Carmen Vitali & Tracy Sandler talk about kickoff to the 2025 NFL season!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome into Fox Football Saturday. I'm back as your host again.
It's Karen Vitally and I'm joining me today as CEO
of Fangirls Sports Network and forty nine Ers Beat reporter
Tracy Sandler.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Hi, Trace, Hey, Carvion.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
How are you? I'm so good.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
So this is a little different of a setup because
I'm coming to you live actually from Chicago, Illinois, and
Tracy's holding it back down in our Los Angeles studios
with Bob Benson, Chris Burfette. Is that Martin Weiss I
heard on the news desk?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thanks Bill Blaze.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Oh oh boy, I didn't even think about that. Wow.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's a really Michigan heavy show there in the studio.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Good thing.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm back in the Midwest here. But we have a
very we have a great, very NFL heavy show for
you today. We have predictions, we have reactions, we have Spitgate,
and we'll hear from WGN's Caitlin Sharky ahead of Viking Spars,
followed by Ty Dunn in an explosive new read about Kaylab,
Williams and the Bears on his Golong sub stack. Some
really interesting stuff in there, guys, But be sure to

(01:00):
subscribe to the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. Just search
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Hit that thumbs up icon Colm and away. Let us
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Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube and subscribe. But
you're gonna like all my takes. You're gonna like all.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Tracy's takes, obviously, obviously Trace. How's it going.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
It's good. I mean, we are so back.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
I the NFL is so back, and I felt.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
Kind of back for a while now because I've been
backsin this training cam started. But it is funny when
it turns over to actually week one, there's something in
the air. It just there's some op ump is gonna
be my word of the day, and there's some omph
and we are so.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Bad with that. I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
It's it's funny too because not that this is the
case in LA but in a lot of other parts
of the country, including Chicago, there has been a change,
like a change in the weather. There has literally been
a shift in the air. It's cool outside. I've got
like I'm trying to keep my flowers alive because it's
getting cold at night. I've got a fireplace going, and
I'm like, oh my gosh, it's fall. Fall means football,

(02:01):
and we're here. We've already had two games. We had
Chiefs Chargers last night from Brazil, which was incredible. That
halftime show. I am such a fan of Carol g.
I don't know if you are to trace, but yes.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
It was amazing.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
I love a good halftime show, and I feel like
when we get them beyond just the super Bowl, it's
so fun.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
It is so fun.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
And then we had Eagles Cowboys to start the season
on Thursday. But I want to start with chief Chiefs
Chargers because there's the listen, are the Chargers? Are the
Chargers back? We're talking about We're back? Are the Chargers back?
I know Tracy, this is someone very near and dear
to your heart because Tracy is a Michigan alum. As
she's already stated, I think that you know, it took

(02:43):
three seconds of the show for Tracy talk about Michigan.
But you got Jim Harbaugh at the Helm here and
in year two, I don't know anybody that was worried
about this running back by committee thing clearly shouldn't be
including Justin Herber. I mean, what was your take on
what you saw trace far as what Jim Harbaugh has

(03:06):
had for this year.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
Well, you mentioned Justin Herbert, and we kind of have
to start there. I mean, he's granted, it's week one,
so I realized this is not a playoff game of
Super Bowl. But he always gets knocked for not being
able to come through and all of that, and there
he is playing the Chiefs in Brazil. He had a
heck of a game. I mean, he truly was fantastic.
I feel like it was a different Justin Herbert than

(03:28):
we've seen. And I know how talented he is, and
I know he has certainly been very good over the years,
but I think Harbaugh has just taken him to another level. Again,
it's week one, but I love a week one over reaction,
so I think the Chargers are very back.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
And maybe, just maybe they won't Charger this year. I
know it's a tall task.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
I was gonna say it's a tall task. It's only
week one, so who knows. But I really appreciated the fact.
I mean Justin Herbert had seven rushing attempts thirty two yards,
and it wasn't quite to the level that we've seen
against the Chiefs when they've struggled. But Kay Adams actually
brought this up on the broadcast, which I thought was
a really good point in that the Chiefs struggle against
quarterbacks that have forty five or more rushing yards in

(04:08):
a game. Now, again, Justin Herbert didn't quite get there,
but clearly he came through on some crucial downs in
that game. And you look at like the third down especially,
I mean Chargers were seven of thirteen, which is just
over It was just yeah, just over fifty percent if
I can do it math correctly. Chiefs really struggled that
first half on third down. That was the biggest difference.

(04:29):
But I think the added dynamic of Justin Herbert being
able to kind of take off and not being afraid
to do that, especially when you consider I mean, I
was very worried about the Rashaan Slater injury, and I
was very concerned to see what was going to happen
with this Chargers offensive line. Now, Joe All looks the
part of that left tackle position. You got Trey Pipkins

(04:49):
on the other side, Trey Pipkins who hasn't had a
start since twenty twenty three, and you draw a really
tall straw when you have to go against Chris Jones
and your first start in a couple of years. I
was really concerned about that, but it seemed like, I mean,
go figure, Jim Harbaugh got that offensive line right and
this run game is very balanced.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
The charge the Chargers looked very balanced.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
They did. They looked very balanced.

Speaker 4 (05:12):
And I think another thing that is certainly worth mentioning
is they had wide receivers and they caught the ball
and that was not something we saw the last time
the Chargers were played.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
There's still a couple of those Quinton Johnson drops, which
I think everyone's just going to have to live with.
You was yes, five of seven, so two one of
them was kind of a heartbreaker. But you had Lad
McConkie Keenan Allen looking like vintage Keenan Allen. Seven receptions,
sixty eight yards in that touchdown.

Speaker 4 (05:38):
So he is Keenan Allen back. There's a lot of
are they backs right now? I feel like that that
is one of them too.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Well, then I guess the bigger question with this game
then is are the Chiefs back or not?

Speaker 1 (05:49):
Because I mean, I have to.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Think that Xavier Worthy going down so early in this
game changed the game tremendously. Now, Andy Reid, I think
is one of the best at in adjustments even and
figuring things out on the fly. Coaching staff is very
experienced of doing stuff like that. But it was very
obvious that the Chiefs were missing Xavier Worthy.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
I would agree with that. So I thought you were
about say, smell, I absolutely would agree with that. I don't,
I mean the Chiefs. It's hard to say.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
I mean, it is week one, so I can totally
wax poetic on the Chargers basically winning the Super Bowl
after week one. But I don't want to wax poetic
and say that the Chiefs are done after week one.
I have felt for a while that this is the
year that they may be dethroned from the AFC West.
I feel like from the Broncos, however, they they may

(06:37):
be dethrowned.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
But I can't. It's like I can.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Only overreact in certain places, and which is probably a
little hypocritical. But okay, they I can't count about just yet.
I mean, they are still the Chiefs. They still have
Patrick Mahomes, they still have Andy Reid. They have a
slimmed down ready wedding ready, Travis Kelsey, they have Chris Jones.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
I mean, you know, we got a long way to go.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
In this, but I think the Chargers showed that they
can beat them. And I think one of the things
with the Chiefs, you know, the last time we saw
the Chiefs, it was pretty much a disaster. In the
Super Bowl certainly was better, but I didn't see anything
that made be like they're a lock for the AFCs.
So not saying that they won't win it, I just
don't look at them is like up a lock once again.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
No, and I mean again if you're gonna talk.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
The thing is, we've seen the Chiefs do this before
when even though they suffered the most drops in the
league by their receivers, they still end up in the
Super Bowl, they win the Super Bowl. Even when that happens,
and you look at you know, not having Savior worthy,
all of that workload went to Hollywood Brown, who.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
Had sixteen targets, only.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
Caught ten of them too, just shy of one hundred
yards on the day, did not get into the end zone.
And you think, okay, like this is just the Chiefs
from a couple of years ago where no one could
catch the ball, but they still made it happen, and
that was because of one number fifteen. Yes, Patrick Mahomes
making just some wild plays every time. I think I
can't be surprised by him anymore. He does like that

(08:02):
third down conversion where he's like on again laterally throwing
the ball, pitching it like getting himself out of pressure,
which the Chargers did. I mean, Mintor's defense is Jesse
Minter's defense is it looks like.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
The real deal again.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
And getting getting to Patrick Mahomes is not easy to
do because of how well he can scramble and create
in the backfield and all that kind of stuff. But
I mean, when Mahomes is your leading rusher as the Chiefs,
I feel like that's not a recipe that's going to
get you a lot of places. He had six attempts
for fifty seven yards and he had that rushing touchdown.
But I mean, I'm never going to put anything past

(08:36):
the Chiefs because of Patrick Mahomes, and I think that
they can claw their way. And it's only week one
and this that the other like we said, this is
not something we haven't seen before from the Chiefs. But
I just it was fun to see the Chargers go
out and do that. And I love this division because
I also am in the camp that I don't think
the Raiders are going to be that bad this year.
This could be a really fun division that in that

(09:00):
hasn't had a different winner in a long time.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
Maybe will this year.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
There's certainly the possibility.

Speaker 4 (09:07):
And I think that in itself is fun for the
division because there really hasn't been that possibility in so long,
and so I think that just creates obviously competition, and
you know, makes the games fun. It makes every week fun.
Patrick Mahomes is fun. I mean he is truly incredible.
Like you know, a lot of people love to hate
on the Chiefs, but he's a tremendous quarterback. But I

(09:29):
think you're right this division maybe low key, sneaky, super
competitive and just going to be super fun to watch.
I mean, Pete Carrol's in it. Now, that's fun in itself.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
I know, it really is.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
You've got experienced coaches, really fun players, especially at quarterbacks.
Some of those defenses and the defenses you think about
that Broncos defense man, But I want to go to
the other side of the league, because the first game
we saw was the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
Cowboys did not disappoint.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Did not disappoint from the jump, Tracy like, I was like,
we don't need to get the entire season in in
the first game. Good God, between all of the different
things that happened, and then obviously like we can talk
all we want. I think that honestly, the Marty Schottenheimer Cowboys,
the shoddy Cowboys. I like what they did a lot
on offense. I really thought that there were some fun

(10:17):
little wrinkles that they had in there. The increased rate
of motion I think opens up that offense.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
Quite a bit.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
You have more than one guy to get the ball
to if you're Dak Prescott now that they have George Pickens.
Although Ceedee Lamb needs to catch a ball, I really
want to I want to focus more on that, maybe
yet a later time, because we don't have a ton
of time to do it. But the rate of motion
that they used, it was just really quick. Stat they

(10:44):
use most of the snap, This is courtesy of men
to cimes actually use most of the snap forty two
percent of plays on Thursday Night last year. They ranked
twenty ninth league wide in that stat at the snap
and forty two percent would have ranked fourth. So they
I mean, granted again a small sample size, but you
want to look for kind of indicators of what's different
in this Shottenheimer offense. And I think that that's it,

(11:05):
and I think that's going to serve them very, very well.
But we can't talk about this game without talking about
what happened at the very beginning of it, which is
that Jalen Carter, the Eagles best defensive player, gets thrown
out of the game for spitting on Dak Prescott like
the loogie heard around the world.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
It's so, I mean, that's how I really knew we
were back.

