September 5, 2025 • 42 mins
On the last edition of NFL Gameday View, the crew previews the 2025-26 NFL season with game previews, player analysis, rookie projections and Super Bowl picks.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Everybody, Welcome to Game Debut, Patrick Clave, I'm back here
with my dear friends Greg Rosenthal and Cynthia Freeland picking
all the games of the week. One slate. To borrow
a turn of phrase from a dear friend and a
football savant.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Football's let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Look, you know everything changes every season, but this show,
we're back.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
This is seven seasons. Game debut, You and I Cynthia,
let's go.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
I can believe it's already seven. That feels very special.
That's almost ten.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And then you get in there which is like the
part of the show where Cynthia gets.
Speaker 6 (00:41):
The brag the music. I'm just happy to be back.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, congratulations to the institution that is this show, which
is now I think in second grade. So a lot
has happened on Game Debut. Let's take a look at
our final pickstandings from last year. Go ahead and put
that digital crown atop Cynthia Freeland's head, winning a triple crown,
ghetting the Super Bowl pick, winning the regular season and
(01:07):
the postseason. And now we hear from our ruler and
leader after twenty twenty four. Cynthia Freeland.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
I mean, I get to wear the crown here. It's
really fun. I've been to a lot of therapy where
I'm supposed to be like, oh, I'm really proud of myself,
but I'm actually ready to move on to the next season.
Speaker 6 (01:23):
I can't.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I'm just it makes me a little uncomfortable to be
in that position, but I just gotta keep going.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you, Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I mean, more impressive than that record is that you
nailed the exact super Bowl prediction in winner the Eagles
before last season over the Chiefs. That's more impressive than
any record.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
A spectacular season, easily, Cynthia is the favorite. If we're picking,
we're to talk about us picking who's gonna win this year,
We're gonna take Cynthia Freeland.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I mean I did win two years in a row.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Okay, all right, Anyway, I had to mention it had
so speaking of therapy and wanting to do better, this
is how this season ended for the Baltimore Ravens. They
squared off against the Bills in the Divisional round. Of
less than two minutes to go, Mark Andrew dropped the
would be game time two point conversion. The Bills won
by those two points, advancing to the AFC Championship, and
(02:12):
now it's an opportunity for Revans a monster rematch Sunday
night in Buffalo, Josh Allen against Lamar Jackson, the league's
last two MVPs going at it on Sunday night football.
How do you see this one going great?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
I think it's gonna be similar in a lot of ways,
including the score twenty seven to twenty five, except this
time the Ravens come out on top for a reason
that really was consistent in both Ravens Bills games last year.
It's the running attack of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
The Bills in the first game had a lot of
(02:47):
light boxes, not a lot of defenders up near the
line of scrimmage, and Derrick Henry had one of the
best games of his entire career. So in the playoff game,
they actually loaded the box more than they did almost
all season, tripled the amount of defenders in the box,
and you know what, they still ended up with one
hundred and seventy six yards on the ground. Can we
over five yards for carry? Justice Hill was very effective.
(03:07):
This is a great one to two punch in the
first game. By the way, Justice Hill through the air
goes for seventy eight yards as a receiver, So I
just love that. Whether you want to play with a
lot of defenders to try to stop the run, or
you play back in a little more conservative either way,
the Ravens are going to get theirs. I think they
are more consistent because of that running game, and they
(03:28):
win twenty seven to twenty five, not really revenge.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That it's not really revenge because you can't wipe away
what happened. Obviously, the way that the game end was
exceedingly disappointed for Ravens fans as well as Mark Andrews.
But I really think the run game decides a lot
in the way that Buffalo approached the things. But the
pass rush is what forced Buffalo to change things and
run the ball more in the playoff game because you
(03:52):
go back. The pass rush really bothered Josh Allen in
the regular season game, pressured in forty four percent of
his dropbacks. That's the second highest in the game against
Josh Allen the last two seasons. So they come out
in the playoffs pound the rock with six or more
offensive linemen in the playoffs twenty two percent of the time.
I feel like the Ravens are prepared for both circumstances
this time around, and not turning the ball over a
(04:13):
multitude of times also helps. I've got the Baltimore Ravens
twenty six to twenty four speak.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Well, I have twenty six to twenty four as well.
But for the other team, when I'm looking at what
goes on with the Bills, you actually brought it up.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
You said that they adapt.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Oh it's a prime number, guys, our Famaek prime number.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
We like this.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
But here's the thing you talked about it they adapted.
They added an extra offensive lineman. You know why, because
they wanted that man, Josh Allen, to have the game
that he is going to have every single time. He's
super consistent. When you're talking about an O line that
can help out. Watching the preseason games, o Cyrus Torrence
might even have gotten better, which is wild because he
(04:51):
was already very good. So I'm looking at the opportunity here.
Which of the pass catchers.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Yeah, I don't know. I can tell you what my
math forecast.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
It's not spectacular in terms of top five receiving numbers
for any single one of them. But I will say
that that kind of we don't know who what's going
to be also translates to what the Ravens have to
deal with, who's it going to be. We do know
that Josh Allen has twenty seven rushing touchdowns over the
past few seasons, so so I don't expect that to change.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, expecting both of these games to be as long
as eight and seventeen are on the field, the Ravens
and the Bills will be pretty good. Time for Who's
Eating Good presented by Applebee's here on Game Dayview, Greg
Who in terms of these star quarterbacks has more total touchdowns,
Lamar and Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I will go Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I think he has the easier matchup on Sunday night.
When you look at what the Bills did in that
second one, and we're going back to because it was
the last game, they were extremely creative. It was a
team that had gotten better and better all throughout the season.
I think right now is the time to play this
Bills defense, not totally healthy in the preseason, figuring out
what's going on at cornerback and safety.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Usually that's the bedrock.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Of these Bills defense, and there's a lot of question marks,
so I don't think they'll be ready to be as
multi pull as they were in that playoff.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Bobby Babbage, he's calling you out looking.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Bobby Babbage, who runs the Bills defense, did a great job.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Good job, Bobby. I just think he's got a harder
job this time.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yere, he's got Bullton board material? Does Bobby Babbage? Back
in June, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers made a flash
signing future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at forty one
years young, he's the oldest player in the NFL. Says
he's pretty sure this is gonna be it for him
playing football Pittsburgh hoping Aaron can lead them to their
first playoff win since the twenty sixteen season. It is
(06:36):
Rogers and the Steelers kicking things off against his former team,
the Jets, and Aaron Rodgers looking for revenge after the
Jets wanted Justin Fields more than him. So does he
get it? Great?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Oh, I love how you pointed that out.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Justin Fields is making more American money this year playing
quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. Both these teams wanted Justin Fields
more than Aaron Rodgers. That's one reason why I'm going
with the Jets twenty to seventeen. Aaron Glenn said in
one of his press conferences, we don't want celebrity quarterbacks here.
Like the more you watch football, the more it stays
the same. That's what Bill Parcells used to say, the
(07:09):
exact same quote. Justin Fields might not be a celebrity quarterback,
but he's effective. He had his best season as a
passer a year ago. I think they're going to focus
on his strength. It's going to be all about the
running game. And ultimately, I don't think either one of
these offenses is really going to get that much going.
But the run game that I trust more is with
(07:29):
the Jets in Bresaw, Braylen Allen and Justin Fields.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah. Maybe Aaron Rodgers getting paid in rubles or reals or.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I'm just saying it's kind of wild. It's twenty twenty five,
Justin Fields out here. Is the market's telling you he's better?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, Aaron Rodgers still one of the best quarterbacks in
the league, getting the ball out of his hands very quickly.
The problem is he had the fourth lowest completion percentage
in passes that were thrown under two and a half seconds.
He joins a Steelers offense that actually had a couple
of high scoring games last year. One of those was
against the Jets because the field position was very good
(08:02):
because Aaron Rodgers was playing quarterback for the Jets. In
the union of the Steelers and the Jets is not
necessarily something that I'm going to believe in sight unseen
because we haven't really seen it. I've got the Jets
getting there revnch against Aaron Rodgers twenty to sixteen s
in the other well.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
I guess we're just gonna sign up for two. Is
this whole show gonna be prime numbers?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We'll see pay blo pleap, plea, blu pleap.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Steelers fans, please back me up on this one.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
I took a two point win.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Four Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. It's twenty one to nineteen.
Speaker 6 (08:31):
Let's just talk about Aaron Rodgers for a second.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
But did you guys also forget Elijah Arrah. Tucker's not
going to keep.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
That could be a problem for the Jets.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
But in this particular matchup and watching Aaron Rodgers, I'm
thinking about Okay, Johnny Smith, there, you know what those
tight ends do for Aaron Rodgers, The answer is a lot.
I think this is a situation where Aaron Rodgers is
going to have what I'm gonna call a mid season,
meaning his stats are gonna look mid They're not going
to look anything like they look to those MVP seasons
when he was a Green Bay Packer, but they're not
(09:01):
going to also look kind of like what you were
talking about with those quick passes not working.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
He also threw the five interceptions on those fast passes
last season. It's not gonna look like that either.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
It's gonna be somewhere in between, and that will be
just good enough in this matchup to best the Giant
or the Jets.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Right. The Steelers signing Rogers was one of the most
newsworthy stories of the offseason. I'd say was because a
couple of months later, the Packers and the Cowboys made
the biggest trade I can remember. The pride is still
let this league. The protest still up right out. The
pride is still let this a.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Person person punch him down. It bus he's sacked again.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Wow, We're gona never turned over.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
We're gonna come due.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I mean, we had loved it and Bryce young never
had a chance, so he gets going like that.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
It is literally like he is hunting.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You wrote about vera players. Mom, I'll look at the
odds to win the NFC nor according to our friends
over at Caesar Sportsbook that note at the bottom odds
subject to change. That's because they did when Michael park
Since got traded to the Green Bay Packers. Now right
there at plus one eighty, right behind the Detroit Lions
to win the NFC North and the two favorites in
(10:13):
the North s wearing off Sunday in Lambeau. Cynthia, your
Lions looking for their four straight win in Green Bay?
Do they get it?
