Allen Man. Gotta put a helmet on him.

00:05:58
Speaker 3: That's it.

00:05:59
Speaker 1: I read it in Ravens fan, I know feels uncomfortable with all the preseason love that's going the Ravens way. Feel like there's a lot of Super Bowl hype. There's a lot of people saying they're going to try extra hard this week. To use your phrasing, and if I Patrick Loves, if I was Patrick, I'm trying to put myself in the mind of a Claymate, or at least Patrick I'd be like, yeah, you know why the Ravens, you know, lost that game is because the Bills ran right through them. Yep, especially in the first half of that game. But it was like one hundred and fifty yards and the Bills running attack, to me, is very underrated. I love the backups behind James Cook, Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, and I love the continuity on the offensive line.

00:06:38
Speaker 2: So that's a concern for me for the Ravens.

00:06:39
Speaker 3: And to be honest, like to go back through the playoffs, I know it was a road game Baltimore beat Buffalo Handley earlier in the season. To me, it was one of those situations, much like the loss of the Chiefs Wednesday, Flowers fumbled at the one yard line. It's a situation where you turn the ball over. That's how these playoffs, that's how. That's how it happens. Turn the ball over. You don't protect the ball, it's not round, it goes to the other team. And that's something that Lamar had mentioned I too. Considering the way Zach wars defense started last season, there was clearly a growing process right that we saw the culmination of a lot of those guys are backing Jalen Armor Davis plays a bigger role in this season, and you mentioned Malachi Starks. But to me, my big concern in this game is on the other side, the fact that Khalil Shakir is not available, and that is not going to be a problem in one week, But the accumulation of stress that this offense and this team and Josh Allen puts on himself physically ferry this team without with a limited option out there will ultimately be a problem. It's not gonna be a problem one week. Josh Allen could do it just like Lamar can, right, But you want to limit the involvement for these guys as great as they are as the season goes on, because it's a very long season. But it's a coin toss just like I mean, these teams basically had essentially the same stats, incredibly efficient offenses. I think in terms of margin of victory almost the point deficial one hundred and fifty seven points for both teams. That's crazy, like neck and neck comes down to a two point conversion. So yeah, they're both good. We'll see who wins Undery.

00:08:13
Speaker 4: Yeah, for the Bills, I agree. I think you do want to run it or try to with that group that they have. They had so much Joe Brady had so much fun scheming things up for Ray Davis last year too, which is eager to see the development there. But you want to run it again. Try to run it against this Ravens defense, and you don't want to pass it against this Ravens secondary with the way that they've developed last year. Behin under zach Or second year is his defensive coordinator. But then at the same time, and what the Bills have going for them too is that they have continuity along this offensive line. So running the ball, yes, because the way that I think Zach Gorer is going to want to try to play Josh Allen and the receiving corps as sort of limping right now as they are, is you're gonna want to try to rush for which we need the Ravens to show us that a little bit more into this year. Mike Green and Kyle van Noy, they want to try to play man coverage behind him because Josh Allen dramatically improved statistically when you're sending extra pressure even when you're only if you're only rushing four and everybody's back in coverage, the way that we know that the Ravens want to play. He struggled, He struggled last year.

00:09:22
Speaker 1: Joe, he did Bosa debut and just keep an eye on the Ravens claimed or signed a three time All Pro special teamer j T.

00:09:31
Speaker 2: Gray from the Saints. I know how about that?

00:09:35
Speaker 1: Everyone's like, ah, like, how he did it again? How about Eric DaCosta did it again right before the season.

00:09:41
Speaker 3: There we go, so we leave a game on Sunday Night football that we all know everything about. These are not a lot of known commodities. And then we go to Monday and that is when JJ McCarthy gets the chance of this to start against Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears, who are favored by excuse me, who are gett one and a half points with over under a forty three and a half. The Vikings favorite here Joe Buck, Troygman, Lisa Salters on the call, Steve, we have waited for Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. We finally get a chance to see it on Monday night. Yeah.

00:10:13
Speaker 6: No, I think a lot of it is it's not just the trust of whether he can do a certain job. It's it's the sharing the wealth you know, that's what keeps me up at night is trying to make sure that all of our horses are fed. Because these guys, I mean, they're super talented players and we just need to get them a little space and the ball in their hands and they can make big things happen.

00:10:37
Speaker 5: I mean, it says a guy coming from the Detroit Lions found a way to spread well first off the line at forty three and a half.

00:10:44
Speaker 3: That's like twenty points too high for me.

00:10:47
Speaker 2: Wow, you think it's really game.

00:10:49
Speaker 3: You've got Dennis Allen. People forget about that.

00:10:51
Speaker 5: People forget the Dennis Allen is now the Bears defensive quarter. He's a great defensive coordinator. You know, I'm broad against Ryan Flores, Like this is gonna be like a ten to nine game to me. You know, all these offensive gurus and this and that, this is gonna be a defensive game to me. I like what you said about spreading the ball around. When you're facing Brian Flores, you have no choice. You've got to You've got to kind of find the guy who's there. And it might be Adam Feeling. I remember he's back in Minnesota now. They don't have Jordan Addison I think this is this is gonna be a real interesting game because I think this Bears defense is going to be really good this year, getting montes Weat coming over. And one thing about Dennis Allen, his edge guys are always really good against the run and even better when they get.

00:11:32
Speaker 3: You into known passing situations. And that's what's going to happen here.

00:11:36
Speaker 1: It's it's such an advantage when he's talking about, like, you know, keeping our horses mouth fed, Like, first of all, that's like weird, But second I was identifying, now we're four across on this previous show, so we got to like, we got a lot of high volume, high scoring shooters here, and we need to all get our points.

00:11:51
Speaker 2: Uh And and you look at these.

00:11:53
Speaker 1: Two teams, like the Bears are so much deeper in terms of their past catching talent at least than the Vikings. You have to bring an Adam Thelen to be your number two, granted only for like three weeks.

00:12:06
Speaker 2: We have TJ.

00:12:07
Speaker 1: Hockinson, who I guess at the number two, but still Aaron Joe and he weirdly, they reported had to take a pay cut to go there, which is fascinating to me that the Vikings didn't want him that bad, I guess, and just a strange little addentum to that. But think about this, Cole Comet is the tight end too now like he's the he's the backup tight end. And there in their wide receivers three and four are your guys. A Kias is probably three, Patrick who's a really good three, and Luther Burden, who looks pretty interesting, is like the number four. Like that is a deep group that Ben Johnson has to work with. And Ben Johnson destroyed Brian Flores when he was with the Lions, and when Flora's with the with the Vikings, I like went to look at the numbers thing it'd be the other way around. It was like, no, the Lions absolutely steamrolled them, like game after game.

00:12:51
Speaker 3: And and to to credit what Ben Johnson is pointing out there is when the spread of talent and the number of things that you can do, he's clearly right a coach who wants to get certain players in certain positions with the ball, not necessarily to run an offense, but to facilitate the talent that he has to utilize that talent in unique ways. And I don't think he's saying that Hey, Colston Loveland is now Sam Laporta or DeAndre Swift as Jamior Gibbs, But we still need to use that same sort of imagination with regards to the particular skill set of the guys that we have, especially against this Brian Floores defense. But what I am the most excited about is just to watch things operate in time, because I saw those flashes from Romo Donze where he's making catches and adjusting to the ball uper late, he's stopping and coming back to balls where it was clear like Caleb is not a bad passer of the football. The time was just so horrible last season that we didn't get to see what it could be, so truly, Like, I'm not going to pick them to win this game, but I just want to say growth in that aspect where if he's wrong, if he's if he's off target, I just want him to be on time.

00:14:07
Speaker 4: And I kind of I want to push back on you just a little bit on that.

00:14:10
Speaker 2: Because fight fight, I don't we're mad.

00:14:13
Speaker 4: I think Brian Flores is gonna do exactly the opposite of that. Obviously, he wants to disrupt his timing as much as possible. He wants to confuse Caleb Williams with a different pressure that he's going to bring against him. He's going to want to disrupt the timing of all these receivers, routes, the secondary that he deploys, if they are not rushing, if he's not sending everybody. He is mixing coverages and he's doing like half field coverages for different things, right, and he is going to want to confuse and disrupt everybody's timing because he knows that is the number one thing to your point, Patrick, that Caleb Williams has had to work on, and plus that pre snap and post snap rhythm and routine that he has to get into, Brian Flores is like custom built to try to destroy everything that you were stressed out over in training camp. And I think Ben Jonson put more stress on Caleb in training camp, not just because it's a developmental process, because this is your first opponent, and I think like that is really what we're going to see. And on the on the opposite side, Greg like JJ McCarthy's been going against this defense in training camp every single day with live periods built in where they're calling it against each other as if they would in a game to try to say, Okay, Dennis Allen's going to really bring it, Like I expect Dennis Allen to design the heck, add of some pressure and try to fluster JJ McCarthy as much as possible. But how can this how can we slow this down for both quarterbacks? Early?

00:15:30
Speaker 2: Can we have a Dennis Allen sonce that doesn't really roll off the tongue?

00:15:34
Speaker 4: But like Allen awakening, I don't know.

00:15:36
Speaker 3: You know, he's finally it's a revenge against everybody.

00:15:39
Speaker 1: He's finally, like you know, free of being the most hated man in New Orleans unfortunately, and just gets to do what he does best. This is a fascinating team to watch in general.

00:15:49
Speaker 4: I also don't really know how we are doing this this year, but this is my survivor pick, also sort of a fan fair.

00:15:57
Speaker 3: The Bears are the pick.

00:15:59
Speaker 4: No, No, the vik is because of their hot start last season. I know it's a new quarterback, but the Vikings are my survivor pick this season. Let's send it Kevin O'Connell, Brian Flores.

00:16:09
Speaker 1: Let's do a little suspicious here. You know, Jordan, you know I love pick. Pretend she doesn't know anything like how the picks were because understood how they work, Like what's the survivor. It's like she she made an allusion to maybe just trying to crash out right away if she takes team that's in Week one, barely favored on the road. One that said, I I really like the Vikings. I love dat I'm kind of talking out of both sides of about They are one of the teams that I think that you just have, like the most things to watch.

00:16:38
Speaker 2: I know, we gotta we gotta move.

00:16:39
Speaker 3: Don't Ben this game, but like they.

00:16:41
Speaker 1: Have a lot of question marks JJ McCarthy, Christian Darisa coming off of a big injury. Uh, they have a rookie first round pick starting Donovan Jackson. The interior of their offensive line is transplanted from Indianapolis. Just a lot of things to watch, a lot of new things with the Vikings.

00:16:56
Speaker 5: I just want I just want to face Ben Johnson when he's got three months to prepare for you.

