2022 Week 1 Preview: Game Picks and Locks of the Week

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Around the NFL podcast The New Video Guy is ready
for the Internet back lass from the Chris Westling podcast studio.
It's around the NFL. I am Dan Hansis I have
heroes ready for a new season of National Football League Action.

(00:22):
Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler Boys the v O Guy, He's
ready for the backlash. Maybe we're ready for the backlash
because we're about to preview week one, our tenth season
together doing this thing. I like to think we're getting better.
I'm I don't have a proof of that, but I'd
like to think that we we arrived here. It does
have a different feel that the game's actually here tonight,

(00:43):
that the season started. The kids are in the RAMS
gear going to school. Like Dan's got a fresh haircut.
I believe this is in the seven to ten day.
Don't notice when he shaves he shaved. Just notice me
say same thing to my wife. I got a haircane.
I'm here, you got you look sharp, as Keith Hansas

(01:04):
would say. Hopefully we hear from Keith Hansas on Sunday
Night the Flagship Show talking about a Jets victory with
Joe Flacca will get into that situation. By the way,
I want to say a couple of things after a while,
I don't think that's gonna be a high draft pick.
We draft all the games based on what we're gonna
take Sunday, and it feels good to football. This spanner
I'm holding in my hand was sitting on every one

(01:24):
of our desks this morning. And by the way, hang
it proudly because I heard from a birdie that Goodell
the Commission is in the building. He could walk past
the glass at any time. He could come behind the
production area at any time. I would assume we should
invite him in the studio if he shows up, or
you can make a stand about something you feel about

(01:47):
the league with him in our presence. But Goodell is
here somewhere, rock I have the the banner just sort
of haphazardly slabbed on my desk. I didn't realize that
he was going to be That's exciting what it like.
It does feel great. We had Stephen Jackson next to
us in the makeup room, like if ROJ walks by,
I will I'll, I'll motion them and over. I still

(02:07):
do have some questions about that Deshaun Watson investigations, So
I just wanted to find out it's time to chop
it up and figure out what's going on there. What else?
A couple of things because we're gonna get to every game.
We do a draft style of course. Uh, and we
will have our locks of the week. We'll have some
old friends checking in. UM. Big announcement, give me that announcement,

(02:30):
Horn Graver. We're going to London. You guys know that
we've announced that we've been this is our thing, fourth
trip maybe as a podcast, and we have a live
show that is going to top any live show we've
ever done. Thursday, September twenty nine in London at the

(02:52):
O two Forum, Kentish Town. Showtime seven thirty. Doors open
at seven and you could get tickets at Ticketmaster search
around the NFL. A Ticketmaster, you will have access to
the Heroes Live. Put it out on our social There's
no going back now. I guess we're definitely going to London.

(03:14):
I still it's happening, it's exciting. We're so excited for this.
Mark has been his body. His workout routine has gone
through the roof because he's going to be shirtless during
the show. That's another tease. I don't want to give
away too much but I'm learning that just as as
of this minute. Can I have one little side note though,
because this is the time now when you'll start to
get the d m s from various people that are

(03:36):
in London, like, oh, can I circumvent the purchasing and
a ticket? Can you just give me one give an
answer because I well, no, just don't do that. Don't
DM that to the three and if if you do
and you don't get a response, cycle back to this
moment of this episode. Here's the answer. No, it goes

(03:57):
beyond us. It's an administrative tick. But we're so excited.
Did to be back with our London fans? Greg? I
remember um when we're at the carousel at l a
X after the trip last year. Mark. Unfortunately you cann't
join us last year, but we got you this year shirtless.
So we're on top of the world and we were
talking about it. We were being reflective about how proud
we were of it, and how we need to go

(04:18):
to London every year, not just for the English fans,
everyone else that lives in that area, people that come
over from Ireland, Australia, Germany. That's part of our um
our thing here and around the NFL. So we're so
excited to do it again. Right. Sometimes we hear from
other areas it's like, how come you give them so
much love? Or why don't you go there get an
NFL game there? Um, and then that would be a

(04:39):
lot more like we're gonna try. We're gonna try maybe
maybe in future years if it doesn't happen this year,
you know. So that's going on. Let's now get one
more announcement out of the way. Friday Fund Show debuts tomorrow.
Friday makes sense one. It's a lot stream on where

(05:01):
a grave digger? Is it on YouTube? YouTube? But I'm sorry, yes,
just give him a break. YouTube dot com, slash NFL
Underscore podcasts, I believe. Okay, if you go to that link,
it sounds like you're not to put it in your
favorite exactly a great U r L. But we're gonna

(05:21):
live stream the show. We can have a h there
will be a streaming comments section. You could be involved
with the show. It's our last look before we dive
into weekend action. Uh and we're also going to recap
tonight's game Thursday Night Football rams Bills, So check out
that that's your location. No Thursday Night show at least
to start the season. We're trying some new things out

(05:42):
Friday morning ten am Pacific, one pm Eastern six pm
in London. Speaking of which Happy Hour show, and we
will be boots on the ground at that game, so
a lot of local flair. It's a podcast as well,
so you can check it out live if you wish,
but then it's also gonna be a podcast. That's the
last bit of big news we're doing. Fans will do both.

(06:04):
They'll watch the live stream and then download the podcast
to support us, love us. We're more active than ever.
That is something that I'm noticing where you stand that
it's the TVD. It's like a raging TVD. Talk to
me in like three weeks. These are earning years, my friend.
This is where there is there's a curve, a creative curve,
I don't care what it is, where you get better, better,

(06:25):
better than your your top of your game, and then
you slowly go downhill. I think we're still in our prime,
so let's take advantage of it. But I'm like eight
years older than you, so I don't know what where
I'm on. I know I will just echo what west
and I used to say to all this looking forward
to being past our prime, but just like still earning
off the embers of how we used to be? What
were you going to say? West? And I would just
simply respond to all this jazz with just bend me,

(06:47):
shape me ben shape? Is that still where you're at?
Fee bent and shaped? And I like, what's happened? Sexy?
All right, let's get into it. The draft's coming, but
before we do the draft, let's start with the primetime games.
Sunday Night Football, perfect place to start. And remember we're
doing locks. So whenever it's time to announce the people

(07:09):
that you have a lock of the week, and the
rules if you're new to the show, it's got to
be within seven points spread. Uh in the desert um
and that's all that is. All right, Let's get to it.
Sunday Night Football the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Dallas
Cowboys and Greg the The Cowboys are a team that

(07:31):
not a lot of people are are pumped about right now.
But there's a reason why we're opening the Sunday Night
Football uh schedule. Uh. That of course now has Mike
Arico taking over for Al Michaels with Collinsworth and Melissa
Stark on that team now, because the Cowboys are always
box office, it's gonna be a great vibe at Jerry World.
But Tampa Bay obviously feels like the better team. And

(07:53):
during the season, yeah, you're naw yeah, because what Tampa
Bay went and got their great quarterback weapon to this offseason,
like they didn't just sit there and assume it's gonna
be okay. Even though they had the number one, you know,
scoring offense in the league. The Cowboys were number two.
We kind of saw that in Week one last year
when there was so many points, they went and got
Brady depth Gauge. Just Engauge is gonna be healthy enough

(08:15):
to play in this game? Mike Evans, Russell Gage? Rather,
why do I think about just Engauge a random Titan
from years ago? All that humble what you just did there?
But I I it's amiable. Was that a Mortal Kombat
character as well? So it sounds like Russell Gauge uh
so underrated too. At the end of last season, I
thought he carried that Falcons team. But Godwin is gonna

(08:36):
play in this game too. Chris Godwin looks like he
might be healthy enough to play. They might hold him
out just to be safe. But he's practicing and he's
coming back earlier in the season. And then you compare
what they did for Brady and you and what they
did for Doc. I do think, though, Mark, like people
have gone a little too far looking at what the
Cowboys lost. This team still has, you know, future Hall

(08:56):
of Famer Zack Martin uh future Hall of Fame candidate
to Marcus Lawrence, defensive Rookie of the Year, Micah Parsons
Defensive Player of the Year candidate last year, Trayvon Diggs
Ceedee Lamb is a great number one receiver. This is
not a talent list team like they deserved. But we
don't know if he's playing, but he might even play
in this game too, So it's like they have plenty

(09:18):
of talent to stick with the Bucks, who have their
own questions. No, they do. I I don't think anyone is.
I think part of it is the the the hype
around the Eagles, and the last couple of Fortnits's Eagles
hype and Cowboys exhaustion after another like lame playoff exits,
hideous playoff exit, and and the Amari Cooper trade which
looked insanely stupid. And a little desperate. I think for

(09:41):
me though, like the Bucks who a year ago they
brought everyone back and it was like, the Bucks are
fascinating because they're a great team and they're a super
Bowl contender. But this time around, because of everything that's
happened with Tom Brady, UM, I find this game more
intriguing than I would otherwise. I think you're gonna get
an agitated Tom Brady, and I do think that the
one huge matchup here because their line is compromised. You've

(10:02):
got Robert Hainesi at center, Luca Decky at guard, and
these are guys that have never made a start at
the NFL level. So you're Micah Parsons, You're DeMarcus Lawrence.
Is these guys who are, like you're saying, starry players, Um,
can you make Brady uncomfortable? I tend to think that
Tom Brady has been in the ears of these young
lineman NonStop and making them so convinced and comfortable with

(10:23):
what they're gonna do, And is no one better getting
rid of the well, big, try harder. Tom Brady I
think has a motivational ability that maybe outshines like certain
people we work for. I just think this is I want.
I want to see how that works, because that's to me,
is like when when Brady's line was problematic at the
end of last year, their offense was impacted big time

(10:44):
by Marx is super into this like wandering in the forest.
Brady that he is like the like ever since that
press conference, intrigued dig through if we wanted to, but
we don't have time today. I also, actually I've changed
my mind on that a little bit. I think the
that he took first of all, was a billion miles
in the rear view mirror, but I think it kind

(11:04):
of maybe brought him back where he needs to be
versus had he not done that, and he's just dealing
with it. He feels like right now, he's like, it
feels good a football. That's how That's how he feels.
I love to love you, bro, that's what he took
that break and he's like, man, it feels good to football.
I gotta get back to it. Eleven day breaks are
It's not wrong. Sometimes we do the slogans on the show,

(11:25):
just the throwing things by he was one of them.
I gotta say, though, like it where's the I where's
the money? It also looks like it was made on
like a dot Matrix printer or something. I don't know
who he's in the building. Well, it's very nice. I
like Matrix he capital. I think it's in like the
top five percent. They always have like one of these
new slogans every season. This to me feels like one

(11:47):
of the better ones. Do you think Rogers ever listened
to one of our episodes? Now, I would imagine I
would say that if it at one point it got
thrown up the chain for the wrong reasons. He probably
listened to like a twenty minute snap. I always I
do wonder if he's aware of our existence every once
in a night. Now, I met him once at like
when I worked in the NFL League office and he
was at some party, h and I shook the man's hand.

(12:09):
But I'm still not sure he's aware of our existence.
All right, I think he would be Um, Tony Pollard,
Zeke Elliott. I'm interested to see that. Of course, there's
been hype that now Zeke is healthy after the PCL
injury played through last year. Is that another thing that's
been blown out of proportional bit because it's weird to
me in the same division, everyone's totally cool now with
gassing up the idea of see Kwan Barkley being back

(12:31):
and healthy. But everyone is just assuming that Zeke Elliott
is not. Even if he is healthy now was shot.
I think he's fine if he was like what he
was before he got hurt last year. I thought he
was playing well like in Week one against he just
got hurt after four weeks. Can he stay here to
that point? And Pollard is a very good guy in
that backfield as well. So if the running games okay,
the quarterbacks great, they have a potential all Pro wide receiver,

(12:54):
but we need to see that from Ceedee Lamb Gallop
when he's healthy. He's a nice number two Adalton Show.
So I'm focusing on the offense because the defense is fine.
It does come down to that offensive line and if
they could figure things out. This is where I start
to think to myself, Oh watch out. Everyone's on the Eagles,
but the Cowboys actually could be in good position, and
if they won on Sunday night, I'm not picking them here.