Speaker 4 (11:27):
But you have a divisional game on Thursday night, before
the game really even.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Begins, I was like, how does that even happen?

Speaker 4 (11:35):
And we laugh about it and it is like it's
ridiculous and it's funny. But Jalen Carter's got to get
it together. This can't be happening every weekend. It's you know,
what is a football game. People are going to antagonize you.
People are going to try to get under your skin.
You're gonna have to figure out how to handle that
because you can't be out there spitting on people left
and right.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
I saw something on Twitter that I completely agree with her.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
I was like Jalen Carter spitting on Dak Prescott, spinning
on a rival like tough, mean, don't want to mess
with him. Jalen Carter getting rage baited by Dak Prescott
who spit on the ground and said something to him,
Oh no, we're not back.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
This is terrible, and it's true.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
It's true, like if he was baited into it, Like
not that anybody should spit on anybody that's extremely disrespectful.
That's like a whole other level. It's like it's one
thing to say something to a guy, but to physically
spit on him. But the NFL is cracking down wholeheartedly
on these unsportsman like penalties. And there was a lot
of attrition from both of these guys honestly after the game.
And I think we have the sound from both Dak

(12:35):
and Jalen talking about Spitgate right after the game.

Speaker 5 (12:39):
I'll probably spend a thousand times throughout the game, I mean,
especially game day, maybe even in general, and something I'll
guess I'm not proud of. But in that case, he
was trolling. I guess you could say trying to mess
with Tyler Booker. I was just looking at him. I
was right here by the two linemen, and I guess
I needed to spit and I wouldn't go to spin
on my liman and.

Speaker 6 (12:56):
I just spit ahead.

Speaker 5 (12:57):
But I'd say he was back there with Jeor was
in that sense, and he asked, or he goes, you're
trying to spin on me.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
And at that point, I mean, I.

Speaker 5 (13:05):
Felt like like like he was insulting me, like I
don't I wouldn't spend on somebody. I'm damn su You're
not trying to spin on you, like we're about to
play a game. I heard the Rough talking and then
I heard him say this is a toss of offense
or it's something like that.

Speaker 7 (13:17):
Am.

Speaker 8 (13:18):
That's when I know, you know, I walked off the
field calmly.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
I was not mad.

Speaker 8 (13:21):
That's pretty much. I couldn't really do nothing else, you know.
The rough decision is the rough decision on the situation.
When things started to come out and you start seeing
a thing that.

Speaker 5 (13:29):
If you can go off that, but I don't got
nothing to say about it, you.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Know, just to throw someone out of the game for it.
I don't know, like we don't have a ton of
time before we had to go to break But Tracy,
is that Are you okay with that?

Speaker 4 (13:44):
I think it feels maybe like a little bit of
an overaction. However, I think what it is is you
don't want this happening now every game, like, oh you
takes me off, I'm now going to spit on you
because I can do that because you knew, like everybody
was going to make it a big deal any because
you could see it happening.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
And I think it's maybe more about that. I don't know.
I'm I'm on the.

Speaker 4 (14:06):
Fence about it because it is pretty disrespectful. Like if
we were sitting here and you didn't like one of
my takes new came over and spit on me, I would.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
Feel like that's not cool.

Speaker 1 (14:15):
So I know, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (14:17):
It's gonna I'm really I'm struggling a little bit with it,
but I.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
Get why it's a possible.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
My thing is like, if anybody heard what was actually
said on that field between these guys, I'm like, there
has been so much more in disrespect that has happened
verbally on the field that no one ever gets to
hear because the NFL won't er it, but as someone
who has been on the sidelines during a game, it's
it gets it gets crazy in practice. Man, that's it's football.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
I mean, I just I don't want it to affect
rivalries because, like I mean, Eagles Cowboys is such a
good rivalry, and like you're gonna get stuff like this,
like I get not wanting to set a precedent that
this is okay and this that the other.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
But then find him. Man, Like I don't know, I
just I don't.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
I don't know that like ejecting a player for doing
that and eventually altering the outcome of the game. I
mean it didn't end up, you know, because the Eagles
pulled it out, But if that would have altered the game,
if the Eagles would have lost, this would have been
a completely different conversation.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, very just yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
It's a it's a tough one. I think it could
be discussed and debated. I understand why they do it.
I also understand the idea of just finding him. It's
I don't know. I'm glad it's not my ultimate decision,
but I guess the note to all NFL players listening
to the show because I know you are all tuned in.

Speaker 3 (15:33):
Do not spit on your opponent. Yeah there's pH still day.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
Just don't do it.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
All right, We're going to take a bigger picture look
around the league, what we can predict or what we
what we expect from this twenty twenty five season on
the other side, but we're going to take a break.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
Right now. You're listening to Fox Sports Saturday.

Speaker 6 (15:52):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.

Speaker 1 (16:03):
Ah.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
I love the dad Rock. This is always like, this
will always get me. I feel like I'm in an arena.
Football's back, baby, Welcome back into Fox Sports Fox Football Saturday.
I'm Car of Italium, back with you again, coming to
you actually from Chicago, Illinois. I've got Tracy Sandler with
me over the airwaves in LA holding it down with

(16:28):
the guys.

Speaker 4 (16:28):
Looking at your chair to talk to you. I keep
looking over at you. I'm just gonna pretend you're there.

Speaker 9 (16:33):
I know.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
I'm like, I'm so lost. I'm like, where do I look? Okay,
look at Tracy but I am. I'm thrilled to be
back with you, guys. I'm thrilled to be back with you. Tracy.
I just like, I can't believe football seasons here. We're back,
We're here. It's the twenty twenty five season, which doesn't
actually sound real. It's like sometimes I feel like Curing

(16:53):
the year makes me like it's like I'm back in
two thousand and three and I'm watching a movie that's
like supposedly in the future, and it's like, yeah, you're
twenty twenty five, and I'm like, because it sounds like
a futuristic year.

Speaker 4 (17:04):
It does, though, I can affirm that I did not
fly here in a flying car.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
I sat in traffic.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
So that's why don't we have flying cars that just since.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
Told me we were going to have them. So I
am like, seventy years ago, Yeah on they we haven't.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
They knew figured that out?

Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, I mean seriously, so I'm a little disappointed.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
But put down on La traffic, my god, Like, could
you imagine flying literally flying down the four or five.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
It'd be great, incredible.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
Well, it is the twenty twenty five season, and I
want I haven't had a chance to really talk to you, Tracy,
talk about just the league as a whole, what we're
expecting this season, and we're gonna do some season predictions
of with a playoff field or like just just look
and we're gonna look at the division winners or who
we're going to predict as the division winners the wild cards,

(17:50):
and then I'm gonna do it. I'm not even the
one I like, I hate doing these, but I'm doing
it anyway. I'm going to ask you, Tracy, your super
Bowl prediction. I will give my because I just feel
like at this point you can't not go on record
before Week one really kicks off without at least having
some sort of prediction. Okay, so let's go through the

(18:11):
playoff field. Who we think is going to win each division.
Let's just start in the NFC. We'll go directionally, NFC North, Okay, me,
you have well before we get to mine, I want
to know.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
I mean, I really want to pick the Minnesota Vikings
for obviously.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
Gee, I wonder why Tracy went to Michigan in case everybody,
and I.

Speaker 4 (18:31):
Because I love JJ McCarthy and I'm a new Vikings
fans school, but the mic of Parsons trade makes me
pick the Packers.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
Okay, I have I completely agree with you, and in fact,
I thought it was still the Lion's division. I got
to go up there to Detroit this off season. I was,
I was up there for training camp and I was talking,
you know about the new coordinators and you know, especially because.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
They had they brought guys in.

Speaker 2 (18:58):
If they brought a guy and it was John Moore,
who was with the team a couple of years ago,
very familiar with them. And then they elevated Calvin Shepherd
as defensive coordinator. And like, he's a guy that had
been brought up by Aaron Glenn and had been prepped
for this, whether it was gonna be with Detroit or
someone else. Calvin Shepherd has been preparing to be a
coordinator for years at this point, and I think he
does a phenomenal job. He's a lot more fiery than

(19:20):
Aaron Glenn is. Even on the practice field, Calvin sometimes
doesn't get the memo that he's not playing anymore. It's fantastic,
But like Aaron Glenn was like the strong, silent type
and Calvin is like, I'm gonna get in your fix
and MFU.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
But I was like, all right, I'm not worried about
the Lions.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Frank rag Now, then that whole thing honestly made me
more worried about the coordinator changes and the staffing changes.
I'm still not totally convinced when you're starting two young
players on the offensive line that that's going to go
terribly well. But Jared goff Is, you know, he's good.
He's a good quarterback, he's experienced quarterback. He can make
up for some of those developmental things that come to

(19:56):
the offensive line. But then you're right, green Bay trades.

Speaker 1 (19:59):
For Mike Parsons changes that everyway.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
It changed everything, not only just for the North, but
it changed everything for the entire NFC. Like their odds
just catapulted. But more than that, I mean, the biggest
thing that you wanted out of Green Bay last year
a you wanted more consistency with Jordan Loves. So Jordan
Love has to stay healthy in order for this to work.
But you got the number one wide receiver in the draft,

(20:23):
the first the first first round wide receiver that the
Packers have picked since I think two thousand and five
something like that, or maybe.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
Nineteen ninety five. I think it was nineteen ninety five,
nineteen it was like in the nineties. No, it was
a long time ago.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
And so now you have a number one wide receiver
for Jordan Love, you have Josh Jacobs in the backfield.
You feel good about your offensive line, even though you
didn't really know where everybody was playing until late in
training camp. But then this defense in the second year
under Jeff Halfley. I think Xavier McKinney last year he
really masked a lot of issues, especially with the pass
rush by getting all those takeaways. But you combine that

(21:00):
with a real deal pass rush, and if either Rashaan Gary,
you know, becomes the Shawn Gary of three years ago,
or another.

