Tori McElhaney & Will McFadden are BACK and the schedule is HERE! They breakdown the full 2025 Atlanta Falcons schedule, including their favorite games, hardest and easiest stretches, most exciting grudge match and more!
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - "ATL Kart schedule release Video"
5:20 - Full 2025 schedule
10:00 - Week 5 Bye week
17:55 - Falcons vs Colts in Berlin
21:49 - 5 Primetime games
23:33 - Divisional games layout
25:39 - Easiest stretch
27:07 - Toughest stretch
28:23 - Make or break month
30:00 - Most exciting rematch
31:16 - Most exciting month
31:53 - Start or finish strong?
33:23 - Wishful week swaps
35:35 - Circle on the calendar
37:20 - Outro
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dirty Birds. What's up? And welcome to another Atlanta Falcons podcast.
We have an incredible episode, a special episode for you all.
It is schedule release Day, which is, you know, it
feels like the NFL is making the off season like
just ten pole. After ten pole, you got free agency,
you got the draft, but schedule release is kind of
like the final of those unchill really training camp and
(00:21):
OTAs and meaning camp at all that starts, which has
already started for the Falcons in some former fashion. We're
not here to talk about that. Tory mclaney joining me
today to talk about schedule release. Toy, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm excited, Well, I'm really excited. I literally got in
this morning and I was like, I'm feeling good about today,
Like I'm we got the schedule and I've been perusing it.
I have a lot of thoughts, so I know we're
going to get into all of it. But I some good,
some not so good, so we'll we'll get into it.
That's your teaser.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's a good thing we put the microphone in front
of your face because I can tell that you do
have a lot of thoughts about this. But yeah, I
mean we so fans got to see last night, the
entirety of Falcon schedule. They got to see the schedule
release video, which is like such a fun part of
this cycle.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Can you please tell the people kind of how we
got got to the atl Kart idea.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Right, shout out.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
To like Ryan Delgado, Jackie Kinney, our social team. But
this was actually something that I think you pitched.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
It was I mean, it was my original I'm not
gonna take I'm not gonna take credit for Mario Kart.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Right as a concept. Right.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You know, I think anybody who's ever been on a
Bachelor trip, like they just aret intimately familiar with Mario Kart, right,
So maybe there was some residual like effects of that
in my brain. But I put it down in our
spreadsheet where we kind of go through all of the
different ideas that everybody has throughout the season, and yeah,
Mario Mario Kart got picked and it was a lot
of fun then seeing Okay, like from ideation to implementation, right, Like,
(01:51):
how do we go about that process? Because I think
that that is honestly something as a thirty two year
old man in my professional career, like I'm trying to
learn that that is the next step for me is Okay,
you come with all these ideas, how do you get
it done and execute it? And it's a lot of compromise.
It's a lot of like bumping up against the creativity
and the technology and what is possible. So I was
(02:13):
really really proud of everybody. And you mentioned Ryan Jackie,
like antic Ellis, all of those guys who have done it,
Austin Jackson, everybody who has been involved. Incredible stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, it was a full I don't think people realize
like the full scope of what has to happen in
order to make these schedule, these videos that have kind
of become the super Bowl for social media and creative
teams for the NFL teams. I honestly, I just every
year I'm blown away by I think the time and
the effort that's really put in to make these things work.
(02:44):
And honestly, I just love how cute little Drake and
little Bajon are, Like they are cute.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The little figurines too. I don't know if people saw
the you know, we sent them out to different media members,
good Morning Football, things like that. Unfortunately, like one of
the last little bits of it was trying to find
a three D printer that's actually make all of these, right,
So we didn't have them in bulk. You know, maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
If maybe one day, yeah, if people.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Are super into them, who knows, maybe that's a third
party business that the Atlanta Falcons become a part of.
Is we're just selling figurines. But I do think that
the physical aspect of it made it really cool this year.
It kind of like brought the schedule Lease video literally
to life, yeah, which which was fun. And yeah, it's
cute Little Freddy in the little go Kart? Did you
have a favorite Easter egg in the video itself? Because
(03:35):
I've got two?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You go first, because I'm still kind of marinating.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Gotcha, So I really I don't know if you caught
the uh, the little Matt Ryan voice tag at the
beginning when he says get f and set right, which
is a throwback. I believe it was Tampa Bay, it was,
and yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I think it was a Thursday night, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Twenty sixteen. Yeah, yeah, it was a yeah new Neil
like took Mike Evans is so right. He didn't actually,
because Mike Evans has gone on to be just funny.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right spoiler, we got another Thursday Night Tampa Bay game
this year. I love to get ahead of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Love the synchronosity here. But yeah, so I thought the
the Matt Ryan call back at the very beginning of
the the getfing set was great. And then the Bajon
juke John Bijon juke at the end again against Tampa. Yeah, right,
like the little stutter.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
That was my favorite. I think that was my favorite
Easter egg is like from the because I remember that
was added I think a little late in the process,
like it was one of the final times that we
all were watching kind of the mock up and I
can't remember. It may have been you where you were
like we should add that at the very that little
moment at the very end to kind of call back
to the Tampa game last year year.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I like the Sequan reverse hurdle, the Beijon little juke
stuff steps. I'm just a big fan of like the
little innovations. And I'm still thinking about all the stuff
that Detroit Lions did this last year. Like I mean,
there there's I'm a fool for innovation in sports, but
that's not really what we're here to talk about today.
We're here to talk about something that's not really that innovative.
(05:07):
It's just who are you going to play and when
are you going to play them?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And you already knew who you were going to play,
it's just the win. Well, you knew the where and
you knew the who, but you didn't know the win.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We did not know the when. So do you want
to read us through the Falcon schedule here as we
as we get ready to dig into specific parts of it,
but maybe we do a little bit of a run through.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, I can, let me do some stretching, because we've
got nineteen weeks to do.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It's a little bit of a slog.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's a slug. It will get insight.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Did to talk about it?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I have, again what I said at the top, I
have a lot of thoughts, but let's get into it.
So Week one, Sunday, September seventh, at one pm, the
Falcons will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home at
Mercedes Been Stadium for the home opener Vision Opener. I
love it, Love it. Week two Sunday, September fourteenth at
eight twenty pm at Minnesota, the first of many time
(06:00):
games that we're going to get into. Then we've got
Week three Sunday, September twenty first, one pm at Carolina.
A new look Carolina team, a new defensive looking Carolina team.
I'm really excited about that. Week four Sunday, September twenty
eighth at one pm, Washington at Home. Then this is
the this is a very interesting wrinkle. Week five, Sunday,
(06:21):
October fifth, the Falcons Bye week, the earliest freaking bye week.
We're gonna dive into.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, start, We'll start.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We'll start with that because I don't know if anyone
can just feel kind of like my brain just like
bubbling a little bit about.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You, Like next weekend, we've got to buy.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
We've got to buy whatever. Yeah, Okay. Week six Monday Night,
October thirteenth, at seven to fifteen pm, hosting the Buffalo Bills.
Week seven Sunday, October nineteenth, eight twenty pm at San Francisco,
another primetime game.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Way that's my bedtime. I know I need you to eighty.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Eight twenty yeah, eight twenty pm Eastern Time.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So, like you mentioned my age on this podcast, I
don't think I need to like connect any dots there
for people I'm getting old. Eight twenty. That's pushing it.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's pushing it. I'm gonna have to call will ya up?
Week eight Sunday, October twenty six, one pm, Miami at home.
Week nine Sunday, November second, one pm at New England.
That's actually one of the only stadiums that I haven't
been to yet.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Really, Yeah, I haven't been Jellette.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah, I haven't been to Jillette yet.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
The best man can get Oh, there we go. No Freyds.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Week ten, Sunday November ninth, nine thirty am, because the
Falcons are playing in the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany.
What let's go going to Germany?
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Whetin talk, get donka bitsa, all of the like.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Just there you go.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Saw junior year of high school German? What's up?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Oh you took German and high school? Wow? Interesting? I
didn't know that about you all right. Week eleven, Sunday
November sixteenth, one pm, Carolina at home. Week twelve Sunday,
November twenty third, four to twenty five pm in New Orleans.
