Dark Energy Predictions, NFL Kickoff and Brazil Game Previews!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're back from Sardinia ready
to preview actual NFL games. I'm Greg Rosenthal here in
the Chris Westling podcast studio for the first time in
the regular season.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
To see you next Tuesday. Crew is back, Jordan Rodrigue
and Alien Woolf.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
It just feels so good to be back, Ruys. I
love this.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Was it really though?

Speaker 1 (00:28):
You just left and we're like on a beach for
a couple of weeks while we were home slaving away.

Speaker 4 (00:34):
I you know, I have to be an adult. We
kept the lights on for you, Colleen.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Jordan's like grinding at training camps all over the place.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
And I also was a training camp.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I just didn't do. Okay, that's fair.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
You did go around with with NFL Network a while ago,
and it feels like a while since we've been together.
It feels like a while since we had actual football,
and we really are here these these shows now starting Thursday.
We'll be looking back on some games, but we are
looking ahead. We have the kickoff game, which is a
little spicier now without Micah Parsons. Somehow Cowboys Eagles. We're

(01:08):
going to get to that in a little bit and
we're also going to preview the Friday night Brazil game
between the Chiefs and the Chargers, And we're also gonna
After having a very just conventional like predictions for Awards
last week.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm buttoned up. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
We just feel like all the predictions have been predicted,
right just at this point, they've all been predicted. The
takes have been takes, So this is going to be
more of like chaos. Jordan, executive producer, came up with
the dark energy prediction.

Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, that's when have my show ideas ever failed for
the most part of offense Actually.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Right now they've done great and Quarterback Island.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
But I love this because, so you guys know, I
am a twin, right, and I always forget that. Actually
in my entire life, everyone always goes, okay, which one
is the evil twin?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Right?

Speaker 4 (02:00):
So we did the normal twin last week. We did
a normal, conventional, buttoned up predictions, you know, AP voter style. Yeah,
this is kind of the dark energy chaos prediction.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
And normally we'd just start with that.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
But the whole, this whole Michael Parsons thing just has
me like spinning and thinking and appreciate everyone who checked
out the Forties and Free Agents episode. We did an
immediate reaction to Michael Parsons, you know, getting traded to
the Packers, me and Daniel Jeremiah. But we haven't you
know here with NFL daily and having the weekend to

(02:33):
really did you process? MA marinate on it and like, yeah,
like it's the biggest trade of my time covering the NFL.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
There's no bigger trade in the last twenty years.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
Yeah, and it edged out the Khalil mac trade. That's
the one.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, That's where I would say to me, just I
would just use it different. It's not even edge.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's like you didn't like my edge pun Connie got it.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Edge. She did edge stuff.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
If I if I had run regret from the show
I did with DJ And this seems like such an
obvious point to make. I actually don't think I hammered
home enough. Like what a unique and special talent that
Michael Parsons, which like seems obvious enough. But for that
to happen, Like that's the crazy thing you can say.
Khalil Mack, who is gonna have a Hall of Fame
case one days He's not even in the like in

(03:25):
the ballpark of where Michael Parsons is at The thing
that's similar is obviously the compensation and the part of
their career that they're getting traded. You just don't see
a guy like Michael Parsons, who I've seen like some
cases being made against him, but like over the not
against him, but just like, okay, off the field, he's
a little bit of pain in the ass and the

(03:46):
run defense, Oh yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:47):
Because the Cowboys have never made exceptions for those players
ever before in this series. I mean, come on, he's
a future Hall of Famer, He's the best butter pass
rusher that exists.

Speaker 5 (03:56):
I don't really feel like he comes off as a
massive pain in the ass the podcast.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Maybe people were sick of the podcast. He did once
not list Dak Prescott as one of his top ten quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
I'm just saying, it's just like I would hate that
guy too if I was that. I'm just saying, even
if you're grasping at that straw, right, even if you're
Jerry Jones and you're sort of like subtly leaking that
to various outlets, or you're like kind of grasping at
that straw, you have made exceptions. Even if that's true,
which I'm not saying it is, and we don't know
that it is, but even if it was, you have
made exceptions for such in your history owning that team.

(04:31):
He said, I'm watching the documentary right, the soap opera
of it all, and all of the personalities and all
of the management and all of the things behind the
scenes that didn't just didn't get found out about for
the longest time, and it's like that was all okay.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Right, So.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
I think maybe it's Terry Jones's age. Maybe they were
never like going to pay Michael Parsons in the first place.
It sure doesn't seem like that. But just for a
little context, and yeah, let's we'll hear from Jerry Jones
in just a second. Like Michael Parson has the most
pressures of quarterbacks since the day he entered the league.
And so that's him as a rookie having more pressures
over those last four years than Miles Garrett or TJ.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Watt, other future Hall of famers.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Like he was second in Defensive Player of the Year
as a rookie, he was top three, Like his first
three years. When you look at there's a stat of
like pass rush, you know, pressure rate on first and
second downs, it's Michael Parsons by so much over anyone else.
Then it's Miles Garrett over so much over anyone else
over the last few years, and then it's everyone else.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Like that's the level that we're talking about.

Speaker 5 (05:34):
I feel like even his preseason, before he started officially
his Rookie of the Year, everyone was talking about him.
I still remember it, and that's remembering a preseason game
or a preseason storyline is so rare, but he did
it right.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
The craziest stat to me, and we'll stop glazying, as
the kids would say, Michael Parson's in a second, But
the craziest stat for me is Bill Barnwell saying that
they have the best EPA per play in the NFL
on defense since the day they drafted Michael Parsons when
he's on the field, and that they have the worst
or the second or worst EPA per play on defense

(06:10):
when he's not on the field, which is just outrageous.
And then listening to Jerry Jones try to justify it.
What's difficult to take, but.

Speaker 6 (06:17):
The facts are, specifically, we need to stop the run,
and we haven't been able to stop the run at
key times for several years. And when you have the
kind of extraordinary pass rush that Michael had, then the

(06:40):
way to mitigate that pass rush is to run at you.
If the pass rush doesn't get you ahead pretty big
time and you're playing even or behind, then you've really
got a problem in stopping the run.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
This is the thing though too. And listen, like they've
you know, they bringing Kenny everything. You know, he's he's
not standing player, like all of this all that aside, Right,
that's not a long term future move right to return
the first round picks are it's not a long term
future move to help solve that problem with the player
in the short term. But then also he's talking about

(07:18):
how you can win game. You know, how do teams
mitigate your pass rush or nullify your pass rush is
running at you. Okay, Michael Parson is a pretty good
run defender, right, Yeah, it's the thing that's watching the
same thing.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
That's the thing that's gotten me.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
And you've heard a lot of Cowboys fans kind of
echo this and people, and I think they're using some
PFF numbers and stuff, like Michael Parsons is one of
the best run defenders in the league. I feel like
it's just a ball knowing situation, like he has been
stuck on a bad run defense, and you're talking about
run defense in terms of like, oh, well, we're trying
to get better there with Kenny Clark, Like Michael Parsons

(07:55):
is a much better run defender, like one on one
in the team construct and just the effort, then Kenny
Clark is or ever it was like Kenny Clark is
a thirty year old declining player whose best asset is
definitely like gonna hopefully be pushing the pocket on passing doubts.
And the bigger thing with Jerry Jones they want to
stop the run is like, yeah, you didn't change your
defensive structure at all this offseason.