Speaker 3 (21:06):
Michigan man, Tersey not to go blue, but you yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
Or Lucas VanNess if you get a step forward from him,
and I think that that has to happen when you
have the threat of Micah Parsons on the other side.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
Now.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
So this is just such a complete team and it's
very well coach Matt Laflour is one of the best
coaches in the league, and I just I can't think
that that's not going to happen with the NFC, nor
that I know I went long on this, but this
is the division that is near and dear to my heart.
So I also picked the Packers to win the NFC North.
They were always you know, they're always there, They're always
right there.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
Like they could win.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
And that's just kind of the culture that they've built
and the way that Brian gooton Kunz has been able
to kind of sustain success there. But good lord, I mean,
if that, if Michael Parsons doesn't get you over the
hump on top of you know, as long as Jordan
Love stays healthy, they're a scary team.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (21:58):
I think they're very, very scary team. And you're right,
it changed the entire NFC.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
All right, let's go to NFC South, which I'm going
to try to be quicker on even though this is
like like if I'm a fan anymore, I'm like I
always say I had the fan beat out of me
by working in this.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Industry for so long.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
But if I am a fan, it is still of
the Buccaneers who I worked for for six years, have
so many friends still out on that team. So I'm
a massive Buccaneers fan, and I need to understand why
after four years of winning the division that they are
not getting their respect. They deserve everybody. We do this
every single year with the Bucks. It's like, well, I
don't know. I mean, Atlanta could come out of nowhere,
who knows, And I'm like, no, this is a good team.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
This is a very good team. The Buccaneers are.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
They went to the division around two years ago, made
the playoffs again last year, won the division. Like I
know it's not a great division, but when are we
going to give the Buccaneers their due?

Speaker 1 (22:47):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (22:48):
If you have somebody different, I would I mean, I
would say the Buccaneers for all the reasons that actually
would make sense and on paper and statistically and everything
you just said.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
But just for fun, I'm going to say that Falcons
like a thing.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
I mean, it is like the little like that's the
that's the moment, Like the Falcons are like the moment.
They're the fun team of the moment. To like, pick
against the hipster team of the moment if you will.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yes, I like the hipster team at the moment. And honestly,
I'm nothing if not a hipster, which no one's ever
called me that, But I'm going to go my hipster
team at the.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
Moment is the Atlanta Falcons.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Atlanta Falcon. You know, I like that defense should be
very very good, and you're it's riding on Michael Pennix.
Can he be the guy?

Speaker 3 (23:29):
Can he be the guy? We'll see, We'll see.

Speaker 6 (23:31):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (23:31):
The NFC East, I don't know. After Thursday and then
being down Jaylen Carter uh and A J. Brown not
getting a target until very late in the fourth quarter
and it not seeming to matter all that much.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
I have to go with the Eagles.

Speaker 4 (23:43):
I just I'm going to go with Eagles as well.
But I think it'd be really funny if the Cowboys wanted.
I don't know why I would find that absolutely hilarious.
But I'm gonna go with the Eagles as well.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
Okay, NFC West, We're just gonna get through the NFC
right now because and then we'll get to Super Bowl,
and then we got to get to a break. I
always go along and MC West. I have rams, actually,
but I have a healing I know who you.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
Really I got rams. I've had rams. I've said actually,
I publicly.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
At least on my Instagram said like a month and
a half ago, Matthew Stafford stays healthy.

Speaker 3 (24:12):
The Rams are going to the Super Bowl. Oh, I
just did part of my prediction.

Speaker 2 (24:16):
Okay, well then let's fast forward I know when and
get the AFC.

Speaker 1 (24:18):
Sorry, guys.

Speaker 2 (24:19):
Super Bowl prediction. I think I have a fun one.
I have Green Bay Buffalo.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
Oh that is a fun one. Yeah, that's a very
fun one. Mine is so dependent on Matthew Stafford. But
I would go rams Buffalo. But I would say if
if Matthew Safford is not healthy, then I would agree
with yours. And that is a fun super Bowl in California.
I mean, I kind of love the idea of these
two freezing weather teams.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Playing the super Bowl in California in February. Don't hate it.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
That would be funny.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Okay, we are going to have to go to an
update break and Martin Weiss, are you there?

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Is it me you're looking for? Yeah, it isn't fat play.

Speaker 7 (25:01):
I am here and college football in full swing a
lot of these games, you know, do you?

Speaker 8 (25:08):
Glass is the opponent there?

Speaker 7 (25:10):
I'll start at Ohio State twenty one to nothing over
Grambling two, twelve to fifty left in the first half,
Oregon over Oklahoma State twenty to nothing, and Oregon is
just this has been Dan Lanning every so Watson just
comes out and is like, I'm gonna whoop somebody. That's
the feeling of this game right now, because it feels
like Oregon is just trying to put the woodshed to

(25:31):
Oklahoma State. Thirteen thirty left in the first half. There,
Troy has a seven to nothing lead over Clemson. That
game's in a rain delay. Austin Pete and Georgia the
Bulldogs with a fourteen to three lead over I forget
what Austin.

Speaker 8 (25:45):
P's mascot is.

Speaker 7 (25:47):
I used to know this, but I forget it right
now in this moment, they're also going a rain delay.

Speaker 8 (25:51):
The governors.

Speaker 7 (25:53):
Somebody google that Tennessee right now, the twenty second rate
team in the nation with the thirty one to nothing
lead over East Tennessee State with twelve minutes left in
the first half.

Speaker 8 (26:01):
End of the first quarter.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Kentucky with they are the governors, We'll just.

Speaker 8 (26:05):
Go and yeah, I was, I'm gonna stay right there
with the win. I'm gonna stay right there with the win.
I almost almost turned to win into a loss. I'll
stay with the win.

Speaker 7 (26:13):
Kentucky with they said nothing lead over twenty aeth ranth
Old miss at the start of the second quarter, and
Florida lead. I'm sorry, Florida and South Florida scoreless, Florida
thirteenth rane team.

Speaker 8 (26:24):
In the nation with just under nine minutes left in
the first quarter. Back to you guys, Thank.

Speaker 1 (26:29):
You, Martin very much appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
All right, Well, it was spinning that we went so
long on the NFC North because we have somebody coming
on the line right now from WGN Sports. It's my
very good friend Caitlin Sharky covers the Bears will be
there Monday night.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
Shark How the heck are you?

Speaker 10 (26:47):
I'm so good, so good to be with you guys,
and I'm looking forward to Monday night. It feels like
forever since I've covered an actual football game that matters,
So I'm very anxious to get this Monday night football
game underwear.

Speaker 1 (26:59):
All right, Well start there.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
Let's start with the preseason and what you saw. You
were at camp all preseason long. Bears did well in
the preseason. What was different about this year? Has there
been anything tangibly different? And what is that? What is
the biggest thing that you've noticed under the Ben Johnson era.

Speaker 10 (27:18):
Yeah, I think it's just the way they go about
their business, the way they practice a culture shift for sure, right,
Like the practices were much more intense under Ben Johnson
than they ever were with Matt Eberflus, maybe even sometimes
a little too physical, But I think that was great.
That was needed, That momentum shift was certainly needed. I
think the coaching from Ben Johnson to Caleb Williams was

(27:39):
vastly different than what we saw with Matt Eberflus than
Shane Waldron and Caleb Williams. So I think for me
it was like, Okay, this is the real deal. Like
Ben's not playing around.

Speaker 11 (27:48):
He would be very.

Speaker 10 (27:49):
Open and honest with us as reporters about like, hey,
like this is a situation we're not good enough and here, here,
and here, and that's not something we heard ever from
the coaching staff last season, which I thought was shocking
because it was a five win season. We never heard
like we need to be better here, Caleb needs to
be better the old line, the defense, like we never
heard any of that. So for me, it was like, Okay,

(28:10):
we'd go through camp in the preseason and these preseason
games and Ben would be like that wasn't good enough,
and that wasn't good enough, and that wasn't good enough,
even the old line coaches and the assistance like that
was such a refreshing twist of like, hey, we're holding
everybody accountable. We need to coach these players, and we
have a certain expectation that it needs the mess.

Speaker 3 (28:30):
Caitlin, I have a question.

Speaker 4 (28:31):
I look at this game, and I look at the quarterbacks,
and I feel like in week one, overreaction mode, it
feels like a game where whichever quarterback plays well is
going to Canton and whichever quarterback doesn't play well should probably.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
Just hang it up. Right now, Does it feel like
there's that kind of pressure on this.

Speaker 10 (28:50):
Yeah, I mean I think there's certainly more pressure on
Caleb Williams. Right, being a number one overall pick and
this is year two. You've got all the toys that
you need to play with, you have the head coach
that everyone wanted you to have, and so it's like
a perfect storm for Caleb Williams. For Jayday, it's like, okay,
like there's going to be emotions, right whether or not
he thinks, you know, Minnesota, he called this Minnesota's now home.

(29:12):
It's not Chicago, like he grew up not far from
Soldier Field, So it's one of those things where like
emotion's gonna fuel the anticipation. But there's great coaching in Minnesota.
Look what they did with Sam Darnold, So can they
do that with J. J. McCarthy and a rookie quarterback.
There's so much unknown, But for Caleb Williams, he doesn't
have the luxury I think of the unknown. So for him,
he's like, Okay, I have to come out. I have

(29:34):
to show out. If he doesn't, I think we're going
to know pretty early on in this season. They have
a really tough first chunk of their schedule. I think
we're going to learn pretty soon what Caleb Williams is
and what kind of quarterback he is in year two.

Speaker 2 (29:47):
And we've heard Ben Jonson talk about you know, I
think he's very he doesn't sugarcoat it. He's very realistic
about everything, like this is not a finished product. This
is not going to be a finished product this entire
year most likely. And they threw a lot at Caleb,
So what do you think are realistic expectations for the
beginning of the season where they did overhaul both sides
of the ball, and they did. Now Caleb has learned

(30:10):
a completely new system. He's changed his footwork. He's done
so many things differently and was not it wasn't Ben
didn't take it easy on him.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
So what do you think is realistic to start? Like,
when do you panic?