First time the Falcons will see New Orleans, and who
knows what quarterback they'll see.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I was shocked, honestly when I saw that that New
Orleans twenty five. Well and late in the year. I mean,
I like, I get the late in the year. Again,
if there's any division rival, it's gonna be late in
the year. Maybe it makes sense for Tampa given that
they're the division winner, but New Orleans like is the
second on that list for me, and usually the first,
usually right, so it doesn't it doesn't shock me that
they're both like late in the year. But the four
(08:26):
twenty five slot, and then you'll get to the kind
of last one, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I'll be thinking it is. Okay, So then we've got
Week thirteen, Sunday, November thirtieth, one pm kick at the
New York Jets. Week fourteen, Sunday, December seventh, one pm,
Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes Been Stadium. Week fifteen, that Thursday
night game that I alluded to earlier, December eleventh, eight
point fifteen pm kick at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's
(08:53):
a big one. If I'm circling one, I'm circling that one.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Week sixteen Sunday Night, December twenty first, four, five pm
at Arizona. Then you've got Week seventeen, another Monday night game,
December twenty ninth, eight to fifteen kick versus the La
Rams at home.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
And that's usually I feel like the last Monday night
game is usually a like Week seventeen.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, because they usually they tried.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
To make eighteen everything's on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Right, they usually try to. I think last year they
had a Monday night game thereafter, but I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I don't want to get ahead of myself. I got
some thoughts on.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
That, okay, okay. And then finally to wrap up the
regular season, Week eighteen day TBD date TVD. It could
be he.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Did all that and then we ended up with a TBD, right,
So that.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Week is kind of flexed, so it could either be
January third or fourth. The time also TBD, but you're
facing the New Orleans Saints at home to close out
the regular season and love it. There you go, you guys,
that's the twenty twenty five Atlanta Falcons schedule. Let's talk
about it because we all have thoughts.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Thank you so much Toy for reading that out. Yeah,
let's start with the bye week Week five. You mentioned
that at the jump. I think when we saw on
Tuesday the announcement that Atlanta would be playing in Berlin
against the Colts, you know, the natural next thought is, Okay,
they're traveling overseas, the bye week is probably gonna be
around that time.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, especially because that's week ten.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Exactly a natural, perfectly normal time to have a bye week.
Week nine, week eleven, those seem great to me, honestly,
But no, the Talcans have a week five bye, which
the first time when I first saw that, I was like, Okay,
it's a little bit of the young quarterback thing, like
sometimes I think you see this with teams who have
(10:44):
like young players in very key positions, and I have
absolutely let me preface this by saying, I don't know
if this is true or not. This is like my
own little Will conspiracy theory is that there's a little
bit of a like let's get under the hood and
maybe have a pit stop early in a race type
of deal and just see how the car is performing,
(11:05):
take stock of everything, and maybe make some tweaks. So
I don't dislike having a Week five by for that reason,
You're going into a season with Michael Pennick Junior as
the starter. Yeah, chemistry is gonna be the big focal
point this offseason, but it's also chemistry that you didn't
have all last year developing, so I kind of think
(11:26):
having four games and then a little break to say, Okay,
what worked, what didn't. We think back to the screen
game last year with Kirk, right how many times in
week like five or six where we're like, all right,
I'm I'm good with this. If I don't see it
again them, I'm fine. And we didn't really see it
that much after we kind of like had that coming
to like crazy moment. But yeah, I don't dislike the
(11:49):
Week five by for that reason.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I also think the first four teams that you're playing
like that first, like, yeah, that's honestly if I'm kind
of thinking of hardest stretches, which I know will kind
of of get into that later, but that those first
four games with Tampa at Minnesota, at Carolina against Washington,
I think that's honestly one of the more difficult runs
that you're gonna have. So to have a bye immediately after,
(12:13):
to your point, kind of go under the hood a
little bit tweak, some things, figure things some things out.
How are they jelling? How are they not? But as
the uh, I guess the other side of your positive coin,
I'm I tend to lean a bit more pessimistic, which
we've talked about before on this podcast. I hate it.
I'm so mad about a week five bye. I'm so
(12:36):
mad that the first week of October is when the
Falcons will be having their bye. I have so many
I'm so mad about this. I'm considering writing a strongly
worded email to the league for making us do a
week five bye, knowing knowing that you have two West
coach trips to San Francisco and to Arizona, which again,
(13:00):
in those are there's a lot of time between those.
The Falcons play at San Francisco in week seven and
they don't play Arizona until week sixteen. Why was that
not maybe pushed together in back to back weeks. Like
if you're gonna have an early buy and you have
two West coast trips and you're going to Germany, yep,
(13:23):
what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Here's a lot of a lot of plane flights that
are gonna be taking.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
What are we doing? Like, I'm of course, I'm not
complaining because I'm super excited for all these games. I'm
super excited to see what the Falcons can do. But
I think at this day and age, if you have
a a nineteen week schedule and you're playing seventeen eighteen games.
(13:48):
I don't understand why there isn't more thought to potentially
having a second bye week. And this is something I've
thought for a little bit now.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
I sorry, they've got to ban the tush push first.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I know they have other things that they have to
worry about.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
You've got to we've got to think in order of
what is most important, right, and tush Bush is number one,
but at the top.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
I honestly, I'm I'm I'm super disappointed in the fact
that Sunday, October fifth is the day that the Falcons
will not be playing because you it's not even gonna.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Be cold here.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Five degrees outside as we walk the belt line, yes,
and are just like, I guess.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I'll go to the beach like I don't even need
to go to the beach, I'll just go tan at
the pool like it's gonna be hot. I don't get it.
I'm really upset about it, and it doesn't make any
sense to me because also think about it in this
way too. I do fully one believe that the amount
of physicality and I know these are professional athletes, but
(14:50):
the human body can only take so much. I'm getting
very like metaphysics area, but like I literally, you are
playing for three months straight, yeah, three months straight without
a break. And yes, you could say, oh, there's a
mini bye in week fifteen because you have that Thursday
night game against Tampa after Seattle, but like that's that's
(15:13):
not enough, brutal stress, That's that's not enough. And also
think about it this way too, the Falcons will play
a almost full college season after the bye. That's not
even getting Let's say they make it to the postseason,
like that is so many games in a row, yep,
without a break, and I just I don't like it.
I don't think that this is the fact that it's
(15:36):
like the earliest freaking buy that they could have couldn't
even give them like week nine.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So right, So the last time that the Falcons had
a Week five bye was in twenty seventeen. They also
went to the playoffs that year. That was the last
time they went to the postseason.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Maybe this is maybe I'm just being pessimistic for no reason,
like maybe this is a good thing. Maybe history.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
So that was that was the first the first year
that I started working for the team, So I remember
that fairly fondly. The three and oh start that they
had to that year was the Lions game was dicey
in Week one, Packers game is great Week two. But
they started three and oh. Then they lost the game
before the bye week. Then they lost the next two
(16:17):
games after the bye week. So they started three and three.
So it's like, if you're looking at Atlanta's schedule, you know, Tampa, Minnesota, Carolina,
like those are a tough three games, and you got
Washington Like that's yeah, four games if they're three and
one going to the bye week again, kind of like
this past year, I'm gonna be pretty thrilled about that. Yeah,
(16:37):
you know, like it's a really tough stretch out of
the game. But my kind of motto and I feel
like this is maybe the right time to make this
declaration for the season. This is a prove it year.
Like I know last year they talked about a lot
in training camp, but even more so than last year,
I kind of think this is the year where the
rubber has to meet the road. Let's not talk about
what can be done. You gotta just go do it,
(16:59):
and like right out of the gate, you gotta go
do it.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Put the ball down and let's go. I mean, and
that's I mean as much as I can talk about, Oh,
I'm mad about the bye week being in week five,
Like this is what this was the card. These are
the cards you were dealt.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And that's kind of why I'm I'm a little bit
okay with a bye week being in week five, because
I kind of think that you should come out of
the gates, guns blazing a little bit, like you should
the way that we looked at last year and it
was kind of like, all right, you got Pittsburgh in
Week one. If you don't pull all of the stops out,
that's an AFC opponent, not that big of a deal.
If you lose that one, but like, no, right off
(17:31):
the jump, division opponent, then you've got a contending team
in the NFC. Then you've got a division opponent. Then
you've got a contending team in the NFC. Everything has
to be full bore, ready to go. So I wouldn't
even be surprised if we see maybe a different approach
in the preseason, Like who knows every year is going
to be its own contained thing. And so I look
at the bye week and I wonder the ripple effects
(17:51):
that that has, right, But let's talk about the international
game a little bit. They're going to be playing at Olympiastadion,
which is I what's up on Wikipedia? Actually? Hold on,
let me see if I can oh, no, the link? Wait,
hold on, let me pull up this link that I've
got right here, and then we are going to see
and hear how the Wikipedia voice, Okay, ready for this
(18:14):
actually announced Olympia Stadium, which was hilarious to me and
also not repeatable in any way, shape or form. All right, Jared,
let's see if this is going to pick this up.
Hold on, we're doing it again. Olymp olymp Olympia stad
(18:35):
j Let's go, German, Junior year German, let's go. All right.