00:16:59
Speaker 2: It's just Jrdan's gonna win this thing.

00:17:01
Speaker 3: We know she find out all right, And once you do win, then we can all play as a team.

00:17:07
Speaker 1: There we got ye all lost by week grease that we played in the team for a while.

00:17:12
Speaker 3: We have the Ben Johnson lists, much of the sagorindum of everybody asking Dan Campbell questions Detroit lyons at the Green Bay Packers as the Lion's trying to win four in a row in Lambeau for the first time in franchise history. The Packers are giving up two and a half points at home the over under forty eight and a half. Jim, Tony and Tracy on the call, Jordan, what happens.

00:17:37
Speaker 4: I'm curious if mikeah Parsons is going to play. I mean, latest updates as of show taping is he's doing everything he can to get on the field because of this back injury that it's been widely reported on. I mean, I think he plays. You know, I think this is an elaborate smoke screen if I ever saw.

00:17:53
Speaker 5: Well, I don't know how much of a smoke screen he is. I mean, I spoken to someone who says it's a legit issue.

00:17:58
Speaker 2: However, you're not getting it. In Jack injection as Yeah.

00:18:01
Speaker 4: I mean, I know, I'm just saying, I'm just saying they know whether he's going to play, or I'm saying that part of it's a smoke screen.

00:18:06
Speaker 5: I could see him and known passing downs being out there on the field.

00:18:10
Speaker 3: You know it's he's gonna get on the field.

00:18:12
Speaker 5: They're not going to make this type of big swing and all of a sudden sit in Week one against his team, especially when Aid Hudchetson can steal all the glory.

00:18:20
Speaker 1: He's not ready to play. They should be thinking a little long game. He hasn't practiced getting Jack. I'm like, I don't know, I'm worried about winning the super Bowl. If I'm a Packer, you.

00:18:29
Speaker 3: Could trade for Michael Parsons for December January, February, not for There's no way he's not. There's no way they're they're sitting him.

00:18:37
Speaker 2: That's just like not how far I would be.

00:18:39
Speaker 5: I would be so stunned if they're like, Okay, we're making this trade. Okay, we're going to sit him for a week.

00:18:43
Speaker 4: Because if it weren't in Green Bay, I think that they might think about it. But it's in Green Bay and I think they're going.

00:18:49
Speaker 5: To be and it's a good Detroit Yeah. I mean, I just think it's they're going to get out there. They're going to spot him when they need to spot him. They're going to put you know, run fronts up there on the first on first downs, because you know Detroy still coming on two tight, three tight, doing stuff like that on their early downs. Hell, they do it on the third and fifteen to go out, you know, two tights and three tys. But I think Michael Parsons plays. I think he is impactful. Uh He's got with Sean Gary on the other side, like like, let's not forget about this.

00:19:21
Speaker 3: This might end up being the best pass rushing tandem in the NFL.

00:19:24
Speaker 1: And it's maybe more of a mismatch than previous years where you look at this Detroit offensive line. Obviously someone's got to go against Pane Sewel. But on the other side, Taylor Decker is getting a little older. There's new guys on the on the area where they'll bring Parsons on the stunts and everything. And I kind of flipped that the other side too. I'm curious, Like Dan Campbell was really talking about DJ Reader, who's a name, you know, a name that we probably haven't mentioned on this show, like all offseason. He's healthy again and he's a player in the middle of their defensive line they expect to really be a difference maker, but they kind of need him to be because yeah, you know it's him, and it's a rookie ty Leek Williams who's and it's Mark I guess Davenport.

00:20:00
Speaker 2: I know, we gotta have Hutchinson.

00:20:02
Speaker 1: But you can't, like ask the Browns, you can't just build an entire defense off like one pass rusher. So that versus a kind of new Packers offensive line I'm interested in too.

00:20:11
Speaker 3: Yeah, an offensive line that was one of the most cohesive over the course of last season, if not the most if I recall correctly, And so you make changes there, you get to see the way John because Josh Jacobs gets bubble wrapped in the preseason. Yeah, and I kind of unleashed them on the opposition once once things get going where I think it's it's four in a row.

00:20:37
Speaker 1: To me, it's six out of seven overall, Like it's kind of crazy that they own they own the Packers, but.

00:20:45
Speaker 3: They've just been so good. They're beating everybody.

00:20:47
Speaker 1: But they're not beating everyone six out of seven, you know what I mean? Like it all, I went back to go look to like see where this started, and it was actually like a Week eighteen game where they rested Aaron Rodgers and then Jordan Love came in. But if you do think like of that big weight Week eight team game that they knocked the Packers out of the playoffs, like a lot of their best moments last year, I think their two wins against the Packers were the best moments that they had. They this has been a one sided like coaching and organizational rivalry. I like like I like the exceptions underdogs like this is another one where I feel like spread some of these games out NFL like this game's amazing. It's a big spot also for Tony Ramo, who needs another bounce back season after a couple of down years, and this is like an NFC game, so it's different teams. I feel like that helps him. He's he is bored of announcing the Chiefs.

00:21:37
Speaker 4: I was gonna say, you got him a game. He's not gonna fall asleep during. But I feel like this is probably to your guys point, this is probably why Matt laflor looked so stressed out this week speaking to the media to open the week. He looks like Week eight. Matt Laflour to.

00:21:49
Speaker 5: Me, I gotta tell you, though, Jordan, I am so interested in seeing those Packers wide receivers. They have got speed to burn there. They're set up a lot like the Lions and that regard out wide. And Jordan Love is healthy.

00:22:03
Speaker 3: Man.

00:22:03
Speaker 5: We talked about it. That guy quarterback Island Show. There's very few guys as talented throwing the ball, especially deep, and that guy right there at number ten.

00:22:11
Speaker 4: Well, I really think matt Lafleur especially, he has kind of been itching to get into his bag on like gadget players too. And I'm not calling Matthew Golden a gadget player, but I just know they want to use him in so many different juice types of ways. And I've been saying this since they drafted him. I think he's going to be the volume, number one receiver on this team. They're going to need him. They're going to need him to show up and be explosive and do all kinds of things with their motions and their shifts and their formation changes and moving gaps on the defense. They're going to need all of it. And I cannot wait to see what their plan is for him.

00:22:40
Speaker 3: Green Bay opens with Detroit and then they've got the Commander's next.

00:22:43
Speaker 2: That's brutal and Thursday, Nike think about Lafleur.

00:22:46
Speaker 3: I could be here Wednesday, by the way, Okay.

00:22:49
Speaker 2: We'll accept that. We'll accept that.

00:22:51
Speaker 1: I know Jayden Reid, by the way, so he's not going to be able to unlift the full arsenal at least not a practice on Wednesday, and there's not a lot of optimism that he will play. But in general, they are are healthier. And before we take it to break, it's just gonna be the first time we get to see our guy, Isaac Dislaw in the in the regular season.

00:23:07
Speaker 2: Watch out for Cleif Raymond.

00:23:09
Speaker 1: Like people in Detroit are kind of like, well, Cleif Raymond's a starter, and they kind of love Cleif Raymond. And that's part of the reason too that they got rid of Tim Patrick after one full segment before the break.

00:23:18
Speaker 2: I'm ready to call it. This is the best previews show in the bus.

00:23:21
Speaker 3: There we go, let's take a break a week back in a.

00:23:25
Speaker 1: Few back on NFL Daily. We are currently on pace for about a two hour and thirty minute show.

00:23:31
Speaker 2: And you know what, the.

00:23:34
Speaker 1: Patrick angel on my left shoulder is telling me, like it's good stuff. Stop worrying about the time. Great, Yes, don't worry about it.

00:23:42
Speaker 2: That's me.

00:23:42
Speaker 3: I'm saying that in Greg's imagination.

00:23:44
Speaker 1: Especially when we got like Colts Dolphins next the game, you're the most excited.

00:23:49
Speaker 3: About, the most excited about two AFC powerhouses. No, but seriously, Mike McDaniels Miami Dolphins at the Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts favored by one and a half points. The over under is forty six and a half. Andrew Catalog and our dear friend Charles Davis on the call, it is Dimes time. Clearly, the bookmakers love Dimes, Greg, That's why they've got them favored by one and a half points.

00:24:13
Speaker 1: Not a lot of not a lot of respect for Miami, but whatever, two teams that were pretty average.

00:24:18
Speaker 2: So that's that's last year. Going into this year.

00:24:20
Speaker 1: I like the Dolphins in this game in general, and I thought it was interesting like that Razullo Douglas arrives with the Dolphins just like he's an immediate.

00:24:29
Speaker 3: Starter and that's where they are. Right.

00:24:32
Speaker 1: That's not a great sign, and this is a mismatch the Colts roster. It really isn't like we're so focused on the quarterbacks that you kind of forget the rest of the roster has a lot to like.

00:24:43
Speaker 3: I think the pass catcha I'm with you.

00:24:44
Speaker 1: I think like the matchup of you know, Tyler Warren versus whether it's Douglas or whether it's this undrafted rookie they have, I think Jason Marshall and the nickel or or if it's Minkoat like that, that's a really fascinating one.

00:24:57
Speaker 2: Ultimately, if Daniel Jones.

00:24:59
Speaker 1: And Stikeen can get a the ball, like there are a lot of mismatches here for that receiving group to pick.

00:25:03
Speaker 5: Up, well, I want to flip it. I mean, lou Ana Roumo, you talk about a revenge tour right now. He's got so many studs on that defense. I mean, look at that defensive front. They got defensive ens that they can roll in. I think Leau Latu is going to blow up mm hm uh this season. And the Miami Dolphins, we can talk about all their issues in the secondary, their offensive line, they got problems, they got issues. I mean, Tua, you talk about being on time, being quick with the ball, He's really going to have to be quick with the ball this year. The whole stuff with Tyreek and Jalen Waddle. I think a lot of people aren't expecting to much out of the Dolphins. We're hearing about some chaos going on behind the scenes. I just I like Indiana this year. You're the first person I won't.

00:25:43
Speaker 3: Say this year in this game.

00:25:45
Speaker 5: But their defense is going to keep them in position because at AFC South is going to be jumbled.

00:25:50
Speaker 4: Up a little bit, I think. And I think we're I like the Colts in this game because you know, as much as I believe in Anthony Weaver and as much as I think that when this Miami dolphinship is rolling at high speed, like it's really really hard to stop, but at the same time, I think we're going to see a really almost mechanized version of the Shane Steiken offense. See player throwball to player, do what I tell you in the headset kind of situation with with Daniel Jones. And I think Shane Stikeen really wants to remind the world that he can call a game, that he's a good play caller, that he really wants to deploy the tight ends, that he really wants to use Tyler Warren as like this Unicorn mismatch player, and he just needs a quarterback to basically get the ball from the center and behind the line of scrimmage, past the line of scrimmage, and I think and and also use him a little in the run game. And I think, so we'll see this like mechanized version that that I'm sure he hopes will expand over time. But this mechanized version of what Shane Stykeen really wants to do at quarterback and with his offense.