Speaker 2 (30:22):
If like, if they don't win right off the bat,
when do you start panting?

Speaker 11 (30:27):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (30:28):
I think for me it's like it's always Kelly when
the head coach is like, hey, hey, hey, we're not atist.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
Everybody slowed down.

Speaker 10 (30:36):
I think it's very Telly when a head coach is like, Okay,
all I want him to do is win the game.
So for me, I think Ben Johnson's approaching this and
Caleb Williams the same. To me, a successful season is
an eight win season.

Speaker 11 (30:48):
They haven't really sub schedule right, and this is.

Speaker 10 (30:50):
A whole offense for Caleb Williams. Doesn't matter how much
they've improved the old line. That of course it matters,
but like not in terms of like Okay, that's now
going to beat the Ravens or that it's now going
to be like like it's one of those things where
it's like incremental sets. And I think for Ben Johnson
he's like, all I want to do is win games.
So I think for the important part for Caleb and

(31:10):
Ben Johnson, this entire team, it's like to do what's
expected and not do more, not do less. And so
for Caleb it's like, Okay, you're going to say some
tough opponents to come in prepared, ready to go work hard.
You've learned so much.

Speaker 11 (31:25):
But it's also a.

Speaker 10 (31:25):
Game by game kind of game plan. So I mean
the fact that Ben Johnson was like, I don't even
know what our offensive identity is, that's pretty telling of
his roster as well. He's like, I want to run
the ball. You can tell he wants to run the ball.
Lean on the run game early on, especially when Caleb's
working out the Kings, especially the pre snap stuff. But
for me, it's like there's going to be some bumps,

(31:48):
like it can't come out firing. They're not going to
hang forty points on to try. I mean, maybe they will,
but I have a hard problem when they're going to
go to just play and hating forty points on his
former team. So Ben Jonson would love that, of course,
But I don't think the offense like they've given Caleb
everything that he needs to be successful. It's just a

(32:08):
matter of how they execute and everybody executes the plans.

Speaker 4 (32:12):
So with that being said, what is the vibe in
Chicago right now? Are fans prepared for that? Are fans
like if this team does not have a winning record
and go to the playoffs?

Speaker 3 (32:20):
I'm done? Like what is kind of the vibe right
now going into this Monday night game?

Speaker 10 (32:25):
I think there's obviously like cautious optimism. I think is
it CAUs.

Speaker 1 (32:31):
I don't know?

Speaker 10 (32:33):
Okay, So the Bear fans that come up to me
in like public or like friends, family, whatever, They'll be like, Okay,
you know, how are the Bears going to be? And
I think they're asking that question, and it's always followed
up by how is Caleb going to be? Because they know,
like this is such an important year for Caleb Williams
and it doesn't all fall on Caleb, Like obviously he
takes a huge part of this responsibility in the team's success,

(32:56):
but it doesn't all go on Caleb Williams. So for me,
I think you come off a five win season last
year amidst a bunch of turmoil that I'm sure you
guys have talked about already on the show and to
talk about. So it's like a five win season for
a rookie quarterback, different coaches, different offenses, all of these things.
Like for them to win eight nine games I think

(33:18):
would be a success. And I know bear stands are like,
we need this guy to be the answer. We need
to like be there, we need to win now, and
Ben Johnson wants to win now. But for me, it's
like there's going to be some bumps in the road,
And for me, it's like, how does the execution look
how does the situational football look?

Speaker 11 (33:36):
Like?

Speaker 10 (33:36):
Those little things that we didn't see last year, like
you know, timeouts not being used in hail Mary's, like
those types of situations. If those read are their head again,
then you're like, Okay, this is a problem. But if
those are eliminated and they're in close games and Caleb's
doing what he needs to do and the defense is
performing well, it's also a tough schedule. So it's like, Okay,

(33:58):
you're in the NFC North, You're in the NIF say
like it's going to be a battle, so understand where
you are where you need to go.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
As an organization, I'm preaching patients from the rooftops around Chicago.
But Shark, thank you so much for joining us. I
really appreciate it. Have so much fun Monday night at
the game. Thank you so much.

Speaker 10 (34:17):
Yes, thank you guys all too.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
All right, you guys, we are going to come back
with the dues and the don'ts right after this. You're
listening to Fox Football Saturday. I don't even want to
come back like this is great.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
Yeah you can't see me. I'm fully dancing in here.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
Oh me too, Welcome back in to Fox Football Saturday.
Because football is in fact back, as are our dance
moves apparently.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
Oh yeah, thank god, no one can see me.

Speaker 2 (34:46):
I love I love talking to people around the city
here in Chicago, which is where I'm broadcasting from, because
like it is, it just ranges the gamut. Because I
do feel like so many people, like Caitlyn said, we're
trying to Kaitlin Sharky, who was on with us from
WGN Sports. She was talking about like how you know,
people come up to her just wanting wanting to believe,
they want to believe, and I feel like this game,

(35:08):
in particular on Monday night, Tracy is like the people
that want to believe the most. Because Minnesota fans want
to believe in JJ McCarthy so bad. And you have
to because, like you know, you've got Kevin O'Connell. He's
in the best situation you can possibly be in this,
that and the other, and like Chicago is so starved.
I mean when I tell you that, like, there is
a person it was one of my neighbors. I don't
know who it is that has a Wi Fi name

(35:29):
eighty five Bears. I'm like, that was I know, but
that was forty years ago. Like what are we doing?

Speaker 9 (35:36):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (35:36):
That kind of hurts my heart. I know I still
want and the Vikings.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
I mean I get it. I totally get it.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
I love the Vikings too, Like I mean, I'm not
that's not a popular opinion around here in Chicago.

Speaker 3 (35:46):
But I'm a full fan now, like full on fans.
They're an easy team to one person.

Speaker 4 (35:52):
But I am a full on like school, I practiced
the chant.

Speaker 2 (35:56):
That's still it's a great atmosphere if you get to
a game, good Lord or US Bank is incredible. God
willing the Bears will have a stadium just like it.
But all right, it's time for our next segment, The
dues and the don'ts of Sports.

Speaker 6 (36:11):
Highlight, putting a spotlight on the don't the subject brings
me no joy.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
That's insane.

Speaker 6 (36:20):
It's time for the dues and the don'ts in sports.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
All right, I'm gonna start with don't Tracy, don't hold back.

Speaker 11 (36:29):
Now.

Speaker 2 (36:29):
I'm gonna go back to Monday night, TCU North Carolina
in Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick's first game as a college coach.
The absolute hubris of this man to think that after
not winning without Tom Brady in New England, that he
can just go to a college Chapel Hill, which is

(36:53):
I'm sorry, it's a basketball school. Hire his sons, hire
his friends, kick everybody else out and somehow win games.
And TCU went in there, curb stomped them forty eight
fourteen on Monday night.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
And then the.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
Piece there resistance of all of this, the TCU social
media account.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
Got so good.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
Oh my god, oh my god, just went in and
just kept trolling like all night. They were just quote
tweeting things like deadsmen, was like, hey, wake up, Bill
Belichi coaches college football today, and they quote tweeted it
and said, babe, go back to sleep, like just the
most hilarious, and they just kept going, They just kept going.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
It was phenomenal and I wish that pro.

Speaker 2 (37:36):
Teams college teams lean into that, lean into that. Because
the Internet is the wild West, you might as well
have some fun with it.

Speaker 4 (37:43):
I agree with that one hundred. I have a don't
and a do all rolled into one.

Speaker 1 (37:48):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
Okay, so I'm gonna start with the don't. Don't take
a bell ball away from the child.

Speaker 1 (37:54):
So oh in last I have thoughts about this. We'll
get to that later. Okay.

Speaker 3 (37:57):
Last night's Philly's Marlin's game. There's a football. He's a
home run ball. People go for it.

Speaker 4 (38:02):
This this man, he it looks like he gets it
fair and square, brings it over to his son. This
woman comes marching over and saying it was hers and
it's a whole thing, and she takes the ball from him.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
I don't like that. The do in this is that
the Phillies had the young man.

Speaker 4 (38:17):
Come down after the game and the players autographed up
bat for him, and they got baseball. He got baseballs
and all kinds of fun things. But like, come on, guys,
it's it's a home run ball.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
Let's it was.

Speaker 1 (38:30):
For his son. It's one thing.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
I mean, like I don't know, like we've seen it
too where like guys, like rip the ball away from
like a little kid, and you're like.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
What what are you doing? What are you doing?

Speaker 2 (38:39):
H But then to see that, yeah, no, I have
I have thoughts, but that was I actually, I mean,
I found the whole situation was very, very funny, and
so that was gonna be that's that will be another
segment for me. But all right, I got another du
And it's not necessarily has to do social media or
anything like that.

Speaker 1 (38:55):
It's just good practice, best practice.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
In fact, okay, do just pay your good players, which
sounds like a very normal thing to do, but it's
something that the Cowboys somehow couldn't bring themselves to do
with Michael Parsons.

Speaker 1 (39:09):
They trade him away and then as if.

Speaker 2 (39:11):
To just be like, hey, it could be this easy,
the Denver Broncos this week signed Nick Benito to a
four year extension worth up to one hundred and twenty
million dollars seventy million guaranteed. He's a great player on
a great defense. It could all be so simple. Somebody
tell the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
Somebody tell Dallas. I would say, my boy, that's.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
Fair, that's fair. Col tell Dallas, period.

Speaker 4 (39:35):
Just tell Dallas. And so there's my other dope Dallas.
Even though thank you for Lucas super appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (39:40):
Stop trading away.

Speaker 4 (39:42):
Off your fans, oh your bets layers and upsetting your
fan bases.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
The point is the fans want to buy tickets and merch.
You're doing nothing to help that.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
Ugh, Dallas Sports might be dead all right?

Speaker 2 (39:52):
Coming up hour two, we're gonna do a worst of
first segment and who could do it this year? Stay
tuned you're listening to Fox Football Saturday. Welcome back to
hour two of Fox Football Saturday. I'm Carmel Vitali coming
to you live from Chicago, Illinois, and I'm one CEO
of Fangirls Sports Network and forty nine Ers Beat reporter

(40:13):
Tracy Sandler, who is back in our LA studios.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
We're having a ball now that football.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
Is back and for the best pregame show every weekend,
be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radios. Countdown to Kickoff,
presented by bet MGM. Every Saturday and Sunday morning. We
will count you down to all of the biggest games
for three hours right up until kickoff. For all of
the best plays and up to the second injury news,
tune in to Countdown to Kickoff, presented by bet MGM
every Saturday and Sunday morning right here on Fox Sports

(40:40):
Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Tracy clire Me, one of
the things that I love the most about the NFL
is that.