(13:17):
I'm picking the Bucks. But I would not be stunned
because I think people are sleeping on the Cowboys as
a competitive team. I don't love the this game for
them on the ground, you got Vita Vea and a
Cheam Hicks right in the middle of that Bucks defense.
I mean, we know what they did against the run
last couple of mne to me as a guy, like
these teams are different, and you're right, the interior line
for the Cowboys is a huge question. Like I want

(13:38):
to see Vea in Hicks and try on Cyanka, who
who they like but was pretty erratic and not that
effective as a rookie. Like are they gonna be a
great pass rush because they really weren't for most of
the last year. I mean we're saying stopping the run,
but with you on the pass rush part, Tom Brady,
whatever this means to you, maybe it means nothing has
never lost the Cowboys six and oh and big time numbers.

(13:59):
But the thing with Brady, you could almost do that
with any team in the league and split it out
and it's probably with a handful of exceptions, maybe the Saints,
uh recently, um yeah, troubles. This is uh. You know,
I know we're we're not doing any Rainmaker today on
this show. We're not. But if you when when it

(14:20):
doesn't come out every week it's just when the expecting
you to bring out the rain. That said, we have
a very special first ever Friday Fun show, so you
might see him there. You said, clouds rolling in your something.
You might see a little storm forecast in the area.
I think with this game, if I had some a
strong take, it wouldn't be a winner. It would be

(14:40):
that that the number is not as high in this
game because I think both of these defenses are better
than you think, especially in the secondary. They both have
a lot of continuity and youth. And you sort of
never talked about the Cowboy secondary or the Buck secondary,
but those guys have been around and played together for
a while. In these two offenses barely got to practice
to other, uh and playing the preseason. So I think

(15:02):
the defenses will be ahead in this game. You got
the Bucks to right mark confidently all right here we
go confident enough to you know, but I think that's
probably bad news for the Bucks that I feel that way.
Let's move to Monday night football Russ Bowl one. Russell Wilson,
What you don't think it's Rust Bowl one, It's the
Gino Bowl. Oh in your world? Facing the man that

(15:25):
you know he taught Russell Wilson everything in the last
two years as his backlip Country. Russell Wilson is now
leading to Denver Broncos and they he will be on
the road in Seattle against his old team, the Seahawks.
So let's see what happens here, um mark Seattle is

(15:47):
another team we everyone except for Greg doesn't like this
quarterback set up, but at home in prime time, Russell
Wilson and Broncos have not played a lot together. Obviously,
it does feel like a situation where maybe this thing
stays closer than some people think. Well, I think it'd
be natural for Denver. This even happened with Peyton Manning

(16:08):
when they got Peyton Manning and it was Peyton Mannings.
An offense from top to bottom just takes a little
bit of time. It happened with Matthew Stafford in the
Rams offense last year. I I do think there'll be
some growing pains, and to me, it's, uh, that would
be natural. I love Week one for the reasons that
the stuff we've been talking about for so long we
finally get to see it now, and I think this
is gonna be an electric game. And to your point, Greg,

(16:30):
with the general Smith thing, the one if if they
pull it off, if they if the Seattle Seahawks ever
won this game, no one will ever for the rest
of time forget that it was General Smith that beat
Russell Wilson in one of the bigger matchups revenge showdowns
that they could have possibly put together. I don't think
it might be like Drew Bledsoe beating the Patriots thirty

(16:50):
one nothing. It's like a footnote to them ultimately. But
we still remember that though, and I think part of
that happened to You don't want to come out of
this game if you're Denver saying, wait a minute. Russell
Wilson is in this great position with Courtland Sutton, with
Jerry Judy, with their backfield, and I know their line
isn't perfect, but they've got all these weapons and everyone's
sort of just I think wish casting that they're going

(17:12):
to be effective right away. I'm not sure that's the case.
Nathaniel Hackett has never done this either. There's a lot
of new new parts that need to work together in
Unison that might take time. I think it's a total
mystery what they look like schematically, not just because Russell
Wilson has the way he runs it. But also because
Nathaniel Hackett has been very diverse throughout his career, people
just kind of project the Packers offense onto Hackett, but

(17:32):
that Packers offense was there before he got there, and
when he was in Jacksonville or Buffalo, he his offenses
have been different. And I love that about him, that
he is flexible enough to adapt to the players around him.
And he's gone spread, He's gone very west coast. He's
mostly West coast because his dad is freaking Paul Hackett,
who was one of the godfathers who was under Bill Wals.

(17:53):
Got to do what daddy says, right, But I don't
think that's what Russell Wilson does best. I'm just curious.
I also don't know what a Jero ever O there
are defensive coordinators really gonna look like, and so that's
a mystery. I'm looking um for one matchup in this game,
and though that's the Pronco's pass rusher. They put so
much investment into Randy Gregory included. Um, We'll see if

(18:13):
Bradley Chubb gets better this season against these two rookie
tackles for Seattle. Seattle is going to lead the NFL
I believe in rookie snaps. This year, they're playing so
many rookies, including right tackle and left tackle Charles Cross
and Abe Lucas, and that could be a problem. If
you have Geno Smith um without protection on the sides,

(18:34):
he holds the ball a little bit. It's that's a
little bit. The Seattle Seahawks purposely are going into a
season with Gino Smith and or Drew Lock as their
starting quarterbacks. What is Smith? Yes, I'm talking projecting tackles
on each side of them. How is this one's the

(18:56):
first round? Charles Cross, I think it's gonna be a
success when's at the You're right, it's but I mean,
if we're saying, if we're projecting, it's gonna take time
for Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense to figure things out.
I mean, Charles Cross could be a stud. But you
know it's also a chance from major growing page. He's
got to get rid of the ball a little quicker.
You know. I was trying to come up with a
comp for him, and I asked my fellow Gino Nation

(19:18):
co president, Stephen Ruiz, and he came up with the
best one I could think of. He's like, he's a
lot like Eli Gino. I mean I would say he's like, Eli,
you know, you're such a troll. I don't even know
what to do anymore. No, No, like in the way
that that's I'm not saying he's at that level in

(19:39):
terms of his base level, but let's say like a
mid level to lower level Eli Manning season, he's like
in that area forty. The way that he plays football,
that he processes really well, that he will take surprising shots.
He doesn't have the biggest arm ever, but he goes
for difficult, low percentage throws. But he also holds onto
the ball a lot. He'll take a sack instead of

(20:01):
taking a turnover, and I think that he can see
things ahead of time and help make up for a
bad pass. Pro I think like it Drew Lock, you know,
got Corona played himself out of the race entirely. But Gino,
I think what Pete Carol likes is he's not a
turnover machine. He's gonna he's gonna run a conservative offense.
They want to run the ball a ton. You've got
Patrick Certan dealing with DK Metcalfs. So I don't know

(20:23):
how many big players Gino is going to be responsible
for in this. But I do know that if we're
gonna talk about Geno Smith nine minutes, no, no, thay,
I'm gonna I need someone to take me out with
a with a lead arrow. What about like Pete Carroll
and about that one in six primetime record for Gino
when the lights go on, Gino goes off into a

(20:45):
corner and hides two of those. Yeah, we're with the
Seahawks last year where he played Okay, he didn't you know?
He played great though at one pm against the Jaguars.
You know you're my interest in in in the whole
thing too. This is me from an their time. By
the way, if you're confused before we moved out, don't
you think this is Pete Carroll super Bowl? Like He's not.
He's gonna. He's not gonna. He's gonna roby here. That's

(21:07):
the first thing this year he wants to stop Russell
Will said in theory, he more than anyone should know
the recipe to stop him. So I'm curious to see
what he does. And Pete Carroll had a chance this
week to dim expectations and he and he went in
the other direction, said I don't like all these people
saying we can't win. We're gonna win, We're gonna do X,
Y and Z. It's like, alright, Pete, well, I want
to say if they if they ever pull it off,

(21:28):
if they won nine or ten games with this team,
it I think it would become Seahawks fans, one of
the Seahawks fans, better season, more favorite seasons, because right
now it's dark like alrightw you're right, it's a it's
more of an is more of an interesting team here, Yes,
all right, well we'll find out on listen, we'll find out.
Can't we do the Tuesday show? You can't beat you can't.

(21:51):
I don't want to see the crowd um treating Russell
Wilson terribly. That really would be a bad look. Thank
you have some class. The guy bald out for years
for you, brought a super Bowl trophy to you, almost
got you another win. Still doing charity in your city,
doing charity in your city. What do we doing? Well,
they haven't done it yet, So he never takes any
grief for that, you know, interception. It's like Pete Carroll

(22:14):
in Bevel took all the grief as if like a
robot you don't think Russell Wilson took He's taken something.
You know, this is like the perfect storm because you
hate Russell Wilson and love Geno Smith and now they're
playing each other and Pete Carroll about two months ago.
So I don't know what. Let's take a break and
then we'll get to the draft. All right, welcome back.

(22:35):
We're through the prime time games. We got a six
hour show here, and we're really excited. It is officially
the first time of the season where you're like, Okay,
we gotta pick up the pace. Let's get to it. Now.
The draft. It's a snake draft and we will all
pick four games each and these these will be the
games that we will watch and be responsible for. It

(22:56):
comes Sunday and then talk about on the Flagship Show
Sunday night. And part of this process again is um
locking games and to come up with an order, you
have to you have to start somewhere. So yes, the
defending champion always picks first. And um, I just did
you guys remember that? Did you guys know? Well? So

(23:16):
does it go from? So do you guys know that
you won the luck? I did ask before the show.
I was u it was a really import holding the
lock trophy in my hands, taunting you with it. It
was an important moment because you've hosted this show for
so long and never won this by yourself, and it
was it was actually becoming awkward. So it's once and

(23:40):
one once, which I think is the all time leader.
I'm tied with maybe you at this point, so I
know it eats you up. Greg, especially since the whole
night I went it three times and a couple of
times by myself. We've done this like okay, So but
that was a sling that I I will take from
Greg and just by shield and send it back at him.

(24:02):
I am the champion. Greg, you finished in last last
year's you need to come back in fact that you know,
I think you just should show me a little more
respect because that was a tough battle to win last year.
The super Bowl trash talk, that's part of the fun.
I'm with you your first make your pick. I do

(24:22):
I do think there defending champ I didn't. I didn't
feel a lot of respect coming from that before because
you were you were going on about how you wanted
to end the competition. If you want to get if
the heroism of the old zuser saying, pipe down, Rosenthal.
Not only not only is the lock trophy not going anywhere.

(24:47):
I will humble you, so come get me. Okay, let's
start self spinning pr going on in the show. Speaking
of humbling, I would like to humbly request to join
the lock competition for the two seasons. You know absolutely,
I love it. Mark. I think you're probably comfortable with it.
I don't. I don't see the upside um. We're trying

(25:11):
to keep er she started. That's right, I didn't come
in last. Technically you could make fun of me if
I'm terrible. There's an upside for you, make a bit
out of it. I could see you maybe winning too,
which would be embarrassing. You win your first um time
ever that that's embarrassing for all of us. You're in

(25:32):
the middle. That's a wet fire. Who cares or your last?
And it's like, oh, no one can take your seriously. Yeah,
I see your point, Greg, all right, why don't you
share a lock? And then we're going to deliberate at
the end of the show. Now it's just a bit,
but it was. It was the man splaining and you
know what you did with Erica last year that won't

(25:54):
be forgotten. That was that was the opposite of that
was toward. Let's get to it. They I'm curious where
you're going with this first pick. It's an easy one.
I can't wait. I'm taking the last one of the
late games. I'm taking Raiders at Chargers. Let it begin.