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Yes, by the narrowest of margins. Twenty four to twenty
three is what my math says. Don't be tricked by
recency bias.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
You know what that means.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
It means that Micah Parsons being traded is a big deal.
But sometimes so too is Aiden Hutchinson returning for the Lions.
When you look at this defense, I don't know, they
get like three hundred and fifty people back from injury
lasses approximately, I think that was the number. I think
they had to spend like their entire cap on just
injury replacements.
Speaker 6 (10:46):
But the pace that Aiden.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
Hutchinson was working on last season prior to getting hurt
was an MVP level pace. It was possibly defensive or
Defensive Player of the Year at least, if not even more. Right,
So you're watching what happens there and you're thinking about, Okay,
who has the defense with the back end to support
it and Branch, Yeah, he's still there. So I'm looking
at how the back in the front works together, and
(11:08):
I think that gives the Lions an edge.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
I'm also hoping for it.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
But you know, as Lions fans, we all get like
the better nails and we get very worried. But I'm
glad the math kind of match my heart.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I hear you on the recency bias. I'm amazed that
the Packers are favored in this game because the Lions
have absolutely owned Matt Lafleur's Packers during Dan Campbell's tenure.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I don't think that changes.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
I think the Lions win by a touchdown here, thirty
two to twenty five, a nice high scoring game, in
part because the Lions are adding players like Isaac to Slaw.
This is what the preseason and training camp is all about.
Matt Jones walked so that Isaac Slow can fly. Let's
go from Arkansas. I mean, look at these plays as
(11:49):
if they needed to get any deeper in terms of
their weapons. You not only have to Slaw, but you
have Sam Laporta of course, Jameson Williams in a contract year.
And you look at the Packers meanwhile, I think they're
getting them the Lions at the right time of year.
Because the Packers all their weapons were hurt in training camp,
they haven't practiced much together. I think the Lions take
training camp in the preseason more seriously.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
They come out flying, usually in Week one.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Think back to last year when they beat the defending
champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I think they get the win.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I will take a tendency breaker and have our first
stray bond of the twenty twenty five season and go
with a narrow margin as well. But for the home
team twenty nine to twenty eight Green Bay Packers, another
year for Jordan Love in the Lafleor offense. But there's
an unsung hero somehow, and Josh Jacobs, who very very
quietly had a good year, forced ninety six misstackles one
(12:42):
of the places he in Green Bay. Excelled was running
the ball out of the shot gun, number five in
the league, where Detroit was number twenty six on defense.
Albeit that includes the three hundred and fifty players and
staff personnel, everybody, folks working in the Ford field. They
got hurt last year. But it's a place where the
Packers can have success, and I think they will finally
have success at home against the d Troit Lions. I'll
(13:05):
be all alone here. We'll just getting started. On game debut.
Up next, CJ. Stroud heading to La to take on
Matt Stafford and the Rams. There's so much star power
in this one. We're expecting from fireworks. We'll get picks
for who wins the game. Coming up next on game debut.
Back on game debut with NFL Plus, Keep the NFL
in reach. Stream live local and primetime games on mobile
(13:27):
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APLI time for seas the season presented by Caesar's Sportsbook.
(13:50):
As we look at the first touchdown score odds, Kyron
Williams far and away leading the game in so far,
ahead of Nicocollins, Pukinakua, Davante Adams, and Nick Chubb at
plus nine hundred, all those names stars in action, Texans
and Rams Sunday at so far. Stroud versus Stafford, the
youngster versus the savvy Bett and Champion. What do you
(14:12):
see taking place? Correct?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I see a lot of defense on both sides, especially
the Texans. I have them winning seventeen to fourteen, Like
sometimes it takes the offense to get a little bit going.
And there's so much talk about the Rams young pass rush.
The best edge rush duo in the entire NFL is
with the Houston Texans, Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter like
Jared vers like they're.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Great, But the Texans sack artist.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
They finished plays more consistently, And I am a little
worried about the matchup, not just with Matthew Stafford's back injury,
but with Alric Jackson coming off these blood clots. We'll
see if he plays in this game, but he hasn't
been able to practice too often. And then on the
other side, it's Rob Havenstein, who's getting up there in years,
has had his injury concerns. I think that is a mismatch,
(14:56):
and if Stafford is having to get rid of the
ball quickly, I ultimately think that this Texans defense is
the single most special group in this game, and they
get the road win.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I'm right there with you, Greg, I've got a Texans
win twenty five to twenty as well. The Stafford question,
obviously is one of the most important questions in the
entire NFL. But I have no questions about this Houston
Texans defense. Greg talked about the pass rush. Let's discuss
the cornerbacks and Derek Stingley and Lassiter as well. They
allowed the lowest, the second lowest completion percentages, and first
(15:26):
lowest completion percentages as the nearest defender at corner according
to Next Gen Stats. That's every corner in the NFL.
The number one and number two both play for the
Houston Texans. Obviously, all right, d'aneil Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
Have a lot to do with that, But yeah, all
four of these guys are on the same team. I'm
taking them to beat the Rams this weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
Cythe well, fire up that prime number grad another long
like heavy favorite for Cynthia.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
This is how you win.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
I am don't you. I don't pick for you. I
pick for me.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Twenty three to twenty two is what I have for
the home team here in the Rams, I will say
my gut to say a little bit more Houston, but
we go by math. I wrote my own code, so
it's my own math that we're talking about here. And
I want to talk about what happens when you add
Devonte Adams to a Puka nakoul offense with the Matthew
Stafford and a side of Kayle Williams and all of
(16:19):
these other number one it does help figure things out
with an O line with some questions. I've got questions for.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
O lines on both sides of this matchup.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
I don't trust the Texans O line necessarily yet either
Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I have to believe if.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Sean McVay says he's ready to go, that he's ready
to go. I've also seen him play with like I
think his shoulder was actually you know, off his body,
maybe his arm like a mannequins or else when he
played for the Lions like this, is a really tough player.
Maybe that's later in the season it's more of an issue.
But I think in this matchup, even against that horribly
difficult defense, I have the home team pulling it out, and.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I'm starting to get nervous that Cynthia's lead will expand.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Or it could be terrible.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
It could go terrible.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You can go a couple of different ways.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Caleb Williams was the face of college football and this
kid is something else.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
Ri They bird pick, Chicago Bears collect Caleb william changing
a culture and an identity of an offensively challenged football team.
Man down goes Candleb Williams, Canada Troubles, Williams wrapped up
drop whos have.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Rained down on the Bear?
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Kevin Owen. Ben Johnson is the Chicago Bears head coach.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
There hasn't been a four thousand yeard asser here in
this franchise.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And I think Caleb is gonna be the first one.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Maybe when this starts the sea touchdown, the Bears are back, Baby.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Calb Williams and the Bears playing host of the Vikings
Monday Night. J J. McCarthy making his first career start.
How does the Ben Johnson era begin? In Chicago synth
with that.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Crazy old scream of william Anyways, Caleb Williams takes this one.
It's a narrow upset home win for the Bears. I
have twenty two to twenty one in this matchup.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Okay, let's talk about Kayleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Right.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
We talked about the interier of the old line all
offseason for some reason. Is that going to be different
against the Vikings. I know that defense is good and
Brian Flores is gonna bring the heat.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
You know he's gonna blitz.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
But you know, we else knows that Ben Johnson and
he had a lot of answers for Jared goffin company
against this blitz. Go look at what happens with Minnesota
versus Detroit when Ben Johnson.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
Was the architect.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
And I think we're gonna get that little scream that
you know, I thought it was safe for the draft,
but apparently he screams like that.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
I'm learning things on our show too. He screams like
that all the.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Time, and that's how I'm screaming in the fact that
we're actually on the same page in this one. I
have the Bears winning at home by one twenty one.
To twenty. It was a league high fifty seven unblocked
pressures for Kayleb Williams and his rookie season. That's a
record in the Next Gen Stats era for rookie quarterbacks.
The time in obviously was all messed up both on
(19:06):
the field and on the sideline for the Chicago Bears.
But when things did work out, Caleb Williams was fonding
Romo Dunsay. The two rookies connected in several spots. But
watch some of these throws. The timing is still off,
even on the successful plays to Romodonsay where he's slowing
down coming back to the ball. Just an increase, as
Cynthia mentioned, adjusting and having the timing being on point
(19:29):
against the blitz, not against the blitz. That's what I
have to hope for because we haven't seen it yet.
I think we see it London.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Oh yeah, the timing, it'll all be figured out by
week one against Brian Flores in this master's level defense
that his safety Josh Mattela said, they were undergraduates before
their masters.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
Now, who's an undergraduate? Like the starter for the Vikings
were who you're taking?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I am taking the Minnesota Vikings in this game, and
it's something for just Greg Nation to get excited about
it because.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
They're winning this game.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I mean, this is year three of Brian Flores, right,
That's why you're in the Masters program. They expedited, that's
studying over the last couple of years. This is positionless football.
It'll scramble your brain. Their first day of school over
there in Chicago, they're struggling to get plays off in
the preseason at different points. This is the last team
you want to play in Week one. I just think
(20:22):
you're four of Kevin O'Connell and three of Brian Flores.
They are ready for this type of division game. It's
like I talked about with the Lions Packers earlier. I
think they're catching the Bears at the right time. You
want to play this road game in Week one before
the Bears are who they're going to be Later in.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
This saw Christian Dearrisoz on the injury report, right, well.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
He's coming off a big injury, but they're hoping you
get him back.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yes, and also some pretty positive thoughts about the future
aspirations of the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yes, in a few weeks get better, They'll get better.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
What if they're good now, the Bears and the Vikings
hoping that their quarterbacks someday. In the MVP talk, let's
look at the current odds to win league MVP, Lamar
Jackson and Josh Allen leading the way there. I'll throw
a cavey on it in because apparently the worst thing
you could do to win the MVP is win the
MVP of the year before. So what do you think
greg happens in terms of being the MVP.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
It's one of the reasons why I like Patrick Mahomes
to win the award this year, not only because he's
the best player I've seen enter the league in my
twenty years of covering it, but because the narrative feels
right for him this year. First of all, I think
there will be more big plays because of the weapons
around him and the offensive line. But I also think
it's a season where the voters will look at oh
(21:28):
Mahomes is reminding everyone who he is, like the old
boring Mahomes is gone and we're back. And I can
just see like a coalition of writers getting behind that.