Speaker 1 (40:50):
You never know what's gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
So true.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
It is the ultimate parody league. You know you talk about,
although it's gotten better, I will say, you know, the
NBA has mixed up their champions but for a while there,
it was like the same four teams were winning it
every year and that the other. The NFL is truly
just a roll of the dice in so many different ways.
And when you think about the fact that the playoff

(41:14):
field overturns by about half every year, which sounds insane
because it almost feels like, you know, when you're doing
these predictions, like you're like, well, I can't really imagine
any other team winning.

Speaker 1 (41:26):
The NFC East or what this that the other, but
it can happen.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
So and I have a feeling you're gonna like this
segment trace worse to first.

Speaker 1 (41:37):
Who could do it?

Speaker 4 (41:39):
First of all, I just want you to know I
like all your segments. Oh so I just want you
to know that right off to that. Secondly, this is
a good one.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
It's fun.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
It's fun because I do it happens, it happens nearly
every year. And I think that there are a few
teams that could be in the running. And I think
that some people might be even prized by what I'm
about to say.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
But I want to hear yours first.

Speaker 2 (42:03):
Give me your first team that you think could go
worse to first, And again I think I have an angling.

Speaker 4 (42:08):
Well, I think I think you think I'm going to
say forty nine ers and I have them.

Speaker 3 (42:13):
I have them in there.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
Okay, all right, I.

Speaker 4 (42:15):
Do have them in there as a possibility. I just
think the season is going to be a little up
and down on defense just because of the youth on
the defense and how many of those guys did not
play in the preseason or have training camp because they
were hurt.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
And then there's a Christian McCaffrey angle.

Speaker 4 (42:32):
And I will say this, they elevated a couple of
players today, none of whom are running backs. And they
have a running back that's doubtful to play tomorrow. So
that makes me think they think he will play tomorrow. However,
this Christian McCaffrey thing is a huge part of it.
But let's put all that aside, and I would say, yes,
the forty nine ers certainly are a team that has

(42:52):
a chance.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
I have a couple others, but now I'd like to
hear what you have to say.

Speaker 2 (42:56):
Okay, all right, So obviously I also think that the
you know, the forty nineers are candidates do it. Although
I did predict that, I think the Rams are gonna
take that a night divisions, yeah, but this is this
is who could do it, And I do think that
the forty nine ers have a very strong case to
do that, because I did. They they were just they
were not as bad as what their record indicated last year.

Speaker 1 (43:13):
The injuries got to them. We all know that. I
have a really fun one. Oh exciting the Tennessee Titans.

Speaker 2 (43:20):
Oh, I guess I think that towards this tail end
of last year, I think the Titans got a lot better.
And then you add in cam Ward, who is like
the least talked about number one overall pick ever that
I can remember in the last like ten years.

Speaker 1 (43:38):
I'm just like, why aren't we talking more about him?

Speaker 2 (43:40):
He looked good in the preseason, and like if any
one player can change a franchise.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
It's a quarterback, correct, and it's a guy like cam Ward.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
I just I he's so dynamic and his skill set
is so good, and like if he turns out to
be I don't want to say half the player, like
three quarters of the player that we think he could be,
this could be a really good team. And I think
that that defensive line last year underperformed. I thought they
were gonna be a lot better than they were. But
I do think that they've made some additions and I

(44:13):
think that they could be better this year. And the
AFC South is it's totally up for grabs because I
have so many questions about the Houston Texans right now,
including like.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
They didn't know Slash.

Speaker 2 (44:25):
I don't know if they they know now, like who's
starting on the offensive line in front of c J.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
Stroud?

Speaker 2 (44:31):
And yes, they have like the incredible defense, and I
think that they have the best pass rushing duo in
the league when you talk about Denil Hunter and Willie Anderson.

Speaker 1 (44:42):
But if CJ. Stroud keeps getting.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
Sacked at this rate because his offensive line can't hold
up for him, then what are we What are we doing?

Speaker 1 (44:51):
Like I don't. I don't.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
I don't trust that I would trust an up and
coming team at the very least.

Speaker 1 (44:56):
I'm leaving the.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Door open for some fun stuff to happen in the
AFC South, and I think it could be the Tennessee
Titans well.

Speaker 4 (45:03):
And I think, going back to what you said about
cam Moredon not being talked about, he has been like
the least talked about number one pick. I mean that
I can ever remember. I think that's a benefit for
them because I think they can be this thinking about
no one's talking about, and they can very quietly start
winning some games and maybe pull away with that division.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
I like it. I like the Titans as a pick.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
We're talking about like hipster picks here.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
We are big into hipster picks.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
I'm big into it because you know what, like I
can call my shot and if it happens, great and
I will will not shut up about it, and if
it doesn't happen, I'd be like, well, you know, it's
just a prediction.

Speaker 3 (45:36):
So it's a prediction. Was like a maybe, right right?

Speaker 2 (45:38):
It was like it was, It's a it's a win
win situation here for me. Okay, do you have who
do you have else, who else.

Speaker 1 (45:43):
Do you think?

Speaker 9 (45:44):
So?

Speaker 4 (45:44):
I have, well, what I mentioned when I picked them
as my hipster vibe pick in the Falcons to win
the NFC South. But since I guess I've talked about them.

Speaker 3 (45:53):
How do we feel about the New England Patriots?

Speaker 1 (45:55):
Ooh I love that?

Speaker 3 (45:57):
Thank you?

Speaker 1 (45:58):
I thought you? Doesn't doesn't?

Speaker 2 (46:00):
Don't We have like a clip of Jonas saying that,
Oh I love that.

Speaker 1 (46:03):
That's exactly what I just thought of right now. But yes, no,
I love that.

Speaker 2 (46:07):
I obviously, you know, Rabes just fits because he's been
a Patriot his whole life.

Speaker 1 (46:13):
Essentially. I love Drake May.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
I know he's great. I really like him too. I
think this team has got a lot of potential.

Speaker 4 (46:21):
I'm actually pretty excited, clearly because I pick them, but
I'm pretty excited about the New England Patriots. I think
this one could end up being really, really fun.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
The biggest question though, is like can they get past
the bills? Like that's that's what keeps that That's what
kept me from putting them on this list where I'm
just like, oh no, no, I can conceivably say that
the New England Patriots can get like I think they
could become a wildcard team, but actually winning the division
is it's gonna be difficult.

Speaker 3 (46:50):
I would say they could. They could.

Speaker 4 (46:52):
When I look at these worst to first too, I
mean I know it's literally worse to first, So can
they win the division?

Speaker 3 (46:57):
But to me, from where.

Speaker 4 (46:58):
The Patriots were, if they're a wild card team, they've
kind of gone worse to first in my face.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
No, that's it.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
That's a vast improvement from where they were. And again,
like if you if Drake May, I mean I thought
he was great last year and when he came in
and I was really worried about him, but you know,
it worked, and if he continues that trajectory, I just
I love him. I loved him coming out of the draft.
I thought that he was just he's so smart, and

(47:29):
he comes from an athletic family, a very athletic family,
and like the younger brother of like the family of
athletes is always the good one, you know what I mean,
Like they because they got pushed by their older brothers.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
So I just I had so.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
Much faith, which is a very obviously scientific and stat
heavy analysis of Drake May. But I've had faith in
Drake May for a while and now I just I
want to see it come to fruition.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
So I love that pick. All right, I have one more.

Speaker 2 (47:54):
And I think people areuld be surprised by this because
of the way that I talk about them. But if
we're talking about who could go worse first, you have
to talk about the Chicago Bears.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Absolutely, And I here's.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
Why I'm going to tell you why I like, I
want I think that this is a real possibility. As
much as I believe that this is the Packer's division
now now that they have Mica Parsons, but this division
isn't going to take fifteen games to win again because
of the schedule that this division has to play. Not
only do they have to play each other, so they're
going to cannibalize each other. They're all very good teams,
but they all then they all have to play the

(48:30):
AFC North in the NFC East, And I'm like, oh
my god, Like, where where would fifteen wins even come
from for one of these teams? Like, it's just not
going to happen. And so if it only takes only
if it only takes eleven or twelve wins to get
to win this division, all four of these teams are
capable of getting to twelve wins. Now, likely that's a

(48:51):
different that's a different talking point entirely, But could it
happen When you look at the roster that the Chicago
Bears have, they have a lot of talent. And if
Ben Johnson is the truth and he finally coached Caleb
Williams the way that Caleb Williams wants to be coached,
and Caleb finally starts to see the game the way
that Ben Johnson sees the game, and then they get
into the fun type of wrinkles and the pettiness that

(49:11):
Ben Johnson is so known for, and then the defense
gets back to the dominating you know. I mean their
defense was not bad under Maddie Perflues.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
Last year.

Speaker 2 (49:20):
It went off the rails, but Maddie Refluse, whatever you
think about, the guy can call a defense. If this
defense under Dennis Allen can get back to that aggressive
kind of just attitude that we've come to know from
Bears defenses, I mean that combined with you know, there's
gonna be a complete uptake in man coverage because that

(49:41):
is somebody That is something that Dennis sound loves to do,
is that two man and you get Jalen Johnson, your
best defensive player in those lockdown situations, provided he's healthy,
because we don't know if he's actually gonna start on Monday.
But like, if everybody's healthy on this defense and you
have this scheme, like you can lean on them while
well Caleb kind of gets adjusted to, you know, the

(50:03):
system and all of that kind of stuff, even if
it takes a little while and that learning curve is
a little long. If this defense is what we think
it could be under Dennis Allen, they could absolutely mitigate
any sort of damage that's done during that learning curve process.
And this is a team that could start ascending at
just the right time, So they could the Bears could
go from worse to first. I'm not saying they're going to,

(50:23):
but they.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
Could, but they could.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
They definitely could.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
And it's interesting when you talk about the Bears that way,
it's like the forty nine ers of the opposite issue
is they have this very young defense, very inexperienced, and
the offense is going to have to kind of make
up for them, and they may ascend at the right
time too, because in theory in November December, that defense
is going to be a lot better than is September October.
And that's why my big maybe is Christian McCaffrey for
that sure, but I think it's almost there, kind of

(50:48):
opposite in that way, which is fun. I also wrote
down just a couple of potential most improved tea Oh okay, yeah,
and I actually had the Bears as one of them,
but I'm going.

