DK Metcalf Gets Paid; Fearless Predictions for October 4th

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Be around the NFL podcast finding creative new ways to
piss off Sisler from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's
around the NFL. I'm Dan Hansas, joined in the room
filled with some heroes, Greg Rosenthal and yes, Mark Sessler. Mark,

(00:20):
we're starting about seventeen minutes later than intended eighteen minutes.
It just turned eighteen. We started at seventeen though, so
it's seventeen and I understand that does piss you off. Apologies, sir,
Apology taken accepted. Um, I'm not that annoyed by it,
just you can see it coming from a mile away.
It used to be a whole thing when our schedules

(00:41):
were a little tighter back in Culver City and West
and Mark and there would it would be like a
conversation before the podcast, and West, as the money drop indicated,
would delight in Marke getting increasingly upset. Although he would
get upset your corner. I was not on an island
on the one West and I very much. Um, you know,

(01:02):
time matters to us, punctuality is important to us, and
we were linked at the hip on that one. Sometimes
I feel maligned in that department because just acceptance myself
as the host of this program. Uh so that's accurate.
While you're doing, uh your little build up for segments

(01:24):
and you're studying. I have to do that, but then
I also have to do all the other elements that
go into building out a program, like working with you
could just and how long have we been talking building
out this show today? For instance? Minutes? Many minutes. We
buried you there. But I technically do not disagree with
we're we're not in contact all throughout the morning. Oh

(01:45):
that's true, yes, since about nine am. Sure, but you
can it's also in your nature, that's okay, Like it's
in my nature to try to put together the best
if it's not podcast related, it's in your nature to
maybe be a little late to It's just part of
the package. I remember when we first started, and those
are dark days in some ways looking back, But when

(02:06):
you were the boss, yes, were not early early news
death days. There was like it was like handsas a clock.
You weren't you weren't expecting him to to be punching
in at nine am. It'd be like nine oh seven,
Are you gonna bring that up? You can talk about
Chris Wesling a clock to which sometimes the next day
there was no clock. So yeah, we have. We have
infamously told me during a I think one of our

(02:28):
last you know, subject and boss meetings was that I
began as his easiest employee and finished as the most
tough to deal with. Yeah, that you know, so it's
not all on you and I do. I also appreciate
you want the truth. You don't just go to the zeus. No,
I appreciate that you put your heart into preparing them. Yeah.

(02:48):
I backed down, not even a little bit on this.
I have no regrets. Like today is a good show.
Today is going to be a really fun show. People
are gonna enjoy the show, and a lot of it
is going to go back to those extra seventeen notes. Yeah,
you got to get it right. You don't take it
out of the oven Sessler just because I know. But
this is just because dinner sometimes dinner this week is

(03:12):
becoming framed as if I have a major issue, where
all I've said verbally is that I support the effort
that you put into the Showug Dug Boats got a point.
We're back in the studio. Is this week training camps
getting rolling, We're starting to cook. It's almost like I
have a point to we we are you know, we're
just husks um who try to make meaning out of
our lives when it's not the NFL season, family and

(03:36):
outside things. Um. But now that it's training camp and
we're being plugged back into the machine, we feel truly
alive because we only feel alive when the microphone is on. Well,
that's your opinion. I don't even think Mark actually said that,
but that is but for all of us there, apparently
that was me, that was out loud. I will speak
for for all of us in thanking the people of

(03:58):
the Guardian uh, a British daily newspaper. I think it's
kind of a big publication, yes, over yonder and it
was also written by Trenching source of news. It was
written by Ali Connolly, who's a great analyst over there
to now working for Gridiron, who we're friends with. The
people is it's what did Ali? Greg is so tight

(04:19):
he doesn't refer to the man by his pen name,
Oliver Connolly. I didn't know that Holly Connolly ranking the
NFL's best analysts. I've never met him, though we're spoken
with him, but I've heard him on podcasts And guess
who comes in at number seven, the boys of Around
the NFL. Should I read this? Should I read it? Please?

(04:41):
I should read it. You cannot separate the three main
hosts of the Around the NFL podcast and TV vehicle
unless it's who's planning the show morning a blending humor,
analysis and ruthless honesty, the trio have built a true
one stop shop for fans. The show is the number

(05:01):
one NFL podcast in the UK, drawing fans to the
circus tent with mirth before offering keyn eyed observations and
updates on the league at large. It wouldn't be an
overstatement to say that the show has done more for
the growth of the game internationally than the league sending

(05:22):
a rope Jaguars team to London every fall. Hit it
again justin number seven. How are we number seven without
type of that was at the rite up is an
incredible um and um I liked. I love to think
it's true. I mean that the way that that right

(05:44):
up ended, I was like, that should be a number
one right up ending right. But I think we need
to send that along to take it the shadowy league
people take it. Yeah, Our friends at at Sky Sports
will send it to them. They they've helped us, you know,
with a partnership doing work with them internationally. I could.
I think I think everyone needs to know, and I
think it's important a couple of things. It's important that

(06:05):
the American listeners know what ropy means, because I certainly
didn't kind of figure out with context you can, but
just for the record, it's British and formal slang for
inferior or inadequate, slightly unwell below par. Do you feel
like you should have been mentioned more in the in
the blurb you specifically did? You can't separate the three,
It's no. I think. I think I'm totally comfortable with
the entire right up it was and it's a great

(06:28):
list to um. I appreciated, uh that the quality of
the list. I think spoke Jones at one, Mina We
love Mina. Jenny Brentes is awesome. At three, Dominique Foxworth.
Don't know Dominique. He does Beaumani show. He's he's an
un he does deant Le familiar with Billy Gil but

(06:53):
we respect him well. I'm not familiar though that we
don't have to, but I'm sure he's great. I do
if he's on this list McAfee at eights or ahead
of McAfee. It's not bad. David Sampson and a keep
to leave look at it keep coming in. Um, you
know you know what those So we're ahead of Romo
because if a keep to leave can make it, and
he kind of compared to Leave to Romo UM on

(07:15):
the list. He compared to him as like energetic and
in a little different um, you know, as a listen
but even better than Romo he thought right now, like
in terms of energy. So so that means Romo didn't
make the list, nor did any other We're ahead of
Jim Nance And also missing the list was the Dan
Lebotard Show featuring Stu Gotts, and apparently this didn't sit

(07:38):
well with everyone on that particular program. I mean, how
about that guy? Who is that guy? He's a top
ten football insider. Why am I taking the bullet in
that scenario. I I don't think that they were upset.
I think I think the Billy Gil guy is involved

(08:02):
in the LeBatard arena. Okay, so they were saying the
list because he's involved with those guys, or he works
for a lavatory. I don't have a great point there
right now, Yeah. My point was they weren't upset at us.
They were making fun of this guy saying the list
was bad, Like, don't be so don't be so excited
that you're on this list, Billy? Is that how you

(08:23):
took it? Mark? I could. I'm just taking the insults again.
My name in it. I mean, how about that guy?
Who is that guy? He's a top ten football insider.
Well you got that right, I have a story. Well
he got to start it. And then Labatary jumped in you.

(08:45):
When we were at Super Bowl Week in Miami before
Corona exploded, I was wandering around, you know, South Beach,
and Dan LeBatard actually was about ten feet away. Um,
I don't know why. He was sort of wandering around
two and these LeBatard fans um wanted to take a
photo with him Lebertarians. Yeah, so the Lebertardians actually just

(09:05):
pulled me a you know, like a civilian off. I
had to take a photo of LeBatard and the Lebertarians.
It's like, I work in this industry too, and little
little I know that, Well it doesn't it does not.
Are we in a feud? No? I don't want to
know what I've heard. Good with the future. I've heard
from listeners. I think there's a pretty good crossover audience.
I've heard. I've heard good things about their their audience

(09:27):
and they've built it up and I think I think
there's some that that are fans of us both, and
that's good. Yeah, let's take the high road on this one.
If you wanted to make a statement like who you
are Mark Anthony Sessler CESSI for short? Actually that Mark
Edward Cessler. I work for NFL Network and NFL dot
Com and I only wish to extend um good tidings

(09:52):
to that show into all of them. Why is it
always Marked that takes the st It is pretty funny though,
but I guess I mean, how about that guy? Who
is that guy? He's a top ten football insiders. It's
like we wrote this for him to be a sound
drop for us. But it's just their show, all right.