So this was the the host site of the two
thousand and six FIFA World Cup Final, where Italy defeated
France five to three in penalty shootouts after tying them
one to one. Those are all the facts the Wikipedia
gave me in my research for the the Olympics Stadium
(18:57):
in Berlin, Germany, where the Falcons will be playing the Colts.
What are your thoughts, just real quick on that matchup,
where it takes place and the Falcons going to Germany.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I'm very excited that the Falcons are finally getting the
chance to go to to Germany and the first game
in Berlin. Yes, yeah, first regular season game in Berlin.
So very excited about that. As I think a lot
of people know the Falcons have exclusive marketing rights in Germany.
Our German fan base is near and dear, I think
to all of our hearts. It's been really fun getting
to know kind of some of our our German fans,
(19:27):
and I know that Bajon is taking a trip to Germany,
so he'll be able to connect with all of those
people and sharing.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Is there any like better ambassador? Frankly for no, for anything,
no ever, just send you need anything, like if we
make contact with Aliens at any point, Jean Bajon is
the one that we send. He's the ambassador for Earth.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yes he is. So I back to Germany. I'm very excited.
I'm very I'm very much looking forward to it. The
last the Falcons played internationally was a couple of years ago,
went to London, played the Jags at Wimbley. That was
just such a cool experience, I think for me personally
and also just for I think international fans just in general.
(20:13):
I love I love this, and I love that the
Falcons are kind of again considering the connection to Germany,
that the Falcons are one of the first teams to
be able to have this experience.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, and I've got to say, like, the international fans
that I have interacted with, and I'm sure you have
as well on social are lovely, Like they're amazing that
the UK fans, the German fans, any international fan that
I've ever interacted with on Twitter, on Instagram, on what
have you like just excellent. So I love that the
Falcons have had an international presence, you know, for a while. Now.
(20:46):
This isn't even the first time they've played the Colts overseas, right,
they played them in Tokyo in two thousand and five,
and I remember watching that preseason game just as like
a little snot nosed nine year old kid being like, oh,
the Falcons just went to the NFC Chamie Chip game
in twenty two thousand and four. Yeah, now they're playing
Peyton Manning and the Colts, and like they beat them
in that game. It was it's just like so fun
to see the Falcons I think on an international, global stage.
(21:10):
And yeah, the first one in Germany. That's gonna be electric.
The stadium actually seats seventy four thousand, about five hundred
people for one hundred and seventy five and according to
Tarren Wak's Falcons takeoff for the Thursday night game in
week five, a random one that I just pulled, there
were just over seventy thousand fans in attendance for that
(21:30):
game at Mercedes ben Stadium. So you're gonna be in
front of a little bit of a bigger crowd again.
I expect that thing to be fully packed, loud, crazy environment,
and you're playing the Colts, who were right there in
that middle like kind of with the Falcons last year.
So should be a good game. But the Falcons are
gonna have a lot of exposure this year. We're talking
about that international game. They're also gonna be in five
(21:51):
primetime games. Yeah did that surprise you at all when
you saw five primetime games on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I don't think it was surprising. I was definitely like
pinpointing in my head. Okay, three or four was really
what the fifth one? I was like, bit like three
or four?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Is it like hopeful? Three?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah? Hopeful was there or four, So getting five was
a bit like, oh okay. But I think to your
point earlier, it's the young quarterback kind of mantra. People
want to see Michael Pennix junior. They want to see
what he does with Drake London and Darnold Mooney and
Kyle Pitts. And I think that's good for the Falcons,
considering that sitting here two years ago talking about a
(22:30):
team that didn't have a single primetime game, and I
think that this is good for the Falcons. But also,
as we were talking before we even turned on the mics,
it's like it can be a double edged sword because
you're playing in these primetime games. You're playing in these
big moments. Are you ready for it? Because all eyes
are on you? And these are some big time games.
I mean, you're at Minnesota in week two, You're hosting
(22:51):
Buffalo on Monday night in week six, back to back.
In week seven, you're out in San Francisco at eight
twenty pm, I mean, and then you have kind of
three later games to end out the season, where in
week fifteen, that Thursday night game at Tampa Bay, Sunday
Night four h five at Arizona Monday Night eight fifteen
(23:11):
against the right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Yeah they're doing that's like, yeah, that's our stretch run.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, it's all I mean, I think that the league
at this I mean, I honestly, as I'm looking at
the schedule, the Falcons have an opportunity to potentially be
in the driver's seat of the NFC South. But as
we've seen the NFC South for the last gosh five
or six years, this thing comes down to week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Absolutely, And it's kind of like last year we talked
about right outrun the South and that terminology obviously lends
itself to like a race or a sprints. This this
is nothing of the sort. Now, this is an obstacle course. Yeah,
this is you are going to be you can see
all four contenders throughout the entirety, but you're going to
lose sight of them throughout kind of the season as
(24:00):
it goes, and you're gonna be running up and down
and over things, and different opponents are gonna be getting
in the way. And it's kind of like, all right,
when you start with Tampa Bay in week one and
then you end with New Orleans in week eighteen, what
all happens in between there and like, can you put
yourself in just striking distance come week twelve, when you've
(24:21):
got New Orleans again, actually, come week eleven, you've got Carolina,
New Orleans, Tampa Bay, New Orleans. Like starting week eleven
on in the way that we looked at kind of
the first six seven weeks last year, you got four
division games from week eleven on. So you come back
from Germany and your attention turns towards the division and
really the conference because then you've also got Seattle in there.
(24:42):
You've got Arizona, You've got La, You've got kind of
the NFC West and the NFC South. Can you take
care of those two things? Because honestly, the NFC West
is going to be one of the most interesting I
think divisions this year. Yes, because you've seen almost like
a leveling I think of that division where San Francisco's
come back to the pack a little bit. Yeah, LA's
come back to the pack a little bit. Seattle, I think,
(25:03):
is going to take a nice step forward. I don't
know why I'm totally blanking Arizona and kind of what
they did. One of the fonniest moments last year was
just watching like the season end with the ball like
bouncing off of Trey McBride's helmet. I'm so sorry to
Trey McBride. Do I think the world of it is
an amazing tight end? But like I cackled a little bit,
So yeah, you got the NFC West and the NFC
(25:23):
South two like decent competitive divisions there. It's it's an
obstacle course this year for the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
It is so now that we've kind of gone through
the schedule, do we want to do some like rapid
fire like with our favorite parts of it. I know
you have some categories that you want us to get.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Let's do it. Yeah, so easy a stretch where do
you think the Falcons can make a run.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
So for me, it's it starts actually with I want
to say, week nine, November two, one pm at New
England and then the Germany game, and then you're hosting Carolina,
and then you're at New Orleans and then you're at
the New York Jets. It's that five week time that
I think you can make a run.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
That's so yeah, that's so fascinating to me because I
had that, but I actually even had it starting earlier.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I thought about it.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I wrote down literally weeks eight through thirteen, but it
could even be weeks seven through thirteen, right.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Because San Francisco again has is not the San Francisco
of three years.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Yeah, they had just like a mass exodus of like
all of the players that you know this last year, which,
on the one hand, like you would think that on
paper that makes them a little bit worse, But on
the other hand, I'm kind of a little scared of
like Shanahan the mad genius, and like, does he just
get guys who are gonna listen to exactly what he
wants them to do and be like do this, do this,
do this, and then it's all gonna work, because that's
(26:41):
happened before. So like, does San fran have a Taylor
Gabriel that just pops up for them the way that
he did in Atlanta? Who knows? Miami is a real
wild card for me, as is kind of New England.
I'm a big Drake may guy, Like I really liked
what he did last year. So for that reason, I
could see the stretch starting as early as week's seven.
I could see the stretch starting as late as week
(27:02):
nine or ten. Yeah, so I kind of think that
we were both on the same page there, what is
your toughest three game stretch in this schedule?
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So I went back and forth. It's either the first
three games or I guess kind of yeah, the first
three four games or the last three four games, Like
I feel like between Tampa, Minnesota, Carolina, Washington. I know
you said three, but those first four weeks of the
season I think are difficult. But I also think the
last four weeks of the season at Tampa Bay, at Arizona,
(27:32):
against the Rams, against New Orleans like those like it's
almost like the bookends of the toughest part of your
schedule are these bookends of three or four games.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
So yeah, we'll get to that in just one second
a little bit more. But I did have weeks fifteen
through seventeen written down, so you're right there to kind
of identify that stretch with Tampa, Arizona and LA as
a crucial one. But I also had six through eights.