Speaker 2 (08:14):
No, you are so thin in the middle.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
You gave Osa a Dikazuo a lot of money, who's
a pass rusher, and you have no one to stop
the run like Parsons was the guy. And that's what
it's like, a ball knowing situation where I just don't
do just make it b.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
This was just mismanaged every step of the way.

Speaker 5 (08:30):
And it is just so interesting to see side by
side with I don't know, the Eagles teams that pay
their guys early and don't run into an issue like
this where you have a top ten player in the
NFL that becomes available by trade, like what that does
not happen?

Speaker 4 (08:47):
Yeah, I don't want to sound mean about the Cowboys
overall when I say this, but it's almost like when
you sign pass rushers like this, or when you bring
on players like this, and there is no one like this,
to be clear, but when you sign high caliber pass rushers,
you do so to win, you playoff games deep into

(09:08):
the postseason. This has not been a team that has
been able to play at that stage, at that level
for so many years that it's almost like, did you
forget the value the real value of a guy like
this who can This is the guy who helps you
win a Super Bowl. This is a corner in November
and December and January and February. This is what it is.
They have not been there.

Speaker 1 (09:26):
It's why the Packers were willing to give up to
what might end up being late.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
First.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
To me, it was a small price and it raises
some questions to me about how this all happened because
the money for Parsons was so astronomical. My guess is
that like they got that money. They knew that money
was coming behind the scenes from the Packers, and that
essentially Parsons' agent orchestrated that it had to be the Packers.

(09:54):
Like I can't quite believe that there was no other
team out there that would have given more competence. I
just know that there are teams. I just feel I
don't know, but I can't believe that they couldn't get
a better offer. Now, could they get a better offer
and a team that was willing to pay Michael Parsons
that much money?

Speaker 2 (10:13):
That I don't know.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
But it was disarming to see Parsons in his Packers
you know, press conference and in his uniform on Tuesday.

Speaker 7 (10:21):
No, I didn't have any say. It was just, uh,
you know, I would say, I'm pretty lucky because I
understand the rich history of the Packers and the fact
that he had interesting me understand that he had a
pretty tough team already in the NFC, and I was
pretty much get up ready to play them, looking for revenge.
But now I'm on the other side of adding to

(10:44):
this rich history and being able to play with these
guys and suit up and you know play. I'm very excited.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
Great sweater choice for the occasion. Love it putting that
out there.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
This is how do you describe it? Sw Yeah the sweater,
oh most people.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
For the listeners. Yeah, it was a green and yellow
striped sweater.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
It was.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
It was well played. Looks like it's a wool blend.

Speaker 4 (11:05):
I was like, it's asking me what it is. It's
a sweater.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
I am color blind, though I don't really know it
was a lot grand, but I did.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
I did recognize I had a.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
Packer's what colors do you have issues with? Again?

Speaker 4 (11:19):
The colors of no idea.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
You see the colors, but they just my shades are
all off like a they're blending together in a way
that they aren't for other people. And just like what
I see as green might be like actually a little gray,
but yeah, green, purples, gray, reds.

Speaker 4 (11:34):
Do you think we're on all that? Do you think
we're on a gray set right now?

Speaker 2 (11:37):
I don't know what's kind of set we're on. I
don't want to know.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Oh okay, wait, but yeah, I was gonna say. When
they had that Jet Spills game with the color rush
and the uniforms, I was the one.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
I think I believe I.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
Changed the future of NFL uniform wearying by complaining NonStop
throughout that game on Twitter.

Speaker 5 (11:54):
Oh my god, that was like a Monday night or
a Thursday night right, awesome. This whole thing with Michael Parsons.
It's kind of giving Reggie White from the Eagles to
the Packers, and then the Packers ended up kind of
like that changed everything for them, and then they went
on and started, you know, having so much success. And

(12:14):
I wonder if that now changes the entire dynamic, not
only I mean of the Division two in general. Like,
if you are the Lions right now, you're like, oh
my god, now I got to deal with Chistra.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
Wouldn't the Lions give up three first?

Speaker 1 (12:25):
For my Yeah, they should if they they would if
they weren't, or like if they were involved. I don't know,
maybe not because you have Aiden Hutchinson and it's just
a little tricky. First is a lot before we move on,
and we're gonna preview the Cowboys Eagles game off the top.
In general on Tuesdays, if you're new here, we generally
preview the Thursday night game at the end of the show.

(12:46):
But since we're talking Cowboys, let's just let's preview at
the top. But you know, we didn't have some of
the specifics or I hadn't quite registered that. Look, forty
seven million dollars a year on the extension is a
is a huge leap.

Speaker 4 (13:00):
Now it's a lambo leap. It's it is locked in.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
You is definitely giving Like forty five year old dad,
you were switching.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Spots so into it. I love it.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
It's actually forty two a year, by the way, like
if the over over five years. But David Mullagetto was
on first take interesting just like all that that that's
Michael Parsons.

Speaker 4 (13:24):
Agent, also Jordan Love's agent. We haven't mentioned that yet, yes, yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
And Daniel Jeremiah mentioned how you know he was at
you know, he ran into David Mulagella get A at
Jordan Love's wedding and Matt Lafleur is there and he
wonders like, is that where the seeds started to start to,
you know, conversations whatever.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
You wouldn't be that crazy.

Speaker 1 (13:44):
I do actually believe Mullageda and Parsons that they wanted
to stay in Dallas. That ye wasn't really how like
the plan? Uh, But then Jerry Jones wanted to negotiate
directly with the player, which is insane, and never sent
them an offer. Like they came back last week and
Jerry Jones confirmed this. So this is on the record

(14:05):
from Jerry Jones that they came back last last week
and they were getting the trade offers and they're saying like, well,
can we, you know, get an offer from you, because
I think Mike Persons ultimately want to state and they
were like, now, you can either play on the fifth
year contract a fifth year option, or we're going to
trade you. So it was what they wanted to do.
Whether that's a good idea or not, I do not

(14:28):
think it was a good idea. Let's preview, Let's preview.
All right, how did you feel, by the way, as
an Eagles fan seeing this, well, Michael Parsons, Yeah, like
we're going to talk Thursday night.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Just so terrible for Dallas.

Speaker 5 (14:40):
It's really such a shame to lose such an incredible
player who's so talented. I can't believe that Michael Parsons
is no longer in the NFC East.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
His numbers, by the way against Eagles were pretty good.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, I know, I know.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
And it's and it.