(10:14):
Coming up on today's show, which was put together with
Tender Love and Care, Fearless predictions not for the whole season,
but for October four, specifically, what is October four? That
is the Tuesday after Week four, we will tell you

(10:35):
what we feel the NFL landscape will look like after
what used to be the traditional quarter pole. Well they
blew that up, ruined it with their greed. No asymmetry,
everything must be asymmetrical. Sixteen games. Now, I don't know
what it is anymore. Maybe after Thursday night at week five,

(10:56):
is that the new quarter pole? If you did the
math of it, it's not my thing. Anyway, We're gonna
give you some fearless predictions. Um. I'm gonna call on
the listeners to help us out with something at the
end of the show. Um, but before that, we need
to get caught up with the news you're full of
Just what is that? Where did that come from? Dan

(11:18):
randomly said that as we were setting up to tape
our t A hits on what was that Wednesday? I
don't know where it came from or why, but why
did I roll out a bit? It kind of snowballed
a little bit, but no more critical thinking towards Mark again,
Greg thinks it wasn't even critical. It was. I was

(11:39):
just sort of pointing that out the context it was
absolutely critical, Um, very critical. My context was that they
weren't like mad, they weren't on list. They were on
the list, like one of their guys was on the list,
and they were kind of making fun of him that like,
look at this list, it's just you and a bunch
of him and eggers here. Well, well, nice explanation. Um. Anyway,

(12:04):
that was what I said, was clearly ingest just a
lot of the nonsense that I'll spew before the show starts.
And you know that I understand your vibe different than
the studs. Different than that. I mean, as I've been noticing,
and this is a becoming a recurrent thing, your guys
vibe is is on a different wavelength right now. I
think you missed each other. It's like it's up and down,
but it's definitely like that's that's what great attractions are. Like,

(12:26):
you know what I think. I think Craig wants it.
He wants in you want I want to feel something, Yeah,
you want it on the it Yeah, all right, we'll
talk privately after the show. Let's get to the news
and we'll start with oh man, the Arizona Cardinals. They
make a decision after rap sheet with the scoopage and
rap shoot was on our show this week breaking down

(12:48):
how it all came to be. Uh, the independent study
clause um that was placed in Murray's huge extension and
all the Hulla Blue down that. Well, the team now
is decided to eliminate that mandatory independent study clause in
Murray's extension rap sheet first report, it's a rap. She's

(13:09):
been all over this. I also have a statement here
from the Cardinals, and then I want we're gonna hear
from Kyler, but uh, first from the Cardinals. After seeing
the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract.
It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended.

(13:32):
Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it's
ever been, and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability
to leave this team more than the commitment reflected in
this contract. That's a lot of words, salads, Sizzler. Uh,
so they take it out of the contract, Kyler Murray.
Cut to smash. Cut to Kyler Murray who calls his

(13:54):
own press conference on unscheduled Thursday, unscheduled and he wants
everyone to know everything's cool, and you should have given
me the benefit the benefit of the doubt in the
first place. Today I'm starting off. I'm talking today because um,
you know, I feel, um it's necessary, you know, um,
with what's going on as far as regarding me and

(14:17):
the things that are being said about me. Um, it's
it's almost, you know, to think that I can accomplish
everything that I've accomplished in my career, UM and not
be a student of the game and not um, not
not have that passion and not not take this serious
is almost it's disrespectful. And it's it's almost it's it's

(14:38):
almost a joke. And I like this other part of
the press conference or his statement really an opening statement
where he felt compelled and understandably so, to explain what
he's accomplished in his life as an athlete to this point.
And and I don't do this often. I don't talk
about myself, but today I feel like I have to.
And so I'm ann list of accolades, you know, to
go forty three and oh in high school, sorry much.

(15:01):
Some are gonna say, oh, it's high school, that's cool,
But nobody else has done it. Um go to college
when the heisman, UM, get drafted number one over all
to the NFL, get drafted number nine overall to MLB. Again,
no one's ever done it. Um, Offensive Rookie of the Year,
two time pro bowler, Um. And you know, I'm not
I'm not six seven to thirty. I don't throw the

(15:23):
ball any five yards. Um, I'm I'm already behind the
eight ball. Uh. And I can't you know, I can't
afford to take any shortcuts, no pun intended. But you
know that those are those those things you can't accomplish
if you don't take the game serious, if you don't
prepare the right way. And you know, it's like I said,
it's it's laughable. I was struck by this. I loved it.

(15:45):
I think Kyler Murray is a different sort of quarterback
and a different sort of person, and we're like learning
more about him as he goes, and I I love
the fire, and I think it's a it's worth pointing out,
like He's right, you can't be that successful without some
sort of intelligence that you see in his game and

(16:09):
serious uh nature with which you take the game and
take your career then again, and and a lot of
confidence which he clearly has to uh. I think he
got this far in part because he picked up the
NFL game and being able to read defenses and stuff
like that pretty well for a rookie. Now that that
all being said, he didn't really address the exact uh

(16:32):
parts of the clause that he had a problem with.
I mean, he's sort of brought you know. I sort
of took it as like he doesn't necessarily spend that
much time on the iPad doing next as and ohs,
like film study at home. He started talking about, like
there's different ways to do film study. I like doing
it with other people in the room, Like that's where

(16:53):
I get off of it, and I take my preparation
really seriously. There's different ways to prepare. There's there's no
way that he's not taking preparing for the endfl seriously.
But he also sort of didn't answer the specific uh
reasons that it was in the contract in the first place.
And then, to be fair, he called the press conference himself,
and the second anyone started asking questions about the clause

(17:15):
in the contract, he said, I'm not answering questions about that.
Can we talk about something else? You called the press conference,
Like that's what the press conference is about. So I
think he's very sensitive about that, and you can understand that,
and I appreciate him being as open as he was,
But I I think it's like you can look at
this from a lot of sites. No one's right and
wrong in it, and had he and not eagle eyed

(17:35):
this contract and let's say none of us knew about this.
The bottom line is Kyler Murray and his representation agreed
to what was in the contract. It's turned into um
I mean, it's grown so incredibly annoying, almost to a
delightful extent at this point. But the Cardinals this offseason
and Kyler Murray have operated like a circus. I mean,

(17:56):
it feels like a team that can't is in search
of themselves on some level. And this whole Cala Maury
is symbolic situation is symbolic of that. For me, though,
Like I love what he said yesterday and I agree
with you, Greggy changes for the most part. Yeah, it
changes how I feel about him, and I do think
it you know, maybe it lit a fire under him
and maybe maybe it will change something for him this season.

(18:16):
But I have to say that, like he initially agreed
to this, something about what the Cardinals saw in his
preparation in his game. He acknowledged, yes, I will sign this,
and that's part of the contract. He had an issue
with it. He should have brought it up before. Maybe
the Cardinals, you know, maybe it's not a clown car
over there. Maybe they galaxy brain this thing. I don't
think they've lit this huge inferno underneath their wildly talented quarterback. Um,

(18:42):
I'm pretty much kidding, but it maybe does achieve that
effect because now he's gonna have a huge chip on
his shoulder, um after being called out in this way.
And that's what he was. He was called out by
his own team that gave him a hundreds of millions
of dollars, but said, you're gonna do it the right way.
So yes, I think why I remove it? Then? I
don't know that's why that's why the clown music is played, Greg,

(19:03):
because I don't know it's that's a half measure. It's
like you should either should put it in and kept
it or not put it at all. But when you do,
you just make it a fresh story. Again, we're not
talking about this with such vigor on a Friday after
this happened initially on Monday or whatever, if not for this.
So they've they've kind of botched us. And I'll give
Murray credit. He was smart enough to get in front

(19:23):
of the story and I thought he comported himself well
with the opening statement at least. Um, it's probably the
first kind of good smart thing he did this offseason.
He didn't have the best office offseason either with some
of the things he did through his agent. UM. But
hopefully the team can move past this and start focusing
on football now. It's a big part of the story
the agent because his introductory press conference when he signed

(19:47):
the contract, he threw some shade at his own agent.
I don't know if it was totally intention to block himself. UM.
His name is Eric Burkhard, and he said that, Look,
Kyler said, look, I took a lot of grief soft season, um,
in part because of my agent, because of that statement,
and he just said that. That was before all of
this happened. By the way, Kyler did that press conference

(20:09):
knowing that they were going to take the clause out
of his contract, but we didn't know that at the
time he did that press conference. There is some speculation
this was from Pro Football talk, that he might be
getting rid of his agent and that and like, and
that's part of all of this, that they're taking it out,
that it's maybe helping the agent to save face. Who
who knows, But it was a messy week I think
for the two people that agreed on it, which was

(20:30):
ultimately Cardinals ownership in the agent, I think are the
ones that were kind of at faultier. All Right, we're
just getting started. Let's take a quick break and then
spend through the rest of the news. Alright, moving on,
another wide receiver gets paid. It is dk metcalf, member
of the Superstar Club, big time playmaker for the Seahawks.

