Case Closed: September Madness Bracket!

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Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL podcast comes up with new bits faster than Greg can kill. There from the Chris Westling podcast studio, It's around the NFL. I'm Dan Jansas. Got some heroes here, Greg roseatal Mark Sessler, Apologies, I missed Monday's show. I haven't killed a bit in a while. By the way, are we allowed to say where you were? Yeah? Well you know I missed the show. Like Tom Brady, Um, I had a personal matter and uh, I needed to step away in August tend to some issues, but I'll be back and I am back. That personal matter was taking my two children with my wife, uh to Legoland two nights, two days. It's a lot um the dense voyage I've been there. It's yeah, it's uh. There's literally a song in the Lego universe called this Song is Gonna Get Stuck Inside your Head that plays on Loop there. It's a lot Uh. Tuesday morning, we were at the breakfast buffet in Um, one of the hotels on the grounds. Emily comes up to me and says, I think there's a famous guy around the corner. And as I go, okay, and she's like, I thought at first he was a guy. He looks like a southern boy. I thought maybe I went to college with him, but now I think he might be famous. And I turned the corner and there he is, and I think this is a safe space. I don't feel like I'm blowing up his spot because by the time people listen to this, there's no way that, um, you could do more than two days and lego land, he's gone unless you were actually trapped there. Um. Drew Brees was there with his wife and what appeared to be his young son. And I have to say I respected uh Drew Brees for being in this mess hall chowing down on room temperature sausage and scrambled scrambled eggs that had been battered by the heat lamp over the over hours, just real like every guy stuff. So we made awkward eye contact at one point, uh to just two NFL giants, you know, by happenstance, thrown together. Um, And it was a special moment. I would ask, like number one, if people were, you know, noticing him and approaching him, But where they noticing you and approaching you? I didn't know. I didn't get it. There were no sightings, no spottings of a t N from a t N fans um, although um I did. It did get me ruminating on fame and true fame when I saw Breeze, because Drew Brees is Drew Brees. And one thing that jumps out to you about Breeze is he does not look like superhuman like so many pro athletes. It looks like a regular dude. But it's also yeah, he's also one of the most recognizable professional athletes in this country of the last twenty years. Saved to your wife who thought it was a college boyfriend, Yeah, well I don't think a boyfriend and I wouldn't again, like when that's where, that's where I go with it. But when you talk about my wife, you know, let's let's take it easy. So with the uh insinuation and he immediately goes there, I know that was where my my memory was. Its tasteful, it's dis tasteful. That's my wife a man she knew in college then. But that's even more vague and bizarre. But anyway, yeah, I imagine I hope he wasn't bombarded by people looking for autograph selfies coming up to him constantly, But I don't know how it doesn't happen. Did you make um while you were there, because you know they have the the little huts where you can bring the children in for a little downtime, where they can play with the legos. Did you make anything? Did you sit down with them and make anything out of legos yourself? And if so, what? I never touched a lego? No, I can't even imagine what is on those legos. And the children were sanitizing the hands at a furious level. Put it that one. That's a logical argument to have to stay away. Um, but I'm happy to be back, and UM, thank you to Patrick Claibon for sitting in today's show. We are going to listen. It's not March madness, Greggy, it's September madness. Well's it's technically August, right, but it's gonna be September madness because we have, uh, we're gonna break down all of the Week one games. They're sixteen of them, sixteen games, thirty two teams, zero teams on buy, and we're gonna do it bracket style, March madness style, uh, to figure out what is the best game of Week one? And yes, is it probably the Thursday night opener between the Rams and Bills. I can imagine that, but our job is to not be so basic about it. And that really drilled down down onto what game is gonna be? What? What does the game that gets you? What's the one we're most excited for. It's like Week one is the best week of the season to me. Now all the teams are as like unknown as possible. We've had this whole offseason to get ready. Now we've got about three four weeks to literally get ready just for these matchups. I mean, just you putting it out there that Bills Rams, like, we gotta figure out if that's not number one. I mean, I'm not going to vote for it now. I mean I'm bringing that thing down. Well, so the way this works, like if there could be a Cinderella that goes and meats Bills Rams, That's what I mean. Greg always looking to consume power, gain it. That's not flu There's three external power. So if Greg, if Greg says I want to take out the Rams and Bills out of the bracket just because I want to be different, there's still two other voters here. Absolutely rules absolutely, But you said it's gonna be the game we're most excited for, and is that the best game is that maybe the most meaningful game. It's you know, I I don't think that would be my number one game I'm most excited for, So that would be just being honest. Well here's my concern. Here's my concern that And again this exercise is not to tell everyone that Rams Bills is the best game. So I would love for some you know, I choose to be in out, But if it gets bounced out early, I'm concerned because Greg is already saying he wants to be an agent of chaos, and Mark in the Rams is well documented their relationship. Maybe the Rams aren't gonna make it to number one, so maybe hang around and see what is I mean? It's like the most most beautiful girl in school. She doesn't need to be the problem queen. We're going to that game. That's enough. Like the game is gonna be amazing. Maybe it doesn't exactly. You're filtering it through your mindset. We're trying to audience. What's the best game. That's the idea? Are you because I am? I'm not because I think it sets up the segment to be spice here than then then just go in chalk. Spice is good all right, Yeah, we don't want to go chalk um, but before that, let's do some news. Yes, Dan Tallica a k a. Dan Campbell, head coach of the Detroit lines from episode two of Hard Knocks, and if if you love Hard Knocks or if you love this show, if you love both, you gotta check out the Hard Knocks podcast with me and Colleen Wolf. Episode two dropped last night. We talked about Dan Campbell, of course, but it wasn't all Campbell an episode two, Mark. There was a lot of your boy blow hard stand up, but it was a little bitter sweet what was that, Dave? And there was a little bit of a better sweetness to it all because it didn't end in a storybook way an episode two. That is the nature of David Blow. There's a reason he's often forgotten by the public for months at a time because he's you know, nestled deep on the roster. But I think we learned more about the person and there is a sense of tragedy to his on field career potentially, but the person himself. Um, I thought did a nice job on Hard Knocks. I love this coaching staff and you know, we'll we'll just save it for your guys comments you and Colleen. I mean the show is great. Um. I I just I find this to be my favorite. I've had issues with Hard Knocks when it follows just typical beats and like you get into episode two and three and it's the same old business. Um, I feel completely different about this one. The energy of this team, and I even think with Dan Campbell, who I understand he's a bit of a sound bite machine, and people latch onto that last night because they went into areas where the team was struggling here and there. I thought Dan Campbell, the teacher, Dan Campbell, the true motivator, the leader in good times and bad came out and I think there's probably coaches around the league to think, look, that's great. He can be a raw rob. I let's see if he can hang with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVeigh. Will find out. But I do think that he's changed the Detroit Lions tangibly from everything we thought about them the entire time we've done this show. They're the ultimate like fall in love with the Hard Knocks team and then root for him and maybe overrate them, but I don't care. I'm in I mean I'm I just hope that's not what we remember about blow. We'll always have the Thanksgiving game, but that was a big almost perfect either that wasn't perfect, but at least perfect. And I just I just hope he doesn't. I hope he makes the team. I mean, I hope, you know, both him and Tim Boyle uh make the team because when Tim Boyle, yeah yelled out Dimer with like no other teammates around him after he threw his touchdown fast and just Tim Boyle is they truly bizarre quarterback if you watched his games last year, and and I'm not saying I would want him as my quarterback, but he's he's very compelling. I was saying before the show when we were talking a little bit about Boil, like it's a great combination when you have a quarterback who's not good but also nuts but also has like that they're just and just as totally unpredictable that they're they're clearly intrigued by They've been trying to give him this job, but I don't know if he's totally unpredictable arms what you're aiming for at this level of the sport. And reminder to the UK fans listening to this show Hard Knocks drops for you guys in international territory on Friday, So watch it and then check out the podcast with Connie and I check. That's how long it takes to send the tapes across the city. It is in some levels, it's still one. Let's get into it. Let's start with the Chargers who get a deal done with Derwin James. Four years, seventy six point four million dollar extension, forty two million guaranteed. He's the highest