Speaker 3 (50:58):
To also say the Raiders and potentially the Jets.

Speaker 2 (51:01):
Yes, No, I love that because again, I don't think
that the Raiders are going to get past the Chiefs
or the Broncos or maybe the Chargers, but I do
think they're going to be a lot better just with
the improvements that they've made and with Pete Carroll, and
I just I have to think that they're they're they're
gonna be fun. And I think the Jets could be too,
because I am a big believer in Aaron Glenn from

(51:22):
when he was in Detroit. I got to talk to
him multiple times, actually sit down with him, and he's
just he gets it, you know. And I really really
like what they've done in New York, and I think that, yeah,
I really it'll be interesting to see if they can
get Justin Fields to do something that he wasn't able
to do here in Chicago. But I'm with you. I
think both of those teams could be vastly improved. Not
win the division necessarily yet, but vastly improved.

Speaker 1 (51:46):
Is that's that's a win for both of those fan bases.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Absolutely, though, Are we concerned that Amari Cooper cant again
one day and was like, yeah, now I'm out, I
don't want to do this thing.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
I think that has to be more of like he realized,
he was just it's not up for it.

Speaker 4 (52:00):
And I don't know, so much funnier to think of
it the other way it is.

Speaker 1 (52:04):
That's true, it's like, oh, this team's not going to
the super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (52:06):
I think you're right, But it's so much funnier to
think that he stepped out to practice and.

Speaker 3 (52:10):
Was like, yeah, no, no, I don't believe this. Bye,
oh my god.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
Okay, Well, we're gonna have a little bit more fun
because we're gonna talk about X factors for this season,
not just players, not just coaches, but maybe executives, rule changes, whatever,
something that could have a drastic implication on the rest
of the season.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
On the other side of this break, you're listening.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
To Fox Football Saturday you guys have been on one
today with the music just banger after banger. I absolutely
appreciate it. Welcome back into Fox Football Saturday. Carmen Vitally
here with you, and I've got Tracy Sandler holding it
down in the LA studios. We are celebrating it finally
being week one.

Speaker 1 (52:48):
Of the twenty twenty five season. Tracy, can you believe it?

Speaker 3 (52:51):
I cannot, but I love it. It's like real football.

Speaker 1 (52:55):
Real football. Like I said, there's a chill in the
air Lisi or Chicago.

Speaker 3 (52:58):
Yeah, there's not one here, but I'm talking now.

Speaker 2 (53:01):
Uh, And it's just like like, yeah, there's there's a
different energy. Things just feel different, they feel back aligned.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
You know.

Speaker 2 (53:09):
The off season is so interesting too, and I'm sure
you get this too, Trace, where like people ask me, like,
what do you do in the off season, I'm like, Honestly,
my job's harder in the off season because like you're
having to manufacture storylines, narratives, things that you need to
talk about because it's just like, all right, how many
different times can I say like, oh, I don't know
how it's gonna go with Ben Johnson and Chicago, Like
there is so much that you have to kind of prognosticate,

(53:32):
and we are finally done with the prognostication, except we're
not because something we're I'm gonna ask you to do
it for this segment. But like you know, like the
prognostication era is pretty much over, Like we we now
get to like starting next week, we will have a
full slate of games to have talked about, to preview
this that the other, and have like real deal news

(53:54):
to talk about. I don't know, do you You do
you find that too?

Speaker 1 (53:57):
I do.

Speaker 4 (53:58):
I also find that there's not really an off season
because absolutely right after the super Bowl we have the
combine and then freegency and then oders meetings, and then
the draft and then rookie Minnie camp and so yes,
but in all of that is the prognosticating because it's
really you can talk about whose draft, you can talk
about the fregient signings, but then it's prognosticating, well, how
big of a difference will he make?

Speaker 3 (54:19):
What you know, what will this be?

Speaker 11 (54:20):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (54:20):
These coaches was fired, this was hired? How is it
going to change?

Speaker 4 (54:23):
So it's still the prognosticating, And yes, at a certain
point you can only talk about it so much much
I'd like it. I can only say how many times,
like so many times at the Fortnighters wide receiver room
was kind of messy, but now it's not, and here we.

Speaker 2 (54:37):
Are right and like and I get it, and fans
like a pick up on that too. I'm sure, like
you know, for all of our listeners, I'm sure that
you've you've rolled your eyes multiple times, like in any
off season, being like, oh my god, they're talking about
this again, or like, why are they talking about this?

Speaker 1 (54:49):
Trust me, we get it too. There's just not a
whole lot else to talk about, right, So now we're
gonna have real things to talk about. I promised me.
I promise you we will.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
With the iHeartRadio app, though, you can and all of
those things that we're going to talk about this season
wherever you happen to be, catch us and all of
our Fox Sports Radio shows live twenty four to seven
and the new and.

Speaker 1 (55:08):
Improved iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
Just search Fox Sports Radio in the app and stream
us live all day every day, and be sure to
select Fox Sports Radio as one of your presets in
the iHeart app so it will always pop up at
the top of your screen, just like an analog little
you know thing in your car you can you can
preset Fox Sports Radio because we're all about taking it
back to like the nineties and early two thousands at

(55:29):
this point. Like anything I can do to like recapture
that nostalgia, Tracy, I just I do it.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
I like that. I understand that. I'm on board.

Speaker 1 (55:37):
It was a better time, all right.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
So I said that, you know, after all of that
about the prognostication, one more segment of prognosticating, Well.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
The game.

Speaker 3 (55:45):
We only had two games so far, so right.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
Right, we covered that.

Speaker 2 (55:49):
You know, I want to talk about X factors and
not in the sense of like, oh, well this guy
could win.

Speaker 1 (55:56):
This game for this team.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
No, I want to talk about X factors for this
season that will drastically alter the course of the season
as a whole for either a team, for the league, whatever,
but like will have a huge impact on this season
and maybe even beyond. So I will start with probably
the most obvious because it's and I'm gonna start with

(56:20):
the player, but it's MICHAEH.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
Parsons.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
Yes, uh, and it is because of what he did.
I mean, you can see it. Vegas doesn't lie. So
you see the line now, on the Packers winning not
only the NFC nor but potentially the Super Bowl at
this point, because if there was a weakness on this
Packers team last year outside of the continuity and the
injuries to Jordan Left and them not knowing what the

(56:42):
heck they were doing, who they were throwing to, all
of that kind of stuff, all those all those minor things, no,
I mean, their their greatest asset was was and ended
up being their biggest crutch. But I have to say that,
like Micah Parsons being at it and Brian Gooton, go's
pulling the trigger on this because.

Speaker 1 (57:01):
This was Mike Parsons was not cheap to get.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
You give up multiple first round picks form, which, to
be fair, I think is justified and warranted when you're
talking about one of, if not the best pass rusher
in the league joining a team that has a.

Speaker 1 (57:17):
Lot of really good pieces on it as it is.

Speaker 2 (57:20):
But this could significantly alter the course of the Packers franchise,
whether or not they end up winning the Super Bowl.
Like if this doesn't go well, now you've given up
two first round picks, and granted, you know, even if
it doesn't go well for the Packers, like that's they're
still probably a wild card team and so like you're
still picking you know that those first round picks for
the Cowboys or like in the late you know, in

(57:41):
the twenties, but like, I don't know, like this this
is a potentially just completely it completely altered the NFC
landscape for me, where I was like, yeah, the Eagles
are totally poised to repeat as champs. And then you
look at like the Packers, who are going to be
battle tested too in this division, and if they can

(58:02):
come out of that because they have Micah Parsons and
they have a real deal pass rush and they're still
taking the ball away and the offense is humming on
all cylinders or you know whatever that.

Speaker 3 (58:12):
That I knew where you were going.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Yeah, where I was going. I was like, I messed
up with metaphors. It's okay. I just that that alters
the course of you know, the NFC for for me.

Speaker 4 (58:21):
Well, and I also am I don't see how it
can't go well, like you know, famous.

Speaker 1 (58:27):
Last words I'm talking on right now, we're walking on.

Speaker 4 (58:29):
The knock all the wood. But from a talent perspective,
it's sure. So there's I won't say the word. But
there are things that can happen that would make it
not go well this season. But from a talent fit perspective,
oh yeah, I don't know how it couldn't go well.

Speaker 2 (58:44):
No, if you want to get pressure with four, put
Micah Parsons on that line.

Speaker 1 (58:48):
Yeah, and and.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
And you'll be able to get pressure with four. So yes,
that's that's my first one. I actually have a couple
of players in this. But but let let's hear your
first X factor.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
Okay, I'm gonna I have the ones that you would
think I would have, but I'm going to go with
one that I think I might get a lot of
tweets being like, what on earth are you talking about?

Speaker 3 (59:07):
But I'm doing it anyways. Bo Nicks. Oh, okay, I
think if both.

Speaker 4 (59:13):
I think if bo Nicks continues the trajectory he was
on and plays well on that team with that defense,
I still stand by and you know, I love Jim Harbon.
I would love the Chargers win the AFCUS, but I
still stand by that. I think the Broncos would could
win the AFC Wes and I think bo Nicks, if
he just continues on this trajectory, I think it changes

(59:34):
things and if somebody other than the Chiefs wins the
AFC wes that changes the league.

Speaker 2 (59:39):
It does, no, it does, because yeah, that's they have
been even though they didn't win the Super Bowl last year.
I mean, they were going for a three peak guys,
like I mean, what are we talking so easy?

Speaker 1 (59:49):
Like the talk about like is the dynasty over?

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Like stop stop, like if as long as you've still
made it to a super Bowl like I I you know,
and like I said, we've seen this from the from
the Chiefs. They they've bounced back quite amply. But if
somebody else can win it, then it's like, oh, oh
m hmm, maybe the dynasty is coming to a close.
That would be very interesting to me.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
And I do.

Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
I love the Broncos. It seems like Sean Payne's been
on one this preseason.

Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
I'm very curious from people I've talked.