(20:53):
Will be very interesting to see what kind of year
he has with Russell Wilson now throwing spirals in the
Rocky Mountains. But the Seahawks want him as part of
their future, so they give him a three year, seventy
two million dollar extension that runs through two thousand. Nearly
sixty million of that is guaranteed. So this is a
big time contract for a big time player. Mark Sesler

(21:15):
had to do this. I mean there were were months
removed from the idea that he could have been traded
away out of Seattle. Um. The only thing that I
you know, the money is great. He's totally deserving. He's
a he's a rare, unique type of talent who fits
Seattle really well. My one problem is with their quarterback situation.
I mean, this isn't his fault. I think you're wasting
one of those years with their quarterback situation this season.

(21:36):
Well they're trying, yeah, but they're I agree, but they're
also trying to win this year. Whether that works or
not to them. I think it's pretty meaningful to win
nine games versus five. Let's say, and you DK Metcalf
needs to be a part of this team either way.
He gets to be a free agent when he's twenty
seven again, so it works out great. It's just I
find it interesting with these wide receiver contracts. I think

(21:58):
people are gonna look at a little differently because man,
the market changed, and and I think it makes sense.
But these contracts that A. J. Brown got, Deebo Samuel
is probably gonna get an almost identical contract. He has
the same agent as DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin, and J.
Brown has that same agent too, so that agent is
doing quite well. All these all these contracts are basically

(22:21):
quarterback tracks. I mean, they're making like what Ryan Tannehill
makes for the Titans. They're getting thirty million dollars signed,
but their quarterback country. And I think that's fine, But
it also gets to this other like nagging point that's
bothered me for many years, which is the whole like, well,
you gotta win on the rookie quarterback contract, you gotta
win on the you know. It's like what an advantage
you gotta do this. Well, it's like no, Now, these

(22:43):
other contracts are also quarterback contracts, and that was sort
of the case anyways, What what is this huge difference
between having twenty five or thirty on the books for
a receiver and having thirty five or forty on the
books for a quarterback. Going back as far as we can,
those courts about contracts were still only taking up of

(23:04):
your cap and that that's a lot, but you're also
wasting tons of money on tons of terrible signings on
the rest of the contract. And I think the receiver
contracts and these other veterans getting this sort of money
points that out. I think you can absolutely win with
big time contracts on whether it's quarterbacks or sure. I
think gets twisted so to turn into a hot take

(23:26):
that all those people are wrong. But it is harder
when you have the quarterback giant salary on the books.
It's it's harder, you know, But you don't know if
that can quantify that. I'm not a math major, but
I will also say, and you cannot, you can't sleep
on what a huge advantage it is to have the
rookie quarterback who's a stud on his rookie contract. But
my point is, like you can think of the advantage

(23:48):
now to have DK metcalf on his rookie contract versus
this contract. Or when you're a defensive end, think of
the advantage of having Aaron Donald when he was on
his rookie contract compared to his veteran contract. And all
these are just percentages. Like now it's going from just
a couple of percent of absolutely but all all it
is is like of a two hundred and thirty million

(24:11):
dollar cap, and there's money being spent well and money
spent poorly all throughout the rest, and it's only a
small percent. You do go. You do get teams though,
because I'm looking at like, for instance, with the Browns
did with the Shawn Watson that two years from now
he counts fifty five million against the cap, Myles Garrett
counts another thirty two. That's they'll they'll change that, they'll change.
That's not and they got you. If you add a

(24:32):
couple of their other players too. I mean, you've got
a significant portion of your cap tied up in three
or four. My overarching point is it's harder to find
great players than it is to work around the great
players contract that it's worth the they're worth the contracts
because you can figure out the rest of the roster
if you're smart. I just like that. You you you know, Greg,
you did your debate club and high school, and I

(24:55):
just model congress how you like slipped in a data
point there. It's five percent harder. I just do that.
It's like, oh, like, if you take Greg on his worst,
it's like he won the argument. It's only five percent.
All I mean is like, what what is d K
mccalf even even now? What is he taking up of
the cap? It's like it's twelve the quarterbacks are taking

(25:17):
up fifteen seventeen percent. It's still like st I just
think the last year's Super Bowl is a case in
point for everything you're talking about. The Rams pay up
so many huge contracts go win the Super Bowl. On
the other side of the field is the Bengals, who
have all this young talent on rookie contracts. There's multiple ways.

(25:37):
There's a million ways to do it. But but the
hardest part, I think is finding the great players. That's
the part. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Absolutely.
I would also point the last Seahawks Super Bowl championship
and their back to backs are Bowl run. It's when
they have the rookie quarterback and they could spend out
the wazoo for everyone else. It's an advantage. It's a
huge advantage. It's not that huge my five percent, You're right,

(26:00):
you won. I forgot speaking. There was good news about
the Seahawks. Here's bad news about the Seahawks. Jamal Adams
is seeking a second opinion on a hand injury. He
doesn't have a timetable on his return to our friend
Michael Shawn Dugard's m s D MSD for the initials. Anyway,
surgery is possibly in play here, according to Pete Carroll,

(26:23):
not obviously very uh scary situation for the Seahawks. Really,
we all know the story about Adams and how much
the Seahawks gave up to get him from the Jets,
hoping he was going to put them over the top.
He struggled to say healthy, mark playing and simple. This
has not worked out at all for them. I mean,
Jamal Adams does a lot for your defense. But this

(26:43):
is a team that waved goodbye to Bobby Wagner. You've
got Quandre Digs, Jamal Adams if he's not healthy, not
able to get on the field soon. I just look
at this deal and say, this was viewed by John
Schneider Pete Carroll as the final move to put Seattle
over the top and make them a Super Bowl contender
again in the NFC, and it has gone completely backwards.
It's discouraging. I mean, speaking of spending cap resources poorly,

(27:07):
this is sort of what I'm talking about that, Like,
the advantage is having a great quarterback, whether it's on
a rookie deal or or even if you have to
pay his worth. Like having the great quarterback is the
value wasting resources in terms of a draft, and then
contractual resources and Jamal Adams is how you get in
a really tough scot if you make a couple of

(27:28):
series out on that yes hear me out on this thing.
Back to your point, once Russell got the huge contract,
your your line, your margin of error gets almost raised
thin with how you construct the rest of your roster,
especially the big contracts. So Jamal Adams is a good
example of the dangers of building a roster when you
already have a huge quarterback contract on the book. Absolutely,

(27:49):
I guess my thing is with with these rosters, it's
just there's so many, Like there's ten big contracts now,
like the cap has really gone up. Seattle is not
a great example of one that has years with huge
UH numbers on the books. But you look at a
team like the Chiefs to the rams man, they find
a way to put five, six, seven of these huge
contracts on the same cap and still have a great team.