paid safety in league history. Don't tell Jamal Adams. It's like information campaign announce Seattle, just shutting out everyverything from the outside. I think he's been taken care of financially. Sure, I mean sure, I'm sure he's fine anyway, Derwin James fantastic, Uh when healthy hasn't always been the case, but obviously the twenty six year old is someone that the Chargers mark believe in very much to be a mainstay in the back of their defense. Well, it starts with Brandon Staley, who's you know, spent the last two off seasons reconstructing this defense, and sometimes regime changes change what you feel about the player. He could not be more all in. He called him the signal caller and the heartbeat of the defense. He said he also does not look at Derwin as a safety, which I think got but as an impact player. I think that was probably great for the Derwin James Holden camp in the agent when you're like, you're not gonna just get paid as a safety, You're gonna get paid as the most expensive safety because you're way more than just one positional type of player. And I would look at this Chargers defense on top of who they added in uh in free agency, j C. Jackson, Uh, you know you've got Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack. I think that Brandon Saley. We're the healthy Derwin. James is set up to do what he wants. And if you're Tom to LESCo, these these are your first round picks over the last five years, justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Rashawn Slater, and Mike Williams. Tom Telesco needs to win playoff games, but there's no question that he's found a way to build a team. Well that's for because I think Herbert's gonna get there for first team All pros right there, like Slater is going to get there. James is there, is there, and I'm not putting Mike Williams there, but that's also a good pick. That's brilliant work by your front office and Derwin. James is a perfect mac match of coach in scheme. I think when he says like he's not just a safety, it's like last year they needed him to play coverage more, they needed him to be a corner back more because of what their team looked like. He helped the seer atterly really improved as the safety next to him. They can kind of fit him in to whatever they need, not just in a given week, and they really use him in a million different ways depending on the game plan, but in a given season, and that that's like so valuable that if there's injuries here, he can cover you there. Uh, we know what he's like as a pass rusher, as a playmaker, as a coverage guy. They're just really aren't many guys like him, And it was great to see last year that he could stay healthy for the whole season. I think there's hope now, even another year removed from all those surgeries, that he'll be even more explosive. You wonder where raiders at Chargers week one where the September met a selection committee comes down on that one. We'll find out, we'll find it's getting buried a little bit. I noticed that at four. I know it's you know, it's opposite Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, cardinals, like it's not getting the too bad for twenty right for twenty bro, that was That was my favorite damnack bit that he just ran in from classic just no matter what it was during Damna sex, you know, seven years I think we were with him at the company or more if it was for twenty and he was in NFL media building, he yelled out, you could be like rooms away and you just see here from far away. For twenty bro, there were I think I think because we had so many, we had so many like executives over the years couching those newsrooms that their response to that was variable. Right. It was hilarious that he was at one boss in the corner who would crush a coffee bug in his hand when he heard voice alright, love check In other news, the Jets did not have any bad surprise is when Zack Wilson had his knee surgery. Uh, turns out it was a clean up of the meniscus and it's a bone bruise, and the two to four week time frame for the second year quarterback appears to hold. So he's very questionable for Week one. I would not anticipate seeing Zack Wilson in Week one, but you never know. Um. Obviously I wasn't on the show on Monday. My my thoughts are, UM, I think all Jets fans really need to be aware that this this might not work out. I'm I'm trying to be very I've always tried to be optimistic about Wilson, but since the day has been drafted, after I put it went all in on Sam Donald. Um, I try to keep Wilson in a little bit more of a distance. Uh. This is now a second knee injury in two years. He had some um health issues at b y U staying healthy. He's not a big guy, even though he has bulked up, and I just I'm prepared for whatever happens with Zack will and I would not be surprised if Joe Flacco plays more than many Jets fans anticipate this season. So it's kind of like the headspace I'm in I'm hopeful he's gonna get healthy, stay healthy, be better on a better team. But this to me is just another little red flag as someone who's been through this a million times um his inability to stay healthy for a guy that needs the reps, thet a guy that needs the show big improvement. I'm happy we dodge the bullet because it would have been a huge organizational setback if he blew out his knee, because they would have been a really bad situation where they would have had to get through this year and then give Wilson a chance next year, and then if he didn't do well next year, you know what happens next and you're starting over. Now. They still looks like they'll be able to evaluate him, but I think he's gonna be on a short lease with this organization. I just feel that I think that expectation setting is similar to the expectations setting that they the Jets are putting out through the media about whether her play week one or not. Because even though there was that two to four week timeframe, basically anyone who had a source inside the Jets was like, don't expect in week one, and great if he surprises and he gets ready early, but they're gonna want to be careful. I think they were careful about his injury last year during uh the season when he sat back down and made sure he was really ready, and he did come back a little fresher, a little better. He needed those reps, you know, the the six reps he had to me were as concerning as the injury that he had. But maybe he'll be back for what used to be the Big Bowl. On this podcast, Jets browns Now, I guess it's losing like a little bit of spice since the sisler jumped off a little more depressing a little bit significant amount of spice, you know. The Well, we'll see where this thing. Joe Flacco versus Jake Brisket matchup doesn't exactly scream to me, uh bracket for Week three or two or a week one bracket. We mentioned this on our last episode. I'm not for you as a Jets fan, This isn't what you wanted, but you do get Joe Flacco versus Lamar Jackson a little bit of an old wild West. Yeah, we'll talk about that in the tournament where that if that makes it a better game or a worst game. Hold that thought let's move on. In other news, Drew Lock. You know, Greg, I hope this wasn't something that led to a fist pump because that would not be a good luck, good luck for you. Drew Lock tested positive for COVID nineteen. He'll miss the Week two preseason game against the Bears for the Seahawks. So this was his big chance after Gino Smith got the start in week one for Lock to say, remember me, keep me in mind, I should be the starter. Well, now Gino slides back in as the starter. He's gonna, you would imagine, get more reps and now Gino Greggy feels like he has a big lead in this battle. Yeah, I think it's over. I think it was probably over anyways, just based on the first game that I think the mistake Lock made at the end of it. But they had had a plan that Lock is going to start the second game, and he, you know, took first team reps in practice Tuesday before they realized he had tested positive. So that was the first time all off season. But even then, in the press conference right after practice before they knew, he ad Corona Pete Carroll, who answers every question as if he's like a big Gino Smith fan and wants to tamp down Drew lock. Hype said, well, don't make no mistake, Gino is still our number one, but we're gonna give lock Uh this one chance. I don't think there was much doubt in my mind, but any doubt is gone now. I don't even think lock Lock won't wind up starting any preseason games now because I think they'll want Gino to do the third one. I'll reference the title of an absurd um book looking at the jfk assassination, a look back that basically just painted Oswald as the loan gunman without any other nuance of research. Case closed Gino's starting week one. The wait, the entire book had no nuance of research zero. If you open it, the pages are empty. But it's a very salty topic between Mark and I because clearly Oswald acted alone, and people just want more answers because they don't want to People don't want to accept the reality that one man, no matter how small he is in society, if he wanted to take down the most powerful man in the world, he could. That's scary, that's frightening. Just happened in Japan. Not the most powerful man in the world, but the former Prime minister sixty three, I understand it more conspiracy people. It's it's fertile ground. The majority, the majority of the country disagrees with you. That doesn't matter. People don't want to have the last five to ten years and in kind of no one accepting obvious answers for many things in our in our society. Do you even a particle of research and I'll discuss the topic with you. I told you it's a spicy topic between me and the Sessler and Gregg tried to wait in and he just got electro ship. Well, he didn't like who I was connecting him to their connecting. You know a lot of a lot of conspiracy theorists, it's not it's not connected, and you're you're doing an ill job with that. Those conspiracy theorists like kind of ruined it for the other conspiracy theoriest people. I feel like you're you're like a good spiracy theorist person. You don't deserve to be grouped in with that other