Opening Kickoff 8-28-25 NFL Preview plus week 1 CFB

On this podcast: Dave is away so Payton Girod, and David Miles welcome in Kevin Pearce to host as the guys discuss the mega slate of week 1 in college football with their thoughts on all the big matchups on the weekend slate. 

The guys then dive into the NFL and make their predictions for all the divisions and the Super Bowl with Week 1 looming. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This week's Opening Kickoff Podcast is presented to you by
our friends at cegee and use promo code Opening Kickoff
All one word to get twenty dollars off your first
order with our friends at sea Geek. Make sure you
don't miss the next event. Baseball season is underway, concert
season is kicking off, NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, the NFL

(00:23):
season will be here before you know it. You do
not want to miss a chance to be at your
favorite teams event. You don't want to miss your favorite
artists because prices are too high. That's why our friends
at sea Geek help you find the best deals. They
rate on a zero to ten scale. The ticket you
are looking at and tells you whether you are getting

(00:43):
a good deal, great deal, or an average deal. You
want to get the great deals you want to go
to those events. Use our friends at sea Geek. Remember
use code Opening Kickoff to get twenty dollars off your
first order at sea geek dot com. Don't miss the
next event.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Welcome into the Opening Kickoff Podcast. You're hearing a different voice.
My name is Peyton Grodd. Dave Steinwel is absent for
maybe the first time ever in this show. Unfortunately he
has some other football priorities. I guess going on that
he has to be there for. But I'm joined by
myther co host, David Miles. David, how are we doing?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
We have done a show without Dave. He just didn't
post it.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Oh okay, but.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
I'm doing good. I'm excited. It's that time of the year.
One of my favorite things to do around this time
is to look at all the different training camps going on,
from high school football to college football, conrofessional football. It
is a full swing when no one was worried about
the XFL, the Canian Football League, because we are here
for the NFL as they need me, as she they

(02:04):
need me sometimes and you wont know why. This guy
is excited because the Eagles are back in play.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Gotta bang. Good for you. I hate the Birds, but
good for you. Can't hate it hate on someone who
won that much. So I want to introduce our guests.
He's not irregular, guess he's a normal guy. Hopefully comes
on more. Kevin Pierce, KP. How are we doing?

Speaker 4 (02:27):
Wonderful? What's going on y'all? You know I'm always happy
to be with my guys, So come on, I come
on as often as y'all want.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, and we always talk football. We usually we never
we should bring you on for something else other than
football one time, maybe a random podcast where we just
throw out random stuff, hot topics, something like that.

Speaker 4 (02:45):
Yeah, y'all have me off of a fast food bragget.
I think it was We're done with Brackets? Were don't
with Brackets during the Pandemic, which is one of my
favorite shows we've ever done.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
So hey, I'm down for anything, very contentious podcast. I
think I want to always come back to like regional
and where you've been like you never have, if you
never had it in and out, you're like you're you know,
you're like, eh, you know whatever. But we're not gonna
spend any time on that bracket. We're gonna get into football.
We're gonna focus on NFL here today, and I think
since KP is here, we'll start with the AFC East

(03:18):
KP the Patriots. I want to talk about that. How
are we feeling so like it's like a big nual shift.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Do you want Kevin the Patriots fan right now? Or
do you want Kevin the realistic NFL analysts? Oh?

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I want the fan. I like the I think the
fan is is harsher than the analysts. I like the
fan more.

Speaker 4 (03:37):
You're one thousands, that correct, Because I was talking to
my cousin about this the other day. The Patriots have
never been the hype offseason team in our life. We've
either been We've either been the juggernaut or s like.
There's been no in between. There's been no in between
for my twenty eight years of existence. So this is
a new territory for me. So I have to look
at them with a different lens. Lens number one of

(04:00):
your Jira mao. But we are ten times better at
head coach already.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:04):
The offensive line is better than last year. The defense
last year was good, just injured, and we added some
more pieces. Shout out to Ben Williams. All good things.
I am one of the few Patriots fans that is
not completely sold on Drake may yet, mainly because the
man won one game last year. He showed me a
lot he had. I think it was nine nineteen total

(04:26):
turnovers and the ten games he played or something like that.
The number numbers may be off on that a lot
of turnovers. I think he showed us enough to be talented.
I don't think he showed us enough to say that
he is good.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Yeah, I think that's fair.