(28:10):
Speaking of bad injury news early in camp, the Buccaneers
might not have their star center Ryan Jensen this season
at all. NFL Network insider Ian rapp Report reported Friday
Purse sources that the team is waiting final word as
of right now, but the fear is that Jensen has
suffered a season ending near and knee injury suffered in

(28:30):
practice on Thursday, got carted off. It looked bad at
the time. You we've mark we've done this long enough.
When this type of ramp up usually tells you swelling
goes down. You get the m R I and it's
a tear in there, and that's the season bad news
for the Bucks who are already you know, a lot
of transition on their line. Um, so this is made
in the pivot, mark in the pivot. Yeah, you've got

(28:53):
a you've got a new left guard, Shack Mason is
a very good new right guard, and it looks like
someone like Robert Hainze might step in place. Center. You
could go out and get someone like J. C. Treader
who was with the Browns previously. That's that's the one
that they've mentioned. Um, this was the fourteen best center
in the league last year according to PF and Tom
Brady has you know, at his age, it's been so

(29:13):
well protected behind that line. I remember, I mean we
all do. At the end of last season, heading into
the playoffs, when they started to have injury issues along
that line, Tom Brady was not the same. And that's
this is a major concern. This is like the leader
of their line as well. Um, we're gonna have more
in this later, uh in the show. So hold further
thoughts on this. Let's move on. Hold in talk. Greg,

(29:34):
you took credit for holding I like that that was
a bold move on Wednesday show. So here are some more.
Chargers coach Brandon Staley said that Derwin James, their star safety,
will sit out practice until his contract is resolved. The
same can be said for Steelers wide receiver Deonte Johnson,
who also is sitting out team drills. And Deante Johnson

(29:58):
might want to get back to practice because I feel
like the Steelers greg don't tend to give out a
second contract to wide receivers for the most part. But hey, listen,
it's a strategy now. And it's also like one of
these I like Deanti Johnson a lot, but compared to
Deebo Samuel and Derwin James in in d K for
a few days, that's sort of the level of player

(30:19):
that has been able to pull off these holdings. And
it doesn't sound like Deante Johnson is going to get
a contract out of this. So he's just gonna skip
a few weeks of practice most likely, and then just
come back to practice. And and that's fine. I kind
of like, I think it's telling and I like that
these teams are handling this in a way where it's
not It doesn't seem like there's hard feelings here between

(30:40):
the series, Like Derwin James is absolutely getting done with
with Deonte. You know, like Marktboli of The Athletic who's
covered the Steelers forever, basically said the team does not
have any interest in paying him Terry McLaurin type money
or anything like that. So I'm with you. I think
it's just like a take a couple of weeks off
and go probably get your money on the market next
off season, or does get Franz size tagged. It's a

(31:01):
pittance for these players. He hasn't gotten a huge deal
yet Johnson, but he if he doesn't get a new deal,
is he gonna have to pay all the fines from us?
And it comes with a literal cost. Now, if I
had put in the kind of prep that Old New
Old Blue Eyes here did, I could have done a
search on Pro Football Reference. I would recommend stat Head

(31:22):
if you're into its liken a month, but you can.
You can do all sorts of great stats searches on
Pro Football Reference and what I would search and maybe
I'll do it here during the show. Uh, it's a
little complicated, Like who has more targets than Deonte Johnson
over the last two years combined a hundred and forty
four hundred and sixty one. My guests would be he
is in the top five in all receivers. Now the production, yeah, well,

(31:49):
he'd have to be signed in it. It's a little complicated.
You gotta put the put on its narrative. Combined, he's
gotten twenty one yards. He is a productive receiver. He's
very good. He's not quite at the McLaurin or Debot
type of difference maker level, but I love him. I

(32:10):
mean he also at worst he's a great number two.
And we've had a tough quarterback situation last couple of
years too. Chase Claypool is a guy I'm interested to
see what his season looks like. Alright. Recovery news. David Baktari,
the great left tackle for the Packers, whose career has
been thrown into limbo because of a knee injury. Can't
seem to get right from basically missed all of last year.

(32:31):
We learned now that he had another surgery on the
same knee recently. He's out indefinitely. Also, the Washington Commanders
Chase Young coming off that a c L tear. He
looks like he will miss the beginning of the regular season.
We don't know how much. Same can be said for
Michael Gallup standout widersty with the Cowboys likely to miss
regular season time, all all vitally important players to their

(32:53):
respective teams. Greggy, Yeah, it's just the time of year
and it's hard to know like which injuries to bring
up on the show because we're getting new injury for
me every every day. But yeah, these are the three
where it's like, Okay, if there was hope that that
young and Gallup could be back sooner than expected and
back for a week one, that's not happening. And when
they give out the the idea this early in the process,

(33:15):
it's usually a bad sign. And that best you're gonna
miss a few weeks and that that's really significant. And
then bak tr between him and Elton Jenkins, who's their
second best offensive lineman who's coming off a torn a
c L and potentially those are their two tackles this year.
Jenkins has played all sorts of different positions, but that
that's like a pretty big X factor here with the
Packers going into the season, there too tackles who are

(33:37):
the next two best players on the offense. I would
argue to Aaron Rodgers along with Aaron Jones here, It's
like that that's pretty massive for them heading into the season.
It's like, we don't hear that much details about surgery sometimes,
but bak tr Essentially it isn't really even the core
A c L injury at this point. It's that the
first surgery never sat well with him, had to get
a second one with young sirs. I read surgeons grafted

(34:01):
part of his healthy left Patel attendant to help repair
the injured nee. So it's like you're going and taking
part of the tendon and bone or whatever and put
it onto the other one. I mean, that does not
sound doesn't sound great. I do have an update on
the target situation. Is it worth heading back? You know,
that's like a podcasting question. It's too late now I
have gone back. You're back. But just like sometimes it's
not worth stopping the flow of the show to go back. Now,

(34:25):
let's see if we can figure it out. I'm going
to say I feel very confident that Davante Adams is
on this list. He's number two. Yeah, give me, give
me who else would be who is constantly targeted in
their offense? McLaurin, No, he's tenth. Let's see Mary Cooper no,
he was injured. Listre I believe. All right, let's hear

(34:47):
the list. Stefan Diggs number one, DeVante to Cooper cup
three um and then Deonte Johnson is number four in
the NFL. Keenan Allen Tyreek killed justin. Jefferson our next
on the list, but Deont John's in the fourth most dark.
Very interesting. All right. We don't have Colleen here for
to sing her odds and ends jingle, but we do
have Mark Sessler. So Mark Sessler pinch hitting hit it.

(35:12):
How does it go? Odds in it? The music? He
was ready then, I like he didn't know that it's
and ends and ends. I really sucked at this. That
was pretty good. I was lost confidence midway through. It
was already ready in my I don't know. I think

(35:32):
you might have better. You might have to replace Colleen.
Take here we go this time I started to be
doing something. I don't think you could do what Connie does.
I don't want to try it. Go ahead vocals, yeah,
yeahs and ends, odds and odds and the first one,

(35:53):
well it's getting worse. Yeah, it's a little bit of
she can sing your girl. You started. It's like us
here I'll just do the Colleen thing and then you
can maybe do it here. It is, this is what
Colin does. More like odds and ends, odds and everybody
get rid of for some odds and and all right,
you get the time. I think she says, tell your friends,

(36:16):
your friends. Maybe Greg should do it? All right, do it? Greg? Well,
I just got you served odds and ends. Odds and ends?
You want to tell your friend with odds and ends
coming up? Now? It's all right, let's at eight o'clock
to light. It's like, how does she end it? Danny? Well,
we need Colleen here. That's what we learned. Danny ammon

(36:36):
Dola has retired. Ricky Hollywood favorite Bill Belichick even spoke
highly of him in the press garments. I love Danny,
good player, long career. Do you remember the video of
Danny Ammondola's dad who was a coach, where that runaway
cart was um veering over the turf and he got
knocked over and taken out. He was finding the end,
but it was one of the more bizarre football videos

(36:58):
I've ever seen. Carlos done up is headed to the Chiefs.
Eric Armstead is out a few weeks. Kwon Alexander going
to the Jets. Speaking of the Jets, Mackay Beckton and
Karl Lawson off the publist. Good signs, Greg, I think
it's been a very positive feeling Jets pup season and
Kwan Alexander played pretty well for the Saints last year.