00:26:47
Speaker 3: And the problem with that is when you have this this group of pass catchers, especially with a guy like the skill set of Alec Pierce, who is one of the best deep ballgeters in the history of the it's all sample size there, but it's also a small sample size of Daniel Jones' completions that are over twenty five yards in the air, which in his career is eight. It's it's a substantial not much. It's not much, but and I think, right, you utilize the talent, and it's very difficult to say, hey, go out there and just don't make mistakes, because that's that's the it's the kind of collar that gets put on people like Jared Goff. But Jared Golf goes out there and makes plays. Yeah, and it's just been a very long time because I know Daniel Jones had the fumble issues. He had eighteen in his rookie year and it was a thing. And then he went into safety mode and he was very protective not turn the ball over. But the offense also did nothing. And so I think you have to unleash dimes to make it watchable. I don't want to watch like a Paint by Numbers version of Daniel Jones because I think.

00:27:53
Speaker 2: That's the that guy's gone though, like he just stopped playing.

00:27:56
Speaker 4: I just think you got to run him. Then you gotta run him a little bit.

00:27:59
Speaker 5: They say he was reborn in Minneapolis, they say he got there.

00:28:04
Speaker 3: You know, we will see. I feel all the bad vibes out of Miami. I understand that, but there's been bad vibes in Miami for a while.

00:28:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the bad vibe off like both these teams. This is such a big Week one. I think Week one is so big for teams coming off bad seasons or facing a lot of questions because it just lets everyone breathe a little, gives you a chance and like the winner of this game is gonna feel so much better about themselves, and.

00:28:27
Speaker 2: I still do have a will feel so much worse right, I still have.

00:28:30
Speaker 1: Some of the like Mike McDaniel, September magic is kind of a thing in my brain, and I have this image of like like Tyreek and Jalen Waddell on a fast track. I mean, that's an indoor team. If I've ever seen everyone's saying they can't go out into the weather, Well, how about let's go to Lucas Soil Stadium.

00:28:47
Speaker 3: Which is why let's go Dolphins.

00:28:49
Speaker 2: I don't know what, which is.

00:28:50
Speaker 3: Why they are my Survivor Picks Week one. Greg's reactionually makes me feel even better about it.

00:28:58
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm picking them, but you guys, why are you taking such big risks?

00:29:02
Speaker 3: Because it's all of risk. I took a small risk last year and lost to one, so why not keep it rolling.

00:29:08
Speaker 4: I like to feel alive.

00:29:09
Speaker 3: Wait for you guys to join me, and we're gonna do it as a team. Let's go to a game of what The biggest question in the entire NFL, the most consequential one to me. The Houston Texans across the street from us at the Los Angeles Rams, who were giving up two and a half points. The over under is forty four and a half. The goat Kevin Harlan and Trent Green on the call. Steve, of course, the biggest question to me is how healthy is Matthew Stafford. Really? Are we going to find out Steve on Sunday.

00:29:39
Speaker 5: We are, But my bigger question is how healthy might CJ. Stroud be after this game? The Texans offensive line is a significant issue and the Rams defensive front is no joke, and they can roll guys through. They've got depth. I think Chris Shula is a hell of a defensive coordinator the way he showed up lash year. But that young talent against an offensive line. We don't know the names of these guys, right, they gave up a lot. They've got to figure some stuff out. Yeah, they're passing game coordinator and came from the Rams, and people can say we know what they're gonna do. I just think it's a talent issue up front for the Texans, and we also know their receiving core still banked up, a little bit uncertain, So I think the Rams are gonna get after Houston. I don't think it's gonna be a blowout type of game, but we can ask all the questions you want about Matthew Stafford, CJ.

00:30:27
Speaker 3: Stroud's gonna be under some heat.

00:30:29
Speaker 4: Well, Texans defense is gonna get after Matthew Stafford. Will who's got you know, has been dealing with the back issue, the aggravated disc all season. I think to your point about c J. Stroud and Nick Kayley the offensive coordinator, I think everyone thinks that this is going to be like a Sean McVay resembling offense and offensive scheme, and I don't really think it will be that much. I think it's going to be more Patriots, and I think that in turn kind of protects CJ. Stroud a little bit because it's a lot of quick throws, it's a lot of you know, timing plays, just things that that can sort of mitigate the teeth pass rush. But your Krishula point is spot on because I actually expect him, you know that what this They were doing some stuff at the end of the season with five rushers. They were mixing their fronts a lot, they were going even odd odd even. They were really doing some little Jesse Minter stuff too, little Mike McDonald's stuff that they were copying. I think they're out of the gate doing that this year, and with Byron Young potentially even taking on that that cheetah package role, with Michael Hoyt being gone, moving from one of the edges over to that extra rusher role.

00:31:30
Speaker 1: Well then they just got to show up like they did against the actual Jesse Vinter in the Texans in the playoffs last year. Not that it was like offense first, but they they certainly made it work. I find it fascinating that Cam Robinson was signed for twelve or thirteen million dollars. He's on the bench for them, and I think that's a good sign that they feel really good about their second round pick, aronte Ersri. So that's what training camp and preseasons FoST to kind of find players that you believed in, even a little more than you expected. They're talking up that the that they're going to be greater than the some of their parts.

00:32:01
Speaker 2: The part I'm worried about just a CJ.

00:32:03
Speaker 1: Stroud in a one dimensional offense against this team concerns me, and I guess I'm assuming it's one dimensional with Nick Chubb being the running back until proven otherwise, I like, I want them to prove me wrong. But Nick Chubb and like Woody Marks like a Day three picker. Maybe it's Damian Pierce like, but I don't know.

00:32:22
Speaker 3: Well, there was so much volume for Joe Mixon in again the offense that was ill fated from start to finish last year, which is why there's a complete change. But I do think with I saw enough first in the preseason not to say yeah, not to say, oh, this is you know, twenty fifteen's Nick Chobb, Like, no, that's not clearly not what's there. But there's enough left of Nick Chubb to still be a better than replacement, much better than replacement level running back to me, in an offense where this is clearly going to be the best quarterback that has ever handled the ball to Nick Chubb, it's not even close big gap to me, like it's significant gap there.

00:33:06
Speaker 1: Baker Mayfield slander there. You know, I thought you guys are a team Biger.

00:33:09
Speaker 4: Actually you prefer to extrapolate it as such. We were not, as we were not making that.

00:33:14
Speaker 1: I mean, he was one of the quarterback.

00:33:18
Speaker 3: The version of Baker that was clearly wounded and the Browns ran him out there.

00:33:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, Adam Patrick essentially, which.

00:33:25
Speaker 3: Got Odell's career ended because he gave him that woful pass because he didn't have an arm at the time. Either way, it's I have hope for for that aspect of the Texans offense, But as good as the Rams are, it's just it's all number nine. Until I see Matthew Stafford playing as Matthew Stafford, I'm going to be very concerned about this team that has a super good defense but a high variance of outcomes depending on Stafford.

00:33:51
Speaker 5: Yeah, getting through eighteen weeks, it's going to be the challenge hardest game for me to pick.

00:33:55
Speaker 2: It's two and a half points.

00:33:56
Speaker 1: The Rams are favored, which is basically saying, you know that's that you get two or two and a half as the home team. These two teams are very even. I could see it going anyway. This is this is the this is the once in a what how often is this game in Los Angeles? Eight years? You know, you know they did it? Game that divides my household. My daughter Ellis, who I love dearly, my firstborn, and Walker, who's the bigger football fan, but not not by that much.

00:34:24
Speaker 2: He's a Texans fan.

00:34:25
Speaker 1: So it doesn't happen often, but there will be a lot of like tension in the house.

00:34:29
Speaker 4: Yes, I can't wait for people to see what DeVante Adams has been doing in this offense. I mean, it's been so fun because I think people are still somehow like I'm watching how low he's falling in like fantasy drafts and stuff. He's coming off the line of scrimmage so fast. They're going to use him all over the field. It's pick your poison in terms of whether you want to defend bracket him last year or bracket Puka Nakua, who's who's even bigger and looks more physical than he did. They're deep at receiver, and I just this is going to be fun if Stafford, if Matthew Saffer can say upright, and Alec Jackson, by the way, who missed most of camp, yeah, because he was. He's managing blood clots, still managing what will be an ongoing situation, but is expected to play in week one. That is huge. He's been in the walkthroughs, that's huge. So he's missed the physicality of camp, but he hasn't missed the installs. And I think that's really really important because as Matthew Stafford goes and stays upright, this rams team will.

00:35:22
Speaker 1: Go glad he pointed that out, because this really might be the best like top receivers versus top cornerbacks in the entire NFL, in the entire NFL season, Like because to me, it is the Texans, And I don't know if there's a better you know one too, maybe maybe in Cincinnati, but they're not on the schedule for Houston.

00:35:39
Speaker 2: This is it. This is the matchup and that's.

00:35:41
Speaker 3: Why they get Kevin Harland and Trent Green on this call. Let's go to another exciting matchup, the division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road out a team that beat them twice last year, the Atlanta Falcons at home over under forty seven, and I have Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on the call. Jordan, we have seen this explosive Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. We've seen an explosive Falcons. These teams played calculator games last year. How does this one go?

00:36:10
Speaker 4: Points? Points, points, points, points, points, points and more points. But don't forget that Tristan Wurfs is out for the Bucks, still has been for a while. And Atlanta like because they made such a significant trade up to double up on the outsides because they've been missing that outside pass rush for so many years in a row. At this point, it's about two six. They need to prove a point in a big way, and I think they're going to try to bring the heat. This is going to be really exciting. You're going this is a show your work game to me, because you've got Josh Grazzard, the new OC with Baker who basically Baker was like, I want this guy to be MYOCI. I've lost too in a row now. And then you've got these receivers who are super talented and have you got you know, Bucky who is just so so fun love, and they need to show their work what they did in the off season on the on the other side, Atlanta really needed to juice up this defense, especially that outside i'd rush. They need to show their work this game as well.

00:37:02
Speaker 2: Gizzard's real name.

00:37:04
Speaker 4: I just said it, Oh, King Grizzard.

00:37:06
Speaker 2: Is Grizzard, the Lizard King. Oh my god, I have to say that every time say his actual name of.