(26:16):
I love all the intrigue obviously around the a f
C West this year. This is the CBS Kevin Harland
Trent Green joint and I am so excited to see
and says it's an easy pick, and he takes Trent
Green first. Over that the game is gonna outweigh the
crew here justin Herbert Mark and I both have him

(26:38):
as our m v P pick. Uh. There, this is
such an exciting roster on both sides of the ball.
Khalil mac Now on that defense, uh, you know you
could see Joey Bosa maybe having a defensive Player of
the Year type year. They're gonna score a ton of
points to be fun to watch. And then the Raiders,
who are a bit of a mystery to me. Um,
even though I think they'll be improved. You want to
see if all this hype after Davante Adams enters the building.

(27:00):
Uh checks out, because I feel very confident the Chargers
are gonna put up to thirty five points in this game.
Does Derek Carr have, with a true number one Hall
of Fame level wide receiver now at his side, the
ability to match a superstar like Herbert in a shootout?
I think he does, especially this week where it looks

(27:23):
like J. C. Jackson will probably miss the game. You know, look,
he did it last year, Derek Carr. He had a
chance to go away in that game, and he was
not his best game back in Week eighteen, but ultimately
he didn't make that out. I think it was to
Za Jones, which was a beautiful throw which ended up
putting them into the playoffs, you know, continuing that drive.

(27:44):
I am curious offensively, like how much can McDaniels and
then Patrick Graham defensively make up for spots because I
think you look at these two rosters and they both
look pretty loaded, except the Raiders offensive line looks like
a huge problem. And now you're going up against Khalil
Mack and you're going up against Joey Bosa, and to me,
the secondary looks like pretty weak on paper, and yet

(28:07):
Patrick Graham has done a good job coaching up They
felt good enough about their depth that they actually traded
away tray von Mon. And so I believe in mc
daniels and I think coaching can really improve your offensive line.
And so the names don't look good, but that's something
I'm watching. Can they just be respectable? That would be
a big improvement over what you saw up front under
John Gruden. Well, you've added Davante Adams. I mean that
is if that works. And I mean in this case,

(28:28):
Car and Davante Adams are like, we get it. Your
best friends, like you hear about all the time. I mean,
that's a nice thing to be to have a best friend.
So I think the chemistry will be there. But I
trust Khalil Mack in this situation because he's been in
this Brandon Stillly scheme before and they got him for
a reason. They added all these defensive parts for a reason.
If you don't get Jackson this this week, that's one thing.
But this Chargers defense was a massive liability down the

(28:51):
stretch last year. You remember they gave forty one points
to the Texans and in this game against the Raiders
last year that they prevented them from going to the playoffs.
The defense over and over big plays, allowing the Raiders
to do what they wanted up and down the field.
If you suddenly give Justin Herbert a more competent defense, uh,
this team can win twelve thirteen games. And I don't

(29:12):
know about you guys, but it's like I feel like
they are suddenly now And this happens to the Chargers
all the time, but it happened a lot of times
pre Justin Herbert, when I never trusted it. Are being
seen as the class of this division, even above the Chiefs.
Because there are questions about the Chiefs. I don't know
how that will shake out, but I don't think if
you're the Chargers you can walk out of this with
a loss. This is this is what undoing some of

(29:32):
the ills. What do I think they as. There's more
pressure on Brandon Staley, who I have as my coach
of the year than most coaches in the a f C,
most any coach in the FC, because there is not
really a weakness on this team that I see, all right.
So also to your point, Okay, you can lose at
home to any team in Week one and be okay. However,

(29:52):
if the Chargers want us the football gogness, and they
and maybe even themselves in that locker room to look
in the mirror and be like we are the best
team in that this division. You have Raiders week one,
and then at Arrowhead week two. It's like you don't
come out of there without at least a split. It's
gonna be the same old Chargers, gonna charge your vibe
to it Arrowhead. Oh and one. No, you're right, Thursday

(30:16):
night football. So it's like, yes, this is a very
important game. Uh, go take care of business. Charges because
I think they're the better team. But of course there's
some projection involved because we thought they were a really
good team last year and they kept shooting themselves in
the foot. They're not favored by much, and I think
that makes sense because I think the Raiders are are
extremely talented. There's still a question at like right tackle
for the Chargers, but you're right. Other than that, you

(30:39):
kind of line it up. It's not just hype, Mark,
I mean it's should be. To me, the Bills and
the Chargers have the best rosters, and I put the
Chiefs right there. To me, those are the three teams
in the a f C that should be the favorites.
All right, great game, that's the first pick up next
in the draft. Okay, So sometimes you gotta think about
who's coming up in the draft. You gotta make a strategy,

(31:02):
and you've got to think about what you want to watch.
That's what I do, not just broadcasters, but what teams,
What teams you're you're highest on, What teams have tugged
at your heart strings when the big spot on Hard
Knock throughout the last month. The teams teams that you
are invested in. And that's why I'm taking Eagles Lions

(31:24):
right off the top. I want to watch this. Don't
know what's going to happen. This was a blowout. When
I watched it a year ago, I remember being somewhat
excited for that game. It was when the Eagles were
up and down and it was kind of when they
started looking like the Eagles and they just ran all
over them. And to me, it gets at something that
Dan Campbell talked about so much in Hard Knocks. You know,

(31:47):
grit and you and you look at how they started
the Dan Campbell era. What did they do in the draft,
what did they do in free agency? They took two
big run stoppers, up front, Ali McNeil and own Mozzoicki
Levi own Mozoiki who I don't even think it's gonna
play in this game. They signed Michael Brocker's they wanted
to be a big, tough, manly football team that stops

(32:08):
to run. You know who was the worst team in
the NFL last year or or in the bottom two
in de v o It was the Lions. And that's
why this matchup was so bad for him. Like they
were the opposite of what you would think of Dan
Campbell team should be. They ultimately were a finesse team
that got pushed around a little bit and could hang
around by throwing short passes. But whenever they played a

(32:29):
team with a little bit of toughness who could steamroll
them defensively, it was lights out. And to me, the
Eagles are as tough as it gets up front. So
it's a great Week one test. I don't know if
the Lions have improved enough on their defensive line in
terms of their toughness to hold up against Philadelphia. If
they do, that will show me they're really a different
Lions team. I I kind of wipe away that that

(32:52):
game from a year ago that said I think the
Eagles have improved as much as any team in the league.
And if you're gonna try to have to try to
get into some sort of a shootout with him, I
don't love that for Jared Goff because I think what
we love about this Lions team for golf is that
it starts with their offensive line. There. I think DeAndre
Swift is going to have a great year. You can control.
You want low scoring games where you can control the ball.
But if you're gonna have to try to throw against

(33:14):
Eagles second hear you're talking about James Bradberry, Darius Slay.
They've got Chauncey Gardner Johnson. Now, I mean they're stacked
all over the place too, and they can rush the passer,
and I think they're being viewed a certain way. I
did want this game, but I also watch I put
all every screen up on my computer because I have
this gigantic monitor so I can w's maxing out your
brain capacity. Everybody's got a process. Everybody's got a process.

(33:38):
I mean, I'll do what I want to do. It's
if you got you got no games on It's like
the old Parcels thing. If you've got two quarterbacks you
don't have any you ever been to a sports bar again,
there is a flustered and freaking out I watched two
games at a time, maybe a third in a special
saying that I'm equally tracking every one of the they

(34:00):
also have equal if you're not tracking anything closely because
you have so many games and I'm not here to
attack your process, Mark, it feels that way. I'm more
like almost I admire it because I can never do
anything like that. I could not be even a little
bit productive and I have any insight on any game whatsoever.

(34:20):
But obviously you can. What is your critique, Greg, No,
I'm similar, Okay, I do you use there are a
lot of pressure on Jalen Hurd suddenly, Yes, you know
some of this pressure stuff, and I've been talking it
up with the Niners to and get to that later.
Is like Trey Lance, how is he going to react? Like?
If these guys are actually good, it's not a problem.
If these guys are true pros and their franchise type quarterbacks,

(34:43):
he will take this pressure and he'll he'll with a
better supporting cast take that next step. Let a lot
of people see. And that's why that's why I gotta
tell you some guys. As the defending locks champion, I'm
starting with the Eagles. I'm gonna lock it up. I
like stock shocked by this because I really, well I

(35:03):
picked them to win the division. I'm I really like
the lines. I have a personal affection for that team,
but they ain't ready. I don't think to face an
upper National on team, which I think the Eagles can
be potentially here. And one thing that I thought was
a little bit interesting and you don't read too much
into it because you know hard knocks, we learned that Rodrigo,
Malcolm Rodriguez, the six round pick linebacker who's gonna have

(35:27):
a big role with this team, has the second highest
selling jersey on the team, behind Aidan Hutchinson. And I
was just thinking to myself, like that's cool. But it's
also like they don't have a lot of stars. They
don't have like the fan base this They need more
good players and this is a process and I think
it's gonna take time. And in Week one is not

(35:47):
that time because you've kind of nagged the Eagles for
the last Yeah, well it's I think the Eagles are good,
not maybe super Bowl good like you think. I just
think the lines are gonna take time, and I think
the Eagles will win. I have them by six. I'm
doing game picks on NFL dot Com this year, NFL
dot Com Slash game picks, and I do have them
winning by six. But I think this could be like
thirty three seven this you might be sweating it out

(36:09):
towards the end. You stole my fire a little bit there,
dan Um. But we said we sent in our locks
to our producers yesterday. I did, and I am also
locking the Eagles. I love where. I love your reasoning. Um.
I also came up with a similar reasoning on my
own A day. I go, I was wondering why you
mentioned the producer yesterday, but well, because I don't know.

(36:31):
I'm not just like riding the codetails ever ever with
locks of the champ. Yeah, well, first of all, yeah,
I don't know why Greg is picking second when I
came in second. Yeah, that was an oversight by Zeuster
Tugboad should have done that oversight or if I was
not going to get that game coming background I need
if I wanted it, I hated to take it, but
I like the snake is a nice spot to be though, also,

(36:52):
and we're going to find that out right now because
Mark Sessler, you were up with a third overall pick,
and yeah, like is a night because he took like
my team. So it's like I can't root against you know,
nothing makes me happier than to hear that we've done
our job. Greg is often an impenetrable force. You want
to annoy him, but it just like bounces right off.