(37:19):
I think that's a nice a nice signing. They all right,
justin Ross out for the season. Raiders starter Denzel Good retires.
How about that? That's rough for the Raiders because their lyne,
I think is their achilles heel. Right now, They've got
a lot of shifting new faces and that's that was
someone they were relying on, all right. And finally awards

(37:39):
Slash Conklin on pup, does Denzel Award Denzel Ward foot injury,
Tyler Conklin, Jack mcconklin, former Titan right tackle. Brown's got
some questions, I feel like, not not that so much,
but on the offensive line and some questions. Playoff Danny,
by the way, playoff, Danny. I gotta you know, they
don't win that Super Bowl, uh in, which is probably

(38:02):
my favorite Patriots super Bowl when it comes down to
after the first you've finally gotten off that foogazy corner
when you said that horrible Rams Pats Super Bowl was
your favorite. Bother you, but he was. He was a
monster in that comeback against the Ravens in the Divisional
round and then had a big touchdown in a big
game in the super Bowl against the Seahawks too. All right,

(38:24):
we need to take one more break and then get
to the set. Let's do that. We'll be right back
with some Fearless predictions for October four. It could have
been different, mis to Walker, you should have allowed nature
to take its course in the end. It will anyway,
So let me get off. Oh. Yes, Mark Wahlberg from Fear.

(38:48):
Remember Fear. Oh I saw it in the theater. You
know what I thought was always so effective about that movie.
For the zoomers out there, that actually is Mark Wahlberg. Like,
clearly Mark Wallburg probably did that to one of his
ex girlfriend's father's through a door somewhere in the suburbs
of Boston. Feels organic. Uh. And that is also the

(39:09):
same Mark Walberry that left the three Super Bowl early.
So just it all ties together. So it's all connected.
When you try to make your like public facing profile,
like as a sports fan, like that's part of the
agenda and then you have a moment like that. It's
like it all coming back. Yeah, anyway, fear fear. Fear

(39:29):
is a terrible thing. Fear is a part of human nature. Um,
we s chew that we fear nothing. We fear we
go where others fear to tread. We are fearless. We
are making fearless predictions for October fourth, two thousand twenty two,
that is the Tuesday after the conclusion of week for

(39:51):
the NFL season. Does it all? Does it all make sense?
So specific? Does fo? Yeah? Shoo? So I just looked
it up. I think you're both both that it does.
Haven't heard the sea parts hard. I've always said a shoe.
I feel like the word has kind of lost its footing.

(40:13):
People remove to bring it back. Time to bring it
back a shoe or get rid of it entirely, just
removed from that's the right way to say it. What
was the one you did? What were the boats in
the you butchered the boats in Italy? What was that?
I don't recall I was in Italy when I did this. No,
we were at Vegas. Gondola's gondola. You called it a gondola,

(40:39):
right right? You gotta take the L on that one,
I'll take the L and s chew. If two Gondola,
I'll do further research on that. What about Quebec, Well, no,
it was not, though it was not depending on where
you get riveting stuff. Here, we'll cut all this out
of the show. Let's get into Fearless Predictions Fortober four.

(41:01):
Get us going, Okay, UM, I'm gonna make a prediction
UM in the form of an actual piece of writing
that's gonna go up on the NFL dot com that week.
It's gonna be written actually by Mark Sessler. So I'm
predicting what you're gonna write as the new um Helmer,

(41:24):
the new captain of QB Index. I hope you don't
mind that. I guess it's not aware that I. Um,
I thought it was a different column or something. No,
it's gonna be your your QB index column, which Mark
has taken over. West wrote it at one point I
I had started back in the mix. I did it last.
So it's great. It's a family, the family operation. But

(41:46):
here it is QB Index. After week four, UM, Mark's
writing Lamar Jackson number two. This is his his profile. Wow,
Lamar is up at number two. Through season and subsequent
offseason of endless storm clouds, waves of chaos and l fortune.

(42:06):
Lamar Jackson never blinked. The renewed emphasis on Lamar's legs
and the Ravens running game is overshadowed how big plays
with his arm left the Patriots, Bills and Bengals looking
like soaking school children who lost their umbrellas. The volters
circling around Lamar now resemble bright yellow chickadees with the
only foul carcass in the a f C North lying

(42:29):
a nert to the north in Cleveland. I will use that.
You absolutely should like that would be a little inside
joke just between us and uh. We need the Browns,
the stink, We need that Lamar to come through strong.
I guess you could move the ranking around if you did.
Did see were full on? You know, Lamar, for a

(42:49):
guy that's already an m v P, does have a
lot of people in the football cognance sent They who
are deep in his corner and will go out of
their way to pump them up. Greg's one of them,
for example. UM like I saw a report, the latest
report Lamar Jackson throwing incredible spirals this summer it's like, well,

(43:09):
do you want to be pay I think in the
past there. You're right though, that there's been some off
season hype for the Lamar lovers out there that like that,
like he's really been focused on his passing he wasn't happy,
and that he's added fifteen pounds of muscle and it
might all be nonsense, but if you're so inclined to

(43:31):
believe in Lamar, and they really did kind of focus
their off season on I think rebuilding that running game,
that that was more of the idea that that's gonna
be the bedrock. I I do think they've got a
tough schedule early, but it wouldn't surprise me here. Lamar,
I don't love the group is problematic. But if he

(43:52):
if he's beating the Patriots, Bills, and Bengals, um all right.
So that's something I feel like you really want to happen,
but you actually feel it. Yeah, I think I think
Lamar and the I think Lamar is set up for
an excellent season and the Ravens are set up for
an excellent bounce back. And actually one of those lines

(44:13):
in the article I lifted exactly from a Mark Sessler
right up of the Ravens from last year. Well done,
well done, all right, let me um, it's the storm clouds,
waves of chaos and ill fortune. No one has written
waves of chaos on this site other than Mark. Like
if anybody else wrote it, you would be kind of
flagged as a plagiarist. I love you, buddy, I love you.

(44:37):
Also know that was love through um plagiarism. I don't think.
I don't think stuts. If he were to meet me,
maybe he would feel differently. You know what, even just
putting my myself in the mind of Mark Cessler, I
think opened me up. Like that line I said, they
looked like soaking school children who lost their brother. That
was good. I should I should use lines like that.

(44:59):
Why if you walk away from QB index, there's you know,
two big um columns per week? Is is is a grind?
I got the picks um, I've done QUB. I was
really happy that you Pring did it last year just
to pick I'm just doing the picks um and just
timing of the working weeks. We've got a lot, we've
got more talking to do this season, um and so

(45:22):
two big column A little worried about power rankings this year,
bringing it back to us. See you're on one, that's
what's like four columns and one? What if I get
like three weeks and then I'm like, this is not
for me. A little like four four columns? Are you
okay with? That is a lot of work? Mark? Are
you worried about maybe that could affect Marks performs on
the show if QB index turns into a bear, that
would become not Mark's fault but yours. No. I think

(45:43):
Mark is like Lamar right now, He's in the best
shape of his life and he's going to be cranking
at least through week four. I worry more about it.
Wouldn't in theory, I'd be better on the show if
I'm doing more and more work. Right, I'm gonna circle
back to Tampa Bay. As I hinted at earlier, my
fearless prediction is that the Bucks are going to be

(46:06):
let's say one in three um after four weeks, and
there will be panic in the streets, and a lot
of it does go back to what Mark said about
the uncertainty around that offensive line with Ryan Jensen most
likely out for the year. Then you look at the
schedule schedule makers. NFC South is typically a pretty decent
place to be, but it doesn't start out well for

(46:26):
the Bucks at all at Dallas to twelve and five
team in their building at New Orleans, Dang, they might
be the only NFL team that starts with two road
games and respect and as Marks want to say, the
Colts start at Houston at Jacksonvilleka, George Mark, you love

(46:47):
to talk about how the Saints always take it to
Tom Brady. So at New Orleans in week two, that
building is gonna be on fire home versus Green Bay,
Week three, home versus Chiefs in week four for a team,
for a team with a offensive line, very real issue.
It's that you could were edging into crisis territory. Now