group. Mark, I thank you, and I also don't group myself in with with that other group. Thanks. Thanks for the confirmation though, what happened to my voice there all right. Karl Nassa is back with the Bucks, twenty nine years old, the nfl is only openly gay player. He was released by the Raiders uh in a salary cap moved back in March. But here he is back with the Bucks. Um He spent two seasons there, reunited with Todd Bowles uh greg A nice addition here for Tampa Um a guy that maybe was overpaid by the Raiders, but was not ineffective. No. I think he played pretty well with the Raiders. That's like a role player, and I think it's just nice. It's good to see him back in the NFL. I think it would have been a disappointing end, and there's no guarantee makes the team, but it would have been a disappointing end that, you know, the NFL's first openly gay player and he loses his job the next season and he doesn't come back because because I just didn't think that there was anything going on beyond the scenes. And there's a lot of players out there right now that don't have jobs that I'm surprised about. Trey Flowers, this one, like J. C. Treader, is a guy who is the NFL p a head where no one's brought up the B word black ball. But it's like, ah, this guy just played seventy two straight games or whatever it is as a pretty good center in the league, and no owner is giving him a job. It seems a little um sketchy. So when there are two teams with center issues, right and so, I I was happy to see Nasa back in the and I think he's gotta be uh. I think it's gonna be valuable to them. They're buried thin. I'm just saying that the Bucks and Browns, but there might be in the pivot other teams that aren't feeling so hot about it, but they're not being public about it. That's all I was saying. At least two the Vikings, the Vikings with Garrett Bradberry, I don't think he's just this is this is like when Schrager didn't realize that Bruce Willis uh killed John Revolta in pulp fiction. I don't know if it's that on, if it's if it's to that degree, because you're being very vague. But um, I'm saying there are two teams we know of that easily. It's probably more what's saying that which I think Vikings that's another one. And spoiler, um, a lot of spoilers. Yeah, it's been a while, although it kind of spoiled it because at some point I would watch pulp fiction again and by now I've forgotten that I actually didn't. I have no well, that's what happened, That's what happened to Peter Scheger, I think, But I I also don't have a lot of sympathy for the concept of that. Not it's not an anti Peters. He's wonderful that it's not. I think a lot of people. I think if you watched it in and I have not watched it since, it would be easy for things to escape, right. I think at this point though Schreeger and Marks relationship, I don't know if it's going to recover it. It's great, I tweeted out him and he tweeted right, Elevator incident is something that we don't you know, that was a positive in respect You're you're attempting to frame it a certain way, as you've been doing all show the variety of topics, but that's this is just, you know, another one of those things. But to your point, good that NASA got a job because I did. I remember, like you look at his PF grade last year, he played quite well. Yeah, back in March when he got released, I said on the show was like, keep an eye on this one because now if he doesn't get signed this it would not be good optics for the league. And I'm glad he's still and on on some level, even though you'd like to think it's not a factor, it's not a total surprise that it's Todd Bowles and this buck staff that's giving him the job, like the the most kind of open and diverse uh staff in NFL history. Essentially, they're probably lucky that cam Gill had a foot injury too. That's sort of what opened the door for this. But you're but you're right there. They're they're thin there. They do not have a third rusher. In other news to Man, we talked about the Blauhard Nation Um. Kim Dam DJ Nation is in mourning today, the former first rounder. He was cut by the forty niners um and is he gonna sing a song? No, I'm not the songs I like to sing the songs during times of hope for Kim DJ when he's joining a new team. This makes me concerned because you know now several teams have said goodbye, he's not getting younger. I hope, I hope I sing about him d J again, but we don't know. And finally in the news, speaking of players who had wild pre draft stories, I want to bring this up because I watched it last night, the Man Titeo documentary on Netflix. It's called Untold. It's part of a series The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist. And if you were someone that works in football, or is a football fan, or just remembers the story, I cannot recommend this enough because it really does give you such a better understanding of everything behind it. Both the victim in this and make no mistake, Manteo was very much a victim UH in this catfishing scam and the man now woman identifies as a transgender woman UM who catfished um Teo during his final years at Notre Dame. And I think it's really sad. It's a really sad story. And we we were covering the NFL for NFL Media when all this went down. I remember um I was at that combine where he spoken of that. I remember being the second level at Radio City Music Hall, interviewing than Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly um about the TEO. When he got drafted finally by the Chargers, he fell out of the first round because of this scandal. He and then you learn more about him. He speaks on how it's stuck with him after as you would expect, and he said it affected him on the football field. It changed. It kind of changed the way he coached life, the way he felt about things. His instincts weren't the same. And you know, you could say, all right, but also maybe he wasn't a guy that was a good fit in the NFL. Maybe he wouldn't to last. And he did hang around with the Chargers than the Saints. He bounced around a little bit. He's currently out of the league. Eight year career. Yeah, so, which is is nice. But the falling out of the first round cost a millions and the fact that he probably didn't get to reach I believe him after um watching this, that that had a took a toll on him mentally and physically. So check it out. I I can't I can't endorse it more. If you're someone that wants to hear the human side of that story. I'm looking forward sounds strange because it's a it's a strange story, but I am looking forward to watching that. I think if you weren't around for that time, to me, it's like the definitive dead Spin era story, Like it was a different online culture at that moment and more more than anything, and maybe it was like kind of a sign of things to come. There's certainly stories that just take over the Internet now too, but that was like one of the first unique stories. I think that just to me was like Internet culture in a nutshell. And I forgot being in our newsroom when that story launched, and suddenly, you know, loud newsroom, it goes silent because everyone in there is starting to read it, and it took It's a long epic of a tale, and they were quiet for a long time, and and dead's been we we hear from and see some of the principal people behind the piece and the reporting that kind of exposed the lie. And I guess I should say maybe some people don't know that met Dtao, who was a star linebacker, had um a girlfriend online, an online girlfriend that he had not met that he um fell fell in love with and and thought he was in a real relationship. It turned out not to be um even a woman and um, and it became a huge story because this woman man at the time it attempted to get out of it by saying that his girlfriend had died. So when his grandmother died the same day that he was told that his girlfriend died, he said that to the media and it became a huge story. But it turned out to be not true, so it was it was blown up, and uh, it was just a crazy story and interesting how society has changed because he was vilified by people Teo and a lot of the conversation was, oh, he must be gay. That was what everyone was asking about Man Tai Teo after this, instead of taking his word for it or giving him the benefit of the down. Really sad in some ways, uh many ways. Actually, all right, let's take a break and when we come back, September madness, welcome back, March madness whatever, not such a big deal. The ones onning moment we care about is September, September football, September madness. Is there a word instead of madness that allows us to have that sizzle, the double M sizzle and s s September sizzle. Yeah, I mean it was right there for I like, it's September sizzle. Do you want to go? I don't know. To two writers, I thought September. What if you flip in like sensuous September? You like to have the month first? Okay, Um, all right, let's work September sex gone in the wrong direction. All right, this is what we're doing. We are excited for week one. How could you not be excited for a week one? Like Greg said, like the reason why I love the draft. For instance, it's hope season. Everyone's feeling good about their team, and everybody tell it like four o'clock Eastern. Alright, calm down, tortured Browns fan. Everyone is thrilled for the start of a new season. I can remember being a kid and getting up early, and you know, I was like, Mom, I'm going to church early. You gotta I'm going to the eleven a m mess. I need to clear the decks for the start of another season. I woke up with a bounce of my step, and I still do on some level, even after all the years of misery from my own fandom. So there's hope for everyone, Yes, even Jets fans, even Browns fans. Well, let's not talk about the Browns, but we will talk about the Browns because we're gonna go through each game in week one bracket style. And yes you can't. Don't get mad at me. I am. Don't shoot the messenger. The Selection Committee has ranked all sixteen games one through six. Committee. Again, we don't need to dive in. This is like the JFK assassination. This is not the time or place to try to figure things out. Don't