(37:13):
So when you do acknowledge it, it's like, yes, it's
a human victory. There's one player that I'm more excited
to see than any other player in the league, and
it there really isn't even a close second place. And
he plays in California, but he will not be playing
in California this weekend. He will be playing in Chicago

(37:33):
for the San Francisco It is Trey Lance. I'm taking
Niners at Bears. I think this is a great situation
for Tray Lance. Out of just one second, Yeah, Greg,
a little bit of a reach. Bears at three overall. Well, yeah,
no one was taking that, but I do what I
want to do. But also, okay, back to you, when

(37:54):
it came back to me, I don't think I think
someone else would grab Trey Lance. That was my thinking.
I'm not saying the Bears with the person they wouldn't,
but yeah, I like to see competitive so no, but
I pick what I want. But you would have got
him right. You're like, You're like, I'm not convinced. You're
like Mayock and Gruden out there. It's like, hey, we
believe in Cleveland Ferrell, so we're gonna take him forth overall,

(38:15):
we don't care about value. I don't see that parallel.
I don't see that parallel on any level, not on
any level. You can run on the Bears. You can.
I I know the rebuilding that's obvious, but you don't
have Khalil mac Larry gun Joe who they tried to
sign that never worked out. Eddie Goldman is gone, a
Cheam Hits is gone. I think the Niners are gonna

(38:36):
try to create an environment for Trey Lance where it's
not putting a ton on him. I don't love the
Bear secondary either, and I certainly don't love their offensive line.
I think if you look at this Niners defense, they
are justin fields. Did some really good things in the preseason.
I think there's hope there, there's no question, but he
is weapons depleted beyond Darnell Mooney. I don't think their
offensive line is anything but maybe the first or second

(38:57):
worst in the league. And it's gonna have him running
for his life and creating problems from wire to wire.
And you're coming up against what might be the best
defense in the league in the Niners. Well that it
does check out of Sessler boxes, blowout potential, two running teams,
could be a quick game. It's basically Sessler, I see
what's happening here. And I gotta say, even though it's
not a Sunday game, I'd be excited about. It will

(39:19):
be one of the first ones I turned on in
game past because of Lance and because of fields. Uh So,
just in I think there are individual stories to get
excited about. But this is the worst possible Week one matchup,
I think for Chicago because I I believe that the
forty Niners, if I had to choose one team going
into the year, uh in terms of the best defense
for me, would be the forty Niners. Um Bosa, they

(39:42):
really uh think Javon Hargreave and not Javon Hargrave rather
whom I think of Javon kin Law in the middle
is actually gonna be a difference maker this year. He
lost a lot of weight, had a great camp. Abu
com like they just bring guys from other teams that
suddenly end up playing well for them. Arc Armstead is
always so underrated. Then you have the best linebacker corps
in the league. It's just a lot for that Bears

(40:03):
offensive line to deal. I actually think the forty Niners
are extremely vulnerable upfront, more than any time in the
fort era under Shanahan. They have four new starters. It's
like journeyman late round picks. They've barely ever played. But
I don't think the Bears are the team to really
take advantage of. That's a good call. That is a
good could be low scoring. It's gonna be twenty to six.

(40:24):
And your power rankings, you have the Niners third, I
think about Heaven third, and that was higher than you
would see probably anywhere else. I think their defense has
been slept on a little bit. They were a top
ten defense according to d v o A last year
and they did not have a lot of turnovers. And
if you if you put factor in some regression there,
I think they're gonna do well. And I think it's

(40:45):
again a little bit of a projection, But I believe
in Kyle Shanahan. I believe in the weapons, uh with
Deebo and Iyo there especially, and the backfield which looks good.
That Trey Lands could be a stud and then what
then they're the best team in the league potentially. Now
these things have to come into play where you need
to get the protection, he needs to have his head

(41:06):
on straight. And if Jimmy g has to enter the
picture a little later in the season, so be it.
But I think it's all there for them. Like they
were in the Final four last year, they were one
bad fourth quarter away from being in the Super Bowl
and potentially winning that damn thing. So this team is
right there and now they have an X factor. It's
like the old West is Um where it's like with fantasy.
At least take the swing on the guy that has

(41:27):
a huge upside. That's Lance and we're about to see it.
It's exciting, all right. My second choice Chiefs at Cardinals
PM East close slot. Just to let you know if
you're wondering when the game started, uh, um, that was

(41:48):
my pick. I gotta admit I didn't think well, first
of all, I could have just lead with this and
avoided all the critique. But I simply uh believe in
that other game is a fascinating and to entity to
this one has. I mean the Cardinals, the journey the
Cardinals have been on, and and Kyler Murray. I there
aren't many more. There are many other teams. I just
want to see what they do, especially this matchup out

(42:10):
of the gate and the Chiefs. On the flip side,
it's like, Okay, you don't have Tyreek Hill and we've
been saying for the last there's no there's no one
I trust more than Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to
figure it out. Well that's probably true, but still they're
gonna have to be doing it for the first time here.
And so was that your impression of me? I feel
like I've said no. I literally wrote that in a
piece this week. I just because it is. There is

(42:30):
a lot of evidence to suggests that Andy Reid, but
it's about his creative and flexible and willing to shift
off what was you're referring to. Yes, great job with it.
Oh thanks man, everyone everyone should check that out. Brought
a real sessler And you didn't do the pre week
one h Q, And you did an excellent job. Well,

(42:52):
thank you. I might just get up and leave now,
because that's that's all I needed to. I loved that
you could you want to. I enjoyed it mentioned both
of these teams, and obviously, I think for me, if
if you're the Cardinals, one thing, if you're the Chiefs
with these new pieces and the way to do it,
Cardinals secondary to me is a concern. Marco Wilson is

(43:13):
not a great cornerback at this point. They went out
and traded for Trayvon Mullen. They've got Byron Murphy Jr.
I do like Buddha Baker, but their cornerbacks specifically like
I think Patrick Mahomes can take advantage of that and
put Kyler Murray in a situation where he's got to
turn around his score points without DeAndre Hopkins. Yeah. I UM,
I gotta admit, I'm I'm smarting. I had a bad draft.
I'm I'm not I'm getting my This is the game

(43:35):
I ultimately wanted the most, but I got cute and
um I tried to, you know, take the Eagles. I
thought I would get both in the end because I
wanted Romo. I'm fascinated. I don't think it's necessarily going
to be close, so again, you might have an blowout.
Like I, I think you look at these two teams
and Okay, obviously you have a significant advantage at quarterback

(43:59):
over the balance of a season. If you're the Chiefs,
you have a significant advantage as a play caller in
Andy Reid. And oh, by the way, what if I
told you you have a massive advantage on both lines, Like,
wouldn't you like the team that has the massive advantage
on both lines? I hate the Cardinals pass rush on
paper looks terrible, and I love the Chiefs up front.

(44:22):
I like what I've heard in terms of the Chiefs
pass rush, what they added to it with Dunlop, with
Frank Clark getting healthy, with car Loft this they're great.
Obviously in the middle, I love how that matches up
against a very shaky Cardinals offensive line. I think they
could take them to the wood shed. And that's why
I'm locking up the Chiefs in Week one. Spicy, spicy, smart.
I like it. I really want to see how this

(44:43):
offense looks. Is gonna feel different um with no Tyreek
kill um, And I want to see what they've been
cooking up. I want to see what Andy Reid has
been up to. That's a That's why I hate the preseason,
you know, That's why the summer gets annoying after a while.
Now we get to see it. What do they got
up their sleeves and sometimes come out I don't that
didn't happen last year, but I do feel like they

(45:04):
sometimes come out with a bunch of plays. John Gruden
used to talk about this on Monday Night Football, that
everyone watches Andy Reid's first three games so that they
can steal his plays for the rest of the season
because he's always coming up with like new variations on
variations on variations, and everyone's like, I gotta give that
man credit. Let's start taking those plays, like and you
don't know what's coming. I'm thinking of that forty burger

(45:27):
they dropped on the Patriots in Week one and a
kickoff game like it happens, Isn't it funny? Like with Belichick,
you could just picture it. You can just pick him
spending in the entire offseason and living in the facility
during the year, always trying to scheme and come up
with new plays, and it's the only thing you can
think about. Everything in his life takes a back seat. Well,
Andy Reid, and we've met him, and he's a really
nice guy, and he's genial, and he's very almost grandfatherly.

(45:50):
I don't like picture him in the same same way
as this assassin, like drawing up new plays and dictating
the future of the NFL offense. But yeah, he's right, guys,
I think that's smart to have a personality that kind
of a little Hawaiian shirt. You know, see where you're going,
it's almost a little Hawaiian shirts I'm gonna talk about. Yeah,

(46:14):
and then all of a sudden he's in his study,
changing the game year after year. I gotta love it.
Gotta love it, love that, Andy Reid. Alright, let's take
a break and continue the draft. Alright, we're back, Greggy.
You've already spoken on this. You're filled. We have done
four picks, and you are filled with self doubt. But

(46:35):
you could dig yourself out of the hole right here
with this good games left for you. There's plenty of
games left, although ultimately I feel like the ones I
want are going to be around for a while anyway.
So just for the integrity the got draft. You know,
I'm a team player. I'm going to take the Kevin
Burkhardt Greg Olsen game. This is a rare week where

(46:57):
Tony Romo and the top Fox team will be working
at the same time. They allow that, Uh in week one,
they don't allow that most weeks. That is Packers, that
is Vikings, and uh, it's the best game left on
the board. And even though it wasn't you know that
high on my board. You gotta take value in this situation.
I have a feeling this Vikings team is gonna be

(47:19):
more exciting offensively than they have been the last few years. Um,
not just because of adding Kevin O'Connell, who we don't
know about, just because I trust some of the reporters
that have been there year after year. A Reef Hasan,
who we've had on the show a number of times,
just saying, look, Adam, theland looks like he did four
years ago. Uh, the offense was cooking. Like everywhere you

(47:42):
hear all the defenses ahead of the offense, not in
Minnesota during camp, like Cousins grew up in this offense,
Like this is the type of situation he was in
in Washington way back in the day. And then you
just look at the talent kJ or Osborne is a
great number three. Like they they're excited. I know Irv
Smith's hurt, but you have an incredible running game, you

(48:02):
have an incredibly deep receiver crew, and you're going up
against maybe the best secondary in the league. So I
think when it's Vikings offense versus Packers defense, that is
some best on best uh action that I'm excited to see.
I don't know how it go, but I think the
Vikings have a real chance to win this game. I
did take them in my game picks. I think they're

(48:22):
the slight favorite here in Week one. They're one of
the three teams that beat Green Bay a year ago.
They obviously know the Packers really well. I think it's
it's if you're a Vikings fan and the offense doesn't
explode this week, UH, be patient because you're playing I
think what will be one of the better defenses in
the NFC or league wide. They've spent eleven of their
last twelve first round picks on defensive players. Uh. They

(48:43):
did not have j your exam Alexander for thirteen games
a year ago. They have him back. They've got a
great secondary. I think they can do a lot upfront
and so if you're the Vikings, it's a great first
test for Kevin O'Connell. I mean, I think you went
out and got Kevin O'Connell for the same reason everyone
hired Ship Sean. Sean mcvadh's branches off his tree and
your whole mean that he is a big reason why
they have the effect. I think it's gonna be a
different um operation for Justin Jefferson, who I picked us

(49:05):
my offensive player of the Year. They're gonna move him
around more. And in general they were sort of set
to go pieces wise already. I think their interior offensive
line is a bit of a concern, but in general,
the Vikings to me where I really was down on
in the Minnesota under under Zimmerman for zimmer for so long,
because I just thought he'd always gave the offensive side
of the ball um the wrong cues, like when he

(49:27):
went he wanted to go run heavies, firing of offensive
coordinators left and right, hiring his friends, and never really
got into the Kirk Cousins thing. I think Ryan where
he almost seemed to root against the zone. He really did.
There seem to be so much in fighting and when
when he left and I think he's a good coach.
It just seemed like a big sigh of relief that
they needed a new energy. So I think Kevin O'Connell,
if he can do it, is a major X factor

(49:48):
for a team that was sort of stuck in the mud.
And Kirk Cousins at quarterback is one of the biggest
beneficiaries of that. Irvin Michael Irvin has Kirk Cousins as
the m v P. And you know, that's buzzy, that's
good and social. But he will do what he does
and that's gonna be put up those similar numbers and have.
They will have periods, and maybe it will be to

(50:09):
start the season, or maybe it'll be a few weeks
in where they will be unstoppable for a stretch and
then there will be a three or four week and
I don't care who's calling the plays, it's gonna happen
because the guy at the front, Cousins, is the guy
that's kind of a big part of this. I know
the play calling, you could say plays the role as well,
but I think it's Cousins himself who ebbs and flows
uh and he'll he'll tear your hair out and then

(50:30):
at the end of the season and be like, I
can't stand this guy and we'll have yards and thirty
seven touchdowns, Like, oh geez, why this is why every
other front office doesn't know what to do with this guy,
so they keep on cutting them checks. I'm really curious
to see if they do come out with the locked
in version of the Vikings. And I said that, I
love that Adam Feeland's healthy now, and I think he
is an underrated like top robin to a batman in