(47:07):
Ali Marpett retired, you have Ryan Jensen, as they said,
out for the year. Most likely who else did they lose?
They lost Kappa, they lost the guard there. So there
the three new interior blockers needed time to gel and
I think there's going to be a lot and other
fearless prediction here, Mark Wahlberg, through the people let me
in the f and house is a lot of people

(47:29):
are gonna take that and wrongly put it on Brady
and say Brady is getting old. Fine, not anymore. Listen,
you own up and you move on. People will think
it's Brady because Brady will be struggling statistically, and he's
gonna be getting hit a lot, and they're gonna say, well, well,
without a good offensive line, and he's another year older.
Maybe this is the end. Spoiler alert, It is not

(47:50):
the end, but it will not. It will not begin well.
They had troubled a couple of years ago when they
won the Super Bowl. They were a little slow out
of the gate. I mean, there are different reasons for that,
but I could totally see that does he rough month
of game that is fearless though, I'm definitely not on board.
To me, the Bucks despite losing Jensen and that that's
a pretty big one. J C. Treader would be a

(48:10):
nice pick. It takes time even to me, who's an
upgrade from Kappa. So that's one guards. But they did
draft a second round pick. You know, Brady makes these
guys look better. I kind of I'm buying into that.
Julio fits in here as like a nice piece. They
just have so many weapons on both sides of the ball.
The record after four weeks those that's a tough schedule.

(48:34):
I would probably if I had to pick through go
three and one to shape. If they're three and one
out of the gate here this year, to me, I
would put them in the bills as like the two
best rosters and the two teams. I think that I
would have the hardest time scene struggling, Like at any point,
do you worry at all about Todd Bowles? Oh, thank

(48:56):
you for bringing it up, Todd Bowles, Like we all
talked too. We're happy you've got another chance too. It
was kind of behind the a ball with playing coaching
for the Jets, but it is that's a big change
for the team as well. And you just, um, you
wonder if there's just going to be an early season
adjustment period and the team will come out eventually starts law.
That's what I predict, fearless and Jensen. Jensen is the

(49:19):
guy they prioritize the most in this free agent class
where we didn't know who they'd be able to bring back.
You know, they got Godwin back, but it's like they
really put Jensen even ahead of Carlton Davis and some
of their other guys. That's how important he was to them.
Then you mentioned Chris Godwin not healthy early and not
healthy right now either. So he's been cleared for the
beginning of camp with that a c L. But it

(49:40):
might take some time. Lavante David that Harlett Liz Frank
also an issue stuff. So there you go, all right,
how about you? I feel like I nailed that one.
Greg's was right? What do you mean, Well, Gregg's was
based on me, So why would that not? Why would
it would be just a ruin more for style over
substance here, I'd I think it was a good Uh,

(50:01):
it was a good entry point to it and better
out of the first two. That's a tough call what
he can be. Honest, I won't get mad if you
feel don't do not answer this question, Gaber unless it's me.
You can't win this. See here's the thing. It's like,
you can hype up a fan base or you can
cast doom and gloom over a fan base. And I
do feel like Greg's decision to hype up the Ravens

(50:23):
might be better taken, better energy. Yeah, that doesn't mean anything,
but when it comes to accuracy, Oh that's what I'm
looking for. Probably who knows? Who knows? We should be
feelings though not pandering too fan bases. Would you wouldn't
you agree as a producer of the show. That's true.
That's a kind of our bread and butter. Right, what
was in the right up by the Guardian? What did

(50:43):
they say? What we do? We are ruthless, honesty, you
what we're about? So not just hey, I'm gonna make
you feel good. Stick to the integrity of the fearlessness
of the segment. All right, Mark, how about you? All right,
let's stay in the NFC South. Um. I thought a
lot about this because this came to me and I'm
a little concerned. Um, this is not pandering to anyone.
This is this is this is um a different way

(51:05):
to do it. Baker Mayfield wins the job in Carolina.
Start right there. Things start swimmingly as Baker throws a
pair of gutsy fourth quarter touchdowns to slay the Browns
and the opener we all want to see that happen.
The offense stumbles from there, though, as the team drops
three straight against the Giants, Saints and carts. Baker's killer
interception against Arizona, which seals the team's tumble in overtime,

(51:29):
propels coach Matt Rule to announce that Sam Donald will
start the team's Week five tilts against San Francisco. Rules.
Master plan goes awry, however, when Donald is sent to
the hospital for observation after being overwhelmed by a gang
of children. This is this is all the rage in
America right now. Child gangs is huge in America right now.

(51:53):
They swarm the streets, they fill the malls, they spin
havoc at will Donald knows this is positive. No, Dwayne
Reid is safe. Know Donald's prognosis is positive. Those kids
just gave him a shiner and stole his clothing. But
the misadventure allows Baker to step in and register a
stunning upset of the Niners and keep the job. Donald
doesn't play another snap in two and struggles to live

(52:14):
down the reality that he was snowed under by a
flock of agitated pre pubescent boys and girls. Wow, so
this wasn't amazing. I mean, first of all, that's what
Cecy does. Know he's got the gang of children. Didn't
see that coming. And then you went to the end
of the season, so the fearless prediction is now well
passed week for Baker keeps the job all year. I

(52:38):
like it. I like that you said like like it
was nothing. The Panthers destroy the Browns in Week one,
like we all want to see what what world are
we living? Well? I think I think if you're like
the the Justice Angle of like Baker having revenge would
be a sweet storyline. Still not dubious, but I'm curious
what Mark Sessler's headspaces one. He's a top ten football insider. Well,

(53:03):
I know that where's not gonna be Week one of
the Browns are playing on Sunday. I don't feel much
towards them right now. I'm just gonna be more of
a agnostic as they say, Um, you know, Greg, before
I swing it back to you, mine is also Panthers related,
So why don't we just knock them out together? So much? Panthers? Yeah,

(53:24):
you know what we're all about? The NFC South apparently tonight. Um,
there's always a team, always a team that gates gets
out of the gates quickly and then are quickly you know,
reality takes hold, like the Panthers. Last last year, it
was the Panthers. This year it's gonna be the Panthers.

(53:44):
Back to back year is here? How is Here's how
the Panthers season begins. I think Mark might have mentioned
some of the opponents, but I'll just go over it again.
Home against Cleveland at New York Giants, home against Saints,
home against Cardinals. Three home games. Yes, some tough games
in there, but also Saints and Cardinals in your building.

(54:06):
I like Jamis Winston on the road. I never have
fear about that. Who knows what we're getting with the
Cardinals destroyed him early last year. Yes, that's true. We
also don't know what the Cardinals gonna look like. No,
DeAndre Hopkins early. The Giants are the Giants, and until
they show that they're not the Giants, they're still the Giants.
And the Browns are middling team. We know even though
Deshaun Watson still we don't have any answer on that,

(54:27):
and there was report today we don't won't get one
this week either, So at some point Deshaun Watson's situation
will be made clear, but it's not there yet anyway,
Long story short, I don't know who's gonna start, probably Baker.
I think the fans and Caroline are all about Baker. Well,
I've told you that that's that's the case, right Marx
made his fearless prediction. Um, I know Donald badly outplayed

(54:49):
Baker day one of camp. Then I believe it's gone
the other way. They are splitting reps. It was Donald
first team day one, it was Baker first first team
day two, and they're splitting rep stay three. So so
far Rule is very much playing this right down the middle.
And I see, say, with a healthy Christian McCaffrey, now
that Robby Anderson has dropped the y and is now

(55:11):
R O B B I E. I think that's going
to create some positive juice. And uh, I see them
starting three and one and people getting pumped up. Well,
I like the I E move for Robbie. He's right,
it does look better. That was his explanation. It's just
like it's just late in the game to do it.
I don't know. It feels like he's pivoting off of
the Darius leonard Um to the dinner table on that right.