Speaker 4 (14:54):
Says former Penn State Allam Sawon Barkley stopping the run.
You know.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, Well it's so funny because, like I think one
of the number one reasons why the Packers did it
was to specifically beat the Eagles, and you were you
you made like the point about.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
What I mean, I'm tighty.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
I'm just saying like about that, he's the he's the
piece that takes a team that's close over the top.
But like you would if you were the Cowboys, you
would like Michael Parsons to be that point. But instead
of now it's it's for the Green Bay Packers. And
then we're looking at this game on Thursday night, and
let's just run through injuries and who's available off the

(15:33):
top of each game.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
I'm pointing that out.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
It looks like the Eagles will have Landon Dickerson back.
He has a new back injury after having knee surgery
just three weeks ago, so that's a little concerning, but
he was backup practice on Tuesday. It also sounds like
for the Cowboys they have Trevon Diggs and Tyler Geiton.
Trevon Diggs their starting cornerback who's missed the entire offseason
coming off of tourney cl and Tyler Goeyton, who missed

(15:57):
all of camp coming off of a knee injury. Trending
in the right direction. Really sounds like Tyler Getton, their
left tackle will be playing. Diggs is maybe a little
more you know, up in the air, but it's now
I'm just thinking Colleen about like this Cowboys pass wretch,
which I actually think has potential, Yeah, but having to
go against you know, the Eagles tackles like they might

(16:19):
not look great when you don't have that one guy
that can just shift everything to right.

Speaker 5 (16:24):
And the Eagles have such a solid offensive line and
then so many weapons too, so Jalen Hurts gets all
of this time and then he can kind of pick
apart the secondary. You mentioned Trayvon Diggs coming back, but like,
you don't know what he's going to look like even
if he is out there. And you know, I just
think that this is a really thin cornerback group, and

(16:46):
it's a really talented passing game because of what Saquon
does to set it up.

Speaker 4 (16:51):
And it's a j Brown, Davonte Smith, yeah, you know,
and it's DeVante Smith who still sometimes gets slept on
despite the fact that he's just one of the best
receivers in the NFL, you're gonna build your receiver room out.
You want that guy on your team, and certainly aj
Brown and like when you can attack the perimeter the
way that they're still going to be able to against
the thin secondary and you're not gonna you're already going

(17:11):
to give the pass rush issues, you know, because of
the capability of that Eagles offensive line. So what do
you have to do? You have to get the ball
out quick, right, and you know, I just you can
go to the perimeter. If you're Jalen Hurts, you can
run the ball still or try to right up the middle.
I mean, it's just it's very This is kind of
like pick a problem because it's going to be geysers, right,

(17:33):
Pick pick a problem that you can solve and try
to flood that lane because there will be multiple problems.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
When Philly has the ball.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
Now, the Eagles, I should have mentioned this off off
the top, are eight and a half point favorites. It's
the NBC crew, you know, doing the kickoff game, which
I love, and that is the biggest line, biggest point
spread of any game this week, which is wow, which
is crazy.

Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah, it was gonna move.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
To it's moved two points since the Michael Parsons trade,
so it already was close to being one of the
biggest at six and a half, it went up a point,
like right off the bat, and then everyone is just
going heavy, heavy Eagles, which makes sense to me. And
we will get to the Cowboys offense when they have
the ball, because I think they present a lot of
problems for that the Eagles defense too. But staying on

(18:20):
that side of things, like it's Matt Eberflus and Okay,
going back to what Jerry said about stopping the run
and everything, It's like, okay, you hired Matt Eberflus.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
He was twenty seventh.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
If you look at the entire tenure with the Bears
in rushing epa per play over three years, right, and like,
is he going to be a different Does he going
to call his defense differently because it's a lot of zone,
it's a lot of backing off, it's a lot of
almost just giving that up. And then you look at
the Cowboys personnel. I look at Deron Bland, who they

(18:54):
gave a big contract extension to over the weekend, and
kyer Elam and digs if they're out there and like
those guys are more like they're better doing a little
man and Jerry Jones talked about trying to cook up
some pass rush. Oh, Matt eberflu says, we can do that, Okay,
Like that would be a big change for Matt Abraflus
because if it's the defense that we've seen Matt Eberfles run,

(19:15):
that's not his style of defense.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
The problem that they might face is that for years,
and this was a compliment to him, we paid him
last season even before he was fired in Chicago, is
that his defenses were well built to defend the pass,
and they're well built to structurally and schematically stifle and
confuse the quarterback, specifically in the passing game. The problem,

(19:39):
of course, and it's so obvious with the Eagles, is
that you have the threat of the quarterback who can
run at any time. You also have the threat of
Saquon Barkley, and last season the Eagles rushed for three
hundred and sixty six yards in two games against the
against the Cowboys, and he is just going to be
that factor where you're going to have to bring players

(20:00):
down that you would otherwise want in coverage against these
really really great receivers, and if you're going to manufacture pressure,
you're also sending extra players who you would otherwise want
in coverage against these great receivers. So it's like pick
a problem, you know.

Speaker 5 (20:16):
I mean, yeah, for sure, but I'm also like you're now,
I'm just sitting here thinking about George Pickens and CD
Okay and what they can do to this team, because
you're right, let's get to this all Eagles and they're
going to be raising the Super Bowl banner and they're
going to be doing it in front of the Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (20:31):
I believe I maybe just was stubborn.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
And in the immedia aftermath, you know, we like retaped
this show, you know, Daniel and I about, you know,
drafting teams that could win the Super Bowl, and I
still had the Cowboys in a spot where like they
had have a chance to make the playoffs that I
still think they could make the playoffs. I unfortunately drafted
them as like one of my you know, top over
underpicks with Nick Wright, to go over seven and a half.

(20:57):
I just thought, and I still think, like it's possible.
And the reason is like offense matters more than defense,
and quarterbacks more matter more than everything and in this matchup,
you know you're going to We think it's going to
be a Dori Jackson as you're starting outside corner, which
seems like he won the job, and we think it's
gonna be Andrew mccooba, the rookie safety, probably getting more snaps,
but Sidney Brown will be in there. So you lost

(21:18):
a lot in terms of your pass rush. Colleen, you
have some new guys out on the outside here, there
are matchups I think that the Cowboys could could take
advantage of when the Eagles have the ball.

Speaker 5 (21:30):
Well for sure, but I like, you know, you have
I like what Vic Fangio is doing with Cooper de
Jen for instance, because yes, they lost over what was
it like, four thousand snaps of on the defensive side
of the ball the Eagles in the offseason, But Vic
Fangio has the luxury of all of these rookies last

(21:51):
year hitting and doing so well. So now those guys
are in their second year and it's like, you have
this young nucleus is almost better than expected. They sort
of kind of developed before everyone thought that they would.
And he's moving Cooper de Jen all over the place.
He just wants him on the field. At all times,
playing every and any position. And then Quinyon Mitchell, I

(22:13):
think is also going to be someone who like steps
up and kind of really grows into that role.

Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, I think Quinon Mitchell might be on track this
season after last his rookie year be a defensive Player
of the Year candidate. Crew plays on the ball and
moves around the way that the look. You know, Bo
and Zach, who we just had on a few weeks ago,
said that they still want to keep moving Quinyon around
and Cooper obviously to make him Cooper an unavoidable player.
I think that this means that we're going to see
a lot of Cooper Dejean Cede Lamb because what are

(22:41):
they going to have to have CD Lamb do but
run after the catch, make plays after the catch, get
be that short, quick outlet to avoid the pressure. And
that's where you're going to see Cooper dejen crashing down
all around the box in that sort of star hybrid
safety position where he's helping the linebackers out because they've
got new pressure. They've got new pressure that they got
to develop. They got a couple new eyes on the inside,
and then they've also got to manufacture pressure in different

(23:03):
ways and Vic loves to rush for but their pressure
might look a little different just because of the different
pieces that they've added.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yeah, I think there's an idea too that the defense,
I think for the Eagles is going to take a
step back. That it is almost built into the DNA
of this team that to start the season they should
take a step back because they have a lot of younger,
newer players involved, like and that they'll make up for
it by their offense being even better, like the way
we saw them finish the season instead of the way

(23:30):
that they played throughout, Like will Jalen Hurts just start.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
Throwing the ball around a little bit more.

Speaker 1 (23:34):
I think so well that you know the Cowboys offensive line,
which is very young and getting guittin back.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
Man, I'm I'm excited.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
That's one game preview down we have how many two
hundred and seventy five or something too?

Speaker 4 (23:46):
Is so excited right now, smiling from ear to ear.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
Eight and a half's a lot, though, But I guess
if I had to choose, I probably I just feel like,
I love that we're going to get a lot of
points in Week one because I think this is going
to be a score fest.

Speaker 4 (23:58):
I can see, I can totally see it. I also
think you don't really want to pass against this Eagle secondary.
I think they're going to try because we have no
I was at camp a couple of days. We have
seen still no proof that this Cowboys team can run
the ball, which you want to at least try to
do to settle your offense down behind some of these
this reshuffled offensive line. And also you know they're they're
looking at a rookie at one of the guard spots

(24:20):
as well, and so you're you're trying to settle, but
we don't know if they can do it, and you
don't want to start up the game just pass heavy
against this secondary because you're get it, they're gonna Well,
if you're the Cowboys, you don't want to do this.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
I feel like they do because it's their only chance.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
It'll be like that were they in that kickoff game
against the Bucks and Tom Brady a while ago which
ended up going back. Everyone gets so tired in these
week one games too, that like week like middle of
a third quarter on.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Is just don't you.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Just feel like so different?

Speaker 4 (24:47):
Shotenheimer is just gonna have to go like pure like
f it, we ball like he's gonna have to go.
You know what, it doesn't really make sense that we're
doing this, but we're going to try it anyway, because
what do we have to lose?

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Sometimes like sloppy games have a lot of points and
that that's how this feels to me. Forty one to
twenty seven, just like or thirty eight to you know,
twenty seven, something like that, where it's very high scoring.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
But a light being off.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
Okay, let's take a break. Let's take it.

Speaker 4 (25:10):
It's the most optimistic I've ever heard of I.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Think, I mean, not about the Cowboys anymore.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
You haven't scored twenty seven points. That's optimism.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
Oh, I think their offense is better than the Eagles defense.
Why not? I'm not optimistic. But that's seven and a half.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
When we will revisit that next week, back.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
On NFL Daily and back from Thirdina.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
We are still back from Sardinia.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
Where is that exactly?

Speaker 3 (25:43):
It's in Italy.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
It's so the capital of Sardinia. I would one that
I cannot pronounce Lari or something.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
It has its own capital.

Speaker 5 (25:54):
It's yes, it's closer to Tunisia than it is to Rome.
So that's sort of gives you a little bit of
a you know, geography lesson there, does it?

Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah? Aren't you just like.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
Kind of in whiplash here that the summer of Colleen
is over? It's such a it's such a hard This
show is to Chris Westling podcast studio, you know from
from Sardinia. We we've done all the predictions just about
Actually we're gonna ask Colleen for a traditional prediction too.

(26:29):
I'm making everyone who is on the show predict the
super Bowl. See if anyone can get it right. Okay,
so we'll do the rest of that. I'll come up
with that. We'll do the rest of those on our
previous show on Wednesday. Jordan will be part of.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
Yody. But we feel like we've we've done it all.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
I've I've made kind of I put my my you know, Mark, I've.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
Said who I who I think is going to be good?

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Like the over unders to me is basically okay that
those are the teams that I'm four again. So we've
pretty much said it all. But now instead of just
doing an average one, our final predictions are going to
have some sort of dark, chaotic energy to them.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
Colleen, Okay, get us going.

Speaker 3 (27:10):
So I actually did awards.

Speaker 2 (27:13):
That's fine. That's what we said in.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
Your prediction.

Speaker 5 (27:17):
A prediction for this award, and this is the emotional
damage award goes to the fan base most broken by
its one true love, and this award goes to the Giants.
She's playing the head and the reason is they kind
of get the edge over all of the other broken

(27:39):
fan bases because of the brutal schedule this year, the
fact that the NFCS they have to play within the
NFC East, they're playing the NFC North, they're playing the
AFC West.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
They have a.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
Chronically bad offensive line, and you have Russell Wilson there
as your quarterback coming off the bad stretch to end
last season, and then you have the rookie Jackson Dart
that is right over his shoulder waiting, lurking, lurking. They're
forty ninety one and one since the start of twenty seventeen.

(28:13):
Their only winning season twenty twenty two, and they went
nine seven and one in Nabel's first season.

Speaker 3 (28:20):
As a head coach.

Speaker 5 (28:21):
They just had to watch Saquon Barkley smoke every opponent
last year and then win a Super Bowl. And I
just think the only good news is that they'll be
better than last year because of the defense, but they
are still going to be emotionally damaged as fans.

Speaker 4 (28:36):
How much joy did you take in this particular section.

Speaker 5 (28:40):
Of notes in the recent research, I would say no
joy at all.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
None.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
They also gave out a franchise krippling contract, oh, because
of that one winning season.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
So even when they won, yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:56):
And then yeah, they watched Daniel Jones get cut.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
I'm on the other side of this though, you know,
I have them as one of my teams. I think,
will you know, win more than expected? I mean, granted,
they're over under is five and a half. I was
going to say, is that it's five and a half.
I just think they'll be tough. I just think they'll
be frisky, Okay, And I don't really worry about Russell
Wilson because I've they announced today Jackson Darts officially the backup,

(29:21):
and I wouldn't be surprised Jacksons Dart is starting like
week two.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
I actually think like the over under is like week three.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
So I think it's going to be a Jackson Darts
season and they're in a nice spot. I would argue
with a young quarterback unless he ends up being terrible,
which is always possible, but we're like, as long as
he is gives some promise, as long as he has
some promise, they could win six.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Games and be happy this year. That's actually not the worst.

Speaker 4 (29:46):
Elene is tapping her fingers gleefully together, as.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
I cannot wait to see how this turns out.