00:37:15
Speaker 4: King Grizzard from Lizard Lick yea King or the Lizard King, King Wizard and the Lizard Wizard.

00:37:22
Speaker 5: Yeah, okay, all right, I love it. I like said, uh, you know Baker picking his host too. That worked well with Freddy Kitchens, didn't it. You know, hopefully this works out a little bit better. I love this game because Atlanta wins the battles and the Buccaneers win the war. This is but Kirk Cousins is Wing's really Kirk Cousins in five games against the Buccaneers, fourteen touchdowns with two picks and like five million yards. He's not playing. So Michael Pennix, this is the guy who's gonna pack the ball a little bit. They're gonna try and do the deep shots. You're hearing about nine to five Pennix to Drake London. The Jersey numbers all over the place. They got Jean Robinson. This to me is a big game for Atlanta. There there's they're they're psyched up for because Tampa Bay to me is now we talk about teams with culture.

00:38:09
Speaker 3: They're a culture team. They expect to win going into games.

00:38:12
Speaker 5: Atlanta, with all of its talent, is trying to figure out how to win. You talk about young edge rushers. They're starting two rookies in their secondary too. They love the kid moment. They're strong safety. They love him, So I'm interested to see how the front and the back is gonna work because you know me with with the Falcons, kden nellis their intire linebackers, the most underrated player in the NFL.

00:38:32
Speaker 3: I think he's a superstar that nobody talks about.

00:38:35
Speaker 5: But I just want to see how those two sides work because this offense is gonna put points on the board. You know, losing their right tackle hurts because he's a blind side tackle for Penis. That's going to be something they got to work through. But I think they'll be able to scheme some stuff up to kind of protect and Plus Penis is a far more athletic player people give him credit for.

00:38:51
Speaker 3: If he's got to move, he can go right.

00:38:52
Speaker 1: How much quarterback, by the way, we need we need more, like if you're if you got a kid that can the ambidex strists are out there, or just want to grow them up to Like I think the world just needs more lefty quarterbacks, like there's there's a need for it. I'm more worried about that Falcons offensive line without their right tackle and his backup than I am. Even losing Tristan worse because the rest of the line can make up for it for Tampa, even if it's uh an easier matchup for them. I mean, we go through the whole off seasons like, oh, we got to improve the.

00:39:25
Speaker 2: Pastors, we got to improve the past.

00:39:27
Speaker 1: I know they're going to play, but ultimately, like the Falcons after you know, we got to improve the past, they're going to start Leonard Floyd and Arnold Debakhetti, So like, are they gonna be.

00:39:41
Speaker 4: Don't it's a run. Don't you discount Leonard Floyd against the run? Come on, dude, still gets I'm just.

00:39:46
Speaker 2: Saying, like, I don't know if they took enough steps for me.

00:39:49
Speaker 1: By the way, speaking of that offensive line, Luke Getticky got a big time contract on Wednesday morning. A great develop I think the local guys say Getticky. So that's that's what I'm saying, but I don't know if that's right. A good development story. He was thought of as a total bust and was at left guard and then moved to a tougher position on paper and has turned into a huge development story. I did an article last week the top twenty five free agents of twenty twenty six. There were four Buccaneers on there, Yeah, and a lot of them. It shows how good they are at like developing players. You get and heard of Zion McCollum, Kaita and who I think is maybe like maybe the most underrated tight end. Yeah, and then Mike Evans, who has been on that top one o one list like over and over. But they get one of them done, they're gonna.

00:40:31
Speaker 4: They're gonna pay Kayta. And by the way, Kate Auton has been out for a little while training camp, but he's practicing, so he should be a go this week.

00:40:37
Speaker 3: Good big pick up. I like the Bucks this one. Yeah, it's excited to see. And I don't know James Pearce Junior as well as Jalen Walker. It's you're you're not expecting them to do everything in week one. And I'll say Steve to the kirk Cousins of it, all right, he did light up those games against the Bucks, but also they scored twenty points a game in the games that kirk Cousins started, and twenty nine points seven percent of those points that they scored with kirk Cousins came against the Tampa Bay.

00:41:06
Speaker 5: Bcconeer that was his team. That's not saying He's not walking through that door. So Michael Pennock's better show up.

00:41:12
Speaker 3: But it's for the best because they did score thirty two points per game. Once Peter started Wow and they lost Wow, and they lost them. They put thirty eight on the Panthers and gave up forty four. All right, next game is gonna be out West, the San Francisco forty nine Ers on the road in the Division to take on the Seattle Seahawks, giving up two and a half points. The over under is forty four and a half. Joe Davis and g Reg As we get to see Sam Darnold starting with another team. He's gonna prove you wrong, Greg.

00:41:42
Speaker 2: Is he?

00:41:42
Speaker 1: I mean they're sticking him at four h five. The disrespect for two teams, a team that basically wakes up and gets to the NFC Championship Game as long as they're healthy, and the forty nine Ers and then Seahawks, I just mean they're not getting the four to twenty five. There's like there's two national games and they're just they're just shuffled over to the side.

00:42:01
Speaker 2: And this is a really one sided rivalry.

00:42:03
Speaker 1: But I don't put much into it because Mike McDonald's only been there for a little bit. That said, the forty nine ers offense mostly had good days last year, even in a year that wasn't good against Mike McDonald. So he has Kyle Shanahan some history that Seahawks defense is better. But they have to feel better that they're getting two really important pieces back on offense. Dominic Pooney, their guard who they thought might miss some regular season time, has been out there practicing. And then Juan Jennings is back at practice after a quietly unsuccessful you know hold in.

00:42:38
Speaker 4: Quote unquote, and if you hear Kyle Shanahan's tone of voice when he talks about it, the calf injury, you know, Calves fickle, you.

00:42:48
Speaker 1: Didn't get any more money in the end. But I don't care like that's that's a solid one. Two Jennings and pearsall as long as you have Kittle and McCaffrey healthy, which they do.

00:42:58
Speaker 4: And they do, and I think a lot of the passing game is gonna to go through those guys. I think that they're going to especially because they traded for Brian Robinson Junior. I think they're gonna take a little of the run workload off of Christian McCaffrey and deploy him a lot more as a mismatch in the passing game. They're obviously gonna put a lot of that through George Kittle as well, another mismatch. And even though Juwan Jennings is back, which makes you feel better about their depth overall, I gotta tell you, guys, this is a Ricky Piersoll show. This is going to be the Ricky Piersoll show. And you know what, you can really tell the Beat I always follow the trend of the Beat writers because they are always the ones who are like, let's watch, let's watch every single practice before we write the hype piece about this guy. This week, all the hype pieces came out a set of lovely features about Ricky Piersol across the board and that they've got the local people believing in him.

00:43:43
Speaker 3: And that's great Beat crew up there.

00:43:45
Speaker 4: But yeah there, and they're honest. Yeah, I look.

00:43:48
Speaker 5: Christian McCaffrey just changes everything for the forty nine. Yeah, I mean him being healthy. If he's in, they're getting Brian Robinson, they're gonna use him like they use a lot of their other running backs. Well, he'll probably be the third quarter guy. Right, McCaffrey's gonna wear him out. Then you're gonna bang them. Get a lead for Brock and those guys and McCaffrey to to closings out in the fourth quarter. I do like Seattle to be good the show. I don't like this match too. I think they're gonna be a good team this year. I think their offensive line is better. You know, their run game they've got. I mean Zach Sharbona looks different. I think he can end up being the guy more show than Kenneth Walker, who you can't stay healthy. But I think overall they're much more balance. I think they're gonna be a good team, but not not in this game. I like Sanforancis.

00:44:25
Speaker 2: I I don't know. I have a like Week one is funky.

00:44:28
Speaker 1: I'd sometimes ultimate the ultimate non tr right, it's a It's a week where I often take teams that, even though I predict them to have a worse season, I just have him winning this game. This is like a home game. I think both teams want to run, and both teams will be able to run. But I just trust the Seahawks defense. We do a show together, Patrick, we do going on I think six or seven years now Game Dey View where we pick all the games and everyone should check it out on NFL Network on Fridays, So we have to make picks for every game. I picked the Seahawks in this game. I don't I don't feel great about it, but you had to.

00:45:01
Speaker 3: You got to pick somebody. There's so many things to be up against Rock Party five and one in his career against the Seahawks. He was actually a better quarterback on the road last year than he was at home. A lot of that's the schedule. I don't think Rock Party like hates or something like that, but it's it's a healthier team, uh, with a more clear vision of what they want to do. And yeah, Christian McCaffrey changes everything, makes everything better, like winning.

00:45:22
Speaker 4: But I think this to Greg's put to this defense, I think this defense. I know this defense is going to be good. I have no doubts, I have no questions. I know this defense is going to be good. They finished, you know, even in top five points per drive. Even through the years, they were still improving, which you could see with the Mike McDonald system. You take a couple of weeks, a couple months to really get to where you need to be. I am actually more excited than I think most about what this Clint Kubiak, you know, Gray's Abel, sam Donold Cooper Cup, Jackson Smith and Jigba and Robbie outs and.

00:45:56
Speaker 2: Is a problem.

00:45:57
Speaker 4: I'm so excited to see what these guys do. And I would pick because Clint Kubiak came out swinging last year too before everything went sideways. I mean, he put up near ninety points in the first two games, right, So I do think that the Seahawks offense is going to surprise people. I really think that it's.

00:46:11
Speaker 3: One of those things where we have to figure out how much Dennis Allen was a factor in Yeah, yeah, how's a fact?

00:46:20
Speaker 1: And Derek Carr dang Man taking he took funny in this from the studio unfortunately.

00:46:28
Speaker 3: Let's go to the revenge game. Yesive the Pittsburgh Steelers at the New York Jets, who were giving up, who were getting three points the over under that's at home by the way, forty seven and a half. Iron Eagle and JJ Watt on the call as Aaron Rodgers is back in New Jersey, Steve is he gonna play super well and make them regret? Ever, crossing him.

00:46:56
Speaker 5: Well, we'll see what Aaron Glenn has to say about that.

00:47:01
Speaker 7: That's been going. So I'm not going to answer questions about guys that's not hearing what I saw is right now. I'm looking at what our guys can do. So like just like I said, Just like I said, I'm not gonna sit there and answer questions on what I saw back then.

00:47:16
Speaker 3: That does it.

00:47:16
Speaker 7: It's not relevant to right now and street Lingo.

00:47:19
Speaker 5: It's like we got something for that, a for him coming back. But look, this is gonna be This could be a very fun game. I do not like the Jets losing Elija for a Tucker do that injury. I think there's a team that wanted to run the ball. Pittsburgh's gonna be a tough team to run the ball against. But he is a really important part of that offense. It's gonna be an RPO driven type of offense with Justin Field's playing quarterback. I think that's a big blow for the Jets in this game, which is why I do like Aaron Rodgers coming back and getting.