And the numbers really aren't that different between him, Lamar
and Josh Allen. They're basically all favorites. But basically I
would take Mahomes every year for the next five years
and think that's a good game.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Okay, we should let the voters know Patrick Mahomes exists.
It gets silly, So Cynthia, give us a dark horse
MVP candidate.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Finally we're talking no chalk here, Let's talk about Bonix.
You know who is really good at throwing on the
run other than Patrick Mahone.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
B Nicks, Yeah, Kirk Cousins. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
Phonicks had the most passing yards on the run last season.
You know what one of the formulas is for winning MVP,
winning a lot of games, and he's got a great defense. Sure,
he plays in the AFC West, which is difficult, and
Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
Is still there.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
But if you're talking about a quarterback, which is typically
who wins the position, who could be finding himself at
Honors on the stage. Dark horse candidate Phonix not a
lot of letters, but lots and lots of yards.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
If this happens. If this happens, that's it. I'm retiring,
hiring any it's over.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
You're gonna give you a million dollars, all right, So
if you like the stray that Greg fired at Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
We've got direct shots coming up. Michael Pennick Junior is
rocking arm ready to put the league unnoticed the season
according to the way they finished the season last year.
Playing host to Baker in the box Sunday, who has
the edge our answers coming.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
It really does throw pretty well going to his left.
It's underrated thirty four.
Speaker 8 (23:05):
We should be the best in the league. You know,
with the guys who got around us. You know we
got a great officer line as well. You know, those
guys we're assuming hard in the trenches, you know, with
coach Leffer out out there leading those guys, doing a
great job with those guys, you know, we should be unstoppable.
So that's our goal. We want to be number one
in all the categories on the office side the balls.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Lofty expectations for second year quarterback Michael Pennix. And you're
the Falcons playing host of the Bucks. Tampa's won the
division four straight years, they lost a couple times to
this Falcons team. What happens this time? Greg?
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I believe the Bucks get some revenge for losing twice
to the Falcons a year ago. To Kirk cuz no
Kirk this time. It's because the offense of the Buccaneers
it's just a factory at this point. You can roll
out whatever offensive coordinator you want and it works. You
can put any wide receiver into the mix like a
Mecca Abuka and it's going to work. Like you use
j You lose Jalen McMillan for half a season, who
(23:57):
was a really good third receiver scoring a lot of touchdowns.
And you don't have Chris Godwin available for this game,
and yet you have a first round pick because Jason Light,
their general manager, is always building depth and they're really
good at developing players. I love the Bucks offense to
put them over the top.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
Here, Well, I also have the Bucks twenty six to
twenty three. I'm gonna talk about their defense since specifically
Hassan Reddick. Obviously you've got some guys other we love. Well,
this is a vidavea show of record. We love videvea
on the show.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
But when we're.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Talking about figuring out how to navigate the O line
for the Falcons, one of the things Michael Pennix was
talking about was the guys in the trenches in front
of it. Well, you got Cala McGary's not there anymore,
so that's going to be quite difficult to stop what Todd.
Speaker 6 (24:39):
Bowles is going to throw out there this season.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
I think that's gonna be a point of emphasis making
sure this Bucks defense is one that is built in
the vision of Todd Bowles, which maybe last season it
wasn't as much, but tons of pressure this year.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
I'm glad that you guys had some a moderate amount
of points. I've got way more points. I got thirty
one to twenty eight because these two teams played absolute
calculator games this Susan Ago and yes, Kirk Cousins played
well in those games, but the Falcons actually scored more points,
almost twelve more points a game when Michael Pennock Junior
was the starting quarterback. And you know what else got better?
(25:13):
It was Drake London in terms of his opportunity. His
target rate shot up from twenty seven percent to forty
one percent with Michael Pennock Junior playing quarterback, and he
averaged a full two more air yards per target. I
think the reason that Michael Pennock Junior is confident about
what they can do in year two is because of
how good they were when he was the starting quarterback
thirty two points per game with a rookie in the
(25:36):
middle of a playoff race, albeit one that they did
not win. I've got the Falcons in this one, and
I'll be all alone. Tom Forrest to make some quick
picks here on Game Deview. The Panthers and the Jacksonville
Jaguars down in Dubaal. What do is you se happening here?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
One of my favorite picks of the week.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
The Jaguars to win and cover this game twenty seven
to seventeen. I think they've been doing the okie dokee
with Travis Hunter. They've kept them under raps, kind of
like RG three when they unveiled them in twenty twelve.
Travis Hunter moved different, he thinks different. He is going
to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie
of the Year. I don't know if that's available at
(26:12):
see they're sportsbook, but put it on the board. He's
so Hayo Tani. There's never been a player like him.
He can get it done.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Let's go to the Dolphins and the Colts. Danny Dimes
is gonna be under center for Indy. They kept out
under raps but you saw it coming. What happens in
this game since their social media team.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
Gave it away.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
Anyways, Indian Hatless wins this one by two points, twenty
six to twenty four.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
The injury report for Miami is weird. It's long. We
don't know what's gonna happen with it as we're sitting
here right now.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
But one thing I do know is that Jonathan Taylor,
he is consistent. If you look at those ten plus
yard rushes, even with their O line last year that
had some questions, he still did it at such a
high rate at thirty.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
One of them last season. I think he could match
that or.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Best that this season, especially with Danny Dimes not kind
of stealing his vultering his rushing yards.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right, I'll take the last one the Cardinals and
the Saints, and I will take the Arizona Cardinals. We
were all in unison in that mem us away Saints fans.
But let's discuss Alvin Kamara because I understand the oddsmaker's
confidence in this game and the Cardinals being favored, but
for a team that was number twenty eight in rushing
efficiency on a defense a year ago against the Saints
team that I feel will lean heavily on Alvin Kamara
(27:19):
in the game. With Kelvin Banks playing in his first
career NFL game, Telisi Fuaga on the other side, being
a very good run blocker. I don't think you're gonna
have Banks and a whole bunch of pass protection situations
for Spencer Ratler, so they run it, keep it close.
But I do have the Cardinals getting the win in
the Superdome against the Saints.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Barring a miracle, this is gonna be a shocking loss
for faithful who is the game Ten seconds ago I
was counting out.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
All they have to do is win to get in.
We all kid, watch me bye and feel me No.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
The game on the line.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Here comes to Hail Mary God fires in June from
stories JJ gonna throw a Ford Utch football for the
one on that they went over.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Dad. We'll see you in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
You ready for me? The Giants and Commanders Jane Daniels
was Must See TV made Bram wantson Must Listen Radio
last year Russell Wilson's starting for the g Men. Could
the Giants shock the world here, Cynthia?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
They could?
Speaker 5 (28:33):
I think that they will awesome, winning twenty seven to
twenty in this matchup.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
Let's give a little love to Terry McLaurin. Yeah, get it.
We heard a lot of things.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
He's he gonna play holdout, does he win a trade,
YadA YadA. You know how many people had more touchdowns
receiving touchdowns in.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Him last season?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Seventeen one just one and it.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Was actually seventeen touchdowns for Jamar Chase, but he had.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
Thirteen last season.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
I think he quietly is one of those guys who
produces year in and year up. He's maybe not like
one of the more diva e wide receive that tells
you all the things that you need to.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Know about him, but he just produces on the field.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
This is a huge deal, especially when now you've added
Deebo Samuel, so you're gonna have this multitude of different places.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
But maybe he'll even be open for once.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
I love that and I disagree. I mean, I have
the Commanders winning, but one thing about NFL game deviut
is you know, we give you the exact scores, and
so I'm having the Giants cover that line there and
thread the needle.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
But the Commanders win, and it's partly.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Because if they're the draft right, Abdul Carter, I never
knew how to make a signal for right the needle.
I'm not gonna do it. Look, the Commanders didn't cover
six points in either game against the Giants last year.
If you go and look at Danny Dimes and Brian
Dables best games of the season offensively, it was against
this Commander's defense, which to me didn't really get much
(29:52):
better this offseason. I know the quarterback position is important
in football, breaking news like it mattered.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
It's the only reason why the Commanders are any better.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
I actually think the rest of the roster for the
Giants better than the Commander's roster.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
You can make that case. I also will make the
case that it's twenty three to twenty in favor of
the Washington Commanders, and I celebrate this Giants pass rush.
I think a dual Carter can do a lot of
great things, but it's a lot on the shoulders of
Javon Holland to come back and fix the secondary that
had a glaring issue last season. Deep passing teams competing
(30:27):
completed fifty nine percent of their deep attempts against the Giants.
That is the worst in the history of the next
Gen stats era, and I know the twenty twenty four Panthers.
I talked about it a lot, just how statistically they
were bad relative to the entire next Gen stats era.
The Giants were the worst had deep passing, and I
know they played against some pretty good receivers in the
(30:48):
division in aj Brown and yes, Terry McLaurin, who gave
a great pregame speech against the Lions that eventually got
them to the NFC Championship game. Just I'm glad that
Terry McLaren got paid. There's not a lot to look
back at positively for Cynthia, but we can celebrate to McLaurin.
Here on this show, we go from a battle in
the NFC East to one out West San fran and
(31:08):
Seattle getting set to square off. Check out some player
props for this one brought perty at one and a
half passing touchdown, Sam Donald two hundred and three passing yards,
CMC seventy three point five on the ground, George Kittle
sixty three and a half receiving and JSN five and
a half reception. The Giants and Commander's fun game. But
(31:30):
this game pits two division rivals with an opportunity to
get back at it. We get to see Kyle Shanahan
in the mode against the Seattle Seahawks. Where does this
one go? Greg Rosenthal?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I am going with the Seattle Seahawks as I say it,
and I see that, like Sam Donald in his first start,
I'm suddenly not feeling as good.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
But it's about the defense.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
The Seattle Seahawks and Mike McDonald in year two of
this system, to me, are an underrated choice to be
the best defense in the entire NFL. They have depth
and they have playmakers at all three level of their defense.