(50:53):
the league. UH, with a healthy Dalvin Cook that they're
going to score points? Are the Packers where they are
right now? In search mode? Christian Watson barely was involved
with the summer UH figuring out life after Davante? Can
they hang if the good Vikings offense shows up? I
don't like the spot. I'm picking the Vikings a week one?
How about that? And Alan Lazard, who Aaron Rodgers has

(51:15):
talked up as the number one receiver, all of looks
like he's out in this game. A little surprising. He
had a next week and injury next week or the
week after. I mean, if we tape these shows on Thursday,
he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. He has not
practiced in a week he's had this injury. It kind
of came later in camp. So now Sammy Watkins is
your one, and Randall Cobb is your two, and Andy

(51:35):
Romeo Dobbs is number two in two is not a
good changed. Maybe it's Romeo Dobbs, it's your number two, Watson.
We don't know if plays in this game. And the
big question to me is, uh, Bok tr might return
for this game. Elton Jenkins, who didn't like might return.
So either you have what I would say is the
best tackle combination in the league in bok T and Jenkins,

(51:59):
or you have neither, or maybe you have one. And oh,
by the way, they're going up against Zadarius Smith and
Daniel Hunter and this is a legit revenge games. Zadarius
Smith was talking some real trash this week that he
felt the Packers did him wrong, and he even talked
trash about his teammates that when he was like coming
off that back injury last year, that like no one

(52:19):
was talking to him in the hallways. There was hallway pop.
He was like people were just putting their head down.
No one was saying hi to me, Like no one
was saying how I was. It was like when I
was hurt, it was like I wasn't even part of
the team. Back guys, you know, they like to talk
about the backs a lot, and sometimes just like, oh,
we were in the getting our makeup, Greg is unfair
and I asked our buddy David Singer um who works

(52:43):
with the Talent booking, about his back because he has
an issue. And then Steven Jackson, the great running back
of the Rams, was right in between Greg and I
in a chair because he's doing NFL network stuff and
he had a major backs during his NFL. Back guys
just chopping it up. Maybes maybe sometimes I'm not saying
Singer or Steven Jackson are these guys. Sometimes back guys

(53:03):
are a little bit like, okay, bro, can we talk
about something else other than your back injury? Maybe that's
what happened here. He was a bad guy and story
so people were looking down in the hallway because they
were like, all right, dude, we get it. What else
is going on? I would think that's great detective work.
I wish I had one of those penance because to me,

(53:23):
like Dan just won the it's what is it called,
It's time to football? That was some good football. That
was some good football tea. Yes, Justin, I'm jumping in
here to lock up the Packers. That's a good way
to start. You. You know, you're not just not just

(53:45):
their singer walking in. Uh, you're not. His ears were aching. Um,
you're not just locking up a game and looking for
the trophy. Great digger trying to make a statement. Sorry,
you're trying to We're doing a show right now. Justin,
he's you know, he's dealing with many Uh. You're also
looking to bring back the dignity to the producer chair

(54:06):
for the pick segments. So there's a lot of pressure
on you. Well this, Yes, you want this, and I
understand that would be a disgrace for us to be
honest to do if it goes behind the glass. The
trophy has to stay. Remember our mock draft went uh
back back in May. Graver did quite well. Well not well?
Yeahs our favorite in this game. By the way, I

(54:26):
was wrong, I think I said earlier, completely forgotten. I
didn't why why the Packers justin? Well, like Mark said,
I think their defense is really good, and I think
the Vikings could get off to a bit of a
slow start under a new offensive system. With a new
head coach who knows how that's just like week one stuff.
Plus week one is always like so unpredictable and doesn't

(54:46):
have any indication for how the rest of the season
can go. Are a great example. They lost thirty eight
to three or something like that to the Saints last year.
What Aaron Rodgers was a disaster? What is it about
the Vikings? They always I just love the Vikings like
I'm sucked in. If it was a different week and
I didn't have a game that I really liked, i'd
full on go into a lock off with you. But
we're just not there. Too early in the season for that,

(55:08):
too early for a lock off. Okay, let's move on.
Zeuser's up. You gotta pick up the pace. Users up. Yes,
you are to take a break. We just we just
took a break, thank you. Okay, there's a lot of
good lot going on all right, Greg here. I think
this will make you feel better. You jacked up my
draft there a little bit. I was hoping that game
fell to me because then i'd have a really nice

(55:30):
balance to my week where I would have a main
game in the morning to focus a main game in
the afternoon. Now I gotta go in a little bit
of a different direction. But it's okay. I'm prepared and
I'm ready for this. Let's go to the a f
C East. Let's go to the New England Patriots, last
year's wild card team behind the Bills. To a f
C S teams made the playoffs, they were destroyed in

(55:50):
the postseason by the Bills, as you may recall, one
of the great ass whippings of all time. Actually, and
now here's the first game since there since then without
Josh McDaniels, and all the hullabaloo about the new scheme
they're putting in the struggles that the Patriots had Tom
Kerrn like in the offense in the summer is a
car with square wheels. Okay, so again, let's see it now,

(56:12):
we see it, We see for real with this Patriots
offensive where it's at, and they get the Dolphins, and
I have with our sandwich props, I already predicted, or
at least put sandwiches on the line, that we're gonna
see Teddy Bridgewater this reason this season, for performance reasons.
So I'm not sold on toa but I reserve the
right to be a dumbass and be totally wrong and

(56:33):
see TUA with Jalen Waddle and freaking Tyreek Hill light
things up. You got to. I mean, I reserve the
right to be ridiculous. I reserved the right to be
a dumbass. And I am on the line right now
because is there a scenario where the Patriots who is
Greg Greggy notes and Patriots Nation stink in South Florida

(56:54):
that where you could just see the Miami going up
and down the field. I could see it, but I
can't get a hind it. But I can see it.
I can see it this week. And I can see
the Patriots even in a scenario where they make the
playoffs everyone, even in that scenario, I could see them
starting one in three or you know, two and four

(57:14):
and the offense gets a slow start. The Dolphins are
favored by three and a half in this game, which
is is pretty wild. You wouldn't have expected that when
last season ended. But these two teams went about the
off season with similar goals. They both wanted to install
the offense that's sort of the most effective throughout the
NFL right now, the Kyle offense. One of them hired
a guy who's spent his whole career in it, and

(57:36):
then they got Tyree Hill uh, and they got most
and they got the fastest offensive weapons in the league
to make plays after the catch, and the other team
hired Matt Patricia. You know that's who they decided to
install that uh offense. Alright. I love what you just
said because oh and DeVante Parker that was their big addition.
That see, the guy who the Dolphins didn't even want,

(57:57):
who just gave them away. But again, I don't wanna
get tripped up on semantics here, but like, is it
Matt Patricia installing this offense? Committee? It's a committee? Now,
I think I don't think. I mean, Bill Belichick says
it's a committee. I don't think that he that Why
even raise all that nonsense If it's not the case

(58:18):
it would be. I think people would be happier if
it was just Bill Belichick. I'm saying I think it is,
and he's I mean, he's probably got the final yes
or no. But I do think they're working together. I'm
just looking at their offense and saying, who are your weapons?
Why are you a playoff team? I don't see it
with New England. I think one of the reasons they
could go down to Miami and get jobbed just because
I don't think they have the strength on offense. I

(58:39):
just don't. And I look at maybe it's fine after
a month, maybe it's gonna be fine in a couple
of weeks, but there has been frustration around mac Jones
and what's he had, what's he's had to deal with
this summer. I just don't think it's gone smoothly. I
think they have a shaky coaching staff in general, which
is not been the case with the Patriots in the past.
And I think the Dolphins, to your point, Mike mc
daniel way and did exactly what Kyle Shanahan in the

(59:02):
Niners front office did before his first season in San Francisco,
went out and got every part necessary to run his offense.
It's not gonna take three years to get those parts.
They got him now. And you want to say that
too has a chance. One of two is issues in
the past couple of years was protection behind that Dolphins line.
I think tarn Omstead Connor Williams improved the situation a lot.

(59:23):
Jillen Wattle was awesome last year. Tyreek Hill is already
showing chemistry with two What about the Patriots secondary tells
you that in this game and other games like this,
when there are multiple high speed weapons, that they're gonna
be able to stop that. Right, there's both both teams,
and I do want to respond to something you said
quickly on their weapons. I actually think the weapons on
the Patriots offense is like the least of their concerns,

(59:45):
almost on the whole roster. Like I like their skill
position players. I know they're not superstars, but they're better
than they were last year. They're better than they were
the year before with Tom Brady. They were a top
ten scoring offense a year ago with a rookie quarterback.
It's the fact that they're changing mcdan, right, it's the
fact that they're changing everything up. I don't trust the line.
I don't trust the scheme. I don't trust the cohesion
uh that they have to take advantage of what I

(01:00:07):
think is the weakest part of the Dolphin step chart,
which right now is their cornerback situation. They don't have
Byron Jones. They're starting their old first round pick ig Bnogamy,
who was a first round a couple of years ago,
has not played well like normally I would say they
can attack that weakness. I'm not confident where I am
confident that Mike McDaniel looks at the Patriots and where
where does that offense win over the middle with those

(01:00:29):
crossers and those quick passes that turn into big place
And where are the Patriots still looking like it's two
thousand four except they're not nearly as good at it,
slow as hell in the middle, Jawan Bentley, you got
your guy mac Wilson. He might be okay, but it's
like Kyle Duggan who's athletic but loves to bite on
play action and give up big plays Like that middle
of the field. They're gonna be just killing those linebackers.

(01:00:51):
You imagine being Mike McDaniel. I mean, first of all,
it seems very self confident. He's a great coach, but
your first game is Bill Belichick. I find that to
be like when they've showed them at like owners meetings
and stuff, where like the two of them, let's spend
a lot of time talking. They're an odd pairing. Yeah,
I don't know if they're going to be getting dinner
together or maybe it'll be best not. This week. Patriots defense,

(01:01:14):
by the way, statistically was really good. It got exposed
horrifically by the Bills. But that Bill's team once they
were hot at the end of the year, that was
that was pretty rough. How much is J C. Jackson
not being there change everything for New England? Greg, to you, uh,
it's very significant at this point. I think they're gonna
start Jonathan Jones on the outside when he was one

(01:01:35):
of the best slot guys in the league. So now
you're hurting two positions. If not, I don't think we
even talked about the Malcolm Butler thing that just didn't
take and then asking like Jalen Mills to do it.
Jalen Mills is their top corner, like mccordy is still there.
People like Dugger and I like Dugger two, but he
I don't know. I'm probably two down on them right now.
But it's it does it looks pretty great, all right,

(01:01:56):
let's move on it. Si snakes to me, and this
is where this is not really how I wanted to
run this draft. Um, but things happen, and when you're
doing a draft you have to adapt, and um, I
will be taking the Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets
at the Metal Lands. I was helping to grab him
at the very back end. But the way things stack

(01:02:17):
up times time wise, I need to get this game. Um,
do you think someone was gonna grab this? But turn
this up in my headphones been a while, you know
what The name of this artist is, by the way,

(01:02:38):
absolutely not my favorite band name ever from the Rights
Free or whatever library, the tinsel Town Tune Stars. I
believe it sounds made. I mean they probably got together
for like one day, right, I mean that that session
that was magical. No, there's no no one's questioning that anyway. Yeah.