(55:34):
I I think this the off season so long that
you come around on some teams, and I'm not. I
haven't come around in the Panthers mattering, but I do
think that they have a lot of professional football players
and adding Baker to a much improved offensive line on paper.
I don't think Matt Rule has been a terrible like offense,

(55:54):
Like everyone's like, how is this gonna fit with Ben McAdoo.
It's like it's a Matt Rule offense, Matt Star. I
don't think Matt Rule is going down in his career
by handing over the keys to his entire offense to
Ben McAdoo. It's a Matt Rule system which gets rid
of the ball quickly. Baker's got to learn how to
do that. But I think for the most part has
done a good job like getting his getting the ball.

(56:14):
The playmakers like, there are a lot of players here.
The defense, while they're like statistical rankings were overinflated, also
have a lot of professional players. Their secondary is kind
of fun if J. C. Horne is healthy. I don't
think this is a good team, but it's it's one
of those teams that it's like, it's not that hard
to win seven games in the NFL, and they feel
very much like a team that can at least win

(56:36):
seven games and and sometimes you win three out of
the first four. Again, but the Falcons one seven year ago.
I also say like the Panthers were stymied by the
loss of Christianacaffrey again and the worst quarterback play in
the league. And uh, to be clear, I do believe
they help will have fast start, but I think just
like last year, they'll fade. So I don't know what
these predictions are. We don't know, right. I can only

(56:57):
tell you that they'll be three and one and I
won't be buying in on October four. They'll be like,
nice start and you won't be caught off guard. I
will not. And I will also say I'm kind of down. Um,
I'm kind of down with this quarterback battle because Greg,
as you pointed out, we don't have enough of them anymore.

(57:17):
And I'm just looking at the Charlotte Observer. In the
past hour, new Cole and Sam Donald led a two
minute touchdown drive and made the throw training camp thus
far wasn't enough to win the day against Baker and Mayfield.
This is great. This is gonna go all through the
next few weeks. He's like he's throwing ed. I love
this stuff. I love the Geno lock battles. Supposedly Gino

(57:38):
had that doesn't sound like a battle day no, but
that Gino also supposedly had like the worst possible Day
two or he was just like fumbling, like snaps over
and over. Alright, how about another one? Alright, um my,
this is another um preview of NFL dot com content.
Uh on October five? Is it Tuesday Week four? Tuesday

(58:02):
October four Power rankings coming in at number twenty the
Houston Texas and here's the content. The old zuser doesn't
know what to do with these three and one Texans.
One point went over the Colts, and the opener was
all about special teams, and it's tough for dan zeus
to get excited when they dispatched the moribund Bears and

(58:24):
three and Sunday's win was a classic case of Chargers
gonna charger. Still, the old New Blue Eyes has to
admit a fondness for Davis Mills. It is becoming impossible
to ignore the eradicable greatness that Cayamie Fairband has given
the world after another game winner, especially to Daddy Rich.

(58:49):
Oh shoot, um, I like the style. I think you
hit some points. I didn't even know one of the
words that was that was both of years. I lifted
an actual sentence, and the irradicable greatness of Coamie Fairbaron
was actually an actual quote. When he hit a banger

(59:10):
game winner. I've never I've never used any of my
nicknames in written content, but otherwise I enjoyed it quite
a bit. It would be funny if you did, but
because you haven't it it would be funny if self
contained in the student because that's only one team that
you you would have used four or five nicknames if
you did that for every team. So the Texans at

(59:33):
three and one and that schedule, okay, but you're not
buying in really because there's three and one. They barely
beat the Colts. It's like you could see that happening. Uh.
They got the Bears early, which is a winnable game.
They did beat the Chargers last year, like there is
a route here for them. I do think they're team.
They're a little like the Panthers to me that I
think they're going to be a lot more competitive than

(59:53):
people than they were the last two years. Put it
that way, all right, that would be a surprise. And
like a lot of veterans, they're not a young team.
They're one of the like older teams. They signed a
lot of like Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison and I
actually kind of believe in this coaching staff to get
these guys to play like respectable football and to just

(01:00:15):
be a respectable team and win some games. Smith around
the NFL guest, you know he was. He was a
wonderful He was a wonderful guest. Enjoy talking to him.
He seemed to have a really good perspective about where
he was in his career back in February. Maybe that's
changed this then, Well that's what David Culley thought a
year ago, which I hope. You know, they've got to
have a little more consistency there. Uh, David Cully should

(01:00:36):
have never lost his job. But that's neither here nor there.
I'm tapped out. Do you have another one? Mark? I
have a couple of quick ones, Okay, I kind of
struggled to come up with. UM. I just wanted to
be honest about things that came to me, and these
could Let's see, this will all happen by week four. Um,
we will be deluged with a controversy that becomes known
as bounty Gate. Two point Oh that's going to be annoying. Okay,

(01:00:58):
say yeah, you gotta say some of these for the
sandwich props before, these are different. These are different, um,
Erica tamp Posey will become a national figure of interest
when during the Rams victory over the Niners on Monday
Night Football and Week four, she rips across the field
during the third quarter to tackle a burly male streaker.
WHOA that would be a great hero moment. So like security,

(01:01:22):
she's on security for the Rams. She just feels it's
in her purview and abilities to take the sky out this.
People would love that. People, I think would find that
they might find out later that it was all set
up previously to make Erica a national figure by Erica's
one power. I'm not sure about that one. UM. This
this one, I always feel. Whether the Rams camp next Friday,

(01:01:44):
by the way, yes, and we'll see. We'll see her
unless she hurt her on Mike if she can. She's
not busy tackling drunk strangers right well now, that will
happen a Week four UM one NFL game will be
postponed by Week four by either a and earthquake. Um
I've mentioned that before because I really feel that I'd
say one of those things that may be happy a
year or two later, or be if not an earthquake,

(01:02:05):
a highly unusual weather event involving birds turning on humans.
Um One NFL coach will be fired by week four
due to a scandal involving M d M. A secret
Sessler's greatest hits right now fired through scandal, the natural disaster,
last person running on the field. What else have we got?
I nailed it last year. We got kids attacking people

(01:02:27):
earlier in the episode. Now it's birds. That's a that's happening.
You know, the rolling Stones, they play, the hits they're
gonna play. Satisfaction starting saves them for I guess this
is the last one. We're enjoying them, by the way,
just learning to really lean into it. Kyler Murray introduces
a new end Zone celebration where he pretends to sit

(01:02:48):
on a chair like on an air check right while
flipping through a book and screaming independently study this. I
like that he should do that. He just leans into it.
I really liked his yoga pose. I feel like that
actually is one of the most underrated touchdown celebrations go
in the last few years. And if he pivots to
something like this, that would be excepting, you know, would
be kind of cool to just to show that he's

(01:03:09):
got more edge now. Uh, and he's pumped up. He
could start in the yoga pose and then when the
camera the fox runs in with the camera guy, he
like explodes, like Mark Wahlberg in Theory, He's like, let
me in the house. The house is the end zone.
I feel like that the culture reference is a little dated,
but it might cause some of the again the zoomers
out there, Beck, what is he? What is he referencing?

(01:03:30):
All of a sudden fear is number one streaming on Netflix.
It's a good strategy for for Netflix. Apparently the yoga
pose was a nod to baby Yoda in Star Wars. So, um,
I'm sounding like a boom or not really even understanding
what what the reference was. Dan doesn't understand that baby yoga,
Baby Yoda. There was always doing that little peah, that's it.

(01:03:57):
Oh yeah, I do have one. Um. Mark asked me
to come up with one when we were doing the
text threat on Sean, we see you on camera, Mark,
you asked for a Titans prediction, but to honor the segment,
I honestly like, fearlessly cannot I'm distracted by what's happening
behind me. I can't fearlessly predict something about the Titans

(01:04:19):
because it fills me with fear that I'll either be
right or wrong. So I have a Cults one and
this tracks with the Houston prediction too. I say Cults
start one in three first four games at Houston at Jacksonville,
verse Kansas City, and then against the Titans at home.