So we just mentioned sam Fran in Miami. I if
they break and they're good. Yeah, those two teams are
(28:03):
good and they're very capable Buffalo sam Fran and Miami
with two of those games being primetime. Now all three
of the games weeks fifteen through seventeen are not one
o'clock kickoffs. Yeah, so there's some wrinkles here in this
this Falcon schedule, but yeah, there are a few tough
stretches in the start of the schedule. Is definitely no gimme.
Yeah either, what is the make or break month for you?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
It's December, okay, and it's it's December because one, I
think that's again to our point, like that's some of
the toughest opponents that you're gonna face.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Yeah, Old Tampa Bay, Arizona and LA.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Yeah and that yeah, and New Orleans if.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
We want to just include January.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Exactly, so I think that, I mean, we know again
NFC South has come down to the month of December
two January time and time again. I think it's probably
gonna continue too. There's no reason that I should think otherwise.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Like this is the division that had like different division
like worst to first for like seven straight years. It's
one of the craziest NFL history stats if people want
to go look it up. It's just like the last
place in the division just kept winning it the next year. Yes,
such turnover.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Also again, because the bye week is so early You're
really deep into the season without a break, and that
concerns me. That worries me. So it really does feel
like a make or break month for them.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
If I was just to tell you, what if you
didn't even know the schedule, if I was just to say,
after the bye week you have Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami, Seattle,
Tampa Bay, and LA, I'd be like, oh, that's tough.
It's gonna be a little tough. Yeah, And that's not
even like that's like half of the teams that you have.
So again, the week five of it all really compounds everything.
(29:43):
I had December as one of them. I also had September,
So it really, like you said, it's it's just the bookends.
It's the book end of this schedule. But as we
learned last year, maybe it's not that simple, you know,
saying if the Falcons start hot, hey playoffs guaranteed. And
they did and then it didn't happen. So you got
to play well all throughout. But what is your grudge
(30:04):
match that you're most excited about?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Week four against Washington at home? I am so excited
for the Jade and Daniels. Michael Pennocks, Junior rematch that
game last year was so electric. It was Honestly, I
think I even said at our end of the year
when we gave out our end of season awards, that
was my favorite game. It was so much fun. You're
you were just seeing these two guys sling it and
(30:25):
do exactly what you drafted them to do. I'm really
looking forward to that. And I think, honestly, because it's
rabbit for the bye week, like if you're the Falcons,
give it all you got, like just turn it up
a notch and just kind of because you know you're
going into a bye week, you're gonna you should still
knock on wood, be relatively healthy, you'd hope. So I think, like, gosh,
(30:47):
kick it into a high gear when you face the
Commanders in week four.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Yeah, I doesn't make it better for you. The fact
that DQ is the coach in Washington, because I like
to you, that just like brings them full circle. It's like, cool,
you got Raheem, you got DQ, You've got Jane Daniels, Young,
Michael Penick Jr. There's just so much synchronous. Like my
grandma lives in Washington, DC, So like, what's up, Grandma?
You know, I can like just talk trash to her
all day. It's great love that. Yeah, I have that
(31:13):
exact same grudge match selected. So, as purely a Falcons fan,
which month are you just raring to sink your teeth into?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
It's the first, it.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Is, it's right in September.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
In September, because there are so many new additions. Defensively,
you still kind of are like super excited to see
Michael Pennix and his connection with a lot of these
pass catchers. And I think that there's a lot of
questions about who this Atlanta Falcons team is going to be.
And I think we'll be able to tell very early
on in September who they're going to be what they're
(31:44):
going to be. And it's because you're kind of playing
some big time competition in that first four week stretch.
So I'm that's what I'm really looking forward to. I
think we'll find out a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
You think they're better equipped to start strong or finished strong.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I think they may be better equipped to here's the thing.
I think they may be better equipped to start strong,
but I think they're gonna need to finish stronger. Like
that's the thing is I think that you can get
away with not starting fairly strong in that first four
games and pick it up towards the end. The problem though,
is is like you need to do both, like as
(32:19):
as we saw last year, like the Falcons had a
hot start and you thought they were so far ahead
that no one was gonna catch them, and then turns
out they got caught and surpassed. And so I think
that's where it's it's really tough because I want to
see them start hot. I think they have the opportunity
to stop start hot because you have a lot of
really awesome pieces that I'm really looking forward to seeing.
(32:43):
But if you start hot and don't finish strong, as
we saw last year, it's not gonna matter.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, And that's where like you can you've got the
unique wrinkle of not a rookie quarterback but like a
first time full time starter quarterback and does a hot
start playing that confidence factor for the overall team. Is
it Okay, we started slow, but that's okay. We expected
it because we're gonna build as the season goes along
because we've got a younger group. Like you can kind
(33:09):
of talk yourself into justifying any approach, but I agree,
like I think you gotta start hot, even though I
think there may be a little better equipped to finish
strong for that reason, I think they'll be just kind
of gelling more and more as the season goes along.
Could you if you had to flip any games though
on the schedule, are there any that you would you
would adjust?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Yeah? I absolutely would be moving either. I think I
would be moving Carolina week eleven into the bye week
at week five.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Oh okay, So I like what you're doing there.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Yeah, I'm flipping.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
I didn't even think about the bye week.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, I'm flipping the bye week. I'm moving Carolina.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Yes, that's Carolina, Like you're going at Carolina Washington Carolina, Right.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
But I'm okay with that. Like it. Like it, especially
a team like Carolina that there's a lot of new,
and with the Falcons there's a lot of new. Defensively,
I think that it would bode well for you to
play them earlier. So that would be my flip. And
then that gives you a bye week coming back from Germany,
which I wish would have happened.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Yeah, I like that. Actually, as I'm no, okay, this
all still works out. So what I was looking at
doing was flipping weeks ten and seven, So I would
flip the Germany game to Week seven with the road
trip to San Francisco. So you basically have the bye week,
a home game against Buffalo. Then you'd be taking to
(34:36):
the road to go against Germany. Not perfect, but at
least you've got the bye week there, and then you know,
a tough match against Buffalo, but at least it's at home,
and then you hit the road and then San Francisco
falls a little bit like later on, just Buffalo San
Francisco back to back, both prime time games. Something about
that has my you know, I also.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Just thinking about this, looking at San Francisco, I would
honestly switch Week seven at San Francisco with Week fifteen
at Tampa Bay. That way you can have San Francisco
and Arizona back to back, and you could essentially do
like a West Coast trail, which I think is easier
on the body.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
You would then have, though, and maybe this is the
reason the schedule makers didn't, You'd have Seattle, San Francisco, Arizona, LA.
You would have the entire NFC West in four straight games.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Right, which is not probably what they want to do.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
As it stands, you basically have that with breaking it up. Yeah, yeah,
that could be the ultimate deciding factor where they were like,
we got to get this out of here. Yeah, okay,
let's go ahead and wrap up this show. It's been
a lengthy one, but hey, there was a lot to
set out. What's the one thing that you were circling
on this calendar as our outro.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
It's exactly what I said about the grudge match. It's
that Washington game. I think Washington caught a lot of
people by surprise last season, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching
that team play, and I thoroughly enjoyed what we saw
last year in Washington or I guess in Maryland, and
I'm really really excited for that rematch. Specifically, I'm so.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Glad that this has not been brought up until this moment.
It is one hundred percent, without a doubt. Week seventeen,
the La Rams game. You just traded your first round
pick in twenty twenty six the La Rams. You don't
think they have a very vested interest in kicking you
out of the playoffs and improving that first round pick.
So I think if we're looking if we're looking at
(36:30):
like closing the season, strong. Very rarely do you have
a team that is probably likely right there in contention
with you, maybe for a wild card spot. Maybe they're
the division lead. But like the La Rams are contenders,
they also own your first round pick if you make
the playoffs. That is ten spots worse for them. So
it's just uncommon that you see two teams that are
(36:53):
on totally different coasts. Yeah, this late in the year,
being like, I'm looking at you, I'm coming for you.
The Falcons want to be the Rams and be like,
we justify that pick. James Peter sacked Matthew Stafford on
third down to win the game. What's up? What's up? Sean?
What's up? Less?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
You know?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
So who knows? But I just I'm circling that game.
It's gonna be a primetime Monday night game, maybe the
last one of the year. It's gonna be so much fun.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
I love that. I love that pick.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Awesome. Well, I don't know if I fully love the
Falcon schedule, but I'm excited that it's here.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
It's again, these are the cards that were Dell. It
doesn't matter if I do Mcaleney like it or not.
I will be at everyone.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Please go check out all of our great coverage. Go
check out the schedule lease video if you have not yet.