00:47:54
Speaker 1: Some I hate I think you know on the Jets all off season, it just feels like, you know, he's gonna be on the Jets this week, and then you wake up to that Vera Tucker news he was said to be a free agent he still is that he could miss the season, and it just gives you just a bad vibe about like, oh man, is this the same old Jets I do like that on both sides are like, oh no, this couldn't possibly mean anything extra to us, like it's just another game. Like Aaron Rodgers didn't answer anything on Wednesday when he was asked about it, you know, just doesn't mean a little more. He's like it's week one and and do you keep in touch with anyone there? Like I'm not going to comment on that, and Aaron Glenn's saying it's nothing. And then earlier in the week, like it is fascinating to me that Mike Tomlin admitted, you know, it was a mutual decision because he was on the record saying he kind of he wanted Justin Fields back either him or yeah, And it is fascinating to think about the reason he's not back is that the Jets were willing to pay Justin Fields more money than either team was willing to pay Aaron Rodgers. And they can say whatever they want like whoever wins this game, that is absolutely going to be the topic in the locker room after the game of like, you know what, either like Aaron dit stuck it to his old team or Aaron Glenn, you know, got to shut up everyone after kicking Rogers out of the building like.

00:49:16
Speaker 4: He was their third or fourth choice. I mean, if you're gonna either combine the two guys that they had last year into one choice A and then they you know, they went after Stafford a little bit choice B, and then they end up with Rogers. And it's so interesting to me. I do like this Steelers team because yes, I think that the Jets offense is gonna go real heavy personnel. They're going to try to move that defensive line not only backwards but side to side in heavy personnels with heavy run concepts that are going to be tough to defend. And that is where our old friend Jalen Ramsey coaching as one of the guys who is still, in my opinion, one of the best tackling corners in the entire league, one of the best tacklers overall in the entire league, and he's gonna be playing either that slot role closer to the box in run support against a run heavy Jets team that really wants to pop off. These two guys, Breescee Hall and Brayln Allen getting a lot of buzz in camp with the threat of a running quarterback. This is why you bring a guy like Jalen Ramsey into this defense, to give it that edge, to give it that teeth in scheme diverse ways.

00:50:16
Speaker 3: And not just the threat of a quarterback who can run. Because the difference right from rookie year Breeshall and I know that there was an injury, but we saw that burst when he came back. Yeah, there's no threat of Aaron Rodgers running the football. There's absolutely no threat. And to go from that to Justin Fields, it's significant. Despite the fact that Justin Fields had a better completion percentage than Aaron Rodgers last year, he had a better passer rating than Aaron Rodgers last year, and his pass yards per attempt were better than Aaron Rodgers last year. And I would make the case that the Steelers offense was not conducive to any of those things. And so now he goes to a new team with a new offensive vision, and I have to be convinced to believe that this Arthur Smith Aaron Rodgers union is working great, successful and and it's gonna take weeks of football to convince me of that. I'm not going to say it in week.

00:51:06
Speaker 1: One, I agree, but Rogers has more to work with in terms of that tight end room is dynamic, and the Jets have Garrett Wilson and just a whole lot of question marks, including their their tight end, and that worries me.

00:51:18
Speaker 5: Jude Patrick's point, though, I thought it was very interesting that Mike Tomlin said when it comes to Justin Fields, he's stronger. He's physically stronger than what anyone gives him credit for.

00:51:29
Speaker 3: He's talking about how tough.

00:51:31
Speaker 5: Physically a guy he's a little worried he's planting that and his guy's like, when you you can't just tackle Justin feels you have to bring a hat on him, like they're detailed, knowing that he is a legitimate threat, which goes to show you the respect that head coach.

00:51:47
Speaker 2: As how special is the defense.

00:51:49
Speaker 1: Though, when when Mike Tomlin said that he thinks they could be historic for some reason, I was just like, oh, I guess I was wrong to doubt the Steelers. They're gonna win twelve games. No feeling himself walking by the way, of course he is, Yeah, of course he is.

00:52:03
Speaker 3: They're gonna have to be. Let's go to the Carolina Panthers at the Jacksonville Jaguars Chris Myers and Mark Zlaart on the call where the jackson give it up three points to the Panthers with an over under of forty six and a half. We get a chance to see Travis Hunter for the first time in his NFL career.

00:52:21
Speaker 5: Steve, Yeah, this is the week one thing right here, like, okay, this is the ultimate tossip game. We'll see you know what Liam Cohen has You know, the two guys who Baker Mayfield got jobs for He's no god, that's right.

00:52:33
Speaker 3: That's what I'm saying.

00:52:34
Speaker 5: Two guys who Baker Mayfield got head coaching jobs going up against one another right here. I'm interested because Jacksonville's got you know, on paper, they've got a lot of talent, especially defense. I love the guys on the defensive front. No one talks about hind Taalen, especially Travon Walker. I mean, these are double digit sack guys, but these are hollow stats because they're not winning ball games to see if they're gonna be able to get after Bryce Yaw. I think Carolina is improved. I think Jacksonville on paper, is a better team. And yes we get to see Travis Hunter. He's gonna play mainly wide receiver, spot him at corner. Well, see, I do like Jacksonville in this game at home. But again it's a week one non truth teller.

00:53:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, we do our pick show every Friday, and you're saying, like you think it's as coin flippy a game as there is. I really like the Jaguars, and this is what I'm looking at here. I even was thinking about because the Survivor picks are tricky, But then I'm like, am I my believing my own hype? It's not Actually, they haven't actually proven anything. I think the Jaguars could be a sneaky playoff team. I agree, I am believing my own hype when it comes to Hunter, though, I do think that they've been playing a little Oakie doke, like, keeping him a little under wraps all the plans for him.

00:53:44
Speaker 2: And week one we get some.

00:53:46
Speaker 1: We get some like Odell Beckham once he gets back from the hamstring injury as a rookie just or RG three in week one where suddenly like Kyle Shanahan and just like unveiled it. And I don't know what exactly Travis Hunter could do, like maybe parachutes in it or whatever like to play on, but I don't know what exactly they would do. But I just think we're getting full Hunter week one in a way that we haven't really understood.

00:54:06
Speaker 4: Well. It's a good pick, Greg, because Carolina's defense is so untrustworthy. We know this. Even with Derek Brown being healthy and being back and pairing Bobby Brown, which is his prerogative next to him, I'm there, we go, thank you, thank you. Thirty three years old, guys still did it. So and then j C. Horn having, you know, kind of stacking up a relatively healthy season that he had last season, stack of dollars, yeah, and massive payday this offseason. It's still such an untrustworthy defense. I also want to point out kind of a sneaky but really important injury that happened kind of went under the radar with the Panthers this last week. Jalen Coker is gonna miss four to six weeks at least. He suffered a quad injury in practice right after they traded Adam Thielen to the Vikings. That's a thin receiver's room. Without him, they're going to rely, I think, a little bit on the tight ends in the short term. But he was supposed to be like their slot guy. He had a fan base with a really cool.

00:54:58
Speaker 3: Name, Yeah, the Cokett.

00:55:01
Speaker 4: I'm glad he's the playmates the fan he's the winner of the fan base name.

00:55:06
Speaker 1: You know he's gonna you know, his replacement is one of Patrick's sneaky favorite players. I feel like over the last five or six years, Hunter Renfro, they're calling up the practice squad right to the starting lineup.

00:55:16
Speaker 4: He also has been recovering from a pretty serious illness. Though I don't know how much he's gonna play.

00:55:20
Speaker 1: Right They said he's starting out of the slot receiver now that now that Cooker is gone.

00:55:24
Speaker 3: But it shows like how how fickled depth can be, where you can go from being very confident in a unit to the extent that you're trading Adam Thielen and he's taking a pay cut to pay to play for the Vikings to now it's like, oh, well, a.

00:55:41
Speaker 4: Week ago, you know what's kind of funny though Joe person might colleagu get the Athletic reported this, So Hunter Renfro they cut him, and then they tried to and they cut him and he had like the vet minimum payout for the time spent there, and then they tried then they tried to resign him. After all of this happened, he negotiated like a significant pay bump.

00:55:57
Speaker 2: There it is come back.

00:55:58
Speaker 4: Because of course he did, because are like.

00:56:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, price, that's amazing today's price.

00:56:05
Speaker 1: This is a matchup, by the way, at least in terms of the head coaches or in the coordinators that we did see last year because Liam Cohen as the coordinator for the Bucks put on about a thousand total yards on the Panthers.

00:56:18
Speaker 2: And everyone, I mean I know everyone. It worked out well.

00:56:23
Speaker 1: And then this game just existing reminded me Jeddevian Clowney isn't in the league, Like, where is Jeddevion Clowney. He's got to be able to help some team post Week one? In Week two, let's take a quick break. We did a good job. As much as I'm fine with a two hour plus show because we are the best preview show in the business.

00:56:41
Speaker 2: We did pick up the pace quite a bit. We will be back.

00:56:48
Speaker 3: We're back on NFL Daily. Greg mentioned it. We're at a good place, so I'm going to throw in time wise, I'm gonna throw in a personal anecdote involving a player we mentioned last week on the show, and that is Matt Jones of Arkansas Fame, one of the most electrifying athletes that we've ever seen. I was at the Troy Versus Marshall game and paying attention to the Alabama Arkansas game, which was going into overtime, and I thought to myself, you know what, I don't care what happens in Tuscaloosa. I am a Troy Trojan. Yeah. I fully committed to this team and that was it for the rest of my life. And this next game makes me think about this, George, because Gino Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders, Greg Rosenthal's New England Patriots, who he is slowly starting to believe in. The Patriots giving up three points he over under is forty two and a half. Spirodida is Adam Archiletta on the call in Jordan. What is the battle for Greg Rosenthal's heart?

00:57:44
Speaker 4: It's the Greg Rosenthal Bowl.

00:57:46
Speaker 2: I love it.

00:57:47
Speaker 4: So much. Greg admitted to us the other day Steve on the show that he is back to being a Patriots fan.

00:57:54
Speaker 3: As he should be.

00:57:55
Speaker 2: I'm testing the water, he used the word.

00:57:57
Speaker 4: He used the word we to describe them.

00:58:00
Speaker 1: I'm not going all the way. I'm more of a Drake may guy than a Mike Brabile guy. Is pretty strong, I will admit, because one thing I've done to feel a little more emotionally free is we assigned the games out on Sundays because we all covered.

00:58:14
Speaker 4: Meaning you specifically.

00:58:15
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean.