(01:04:39):
You know those division games are always tougher than you think.
Houston Jacksonville. Greg says Houston can beat the Colts. So
you know what's crazy is the Cults have started one
in three twice in Frank Craig's for your career. They're
kind of a team that gets better as the season
goes on. Do you guys know the last time the
Colts won their Week one game Andrew Lux rookie year,

(01:05:03):
Andrew Lux second year in the league in a long time. Man,
that's random, but that is true that Reich's including with
luck has started slow a few times and last year, uh,
they certainly had to dig out of a hole. You
have went three in the division potentially on the game
fearless it is to have a host of a Titans
podcast predicting doom for their arch rivals. That doesn't strike

(01:05:24):
me as fearless. That's that's like, you know, me, you know,
picking on the Jets or something like that. It's pretty
good though, because nobody everybody thinks, you know, the Cults
were a winning team last ye, even as badly these
things ended, and a lot of people think they could be,
you know, in the driver's seat in that divisions where
they're acting like Jesus has returned with Matt Ryan's place.
So far, I believe they are the Vegas favorites, but

(01:05:48):
they are the favorite they implied odds there if you like,
convert the plus minus whatever to imply to odds. It's
like for the Colts thirty five percent for the Titans,
which is kind of a big difference. That's pretty dist
Digger um, before we sign off, good seg. We're all
done right that, yeah, Um. Developing news here out of

(01:06:11):
Buffalo Bills training camp. Nothing too concerning, nobody. Don't get
worried Bills fans, but Greg, this is one of your
making the Leap candidates. Elena Getzenberg reports Josh Allen went
to the ground after Ed Oliver ended up near his
legs on a play. Alan got right back up, but

(01:06:33):
Sean McDermott immediately kicked Oliver off the field. Do not
dive at the kid's legs, not that kid. It sounds
like everyone's healthy, though, yes, does this concern you at
a doghouse at Oliver goes, I thought Ed Oliver was
maybe going to get injured during this. So I'm happy

(01:06:54):
that everyone's healthy. But he has learned a lesson the
hard way. Do not go near It's like, no, you
may not keep practicing in degree heat with pads on
against other three pound men. You will be punished very good. Hey,
one last thing before we go, I had an idea.

(01:07:14):
It might be a bad idea, But the good thing
about this idea is that if it it turns out
to be a terrible idea, it will just be something
that we won't go on. It won't moving forward, it
will never be brought up again. Mhm. It's kind of
like that um that segment we did a few times
that with Baker Mayfield shoot. I wish I had remember

(01:07:37):
what's Greg talking about? You've lost me launching him into
the sun. No. This offseason we were doing the spotlight
you know someone's spotlight. Wait, we could edit all that.
We nail that was a home run side, but then
it went away. We never heard about it. We can't
even remember the name right now, what's it called? Well?
You you described it so poorly. Yeah, that was flashpoint.

(01:07:59):
It was the last point. It's gonna go away like
flash point. Oh that was a bad segment. It was
such a home run. You always say the right thing.
We just did like two of them and then they
were gone, never to be heard. Do you remember that
whenever we flashpointed someone within within a fortnight, they were
the centerpiece of NFL and you don't force it. There

(01:08:22):
wasn't a flashpoint that really came into focus for us
and the world moves on. But trust me, the flash
point will be back, okaywhere it never went away, right,
it's just waiting. It's like it's like a cobra waiting
to strike. I was just noting that. I think it
had two appearances and it hasn't been mentioned since. Well
because you kind of took the l because you thought

(01:08:43):
it was going to be a bad seg and then
it was a good seg. And then just because we
went away from it, you thought, oh I got the
w that's gone. It was m let's go back and
listen to a crystal ball starts. If you're just joining
us and this is what I want to do. Listener,
we have an assignment for you, Grave Digger, you can

(01:09:03):
help fill in the details. The Washington Commanders, you know,
they've got a lot of branding work to do, because
they don't they're not the Redskins anymore. They changed their name.
They're now the Commanders. Everyone knows the famous fight song
Hailed to the Redskins also now irrelevant. It's the funct
they s chew it. Put that record back on the shelf.

(01:09:26):
Put it on the shelf. Now we still have the
music of the song, which sounds like this. I think
this isn't Yeah, it sounds right, great, Digger, what are
the what are the commanders asking their fans to do?
So basically, they put out a tweet they're gonna change

(01:09:48):
the lyrics to their fight song, obviously because the name
of the fight song was their old mascot. And they
basically they just put out two options where they changed
the line that used to be hailed to the word
but the offensive man Scott. Now they have two other options.
Fight for our commanders is one of them, which will
be said twice or leaders on a mission. You can

(01:10:09):
see in context say lines around hail to the commanders,
hail victory, fight for our commanders, fight for old d C. Okay,
now do the other one. Hail to the commanders, hail victory,
leaders on a mission, fight for old d C. So
it's either fight for our commanders or leaders on a mission.
But I don't know neither of those areas getting ready

(01:10:32):
to take command like that they've been cultivating that we're trying.
Uh maybe sometime command how they lock in as those
are the only two options. They both are raw, non police.
Rivera said he liked leaders on a mission. I think
that just is strange. Commanders a couple of times just

(01:10:53):
take command. Well, I was gonna say, if the listeners
wanted to submit a song with their own lyrics, maybe
it'll be better than what they're trying to get. Tap
into the creative So yeah, resources of the fan base. Yes,
if you get your creative juices flowing, great, bigger if
you could send somewhere or whether it's on Twitter or

(01:11:14):
on the subredd or whatever, give them the bed music
and then write your own lyrics to the song. Stay
within it melodically. Uh, take it easy with some of
the certain things. Use some discretion because you understand we
can't play if you go all in on certain figures.
Not to protect certain figures, but we can't play things
about certain figures if you go to on the nose

(01:11:35):
with it. Does everybody know what I'm talking about? I
think so well. I believe you're maybe referring to the
owner who spent twelve hours being deposed by United States
Congress on Thursday. I'm just saying, yeah, you can include facts,
of course, but just stay within reason or we're not
gonna be able to use it, even if it's tremendous.
So keep that in mind. Those are the guardrails. Listen,

(01:11:56):
you have to operate within the guardrails that we have
to operate within if you're gonna be on our air waves.
But send in something graver, uh? Is it? What's our Gmail?
The A t N podcast at gmail dot com? What's
going on in that when you when you go into
that mailbox right now? What what sort of action is happening?
I have never checked it? Say it again for everyone,

(01:12:19):
the A T N Podcast at gmail dot com. Now.
I don't want every song version to include this because
then it would be too repetitive, But personally I probably
will give a little extra pop if you can seamlessly,
we've in um maybe we're trying to start to as
we all know, decided to really go ahead and start
to take command. Yeah, I think it's safe in a

(01:12:41):
fun way. You said it, But also we didn't have
to say it. I hope not, because you understand what
we're looking for. That's what's important to us. That needs
to be a major part of the rebranding. So if
you could find a way to work that in, either
with that sound drop itself or within the lyrics that
was both works. What are they gonna do when someone
you know, listening to this creates a better We'll send it.

(01:13:03):
We'll send it along. You never know, if we can,
if we feel like we could send it along without
getting fired, we will send it along. And if it's
just funny, we'll play it on the show and that
will be that. That's a great unless it goes too
far again future for it to go off the guard rails.
We'll listen to it privately and maybe chuckle, but then
you won't hear it, and the listeners won't it so

(01:13:25):
good that they make it the song. And this is
a team that frankly hasn't gotten or deserve much positive
media coverage in a while. What a way to China.
Change the narrative, then align with us, align with the song.
It's a happy, feel good story. Why why is this
the idea coming from our show? This should have been

(01:13:47):
their idea. They choose between these two lines. No, a
lot of commanders in Washington, d C. And the Pentagon
working in anything that the pen got an angled. I
guess that's where they were going with leaders if the
Pentagon the Pentagon business every time with them like lauding

(01:14:08):
the Pentagon. Now it just it's like the guy go
in a different direction. Listen. I know a lot of
unsavory things happen in the Pentagon. It is it is
the home of our defense center essentially of this nation
and our armed forces. Um. But the fact that you're
so defiant about it, it strikes me as funny. And
I'm mcgreg I know agrees. I'm having a weird day.

(01:14:33):
All right. Uh, we'll be back big week next week.
Connor or team Slogans will join us uh Tuesday, and
then where at RAMS camp on Friday. Thank you for listening.
We're back until next week. He's a call

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