But if you want to go ahead and pre order
your tickets, get them online. We have a lot of
different ways to do that. Go buy your tickets for
the twenty twenty five season because it's as exciting a
season I think on the doorstep as I can remember
in a while.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
It's gonna be freaking fun.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
It's gonna be freaking fun, freaking fun.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
We're gonna have fun, all right.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
So I hope you guys had fun on today's episode.
Please let everybody know where they can find us. But
for Tory mclaney, I'm Will mcfatten and we will see
you all next time.
Dirty Birds. What's up? And welcome to another Atlanta Falcons podcast.
We have an incredible episode, a special episode for you all.
It is schedule release Day, which is, you know, it
feels like the NFL is making the off season like
just ten pole. After ten pole, you got free agency,
you got the draft, but schedule release is kind of
like the final of those unchill really training camp and
(00:21):
OTAs and meaning camp at all that starts, which has
already started for the Falcons in some former fashion. We're
not here to talk about that. Tory mclaney joining me
today to talk about schedule release. Toy, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm excited, Well, I'm really excited. I literally got in
this morning and I was like, I'm feeling good about today,
Like I'm we got the schedule and I've been perusing it.
I have a lot of thoughts, so I know we're
going to get into all of it. But I some good,
some not so good, so we'll we'll get into it.
That's your teaser.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's a good thing we put the microphone in front
of your face because I can tell that you do
have a lot of thoughts about this. But yeah, I
mean we so fans got to see last night, the
entirety of Falcon schedule. They got to see the schedule
release video, which is like such a fun part of
this cycle.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Can you please tell the people kind of how we
got got to the atl Kart idea.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Right, shout out.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
To like Ryan Delgado, Jackie Kinney, our social team. But
this was actually something that I think you pitched.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
It was I mean, it was my original I'm not
gonna take I'm not gonna take credit for Mario Kart.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Right as a concept. Right.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You know, I think anybody who's ever been on a
Bachelor trip, like they just aret intimately familiar with Mario Kart, right,
So maybe there was some residual like effects of that
in my brain. But I put it down in our
spreadsheet where we kind of go through all of the
different ideas that everybody has throughout the season, and yeah,
Mario Mario Kart got picked and it was a lot
of fun then seeing Okay, like from ideation to implementation, right, Like,
(01:51):
how do we go about that process? Because I think
that that is honestly something as a thirty two year
old man in my professional career, like I'm trying to
learn that that is the next step for me is Okay,
you come with all these ideas, how do you get
it done and execute it? And it's a lot of compromise.
It's a lot of like bumping up against the creativity
and the technology and what is possible. So I was
(02:13):
really really proud of everybody. And you mentioned Ryan Jackie,
like antic Ellis, all of those guys who have done it,
Austin Jackson, everybody who has been involved. Incredible stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, it was a full I don't think people realize
like the full scope of what has to happen in
order to make these schedule, these videos that have kind
of become the super Bowl for social media and creative
teams for the NFL teams. I honestly, I just every
year I'm blown away by I think the time and
the effort that's really put in to make these things work.
(02:44):
And honestly, I just love how cute little Drake and
little Bajon are, Like they are cute.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The little figurines too. I don't know if people saw
the you know, we sent them out to different media members,
good Morning Football, things like that. Unfortunately, like one of
the last little bits of it was trying to find
a three D printer that's actually make all of these, right,
So we didn't have them in bulk. You know, maybe.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
If maybe one day, yeah, if people.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Are super into them, who knows, maybe that's a third
party business that the Atlanta Falcons become a part of.
Is we're just selling figurines. But I do think that
the physical aspect of it made it really cool this year.
It kind of like brought the schedule Lease video literally
to life, yeah, which which was fun. And yeah, it's
cute Little Freddy in the little go Kart? Did you
have a favorite Easter egg in the video itself? Because
(03:35):
I've got two?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You go first, because I'm still kind of marinating.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Gotcha, So I really I don't know if you caught
the uh, the little Matt Ryan voice tag at the
beginning when he says get f and set right, which
is a throwback. I believe it was Tampa Bay, it was,
and yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I think it was a Thursday night, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Twenty sixteen. Yeah, yeah, it was a yeah new Neil
like took Mike Evans is so right. He didn't actually,
because Mike Evans has gone on to be just funny.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right spoiler, we got another Thursday Night Tampa Bay game
this year. I love to get ahead of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Love the synchronosity here. But yeah, so I thought the
the Matt Ryan call back at the very beginning of
the the getfing set was great. And then the Bajon
juke John Bijon juke at the end again against Tampa. Yeah, right,
like the little stutter.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
That was my favorite. I think that was my favorite
Easter egg is like from the because I remember that
was added I think a little late in the process,
like it was one of the final times that we
all were watching kind of the mock up and I
can't remember. It may have been you where you were
like we should add that at the very that little
moment at the very end to kind of call back
to the Tampa game last year year.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I like the Sequan reverse hurdle, the Beijon little juke
stuff steps. I'm just a big fan of like the
little innovations. And I'm still thinking about all the stuff
that Detroit Lions did this last year. Like I mean,
there there's I'm a fool for innovation in sports, but
that's not really what we're here to talk about today.
We're here to talk about something that's not really that innovative.
(05:07):
It's just who are you going to play and when
are you going to play them?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And you already knew who you were going to play,
it's just the win. Well, you knew the where and
you knew the who, but you didn't know the win.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We did not know the when. So do you want
to read us through the Falcon schedule here as we
as we get ready to dig into specific parts of it,
but maybe we do a little bit of a run through.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, I can, let me do some stretching, because we've
got nineteen weeks to do.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It's a little bit of a slog.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
It's a slug. It will get insight.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Did to talk about it?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I have, again what I said at the top, I
have a lot of thoughts, but let's get into it.
So Week one, Sunday, September seventh, at one pm, the
Falcons will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home at
Mercedes Been Stadium for the home opener Vision Opener. I
love it, Love it. Week two Sunday, September fourteenth at
eight twenty pm at Minnesota, the first of many time
(06:00):
games that we're going to get into. Then we've got
Week three Sunday, September twenty first, one pm at Carolina.
A new look Carolina team, a new defensive looking Carolina team.
I'm really excited about that. Week four Sunday, September twenty
eighth at one pm, Washington at Home. Then this is
the this is a very interesting wrinkle. Week five, Sunday,
(06:21):
October fifth, the Falcons Bye week, the earliest freaking bye week.
We're gonna dive into.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, start, We'll start.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We'll start with that because I don't know if anyone
can just feel kind of like my brain just like
bubbling a little bit about.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You, Like next weekend, we've got to buy.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
We've got to buy whatever. Yeah, Okay. Week six Monday Night,
October thirteenth, at seven to fifteen pm, hosting the Buffalo Bills.
Week seven Sunday, October nineteenth, eight twenty pm at San Francisco,
another primetime game.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Way that's my bedtime. I know I need you to eighty.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Eight twenty yeah, eight twenty pm Eastern Time.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So, like you mentioned my age on this podcast, I
don't think I need to like connect any dots there
for people I'm getting old. Eight twenty. That's pushing it.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's pushing it. I'm gonna have to call will ya up?
Week eight Sunday, October twenty six, one pm, Miami at home.
Week nine Sunday, November second, one pm at New England.
That's actually one of the only stadiums that I haven't
been to yet.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Really, Yeah, I haven't been Jellette.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah, I haven't been to Jillette yet.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
The best man can get Oh, there we go. No Freyds.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Week ten, Sunday November ninth, nine thirty am, because the
Falcons are playing in the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany.
What let's go going to Germany?
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Whetin talk, get donka bitsa, all of the like.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Just there you go.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Saw junior year of high school German? What's up?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Oh you took German and high school? Wow? Interesting? I
didn't know that about you all right. Week eleven, Sunday
November sixteenth, one pm, Carolina at home. Week twelve Sunday,
November twenty third, four to twenty five pm in New Orleans.