Speaker 2 (01:00:21):
To you in that building, he's he's kind of on
a war path, which I think comes with like there's
expectations now, you know for the Denver Broncos, Like last
year they kind of came out of nowhere and they
were like, oh, nobody expected them to be this good
and this defense to be that good and then bonux
to be that good that quickly. But now it's like, Okay,
well you were good last year, so now you need
to be good and even better.

Speaker 3 (01:00:39):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (01:00:40):
So, like I get it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
I would not want to be in the firing range
of of Sean Payton on a war path.

Speaker 3 (01:00:49):
Yeah, same, so much.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
Okay, I've got another fun one, and it is a
player one. I'm not we weren't just gonna do players,
but this is this, this has implications beyond just winning
and losing games. Actually, Travis Hunter is my X factor
because not only if they can figure out how to
truly like weaponize his skill set, will the Jacksonville Jaguars
maybe win to game some games and be in contention

(01:01:15):
for the AFC South because it's totally up for grabs
and all that fun stuff, But like that will open
the door for two way players in this day and age.
Like I'm not saying everybody can do it, because they can't.
I think Travis Hunter truly is like a freak of
nature in the sense that, like his stamina is just
absolutely outrageous and that isn't something that everybody can handle

(01:01:37):
or that like most people can handle. Like it's gonna
be a very select few. But I think that this
has been like a two way player. And I fell
in this camp too when they when they drafted him,
and we were talking about Travis Hunter in the pre
draft process where I was like, okay, but like, is he.

Speaker 1 (01:01:51):
Really going to be a two way player? Because like,
how do you do that in this league?

Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
Like with how complex defenses it are and offenses and
like how things are Just how in the world would
you do that? Even from a mental standpoint, how would
you do that? But I don't know if you can.
If this goes well with Travis Hunter and he does
play significant snaps both offensively and defensively, I just think

(01:02:14):
that that opens the door for the possibility for more
of these guys, you know, and you see him come
up out of college and guys doing that in college,
and it's like, Okay, well maybe they can do it
at the NFL level.

Speaker 11 (01:02:24):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (01:02:25):
I think that's a very very good one and it
makes a lot of sense, And you're right that one
has implications beyond do the Jacksonville Jaguars Jaguars win football games?

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
That has league altering implications. I like it. I like
it a lot. I'm going to do one more. It's
a player.

Speaker 4 (01:02:41):
It's actually two players, but they're in the same division,
so I rolled them into one. But Matthew Stafford and
Christian McCaffrey. Their health I think has major implications on
the NFC West, Like if they're not healthy to Seattle
win the division, who's to say and the.

Speaker 1 (01:02:57):
NFC if you talking about wildcards teams, you know.

Speaker 4 (01:03:00):
So I'm saying both of them just because they think, yes,
it was the whole NFC and that does kind of
it has the full trickle down effect. So I'm saying
both of them. It's true.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
It's like their health to people's health, could effect.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
Could effect Yeah, absolutely, yeah they could. You're right. I
just want to get to an honorable mention really fast.
Taylor Swift love it. I know, I know nobody wants
to hear that, but I did.

Speaker 3 (01:03:24):
I wanted to hear that.

Speaker 1 (01:03:25):
But like the way that.

Speaker 2 (01:03:26):
She's opened up football for a whole other subsect of
people that maybe weren't necessarily involved or interested in the game.
And now you know, they have them breaking down stuff
and talking about the Chief's injury woes and all this.
I'm like, good for you man, and Taylor swift saying, like,
give her eighteen months so she could be an analyst.

Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
I believe it. Could you imagine if she ends up
actually doing a halftime.

Speaker 3 (01:03:47):
Show stop, Oh my gosh, it would be amazing.

Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
It would it would like it altered. It alters the
audience of the NFL, which is the spirit of this segment.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
So I think that would be great.

Speaker 4 (01:03:57):
If she does the halftime show, then you better get
your super tickets now because the Swifties are taken over.

Speaker 2 (01:04:02):
Oh my god, that's fair. Oh god, all right, well, uh,
I'm not. I'm not in the business of gate keeping
the NFL. So you know what, the more the merrier,
there you go, and the more the merrier, as we
bring in Martin Weiss with an update.

Speaker 7 (01:04:16):
You know, did you all happen to see uh first
name pronunciation may get this wrong, my bad tire Tarts Instagram?

Speaker 1 (01:04:24):
Oh not his Instagram, but like, oh my god, yesterday.

Speaker 7 (01:04:27):
Yes, I mean obviously you know the slap heard around
the world.

Speaker 1 (01:04:31):
Open hand Swifties go after him.

Speaker 8 (01:04:33):
Oh man, it's nasty.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
That you don't do. Not upset the Swifties. I mean,
people really should say this.

Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
Do I live my life in fear? Of them. That's
like she's part of the NFL landscape. I'm like, I'm
not gonna say it's a bad.

Speaker 7 (01:04:44):
I can't read any of these out loud. That's not
for like their song lyrics. But I just I don't
know this should be true. But I'm saying on the
radio with confidence.

Speaker 8 (01:04:54):
So it's a.

Speaker 7 (01:04:54):
Fact tire targ got more engagement on his Instagram and
Twitter yesterday than he ever has an I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:05:00):
Willing to accept that is true.

Speaker 8 (01:05:02):
After the slap erd around the world and then.

Speaker 7 (01:05:05):
I knocked the ball down on the goal line, so
it's a good thing to get kicked out of the game.

Speaker 3 (01:05:10):
They didn't spit on him.

Speaker 7 (01:05:13):
There's not much going on in college football right now.
It's a lot of blowouts. A total blowout Old Mintstake, Kentucky.
You know Old mittaking a seventeen to thirteen lead going
into the half. They were trailing, seving nothing. It's actually
thirteen nothing. I believe in this game at a point.
But now seventeen to thirteen Old Misster twenty threeen in

(01:05:34):
the nation.

Speaker 8 (01:05:35):
Florida has a six to three league.

Speaker 1 (01:05:37):
Say that's not a blowout.

Speaker 7 (01:05:38):
Six three definitely not a blowout, and the state of
Florida had a really good week last week. I know
South Florida, I mean, University of Florida doesn't want to
be a sacrificial lamb here, but South Florida that's the
game we all have our eyes on after watching Florida
State in Alabama's like, is Alabama really not.

Speaker 8 (01:05:55):
Going to score here? Yeah, that's pretty much how it went.

Speaker 7 (01:05:59):
Everybody else who's playing is up big, except for Clemson,
who's trailing Troy right now with two thirty six left
in the first quarter.

Speaker 8 (01:06:07):
That game was in a rain delay. Georgia is still
in a rain delay.

Speaker 7 (01:06:10):
Ohio State playing Grambling forty two point lead there. Oregon
up by thirty eight over Oklahoma State going into the half.

Speaker 8 (01:06:19):
See what else we got here?

Speaker 7 (01:06:20):
Penn State shut out Florida International, Texas arch Manning had
four touchdowns in an interception and thirty eight to seven
win over San Jose State. Florida State won by seventy
four today and Iowa State seven.

Speaker 3 (01:06:34):
Did you say seventy four?

Speaker 8 (01:06:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:06:37):
They scored like forty nine points in the first half
or something like that.

Speaker 7 (01:06:40):
Quick math, Yes, that'd be forty nine points in the
in the first half there formerly Texas A and M
Commerce now East Texas A and M.

Speaker 8 (01:06:48):
Thanks for coming out.

Speaker 1 (01:06:50):
Thanks, thanks for the money. Talk to you later.

Speaker 7 (01:06:53):
Syhawk Trophy goes to Iowa State sixteenth to thirteen. And
I was on Big New Kickoff earlier today and in
two Overtimesaylor, the Baylor Bears beat seventeenth r SMU forty.

Speaker 8 (01:07:03):
Eight to forty five. Ladies.

Speaker 1 (01:07:05):
Back to you guys, Thank you Martin, thank you very much.
Appreciate it. All right.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
I'm very excited for this next guest that we have
on the line because he is one of those well
sourced men in the league. If you do not subscribe
to his go long substack, you might as well do
it now.

Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
It's Tyler Dune.

Speaker 2 (01:07:24):
Tyler, ty so excited to talk to you because you
just wrote something, multiple parts of something about the Chicago
Bears and Caleb Williams that I think people find very interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:07:34):
How are you.

Speaker 11 (01:07:35):
I'm doing good.

Speaker 9 (01:07:37):
I'm doing good. Great to connect with you here again. Carmen,
it's been a bit. I think you were on the
Golong Pod when we launched that thing back at twenty
twenty your buck stage.

Speaker 1 (01:07:47):
Oh my god, was it that long ago?

Speaker 5 (01:07:49):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:07:50):
Yeah. Well, I'm so thank you for returning the favor, man,
because I'm so excited to talk to you.

Speaker 11 (01:07:56):
Hey, thank thanks for having me. I know, I told
you I was going to have all these It's accounted for.
But the two month old is on my lab feeding.
I like you, he's doing good. We're gonna make it happen.
He's just subjected to some Bears and NFL talk, you know,
early in his life. I hope he's not too you know,
trauma tized.

Speaker 2 (01:08:13):
I was just gonna say, God's starting the trauma early.
My goodness. Okay, well let's talk about it because you
came out with a Now it's a three part article,
the House of Dysfunction, and the first part is the
Curious Case of Caleb Williams. And so I'll be honest, ide,
there is so much in here. And as someone who

(01:08:36):
covers the Bears very closely, dysfunction was like the buzzword.
It was the name of the game when it came
to the Chicago Bears, across so many different levels and
now seeing it kind of put in this. So how
did this come about for you? Why did you start,
you know, kind of digging into this and were there
things in there that you found that surprised even you

(01:08:57):
from the outside looking in at how dysfunctional this organationwise,
you know, in full transparency.