I love their defensive line Leonard Williams, they move him
around everywhere. Byron Murphy is going to get better and better.
(32:12):
I think DeMarcus Lawrence was one of the most underrated
defensive line pickups in the entire NFL. And then you
look at their secondary with Tarik Wollen and of course
Devin Weatherspoon, and I just try to look at units
that I trust in week one that I feel like
I know the most about.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
There's so many.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Questions about the forty nine ers right now that I
trust the Seahawks defense at home.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
My gut is almost exactly the same as yours, as
any one point win for the Seahawks, and this one,
the lovely number twenty two strikes again. Twenty two to
twenty one is my final projected score. People love twenty two,
people get mess She really love twenty two.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
I mean, all you need is three touchdowns in a
two point conversion with those extra points whatever.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
Man, But I do want to talk about Sam Donald.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
Because this will be interesting to see if the O
line is going to keep the man clean. Sam Donald
had an expert He had an expert season last year
until the end when Christian so I went down and
then we saw what happened with a lot of pressure. Okay,
moving on, let's figure it out. And I think that
this offense is primed to put him in a good
situation to be better along that front.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
Just better enough.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
It doesn't need to be the best do line ever,
just needs to be better enough than it was last
season and.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Put Gino under a lot of pressure.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
So Sam Darnold, to me, this will be a really
interesting test. Obviously, we got a Bosa coming for his life,
but other than that, I'm.
Speaker 6 (33:29):
Very curious to see who we're going to me the West,
the NFC West. It's very very close.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
And one of those teams is going to sneak into
the playoffs that we aren't expecting.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Yeah, I'm echoing your very very close sentiments, including the
one point game, except I have the forty nine Russ
in this game twenty two nineteen on the string out there,
quarterback brock Perty who has never lost playing in the
division against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, he is five
and one total against the Seahawks through his career. And
(33:58):
I know the lot's changed over the years, but George
Kittle playing in this game, Christian Diccaffery, which chameses everything
for the forty nine ers healthy in this game, and
Cynthia mentioned that pressure on Gino Smith last year, there
would have to be a vast improvement in the interior
offensive line for the Seattle Seahawks because imagining Sam Darnold
under that level of pressure is very, very concerning to me.
(34:19):
So I'm completely fine taking a stray bahn on this
one time to check out the odds for the defensive
player of the year, speaking of getting pressure, Mikah Parsons
plus five fifty ahead of TJ. Watt, Aiden Hudginson, Miles Garrett,
and Max Crosby Greg who wins the Defensive Player of the.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Year for this is no fun.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
I didn't know that he was the favorite, but it
makes sense that he's the favorite, not just because he's
on a new team and getting a lot of attention,
because he's the best pure pass rusher I think to
enter the league in the last twenty years, like he
is that good. He is the most pressure since the
date he walked into the league. He was a Defensive
Player of the Year runner up two times, including his
(34:58):
rookie season, and he came in third place another time.
So he is at that level where I just pick
him every year. He is the closest thing I think
we have to Mahomes on the defensive side. And I
do like the fact that he hasn't won the award before.
He's been so close time after time after time, and
I think they'll want to give it to him if
he has a great season.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Let's discuss the Rookie of the Year odds. According to
our friends at Caesar Sportsbook, Ashton Genti leading the way
at plus three hundred, just ahead of cam Ward Lamari
and Hampton, Travis Hunter, and Traveon Henderson. We enjoy rookies
considerably more than other sports entertainment program SODIA. Who is
your offensive Rookie of the Year pick?
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Well, I was hoping you'd be a little bit further
down on the board, but I'm looking at cam Ward
for a number of reasons.
Speaker 6 (35:41):
This week could be a tough test against the Broncos defense.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Okay, but if you're looking at trajectory going up into
the right as in getting better every single time a
Callahan led improved O line with a run game that
I actually think Tony Pard's underrated. I think this will
be a situation where at the end, come the end
of the season, we're like, cam Ward's that dude, He's
already a captain.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
They have to tell him not to.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
Come in so early because he gets there at by
in the morning. They've had to tell him to sleep
in a little bit longer.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
So I'm going cam Ward, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Love that stand at the facility. It's don for quick
fix here on game day you speaking to cam Ward.
He and the Titans have a pretty tough matchup. Welcome
to the NFL. If here comes the Denver Broncos, does
the rookie get his first Wayne.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Grego No way, I like the Broncos this week twenty
four to eleven, and I like them as my Survivor.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Pick this year or this week.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Because this Titan's offense to have to go up against
the Denver defense, that's tough, but hey, the Denver offense
also has great depth and continuity, especially at the wide
receiver position. Sean Payton loves to compare, you know, his
players to old Saints, and it's true. Yes, he compared
Pat Bryant, his rookie, to Michael Thomas.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
He did, okay.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
How about some other wide receivers not named Courtonton. Troy
Franklin had a big time preseason and people talking up
his ability. Maybe he's a little Robert meetscham how about
Evan Ingram out there making plays. He's definitely not Jimmy
Graham and he's not really Taysom Hill. I don't know
who the comp is, maybe like a smaller Marcus Colston.
(37:10):
But either way, they got a lot of weapons for
bow Knicks to throw.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
The ball to.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
All right, Yeah, we're mimas away Titans fans. We're all
on the Broncos, Bengals and Browns in Cleveland. Joe Burrow
is one in nine in his career. In weeks one
and two, does he get a win here, Cynthia.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
He does, he'll be two and nine. Well, I guess
we'd have to see what happens in the second week.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
But I'm looking at something that is very unsexy to
say about a team that we're hoping passes a ton,
myself included. But let's talk about the run game. You
got Chase Brown here, and one of the ways to
control and get away from Miles Garrett, and the pressure
is to what run the foot ball. You don't want
your defense on the field. How do you stop the
defense from be on the field?
Speaker 6 (37:47):
Run the foot ball?
Speaker 5 (37:49):
But I think all season long we'll see Chase Brown.
If you picked him up in Phantasy, I think you
did yourself a massive favor. I think this whole offense
is going to be worth having lots of shares. But
I think they're going to run and try to control
a little bit more of the pace so they're not
having to be like, you know, third and we need
to touch down to Jamar Chase and and yes, Jamar
Chase can do that, but like, let's not need that
every single time.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
And they're trying to stay on snechedules season wise, so
they won't have to win seven of their last saint
to get into the playoffs. The last one, I'll take
the Raiders and the Patriots, and I'm actually flying solo here.
I am taking Gino Smith and what is not the
battle for Greg Rosenthal's heart, who has already said that
he is fully invested in the twenty twenty five New
England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
I mean, I love Gino too.
Speaker 6 (38:29):
Who doesn't love Gina? He still loves you, Uj, everybody
loves Gino.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
What Gino loves throwing the ball to Brock Bauers, who
had the fourth highest target rate of all tight ends
while getting six hundred and eleven yards last season. They
came after the catch. I think the entire Raiders offense
will be better. Yeah, I still waiting to see what
the defense is going to do, but ultimately I think
they can go on the road and get a win.
(38:54):
In July Stadium Sunday, Sunday Sunday, at nine am Eastern,
NFL Game Day Morning is back, joined Rich Eyes and
Kurt Warner, Steam Mary Ucci, Centia Freeland and more as
they get you ready for kicking off. Don't miss Kyle
Brant sitting down with Josh Allen, Davonte Adams with Kimmy Checks.
Start your Sunday with Game Day Morning at nine am
Eastern on NFL Network.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Thirteen people in that promo.
Speaker 6 (39:18):
We're all the same height too.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
That's how it works. It's it's unity, it's working together
to be There's there's no change, but there is change
in Super Bowl odds. According to Caesar Sportsbook, Buffalo Bills
wow edging out the Baltimore Ravens, who will have edged
out the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles as well as
the Lions, bringing us to write this down. We're talking
(39:42):
Super Bowl predictions. Cynthia nailed hers last season, So Eagles
over Chiefs, You're going back to the world. What are
we doing in your I guess title defense super Bowl?
Speaker 6 (39:54):
I mean, I don't like picking the favorite. I didn't
know they were the favorite.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
But the math says Bills over Eagles, so that I mean, wow.
Speaker 6 (40:03):
I I didn't know they were favorite. I didn't know
there's a favorite.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
I would love me a Buffalo Bill's Super Bowl. You know,
like how crazy they would go?
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Oh yeah, San Francisco, my bird town, I might you know,
I don't want to too, our own horn, my own horn.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Actually, I do love doing that.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
I had Eagle Chiefs as the Super Bowl. I just
had the wrong winner a couple of years ago too.
So we have a history on the show of getting
things right. And this year the Super Bowl is going
to be the Baltimore Ravens winning over your Detroit Lions.
I'm sorry, Cynthia that I'm gonna break your heart at
the very end. I off see it there long I
was actually thinking Lions are going to be pick my
(40:41):
pick lines are going to be. Then I like, look
at it, and I'm like, am I really gonna pick
Jared Goff and the biggest of big games against Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm not gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I think this Ravens team is more complete, but man,
it would be great to see the Lions in the
big team.
Speaker 5 (40:53):
I actually think the Ravens are still running on the
Lions from a couple of years ago. In some alternate universe,
they're still running the football and perhaps.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Before that game they'll play what we just said and
Jared Goff will be extra fire it up. I have
no horn to toot in picking Super Bowls, but a
few years ago I did pick the Baltimore Ravens to
beat the Green Bay Packers, so let's do it again.
I think the addition of Micah Parsons is enough because
I said into the offseason the Green Bay Packers just
(41:20):
needed some star power. The Baltimore Ravens don't need any
star power. They just need to get the postseason and
not turn the ball over and have tragic, heartbreaking losses.
And if they are able to do that this season,
I think they'll go to the super Bowl and beat
the Green Bay Packers. And I think I'm gonna really
enjoy doing this show with you guys once again. This
season one is in the books for Cynthia Freeland and
(41:41):
Greg Rosenthal. I'm Patrick Claybomb. Thank you for watching Game Deview.
Enjoy every single football game as much as we enjoy
talking about it. See next week.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or where where you get your podcasts.
NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Everybody, Welcome to Game Debut, Patrick Clave, I'm back here
with my dear friends Greg Rosenthal and Cynthia Freeland picking
all the games of the week. One slate. To borrow
a turn of phrase from a dear friend and a
football savant.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Football's let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Look, you know everything changes every season, but this show,
we're back.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
This is seven seasons. Game debut, You and I Cynthia,
let's go.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
I can believe it's already seven. That feels very special.
That's almost ten.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And then you get in there which is like the
part of the show where Cynthia gets.
Speaker 6 (00:41):
The brag the music. I'm just happy to be back.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, congratulations to the institution that is this show, which
is now I think in second grade. So a lot
has happened on Game Debut. Let's take a look at
our final pickstandings from last year. Go ahead and put
that digital crown atop Cynthia Freeland's head, winning a triple crown,
ghetting the Super Bowl pick, winning the regular season and
(01:07):
the postseason. And now we hear from our ruler and
leader after twenty twenty four. Cynthia Freeland.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
I mean, I get to wear the crown here. It's
really fun. I've been to a lot of therapy where
I'm supposed to be like, oh, I'm really proud of myself,
but I'm actually ready to move on to the next season.
Speaker 6 (01:23):
I can't.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I'm just it makes me a little uncomfortable to be
in that position, but I just gotta keep going.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you, Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I mean, more impressive than that record is that you
nailed the exact super Bowl prediction in winner the Eagles
before last season over the Chiefs. That's more impressive than
any record.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
A spectacular season, easily, Cynthia is the favorite. If we're picking,
we're to talk about us picking who's gonna win this year,
We're gonna take Cynthia Freeland.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I mean I did win two years in a row.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Okay, all right, Anyway, I had to mention it had
so speaking of therapy and wanting to do better, this
is how this season ended for the Baltimore Ravens. They
squared off against the Bills in the Divisional round. Of
less than two minutes to go, Mark Andrew dropped the
would be game time two point conversion. The Bills won
by those two points, advancing to the AFC Championship, and
(02:12):
now it's an opportunity for Revans a monster rematch Sunday
night in Buffalo, Josh Allen against Lamar Jackson, the league's
last two MVPs going at it on Sunday night football.
How do you see this one going great?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
I think it's gonna be similar in a lot of ways,
including the score twenty seven to twenty five, except this
time the Ravens come out on top for a reason
that really was consistent in both Ravens Bills games last year.
It's the running attack of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
The Bills in the first game had a lot of
(02:47):
light boxes, not a lot of defenders up near the
line of scrimmage, and Derrick Henry had one of the
best games of his entire career. So in the playoff game,
they actually loaded the box more than they did almost
all season, tripled the amount of defenders in the box,
and you know what, they still ended up with one
hundred and seventy six yards on the ground. Can we
over five yards for carry? Justice Hill was very effective.
(03:07):
This is a great one to two punch in the
first game. By the way, Justice Hill through the air
goes for seventy eight yards as a receiver, So I
just love that. Whether you want to play with a
lot of defenders to try to stop the run, or
you play back in a little more conservative either way,
the Ravens are going to get theirs. I think they
are more consistent because of that running game, and they
(03:28):
win twenty seven to twenty five, not really revenge.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That it's not really revenge because you can't wipe away
what happened. Obviously, the way that the game end was
exceedingly disappointed for Ravens fans as well as Mark Andrews.
But I really think the run game decides a lot
in the way that Buffalo approached the things. But the
pass rush is what forced Buffalo to change things and
run the ball more in the playoff game because you
(03:52):
go back. The pass rush really bothered Josh Allen in
the regular season game, pressured in forty four percent of
his dropbacks. That's the second highest in the game against
Josh Allen the last two seasons. So they come out
in the playoffs pound the rock with six or more
offensive linemen in the playoffs twenty two percent of the time.
I feel like the Ravens are prepared for both circumstances
this time around, and not turning the ball over a
(04:13):
multitude of times also helps. I've got the Baltimore Ravens
twenty six to twenty four speak.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Well, I have twenty six to twenty four as well.
But for the other team, when I'm looking at what
goes on with the Bills, you actually brought it up.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
You said that they adapt.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Oh it's a prime number, guys, our Famaek prime number.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
We like this.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
But here's the thing you talked about it they adapted.
They added an extra offensive lineman. You know why, because
they wanted that man, Josh Allen, to have the game
that he is going to have every single time. He's
super consistent. When you're talking about an O line that
can help out. Watching the preseason games, o Cyrus Torrence
might even have gotten better, which is wild because he
(04:51):
was already very good. So I'm looking at the opportunity here.
Which of the pass catchers.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Yeah, I don't know. I can tell you what my
math forecast.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
It's not spectacular in terms of top five receiving numbers
for any single one of them. But I will say
that that kind of we don't know who what's going
to be also translates to what the Ravens have to
deal with, who's it going to be. We do know
that Josh Allen has twenty seven rushing touchdowns over the
past few seasons, so so I don't expect that to change.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, expecting both of these games to be as long
as eight and seventeen are on the field, the Ravens
and the Bills will be pretty good. Time for Who's
Eating Good presented by Applebee's here on Game Dayview, Greg
Who in terms of these star quarterbacks has more total touchdowns,
Lamar and Josh Allen.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I will go Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I think he has the easier matchup on Sunday night.
When you look at what the Bills did in that
second one, and we're going back to because it was
the last game, they were extremely creative. It was a
team that had gotten better and better all throughout the season.
I think right now is the time to play this
Bills defense, not totally healthy in the preseason, figuring out
what's going on at cornerback and safety.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Usually that's the bedrock.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Of these Bills defense, and there's a lot of question marks,
so I don't think they'll be ready to be as
multi pull as they were in that playoff.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Bobby Babbage, he's calling you out looking.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Bobby Babbage, who runs the Bills defense, did a great job.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Good job, Bobby. I just think he's got a harder
job this time.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yere, he's got Bullton board material? Does Bobby Babbage? Back
in June, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers made a flash
signing future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at forty one
years young, he's the oldest player in the NFL. Says
he's pretty sure this is gonna be it for him
playing football Pittsburgh hoping Aaron can lead them to their
first playoff win since the twenty sixteen season. It is
(06:36):
Rogers and the Steelers kicking things off against his former team,
the Jets, and Aaron Rodgers looking for revenge after the
Jets wanted Justin Fields more than him. So does he
get it? Great?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Oh, I love how you pointed that out.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Justin Fields is making more American money this year playing
quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. Both these teams wanted Justin Fields
more than Aaron Rodgers. That's one reason why I'm going
with the Jets twenty to seventeen. Aaron Glenn said in
one of his press conferences, we don't want celebrity quarterbacks here.
Like the more you watch football, the more it stays
the same. That's what Bill Parcells used to say, the
(07:09):
exact same quote. Justin Fields might not be a celebrity quarterback,
but he's effective. He had his best season as a
passer a year ago. I think they're going to focus
on his strength. It's going to be all about the
running game. And ultimately, I don't think either one of
these offenses is really going to get that much going.
But the run game that I trust more is with
(07:29):
the Jets in Bresaw, Braylen Allen and Justin Fields.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah. Maybe Aaron Rodgers getting paid in rubles or reals or.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
I'm just saying it's kind of wild. It's twenty twenty five,
Justin Fields out here. Is the market's telling you he's better?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, Aaron Rodgers still one of the best quarterbacks in
the league, getting the ball out of his hands very quickly.
The problem is he had the fourth lowest completion percentage
in passes that were thrown under two and a half seconds.
He joins a Steelers offense that actually had a couple
of high scoring games last year. One of those was
against the Jets because the field position was very good
(08:02):
because Aaron Rodgers was playing quarterback for the Jets. In
the union of the Steelers and the Jets is not
necessarily something that I'm going to believe in sight unseen
because we haven't really seen it. I've got the Jets
getting there revnch against Aaron Rodgers twenty to sixteen s
in the other well.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
I guess we're just gonna sign up for two. Is
this whole show gonna be prime numbers?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We'll see pay blo pleap, plea, blu pleap.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Steelers fans, please back me up on this one.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
I took a two point win.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Four Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. It's twenty one to nineteen.
Speaker 6 (08:31):
Let's just talk about Aaron Rodgers for a second.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
But did you guys also forget Elijah Arrah. Tucker's not
going to keep.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
That could be a problem for the Jets.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
But in this particular matchup and watching Aaron Rodgers, I'm
thinking about Okay, Johnny Smith, there, you know what those
tight ends do for Aaron Rodgers, The answer is a lot.
I think this is a situation where Aaron Rodgers is
going to have what I'm gonna call a mid season,
meaning his stats are gonna look mid They're not going
to look anything like they look to those MVP seasons
when he was a Green Bay Packer, but they're not
(09:01):
going to also look kind of like what you were
talking about with those quick passes not working.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
He also threw the five interceptions on those fast passes
last season. It's not gonna look like that either.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
It's gonna be somewhere in between, and that will be
just good enough in this matchup to best the Giant
or the Jets.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Right. The Steelers signing Rogers was one of the most
newsworthy stories of the offseason. I'd say was because a
couple of months later, the Packers and the Cowboys made
the biggest trade I can remember. The pride is still
let this league. The protest still up right out. The
pride is still let this a.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Person person punch him down. It bus he's sacked again.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Wow, We're gona never turned over.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
We're gonna come due.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I mean, we had loved it and Bryce young never
had a chance, so he gets going like that.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
It is literally like he is hunting.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You wrote about vera players. Mom, I'll look at the
odds to win the NFC nor according to our friends
over at Caesar Sportsbook that note at the bottom odds
subject to change. That's because they did when Michael park
Since got traded to the Green Bay Packers. Now right
there at plus one eighty, right behind the Detroit Lions
to win the NFC North and the two favorites in
(10:13):
the North s wearing off Sunday in Lambeau. Cynthia, your
Lions looking for their four straight win in Green Bay?
Do they get it?
Speaker 5 (10:20):
Yes, by the narrowest of margins. Twenty four to twenty
three is what my math says. Don't be tricked by
recency bias.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
You know what that means.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
It means that Micah Parsons being traded is a big deal.
But sometimes so too is Aiden Hutchinson returning for the Lions.