First time the Falcons will see New Orleans, and who
knows what quarterback they'll see.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I was shocked, honestly when I saw that that New
Orleans twenty five. Well and late in the year. I mean,
I like, I get the late in the year. Again,
if there's any division rival, it's gonna be late in
the year. Maybe it makes sense for Tampa given that
they're the division winner, but New Orleans like is the
second on that list for me, and usually the first,
usually right, so it doesn't it doesn't shock me that
they're both like late in the year. But the four
(08:26):
twenty five slot, and then you'll get to the kind
of last one, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I'll be thinking it is. Okay, So then we've got
Week thirteen, Sunday, November thirtieth, one pm kick at the
New York Jets. Week fourteen, Sunday, December seventh, one pm,
Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes Been Stadium. Week fifteen, that Thursday
night game that I alluded to earlier, December eleventh, eight
point fifteen pm kick at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's
(08:53):
a big one. If I'm circling one, I'm circling that one.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Week sixteen Sunday Night, December twenty first, four, five pm
at Arizona. Then you've got Week seventeen, another Monday night game,
December twenty ninth, eight to fifteen kick versus the La
Rams at home.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
And that's usually I feel like the last Monday night
game is usually a like Week seventeen.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, because they usually they tried.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
To make eighteen everything's on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Right, they usually try to. I think last year they
had a Monday night game thereafter, but I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I don't want to get ahead of myself. I got
some thoughts on.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
That, okay, okay. And then finally to wrap up the
regular season, Week eighteen day TBD date TVD. It could
be he.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Did all that and then we ended up with a TBD, right,
So that.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Week is kind of flexed, so it could either be
January third or fourth. The time also TBD, but you're
facing the New Orleans Saints at home to close out
the regular season and love it. There you go, you guys,
that's the twenty twenty five Atlanta Falcons schedule. Let's talk
about it because we all have thoughts.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Thank you so much Toy for reading that out. Yeah,
let's start with the bye week Week five. You mentioned
that at the jump. I think when we saw on
Tuesday the announcement that Atlanta would be playing in Berlin
against the Colts, you know, the natural next thought is, Okay,
they're traveling overseas, the bye week is probably gonna be
around that time.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, especially because that's week ten.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Exactly a natural, perfectly normal time to have a bye week.
Week nine, week eleven, those seem great to me, honestly,
But no, the Talcans have a week five bye, which
the first time when I first saw that, I was like, Okay,
it's a little bit of the young quarterback thing, like
sometimes I think you see this with teams who have
(10:44):
like young players in very key positions, and I have
absolutely let me preface this by saying, I don't know
if this is true or not. This is like my
own little Will conspiracy theory is that there's a little
bit of a like let's get under the hood and
maybe have a pit stop early in a race type
of deal and just see how the car is performing,
(11:05):
take stock of everything, and maybe make some tweaks. So
I don't dislike having a Week five by for that reason,
You're going into a season with Michael Pennick Junior as
the starter. Yeah, chemistry is gonna be the big focal
point this offseason, but it's also chemistry that you didn't
have all last year developing, so I kind of think
(11:26):
having four games and then a little break to say, Okay,
what worked, what didn't. We think back to the screen
game last year with Kirk, right how many times in
week like five or six where we're like, all right,
I'm I'm good with this. If I don't see it
again them, I'm fine. And we didn't really see it
that much after we kind of like had that coming
to like crazy moment. But yeah, I don't dislike the
(11:49):
Week five by for that reason.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I also think the first four teams that you're playing
like that first, like, yeah, that's honestly if I'm kind
of thinking of hardest stretches, which I know will kind
of of get into that later, but that those first
four games with Tampa at Minnesota, at Carolina against Washington,
I think that's honestly one of the more difficult runs
that you're gonna have. So to have a bye immediately after,
(12:13):
to your point, kind of go under the hood a
little bit tweak, some things, figure things some things out.
How are they jelling? How are they not? But as
the uh, I guess the other side of your positive coin,
I'm I tend to lean a bit more pessimistic, which
we've talked about before on this podcast. I hate it.
I'm so mad about a week five bye. I'm so
(12:36):
mad that the first week of October is when the
Falcons will be having their bye. I have so many
I'm so mad about this. I'm considering writing a strongly
worded email to the league for making us do a
week five bye, knowing knowing that you have two West
coach trips to San Francisco and to Arizona, which again,
(13:00):
in those are there's a lot of time between those.
The Falcons play at San Francisco in week seven and
they don't play Arizona until week sixteen. Why was that
not maybe pushed together in back to back weeks. Like
if you're gonna have an early buy and you have
two West coast trips and you're going to Germany, yep,
(13:23):
what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Here's a lot of a lot of plane flights that
are gonna be taking.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
What are we doing? Like, I'm of course, I'm not
complaining because I'm super excited for all these games. I'm
super excited to see what the Falcons can do. But
I think at this day and age, if you have
a a nineteen week schedule and you're playing seventeen eighteen games.
(13:48):
I don't understand why there isn't more thought to potentially
having a second bye week. And this is something I've
thought for a little bit now.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
I sorry, they've got to ban the tush push first.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I know they have other things that they have to
worry about.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
You've got to we've got to think in order of
what is most important, right, and tush Bush is number one,
but at the top.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
I honestly, I'm I'm I'm super disappointed in the fact
that Sunday, October fifth is the day that the Falcons
will not be playing because you it's not even gonna.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Be cold here.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
It's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Five degrees outside as we walk the belt line, yes,
and are just like, I guess.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I'll go to the beach like I don't even need
to go to the beach, I'll just go tan at
the pool like it's gonna be hot. I don't get it.
I'm really upset about it, and it doesn't make any
sense to me because also think about it in this
way too. I do fully one believe that the amount
of physicality and I know these are professional athletes, but
(14:50):
the human body can only take so much. I'm getting
very like metaphysics area, but like I literally, you are
playing for three months straight, yeah, three months straight without
a break. And yes, you could say, oh, there's a
mini bye in week fifteen because you have that Thursday
night game against Tampa after Seattle, but like that's that's
(15:13):
not enough, brutal stress, That's that's not enough. And also
think about it this way too, the Falcons will play
a almost full college season after the bye. That's not
even getting Let's say they make it to the postseason,
like that is so many games in a row, yep,
without a break, and I just I don't like it.
I don't think that this is the fact that it's
(15:36):
like the earliest freaking buy that they could have couldn't
even give them like week nine.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So right, So the last time that the Falcons had
a Week five bye was in twenty seventeen. They also
went to the playoffs that year. That was the last
time they went to the postseason.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Maybe this is maybe I'm just being pessimistic for no reason,
like maybe this is a good thing. Maybe history.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
So that was that was the first the first year
that I started working for the team, So I remember
that fairly fondly. The three and oh start that they
had to that year was the Lions game was dicey
in Week one, Packers game is great Week two. But
they started three and oh. Then they lost the game
before the bye week. Then they lost the next two
(16:17):
games after the bye week. So they started three and three.
So it's like, if you're looking at Atlanta's schedule, you know, Tampa, Minnesota, Carolina,
like those are a tough three games, and you got
Washington Like that's yeah, four games if they're three and
one going to the bye week again, kind of like
this past year, I'm gonna be pretty thrilled about that. Yeah,
(16:37):
you know, like it's a really tough stretch out of
the game. But my kind of motto and I feel
like this is maybe the right time to make this
declaration for the season. This is a prove it year.
Like I know last year they talked about a lot
in training camp, but even more so than last year,
I kind of think this is the year where the
rubber has to meet the road. Let's not talk about
what can be done. You gotta just go do it,
(16:59):
and like right out of the gate, you gotta go
do it.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Put the ball down and let's go. I mean, and
that's I mean as much as I can talk about, Oh,
I'm mad about the bye week being in week five,
Like this is what this was the card. These are
the cards you were dealt.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And that's kind of why I'm I'm a little bit
okay with a bye week being in week five, because
I kind of think that you should come out of
the gates, guns blazing a little bit, like you should
the way that we looked at last year and it
was kind of like, all right, you got Pittsburgh in
Week one. If you don't pull all of the stops out,
that's an AFC opponent, not that big of a deal.
If you lose that one, but like, no, right off
(17:31):
the jump, division opponent, then you've got a contending team
in the NFC. Then you've got a division opponent. Then
you've got a contending team in the NFC. Everything has
to be full bore, ready to go. So I wouldn't
even be surprised if we see maybe a different approach
in the preseason, Like who knows every year is going
to be its own contained thing. And so I look
at the bye week and I wonder the ripple effects
(17:51):
that that has, right, But let's talk about the international
game a little bit. They're going to be playing at Olympiastadion,
which is I what's up on Wikipedia? Actually? Hold on,
let me see if I can oh, no, the link? Wait,
hold on, let me pull up this link that I've
got right here, and then we are going to see
and hear how the Wikipedia voice, Okay, ready for this
(18:14):
actually announced Olympia Stadium, which was hilarious to me and
also not repeatable in any way, shape or form. All right, Jared,
let's see if this is going to pick this up.
Hold on, we're doing it again. Olymp olymp Olympia stad
(18:35):
j Let's go, German, Junior year German, let's go. All right.
So this was the the host site of the two
thousand and six FIFA World Cup Final, where Italy defeated
France five to three in penalty shootouts after tying them
one to one. Those are all the facts the Wikipedia
gave me in my research for the the Olympics Stadium
(18:57):
in Berlin, Germany, where the Falcons will be playing the Colts.