00:58:17
Speaker 1: The previous podcasts around the NFL and NFL Daily. We sign out games and I generally don't take the Patriots. I don't even watch them live. I mean I am definitely watching Drake.

00:58:28
Speaker 2: You know, there's no I don't know how.

00:58:30
Speaker 3: Greg if Gino it takes an.

00:58:32
Speaker 5: L though we were talking about that sounds without Christian Gonzales on the Patriots.

00:58:38
Speaker 1: My perfect result, and yes, Christian Gonzales looks very questionable. My perfect result would be, yeah, forty one to thirty seven, both quarterbacks look incredible.

00:58:47
Speaker 2: And the Patriots get a win.

00:58:48
Speaker 4: That that's my perfect and the Patriots get the win.

00:58:51
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm not becoming a Raiders fan. I mean, I will know.

00:58:54
Speaker 4: I'm just gauging how all in you've become. Suddenly you know you're back. He's all the way back. You never left. But I think you.

00:59:01
Speaker 2: Don't know lately.

00:59:02
Speaker 3: You don't know until it's the third quarter. It's a three point game and Gino has cut loose a beautiful looking same ball, and in your heart you decide whether or not you want Dante Thornton Junior to catch the ball.

00:59:14
Speaker 1: I'll have mixed feelings, and I do think suddenly after adding Cooper, like, okay, now they've got some depth because you mentioned Dante Thornton, this this rookie who I think is still going to start. It really sounds like he's going to play a lot. And they'll just mix Cooper in. And they basically have four receivers including Jacoby Myers that they like and will play plenty to the added to the two tight ends that they love. Yeah, added to Ashton Jenny and yeah, I'm really high operators.

00:59:43
Speaker 4: I've been saying this. I know I sound insane to some people, but the defense, the defense is untrustworthy right now, and very a lot of guys that they've got to coach up obviously, but like, this offense is going to score points and I would love to see that. I think brock Bauers already had such an incredible rookie season. He is the perfect do it all weapon for Geno Smith. Any type of throw which Gino can make, any type of throw, any type of pass he throws. Brock Bauers can run any type of route. He can be anywhere in the stack. Outside of it. They can use Michael Meyer as well now as a sort of that twelve personnel look that can maybe give some defenses some trouble. They can run the ball. I just I'm so excited about this this Raiders team to the point where I'm like, I'm checking on myself a little bit. I'm like, hey, Jordan, are you okay?

01:00:28
Speaker 2: This is this the team, you know?

01:00:29
Speaker 1: Because the other the other category we were going to throw out was team nobody's picking to make the playoffs.

01:00:34
Speaker 4: That they could, Oh yeah, I could. I could see them making the playoffs. A lot of other stuff has to go wrong injury wise for other teams in the AFC West, But.

01:00:42
Speaker 1: Carroll's got to do a hell of a coaching job on DEEF. I mean, They've got good defensive Patrick Graham.

01:00:46
Speaker 5: But on the inside they've got issues or linebackers are all like one year, one year guys all productive, the Orlando Roberts of the world, but they're all one and their secondary is an issue. But I'm gonna I'm gonna go Patrick to this lane. We talked about Greg Rosenthal. Okay, I'm gonna dredge up somebody stuff you brought up.

01:01:04
Speaker 2: Okay.

01:01:05
Speaker 5: Bill Belichick used to coach doing the Patriots, Tom Brady's with the Raiders. Now I woulda pose this to you because here's something people are not talking about. This is why we're a smart show. Bill Belichick, now the head coach University of North Carolina, is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year, there was a rule change where head coaches only have to be out one season before they are eligible to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If those Tar Heels continue to get beat like they did, right, do you think selectors, the fifty selectors might be like.

01:01:44
Speaker 3: Hm, maybe it was Tom Brady. Does it diminish the seven Super Bowls?

01:01:51
Speaker 4: Right?

01:01:51
Speaker 5: Because here's the other twist to this, Patrick. If Bill doesn't get in first ballot. You know who's already been eligible, and then who's eligible in two years. Robert Kraft has been eligible, Tom Brady's eligible in two years. What about the scenario we are they all going together.

01:02:09
Speaker 3: Hold him off. I don't think that happens. I think the group of people in that room that had a bunch of counterproductive and pointless arguments over Terrell Owens for years are the same.

01:02:19
Speaker 2: Years, one year, one year. You only have to wait one.

01:02:21
Speaker 3: But he had to wait the one year. But the conversations Marvin extended. Yeah, and so I don't think that those vapid discussions are going to take place after you know, TCUs right up and down the field constantly for Bill Belichick, you know, and I don't necessarily think they should. When you initially started that, I was wondering if you were saying Bill Belichick's gonna be if things don't go good for people, Belick's gonna be in Las Vegas.

01:02:48
Speaker 1: That is definitely not happening. I'm glad you pointed that out. And I know you know we're previewing this game, but people don't understand these Hall of Fame rules, and you're our Hall of Fame guy, and I really follow it.

01:02:57
Speaker 2: I'm into it, and I'm into Belichick.

01:02:59
Speaker 1: I didn't know that that rule was a thing either, because if he is eligible, I think it's safe to say he's not getting the job as a head coach in the NFL most like, you know, it's it's very unlikely that that's gonna happen ever, in my opinion, and I would think the writers would agree with me there. I'm like, yeah, what are we doing with the Hall of Fame without Bill Belichick making it the first time he's eligible?

01:03:21
Speaker 3: He should be getting in. There's a lot of people waiting on him, though. I'd like that. Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan there, they're on the cost.

01:03:26
Speaker 1: I'd love it if him and Brady went the same year because what about him and Robert Kraft. Not only would Canton never be like more obnoxious, but I would save me one trip because I'm going, I'm going, if do you think they would?

01:03:36
Speaker 4: They would sit them all at the same table together.

01:03:39
Speaker 3: They they're fine, they'd be bigger, They're doing fine. Party would be awesome.

01:03:44
Speaker 4: The fun Diggs is expected to play. I know there was like some murkyiness about that, but I expect him based on what I saw practice against the Vikings when they had joint practices, I expect him to be like kind of an outlet option, a slot guy underneath option, especially when Drake Macy's pressure. And you guys already know I'm super high on Trevion Henderson.

01:04:01
Speaker 5: I think he's oh yeah, right, the patriotar sneaky team.

01:04:06
Speaker 2: I worry with Christian Gonzales very unlikely to play.

01:04:09
Speaker 4: Yeah, you deeply personally worried.

01:04:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, Like Mike Rable got very annoyed when there was a follow up question on Christian Gonzalez and he said, I mean, guys, please use your time as efficiently as we can about telling them what to do. So to ask these questions like Christian Gonzalez kind of matters. He's literally the best player on the team. I would say Drake may is the most important, but at this point he's the best.

01:04:33
Speaker 2: So, yeah, you're gonna have to have a lot of points.

01:04:35
Speaker 1: Trevon Henderson matched up against like Jermaine Pratt or Devin White or Landon Roberts.

01:04:42
Speaker 3: Let's say this though, they still got it to the most.

01:04:44
Speaker 4: And let me reiterate my belief in the Raiders means that they have to score the points that I expect him to score to score.

01:04:50
Speaker 3: But defensively, there is something to be said for scouting the potential future. Because Patrick Graham ran all that covered three last year. Who better to hire? Uh oh no here and so he comes in and one of the few got the stuff.

01:05:04
Speaker 2: Josh McDaniel's revenge game. Didn't even think. There's a lot going on here.

01:05:08
Speaker 3: That's more revenge for the for the Raiders. Let's go to the Cincinnati Bengals at the Cleveland Browns, who were getting six points the over unders forty seven should and a half. Kevin Coogler Darryl Johnson on the call, as Greg the Bengals have said they're going to try harder at the start of the season. We saw Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase inexplicably playing in a preseason.

01:05:29
Speaker 2: He wanted to, and they have stunk early.

01:05:32
Speaker 3: It made sense, so it's better there are this six points is not an issue.

01:05:36
Speaker 1: I'm going to take the Browns to cover that just based on that could win. You know, it's a it's a division game and in this particular matchup, and these coaches have both been there a while. In general, Kevin Stefanski, considering the talent that he's had, has gotten the better of this matchup. Even last year, where with this UH Bengals offense humming, there was there was one game where they had four teen points and twelve first downs, is pretty much their worst offensive game of the year, and it was right in the middle of the season.

01:06:06
Speaker 2: There was there was no like Jim Schwartz and the Browns.

01:06:11
Speaker 1: I think media are at least hopeful and people do forget this that they could go back to a couple of years ago when they turned the ball over quite a bit the other team and Ward and Garrett are at the very top of their game. They love Carson Schwestern here and that this is a top ten, top five type of defense that is their route to just being a pain. And I think it's like a sneaky big game for both teams really, but especially the Browns because man, their schedule is absolutely brutal.

01:06:39
Speaker 2: After this game, it's.

01:06:39
Speaker 3: A bigger game for Cincinnati. I mean, they they've got to get out of the gate.

01:06:42
Speaker 5: Like you said, they played Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase and all their starters early and they just can't afford to get too far behind the Steelers.

01:06:50
Speaker 1: If after all that, I hear that, if after all that they lose to the Browns in Week one, Italy, pretty big litt.

01:06:55
Speaker 3: I mean, look, it's it's Week one again, the great not truth teller.

01:06:59
Speaker 5: I'm with you. Think the Brons who covered the sixth. I think it's good. And their their rookie tailbacks they got in Cleveland. Dylan Shampton at Tennessee. Mm hm, he's a player to watch. He's a fun, spectacular player. He'll be the backup to Jero and Ford, but we'll see a lot of him, so you know, we'll see I like Cleveland to cover, like the Bengals to win, you know.

01:07:20
Speaker 2: Little tra little Trey Hendrickson.

01:07:22
Speaker 1: Maybe it's Shamar Stewart versus pretty shaky offensive tackles. Jack Conklin, like was coming off a big injury last year, Dwan Jones. They did get their center back Ethan Posted. Yes, who was hurt in the preseason, Daniel Jeremiah and I argued a lot about Mason Graham all this this is a matchup. Show me, Mason Graham, because you're going up against either some backup.

01:07:44
Speaker 2: Level players or hurt players. And if Lucas Patrick starts.

01:07:48
Speaker 1: They just signed Dalton Reisner, who might immediately start for them, So like, let's let's see it.

01:07:54
Speaker 4: I feel like we're getting to the point in that by the way, because I listened to the forties and free agents, and we're getting the point in that banter where he is about to send you cutups of this player every single game, like it goes like an ISO cam. It's every single game.