When you look at this defense, I don't know, they
get like three hundred and fifty people back from injury
lasses approximately, I think that was the number. I think
they had to spend like their entire cap on just
injury replacements.
Speaker 6 (10:46):
But the pace that Aiden.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
Hutchinson was working on last season prior to getting hurt
was an MVP level pace. It was possibly defensive or
Defensive Player of the Year at least, if not even more. Right,
So you're watching what happens there and you're thinking about, Okay,
who has the defense with the back end to support
it and Branch, Yeah, he's still there. So I'm looking
at how the back in the front works together, and
(11:08):
I think that gives the Lions an edge.
Speaker 6 (11:10):
I'm also hoping for it.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
But you know, as Lions fans, we all get like
the better nails and we get very worried. But I'm
glad the math kind of match my heart.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I hear you on the recency bias. I'm amazed that
the Packers are favored in this game because the Lions
have absolutely owned Matt Lafleur's Packers during Dan Campbell's tenure.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I don't think that changes.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
I think the Lions win by a touchdown here, thirty
two to twenty five, a nice high scoring game, in
part because the Lions are adding players like Isaac to Slaw.
This is what the preseason and training camp is all about.
Matt Jones walked so that Isaac Slow can fly. Let's
go from Arkansas. I mean, look at these plays as
(11:49):
if they needed to get any deeper in terms of
their weapons. You not only have to Slaw, but you
have Sam Laporta of course, Jameson Williams in a contract year.
And you look at the Packers meanwhile, I think they're
getting them the Lions at the right time of year.
Because the Packers all their weapons were hurt in training camp,
they haven't practiced much together. I think the Lions take
training camp in the preseason more seriously.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
They come out flying, usually in Week one.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Think back to last year when they beat the defending
champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I think they get the win.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I will take a tendency breaker and have our first
stray bond of the twenty twenty five season and go
with a narrow margin as well. But for the home
team twenty nine to twenty eight Green Bay Packers, another
year for Jordan Love in the Lafleor offense. But there's
an unsung hero somehow, and Josh Jacobs, who very very
quietly had a good year, forced ninety six misstackles one
(12:42):
of the places he in Green Bay. Excelled was running
the ball out of the shot gun, number five in
the league, where Detroit was number twenty six on defense.
Albeit that includes the three hundred and fifty players and
staff personnel, everybody, folks working in the Ford field. They
got hurt last year. But it's a place where the
Packers can have success, and I think they will finally
have success at home against the d Troit Lions. I'll
(13:05):
be all alone here. We'll just getting started. On game debut.
Up next, CJ. Stroud heading to La to take on
Matt Stafford and the Rams. There's so much star power
in this one. We're expecting from fireworks. We'll get picks
for who wins the game. Coming up next on game debut.
Back on game debut with NFL Plus, Keep the NFL
in reach. Stream live local and primetime games on mobile
(13:27):
on the regular season and postseason NFL Network as well,
including seven exclusive live games, live game audio, and more
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APLI time for seas the season presented by Caesar's Sportsbook.
(13:50):
As we look at the first touchdown score odds, Kyron
Williams far and away leading the game in so far,
ahead of Nicocollins, Pukinakua, Davante Adams, and Nick Chubb at
plus nine hundred, all those names stars in action, Texans
and Rams Sunday at so far. Stroud versus Stafford, the
youngster versus the savvy Bett and Champion. What do you
(14:12):
see taking place? Correct?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I see a lot of defense on both sides, especially
the Texans. I have them winning seventeen to fourteen, Like
sometimes it takes the offense to get a little bit going.
And there's so much talk about the Rams young pass rush.
The best edge rush duo in the entire NFL is
with the Houston Texans, Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter like
Jared vers like they're.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Great, But the Texans sack artist.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
They finished plays more consistently, And I am a little
worried about the matchup, not just with Matthew Stafford's back injury,
but with Alric Jackson coming off these blood clots. We'll
see if he plays in this game, but he hasn't
been able to practice too often. And then on the
other side, it's Rob Havenstein, who's getting up there in years,
has had his injury concerns. I think that is a mismatch,
(14:56):
and if Stafford is having to get rid of the
ball quickly, I ultimately think that this Texans defense is
the single most special group in this game, and they
get the road win.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I'm right there with you, Greg, I've got a Texans
win twenty five to twenty as well. The Stafford question,
obviously is one of the most important questions in the
entire NFL. But I have no questions about this Houston
Texans defense. Greg talked about the pass rush. Let's discuss
the cornerbacks and Derek Stingley and Lassiter as well. They
allowed the lowest, the second lowest completion percentages, and first
(15:26):
lowest completion percentages as the nearest defender at corner according
to Next Gen Stats. That's every corner in the NFL.
The number one and number two both play for the
Houston Texans. Obviously, all right, d'aneil Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
Have a lot to do with that, But yeah, all
four of these guys are on the same team. I'm
taking them to beat the Rams this weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
Cythe well, fire up that prime number grad another long
like heavy favorite for Cynthia.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
This is how you win.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
I am don't you. I don't pick for you. I
pick for me.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Twenty three to twenty two is what I have for
the home team here in the Rams, I will say
my gut to say a little bit more Houston, but
we go by math. I wrote my own code, so
it's my own math that we're talking about here. And
I want to talk about what happens when you add
Devonte Adams to a Puka nakoul offense with the Matthew
Stafford and a side of Kayle Williams and all of
(16:19):
these other number one it does help figure things out
with an O line with some questions. I've got questions for.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
O lines on both sides of this matchup.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
I don't trust the Texans O line necessarily yet either
Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I have to believe if.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Sean McVay says he's ready to go, that he's ready
to go. I've also seen him play with like I
think his shoulder was actually you know, off his body,
maybe his arm like a mannequins or else when he
played for the Lions like this, is a really tough player.
Maybe that's later in the season it's more of an issue.
But I think in this matchup, even against that horribly
difficult defense, I have the home team pulling it out, and.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I'm starting to get nervous that Cynthia's lead will expand.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Or it could be terrible.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
It could go terrible.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You can go a couple of different ways.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Caleb Williams was the face of college football and this
kid is something else.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
Ri They bird pick, Chicago Bears collect Caleb william changing
a culture and an identity of an offensively challenged football team.
Man down goes Candleb Williams, Canada Troubles, Williams wrapped up
drop whos have.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Rained down on the Bear?
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Kevin Owen. Ben Johnson is the Chicago Bears head coach.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
There hasn't been a four thousand yeard asser here in
this franchise.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And I think Caleb is gonna be the first one.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Maybe when this starts the sea touchdown, the Bears are back, Baby.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Calb Williams and the Bears playing host of the Vikings
Monday Night. J J. McCarthy making his first career start.
How does the Ben Johnson era begin? In Chicago synth
with that.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Crazy old scream of william Anyways, Caleb Williams takes this one.
It's a narrow upset home win for the Bears. I
have twenty two to twenty one in this matchup.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Okay, let's talk about Kayleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Right.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
We talked about the interier of the old line all
offseason for some reason. Is that going to be different
against the Vikings. I know that defense is good and
Brian Flores is gonna bring the heat.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
You know he's gonna blitz.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
But you know, we else knows that Ben Johnson and
he had a lot of answers for Jared goffin company
against this blitz. Go look at what happens with Minnesota
versus Detroit when Ben Johnson.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
Was the architect.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
And I think we're gonna get that little scream that
you know, I thought it was safe for the draft,
but apparently he screams like that.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
I'm learning things on our show too. He screams like
that all the.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Time, and that's how I'm screaming in the fact that
we're actually on the same page in this one. I
have the Bears winning at home by one twenty one.
To twenty. It was a league high fifty seven unblocked
pressures for Kayleb Williams and his rookie season. That's a
record in the Next Gen Stats era for rookie quarterbacks.
The time in obviously was all messed up both on
(19:06):
the field and on the sideline for the Chicago Bears.
But when things did work out, Caleb Williams was fonding
Romo Dunsay. The two rookies connected in several spots. But
watch some of these throws. The timing is still off,
even on the successful plays to Romodonsay where he's slowing
down coming back to the ball. Just an increase, as
Cynthia mentioned, adjusting and having the timing being on point
(19:29):
against the blitz, not against the blitz. That's what I
have to hope for because we haven't seen it yet.
I think we see it London.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
Oh yeah, the timing, it'll all be figured out by
week one against Brian Flores in this master's level defense
that his safety Josh Mattela said, they were undergraduates before
their masters.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
Now, who's an undergraduate? Like the starter for the Vikings
were who you're taking?
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I am taking the Minnesota Vikings in this game, and
it's something for just Greg Nation to get excited about
it because.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
They're winning this game.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I mean, this is year three of Brian Flores, right,
That's why you're in the Masters program. They expedited, that's
studying over the last couple of years. This is positionless football.
It'll scramble your brain. Their first day of school over
there in Chicago, they're struggling to get plays off in
the preseason at different points. This is the last team
you want to play in Week one. I just think
(20:22):
you're four of Kevin O'Connell and three of Brian Flores.
They are ready for this type of division game. It's
like I talked about with the Lions Packers earlier. I
think they're catching the Bears at the right time. You
want to play this road game in Week one before
the Bears are who they're going to be Later in.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
This saw Christian Dearrisoz on the injury report, right, well.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
He's coming off a big injury, but they're hoping you
get him back.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yes, and also some pretty positive thoughts about the future
aspirations of the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yes, in a few weeks get better, They'll get better.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
What if they're good now, the Bears and the Vikings
hoping that their quarterbacks someday. In the MVP talk, let's
look at the current odds to win league MVP, Lamar
Jackson and Josh Allen leading the way there. I'll throw
a cavey on it in because apparently the worst thing
you could do to win the MVP is win the
MVP of the year before. So what do you think
greg happens in terms of being the MVP.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
It's one of the reasons why I like Patrick Mahomes
to win the award this year, not only because he's
the best player I've seen enter the league in my
twenty years of covering it, but because the narrative feels
right for him this year. First of all, I think
there will be more big plays because of the weapons
around him and the offensive line. But I also think
it's a season where the voters will look at oh
(21:28):
Mahomes is reminding everyone who he is, like the old
boring Mahomes is gone and we're back. And I can
just see like a coalition of writers getting behind that.