Speaker 5 (29:52):
Like I can't wait to talk about these teams. Okay,
week four, Like give me four weeks in and then
I'm ready.

Speaker 2 (29:58):
Put a pin in that well visit all right? Eure up?

Speaker 4 (30:01):
Yes, And I'm actually gonna segue into my second one
first because I feel like I thought of what are
the most chaotic scenarios that could possibly happen early in
the season. Your point on Jackson Dart, thank you so
much for setting me up like this. You're welcomeuse I
do think that two quarterbacks at least will change teams,
specifically via trade ahead of the this year's deadline and

(30:24):
during the season. And when we're talking about what that
room looks like right now, we're also talking about Jameis
Winston is kind of just left hanging out there. We're
looking at Anthony Richardson and Indianapolis Kirk Cousins still raising
his hand in Atlanta. You know, there's a lot of
movement that could happen, and I think about all of
the chaotic energy that we might be able to get

(30:48):
at that position early in the season because.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
Little in season quarterback carousel. Unfortunately, we probably need injuries
for those. You think, like, what would a spot where
someone could just lose their job and get replaced for
performance reasons.

Speaker 4 (31:01):
Indian sorry to laugh, Evilly, I know that, yeah, but
you know, you know that.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
Would be one. Jimmy g is another guy who, in theory,
could be available if if the Rams like Stet's inbeded enough.
And Matthew Stafford, I think.

Speaker 4 (31:18):
You underestimate how much they love. I think that's that's
also underestimating you know how that.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
Is kind of a dark energy because yeah, you're you're
almost projecting.

Speaker 4 (31:30):
Someone else to someone else to lose their job or
another team needing a backup or an injury. And I
don't I don't want to wish or predict injuries, but
there is a darkness ahead of the trade deadline. Teams
that are either really really desperate or teams that are
a couple pieces away. There's really not a middle ground.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
You know there are there are a couple guys that, yeah,
you also could, like I would hate to imagine a
world where they're like benching justin fields for performance reasons.
I guess you have Tyrad there, but that could that
could certainly be one, And there are more like useful
backup quarterback veterans like like you mentioned that.

Speaker 4 (32:06):
I can remember, Yeah, because Marcus Mariota is in Washington,
Bobie Brissette is in Arizona.

Speaker 5 (32:11):
Well, so I was thinking of Arizona, and I was wondering, like,
you know, what is going to happen, first of all
with them in general. But Kyler Murray feels like potentially
he could be a candidate for someone who doesn't necessarily
get hurt gets hurt, but maybe things go so sideways.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
That would be the darkest and most entertaining chaotic energy.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
It's a pit in which I have dragged up.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
I know, is.

Speaker 1 (32:35):
Kyler Murray getting traded mid season? I'll jump off that then,
And first just kind of like throw out some teams
that I would describe as chaotic good. You know it's
gonna be chaos, real optimist chaotic good. Well warned you
about that.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
He's been like earnestly speaking about you know, he's been
sharing his truths, feelings, you know, correct, I have I
I don't remember ever since that episode all about death
you guys did.

Speaker 3 (33:07):
It was a real breakthrough. I think for both of us, it's.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
True, you got to you gotta enjoy we who knows
how many weak ones we have left?

Speaker 2 (33:14):
You're right.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
So the Falcons I think could be chaotic good. I
think they could be kind of fun. The Jaguars I
like this year, the Vikings. I think the Texans have
a chaotic sort of energy if if we're looking at
like higher level teams. But then I came up with,
like what would be the ultimate dark energy super Bowl?

Speaker 2 (33:35):
So this is not my super Bowl prediction.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
But it's like the super Bowl that would the most chaotic,
darkest energy that I actually think is somewhat realistic. And
I'm going away from Kyler going wrong. How about if
it goes very right and we have a Chargers Cardinals
super Bowl that would be what like the dark energy
chaos super Bowl to end all super that I actually

(34:01):
think like they'd have a chance of happening. We used
to have random teams in the super Bowl, remember like
that the Ravens stunt that year with like Joe Flacco,
no one thought they would be there. The Cardinals plant
that year when they were in there, the Panthers like
they were kind of great, but you know they were
the Panthers. Let's bring back some random teams in the
super Bowl, not all this chalk Cardinals Chargers.

Speaker 4 (34:21):
I do I do love that this means the Chargers
finally getting past the Charger curse that's also its own
brand of dark chaos energy. You know, this would this
would mean a lot of things would have to go
right for those Chargers.

Speaker 1 (34:33):
This is this is less like a hardcore prediction of
just like this is aspirational. I tried to think of
what is the most off the board super Bowl matchup
that I could actually see happening, And then if they
were playing against each other, which like voodoo would win
out because you can say that the Chargers have had
a lot of bad luck and bad voodoo over the years.

(34:54):
Go check out the Cardinals history, Like there's a reason
they've been moving those cities, Like they've got like some
bad like we used to be really racist undertones, Like
there's some there's some issues there with the Cardinals So
if they met up in the Super Bowl, I don't
know who would win, but I would be fascinated to
see it.

Speaker 4 (35:08):
A sudden rip would emerge on the fifty yard line,
shattering the space time continuum. I think probably, Yeah, that's like, logically,
what would happen? I think that would be the only
way to explain it.

Speaker 3 (35:19):
Truly.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
Forty nine Ers fans had to watch the Cardinals in
their own in the church.

Speaker 2 (35:23):
All right, give me another one.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
Coming up this year.

Speaker 5 (35:27):
My prediction for this is his Year Award, who goes
to the player poised for a breakout season in year
five specifically, so congratulations to former fourth overall pick Falcons
tight end Kyle Pits. Is your year. Pitts has the

(35:48):
most loyal soldiers dedicated to this cause I've ever seen.
I can't believe I'm still seeing Kyle Pits making the
leap in year five. Have I don't even know what
to say about it. Yeah, sure, I would love for
it to happen, but it just feels like, no matter
how bleak it gets, Pitt's crew, Ah, way, that was good.

(36:14):
Pits crew remains so devoted and they just have this
steely resolve they will not leave their man's side, and yeah,
so this is your year, Kyle Pitts.

Speaker 4 (36:26):
You know it is our one of our favorite annual traditions.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
Yeah, I think, you know, it's it's kind of like
he has a hive, like quarterback prospects sometimes do, like
the Darnald ive. Never really fully gave up, and he was.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
Good for them, and they were testified exactly.

Speaker 1 (36:44):
We'll see long term, but yes, they had their moment.
They had their moment every time. I know, I'm just saying, like,
what year was he in? He was in year seven
or something like that. So Kyle Pitts has that sort
of belief. Yeah, I think because people just like thought
he was that good as a prospect, like that generational
type of prospect.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
I mean, the look who the Falcons took them over.
Don't look, if you're a Falcons.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
Fan, it's Crew. I like that one. Pitts krun yeah,
pittscrew yeah, it's Crew.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
All right, you're up.