investigatings happen. Yeah, there's no conspiracy here. This is what case closed. The Selection Committee has come in with a through six teen. Let's start um with the bracket and if you're watching on YouTube, you can see this beautiful bracket behind never there's a show to watch on YouTube. This is it. Soon we have Randy playing a van a White roll, but that's coming up in a little Yeah, Chevez Ravine is in studio for the first time. I'm excited about that. So let's start and again, like we said at the top, the Buffalo Bills, who are everyone's Super Bowl Darling pick this year, are traveling to Sophie Stadium to face the defending champion Rams on Thursday night. In the kickoff game on September eight. That's obviously a big favorite to win this bracket, but we'll see. We'll start with the one seed. Of course, it's Buffalo at Los Angeles against the sixteen seed. And again I am not I didn't choose these, but if you have any issues with the seatings, absolutely share that. That's a good way to get into conversation about these games as well. So it's Buffalo at Rams number one against Jacksonville at Washington sixteen seed. Uh, and again Jaguars ends commanders fans. I understand we're about to you know, take command on a new season, but um, somebody had to be and well you did what CBS is gonna do? Or Fox. I'm not really sure they're gonna get the seventh you know, broadcast team, but it does. This seeding does get to sort of what are you looking for in Week one? And as much as I'm not gonna be like two hip story and pick Jags Washington here, there is part of me that is more interested in seeing the Jaguars specifically play a game of football in the year two, especially week one. Then I am about the Rams and the Bills just because I expect the Rams and the Bills to be there at the end of the year, and if they start out slow or something crazy happens where it's a one sided game Bills Rams, I'm not gonna read too much into that because I trust that these organizations are as consistent as any in the NFL and they'll get there in the end, whereas Jags, like the Jags are all new e t n s new, Trevor Lawrence in his second year, like, I am very intrigued to watch this Jaguars team, and it almost it almost makes me want to vote for them right off the bat. To be a little uh sixteen verses to St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's by the way, which is in West l A. And I just I don't know where it is, and yet I've probably driven by it every every time Mount St. Mary. And that said, the committee, I'm not sure who's on the committee nailed the sixteen seat here because it is very clearly that game. And I do find the Jaguars intriguing because they they went through it like a traumatic experience last year. So how do how does Trevor Lawrence recover? What does it look like with Doug Peterson not being piste off and you know in operating with a new team with a new chance there, Uh, Washington does not intrigue me as much. I feel like if they if Washington were to lose this game, it begins a journey that could be very troubling for a team that does not have a lot of juice and that I struggled to believe. And I I don't find their playoff birth a couple of years ago, um genuine, And I think what happened last year was much closer to reality. And you have to be an anarchist Greg for me to join you on voting. Voting, I'm not voting because of Washington, but if I was, you'd make the our game this might be as interesting as Washington is all year. Would you not say that Bill's Rams is the best kickoff game we've had in a very long time. I'm searching for one that intrigued me more. I can't think of one up to It's a great game. Good job by the schedule makers. Um, so let's move on, and a Chevez ravine is gonna update over here playing the John King roll on the already Bills the Rams um Bills move on out of that bracket. Let's now go to the two fifteen and this one. This I think of surprising people. Um, we have Raiders at Chargers. A lot of talk about the a f C West and what a fun division that is. Right off the gate, we got Raiders Chargers again here at so far that's that's an accident, not an accident. That's not that was not on purpose. That's not some l A by s. None of us are Los Angeles fans. Maybe Mark is now for the Bolts, but they are the two seed here. Interesting against the fifteen seed. Duck in the tomatoes, sensitive folks, incoming giants at the number one seed in the a f C last year the Titans. So Raiders at Chiefs versus Giants at Titans. Who's coming out of this matchup? Well? I definitely am more intrigued by the rematch of the Chargers Raiders, which was maybe the game of the year in Week eighteen. But I do find it interesting. The committee feels very different differently than the broadcast teams. Now. Week one is one of is the only week I believe all season. Maybe there's some at the very end where there's two national games in the late window, but there's only four games total, and these two games that are matching up here are the two ones that aren't National Raiders. Chargers is getting buried with like a fourth team, and so is this Giants Titans game. But I as much as I'm curious to see what's happening this Giants team specifically because there's such a mystery to me with their offense and Dable and Quan's looking good and it's like five slot receivers. Uh, this is this is not a that intriguing. Imagine. This is more in for me that that the Giants have been in a long long time. And so I I want to watch this game, and I think, I know this is a constant drumbeat. And I don't always buy Titans fans with their a NonStop irritation with everything on how they're dealt with by the press. But this is disrespect for them to be the fifteen seed. They were the number one seed in the a f C. I mean in any other year, if that were the Ravens or the Steelers, they'd be on prime time getting buried here. It's it's a tough one because all of these babies are beautiful. I I hate to I don't even want to be problematic adults. They do. But just they're coming out the womb a week one game. They're all beautiful to me. So I don't like talking negatively about anything. Why don't we Why don't we build a separate bracket of all the number one seeds that have come out of the conferences is in the last twenty years? And tell me how the Titans doing that. I hear what you're saying. It's just that it's a strange place for them to be. But I would I would rather watch. I mean Daniel's chance to see fifth round pick Kyle Phillips as their slot receiver. That doesn't get me going um. Also a little for the Giants. The camp reports have not been great in recent days about the offense. Was so just when I was getting sucked in like, oh, maybe they'll be frisky, and maybe they will be, but the defense is destroying the offensive. Late in the Daniel Jones hype articles have slowed down. Uh do we? So we feel like the Raiders charge. I think the seating was correct. It holds chalcolds on that one. Let's move back to the other side of the this. He's a Raiders fan. He loves seeing his team back in the spotlight. Maybe he's not a Raiders, he's actually a Packers. Nice job, Greg. Alright, how about a little nine eight action? This is always fun. This is the one in March that you want to check out. How about the Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions squaring off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals. Oh, this is a toughie again, Majority rules. What do you think of Mark? Yeah, initially, I I've made my own rankings of the games, and I never would have thought this would have been the case. Um, a couple of years ago, Eagles at Lions, and I'm a victim of the moment with hard knocks. I get with the Lions. I just want to see what they are in real life come Week one. And I think the Eagles, if you look what they did on that first drive, Jalen Hurt six for six, They're announcing we're not just gonna run the ball five hundred times this year. We've got a J Brown, we've got weapons. They're gonna be different. I think they're gonna be a very intriguing team in that division, which they could flat out when the Cowboys are in distress and maybe go deeper than that. And so I am gonna go against what I would in the past. I've seen the Steelers. To me, I want to see where they are by week four. Joe Burrow, I'm assuming he'll play. But he announced this that today the day had a ruptured uh appendix. It wasn't just it was just it does not how strange about that the whole time where he was gone for weeks and they wouldn't talk about it. But he is back at practice. He is. We'll see what happens there. But by the way the Bengals last year, he'll play. But the one thing I liked about the Bengals last year, and this is remember when like a round November, when I started to get real amped up on them and they'd be up and down. It's because here's what they did to Pittsburgh against them. Yes I did on our television show, Yes I did. Here they beat the Steelers twenty four to ten and forty one to ten, and they beat the Ravens forty one to seventeen, forty one to twenty one. So they basically, I thought, announced to everyone, we can dominant early statement game here because if they don't. They don't. They don't win this one. Then suddenly you're like, Okay, they're not feel like they're being overlooked and people are not They're not being treated like the a f C title team. I'm with you, they really aren't. But I'm gonna go Eagles line. It pains me because Eagles Bengals is maybe the super Bowl, the most realistic super Bowl I want to see. So you're so my two like two teams. I'm just rooting for uh going up against the other. And Eagles Lions was a terrible game last year. Remember I like who the Lions. They're in every game? No, not against the Eagles. The Eagles wiped the floor with them a year ago, and so maybe the matchup is problematic for their defense. But there's no way I'm going against Eagles. And I want to see this Eagles team in Week one, and I want to see this Lions team. I think it's cool that the games in Detroit too, so you get all this build up to the game. Um, you know, my vote is Pittsburgh and Cincinnati because I