01:08:08
Speaker 3: Yeah, if it goes well, and if it does not, considering the talent that was available and the decisions of the Browns made, that could be a huge one looming for the future of that franchise. Decision. Yeah, No, it's generally good. Everything's generally good with the Cleveland Browns. To get a chance to send Joe Flacco back out there and go get some buckets. What's the worst that could happen? Right, you get a chance to have Joe air it out one last time. I support almost everybody.

01:08:36
Speaker 5: Here's the worst that can happen? Taking your duty and fantasy football this week. He's going hard in this game.

01:08:41
Speaker 1: The worst that can happen is you lose this game by a decent amount and then you're facing next week where you go to the Baltimore Ravens thirtieth franchise anniversary celebration, and Joe Flacco is over their start for the Browns as the Ravens like parade up and down the field about the franchise that they stole from your town. That's the worst.

01:09:03
Speaker 3: Let's go to the New York Giants at the Washington Commanders, who are giving up six points the over under forty five and a half. Kevin Burkhardt, some dude named Tom, and Aaron Andrews on the call along with Tom Ronaldi as Steve. We've had a chance to see Jaden Daniels the inaugural season. What's your two look like? It's I think he's gonna be fantastic. You know, you got Terry McLaurin. This is a tough game, though, because that Giants defense is no joke.

01:09:30
Speaker 5: Yes, they are loaded on defense, and I think they may end up being in more games. You know, Russ is not going to turn the ball over. This is the fact there's six right here. The Giants are plus sick and six points is a lot to me.

01:09:48
Speaker 3: I think this is going to be a very very close opener.

01:09:52
Speaker 5: Give me a lot of excitement overall, Washington's gonna be a very good football team. But this is going to be much more of a toss up than the points spread would show you.

01:10:04
Speaker 2: Well, last year they would have covered that number in both games.

01:10:07
Speaker 1: If if you think back to their games last year, the first was like kind of the classic Washington game. I don't think they got stopped once the whole game, but they just went up and down the field on the Giants and just kicked field goal after field goal. But both those games against the Giants were close, and it was typical just Cliff and Jayden just just nickel and diming them to death, but shortening the game for both sides really and it kept it close where both games came down to the fourth quarter. And that matchup, you know, if you're the Giants, you're thinking about Abdul Carter and Brian Burns and you're thinking about him going up. This is why you get Laromy Tunzel. But on the other side, it's going to be a rookie Josh Connerly, and you hope you can you can win that matchup.

01:10:47
Speaker 4: Yeah, and they're still missing you know, it's it's a reshuffled line and Josh Connerly is going to have a big test, especially because they can rotate guys in Cavon Thibodeau is still going to come and step into some of those those rush packages. And oh, by the way, one of the best players in football is right in the middle wreaking havoc, you know, Dexter Dexter Laurn. So it's but I will say the Giants actually are one of my teams that are kind of sneaking up on me as I'm starting to get really excited about and optimistic about, because I do think they're going to go to Jackson Dart early. I think that they Brian Dable is going to sort of show his work and really want to show that he's a quarterback developer. It's part of the reason he got this job in the first place, for his work with Josh Allen, and I think that it's kind of something the fan base is going to want to get behind. But I think that there's other players in this offense now that might be able to be unlocked if they just get a little more stability up front. Theo Johnson is back at practice. He had a mysterious injury right and they have not disclosed to reporters up there. What it was or why he was why he was away, might find out more about that later this week, but I just think he's on the verge of a true breakout season as someone who could be so friendly to a young quarterback. If that young quarterback takes.

01:11:56
Speaker 3: Over, there's over on the other side. Because I know we're excited about the front of the New York Giants, but a lot goes on Javon Holland's shoulders to come in and kind of heal this problem with that was not paying Xavier McKinney. And then the twenty twenty four Giants go out there and allow fifty nine point one percent of their deep passes to be complete and not good. That was That's the worst in the history of the next Gen stats era. It was the worst. And so they addressed that. They go get Javon Holland, get a veteran presence back there, but it feels like it's all on him. And I know that they get a lot of pressure up front, but to start off against this Jayden and Terry duo where you're gonna you're gonna test their deep pass defense at some point.

01:12:36
Speaker 4: Deebo Samuel's there. I saw him going deep, Terry. I was at practice and Deebo Samuel was getting sent on go balls down the field.

01:12:44
Speaker 1: I am curious if they're gonna let Jayden throw the ball ball or if he wants to throw the ball more deep, because on a per throw basis, he was one of the best in the league last year, but he threw I think deep less than almost any quarterback that played football.

01:12:57
Speaker 3: It's just we remember every deep pass because they essentially want games.

01:13:00
Speaker 4: And that's Cliff. That's Cliff. Cliff is going to still run just as much twelve personnel led the league last year. Zach Ertz and John Bates blocking on the backside there. They are absolutely going to still run this Cliff Kingsbury system, the tight ends. It's always struck me, by the way, guys historians in here, how funny that is that Cliff Kingsbury, the spread pioneer, you know, no tight ends, four receivers, is now running more twelve personnel than anyone else in the league.

01:13:25
Speaker 2: He's adaptable.

01:13:26
Speaker 3: Anthony Lynn is on his yes, and he's a clip no more free rush, no it teach.

01:13:32
Speaker 1: And by the way, our guy Bill Yeah, pil Merritt met Alabama Bay he's freaking out. They're freaking out fantasy owners that he was listed as fourth on the depth chart. I do think fantasy guys are are getting a little over their skis with Bill Early. They look like depending on the will saying like, it could be a lot, it could be a little. I don't think he's just like an auto play right him free fantasy advice.

01:13:56
Speaker 3: That'd really be something that they tried Brian Robinson Jr. And then they just no.

01:14:01
Speaker 2: They like the other guys and the roster too.

01:14:03
Speaker 1: Whenever you know Austin Eckler, I would guess we'll have the most snaps of any of them.

01:14:09
Speaker 3: We'll see you're up.

01:14:10
Speaker 2: You spent some time, Yeah, he actually has.

01:14:12
Speaker 3: I would tell you this. The rookie Jaylen Lane wide receiver too out of Rginia techck they love.

01:14:17
Speaker 2: He's probably their slot.

01:14:17
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's gonna get a lot of action too. Let's go to an offense at home. They were probably not as excited about. The New Orleans Saints are playing host of the Arizona Cardinals, who are getting out six and a half points on the road in the Superdome over under forty two and a half. Tom McCarthy Ross Talker and Logan Ryan on the call. Jordan, we have learned more. I don't even know if I can call them the search bar anymore. No Cardinals defense, but I'm glad. I'm glad they've graduated to just the Arizona Cardinals defense and they start against Spencer Rattler in the Saints.

01:14:51
Speaker 4: Yes, I'm glad. The order kind of came around to me to once again talk about how much I like the Cardinals this year. I like how they run their defense. I like that you could see them guessing you back.

01:15:01
Speaker 2: To being a Cardinals fan, like I'm back to be in the Patriots.

01:15:04
Speaker 4: The difference is that even though I grew up in Arizona, I was never a Cardinals fan. They were playing in Arizona State Stadium when I was growing up. You know, I mean, shout out to Pat Tillman.

01:15:15
Speaker 2: I mean, your sister is right. She's a Cardinals fan.

01:15:17
Speaker 4: She's a diehard Cardinals fan. But she also did not know who Trey McBride was. So you know, you win some, you win some, you lose them. She's a brilliant scientist, folks, but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna ask her who different players are, But yeah, I love how this defense has the potential to really come along. They've improved steadily every year last in the league and EPA per play in twenty twenty three. Last year there about midway through the league inn EPY, they beefed up their front. They're gonna try to either and a manufacturer more pass rush, b get more naturally, and then they're also going to keep moving some of these like joker type players that they have to help manufacture more of that pressure. And on the offensive side, I mean, it's still the Trey McBride show, but they really are expecting more out of Marvin Harrison Junior in terms of his understanding of the offense, his chemistry and timing with Kyler Murray, and they're really really expecting him to take a step forward in year two.

01:16:13
Speaker 5: Well, they might want to set him up to do well. Then he was a first round draft pick. He's a potential superstar player, So.

01:16:18
Speaker 4: Help the offense runs through the tight end. Though that's Drew Petsing. It's a Kubiak system.

01:16:22
Speaker 5: Like, uh yeah, I've seen some Kubiak systems also, you know, like Andre Johnson, Dona Houston with Kerry Kubyak.

01:16:29
Speaker 3: Was coaching on it was pretty good. Look, Arizona is my survivor. There, it is there, it is Jordan love it Arizona. This game here.

01:16:39
Speaker 5: You know the Saints again, this might be a weak one, not truth teller, because you look at the starting lineups, their front line guys all the way across as can't sustain an injury.

01:16:49
Speaker 3: There's no big play. Well there's some big place because they got at speed a y receiver.

01:16:52
Speaker 5: But I just think Arizona with the with the momentum, they've potentially set the States to develop.

01:16:59
Speaker 3: This is a good way to kick it off.

01:17:01
Speaker 1: Like a lot a lave Shaheed and Kamara is a nice group. Like, it's not much worse. If it is worse then Harrison Brandon Connor, for instance, I would take the Cardinal's side to be to be clear, I think it's like more diverse. But I just mean if you lined up those three, for instance, with other top three skill guys, like, there is a lot to like they this The Saints team is going to go as their offensive line goes because they've invested pick after pick after pick, and Kelvin Banks looks pretty good as a rookie but who knows. But in training camp and in the preseason, I don't think they got immediate results from them looking like a cohesive group. And if it's not an above average offensive line like Spencer Ratler is gonna have no chance in this game and in most games. And uh, I just I just hope for more for for the Saints. I'm not willing it's home. Well, I want them to get a one pick. Yeah, I want them to.

01:17:54
Speaker 4: Be competitive from you like every third, Well.

01:17:57
Speaker 1: But that's that's like it's like the Patriots probably got more. Like no one is more critical than than than a fan of their own team, you know what I mean. And then they're not my own team.

01:18:07
Speaker 4: But sing yourself into a corner here, Greg.

01:18:11
Speaker 1: Kellen Moore and Gannon, you know, the two men who both had their lives changed by Nick Sirianni.

01:18:18
Speaker 3: All thanks, all thanks going to Nick uh and the players which I think had a significant role for both of them. I think considering the way Tulisi Fuaga started last season, especially on the ground, I know a lot of fantasy managers are fading Alvin Americas. They don't have a lot of belief in the Saints offense. But in general, I think they will be committed to the run, especially considering what Kellen Moore was able to see last year in the run game. I think they start out pounding the rock and maybe keep this a little bit closer than that.

01:18:48
Speaker 2: I agree in Week one, when a Week one a home team being that big of a in the dome too at.