(01:02:58):
So Ravens Jets, Lamar Jackson healthy, Ravens is a team,
much healthier. They make a lot of sense on paper
as an AFC superpower. Um, they need things to fall
into place, Lamar. All the contract talks still in the background.
But guess what maybe they'll have like the NFL equivalent

(01:03:20):
of what's happened here with Aaron Judge and the Yankees
in baseball, where he has an incredible season and he
ends up being putting himself in an even better position
to have a record breaking contract. I could see it.
Um going on the road here against the Jets. I
think the Jets will be improved this year. Uh. On defense,
I believe that I really excited to see Sauce Gardner

(01:03:41):
at cornerback. We've talked about Greg, their defensive line and
how deep it is they can make things happen. C J.
Mosley is still the linebacker that's making things work in
the middle. And he might not be the same guy
he was when he was in Baltimore, but he's a
good guy in the middle of a heartbeat of that defense.
I like the defense, and I like the potential of it.
Um the off that subside of the ball obviously is

(01:04:02):
an issue, and we learned this week Robert Sala said,
not only is Joe Flacco starting Week one against the Ravens,
Zach Wilson's not coming back until at least Week four.
And Uh, I saw your tweet, Greg, and I agreed
with it. I tweeted myself that I feel like the
vibes are weird now. It's not a good situation now
between Zach Wilson and the Jezz. I feel like real

(01:04:23):
doubts creeping in about how they feel about him beyond
just where his knee is. Health was your tweet was
essentially that they maybe kind of want to just start
the season with Joe Flacco. It's like a soft benching,
you know, to go through week three. And and I
get and I don't think that's a bad thing. And
I don't think that they've given up on them because
of that, but that they're not ready right now. Like

(01:04:44):
I think, here's the best way to put it. It It
would just be if it was almost any other starting
quarterback in the league, would they say he's out through
week three? I don't think that. I think they would
give him every chance to play week to, give him
every chance to play week three, hope that he gets back.
But there they want to be really careful and and
they know they're only gonna have so many chances that
they want to get him as ready for when he's

(01:05:06):
going to start as humanly possible. And these first three games, oh,
by the way, are pretty tough, you know, in terms
of the past Russia as they face Ravens Brown's Bengals, like,
let's let's let Joe Flacco take some heat against I
think it speaks to their concern that they have about
Wilson and his ability to play well straight up, like
to to run the offense in a professional way that

(01:05:27):
allows them to take these improved pieces on that side
of the ball and actually be a better offense. And
by saying like we're putting him out through three weeks,
is like they think, not only does that need have
to be we need him to be going through full practices.
We need him to feel fully comfortable. And like you're saying,
if it's Aaron Rodgers or almost anybody else, it's like,

(01:05:48):
as soon as he can be on the field and practicing,
we want him in with With Wilson, it's more like
we need to feel comfortable that he is a percent ready,
because otherwise we feel pretty confident we're gonna be behind
the eight ball. Rogers wouldn't let the Packers go make
that announcement about him anyways, Like Zach Wilson just has
no real weight or credibility. And I don't say that

(01:06:10):
about his person, but just like inside the organization, it's
this is this this, this is quietly shakier then Sam
Donald's run with the team so far. It's it's a mess.
I don't think they could trust him to be confident
with when he's a little banged up either, which you
have to do as a quarterback. And I mean this
is a raven secondary that you know they suffered. I
don't want to talk about the running backs. Their secondary

(01:06:31):
was destroyed by injuries a year ago. No Marcus Peters,
he's back. Marlon Humphrey missed the final five games which
they all lost. He's back. They signed Marcus Williams, Mike
McDonald defensive coordinator. He is you know, he's he has
Baltimore ties, but it's his first game. And I think
that you said the Jets defense will be improved. It
can't be worse. They were the worst scoring defense in
the league last year and the worst defense. But I

(01:06:53):
think that I think you got to move into the
middle of the pack, and that's why you ride. Hired
Robert Sala and will know in a month whether that's
working or not. And I think it needs to otherwise.
This team isn't disarrapt right. I think they could be better.
I think they and I would say this with a
lot of defenses, because they come and go, they're unpredictable.
I think they could have a top you know, seven
or eight defense. I think it's like car Like I

(01:07:13):
love the defensive line. The secondary is is more of
a projection, but it certainly has upside. I'm curious if
they're gonna like blitz that the hell out of Lamar
in this game, because that is one question that Lamar
has to answer. It's not that he struggled that much
with the blitz for the rest of his career. In fact,
that the sort of the idea was you don't blitz

(01:07:34):
Lamar because then you leave the guys in single coverage
and then he can kill you with his legs. But
he was awful against the blitz last year. It was
a thing they never really solved it, and then he
got hurt and a lot of that was people around him.
So I'm curious to see how how aggressive they'll be
and how well they protect Blacko because that if the
Ravens have a weakness on defense, I think it is
their pass rush. It's it's a da f a O

(01:07:55):
ways for a couple of years. I don't know who
like Justin, I don't know. So if you can get
Flacco protected back there, and you know they think he
can spin it can see they here's the thing too,
part of the reason of the week three or through
week fourth thing with Wilson, as you could tell, they
like that there's a grown up running the offense. And

(01:08:16):
I know if you get a pass rush on Flacco
it's a rap. But the idea here as he isn't.
By the way, I'll push back a little bit on
the Donald thing not being as bad Donald the beginning
the year two got Mono right before the season started,
and that was not only did it suck, it was
embarrassing as hell as a fan because everybody just rand
that you have to, even as a Jets fan, sit
around commanding that brought up Donald and I didn't. On Twitter,

(01:08:40):
people were like, oh, now he's gonna bring up Donald
again tomorrow. It's just the first. This is the first
time in a t and history that we were comparing
bad eras of the Jets and I didn't bring up
Donald marked But wait, I was not allowed to do
that well a lot of times in the past because
we had a mare Donald, which it was not. The

(01:09:00):
rest benefits show is not over yet because if I
say something that touches a nervo with Greg, he will
automatically go. But Sam Donald was terrible. Yeah, we no,
we still have multiple games where that could occur. All right,
let's move on, and I do I think the Ravens
are in a good spot there, but I think there
are pieces for the Jets. If they get proficient playoff
quarterback play, they can make a game of that and

(01:09:21):
a season of this. We shall see it. Now goes
back to Greg. So I'm taking the Colts and the Texans,
and I know that's an unconventional pick here, but I
have different priorities of what I want on Sundays in
my backup game and how I plan out the week,
and I don't want to hear any complaints. I do
think this game is gonna be closer than people expect.

(01:09:43):
Totally absurd, by the way. What we all have our reasons,
but no, no, I gave you that as my reason
early in the show why I made the pick. I didn't, well,
it's not good value backup game to be the one
like this is the game I'm actually gonna watch the
least all week lost. You would have taken Bears fourth
instead of third, we would have said we're in the
third round here. You have acknowledged self through self scouting

(01:10:06):
that you both had major gaps in the stress too,
are unbelievably un annoying to hang out with most of
the time. We are the Texans, I think are going
to thread the Neil here and that's where you know,
it's a seven point a thread the needle game. We
talked about that on game debut on Friday's. It's a
seven point spread, the biggest all week. I think it

(01:10:28):
ties the biggest. And uh, I think the Texans keep
this thing close despite the fact that they lost the
two games against the Colts last year. Are you ready
for this by a combined sixty two to three? So
in in this way, if not any other, Matt Ryan
is going to have a very difficult chant, you know,
time matching Carson Wentz like he probably will not beat

(01:10:51):
down the Texans sixty two to three. Uh this year?
And uh, what I saw out of Matt Ryan and
their offense in the preseason at me a little concerned.
I think the Texans defense is built to make you
work down the field very slowly. That's what it's Lovey Smith.
Just keep it in front of him, make him go slow.
What's the Colts defense built to do with Gus Bradley?

(01:11:13):
Make them work slow? What did both these quarterbacks love
to do? Go really slow? A lot of a lot
of digging dugs. Davis Mills a lot of dickon dugs
Matt Ryan, a lot of digging dug. I think this
could be your quickest game of the week here because
of that, a lot of slow drives. Maybe not a
lot of excitement, but a close game in the end
because of that, that that leads to close games. I

(01:11:34):
think you diagnose that perfectly because if you look at
what I know that we want to be balanced. You know,
we don't want it to be Jonathan Taylor and no
one else but Jonathan Taylor last year combined forty seven
carries for three d plus yards and four touchdowns in
his two games against the Texans against love E. Smith's defense.
So I don't see why that can't be duplicated to
some degree. I do want to see what this Matt right, well,

(01:11:59):
but but they that's how you hammer them. If you
can tire out that defense right out of the gate,
that would be big for the Colts. I don't think
you want to putt Ryan in a situation where he's
got to save the day on this team. Chat how
you want to be described? Jack Leonard might have playing
this game anyway. I wanted to bring that up. That's
that's weird. I was a little annoyed. I wrote about

(01:12:19):
the power rankings that Chris Ballard, the general manager of
the Colts, when asked by the reporters, what's up with
Shack Leonard? He's avoiding the pee pu p list? Is
he possibly in any way? Ah? Could seem week one,
could see in week six? What's your favorite type of frog?
But dare you, Mr? Ballard? Answer? But don't you think

(01:12:42):
we could just see him for like fifteen sixteen snaps?
Maybe this even that would be great as long as
he doesn't lead to a setback. He is a monster.
He is, I think, and I know he's an All
Pro and all that, but I still feel like he
plays definitely in the Midwest. He is a cult not
one of the major media markets. He is a dude

(01:13:03):
that is one of the great players in the league
and one of the great playmakers in the NFL on
the defensive side of the ball, with that that famous
punch out that if he stays on this trajectory, could
be a Hall of Fame level guy, an all times
swing and hit for as if I'm going to get
Ballard heat second round pick and became one of the
great linebackers of his generation. This dude's for real. I

(01:13:23):
hope he's healthy. So you mentioned Ballard and m and
we heard that sound drop earlier and what's your favorite
type of frog? And I just like to think of
the listeners who are just joining the show, like this
season or last season, or even the season before the
season before that, and even just have no context for
why that's associated with Chris Ballard. And we're not going

(01:13:45):
to explain it, you know, because I can't really even
do it. If I tried, it was Greg and I
standing in the not even try just I mean, that's
just you're in the club, because I could picture where
we were when it happened. But because what you what
you really came away, your real impression was you cannot
actually describe. It's hard to even like use the words

(01:14:10):
that I don't know if they're even there. It's like
the a f C. South. It's much better to spend
two minutes explaining why we can't explain it. I'm just saying,
welcome to the new listeners. You'll you'll catch up. And
we're feeling good that Damian Pierce is the real dude.
I love I loved him in the preseason. I think
that's the reason to watch this game early in the week.
He's going to be He's like one of the favorites.

(01:14:30):
He's going to be a great producer that can make
a big difference position. We can totally believe what we
saw in the summer. I mean, he looks he quickly
won the starting job. He he looks insane, but he's
it's also insane. He's like the number four favorite for
Offensive Rookie of the Year or something crazy like that.
He's ahead of Drake London. He's ahead of a lot
of like top shelf players. Now Damian Pierce did Rex

(01:14:53):
Burkhead is the guy he's now competing for snaps with.
So if he's healthy, guy, he's going to be the dude.
All right, let's take a break and then we gotta
wrap this thing up. All Right, we're back. Let us
finish out the draft, and it is Mark Sessler with
a double pick here. All right, I'm gonna go um

(01:15:14):
Saints at Falcons. Alright, I'm fascinated by the Saints. Waiting
for a reaction from us. Dramatic pause, just dramatic pause.
That's how radio works. This makes sense. Is a logical
landings about in the draft of the Saints at Falcons.
Yes it is. And like for me, we talked about
the Saints as the team where I don't know. If
they won twelve games, I can logically explain why that

(01:15:37):
could happen. If they win six, I could see why
that would happen. I mean, you suddenly don't have Sean Payton,
who used Jamis Winston conservatively last year but two successful results.
I think he threw the ball over thirty times once
in any of the games before I got injured under Payton. Uh,
do we trust Pete Carmichael to do what Sean Payton does?
Maybe they're gonna do the same things, but not the

(01:15:57):
same way as Sean Payton. I think it's we talked
about a lot, but I think it's Undersold losing him
as her head coach. What that means for this team.
But last year's issues were wide receiver, they were what
lack of weapons? You've got Crystal Lava, Jarvis Landry, Michael Thomas.
I think Alvin Kamara is someone that Michael Thomas playing well.
That's they've been there a lot, hurt, a little weird

(01:16:17):
like it was last month. He's come back and it
sounds like he's trending towards playing, but we don't know.
But again, this is like the last thing that the
Saints fans wanted to Thomas after two years were ruined
by injury. And now we're going into Week one and
he's limited on and practiced by a hamstring issue. It's
just like it is this gonna happen or what? Yeah,
I'm that's such a huge, huge part of this because

(01:16:41):
we could talk up a lava all we want and
maybe he will be. Really Jarvis Landry looked good Thomas
in the same He's so important, Uh, to balance everything
on that offense. We're not losing Thomas for six seven
weeks or something. So to answer your Pete Carmichael concerns,
you know they did. They looked really good in the

(01:17:02):
preseason when their first team offense played sometimes it was Dalton.
It's only the preseason. You know, he did run the
offense in that suspension year and they were good. You know,
they were second and the third in the league in points.
They were second or third like he did. The Sean
Payton is a uh image what was it? A banner
in the practice? That banner it feels good to football, Yeah, exact.