What are your thoughts, just real quick on that matchup,
where it takes place and the Falcons going to Germany.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I'm very excited that the Falcons are finally getting the
chance to go to to Germany and the first game
in Berlin. Yes, yeah, first regular season game in Berlin.
So very excited about that. As I think a lot
of people know the Falcons have exclusive marketing rights in Germany.
Our German fan base is near and dear, I think
to all of our hearts. It's been really fun getting
to know kind of some of our our German fans,
(19:27):
and I know that Bajon is taking a trip to Germany,
so he'll be able to connect with all of those
people and sharing.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Is there any like better ambassador? Frankly for no, for anything,
no ever, just send you need anything, like if we
make contact with Aliens at any point, Jean Bajon is
the one that we send. He's the ambassador for Earth.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yes he is. So I back to Germany. I'm very excited.
I'm very I'm very much looking forward to it. The
last the Falcons played internationally was a couple of years ago,
went to London, played the Jags at Wimbley. That was
just such a cool experience, I think for me personally
and also just for I think international fans just in general.
(20:13):
I love I love this, and I love that the
Falcons are kind of again considering the connection to Germany,
that the Falcons are one of the first teams to
be able to have this experience.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, and I've got to say, like, the international fans
that I have interacted with, and I'm sure you have
as well on social are lovely, Like they're amazing that
the UK fans, the German fans, any international fan that
I've ever interacted with on Twitter, on Instagram, on what
have you like just excellent. So I love that the
Falcons have had an international presence, you know, for a while. Now.
(20:46):
This isn't even the first time they've played the Colts overseas, right,
they played them in Tokyo in two thousand and five,
and I remember watching that preseason game just as like
a little snot nosed nine year old kid being like, oh,
the Falcons just went to the NFC Chamie Chip game
in twenty two thousand and four. Yeah, now they're playing
Peyton Manning and the Colts, and like they beat them
in that game. It was it's just like so fun
to see the Falcons I think on an international, global stage.
(21:10):
And yeah, the first one in Germany. That's gonna be electric.
The stadium actually seats seventy four thousand, about five hundred
people for one hundred and seventy five and according to
Tarren Wak's Falcons takeoff for the Thursday night game in
week five, a random one that I just pulled, there
were just over seventy thousand fans in attendance for that
(21:30):
game at Mercedes ben Stadium. So you're gonna be in
front of a little bit of a bigger crowd again.
I expect that thing to be fully packed, loud, crazy environment,
and you're playing the Colts, who were right there in
that middle like kind of with the Falcons last year.
So should be a good game. But the Falcons are
gonna have a lot of exposure this year. We're talking
about that international game. They're also gonna be in five
(21:51):
primetime games. Yeah did that surprise you at all when
you saw five primetime games on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I don't think it was surprising. I was definitely like
pinpointing in my head. Okay, three or four was really
what the fifth one? I was like, bit like three
or four?
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Is it like hopeful? Three?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah? Hopeful was there or four, So getting five was
a bit like, oh okay. But I think to your
point earlier, it's the young quarterback kind of mantra. People
want to see Michael Pennix junior. They want to see
what he does with Drake London and Darnold Mooney and
Kyle Pitts. And I think that's good for the Falcons,
considering that sitting here two years ago talking about a
(22:30):
team that didn't have a single primetime game, and I
think that this is good for the Falcons. But also,
as we were talking before we even turned on the mics,
it's like it can be a double edged sword because
you're playing in these primetime games. You're playing in these
big moments. Are you ready for it? Because all eyes
are on you? And these are some big time games.
I mean, you're at Minnesota in week two, You're hosting
(22:51):
Buffalo on Monday night in week six, back to back.
In week seven, you're out in San Francisco at eight
twenty pm, I mean, and then you have kind of
three later games to end out the season, where in
week fifteen, that Thursday night game at Tampa Bay, Sunday
Night four h five at Arizona Monday Night eight fifteen
(23:11):
against the right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Yeah they're doing that's like, yeah, that's our stretch run.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, it's all I mean, I think that the league
at this I mean, I honestly, as I'm looking at
the schedule, the Falcons have an opportunity to potentially be
in the driver's seat of the NFC South. But as
we've seen the NFC South for the last gosh five
or six years, this thing comes down to week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Absolutely, And it's kind of like last year we talked
about right outrun the South and that terminology obviously lends
itself to like a race or a sprints. This this
is nothing of the sort. Now, this is an obstacle course. Yeah,
this is you are going to be you can see
all four contenders throughout the entirety, but you're going to
lose sight of them throughout kind of the season as
(24:00):
it goes, and you're gonna be running up and down
and over things, and different opponents are gonna be getting
in the way. And it's kind of like, all right,
when you start with Tampa Bay in week one and
then you end with New Orleans in week eighteen, what
all happens in between there and like, can you put
yourself in just striking distance come week twelve, when you've
(24:21):
got New Orleans again, actually, come week eleven, you've got Carolina,
New Orleans, Tampa Bay, New Orleans. Like starting week eleven
on in the way that we looked at kind of
the first six seven weeks last year, you got four
division games from week eleven on. So you come back
from Germany and your attention turns towards the division and
really the conference because then you've also got Seattle in there.
(24:42):
You've got Arizona, You've got La, You've got kind of
the NFC West and the NFC South. Can you take
care of those two things? Because honestly, the NFC West
is going to be one of the most interesting I
think divisions this year. Yes, because you've seen almost like
a leveling I think of that division where San Francisco's
come back to the pack a little bit. Yeah, LA's
come back to the pack a little bit. Seattle, I think,
(25:03):
is going to take a nice step forward. I don't
know why I'm totally blanking Arizona and kind of what
they did. One of the fonniest moments last year was
just watching like the season end with the ball like
bouncing off of Trey McBride's helmet. I'm so sorry to
Trey McBride. Do I think the world of it is
an amazing tight end? But like I cackled a little bit,
So yeah, you got the NFC West and the NFC
(25:23):
South two like decent competitive divisions there. It's it's an
obstacle course this year for the Falcons.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
It is so now that we've kind of gone through
the schedule, do we want to do some like rapid
fire like with our favorite parts of it. I know
you have some categories that you want us to get.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Let's do it. Yeah, so easy a stretch where do
you think the Falcons can make a run.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
So for me, it's it starts actually with I want
to say, week nine, November two, one pm at New
England and then the Germany game, and then you're hosting Carolina,
and then you're at New Orleans and then you're at
the New York Jets. It's that five week time that
I think you can make a run.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
That's so yeah, that's so fascinating to me because I
had that, but I actually even had it starting earlier.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I thought about it.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I wrote down literally weeks eight through thirteen, but it
could even be weeks seven through thirteen, right.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Because San Francisco again has is not the San Francisco
of three years.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Yeah, they had just like a mass exodus of like
all of the players that you know this last year, which,
on the one hand, like you would think that on
paper that makes them a little bit worse, But on
the other hand, I'm kind of a little scared of
like Shanahan the mad genius, and like, does he just
get guys who are gonna listen to exactly what he
wants them to do and be like do this, do this,
do this, and then it's all gonna work, because that's
(26:41):
happened before. So like, does San fran have a Taylor
Gabriel that just pops up for them the way that
he did in Atlanta? Who knows? Miami is a real
wild card for me, as is kind of New England.
I'm a big Drake may guy, Like I really liked
what he did last year. So for that reason, I
could see the stretch starting as early as week's seven.
I could see the stretch starting as late as week
(27:02):
nine or ten. Yeah, so I kind of think that
we were both on the same page there, what is
your toughest three game stretch in this schedule?
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So I went back and forth. It's either the first
three games or I guess kind of yeah, the first
three four games or the last three four games, Like
I feel like between Tampa, Minnesota, Carolina, Washington. I know
you said three, but those first four weeks of the
season I think are difficult. But I also think the
last four weeks of the season at Tampa Bay, at Arizona,
(27:32):
against the Rams, against New Orleans like those like it's
almost like the bookends of the toughest part of your
schedule are these bookends of three or four games.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
So yeah, we'll get to that in just one second
a little bit more. But I did have weeks fifteen
through seventeen written down, so you're right there to kind
of identify that stretch with Tampa, Arizona and LA as
a crucial one. But I also had six through eights.
So we just mentioned sam Fran in Miami. I if
they break and they're good. Yeah, those two teams are
(28:03):
good and they're very capable Buffalo sam Fran and Miami
with two of those games being primetime. Now all three
of the games weeks fifteen through seventeen are not one
o'clock kickoffs. Yeah, so there's some wrinkles here in this
this Falcon schedule, but yeah, there are a few tough
stretches in the start of the schedule. Is definitely no gimme.