like a f C North slobber knockers. I want to see what's going on. Um with Cincinnati if they'll have a letdown that the quarterback situation obviously in Pittsburgh is so muddled still, I don't I don't know, but I will go with that. But you guys both have Philadelphia and Detroit. So that is the choice the first upset. Moving on moderate and eight nine, No, no, it's but it is. It is technically tectically speaking absolutely on the other side, how about a ten seven show down? You're doing great, Randy Shop that is, by the way, very professional. I apologize about the Raiders is embarrassed speaking of the af C North, Speaking of Marks uh former favorite team, the Cleveland Browns are a ten seed against the Carolina Panthers, So Baker Mayfield against his old team that is spicy at ten uh and are up against the Patriots at Dolphins. I like this one. This is a tough one because the Patriots, obviously there's there's intrigue around them every year. This year you're wondering what version of the Patriots are we gonna get. How's the offense gonna look with Josh McDaniels gone and everything, a new offense being installed there? Mac Jones, what does he do in year two? And of course, Miami expectations are through the roof from the Dolphins after um, they're big acquisitions in the off season. So I think the Dolphins need to win this game. I think they need to make a statement in the AFC East out of the bat, right off the bat. But Baker v. Cleveland's pretty nice, it is. But I'd be fine watching kind of that out of the on the side, just to see moment with Baker and see what's happening because they're so Mark on a Sunday thing is gonna be strange here with the Browns not going to be assigned Browns games, you know. Yeah, well, we'll see. Let's see where there are things that Mark can control in terms of the message, and there are things that will be able to see just by working with him on Sundays, or you could go to the source. I have no interest. I'm not saying. I'm saying, and this isn't too impune upon your integrity, Mark, I'm saying, once the season starts and the Browns are playing, will you not be involved. We'll see it has been in a transition in many ways, and in the Browns have been have been the baby thrown out with the Bathwater on on many on many fronts, So I'm not interested. Well, I'm not interested in the Cleveland here's the thing. They're dead team. They're the least interesting team in the NFL to me. And it's not just because like I'm rooting against them because of what the Deshaun Watson trade and I am uh, they're boring. They're starting Jacobe set. At some point this week, most likely we'll learn how long Watson's gone for, and it's gonna be long enough. I anticipate too crippled their season. They're not interesting. And even though the Baker versus Browns thing is spicy, I can see the Browns and I'm projecting a lot here, but to be the Browns are defensive team. It might not be an incredibly watchable game. Even though Bake I would expect a kind of a low scoring, slug it out type of game with Jacoby Brissette throwing a lot of four yard passes. This thing isn't close. I want to see MCD and what whatever is going on in New England, because that's a mess. I do think from the from the Patriots game, they saw this, they saw the set up here, and they're like seven ten. See, we got a good d We're in this world. We're in this trying to give Western Kentucky a tensee because they won their kind. Everyone saying the Patriots are in chaos, right, the Patriots are lost. Bill Belichick has finally been passed by He's a defensive coach that has no concept of how on offense, saying he's handed his offense over to Joe Judge and Matt Patricia Jones his career. Well, all this stuff is what's happening right now, and he's going up against a totally different version of coach Mike McDaniel, offensive boy genius. I kind of love the idea of New England coming in here and being like, not so fast. So this game is more intrigued in this game, by the way, back to back years. Uh, and they you know they're they're close, not not, they have historically not performed. Well there, you're right in South Beach and it's gonna be hot and humid. Anyway, if if Baker was going to Cleveland, that's different. That would have gotten my vote. But because it's not that way, the game will be in Charlotte. Yes, I'm with you, A nice a f C East showdown between two teams that are looking to take out the Bills. So it will be New England and Miami that moves on. Greg, I'm sure you're pumped about that. Okay, So we're halfway through the first round. That's usually where um, you have a day off in the n C E turn It's take a day off, we'll see you tomorrow. It's like yeah, cut, yeah, cut to the postgame show and Charles bar is just like um, having strong opinions about a team he didn't watch. Let's take a break and we'll keep going. All right, we're back. Here's uh number four seed Denver at Seattle, number thirteen Saints at Atlanta. And I know Greg's gonna be upset with the committee because where the committee does what the committee does. Here he's trying the committee is trying to set up. Committee is to create the best possible tournament. Now what you tried to do, because you are the committee was given the Saints, uh Falcons the worst possible match up here, and it doesn't matter. I'm still gonna vote Saints Falcons. I don't care. That is the game I want to see. But but obviously Bronco would you mind telling me why that is the game you want to see. Although it is Geno versus Greg, You've got at some point you've got to check in with, you know, your internals. So you have Russell Wilson going to Seattle and then the time but off Geno Smith will be the quarterback going against Russell Wilson football. It's probably moving on in this bracket. You're right. The reason I wouldn't just is just football wise. Saints and Falcons are two of the team's why I love Week one so much because I just like, to me, they're total to use, like something market like a beautiful mystery. I actually I want to see what this Falcons team looks like. I want to see what this jamis Winston Saints team looks like with all these new weapons, like and this will be the first time for both of them, and it's a great rivalry that you know. So it's I think they got job by the committee, but I I changed. I know. I'm sorry, Mark, I'm hollow on the Saints as well. I just the Falcons are, like you guys are saying about um the Browns. They just to me Lex Sizzle, So it makes it to me so there seems so much more watch they might. But here's the one thing I think that Arthur Smith, we're gonna learn. They won seven games a year ago with nothing, with a nothing roster. I think he's a better coach and way more creative than he's getting credit for. I looked at what he did with Cordarrell Patterson and even in their first preseason game, the way that they used Marcus Mariota and then Desmond Ritter, and I could see both of them in game, in the game and various ways as ground quarterbacks. Like I just find I think they're gonna be a weird watch and so I'm intrigued to watch them, but I'm not going to vote for them over this Monday Night clash. It's just like it's like they all like, hey, they can play in a parking lot, and these teams would go at it disrespect there. Just for the tweets from Falcons and Saints fans, this is a great right. On the other side of the bracket, we have the three seed Tampa at Dallas. Interesting, so, um tom Brady going to uh North Texas to face the Cowboys always we hope most likely Tom Brady and then against the four teen seed Colts at Texans, So listen. I will say I'm interested to watch the Colts with Matt Ryan, just like everyone else, to see if the offense takes that step and it can be just better and more functional and professional than it was certainly down the stretch with Carson Wentz. I'm not buying into the some of the Texans heat that's popped up a little bit around these parts. Yet maybe they will be over here. Yeah, no, I'm not. I'm not. You know, I'm not dumping on the Texans. I'm just saying, okay, let's see it before I'm actually in. But I have two bucks against Bucks. Tom Brady at Dallas. To me as a football fan, it scratches the itches that I like. That's that's a big game, that's a big vibe, and I think it will be fun just to watch Tom Brady every time he plays for however long. This last. The one thing I like about cults Texans, and I do think the Texans are gonna be a tougher out than people expect. Um Damian Pierce the running back looks awesome, Davis Mills is competent, Brandon Cook's Nico Collins, They have, They're not the offense from a year ago. If you're the Colts, you crumbled and had to reorganize the entire offense, starting with your quarterback because you could not beat the Jags in Week seventeen in the must win game. If they come out of here and used to the Texans that you're back in another disaster. So there's a lot of pressure on the Cults. I I think the Cowboys who had I think seventeen penalties in the first preseason game after leading the league and penalties a year ago and having a disastrous penalty situation and their playoff loss to the Niners that at Mike McCarthy order already having to back off and answer questions about yes, we're disciplined, yes, or discipline. That feels like a tire fire in the making to me. But I just want to see the Bucks and what the what what they can be. So I'm obviously gonna go Dallas Tampa Bay. Yeah, we don't and they need to go too long. But technically, this is the fifth CBS Morning game and it's ranked five. They put them in order, so you're and they did, and they have one more game than Fox, and technically the lowest ranked broadcast team by at least in the eyes of the broadcast. There's CBS will be on this, Colts texts and if you're if you're one of those broadcasters listening to what they think, please excuse Greg's inability to build. I mean, I don't know who it's gonna be. There's some great deep deep cuts there, there's some not not as in two uh and I believe you said, um week seventeen, mark that game. I understand. We just want to get things right on this show. You know what I meant, game