(01:17:26):
It was his face looming over them as they practiced,
not subtle Sean, So that part of it, I think
I'm a little I'm weirdly more worried about the defense
keeping up the same level. Yeah, it was a little
like it was like it was also his very Russian.
I think it was his face too. It was very serious.

(01:17:47):
It was like it's like Daddy's watching. It was a
tough It was a tough couple of years there for
Sean Payton and the whole Saints thing. There were a
lot of stories. There was a lot going on at
that moment that if that, if if they made him
more realistic movie about not Kevin James playing, that would
be the middle where it gets really dark that he
has to come back from you. I think that's still

(01:18:08):
the lowest moment in UM entertainment industry history. The casting
of the casting of Kevin James is shown page like
Who Wins There. We actually had a segment where we
came up with eight or nine other people that could
have been him instead, and I get I want to
just say I was gassing up Marcus Mariota a little
bit earlier this week. I believe UM interesting to see

(01:18:28):
what version of him shows up. But I had my
League of Record fantasy draft yesterday. I smashed that draft
button on Kyle Pitts. I can't wait to see this
guy round third round, fourth third or fourth round. I
just smashed it. I can't wait to see what he
does in year two. If he stays healthy, this dude
could be one of those guys sometimes in these the drafts,

(01:18:52):
a tight end gets hyped up as a truly special guy,
and then a few years later he's bounced around the league.
We already saw in year one that this is a
guy that's a potential super duper star, So it'll be fun.
I don't like this matchup for the Falcons at although
against the Saints defense. I know you have your questions, Greg,
but like the Falcons have offensive line issues and last
year they basically shut down Cordarold Patterson entirely over two games.

(01:19:14):
It's just not a great match. Like Marcus Davenport has
been a little bit of a mystery. They're very thin
the Saints at at defensive tackle. Uh, they're not sure
who's behind Davenport. If they're the Saints defensive last year,
they will crush this offensive line. But i'd be a
little concerned about a little Arthur Smith trickery week when
I just feel like, hello heroes, Nick Westling, here, the

(01:19:39):
brothers are back for another year of law in this
time we're taking the trophy for Week one. We're going
down to Atlanta to watch the Saints and the Falcons.
The Falcons could be a little feisty this year with
some young talent combined with some veterans on offense, but
there'll be no match for the Saints. Chris a Lava
burst onto the scene and his NFL goes for nine
recep ten yards in a touchdown in the Saints role

(01:20:03):
lock it up. I was like, you know, the Westlings
are not taking the Bengals week one, where they had
a pretty good choice on the board. That was weird.
But they're all Ohio State. Um. Actually it's kind of
the Ohio State Saints. You've got the Michael Thomas, you
got it, you got a few few, you know. I'm
so excited about the Westling brothers being back in the

(01:20:25):
lock competition. Um, they had a great performance last year.
They really came on strong as well. And I don't
want to step on this, but there is a new
Westling brother entering the mix from what I hear, who
didn't have an opportunity to be in the mix last year. There,
let's just leave it there, I can I just counter
all of that hefty praise on one level. As an organization,

(01:20:50):
they I liked their confidence. I think they probably spent
an off season kind of realigning how they operate. But
there was um really disruptive in fighting that I thought.
That's a good That was so many and that's why
I saw so many headlines in the area newspapers, the
Cincinnati Zoo. That's the way they described the Westling brothers
and the in fighting and the theatrics that went on.
But they were productive a little bit of like the

(01:21:14):
Rob Chadzinski Michael Lombardi Brown's it was just like a
lot of worrying. Well, that group didn't come back for
a second year, so that would be one to stay
another season of the Cincinnati Zoo. Can't wait. The Saints
locked up with a lobby having a big day. All right,
Mark Snakes deal, let's wrap this thing up. Well, I
can't believe this is still sitting here. I'm gonna be

(01:21:36):
watching this out of the corner of my eye no
matter what Browns and Panthers. Do you think that's an accident? Mark,
This is a very We're trying to set up the
best show possible. We want you want to hear, Mark,
We're trying to help you. We know this is an
absolutely emotional situation for you, the Browns. In my life,

(01:21:57):
I'm forty two years old. I have never known anyone
in my entire life that loved a sports team as
much as you love the Browns. And now we're in
a situation where you will be watching the Browns and
hypothetically or potentially or certainly rooting against them. How how

(01:22:19):
can we even know? Mark? How can you know until
that game is on whether you'll be rooting against the
Browns or have the other way, not even against their
four no emotional tie. My theory is that you can't
turn it off. That's just a theory, and that's not
trying to be disrespectful to you. I don't think it's possible.
And the first test is going to be Sunday, one

(01:22:43):
pm Eastern CBS. I do not I don't tend to
think that I feel great antagonism towards the team at
this point or the players, like in terms of watching
the game. I know this is hard for you to
digest because we've discussed this. You can't turn off a waterfall,
but the but but a now stroyed coland on a
waterfall and turn it into like a calm lake. That's

(01:23:03):
sort of where I'm at, Like, I don't there is
no waterfalls, were just killed. I don't know where this
I just I kind of feel like, in a way passions.
But it's also Baker Bayfield, I think because that was
your guys star, he's your guy next week, whoever the
Browns playing next week. I really feel like almost no

(01:23:24):
attachment at this point. It's been a long offseason and
I'm trying to tell you in many different ways that
that you know, well what I'm saying to you, you
will know until the Browns with that and that building
going nuts and they're they're treating not just this week
but going forward, will you actually feel nothing that's fair?
But I think there is um There is some projection

(01:23:46):
going on there because you're thinking how you would respond
if it were the Jets. For I think some of them,
I have spent months and months kind of just being like,
I'm good with this. They are a way bigger things
happening in life than cheering off. One thing that I
think helps the Browns and it certainly would help you,
um in terms of having some connection is Deshaun Watson's
not on the field. I think that's significant. I actually

(01:24:08):
think that's been overlooked the football aspect of it. The
second that suspension went down and Jacoby Brissette took over
their core, you know, situation everyone in terms of their
interaction with the media, whether it was Kevin Stefanski or
Brissette or the players, it's like everyone got to move forward.
This horrible black cloud of like the shame that their organization.

(01:24:30):
They don't see it this way, but like the weight
that they've had to carry in a way because they
made this insane decision to take on Deshaun Watson and
give him that contract before all this happened. At least
for now, it's kind of like gone away and they're
just a football team again, which I think is useful. Now.
I know they're going against Baker Mayfield, but I think

(01:24:51):
the things that they could be good at as a
football team have a chance to come out. I've been
so down on the Browns here. I do want to
just say like the Browns defense does have a chance
to be special. I mean they there edge rushers against
this Panther's offensive line could be a problem for the Panthers.
J Ok, you know a Wusso Corma, I love him,
and then you love that secondary. I know Greg Knewsom,

(01:25:14):
denzil Ward. I mean there are a lot of problems
for Baker Mayfield on that and they know Baker. Their
secondary is two first round picks, two second round picks
who have all played pretty well, or or the rookies
and John Johnson, who was their huge free agency pickup.
Like that's their secondary. So they have a chance to
give Baker Mayfield a lot of problems. What do we
not like beyond their passing game? Uh, their offensive line
on things special anymore. I don't like their defensive line.

(01:25:36):
I think you can run on this. I think the
defense has to show it too, like defensive tackle. Like
the defense is more in theory than in practice because
they weren't special last year. But I think on paper
they look Jake Brisket could take them out of games potentially,
but I'll say it, I think this is a team
that's going to be competitive even with I don't understand
how Brissette fits in this system, because the defining aspect

(01:26:00):
to Jacoby Briscaid, other than being a great dude, is
he is the slowest quarterback I think in the NFL.
And by slow, I don't just mean he moves slow,
which that's true too, but like he just holds it
his like. I think he's smart. Everyone knows that. Maybe
he's just cautious, but his time to throw in terms

(01:26:21):
of holding, like he holds the ball forever and then
he throws it short. And that is the opposite of
what like Kevin Stefanski wants. So I sort of don't
understand how he fits. And maybe that helps improve like
his weaknesses. Maybe Stefanski does that, but that's the opposite
of what Jacob has been. He's been to hold it
forever and then maybe make a play. They didn't have

(01:26:43):
a lot of options at quarterback, and they didn't they
chose not to go after He could be a bad
version of Jacoby Brissette. Even and whether he says it
or not, or whether he said it or not, um
Baker does want to mess up the Browns is delicious.
That is a delicious merch He had merch ready to
go off the leash. He actually made uh in his

(01:27:05):
not only did he promote the off the Leash um
you know T shirts very aggressively. Uh and his you
know press conference last week he came back and he
and he wanted to give a special shout out for
just what a great job is social media team has
done selling the off the league so so so No,
I mean, of course, um, there's this game is just
like any other, all right, Greg, alright, let's take Cincinnati Pittsburgh.

(01:27:32):
That's ridiculous, this is still on the board. I apologize
to the fans of the Bengals. It's just circumstantial in
some some ways. Uh, we love your team. We're very
interested in this matchup, particularly um. And I'm also interested
to see if the Bengals defense, which was a top
five defense in terms of the way they played in

(01:27:52):
the playoffs. That was the biggest difference between the Bengals
and the regular season the playoffs, was their defense suddenly
played like a top five defense. Is that repeatable? Um?
Because I think they can get after Mitchell Robinsky. But
if they can't, this group of skill position players in
Pittsburgh is one of the only ones that you could
even compare to the Cincinnati group. I know we're projecting

(01:28:15):
with George Pickens and we're projecting to come back by Claypool.
But Friar Moose is gonna get better. Nasey here has
got a bit better. We know who Dianti Johnson is like,
you better get after Mitchell Trabinsky or I think this
team could be problematic and there could be a lot
of points in this game. I think that everyone just assumes,
because it's the Steelers, that their defense is excellent and
it's just not the case. Um, Cincinnati matched up really

(01:28:38):
well with Pittsburgh last year to ten and then they
dropped a forty one to ten bomb on them. And
I I look at Cincinnati's skill position players and say,
I with you. On the Steelers, I think there's promise there.
And I think Trabinsky, you know game, I think it'll
be a little more offensive. I I just this if
the Bengals, who have been I think overlooked as much
as any a f C Super Bowl team in a
long long time. Um, you're talking about Pittsburgh's weapons, Cincinnati

(01:29:03):
is the quarterback and I just trust Burrow that you're
bringing all the same people back. I don't know if
the offensive line editions were a plus editions. I think
they obviously shored up what was the massive weakness and
achilles healer a year ago. One thing, though, if you
remember that during that playoffs, when every team knew that
they had offensive line issues, the coaching staff seemed unable
to make any adjustments. I just want to see that