Speaker 4 (04:38):
I hope that pops out. So as a fan, I'm going, Okay,
a successful season would be like we were fourth picking
the draft last year. Guys. The cencible season is nine wins, yeah,
and is not the AFC. Not sure if y'all noticed,
we'll get to it is the Kaiju Conference. So so

(05:00):
nine wins is not getting you into the playoffs. And
there's a literal buffalo in Buffalo that is going to
be winning this division for the next decade. So so that's
pretty much where my expectations as a fan are. That
actually has pretty closely to my Enify end of this
brain too. It's just like, all right, Josh Allen and
Bill are gonna win his division forever or never any men.
So what we're doing in New England only matters, but

(05:22):
so much.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, No, I mean, I completely agree. I think Vrabel.
I think if you were to go back, I think
if the Crafts knew that Vrabel were gonna be available,
I think they wouldn't have hired Trodmeo in the middle,
like given him the job in the middle of the year.
Kind of that weird thing, and they would have been like,
Mike Vrabel, You're absolutely gonna be our first guy. So

(05:44):
it's a weird one and done thing. But like I
think Mike Vrabel knows what whatever that Patriot way, whatever
y'all talk about, whatever that means, and wins championships. I
think he's gonna get you guys back. I mean, you
guys have to improve. I don't think there's any way
you don't. Like it's hard not to would be, it
would be, it would be staggering if you didn't. But
I think I also I kind of agree. I think

(06:05):
like nine wins would be a good goal. I think ten,
maybe you know, steal one here and there. I mean,
your schedule isn't isn't like the hardest one I've ever seen,
like for a four win team coming back, you know,
And I guess you know, Drake May obviously is getting
into the getting probably I guess this. Would you say
that he has to show you something more this year

(06:26):
before you or like, are you gonna be out or
what do you think about that?

Speaker 4 (06:29):
It's gonna take a lot for me to be one
hundred percent out. Let me be clear, I'm not out
on my starting on my starting quarterback guys like it's
gonnas gonna take a lot for that, but like I
just I just want the man to take care of
the ball. Show me for like five games that you
can take that you can go like five games straight
with out of turnover. I'll be all the way in
because that's the one thing I can't stand is quarterbacks

(06:51):
that give the ball awigs that grew up on Brady
who never did. Look, it's very difficult.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
It's like the checkdowns right there. Throw the checkdown's free money.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
We gotta get. We got to get to David, but
real quick. The amount I watched a lot of films,
and while I was watching the Pacers film, the amount
of times I said, Drake, Buddy, five yards, I never
heard nobody they heard of souls. Get the ball, check
the ball down, bros.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
It's fine fact, David.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Child just beyond with the crowd.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Here.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
I had notes teams and there in their in their records,
and for some reason none of the images are loading in.
My smart self decided, oh, I don't need to write
down team names. So I'm pretty sure I had you
guys at eight and nine.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Okay, fair, I.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Think that it's I think that it's a fair stance
where where you guys stand as an organization, you're on
a rebound, you're on the men. I do think that,
like you said, Drake may is not that guy right now,
and to be honest, I didn't think he was. But
I do think that with Rabel, I wish draw Mayo
had a little bit more time to prove himself. Rabel

(07:56):
is a guy who can make things happen, and I
think that you guys are the organization that has the
backing to make things happen if you have the smart
enough people making the right decisions. I think you're not
going to hit another strike of lightning with Brady with
another Brady, but you not know what it's like to
build an actual team and not have lightning strike and

(08:17):
you just take advantage of it. So best of luck
to you guys. It's gonna be a rough, rude, you're
not going to see the wild card, but you could,
you know, work towards it.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Also, I would also say I didn't mention this. I
think Mike Vrabel just the way he was able to
like just get rid of the Stefan Diggs summer thing
going on, like No, it didn't happen. Yes, talking about
like that just that was just incredible. Like Bill Belichick
master class craft master, What are you guys talking about?
He's practicing, he's practicing power. What are you talking about it?

Speaker 4 (08:52):
And I was, yeah, I'll say this to him, like yees,
suspending him will bring more attention to it. Br let
it go the man. The man didn't coke.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's fine, Yeah, half the league should I just watched
the Cowboys. Think Mike Irvin was doing crack cocaine size
golf balls. I mean, come on, let's he was having fun.
He was having fun. He was the off season program.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
Let the man. Let the man do his coke. Just
get back to Just get back to training camp. Dog,
that's all. I was like, Bro, as long as you
are training camp, I don't get what you're doing. Fact
I do not care.

Speaker 3 (09:22):
But page to put back to doing ayahuasca last year
a week before camp. Let's not put a.

Speaker 4 (09:30):
What a regard to what a transition? Peyton?

Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, might as well we should. We were all the
Bills there, I think, so we should just transition the
AFC North. I'll start the Steelers. I mean, it's hard
for me to think that we could win a super Bowl,
And I think that's very outlandish to say that. I
mean it's sad to like and I think KP would
relate to this, like where like teams were at some

(09:55):
point in your life like this, we talked about it
on your show. That will come out in a couple
of weeks, but like I expect the standard to be
here and now I'm just kind of hoping, like maybe
we win one playoff game and like that that's a
good sign we're moving the right direction. Like it's bad,
it's a bad feeling. I will say this, I think
they can This team is capable of winning ten games,

(10:15):
Like if they could do that with Mason Ruoff, I
don't see why they couldn't do it with Aaron Rodgers
if he gets hurt early in the season. Were fucked.
I mean, like any booboo is like times ten for
a forty year old guy. I mean I feel like
after drinking as like almost a thirty year old guy,
I feel like I'm down for the count. So like
I can't imagine like getting through an NFL game at

(10:37):
forty one years old is gonna be easy. And no
ayahuasca or any drug in the world is probably gonna
help that accept toward all and I don't think he
would use that. I think he would just like cry
about it and go on talk shows. So really got
to be a defensive year. I mean the amount of depth,
like Darius Slay coming in, Jayalen Ramsey. I mean, they

(10:57):
just got to show that they're veterans and they can
hopefully carry us, even though, like I think I laughed
various slaves like thirty two, and I'm like, that's that's
our starting quarterback. That's you know, I'm not gonna dispect
the two times super Bowl champion, but it's like, damn,
this is where we're at. Okay, all right, let's let's
just get to get through this year. But I think

(11:20):
we definitely won't finish last in the division. Never have
in my entire life, never in my father's life, never
in anyone's life. So the Browns will hold that. I
think it's the Ravens. I don't understand what the Bengals
have done this offseason. I mean, why do this whole
thing with song and dancer Trey Hendrickson, to like just
give him a raise for a year, like makes no sense.

(11:40):
They didn't help their defense, they're gonna give up billion points.
I think it's the Ravens Division. Pains me to say,
but I'll go to UKP So.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
You pretty well. You covered the Steelers pretty thoroughly, so
I'll cover the Bengals if y'all don't mind. I think
the Bengals front office is an embarrassments in the National
Football League, I very much so. They've committed football. Go
for it. I cannot hear you, sir, sure, go for it.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, Well, once you start talking, it gets clear. I
don't know why exists.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
So I don't know.

Speaker 4 (12:15):
If I didn't say they were the embarrassment I said,
and embarrassment. We got room for a lot of embarrassments
in the world, Dave. There doesn't just have to be one.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, And so that's why I had to jump in.

Speaker 4 (12:28):
All good, I'm we're all good, like you. Look at
how they handled this offseason. Number one, the fact that
they pay t Higgins and then did the song and
dance for Trey Henderson just to pay him a week
before the season. I'm just kind of like, and that's
no shade to see Higgins at all. A great player,
But you have one, how do you have two receivers,
making wide receiver won money. You've had offensive line problems

(12:51):
pretty much since Joe, since Joe Burrow was drafted. You
have all of one defensive player, and now you decided
to pay him. Like just the way they've decided to
treat this offseason as the exact reason why if the
Browns weren't a dumpster fire, they would end up at
last in this division. And they've done literally nothing to
improve from missing the playoffs last year because they couldn't

(13:12):
have played defense. They decided, let's do that again, but worse.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Yeah, it's like we're gonna try to score even more points.

Speaker 4 (13:19):
They decided with the same players. It's not even like
they added anyone. They were like, Oh, we're gonna take
all the same guys and we're gonna have less depth,
so god forbid any of them gets hurt, and we're
gonna let the Ravens win his division again like in
their off season. Made zero sense to me, Man, it
made zero sense. I don't know what. I'm sorry. Since
he fans all five of you that exists, like this
is this is so crazy, This is so crazy.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah. Another thing is like he's like Zach Taylor, which
I've been on this while for a while. I think
he's a bad off. I think he's a bad NFL coach.
I just don't believe in it. Like like watching The
Quarterback Show, like Joe Burrow's pissed the fuck off, Like
they're playing like shit on defense and he's like, it's okay, man,
you gotta temper your expectations and stuff. I'm like, shut
the fuck up. I'm out here is trying to score

(14:02):
forty points and that may win a football game. I
would be tight. If my head coach was like they're
trying out there, I'd be like, what are you talking about?
Go get some people. And then he starts people in
the preseason to get, you know, to get them out
of that funk because they have a bad start, but
they don't have their defensive guy. It's I agree with
you wholeheartedly. It's just they have it all backwards. They

(14:22):
have it completely backwards.