And the numbers really aren't that different between him, Lamar
and Josh Allen. They're basically all favorites. But basically I
would take Mahomes every year for the next five years
and think that's a good game.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Okay, we should let the voters know Patrick Mahomes exists.
It gets silly, So Cynthia, give us a dark horse
MVP candidate.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Finally we're talking no chalk here, Let's talk about Bonix.
You know who is really good at throwing on the
run other than Patrick Mahone.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
B Nicks, Yeah, Kirk Cousins. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
Phonicks had the most passing yards on the run last season.
You know what one of the formulas is for winning MVP,
winning a lot of games, and he's got a great defense. Sure,
he plays in the AFC West, which is difficult, and
Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
Is still there.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
But if you're talking about a quarterback, which is typically
who wins the position, who could be finding himself at
Honors on the stage. Dark horse candidate Phonix not a
lot of letters, but lots and lots of yards.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
If this happens. If this happens, that's it. I'm retiring,
hiring any it's over.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
You're gonna give you a million dollars, all right, So
if you like the stray that Greg fired at Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
We've got direct shots coming up. Michael Pennick Junior is
rocking arm ready to put the league unnoticed the season
according to the way they finished the season last year.
Playing host to Baker in the box Sunday, who has
the edge our answers coming.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
It really does throw pretty well going to his left.
It's underrated thirty four.
Speaker 8 (23:05):
We should be the best in the league. You know,
with the guys who got around us. You know we
got a great officer line as well. You know, those
guys we're assuming hard in the trenches, you know, with
coach Leffer out out there leading those guys, doing a
great job with those guys, you know, we should be unstoppable.
So that's our goal. We want to be number one
in all the categories on the office side the balls.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Lofty expectations for second year quarterback Michael Pennix. And you're
the Falcons playing host of the Bucks. Tampa's won the
division four straight years, they lost a couple times to
this Falcons team. What happens this time? Greg?
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I believe the Bucks get some revenge for losing twice
to the Falcons a year ago. To Kirk cuz no
Kirk this time. It's because the offense of the Buccaneers
it's just a factory at this point. You can roll
out whatever offensive coordinator you want and it works. You
can put any wide receiver into the mix like a
Mecca Abuka and it's going to work. Like you use
j You lose Jalen McMillan for half a season, who
(23:57):
was a really good third receiver scoring a lot of touchdowns.
And you don't have Chris Godwin available for this game,
and yet you have a first round pick because Jason Light,
their general manager, is always building depth and they're really
good at developing players. I love the Bucks offense to
put them over the top.
Speaker 5 (24:15):
Here, Well, I also have the Bucks twenty six to
twenty three. I'm gonna talk about their defense since specifically
Hassan Reddick. Obviously you've got some guys other we love. Well,
this is a vidavea show of record. We love videvea
on the show.
Speaker 6 (24:26):
But when we're.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Talking about figuring out how to navigate the O line
for the Falcons, one of the things Michael Pennix was
talking about was the guys in the trenches in front
of it. Well, you got Cala McGary's not there anymore,
so that's going to be quite difficult to stop what Todd.
Speaker 6 (24:39):
Bowles is going to throw out there this season.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
I think that's gonna be a point of emphasis making
sure this Bucks defense is one that is built in
the vision of Todd Bowles, which maybe last season it
wasn't as much, but tons of pressure this year.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
I'm glad that you guys had some a moderate amount
of points. I've got way more points. I got thirty
one to twenty eight because these two teams played absolute
calculator games this Susan Ago and yes, Kirk Cousins played
well in those games, but the Falcons actually scored more points,
almost twelve more points a game when Michael Pennock Junior
was the starting quarterback. And you know what else got better?
(25:13):
It was Drake London in terms of his opportunity. His
target rate shot up from twenty seven percent to forty
one percent with Michael Pennock Junior playing quarterback, and he
averaged a full two more air yards per target. I
think the reason that Michael Pennock Junior is confident about
what they can do in year two is because of
how good they were when he was the starting quarterback
thirty two points per game with a rookie in the
(25:36):
middle of a playoff race, albeit one that they did
not win. I've got the Falcons in this one, and
I'll be all alone. Tom Forrest to make some quick
picks here on Game Deview. The Panthers and the Jacksonville
Jaguars down in Dubaal. What do is you se happening here?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
One of my favorite picks of the week.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
The Jaguars to win and cover this game twenty seven
to seventeen. I think they've been doing the okie dokee
with Travis Hunter. They've kept them under raps, kind of
like RG three when they unveiled them in twenty twelve.
Travis Hunter moved different, he thinks different. He is going
to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie
of the Year. I don't know if that's available at
(26:12):
see they're sportsbook, but put it on the board. He's
so Hayo Tani. There's never been a player like him.
He can get it done.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Let's go to the Dolphins and the Colts. Danny Dimes
is gonna be under center for Indy. They kept out
under raps but you saw it coming. What happens in
this game since their social media team.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
Gave it away.
Speaker 5 (26:27):
Anyways, Indian Hatless wins this one by two points, twenty
six to twenty four.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
The injury report for Miami is weird. It's long. We
don't know what's gonna happen with it as we're sitting
here right now.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
But one thing I do know is that Jonathan Taylor,
he is consistent. If you look at those ten plus
yard rushes, even with their O line last year that
had some questions, he still did it at such a
high rate at thirty.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
One of them last season. I think he could match
that or.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Best that this season, especially with Danny Dimes not kind
of stealing his vultering his rushing yards.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right, I'll take the last one the Cardinals and
the Saints, and I will take the Arizona Cardinals. We
were all in unison in that mem us away Saints fans.
But let's discuss Alvin Kamara because I understand the oddsmaker's
confidence in this game and the Cardinals being favored, but
for a team that was number twenty eight in rushing
efficiency on a defense a year ago against the Saints
team that I feel will lean heavily on Alvin Kamara
(27:19):
in the game. With Kelvin Banks playing in his first
career NFL game, Telisi Fuaga on the other side, being
a very good run blocker. I don't think you're gonna
have Banks and a whole bunch of pass protection situations
for Spencer Ratler, so they run it, keep it close.
But I do have the Cardinals getting the win in
the Superdome against the Saints.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Barring a miracle, this is gonna be a shocking loss
for faithful who is the game Ten seconds ago I
was counting out.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
All they have to do is win to get in.
We all kid, watch me bye and feel me No.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
The game on the line.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Here comes to Hail Mary God fires in June from
stories JJ gonna throw a Ford Utch football for the
one on that they went over.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Dad. We'll see you in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
You ready for me? The Giants and Commanders Jane Daniels
was Must See TV made Bram wantson Must Listen Radio
last year Russell Wilson's starting for the g Men. Could
the Giants shock the world here, Cynthia?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
They could?
Speaker 5 (28:33):
I think that they will awesome, winning twenty seven to
twenty in this matchup.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
Let's give a little love to Terry McLaurin. Yeah, get it.
We heard a lot of things.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
He's he gonna play holdout, does he win a trade,
YadA YadA. You know how many people had more touchdowns
receiving touchdowns in.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Him last season?
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Seventeen one just one and it.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Was actually seventeen touchdowns for Jamar Chase, but he had.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
Thirteen last season.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
I think he quietly is one of those guys who
produces year in and year up. He's maybe not like
one of the more diva e wide receive that tells
you all the things that you need to.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Know about him, but he just produces on the field.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
This is a huge deal, especially when now you've added
Deebo Samuel, so you're gonna have this multitude of different places.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
But maybe he'll even be open for once.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
I love that and I disagree. I mean, I have
the Commanders winning, but one thing about NFL game deviut
is you know, we give you the exact scores, and
so I'm having the Giants cover that line there and
thread the needle.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
But the Commanders win, and it's partly.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Because if they're the draft right, Abdul Carter, I never
knew how to make a signal for right the needle.
I'm not gonna do it. Look, the Commanders didn't cover
six points in either game against the Giants last year.
If you go and look at Danny Dimes and Brian
Dables best games of the season offensively, it was against
this Commander's defense, which to me didn't really get much
(29:52):
better this offseason. I know the quarterback position is important
in football, breaking news like it mattered.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
It's the only reason why the Commanders are any better.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
I actually think the rest of the roster for the
Giants better than the Commander's roster.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
You can make that case. I also will make the
case that it's twenty three to twenty in favor of
the Washington Commanders, and I celebrate this Giants pass rush.
I think a dual Carter can do a lot of
great things, but it's a lot on the shoulders of
Javon Holland to come back and fix the secondary that
had a glaring issue last season. Deep passing teams competing
(30:27):
completed fifty nine percent of their deep attempts against the Giants.
That is the worst in the history of the next
Gen stats era, and I know the twenty twenty four Panthers.
I talked about it a lot, just how statistically they
were bad relative to the entire next Gen stats era.
The Giants were the worst had deep passing, and I
know they played against some pretty good receivers in the
(30:48):
division in aj Brown and yes, Terry McLaurin, who gave
a great pregame speech against the Lions that eventually got
them to the NFC Championship game. Just I'm glad that
Terry McLaren got paid. There's not a lot to look
back at positively for Cynthia, but we can celebrate to McLaurin.
Here on this show, we go from a battle in
the NFC East to one out West San fran and
(31:08):
Seattle getting set to square off. Check out some player
props for this one brought perty at one and a
half passing touchdown, Sam Donald two hundred and three passing yards,
CMC seventy three point five on the ground, George Kittle
sixty three and a half receiving and JSN five and
a half reception. The Giants and Commander's fun game. But
(31:30):
this game pits two division rivals with an opportunity to
get back at it. We get to see Kyle Shanahan
in the mode against the Seattle Seahawks. Where does this
one go? Greg Rosenthal?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I am going with the Seattle Seahawks as I say it,
and I see that, like Sam Donald in his first start,
I'm suddenly not feeling as good.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
But it's about the defense.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
The Seattle Seahawks and Mike McDonald in year two of
this system, to me, are an underrated choice to be
the best defense in the entire NFL. They have depth
and they have playmakers at all three level of their defense.
I love their defensive line Leonard Williams, they move him
around everywhere. Byron Murphy is going to get better and better.