and our season. Well, I cannot argue this is a water Gate level disaster. Alight, All right, here we go. Here's the twelve seed Ravens um at the New York Jets, a little Flacco versus Ravens most likely up against the number five seed Chiefs at Cardinals. I like putting the Chiefs on the road in week one. I like Kyler Murray on his redemption tour after what's been, yes, a very well paid offseason, but also one where the doubters have come out. See where the Cardinals are, no DeAndre Hopkins, see where the Chiefs are um obviously with no Tyreek Hill. This is even though the Jets fan and I'll obviously be watching Jets Ravens, this was like an easy, easy one to pick. Yeah, there's four quarterbacks between these two games. Yeah, Lamar Jackson, Patrick mahomes Kyler Murray, and Joe Flacco. It's like, whichever game has the Joe Flacco, You're gone. Well, I mean, just because how about we count Super Bowl rings and Super Bowl MVPs and red corvettes on the field after the game? I'm talking about, what do I want to watch? Three the three best examples of like generation of quarterbacks? And you know, can I can I share my other It's not great for the Jets because this is not the way they were supposed to develop, and it's not good news for Joe Douglas. But not only do I think that Joe Flacco is gonna have to play in a lot this season, I think he's gonna have a potentially good year. Well, all the camp reports are glowing fourteen for seventeen like last year, and there's a lot of reason to think he and even Mike White, might you know there's a chance they're they're they're better. Yeah, two games and one of them was better than basically Zach Wilson's best. That mag White game never happened. I've decided the game against the Bengals, go back and try to find it in the archives. It didn't, it didn't exist. I'm with you, Flacco might get off to a good start and then begin to look out. No, because let's say he gets off to a good start. When Wilson's healthy, he's the number two pick. He's gonna go back in. But if he's Zack Wilson's it like you did in year one and the Jets are you know, here's the box. It's it's two and we're talking about Joe Flacco for like the fourth time on this show. That that's the problem. I absolutely am going Kyler Murray after everything that has happened this offseason. Yeah, I can't think of It's like this is this isn't a totally writing it in Randy's that's Randy of saying, move on, guys, really steering the show properly. All right. Finally, the opposite bracket, we have the number eleven seed forty Niners at the Chicago Bears up against the number six seed Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Viking Mark Vikings. Mark, you raised your hand almost in discussed an issue with the selection committee on this one. No, no, no, I I don't. It's just that it's so clear to me. It's so clear to me. It's like, I get it. I want to see the Vikings come out and say this is a different version under Kevin O'Connell, of of Kirk, of Kirk Cousins and this team maybe you are. You have to win this game to prove that to me. Trey Lance, after what we just saw in that preseason game. I I think Kyler Murray is the most interesting watch for me as a quarterback just out of weirdness. But the most interesting debut around the league is Trey Lance and how it translates because if he is what we saw in that game, and it was only five attempts, so I don't want to overreact to it. There's more to go. It's a bad Bears team, it certainly looks like it. This Niners team suddenly looks completely different to me, complexion wise and are and they become a team. I'm fascinated with love both this game, both these games, tough draw for both teams. You know that tough came out and they're just like they're disappointing. But week went to me is about new stuff. And to me, even the Bears, that's new. This this offense with Justin Fields, Trey Lance, that's new. We've seen a lot of cousins Verus Rogers. It is a different coaching staff. The Packers defense is intriguing. I think this they might be catching the Packers. So I'm looking forward to that. Both these games a lot, But to me, it's an easy This is a big upset. This is an eleven o verse six. Okay, forty Niners are the eleven. Yeah, I'm going I'm going Bears, forty Niners. Yeah, I'm going. I'm going Packers Vikings. I think it's gonna be a much better game. That's a good point. It could be I did the committee possibly. I don't think they want a close game. I think I think they're needed an upset. I think there's certain teams that this side of the table aligns on. And you guys have a torrid love affair for the forty Niners, so they were gonna advance this committing table. Is the committee being one human? Now the Bears the Bears, what does that mean? Your your side of the table. No, you're you're you said this side of the table, meaning you we've agreed too much, and then it's to nothing. And then his one doesn't help. Well, he says, a host, do you want it's the best program. There's a little I'm not just a host. Um, there's a little um group think going on with He's just like providing analysis there. I need to say there are a few teams, um that it's on my radar a little bit that you guys are completely locked in step on and I'm just gonna be tracking this very closely and things change, we jump off boards. But if the Niners, the Texans, the Saints, I mean the Texans, I don't want to the Texans are not one of my teams. I just love that there couldn't be a critical thing said about any of those teams on this side of the table the news. So it's pushing against the concept that the people just calling the Texans like just like four and a half. I'm a businessman. I think they'll get seven maybe six. Anyways, Listen, I like it. That's that's an underdog. Let's see if the forty Niners can be beaten into That's a good point though, Dan, you want the best game possible. Uh, And that's a good point to make that I think I think that Packers Vikings might be the game of the week or something in terms of coming down to the end. So even though I'm sticking with my pick, I feel like times and there's there. I don't think Green Bay at Minnesota had any chance with Mark either, because he despises both those teams. UM So that was weird. That is a bad draw. I think it was a bad draw. It was a bad draw for their. Packers and Vikings were on the right. Here we go, now, let's get into it. You're watching on YouTube. You can see Randy jez are ving maybe maybe it's just the name of um we were ready for this. Chevez has a great head of hair in the in the lighting excellent, totally showing it all right. So if you can move out of the way, Randy, so the audience, and you can stand right in the middle, actually the end in the middle and then point with two hands, no move over a little bit, a little bit over and like audio listeners who are like, hey, either hand, you're forgetting about us. This is like one time in one thousand and fifty episodes. Here we go, Rams Bills against Eagles Lions. I love it. So you have the number one seed against the number nine seed. Here, let's throw the seeds on there, Randy, just to help me out as well, Um, what do you think? I want to hear what you think. I feel like we've been going first too often, I think. Um, I'm with you, guys. I don't want it to because you guys are pretty unlocked in on the Lions as well, it seems. In general. I'm intrigued by the Lions. I think they're further away potentially than people want to talk about because they're just such a fun story. But seeing them in Ford Field open the season after this, this all this optimism, that's fun. The Eagles, you know again, I'm not as in love with Eagles as Greg Rosenthal is. I'm intrigued by them. It's a good matchup, but Rams Bills is just to me, that could be very well be the super Bowl, So I don't want to overthink it. I'm with you. I I think the Eagles Lions uh got as far as they need to go if they were the real Tournament's been a nice season. Um, but I'm going Ram Spills, because it's like they're like I try to like imagine who what is the motivation here? The game had a nice season, you're saying, I mean, I'm treating them like a team like it's it's essentially they're a SI job thing. It's like Peterson, Yeah, you know, no, not that Peter said. I mean Dan Campbell and Syrianni are both like they're cooking up ways for this to be and keep it close, guys, really proud of you. Inanimate object matchup. I gotta say that the matchup last year where the Eagles dog walked them and then the Lions defense is my concern. On paper, up front, they're good, but they were bad. They were struggled last year and this matchup was not good for them. Uh and so I do worry that the Eagles could walk away with it. I'm with you, Ram Spills. All right. Let's move on then to the opposite bracket. We have that a f C West showdown. West is so fun this year. As we know, you can make a case really for any of the teams in the division, and two of those teams the charts in the Raiders face off in Week one, so the number two seed game up against now at a f C East showdown. Uh, Pats Dolphins. Greggy, you are a Patriots fan. I know you're intrigued by these Dolphins like we all are. Do they have enough to take out the a f C West, the best division in the league. Oh, people didn't see this coming. And you know what, I'm a little like Mark is trying to be here. I like turned down the fan volume. I skip watching Patriots live for about half the games this season because I like to spread around, like what I'm watching live to do throughout the season, you know, disconnect, not get as emotional. But I just think pure football wise, this Patriots team could be anything. This Dolphins team could be anything. The Dolphins are as intriguing as almost any team in the league to me, and as as much as this was a great matchup Chargers Raiders, those teams could be anything. Also. That's the whole hook of Week one. How can you say those teams can't be anything? That's fair that they're kind of like similar roster. I guess they don't have a Yeah, that's not Uh, Chargers are a team I'm familiar with. This matchup is a matchup I'm familiar with. I