(01:29:25):
happen this year. Even if you found out the guys
you plugged in like, they're still gonna take a little
bit time to get together. You know that that's important,
and that was the one coaching weakness from a year ago.
But your defense brings everyone back. Essentially, it's got to
protect himself a little better too. I think he knows
that he does, but I think it's gonna be a
better situation for him. But that defense was lights out

(01:29:46):
in the playoffs and through most of the Super Bowl,
and they were helped out with injuries in the wide
receiver group for the Rams. But and they let down
of course at the very end. But that was a
big reason, more than the offense, that they were able
to go on that run. And I think you talked
about it with um the Chargers Mark. I think with
the Bengals is a very important Week one game. You're

(01:30:07):
in your building, You're against the Pittsburgh team that's in transition.
If you want people to respect you as like a
true superpower and not just a Cinderella team, go kick
the Steeler's ass if you don't want to feel like
it's every other year in the a f C North.
If they lost this game, right and the Ravens do
their thing against it, like suddenly, it's like right, And

(01:30:28):
it doesn't mean the Cincinnati stubs their toe here, doesn't
mean that I don't believe in or people should be
jumping off the ship here. But it's just like, go
take care of business. You you're the better team that
you're the more prepared team right now, the way things
are set up, win the day, and you should be
able to take advantage of the worst position group in
the entire game, which is Pittsburgh's offensive line. All right, now,

(01:30:48):
it's time to close the draft. And um, I think
we got two marks. Yeah, we're closing the draft though
here with Jaguars at Washington, Um, how did this? How
is this still here? Your kid? Right? Yes? I like
to be looking forward to keeping an eye on Jacksonville

(01:31:09):
is intriguing for all the reasons that we're talking about.
There's juice, there's here. I've already I've shared it on
this show and on Power Rankings that they're kind of
my Cincinnati pick to come out of the bottom of
the Power rankings and be a frisky team and potentially
even compete in the ANFC South. Could it end with
them having the number one overall pick for the third year. No, actually,
that cannot happen. It will not happen unless, yeah, unless

(01:31:33):
disaster strikes with Chevor Lawrence. On a physical level, I
think they're going to be better with a more professional
head coach and staff with Doug Peterson, and there is
major upside for Jacksonville. They could go in Washington, and
I know Washington's not a big time team, but they
could go to Washington and score a bunch of points
and kind of make a statement that the Jaguars, as
a joke, is over where frisky and immediately people will

(01:31:57):
be talking about them as soon as week two. Or
they could be sloppy and uninspired and stink and and
you know, Carson Wentz throws for decided to really go
ahead and start to take command. Carson Wentz throws a
hundred eighty nine yards and his sloppy most of the game,
and then throws a touchdown late to Terry McLaurin for
a seventeen fifteen win. And we're like, oh, everything is

(01:32:20):
the same, both with Washington and Jacksonville. So I'm excited
to see the real Jags, the Jags that the Jacksonville
fans in Duval and ownership wants to see step up.
And I think we will. I think Jaggars is a
gonna have a good week and people are gonna be
talking about him on Monday. This was my hardest game,
I think to to pick, I went back and forth.

(01:32:41):
They ended up with the Commanders, and I don't know.
I just like had this image of them annoyingly winning
this game and annoying me because it's a better story
if it's Jaguars. But then I thought about how they
do have continuity Washington. This is the third year for
this coaching staff. I think it's a professional coaching staff.
There's a lot of continuity in terms of scheme and
the players that are there. And you look at their
players and it's not it's not terrible. I do think

(01:33:04):
that Jaguars offensive line is underrated, and I think Washington
is gonna miss Chase Young and they're a little thin
at the edge position. And if you give Trevor Lawrence
a little bit of time, I think I think he
could cook. And I think you could see some points
in this game and they and they prove me wrong
and win it. I do worry about the There is
this sort of large assumption that Trevor Lawrence is now

(01:33:24):
going to be awesome just because of Doug Peterson. I
mean he threw seventeen interceptions last year. He I don't
think it's because of Doug Peterson. Well, but there's a
lot there's a lot of well hopefully not. You know,
it'll be better than that situation. Uh do we? There's
a lot of revenge games this week? What about Carson
Wentz Doug Peterson hate revenge games. I think most of

(01:33:45):
them mean nothing at all at this point, Like Carson
Wentz has eight other people to be more annoyed with
than Doug Peterson. I mean they did a lot of
good things together. I don't hate like the offense, and
I can't believe I said I started forgot about it,
but they did have a thing. I think that's I
think there's a little avenge here Peterson's last season. Absolutely yeah,
when that's whole, that's where that whole thing came from.

(01:34:06):
So that was the first coach to get completely disillusioned
with Carson Wentz. There's been a few sense a lot
of commanders in Washington, d C. And the Pentagon. A
few days ago, I said that I had a major
Pentagon take that I was going to share on the
Thursday show. But when we were texting the three of
us about that, Daddy had a couple of tetos in them.

(01:34:26):
And now the Pentagon take is gone. A major you
can't recall it was a major take on that. Was
it positive or negative? I don't know. I think it
was gonna cause some ripples. I'm not a scientist, but
I think if you have Tito's again, then come back, right,
let's go, let's find some all right. I will if

(01:34:48):
it comes to me, I will share it this episode
or in the future. It's a major. It was definitely
positive because that's sort of you in a nutshell. It's
like I trust our government like a trust our sold
I trust our soldiers, very nice, but it's like trust military.
I'm like you, Um, I don't trust the soldiers, but
I do A no, I don't nice try there, but

(01:35:08):
I do think that is a five sided fortress, impenetrable.
All right, here we go. Let's close with Giants of
Titans at Nissan Stadium. Grave Digger, I know you're disappointed,
but not surprised that this game didn't get drafted, but uh, maybe,

(01:35:28):
just maybe justin and we're gonna ask you to track
this game for us for the Flagship Show and report
back the Titans show up ball out at home and
tell people, hey, give us some respect. I think that
Mike Rabel is one of the most underrated coaches in
the entire league. Okay, all right, Mark, that's not me

(01:35:49):
interrupting or jumping in. That's literally justin pressing the button. Yes, well,
I do think Mike Brabel is one of the most
underrated coaches in the entire league. But the Titans were
terribly unprepared and weak one last year and they got
their butts kicked by the Cardinals. I feel like maybe
that informs how they get ready and prepare for this week.
And I do think the Titans should win at home

(01:36:09):
against the Giants. And we don't know what are the
Giant's gonna look like? Brian Daball, who knows it's all unknown? Yeah,
that's that's should have been a good lock. Um. Yeah,
I'm actually surprised the number is that five and a
half there. I think that's uh, it's not too late.
You could jump over to the Giants. The Giants defense,
I think is so bad. I think it might be

(01:36:30):
one of the worst defenses in the league. Azizel Jilari
and our friend Cavan Thibodeau. I mean, he's my friend.
You guys seem to have a weird thing with him.
I think friendship. That there was a slight misstep, but
it doesn't mean little. He's banged up. Maybe those two
guys will play like quite literally said he's not your friend,
so like you asked him. It's a great point. You

(01:36:52):
got me. I think the Titans. I just feel like
this's a veteran team that knows how little respect they're geting,
and there's every reason to believe they are well ahead
and there like building process in terms of able being
around for five or six years, and I just like
their talent better, Like defensively I have I think they're
gonna swallow up the Giants. I am worried for It

(01:37:16):
would be an absolute disaster if they do not beat
the New York Giants. This is one of those lines.
It's it's you know, it's still pretty high. It's almost
like they want you to take the Giants. And I
bet a lot of people are and I still I wouldn't.
I actually think the Titans could just romp in this game.
That's what I only winning records for Mike. We're not
this may not AI, this may not be the week

(01:37:36):
that this becomes a problem. But I look at more
voices from Greg Popping. We got it covered with Greggy,
the real Greggy right here justin Are you not concerned
about their wide receiver group for Ryan Tannehill and the
experience in general in that offense, there is a reason
to think they'll be just vastly less effective. I agree,
there's reason to think that, but I'm actually not that concerned.

(01:37:58):
I think Robert Woods has shown no signs of being
slowed down by coming back from the a c L injury.
He's a pro. He knows this offense. It's the same
offense that Mattaflora installed after he came over from the Rams.
Pro and that's us. Yeah, Week one preview. In the
book Super Size, they won't always be this size E.
But listen, we're all excited. There's a lot to talk about,

(01:38:20):
and um, we'll be typically this long, not typically, but
it's fun. It's great. Football's back tonight, Rams Bills and
just as a reminder, we'll be at the game. And
then tomorrow morning, the Friday Fun Show premiers will have
the recap of TNF and then some final thoughts as
we go into uh the weekend, and we got oh,

(01:38:44):
we have a special guest before we say goodbye? Is
that true? Is my favorite part of the show coming
out right now? Before we say goodbye, let's welcome in
a very special guest. She's actually a housemaid of mine
right now staying with me and Emily and the boys
and one of our favorite people in the world, Lakisha Wrestling.

(01:39:05):
What's up. I know it feels so good to be
back now. I don't know if we've actually spoken about
it but on the show, but you are back in St.
Louis and that's been a great thing, and you've been
close to family and you had been itching to get
back to l A And of course is the Rams
fan that you are here. We are for Rams bills
tonight and you'll be there and my mom's decked out

(01:39:26):
in Rams, Lincoln's ducked out in Rams. There you go.
I mean the last time you were here at so
far at least the confetti was coming down. It was.
That's why those people that picked against the Rams tonight,
I'm sorry, you're wrong. Uh, this could all be proven
totally erroneous by the time people hear this, and then

(01:39:48):
I'll just look like an idiot. But I don't care.
That's the magic of Lakisha Jackson Westling. Now when I
walk in there, it's just going to be like, man,
take me back. That was just crazy. I still can't believe.
Like last season, like, what the heck? How is everything else? Lukisha,
It's good, um single mom, you know, taking care of
the toddler, just busy like no other. He's growing so

(01:40:12):
fast and just like like cuter and cuter. But he
is like twice the side is he aware of like
with the Rams thing? Is it like legit his favorite
team and he's tracking this not even I was going
to say that when he's a solid brick, yeah to

(01:40:32):
say I was telling Dan last night, like he looks
like West so much because I forget like how stocky
West was before he died of cancer. And it's just like,
I see this little toddler walking around the house and
he's got these big calf muscles and guys, and it's
just like he's got my biceps, and it's just like
if he has a tank top on a little deed

(01:40:54):
like a fire hydrant. Put him there on the end
at tight end. He's like he's like eighteen to twenty four.
It's away from just hammering us all in cornhole. I mean,
he's on the arc. I can't wait to see what
sports he is going to be playing like. But yes,
it's great. We're gonna obviously hang out today and at
the game, and then we're gonna have a get together,
a pre season to get together, and it's just great

(01:41:16):
to all be back together. We wish West was with us,
of course, but as long as you're with us, and
Link is here with us, West is with us. So
here in the Chris Westling Podcast Studio, love having you here,
Keisha Always love you guys. Just like the room at
any room Keisha walks into just feels like it's immediately
lighter and happier, and it is don't know about this morning.

(01:41:38):
It is a beautiful, beautiful in my bedroom and there
she was sitting with a cup of coffee and it's
like in the room, where are you staying? In Dan's house.
There's a multiple areas you could be. Got a nice
little set up and upstairs downstairs areas nice. I got
it set up for you. It's perfect, this little candle
for yes, the time of year we should all be

(01:41:59):
together and uh as the time of year we definitely
are thinking about West even more with football starting. Um,
I don't know. I love I love I love how
we have him as part of us inside the studio
with his name on it. And it's just like it,
it's never ending. Every time you guys mentioned it, it
just touches warms my heart. I love you, kich al right,

(01:42:20):
I love you the audience, Thank you for most of
you beginning the journey with us on another season or
tenth with around the NFL. Remember Friday Fund Show tomorrow
live stream or pod go get it and remember, like
what I said, he the call

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