Speaker 4 (37:13):
Okay. So I was again thinking of the most like
dark energy chaotic scenarios, and I decided to invert it. Right. Normally,
every year one of the most chaotic things that could
happen to a team is the one and done head coach.
There have been seven one and done head coaches since
twenty twenty one. I predict that we will not have

(37:34):
any one and done coaches this but I'll get to
my next part a second. But I predict we will
not have any one and duns. There are a lot
of first year head coaches Ben Johnson, Kellen Moore, Aaron
Glenliam Cohen, Brian Schottenheimer. Not first year head coaches, but
first years on different teams are Mike Rabel, Pete Carroll.
That's a lot of potential candidates. Okay for such a scenario,

(37:56):
but I don't think anyone and duns this year. I
do predict we'll have at least two interim head coaches
in place by December.

Speaker 1 (38:04):
Okay, ooh, I know, because this is less chaos, it'd
be good. It has become crazily normalized that guys get
fired after one year. You said, never happen like we
always used to mention, Oh, Freddie Kitchens that was the
only one like him, and did Rob Chazinski last more
than a year. It was always the Browns, Nate Hackett

(38:25):
right like it was so rare. But starting with about Hackett,
now it's like it happens every year.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Sometimes they didn't even make it out of the first season.

Speaker 4 (38:32):
In terms of Hackett, yeah, sometimes owners are paying. Team
owners are paying, okay, paying the remainder on a contract
or understanding that coach may get hired elsewhere and that
team may absorb the contract or in the case of
Pete Carroll, which to me is a sign that they
just want to win very quickly while he is at
the age that he's at. But on the surface, only

(38:53):
signing a three year contract versus some of these five
or six year deals that coach has gotten before he
could you know, this is this is one of those
that like I don't think he's a one and done,
but like just on paper, that contract is shorter than
usual for a head coach. But I I just think
that these guys, you're gonna there's a lot of potential
here with this group. It's you know, Aaron Glenn. I

(39:15):
hope gets the the resources and the patients with a
pretty good Jets roster. Brian Schottenheimer is in a rebuild
right whether or not his owner thinks that he is.
I hope he gets that patience. Liam Cohen's got a
lot of work to do in Jacksonville, Ben Johnson is
building up a quarterback and a new offense and a system.

(39:37):
It's just that Kellen Moore is in a rebuild, doesn't.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
He have it?

Speaker 1 (39:40):
There are none that are logical, but that I guess
you could always say that about a one and done
because there's.

Speaker 4 (39:45):
Always on paper. Drod Mayo was not logical either. It
just got so chaotic there and and it became so
missed expectations there that yes, you know, so that's.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
By this time last here though, that was a little
but that.

Speaker 4 (40:02):
Was a rebuild. That was a rebuild. A lot of
these other are I'm just saying, like we've seen we've
seen this happen every single year. I don't think we
see it this year.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
If I had to choose one, now that you went
through it, we're trying to get dark, it would probably
just be the entire structure of New Orleans changing and him, unfortunately, yeah,
burying the brunt of that, him being Kellen Moore. Ye,
so related to Ben Johnson. This is just a random
I guess this is more of an award. These are

(40:31):
just coaches to me that are most likely to freak
out at some point.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
This season in a.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
Way that will just be vaguely terrifying, and two coaches
actually are going to win this together.

Speaker 2 (40:46):
Ben Johnson is one of them.

Speaker 1 (40:47):
Oh yeah, that just he is gripping that lecter and
kind of tight up there, you know, and he's trying
to like be positive and maintain everything, and he just
kind of loses it and has a Dennis Green type
of moment, whether it's on the sideline or in front
of a podium, just it's icy sometimes. And then it
would be the man who I probably give this to

(41:09):
every year because I think this is under the radar.
It's John Harbaugh. I mean John Harbaugh. There is just
something simmering beneath the surface. And everyone is like he's
like the nice Harbor, He's like the normal Harba, but
like when he is upset and he's in a post
game situation or it's after the players, or he's mad
at the reporter, there is just something there that I

(41:32):
find personally terrifying. So beneath the surface, yeah, it is
beneath the surf. Very you know, very nice guy by
all accounts. But these would be the two coaches if
we're giving dark energy predictions. I just try to think
who has some dark energy among the coaches out there,
and these were two that popped in my head, wasn't.

Speaker 4 (41:50):
John Harbaugh also, like pretty openly on the record, is
being thrilled that he's like beaten the crap out of
his brother the times that they've fixed off as coaches.
I mean, to be so open about that is a
level of energy.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
That's fair.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
You are not shy about these things behind closed doors.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
I'm sure there's a lot of pressure there too. There's
a lot of Super Bowl predictions for the Ravens.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
Yeah, hm, expectations.

Speaker 5 (42:13):
No, I'm thinking about the different coaches that could like
pop off at some point this season.

Speaker 3 (42:18):
I mean, Rabel, But that's just also.

Speaker 4 (42:20):
Sort of like that's for I feel like, I feel
like we're going to get like, at one point this
year a really really good like Dan Campbell moment, whether
it's in the heat of for sure playing against NFC
North opponents and how stressful that can get. We've even gotten,
you know, some spicy Matt Lafleur moments at times in

(42:43):
years past. A lot of these guys are respectfully nuts.
So he's got a.

Speaker 1 (42:47):
Little Matt Leaflair's got a little harbought to him where
he does seem very buttoned up and together and well
groomed in Lafleur's cases, and yet there is like, you know,
there's an edge too, which I guess you kind of
need your you're a head coach.

Speaker 5 (43:01):
I kind of love that against Ben Johnson Bears Bears Packers.

Speaker 3 (43:05):
That's when it happens. Keep an eye on.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
That, especially after the trash talk.

Speaker 4 (43:09):
Out of Patrick Bateman energy over there.

Speaker 1 (43:10):
You know, do we have any other ones you just
want to throw out as extras or should we move
on to our Brazil?

Speaker 4 (43:17):
I know you have another one.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
I forgot I had another one. I think I'd asked
for too.

Speaker 4 (43:21):
Whenever you ask like that, I know you actually want to.
I've learned him.

Speaker 3 (43:26):
Does anyone else in the class want to share?

Speaker 4 (43:29):
Raise your hand if you have another dark prediction?

Speaker 1 (43:31):
I had one more, which was the teams. I like
didn't want to predict bad things for, but I thought
this we were leaning into the darkness here. But you know,
you got a pretty bad things for some teams. And
like I feel the worst about the Bengals because they're fans,
just I feel like deserve better. And yeah, I just
feel like it's a tough situation with their defense there

(43:52):
the Raiders, because you want to live in a world
where that all works out. But you just look at
the roster and I'm rooting for Geno, but look at
the defensive roster.