Yeah either, what is the make or break month for you?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
It's December, okay, and it's it's December because one, I
think that's again to our point, like that's some of
the toughest opponents that you're gonna face.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Yeah, Old Tampa Bay, Arizona and LA.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Yeah and that yeah, and New Orleans if.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
We want to just include January.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Exactly, so I think that, I mean, we know again
NFC South has come down to the month of December
two January time and time again. I think it's probably
gonna continue too. There's no reason that I should think otherwise.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Like this is the division that had like different division
like worst to first for like seven straight years. It's
one of the craziest NFL history stats if people want
to go look it up. It's just like the last
place in the division just kept winning it the next year. Yes,
such turnover.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Also again, because the bye week is so early You're
really deep into the season without a break, and that
concerns me. That worries me. So it really does feel
like a make or break month for them.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
If I was just to tell you, what if you
didn't even know the schedule, if I was just to say,
after the bye week you have Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami, Seattle,
Tampa Bay, and LA, I'd be like, oh, that's tough.
It's gonna be a little tough. Yeah, And that's not
even like that's like half of the teams that you have.
So again, the week five of it all really compounds everything.
(29:43):
I had December as one of them. I also had September,
So it really, like you said, it's it's just the bookends.
It's the book end of this schedule. But as we
learned last year, maybe it's not that simple, you know,
saying if the Falcons start hot, hey playoffs guaranteed. And
they did and then it didn't happen. So you got
to play well all throughout. But what is your grudge
(30:04):
match that you're most excited about?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Week four against Washington at home? I am so excited
for the Jade and Daniels. Michael Pennocks, Junior rematch that
game last year was so electric. It was Honestly, I
think I even said at our end of the year
when we gave out our end of season awards, that
was my favorite game. It was so much fun. You're
you were just seeing these two guys sling it and
(30:25):
do exactly what you drafted them to do. I'm really
looking forward to that. And I think, honestly, because it's
rabbit for the bye week, like if you're the Falcons,
give it all you got, like just turn it up
a notch and just kind of because you know you're
going into a bye week, you're gonna you should still
knock on wood, be relatively healthy, you'd hope. So I think, like, gosh,
(30:47):
kick it into a high gear when you face the
Commanders in week four.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Yeah, I doesn't make it better for you. The fact
that DQ is the coach in Washington, because I like
to you, that just like brings them full circle. It's like, cool,
you got Raheem, you got DQ, You've got Jane Daniels, Young,
Michael Penick Jr. There's just so much synchronous. Like my
grandma lives in Washington, DC, So like, what's up, Grandma?
You know, I can like just talk trash to her
all day. It's great love that. Yeah, I have that
(31:13):
exact same grudge match selected. So, as purely a Falcons fan,
which month are you just raring to sink your teeth into?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
It's the first, it.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Is, it's right in September.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
In September, because there are so many new additions. Defensively,
you still kind of are like super excited to see
Michael Pennix and his connection with a lot of these
pass catchers. And I think that there's a lot of
questions about who this Atlanta Falcons team is going to be.
And I think we'll be able to tell very early
on in September who they're going to be what they're
(31:44):
going to be. And it's because you're kind of playing
some big time competition in that first four week stretch.
So I'm that's what I'm really looking forward to. I
think we'll find out a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
You think they're better equipped to start strong or finished strong.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I think they may be better equipped to here's the thing.
I think they may be better equipped to start strong,
but I think they're gonna need to finish stronger. Like
that's the thing is I think that you can get
away with not starting fairly strong in that first four
games and pick it up towards the end. The problem though,
is is like you need to do both, like as
(32:19):
as we saw last year, like the Falcons had a
hot start and you thought they were so far ahead
that no one was gonna catch them, and then turns
out they got caught and surpassed. And so I think
that's where it's it's really tough because I want to
see them start hot. I think they have the opportunity
to stop start hot because you have a lot of
really awesome pieces that I'm really looking forward to seeing.
(32:43):
But if you start hot and don't finish strong, as
we saw last year, it's not gonna matter.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, And that's where like you can you've got the
unique wrinkle of not a rookie quarterback but like a
first time full time starter quarterback and does a hot
start playing that confidence factor for the overall team. Is
it Okay, we started slow, but that's okay. We expected
it because we're gonna build as the season goes along
because we've got a younger group. Like you can kind
(33:09):
of talk yourself into justifying any approach, but I agree,
like I think you gotta start hot, even though I
think there may be a little better equipped to finish
strong for that reason, I think they'll be just kind
of gelling more and more as the season goes along.
Could you if you had to flip any games though
on the schedule, are there any that you would you
would adjust?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Yeah? I absolutely would be moving either. I think I
would be moving Carolina week eleven into the bye week
at week five.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Oh okay, So I like what you're doing there.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Yeah, I'm flipping.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
I didn't even think about the bye week.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, I'm flipping the bye week. I'm moving Carolina.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Yes, that's Carolina, Like you're going at Carolina Washington Carolina, Right.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
But I'm okay with that. Like it. Like it, especially
a team like Carolina that there's a lot of new,
and with the Falcons there's a lot of new. Defensively,
I think that it would bode well for you to
play them earlier. So that would be my flip. And
then that gives you a bye week coming back from Germany,
which I wish would have happened.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Yeah, I like that. Actually, as I'm no, okay, this
all still works out. So what I was looking at
doing was flipping weeks ten and seven, So I would
flip the Germany game to Week seven with the road
trip to San Francisco. So you basically have the bye week,
a home game against Buffalo. Then you'd be taking to
(34:36):
the road to go against Germany. Not perfect, but at
least you've got the bye week there, and then you know,
a tough match against Buffalo, but at least it's at home,
and then you hit the road and then San Francisco
falls a little bit like later on, just Buffalo San
Francisco back to back, both prime time games. Something about
that has my you know, I also.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Just thinking about this, looking at San Francisco, I would
honestly switch Week seven at San Francisco with Week fifteen
at Tampa Bay. That way you can have San Francisco
and Arizona back to back, and you could essentially do
like a West Coast trail, which I think is easier
on the body.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
You would then have, though, and maybe this is the
reason the schedule makers didn't, You'd have Seattle, San Francisco, Arizona, LA.
You would have the entire NFC West in four straight games.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Right, which is not probably what they want to do.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
As it stands, you basically have that with breaking it up. Yeah, yeah,
that could be the ultimate deciding factor where they were like,
we got to get this out of here. Yeah, okay,
let's go ahead and wrap up this show. It's been
a lengthy one, but hey, there was a lot to
set out. What's the one thing that you were circling
on this calendar as our outro.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
It's exactly what I said about the grudge match. It's
that Washington game. I think Washington caught a lot of
people by surprise last season, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching
that team play, and I thoroughly enjoyed what we saw
last year in Washington or I guess in Maryland, and
I'm really really excited for that rematch. Specifically, I'm so.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Glad that this has not been brought up until this moment.
It is one hundred percent, without a doubt. Week seventeen,
the La Rams game. You just traded your first round
pick in twenty twenty six the La Rams. You don't
think they have a very vested interest in kicking you
out of the playoffs and improving that first round pick.
So I think if we're looking if we're looking at
(36:30):
like closing the season, strong. Very rarely do you have
a team that is probably likely right there in contention
with you, maybe for a wild card spot. Maybe they're
the division lead. But like the La Rams are contenders,
they also own your first round pick if you make
the playoffs. That is ten spots worse for them. So
it's just uncommon that you see two teams that are
(36:53):
on totally different coasts. Yeah, this late in the year,
being like, I'm looking at you, I'm coming for you.
The Falcons want to be the Rams and be like,
we justify that pick. James Peter sacked Matthew Stafford on
third down to win the game. What's up? What's up? Sean?
What's up? Less?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
You know?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
So who knows? But I just I'm circling that game.
It's gonna be a primetime Monday night game, maybe the
last one of the year. It's gonna be so much fun.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
I love that. I love that pick.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
Awesome. Well, I don't know if I fully love the
Falcon schedule, but I'm excited that it's here.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
It's again, these are the cards that were Dell. It
doesn't matter if I do Mcaleney like it or not.
I will be at everyone.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Please go check out all of our great coverage. Go
check out the schedule lease video if you have not yet.
But if you want to go ahead and pre order
your tickets, get them online. We have a lot of
different ways to do that. Go buy your tickets for
the twenty twenty five season because it's as exciting a
season I think on the doorstep as I can remember
in a while.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
It's gonna be freaking fun.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
It's gonna be freaking fun, freaking fun.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
We're gonna have fun, all right.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
So I hope you guys had fun on today's episode.
Please let everybody know where they can find us. But
for Tory mclaney, I'm Will mcfatten and we will see
you all next time.
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