01:18:54
Speaker 4: Home field, I am interested to see the crowd at this one too, after a couple really depressing years.

01:19:01
Speaker 3: They'll be out at this one. Yeah, they will be their stand up and get Cronk and all they gotta do is flash up a picture of Dennis Allen if they want to fire up in the CN But the third straight, I don't know what I'm gonna stop.

01:19:16
Speaker 5: Let's go to our last game, the Tennessee Titans and the number one overall pick.

01:19:21
Speaker 3: Hey, welcome to the NFL camp. Here is the reigning defensive player, a very good Denver Broncos defense in Denver, the Broncos giving up seven and a half points the over under forty one and a half out of the mean, and Mark Sanchez on the call, Greg want to welcome to the NFL.

01:19:41
Speaker 1: This is it is so unfair and I am hopeful that even if he doesn't have like a great game in an almost impossible situation, I think they're under man in terms of the talent around cam Ward and then certainly schematically having to deal with whatever is coming his way from a veteran defense who added great pieces but already could do so much. Like even if it goes really poorly, and I do think it will, that he just has a couple like Sports Center highlight, you know NFL game, but like moments where you're just like, wow, that was cam word. So I'm gonna enjoy watching those great highlights in a totally one sided game. And that's why I'm taking the Broncos as my survivor.

01:20:25
Speaker 3: Oh think what I mean this.

01:20:28
Speaker 5: You look at the Broncos had potentially, you know, in some areas of top top rank defense Vans Joseph. Then they add two HUFA Dre Greenlaw, They signed Zach Allen to the long term deal. You know, they draft, you know, they come out of the draft and they get why am I playing with the rookie out of curious others to use him.

01:20:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean he's gonna find a way on the field.

01:20:52
Speaker 5: So maybe not this game because they're not gonna have to play much Nickel or Diamond.

01:20:58
Speaker 3: We'll see, But I mean, this defense is too good and the Bonix is a real toual, So you know me, I'm you know what I do.

01:21:05
Speaker 4: I loved it too, Steve, because last year I loved watching his ascension. Last year, you were pretty on quarterback Island. You were pretty early on arguing for Bonis, and I'm expecting him to take another step forward into this second season, getting used to the weapons around him, getting.

01:21:20
Speaker 3: More, getting RJ Harvey in the around him.

01:21:22
Speaker 4: RJ Harvey's Sean Payton loves r J Harvey and this defense. You know, Mike Tomlin's talking about historic defense. I think Denver Broncos have a shot at being an historic defense this season.

01:21:32
Speaker 1: The Titans are going to need to manufacture some pass rush too, because they just don't have a lot of like one on one pass rush winners. I think they're I don't know if excited is the right word, but optimistic that Lagarious need is back in practicing fully, that they like their top three corners overall, that they feel like they found something there and who was it Brownlee in the secondary last year and McCreary's a good nickel they brought in, my guy finally got a job. Kayzie or White is back in the end all and is like immediately the best linebacker on that team. Like they're going to use their rookie wide receivers. But this is the definition of like a rebuilding team.

01:22:07
Speaker 3: Yes, against the team that is pushing towards an opportunity to trying to make a run in the in the postseason. I'm excited to see what things are going to be like for Evan Ingram in this offense, and I know he point and they're going to absorb a lot of targets and maybe we won't see a fully operational Broncos. They may they may not need it more. The Titans could come out in shock us. Why not on it's Week one? Could happen in Week one.

01:22:33
Speaker 1: I never I don't think anyone should ever feel good about any pick in Week No one survivor or anything, but especially especially a team in the Broncos that I don't necessarily think is like one of the ten most likely teams to win the Super Bowl. Personally, I don't think they're at that level. So picking one of those teams on or who they're in the Broncos. Yeah, I mean I would take six or so teams in the eighth Yeah, I would get four more.

01:23:00
Speaker 2: I think that's a lot.

01:23:01
Speaker 4: I'm not judging. I just I mean, I think I think they should should be top.

01:23:06
Speaker 1: Judge me, don't judge us that we need one more break because we're doing something different on this show that we won't do the rest of the year. We're going to tell you who is making the super Bowl the show Back on NFL Daily, it was it was just bothering me. Even though we did the over Unders podcast and pick the most likely teams to win the Super Bowl with Daniel Jeremy, we never really just like planted our flag and said what our picks are. And I just wanted to get it on the record and then we can honk about it at the end of the year if anyone's right. I mean, we may be the best preview show, uh in the business, but we're not humble. So Steve Weisch, you kick us off some of us and you give me your super Bowl pick.

01:23:58
Speaker 5: Hey man, I I am there's good. There's gonna be no need for the National Guard to be in DC because.

01:24:05
Speaker 2: There never was.

01:24:06
Speaker 3: There never was.

01:24:07
Speaker 5: But the Ravens over the Commanders keeping a d crab cakes mambo sauce. We're just gonna have right there games me and in San Francisco. But two teams hovering over the nation's capital fighting it out.

01:24:31
Speaker 2: I love that.

01:24:33
Speaker 1: And there really is kind of a rivalry there among among the fans. I mean, they don't play each other, but they're not fans of each other as like.

01:24:40
Speaker 4: No, I think that's like an all fun potential matchup there. Honestly, I just you know, Lamar Jaden, you know it's really good one.

01:24:51
Speaker 5: I like.

01:24:52
Speaker 1: I like that You're not only saying the Commanders aren't gonna slide back, but they're gonna get better this year.

01:24:57
Speaker 3: I think I think they're gonna be better. I think they'd be a better team.

01:25:00
Speaker 2: Jordan.

01:25:01
Speaker 4: I these guys. I was so high on them last year, quarterback. I would build a franchise around tomorrow if I had a chance. They bit me in the you know what last year by failing to go as far as I would have liked. I'm picking the Houston Texans. Wow, it's going different. So it's a wild card pick. If they can run the ball and if they can't. Now they I guarantee you they're going to try to be able to do it before the trade deadline by treating someone in Hey, maybe getting by the Rams and trading for one of their nine million running backs who they don't use. So I feel like this is a Texans team that knows what it's about. It has an identity. Demico Ryans has done such a fantastic job, and I think they've got this energy internally to them and they didn't make it far enough to be gassed and tired coming into the second season. This burnout is real and I have them going over the Eagles, Okay, And I know it's crazy, and Eagles fans, I love you and I love your team, but man, I think this Eagles team is strong enough to get there, but just not.

01:26:01
Speaker 1: Quite get over the fin It's extremely difficult to to get back every step. But you have them getting back to the super Bowl in the third time in four years.

01:26:10
Speaker 4: And Texans, please do this for me.

01:26:13
Speaker 1: I love it and that surprises me. And like you, I feel like you kept it close to the vest. I mean I did offseason. You're picking the Rams this week, but that's only week one. You say that Texans will get better get there in the end.

01:26:25
Speaker 3: Patrick, Yeah, and I'm sure I won't surprise you with my super Bowl pick because I had said during last season and in the playoffs that the Green Bay Packers were a player away. They were a player away. That's why I thought they were in for Miles Garrett. And then I feel like a couple of weeks ago, they just called Dallas with the exact offer that they had for Miles Garrett, made the trade, They made a deal with Micah, threw some more money in there. So I will have them going to the Super Bowl and losing for the third consecutive year. I'm picking to Baltimore Ravens to the super Bowl again. The ball's not rounds. Circumstances happened. People make mistakes. I'm one of them. I've got Ravens Overpacker.

01:27:05
Speaker 1: I don't love that we're so in unison here because I too have the Baltimore Ravens winning the Super Bowl.

01:27:12
Speaker 4: Now I'm the only one who's idiosyncratic here.

01:27:16
Speaker 2: It is uh, it is surprising.

01:27:18
Speaker 1: If you're watching on YouTube, Patrick has put a computer over the top of.

01:27:23
Speaker 3: His head kevlar.

01:27:25
Speaker 1: Maybe we're all just bored of picking the Chiefs for the first you know, four years. I think of Patrick Mahomes's starting career, I had them winning the Super Bowl and just at a certain point you get bored of doing it at the Bills getting there last year. But I have the Ravens winning over the Lions in the Super Bowl this year. So I just it's the game I want to see, and ultimately, like, I think that's not the worst way to pick things. I also think in terms of like continuity, talent, experience, the organization, like these two teams right now are are right there with anyone.

01:28:02
Speaker 3: I think.

01:28:02
Speaker 2: I'm just so impressed with what Detroit has done. It hurts me.

01:28:05
Speaker 1: I was thinking Detroit all off season, and then when I wrote down the pick, it's like, oh, wait, Lamar and Jared Goff and like the Super I gotta pick Lamar.

01:28:13
Speaker 2: Let's go Ravens.

01:28:14
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's funny none of us pick the Chiefs. But I think we probably all feel, even though three teams that division went to the playoffs last year, that that division, because the Raiders are going to be better, Like that division is so hard.

01:28:26
Speaker 3: I don't think the Chiefs necessarily as vulnerable. I think that division is going to be so tough for them to come.

01:28:31
Speaker 4: It's like those vintage NFC West late season matchups that they used to all cannibalize each other.

01:28:37
Speaker 1: You know, it's crazy though, because it feels like like half the divisions in the league are like that when you when you start the season, you have all these like great ideas, like the NFC North is unstoppable.

01:28:46
Speaker 2: I love this AFC West, this NFC West. I don't know what's gonna happen.

01:28:50
Speaker 1: Like they're all so good that every division game feels so big and like six weeks from now, everything we just.

01:28:55
Speaker 4: Said, everyone's gonna be good.

01:28:57
Speaker 3: Right games up on Jacksonville.

01:29:02
Speaker 1: I really am excited about doing this entire season with you guys on this previews show and doing the show here from the Chris Westling podcast studio.

01:29:13
Speaker 2: If you're listening to us, we love you.

01:29:15
Speaker 1: If you're watching us on YouTube, we appreciate you like and subscribe and also check us out. If you're listening, we are on the Fast Channel, which is the the NFL channel on free over the I.

01:29:28
Speaker 2: Don't even know what you call it for.

01:29:32
Speaker 3: To be the NFL app.

01:29:35
Speaker 1: It's it's there, and it's there, and those shows will be airing every week on when is it Wednesday and Friday at seven pm Eastern time. All right, you will next hear me on a recap of an actual NFL game.

01:29:52
Speaker 3: There we go, There we go, let's get it well done.

01:29:56
Speaker 1: We'll be recapping Eagles and Cowboys. That'll be me and Nick Shuk. We're also going to be doing a live YouTube after the Friday night game. We'll get ready for Friday night's game. But yeah, until we're recapping it a freaking an about game