guess for some reason, I'm just I feel like the Dolphins are totally this fresh egg and the Patriots craziness in the preseason where everyone's talking about how bad they look actually makes me more intrigued about them, because I just want to see what well. It makes me more intrigued about the Raiders because the Raiders are thematically the reason that the Patriots are a mess, because that Josh McDaniels left New England, leaving them in a hot mess and goes to the Raiders, and the reports are that the offense is looking intriguing, and you've got Davonte Adams with Derek Carr. Derek Carr always playing the card of like no one's paying attention to us, like even the pent of sports writers thinks they'll they'll probably make the postseason. I'm going justin Herbert and the Chargers first, the Raiders, all right, so I get to break the tie on this one. I I think Chargers Raiders is the game that end. This is no shade to the a f C East match up here, because when I start to watch the games on Monday for power rankings, if the Dolphins Patriots is a good game. I'm looking forward to watching that game. But there's a lot of juice in the Chargers, and they are a Super Bowl potential contender, and was Dafante Adams and that Raiders offense look like at home? The black Hole is such a fun vibe even the beginning. I don't know this is supposed to be what we believe in. I have a hard time believing Dan hands this Monday morning, September has these two games they both end. He'd already knows both of them were good. Let's say they both went down to the end that he's choosing Chargers Raiders. I think the a f C East in him. He's Dan's later lose the game. Let's say they lost. Let's say they lost like the Dolphins either though, No, I I'm Justin Herbert, and my son Harrison loves Justin Herbert. I'm going with that game. So uh No, okay, chock so far in two see into the semis. All right, Let's move on to the four four fifteen matchup. No. Four or five matchup Denver Seattle again, and then you have Casey in Arizona. So again you have uh to not to reiterate too much but you have the Russell Wilson revenge game with Gino Smith promptly involved, and let's be honest, Mark, let's leave Greg out of the second. That's a detriment to the game that Geno Smith's involved. So you've got a factor that in. Um. Meanwhile, you have Kyler Murray against Patrick Mahomes. Uh two highlight real quarterbacks. Uh that's my pick. I think Ksey Arizona a slight upset moves. It's it's mine too, because I I want to see what I want to see what the Chiefs offense. You can speak on. Maybe I feel like we've touched on Geno Smith, like forty eight episodes in a row, but uh, let's see what the Chiefs look like. And also, again I'm just gonna say what I said before about Kyler Murray. It's like it's I can't wait to see what what happens to this is. This is the this is not talking about inspiracy. This is the anti Gino cabal. Give me a break. They had I don't remember if it was a w NBA game or a soccer game, but they had some I think it was Sue Bird's last game in Seattle, A tribute video of Seattle grates all saying thank you, Sue Bird. What a legend your last home game in Seattle. Everyone's watching it. On on comes Russell Wilson to say congratulations to Sue Bird. You know what happens a stadium full of booze for Russell Wilson in Seattle for a tribute for Sue Bird. It's gonna be nasty there. I mean, Russell Wilson go into Seattle and possibly there people say revenge game. This is a legit revenge game. Him and Pete Carroll ultimately didn't like each other and they had We're gonna have a divorce. And I can just see this game being I don't care what you think about Gino Smith. Maybe it's not gonna be stylistically beautiful. It's gonna be close in the fourth quarter. That's what Pete Carroll st do. And to me, there's just gonna be a lot at stake. I was gonna take this to the to the championship. This was my number one pick. It was gonna be the game that like it survived a tight first round game and then it goes all the way to the title. And you guys, you've you've been ousted, you're out, case closed. And by the way, Seattle Seahawks fans come back to us, I'm just gonna read some Seahawks quarterbacks before Russell Wilson was around. You remember Charlie Whitehurst, Seneca Wallace, Tavars, Jackson, Rick Meyer, John Kittner, Matt Hasselbeck, Trent. Matt Hasselbeck did take him to a Super Bowl very well, like one of the worst super bowls ring on. I'm just saying, he well, it totally cooked. Super well, you're right back in that world, old Warren Moon. I mean, let me just say something here. If you really you see Russell Wilson on the JumboTron and you boo, And by the way, Russell Wilson is paying tribute to one of the great sports heroes of the city's recent history, shame on you. And may you be cursed with a million Geno Smiths from here on forward. But doesn't it And I'm not looking to pick a fight with Seattle fans, but you gotta understand, like I would love to have Russell Wilson. You know how many teams would die to have ten years of Russell Wilson. And you blew him because he couldn't get away. It couldn't get along with the coach anymore. Who by the way, he might be losing his fastball throwing eighty six miles per hour at this point, but management sided with the coach throwing eighty six with a flat slider. Greg, why are you celebrating that I'm enjoying his Dan's mad dog like random? Uh? Really more friends A bad job by you with Seattle fans. It was really more friend cessa now that I think of it, but it did end off beautifully. H I love that the NFL put this week one. At first I was like why, But now I like because I think the emotions are as raw as they're gonna be and just get it do it first. This thing is beautiful. I think. I'm as I think that's my number one pick, and not to not to mention. If you're Gino Smith fan, you know you make sure you get to see him before he gets benched, so you get week one there you. I was gonna say, there's no downside here, but of course there's downside. He could play terribly, but there is a glorious upside chance which I am hopeful for, which is that the Gino Smith Seahawks win this freaking game. All right, Well, guess what They're out of this tournament. Let's move on to the final game to to for our final four. The Cowboys and the Bucks the number three seed against almost impossibly the San Francisco forty Niners and Chicago Bears the eleventh seed. Make the case, boys, mm hmm, I don't even know. I kind of want you guys to make the case to me. I'm I'm feelings I try to vote out the Chicago Bears game. All right, So Mark, we can actually there's no rules and actually we can speak and here, uh we can decide whether we want to, you know, join as a tannement and give this some spice getting eleven seed to the Semis or not. No, I'm gonna go Dallas Tampa Bay. Nice. I love you also, all right, yeah, I mean I have no problem with that. I can't wait. I the Bucks are one of those teams that are totally familiar, you know. I am I'm kind of buying the Julio heype. By the way, Well that's your opinion. I'm kind of buying him, like beating Xavian Howard and the joint practice and being like he's the one help, but you know, his his feet and his lower half. I guess to go through he's probably gonna be on the I don't practice during the season planned, but he's still gonna make it through games. It's gonna be a great game. The other one has too much blowout potential. UH and don't forget this was a fantastic Week one opener last year at UH at wesley manor. Well, we'll miss going to to Wesleyan Manor we watched that game with Lakisha last year to to start the season. Lakisha is doing great um in St. Louis. Let's UH now moved to the final four Rams Buffalo Bills the one seed again, Chiefs Cardinals the five seed. I gotta, I gotta go, I gotta go, Chalk gotta do it, and I don't. I don't want this to end in a deflating manner the segment, But again, I don't want to overthink this. I think the Chiefs Cardinals game is fun and potentially a shootout, but also DeAndre Hopkins isn't there. That kind of deflates the Cardinals balloon a little bit for me. So I will go with the one seed making it to the finals. I I didn't approach this exercide with like multiple crusades that must occur. I mean, I think the Chiefs and Cardinals got to where they deserve to go. And the best game of the week is Rams Bills. Yeah, it's a it's a I'm with you, it's a it's strange exercise because ultimately, when I look at these games, I have more affection for some of the role players out there rather than the superstars. Like the superstar in this case is Rams Bills. And yet Jack's Commanders. I think they're coming off the bench and hitting like three threes in four minutes, and you're like, oh, Jack's Commanders, how about But they're not gonna win the game for you. You need your superstars. I like that. That's a good take, um. And moving to the other bracket, Chargers Raiders all the way to the final finals, proud of you game against Cowboys Bucks. So the NFC East Champion against the NFC South champion. But that was last year. Who do you have in this one? Greg? Now do announcers play a role? It's the experience of watching the game, for sure. That's why I'm not factoring him that we're gonna be at Ram's Buffalo. In fact, I could dig it for that because I kind of like sitting and watching it with with the announcing team there who's calling that Thursday night opener, is that it's gonna be Al Michael's. And now it's gonna be Sunday Night Crew, it's gonna be the Sunday Night Crow. It's gonna be Tarko. And but the great thing about week one is you get him twice, you get him on Bucks Cowboys Sunday Night too. They're doing their own doubleheader. And tell Collinsworth he doesn't know yet. That's That's one reason, hey man, that guy loves ball every day the week. That's one reason I'm gonna go with them. It's also another reason you should should have convinced you guys into the Geno Bowl, because that's gonna be Foxes. I mean, ESPN's buckets insane. But it's gonna be Russell Wilson fucking Aikman on Monday Night football's debut. And you gave it, and you just gave Chiefs. But