Speaker 4 (44:01):
I disagree with you. I'm super high on the Raiders, really,
and the part the reason that you're super high on
the Cowboys are not super high. Let me be careful
with saying that, but like they're high on the Cowboys.
I just think they're going to score a lot of points, hopefully.
I think they're gonna score a lot of points. And
I think that they're gonna a lot of these young
players on defense are gonna have to grow up as
they do it. But I think they've got some really

(44:22):
really solid opportunities on offense at least a.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Lot of faith in Chip Kelly. I could have that
faith like three weeks in, but I guess I just
got to kind of see it first. The other ones,
the Panthers too, because like if they just fell right
back into being one of the worst teams in the NFL.
But when we did the exercise with DJ and I
was thinking, like who would be like have a chance
to have the number one overall pick. It's like, I
feel like the Panthers are in that mix still and

(44:46):
that would just feel terrible for them. Back on NFL Daily,
it's time for Who Will Deliver, presented by Uber Eats.
This is fun Chiefs Chargers. The Chiefs are three point favorites.
They're in Brazil at Arena. Corinthians love seeing that. Yeah,

(45:07):
a little surprise, it's so close a point spread, but
that's given props to Chargers and the talent base that
they had, and maybe look at the games a year
ago and that we're very competitive, although as always, like
the Chiefs always find a way in this matchup. This
is going to be on YouTube with our coworkers Rich
Eisen and Kurt Warner.

Speaker 4 (45:30):
That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
It's like a one.

Speaker 4 (45:31):
Time it's like an all voice team. Honestly, I think
about the voices there.

Speaker 1 (45:35):
The one time YouTube crew, right because I don't think
there's another YouTube game this year, so I think it's
like a one time very unique. Will be their first game,
so that will be really fun. We're taping this Tuesday afternoon.
The Chargers are already on a flight down to Brazil,
whereas the Chiefs practice today on Tuesday and they're going
to fly a day later. What stands out to you, Jordan.

Speaker 4 (45:59):
In this, I mean the possibility that Najie Harris is
on that plane as well, and who told reporters this
week with massive sunglasses on after this eye injury that
we still kind of don't know a ton about. We
can only assume obviously, don't want to assume the worst,
but he is wearing like massive sunglasses and wouldn't take

(46:20):
them off, and you know, and he's finally back at
practice and he says that he is going to play
this week. Now they're in a really good spot behind
him with Omarion Hampton, who I've heard really great greades
about all through camp and he's built like every other
one of their players on offense, which is like the
size of a sycamore tree. So it's like this is

(46:41):
like the all massive human offense and Omarion Hampton fits
right in with that. If Naji Harris isn't a full go.

Speaker 3 (46:48):
Hmm, I'm excited about that.

Speaker 5 (46:49):
I also just feel like with the amount of International
Games this year, we will be talking so much about travel,
travel schedules, who's going early, who's deciding to stay back.

Speaker 3 (46:59):
Does it matter.

Speaker 5 (47:01):
I'm not sure what other ways to spin the conversation,
and I don't know if it does matter or not.
But I would for sure be going early as early
as possible, because you know, I like to travel, and uh,
that's really fun.

Speaker 3 (47:15):
I'd like to go to more of these international games.

Speaker 5 (47:17):
But I'm interested to see how Travis Kelce does after
the catch, if he can gain some sizable yards after
the catch, considering the Chargers are such a good tackling team.

Speaker 1 (47:29):
I feel like we haven't talked about Travis Kelce as
a as abball entity all off season.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
Gee, I wonder why it is.

Speaker 1 (47:37):
It is interesting to imagine because you know, he's talking
a big game of how bad last season ended, and
then he's put everything into it. He does look just physically,
like like he slimmed down a little bit, and he
has come out the last few years looking sluggish, and
he's worked his way into the season and that worked
for him for the most part in both of the

(47:58):
last two years, until it didn't in the Super Bowl
last year.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
But he did play his best games.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
I think people forget, like in the playoffs right before
the Super Bowl, their best offensive game of the season.
Was probably the AFC Championship, right before their absolute worst game.
But I do think it's instructive when teams are playing
the following season's division games, you have the same coaches.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
I do think that history matters.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
So the Chiefs played nineteen games last year, not counting
the week they sat all their starters at the end
of the regular season, so they started played nineteen games
last year. Their worst game on offense in terms of
expected points was the Super Bowl, because they don't give
you much credit for those late nonsense ones, and that
was just disaster. But their seventeenth best game, their third

(48:44):
worst game all season, was against the Chargers, and then
their fourteenth best game, like their sixth worst game all season,
was against the Chargers. So jesse Minter kept the lid
on this offense, held them under twenty points both times,
kept the cap on it. Greg I like to keep
the lid on it.

Speaker 4 (49:02):
So but you know what, it's cool. This was the
number one scoring defense, meaning fewest points allowed seventeen point two,
seventeen point three, something like that in the entire NFL
last season, and jesse Minter out coaching and getting this
roster to sort of outperform what it looked like on paper.
You mentioned Travis Kelcey, Well, he's going to be having
his hands full with Derwin James, who's still moving all

(49:24):
around this defense, and with Diane Henley, who's one of
the best young insidelinebackers in the league, and who's really
emerged with Jesse Minter's offense. And everyone talked about, you know,
like losing Joey Bosa, who obviously signed elsewhere in the
off season. But this pass rush still has Khalil Mack
on it. And by the way, I do want to say,
when I was at the practice earlier this summer, Khalil

(49:45):
Mack looks great. You want to talk about someone who
looks a little bit slimmer, who looks so fast and
explosive off the line of scrimmage, it's hard to remember
that he is the age that he is as a
nine time Pro bowler, and he's going to be going
against either he's going to be going against Josh Shimmons
or two to we Pulo too or Bud Dupree. I mean,
they have the three rotation of these pass rushers still

(50:06):
against this rookie left tackle who, as you know, Greg,
I'm so high on I love this guy. He's so great.

Speaker 1 (50:10):
Yeah, I love that you brought that up. Khalil Mack
is very in some ways like the reverse Travis Kelcey.
It is absolutely a pattern every single season he shows
up and is one of the best pass rushers in
the league for about a month or six weeks, eight weeks,
and then he fades. And maybe that's an age thing
because he puts everything possible into getting the most out

(50:33):
of what he gets, but it's very consistent that every
early portion of the season it's like, Wow, Khalil Mack
is really really back, and then he just becomes like
a solid, good enough player and maybe by the end
of the season almost like a little bit of a liability.
So I am really curious if that pass rusher is
gonna be enough against this Kansas City offensive line, which

(50:54):
I think has really improved.

Speaker 4 (50:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
Like, I think the Chiefs offense will be better this year,
and I think it needs to be better this year
because I think their defense is not going to be
as strong all these teams, like the alchemy changes on
a year to year basis, and I do kind of
buy what the Chiefs are selling in terms of trying
to be more explosive and having a better receiving group

(51:18):
and mostly having a better offensive line with Josh Simmons
there at left tackle. And this will be like an
amazing first test against this charters.

Speaker 5 (51:27):
And I love these Division games between these two. They're
always fun, they're always exciting, and seven of the last
eight times they've played, it's been one score or less
these games, so it's always a close game. I hate
a blowout week one. And also it's like a primetime
game because it's an Island game, So yeah, I think
it's a fun one for Brazil too.