(32:12):
I think DeMarcus Lawrence was one of the most underrated
defensive line pickups in the entire NFL. And then you
look at their secondary with Tarik Wollen and of course
Devin Weatherspoon, and I just try to look at units
that I trust in week one that I feel like
I know the most about.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
There's so many.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Questions about the forty nine ers right now that I
trust the Seahawks defense at home.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
My gut is almost exactly the same as yours, as
any one point win for the Seahawks, and this one,
the lovely number twenty two strikes again. Twenty two to
twenty one is my final projected score. People love twenty two,
people get mess She really love twenty two.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
I mean, all you need is three touchdowns in a
two point conversion with those extra points whatever.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
Man, But I do want to talk about Sam Donald.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
Because this will be interesting to see if the O
line is going to keep the man clean. Sam Donald
had an expert He had an expert season last year
until the end when Christian so I went down and
then we saw what happened with a lot of pressure. Okay,
moving on, let's figure it out. And I think that
this offense is primed to put him in a good
situation to be better along that front.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
Just better enough.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
It doesn't need to be the best do line ever,
just needs to be better enough than it was last
season and.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Put Gino under a lot of pressure.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
So Sam Darnold, to me, this will be a really
interesting test. Obviously, we got a Bosa coming for his life,
but other than that, I'm.
Speaker 6 (33:29):
Very curious to see who we're going to me the West,
the NFC West. It's very very close.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
And one of those teams is going to sneak into
the playoffs that we aren't expecting.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Yeah, I'm echoing your very very close sentiments, including the
one point game, except I have the forty nine Russ
in this game twenty two nineteen on the string out there,
quarterback brock Perty who has never lost playing in the
division against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, he is five
and one total against the Seahawks through his career. And
(33:58):
I know the lot's changed over the years, but George
Kittle playing in this game, Christian Diccaffery, which chameses everything
for the forty nine ers healthy in this game, and
Cynthia mentioned that pressure on Gino Smith last year, there
would have to be a vast improvement in the interior
offensive line for the Seattle Seahawks because imagining Sam Darnold
under that level of pressure is very, very concerning to me.
(34:19):
So I'm completely fine taking a stray bahn on this
one time to check out the odds for the defensive
player of the year, speaking of getting pressure, Mikah Parsons
plus five fifty ahead of TJ. Watt, Aiden Hudginson, Miles Garrett,
and Max Crosby Greg who wins the Defensive Player of the.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Year for this is no fun.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
I didn't know that he was the favorite, but it
makes sense that he's the favorite, not just because he's
on a new team and getting a lot of attention,
because he's the best pure pass rusher I think to
enter the league in the last twenty years, like he
is that good. He is the most pressure since the
date he walked into the league. He was a Defensive
Player of the Year runner up two times, including his
(34:58):
rookie season, and he came in third place another time.
So he is at that level where I just pick
him every year. He is the closest thing I think
we have to Mahomes on the defensive side. And I
do like the fact that he hasn't won the award before.
He's been so close time after time after time, and
I think they'll want to give it to him if
he has a great season.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Let's discuss the Rookie of the Year odds. According to
our friends at Caesar Sportsbook, Ashton Genti leading the way
at plus three hundred, just ahead of cam Ward Lamari
and Hampton, Travis Hunter, and Traveon Henderson. We enjoy rookies
considerably more than other sports entertainment program SODIA. Who is
your offensive Rookie of the Year pick?
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Well, I was hoping you'd be a little bit further
down on the board, but I'm looking at cam Ward
for a number of reasons.
Speaker 6 (35:41):
This week could be a tough test against the Broncos defense.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Okay, but if you're looking at trajectory going up into
the right as in getting better every single time a
Callahan led improved O line with a run game that
I actually think Tony Pard's underrated. I think this will
be a situation where at the end, come the end
of the season, we're like, cam Ward's that dude, He's
already a captain.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
They have to tell him not to.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
Come in so early because he gets there at by
in the morning. They've had to tell him to sleep
in a little bit longer.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
So I'm going cam Ward, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Love that stand at the facility. It's don for quick
fix here on game day you speaking to cam Ward.
He and the Titans have a pretty tough matchup. Welcome
to the NFL. If here comes the Denver Broncos, does
the rookie get his first Wayne.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Grego No way, I like the Broncos this week twenty
four to eleven, and I like them as my Survivor.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Pick this year or this week.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Because this Titan's offense to have to go up against
the Denver defense, that's tough, but hey, the Denver offense
also has great depth and continuity, especially at the wide
receiver position. Sean Payton loves to compare, you know, his
players to old Saints, and it's true. Yes, he compared
Pat Bryant, his rookie, to Michael Thomas.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
He did, okay.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
How about some other wide receivers not named Courtonton. Troy
Franklin had a big time preseason and people talking up
his ability. Maybe he's a little Robert meetscham how about
Evan Ingram out there making plays. He's definitely not Jimmy
Graham and he's not really Taysom Hill. I don't know
who the comp is, maybe like a smaller Marcus Colston.
(37:10):
But either way, they got a lot of weapons for
bow Knicks to throw.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
The ball to.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
All right, Yeah, we're mimas away Titans fans. We're all
on the Broncos, Bengals and Browns in Cleveland. Joe Burrow
is one in nine in his career. In weeks one
and two, does he get a win here, Cynthia.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
He does, he'll be two and nine. Well, I guess
we'd have to see what happens in the second week.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
But I'm looking at something that is very unsexy to
say about a team that we're hoping passes a ton,
myself included. But let's talk about the run game. You
got Chase Brown here, and one of the ways to
control and get away from Miles Garrett, and the pressure
is to what run the foot ball. You don't want
your defense on the field. How do you stop the
defense from be on the field?
Speaker 6 (37:47):
Run the foot ball?
Speaker 5 (37:49):
But I think all season long we'll see Chase Brown.
If you picked him up in Phantasy, I think you
did yourself a massive favor. I think this whole offense
is going to be worth having lots of shares. But
I think they're going to run and try to control
a little bit more of the pace so they're not
having to be like, you know, third and we need
to touch down to Jamar Chase and and yes, Jamar
Chase can do that, but like, let's not need that
every single time.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
And they're trying to stay on snechedules season wise, so
they won't have to win seven of their last saint
to get into the playoffs. The last one, I'll take
the Raiders and the Patriots, and I'm actually flying solo here.
I am taking Gino Smith and what is not the
battle for Greg Rosenthal's heart, who has already said that
he is fully invested in the twenty twenty five New
England Patriots.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
I mean, I love Gino too.
Speaker 6 (38:29):
Who doesn't love Gina? He still loves you, Uj, everybody
loves Gino.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
What Gino loves throwing the ball to Brock Bauers, who
had the fourth highest target rate of all tight ends
while getting six hundred and eleven yards last season. They
came after the catch. I think the entire Raiders offense
will be better. Yeah, I still waiting to see what
the defense is going to do, but ultimately I think
they can go on the road and get a win.
(38:54):
In July Stadium Sunday, Sunday Sunday, at nine am Eastern,
NFL Game Day Morning is back, joined Rich Eyes and
Kurt Warner, Steam Mary Ucci, Centia Freeland and more as
they get you ready for kicking off. Don't miss Kyle
Brant sitting down with Josh Allen, Davonte Adams with Kimmy Checks.
Start your Sunday with Game Day Morning at nine am
Eastern on NFL Network.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Thirteen people in that promo.
Speaker 6 (39:18):
We're all the same height too.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
That's how it works. It's it's unity, it's working together
to be There's there's no change, but there is change
in Super Bowl odds. According to Caesar Sportsbook, Buffalo Bills
wow edging out the Baltimore Ravens, who will have edged
out the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles as well as
the Lions, bringing us to write this down. We're talking
(39:42):
Super Bowl predictions. Cynthia nailed hers last season, So Eagles
over Chiefs, You're going back to the world. What are
we doing in your I guess title defense super Bowl?
Speaker 6 (39:54):
I mean, I don't like picking the favorite. I didn't
know they were the favorite.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
But the math says Bills over Eagles, so that I mean, wow.
Speaker 6 (40:03):
I I didn't know they were favorite. I didn't know
there's a favorite.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
I would love me a Buffalo Bill's Super Bowl. You know,
like how crazy they would go?
Speaker 5 (40:11):
Oh yeah, San Francisco, my bird town, I might you know,
I don't want to too, our own horn, my own horn.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Actually, I do love doing that.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
I had Eagle Chiefs as the Super Bowl. I just
had the wrong winner a couple of years ago too.
So we have a history on the show of getting
things right. And this year the Super Bowl is going
to be the Baltimore Ravens winning over your Detroit Lions.
I'm sorry, Cynthia that I'm gonna break your heart at
the very end. I off see it there long I
was actually thinking Lions are going to be pick my
(40:41):
pick lines are going to be. Then I like, look
at it, and I'm like, am I really gonna pick
Jared Goff and the biggest of big games against Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm not gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I think this Ravens team is more complete, but man,
it would be great to see the Lions in the
big team.
Speaker 5 (40:53):
I actually think the Ravens are still running on the
Lions from a couple of years ago. In some alternate universe,
they're still running the football and perhaps.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Before that game they'll play what we just said and
Jared Goff will be extra fire it up. I have
no horn to toot in picking Super Bowls, but a
few years ago I did pick the Baltimore Ravens to
beat the Green Bay Packers, so let's do it again.
I think the addition of Micah Parsons is enough because
I said into the offseason the Green Bay Packers just
(41:20):
needed some star power. The Baltimore Ravens don't need any
star power. They just need to get the postseason and
not turn the ball over and have tragic, heartbreaking losses.
And if they are able to do that this season,
I think they'll go to the super Bowl and beat
the Green Bay Packers. And I think I'm gonna really
enjoy doing this show with you guys once again. This
season one is in the books for Cynthia Freeland and
(41:41):
Greg Rosenthal. I'm Patrick Claybomb. Thank you for watching Game Deview.
Enjoy every single football game as much as we enjoy
talking about it. See next week.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
NFL Game Deview is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or where where you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Gregg Rosenthal
Rachel Bonnetta
Cynthia Frelund
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