it doesn't mean I won't watch it. I just I'm going to I'm going to literally contractually obligated to watch the game. I'll be watching it and I'll be enjoying it. But it ain't the Geno Bowl Bus Cowboys. What a way to cap that first Sunday? Your void doesn't matter, No, it doesn't, and it's it's I actually would have gone the other way, but that, you know, all right, takes us to the finals. How about a little drum roll here Rams Bills against Cowboys Bucks one point working out. If you're watching this on YouTube, this looks insane. I think Chevez Ravine did a really nice with the brackets. Usually here it looks great, but it's just on that screen there, it's it looks like madness. Right, it doesn't like Oswald. Maybe it didn't act alone. It was Chavez. He's doing great. It's time. Where are you going stuff? I know you don't want the one seed to don't want the one seed to win, but I also understand that it is the best matchup in week one, and it's a it's a to me. It's a shout out to the schedulemakers who are smart enough to give us a banger in week one. I don't like, Oh, I don't like when you have a huge division game on the Thursday night. Open with you because you need those games to marinate a little bit. But give me one of these, an intra conference, a f C favorite, Verse NFC favorite. See where they're at, see it, you know, really get the season off to a good start. It's the best game. It's my pick. What about you, guys? Well, so here's the thing, Dallas Tampa Bay. You mentioned it. We all got together and watched it a year ago in Week one. It's amazing, it was. But I don't I'm not going to double down with the same matchup two years in a row when I already and not that intrigued by the Cowboys. I pulled for that this matchup over and over because of Tampa Bay. But Rams Bills, it's I guess the exercise. Um, I wouldn't call it, you know, mute. It's like it is. We did what we did. But it is the best game. And I think it had a tough journey to get here, but not really, it's just simply the best contest. It's my pick. It's one of those things. It's not about the destination, it's the journey. The journey was enjoyable, it's this journey. Uh. Well, the Rams, you know, they're always they're always complaining they don't get enough pop from your power rankings. Like you were. You actually weirdly ranked them, you know, number four something after they won the Super Bowl. You just like, I'm just joking there, but at some you know, you can't got some members of the RAMS kept burying the unhappy about round power ranking. Right, so here we're giving them their shine. And I do think the Bills weird training camp where I don't think Tevious White is playing in this game. Will have plenty of time to talk about this game, but I don't think he's playing in it. And their cornerbacks like little shaky. And you know, the Rams, as much as you tried to campaign against them, Mark, you know what they did last year in all four games. They delivered entertainment all four of those playoff games. Well, uh, here's the thing. I just voted for them every time in a row. Well, it shows what a pro you are, But I'm not the The anti thing was probably closer to like the Jeff Fisher era of this whole business, right, and that was the playoff. You know, part of all this is about the stadium and that we were going to be next to them, and you had this image that like every day when we showed up to work standing Cronki is punching our time car. Yeah, but you know what, you know what changed, Matthew Stafford changed the field of that team. For me, It really did in the way that they went and got him, and that that was a that was a different moment. So it's like, I'd like to take this and throw it out the winter. This is not AM's house. This is this is a podcast that uh covers the teams that are the most interesting and just so happens to the team that plays. The two teams that play across the street are very interesting teams right now. When they suck, oh you'll see, they won't be talked about nearly as much the only team. Yeah there are a few will see. Yeah, we'll see. But I feel confident that the Rams Chargers get talked about the Chargers like the Chargers or the Rams have like Geno Smith is their quarterback, and we talked about as much. I mean, the Charges were not talked about that much relatively on this podcast a couple of years ago. And the crazy thing is it's hard to imagine these teams really struggling just because it's hadn't happened under Sean McVeigh. And then the other one is Justin Herbert. All right, a lot of pop by the way, Mark people are like, you know Justin Herbert, Michael Jordan's who is that? Who is who is Justin Herbert? Who is the NBA comp for where Justin Herbert is? Right now? I saw somewhere, I believe on the sub reddit someone said, Luca dot, that's pretty good. That's a good one that fits. That sounds about right. You gotta win. We also, I think we've compared maybe nine NFL players to Michael Jordan on this podcast over the years. But you're expecting him to be an all time great do um? No? I know, but he's still haven't. You still have to do it through a couple of wars. We gotta see what he looks. What am I? What is happening if he becomes that? And then I tell you he's that? What are we doing there? Oh? You're telling Michael Jordan? Then I tell you he's believe he will be Michael, what's the point of me telling you will win six Super Bowl championships. The nflved the NFL is a little bit different than than the NBA. Michael Jordan's. If you say Michael Jordan's, it means best player to ever play the sport and six for six never lost the championship. That's what Michael Jordan's. Some people are Tom Brady withs hated West hated when people compared Lebron to m j And although I was a bigger fan of Lebron than West, I understood what he meant because people almost forget And I'm glad that documentary came out last year. Like what Jordan was, which was one of one never will be another guy like that, Well, I would never I ient with West on the Lebron first. Jordan's argument is absurd to me. And I don't know why we always need to make other NBA players Michael Jordan, whether it was Kobe or anyone else. I mean, I watched, and I'm sure you did too. You just you just made Justin Herbert. But I'm saying in the same sport, like there is only one Michael Jordan. But a lot of people who are comparing player X to Michael Jordan. The NBA right now did not watch Michael tom Brady, though tom Brady has lost more Super Bowl than any quarterback ever. Yeah, but I mean like football is completely different than basketball. I mean you don't. It's like I I that's I mean that because he made more championships, he didn't you know, you know, lose as many in the conference. Uh, no one will ever do what tom Brady did. That's and that is I think Herbert why people sometimes pushed back because I'm not just think you're going just for title title count and I hear what I'm saying, but ever most championship or perfect championship record in the equivalent of the NBA five. I think here's the thing that Justin Herbert has the kind of body, like the with sports science in two that would allow him to play until he's forty something. I think we're going to be in that world. I do. I don't think there's been a bigger like I couldn't be a bigger Justin Herbert fan and believer and and that's the for the whole last two years. So I'm with you. But to be Michael Jordan's he would have to be stand apart not only from like he'd have to be considerably better than Patrick mahome in Lamar Jackson, and then you'd have to be considered better than Brett far other things that I threw it out there, all right. It wasn't like we were, you know, down at like Cook's tavern talking about it and then it gets it gets lost in the wash. He gets it gets I don't know, it gets commented on. It's like I just said it. I do think he will be one's throw out. Jordan's you and you're talking about his build and sports science. You're talking Tom Brady and Tom Brady because Jordan wasn't known for his incredible longevity. Brady of course, the stats the Super Bowl this time it made sense you're saying he's the next Tom Brady when you say Justin Herbert is the next inserts superstar all time, he'd be the person. He'd be the person I would pick. But that but a lot of that because it's not the NBA where you just get two or three your friends and you win three titles. It's like you have to be in the right environment, on the right team, and that's that's not entirely justin Herbert's control. All right, great little Capper there thank everybody for listening. We'll be back on Thursday with another episode of Around NFL. We appreciate your support. Until then, he the call, This is the first time I've gotten excited about football since probably last December. Really, what about the Patriots Chiefs Championship that was a great game. Saying he's keeping it real, No, you at some point have a super Bowl didn't really excite me. But but some of the playoff games. How about every game the Saints played basically sat one of the best. It was maybe the best game of the year. The Saints Eagles was a terrific game, and then the NFC Championship game was not the best game, but it was exciting. Both Saints Rams games were good. Yeah, come on, good stuff. West is excited again. I guess let's start with West. Then that that we he has a week one game. What's getting you started? Well, so many different ways I could go, but let me start with Rams at Panthers. I like these matchups that kind of make a statement at the beginning of the year, how good is this team? And I think the Panthers I'm looking at them to be the Panthers that they were in the first half of last season when they looked like a legitimate playoff contender, and their defensive line is better now, some of their skill position players are better. So can a guy like Curtis Samuel Uh? Can he make a kind of leap like Christian McCaffrey did last year. So to me, that's a good LISTMAS litmus test. Going against the NFC representative from the Super Bowl, the Rams. I would not consider the Rams a heavy favorite in that game. I think it's a statement game.