Speaker 11 (01:09:04):
Way back in February March, I was looking at this
union through a lens of optimism, right, like, yeah, I've
been around those Detroit Lions a bunch to see what
Ben Johnson has done, you know, through the eyes of
those quarterbacks. I think I've done stories on that in
the past. And this is somebody who like literally will

(01:09:25):
lock his door, treat his office like a lab and
get the answer to the test. I mean, he's an
insane worker. So I'm thinking, okay, that with this insanely
talented pastor that we saw at USC, and I just
kind of assumed, like most people, that he had a
bunch of Dunce's coaching him and they did him wrong,

(01:09:45):
and okay, let's let's learn about it. And I started
just cold calling people on that staff, around that staff, players,
and the and the more you learn, the more I did. Anyways,
uh learned a completely different reality than what was expected.
And look, I mean the coaches, and they say this themselves,

(01:10:05):
they're not blameless. And if you are coach in the NFL,
you should know that you take bullets for players. There's
a lot on you. But as detailed in our series,
I mean they went above and beyond to Taylor their
offense to this quarterback early and saw many, many, many
red flags early that just never really went away. It
never got better. And I think that what is most

(01:10:27):
troubling amongst I mean there's a lot that's troubling, but
you've got a really talented quarterback and Caleb Williams who
just did not want to put in the work. I
mean that was told to me again and again and
again from coaches, from from some players. He wasn't watching
the film at home, wasn't going to some optional pass

(01:10:47):
protection meetings, wasn't working with receivers after practice. Just didn't
seem to understand that what worked in college, you know,
you might be able to break free from that pass rusher.
For Santos, the State was a school that one of
his coaches mentioned, like it just that that isn't what
you see in the NFL. And I don't know if
it will click on it. If it does, look if

(01:11:08):
he maybe he has genuinely changed. Everything they're saying right
now is all positive. I think thirty two teams. Thirty
two of thirty two teams would sign up for very
talented quarterback, genius head coach. So it's not like this
thing is doomed, but it's gonna be mkailed.

Speaker 1 (01:11:26):
Looking in the mirror himself, do you feel like for Caleb?

Speaker 4 (01:11:29):
I mean, if if Ben Johnson can't do it, can
no one do it for Caleb? I mean, because you
do have to want to do the work. You know,
it can't even just it can't just be your coaches
pushing you or outside forces.

Speaker 3 (01:11:41):
You have to want to do it. You have to
love it.

Speaker 4 (01:11:42):
And I think you know, people talk a lot about
the draft. We want guys that love football, and people
might laugh at that, but loving football means watching the
film at home, doing extra you know, extra with your
receivers after practice, et cetera.

Speaker 3 (01:11:54):
So, but do you feel like this Ben Johnson era
can change that in him?

Speaker 11 (01:12:00):
That that's the thirteen million dollars per year question, right,
and that's what they're paying him. Yeah, And I think
you know, you know, this was told to me by
another GM for this series, and I brought up, you know,
this this pairing and kind of posed like, where's this
thing going and he basically said, look, remember that he
didn't draft Kayleb Williams, Like right now, yes, Caleb Williams

(01:12:23):
is his guy, but look at the Chicago Bears themselves right,
like Mitch trubiscuous, Matt Naggy's guy till he was, and
Justin Field was Ryan Polds, Matt ebers Whu's guy until
he wasn't like big things change, and he's the one
with a lot with deep power. I think he even
has more personnel, say than they may be letting on
it gets up to Ben Johnson. I mean, I don't

(01:12:45):
think he'll be afraid to make a change if he
has to make a change. Now, we don't have to
go bench Caleb Williams right now before they even played
a snap of regular season football. I'm not doing that.

Speaker 9 (01:12:56):
Like he he is talented, but.

Speaker 11 (01:13:00):
More there's more to the position at the professional level
to being talented. That's what all of these coaches and
even scouts who study Caleb Williams say repeatedly, Like if
he didn't he didn't want to be corrected by coaches,
he would literally just walk away from them, right, And
we kind of paint that scene in the Seattle game
to lead the whole thing. Where Thomas Brown is telling

(01:13:21):
him something he doesn't want to hear it, he walks away,
and I think that he kind of walked all over
Shane Waldron in that regard, and Shane didn't really want
to be confrontational, didn't push back where Thomas Brown would.
I mean, you know, Garbon, this is an old school
football coach. He's not gonna put up with it. Ben
Jampson is not gonna put up with it. And Ben
Jason has the benefit of a full spring, a full summer.

(01:13:44):
You're seeing it way more than me up close in
training hip. I'm sure he was on him day in
and day out.

Speaker 1 (01:13:49):
He was, and someone saw it. He was there, you
go real quick.

Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
I just do you think it was because Caleb just
didn't have a respect for that coaching staff.

Speaker 11 (01:14:01):
Hmm, that's an interesting question, perhaps, right, But but let's
remember how it all began. I mean, the offensive coordinators
sweepstake was was real. I mean, Ryan Poles took a
lot of pride in that interview process. They went through
a lot of different candidates, and that all these candidates

(01:14:22):
knew who the quarterback was going to be. I mean,
Ryan Foles's mind was made up the four Caleb Williams
was even draft eligible. I mean, this is his mahomes
that this is who he is wanted all along, and
that's a whole other story. I think it's also a
kind of revisionist history on on Shane Watson. But Shane
Waldron isn't is not perfect. He should have stood up

(01:14:42):
to Caleb Williams. People on his staff even told me
that they thought he kind of twisted and contorted the
offense too much, too soon, when maybe he should have
stood his ground. But this is somebody from the Sean
McVay tree. I mean, this is somebody who did the
hell of a lot of good things in la in
Seattle with Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. It's not like

(01:15:02):
this is some archaic coach from nineteen seventy two. He
can coach and I think that, yeah, that's what really
pissed off a lot of these coaches went with those
reports that came out that they weren't helping Caleb. I
mean it's not just reports. I mean Caleb is saying
to himself and what I'm sure is an exceptional book
from Seth Wickersham's I'd imagine that's what kind of loosened

(01:15:24):
the gums for this three part series we have where
they want to let their experience be known and look,
take it for what it's worth.

Speaker 2 (01:15:32):
I get it.

Speaker 11 (01:15:33):
Anonymous sources can make people uncomfortable, but these people are
all over the NFL, they have other jobs. I gave
them that nobility to share their experiences of fear of retribution,
and I think their experiences do matter. There is an
NFL portrayed at press conferences, on Twitter, all of that,
and then there's the real thing behind the scenes, and
it's not always pretty.

Speaker 1 (01:15:54):
No, it certainly isn't.

Speaker 2 (01:15:55):
I think a lot of people would be shocked by
what actually goes on in most of these teams.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
I could talk to you forever. I'm so sorry we
have to go, but thank you so much for coming on.

Speaker 2 (01:16:04):
If you guys have not seen it yet, go to
Tyler's substack, go along and check out House of Dysfunction.

Speaker 1 (01:16:11):
There are three parts.

Speaker 11 (01:16:12):
Tie Yes, part three will be going live in the AM,
but the first two are up and the second one
we kind of take you inside those draft meetings ahead
of the pick and you know you've got the GM
and personal people laughing literally laughing Drake May. Oh my god,
wasn't a decision when it came to the first overall,
so what.

Speaker 1 (01:16:32):
It is well worth your time, folks. Thank you so much. Tie.
We will be back with some lol moments of the
week right after this. You're listening to Fox Football Saturday.
I sure do.

Speaker 2 (01:16:45):
Friends of low Places. I got to meet Garth Brooks once.
It was really cool him and as that cool he came.
I was interning for the Chicago White Sox actually, and
he was in town doing a show and he wanted
to see the ballpark and so I was one of
the people that got to take him around.

Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
Oh that's awesome, it was.

Speaker 1 (01:17:00):
He was so gracious, him and his wife.

Speaker 3 (01:17:06):
Anyway, I love that. I'm still think about it because
I love.

Speaker 2 (01:17:09):
Garth Brooks like a heartwarming story. Also, my dad's band
used to do this song. Oh he's like he's on
like a dad band. He plays the drums with all
of his friends and I'm like, they just do covers
of songs. It's really cute.

Speaker 3 (01:17:23):
Oh I love that.

Speaker 1 (01:17:24):
I know.

Speaker 2 (01:17:25):
Well, speaking of so I like that. Ah God, I
wish we had more time to talk to Tay. First
of all, because like you really should go. It's like
it's seven dollars a month to go subscribe to his substack.
Tyler does he work for Bleacher Report.

Speaker 1 (01:17:39):
He does his own thing.

Speaker 9 (01:17:40):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:17:40):
He's been doing this go along substack for years at
this point, and he gets some A lot of it
is anonymous sourcing, so like, if you have an issue
with that, that's sorry.

Speaker 1 (01:17:50):
But like he does get a lot, he does his
due diligence. Man.

Speaker 2 (01:17:53):
I mean thirty two sources for this sources for this
story that he talked to across the league, which is
just incredible. So go check it out seriously. All Right,
our last segment of the afternoon for you and I,
Tracy the LOL moment of the week.

Speaker 1 (01:18:13):
I love it and story.

Speaker 2 (01:18:15):
It's a story that's just you know, that made you laugh,
and I don't know, I need a laugh, so I
think everybody.

Speaker 1 (01:18:20):
Else needs to laugh. So why don't you? Why don't
you start us off? All right?

Speaker 4 (01:18:23):
Well, I'm gonna talk about Jim Harbaugh because he's he
makes people l all the time.

Speaker 3 (01:18:27):
I have two things.

Speaker 4 (01:18:28):
One, McKai Beckton, you know, was questionable with an illness
and he ended up playing in the game. And Jim
harvaugh a kind it to the Michael Jordan flu game,
and that in itself just made me lol because it's
so Jim Harbaugh.

Speaker 9 (01:18:44):
So that was that.

Speaker 4 (01:18:45):
And then in the postgame locker room, he was giving
out the game balls and he started, you know, justin Herbert,
this one that would and then he ends it with
you know what, everybody gets a game ball, and I
was like, wow, Jim Harbaugh's become the you get a
trophy for showing up guys.

Speaker 1 (01:18:59):
I was just gonna stay.

Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
I love it, absolutely love it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:03):
Okay, I want to go back to the Phillies, Karen.

Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
That was my fellol moment because I mean, honestly, what
are we doing, like if we can't laugh though at
just the absolute audacity of adults. Who are these adults
that are trying to take ball away from children? I
mean it's funny from an outsider perspective, but that poor kid,
Like you're you're running baseball for that poor child who

(01:19:29):
just wanted a ball and whose dad went and got
him one. And I mean the foot props of the
Phillies for you know, making that happen and all that
kind of stuff and still getting him a ball and whatever.
But like I just I if I didn't laugh, I
think I'd cry at the fact that all these people.

Speaker 3 (01:19:45):
Do these things ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (01:19:47):
It was so good being back because football is back.
Thank you so much to Tracy Sandler, Christophett, bo Benson,
Martin Wise.

Speaker 1 (01:19:54):
We will talk to you next week.

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