Speaker 4 (51:47):
I do love that we have like two of the
best quarterbacks in football. It's obviously Pat Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
But this still will be a game defined by line
play on both sides, because yes, I talk about the
pass rush that the Chargers have, but like Chris Jones
is still Chris Jones and McKay Becton is the newcomer
on the inside in Los Angeles, and he missed three

(52:07):
weeks of training camp with what he's described as an
ongoing knee issue that he continues to deal with. And
then Joe All has moved over from the right to
the left obviously because of injuries. Apparently looks really really good,
look good in the preseason as well, playing on that
left side. But when you have Chris Jones and then
you've got the Greek freak on the inside Carl loftis
also rushing with him, you can continue to move Chris

(52:29):
Jones around. I am curious about how much he moves
because they have, like I said, chippers, the size of
trees on the outsides, and their tight ends and their
full back Scott matt Locke. So I don't know how
much you want to move Chris Jones to the edge,
but that middle might be a little bit more susceptible
to pressure if you're the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (52:46):
Pastor's also why they got knocked out of the playoffs
last year. Harbaugh left that game saying how bad they
were on the interior of their offensive line. And now
it's a year later and they mostly look the same,
except you know, they did add McKay Beckton, But because
you lose Rashaan Slater, like the Offen and the Wane,
doesn't look any better. And yet I think they're in
a better position. I don't know if the Chiefs, like
I don't know if the Chiefs have enough pass rusher.
It's kind of a bad pass rush on paper, Like

(53:09):
Carloftis is an oak. I think he's a little overrated
and like he's not a great pass Chiefs.

Speaker 4 (53:14):
Fans are gonna come for you. They love that guy.

Speaker 1 (53:18):
He's a he's a very good NFL player, and he's
a solid like number two pass like edge pass rusher,
but on this team he has to be number one
in terms of the the edge players. They have one
real difference maker as a pass rusher, And like, I
think they have questions in terms of their secondary in
ways that they haven't over the last couple of years.
So like, will the Chargers be in position to take advantage?

Speaker 4 (53:39):
Will they pass the ball? Is what Greg's really asking.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
I think they yeah, they want to run, but like, yeah,
I don't know, Like I don't know if they're there.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Their receivers are that much better necessarily the Chargers this year.
But if Trey Harris like the rookie and Labert Smith
like step up, it's a very different Chiefs Chargers matchup,
which that'll probably like and the same way that everyone ends.

Speaker 5 (54:01):
I wonder if the Chargers are going I wonder if
the Chargers are going to actually like do the same
exact thing that they did last year and start off
so run heavy and then finally start to like kind
of ease into the passing game.

Speaker 4 (54:14):
Maybe. I mean, I I justin Herbert's healthy to start
this year this time, So I almost wonder how much
do you use him as sort of that threat as well?
You try to move the point of contact, you try
to move the line of scrimmage a little bit with
the quarterback. I kind of wonder what you know Greg
Roman has in his bag of tricks enough tracks evolving,
Like I said, and I cannot emphasize this enough. Some

(54:36):
of the largest human beings I've ever seen, Like why,
like they just want to smother over people. This is
what this offense wants to do.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
And that was who will deliver presented by Uber Eats.
When football makes you hungry, get game day meals and
deals on Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner
of the NFL Order Now also just I'm a little
anxious about out County on Keenan Allen to have a
big role in this offense, or maybe he won't. Maybe
he won't end up having that big role. Is anyone

(55:06):
taking the Chargers here.

Speaker 4 (55:09):
You know what I'm gonna do it. I'm going to
take the pictures. I'm going to take the Chargers. I
like that, I like I like this team a lot.
I'm really high on the Chargers this year. I think
I asked me again in.

Speaker 3 (55:18):
Chargers in our preview show. So I need to stay consistent.

Speaker 1 (55:22):
That is like what someone with integrity would do. I
must go or just even be aware of what you take.
You know in your previous show.

Speaker 5 (55:29):
Well, there is only like one week here now, so
it's not like I am in mid season form and everything.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
Is blurred together. Yes, so I would hope that I
know my week one picks.

Speaker 1 (55:39):
Yes, check out Colle Argers every single Sunday morning, Game
Day morning.

Speaker 3 (55:45):
Game Day morning. Uh huh.

Speaker 1 (55:46):
There's also a preview show, which I'm sure you can
by the time you hear this, it might already be
out Thursday night, but it's right. If not, check it out.
I'm sure she's really knows.

Speaker 3 (55:58):
Fact, and so is Mooch. Mooch on Mondays.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Love that.

Speaker 3 (56:01):
Yeah, so a little a pregame Monday night football action.

Speaker 1 (56:05):
It's going to be great and Jordan will be back
with me on our preview show, which will go up
on Wednesday, and we're gonna do our super Bowl picks then,
but we haven't gotten yours, Colleen, before you go, I
want let's let's do conference chance. Give me like who
wins the conference championship games and then who wins the

(56:27):
super Bowl? So you have to have a final four?

Speaker 3 (56:30):
Final four?

Speaker 5 (56:31):
Yeah, okay, okay, So I'm gonna go the Bills. Yes,
they beat the Ravens, okay to get to the super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (56:43):
So week one rematch in the conference Yeah, no respect
whatsoever for the Chiefs.

Speaker 5 (56:48):
And the Eagles beat the Lions. And I am shocked
at this. Pick the Lions. Maybe the Lions, and then yeah,
I mean it's kind of easy, but go ahead and
pick the Eagles to win the super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
Again, let's repeat.

Speaker 2 (57:07):
Stunned.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
I know it's kind of stupid not to. I mean,
it's when you root for one of the favorites. I
think they are the favorite, if you like, they have
the best odds of any team because the NFC is
viewed as a little weaker, so their path is a
little easier and more just because we're all dumb animals.
All right, all right, Colleen's got the Eagles.

Speaker 3 (57:34):
Yeah, I do.

Speaker 4 (57:35):
She's let's be clear, She's always got the Eagles, and
Eagles have always got you.

Speaker 1 (57:40):
Oh, if you were a real seer, you'd be like
Cynthia Frielan and have the Eagles before last season when
everyone was a little down on them going into the
year and she somehow nailed Eagles over Chiefs before the
season started.

Speaker 4 (57:54):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
I would never stop talking about that if I was Cynthia,
And that's why I won't on our Friday Day PIC show,
which is going to be.

Speaker 4 (58:01):
Back seamless plug right here here.

Speaker 1 (58:05):
We're into our regular season schedule, so like I mentioned,
we will be back on Wednesday for our preview show.
We will be recapping both the games, the Thursday night
game and then the Friday night Brazil game with Nick
Shook right after both those games are over.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
We've done it. She's back.

Speaker 3 (58:26):
Hey, We're back.

Speaker 2 (58:28):
Football is back.

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Episode Transcript

Host

Gregg Rosenthal

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