Speaker 4 (14:24):
It's football malpractice, man, Like it really is, like yeah
to watch, yeah, exactly, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
Dave Payton's eloqantly covered the Steelers and covered the Bengals.
I guess I might go ahead and cover the other.
The original embarrassment of the league the team that it's
still not going to make a difference no matter who
they have, They're just not going to see success. And

(14:51):
that's just the dumpster fire that is in Cleveland. And
I would say that I would I would be happy
to say that they're taking the right steps forward, but
I think just showing the dysfunction between the head coach
and your owner as far as who to be your
QB one that used to Joe Flacco out there week one,
is beyond it like that that that just that's the

(15:12):
tip of the iceberg of the things are going to
go wrong with that team. And I think that because
they're so bad, they're going to take the last spot
in the division. But I hope that I don't know
how to finish this because there's just so many things
wrong with this team that I don't there's anything's wrong
with this organization as a whole, from the ownership all

(15:35):
the way down to the man in custom Grass. I
think they need an over man.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
That that's a great quote.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
I mean their field do be looking a little patch,
ye ain't it does?

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Especially when they put that help out there like in
the middle, it's like whoa like the fucking helmet just
do the helmet.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
Help Field got the field look like a bad shape
of bad. Like I'm definitely feeling you all that day,
Like they gotta type.

Speaker 3 (15:59):
Out because it sucks because the Browns has such a
ret history with the NFL that you want to see
them do well. But I just think that there's a
lot of the change of it needs to happen before
we even look at them as a serious contender, because
in my opinion, the worst than they ever did was
let Baker Mayfield go down to Tampa because he he's
he showed them success and they said, you know what, No.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
We will get to we will get we will get
the Baker, don't you worry.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, I was gonna say that would be an interesting
football life when it's all said and done.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
Are we gonna uncover any new ground here about the
Ravens outside of hey guys, we're gonna win your division,
but can we please do a little bit to get
over to hump like any at the Ravens.

Speaker 2 (16:39):
I mean, I just think like overall, eventually, something the
Camel's got up break, you know, it's got a something's
gotta happen here, like either Harbaugh's gotta fucking go or
they gotta win the game. And I don't even like,
I think this is weird for me to say. I've
always thought like Tomlin and Harbaugh have done this song
and dance of like they won a Super Bowl so
early in their career, and they really just haven't accomplished
much since then. Now hardball, like as I laid, obviously

(17:02):
more success and more playoff appearances in all that, all
that like ANFC championship appearance, but like they just they
always fucking they just never get to where we want
him to, and it's like something has to change eventually.
I don't know if like like losing another AFC championship
gets him fired or he's just the guy we're gonna

(17:22):
keep forever. I don't know. It's just weird. Like Lamar
Jackson is Lamar Jackson at the end of the day,
but someone else has to help him out here, and
I think Derek Henry helped him out last year. That
wasn't enough. Like, I don't know what it is unless
you have an opinion on it.

Speaker 4 (17:38):
Full full disclosure. I got invited to Ravens training camp
a couple of weeks back. Shout out to the Ravens
front office, So I do have to state my not bias,
but the background information to see where I got this.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Understand you you no, No, it's not bias. You saw
it firsthand. You saw something that people wouldn't see. I
got to see it up close.

Speaker 4 (17:57):
I'm not sure how much gomatically I can talk about,
but I looked at the defense and I was just like, oh,
you just start looking at all the dudes out there,
and it's like, all right, Mom, Humphrey, are you Alexander,
Nate Wiggins, Malaco, Star exp Okay, Cayle Hamilton, Rokwan, and
then like an army of d Lineman just kept coming

(18:18):
in and out, and Mike Green dere Rookie looks like
he's gonna be good immediately. And I'm just kind of like, oh, okay,
I think this defense like, I think we're getting another
version of that twenty twenty four, twenty twenty three, whatever
year that was team that lost to the Chiefs, where
that defense was incredible and Lamar was at his most Lamarus,
except Lamar was even more Lamari last year.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, it is weird.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
It's only gotten better every single year, and this defense
looks like that twenty twenty three twenty twenty fourteen, if
not better. Yeah, So I expect good things for the Ravens,
but I always expect good things for the Ravens.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
So I will say I think this was the first
offseason I experienced where no one commented about Lamar can't
throw the ball. I don't think I heard that. I
don't think I heard that.

Speaker 3 (19:02):
Focused on the quarterback in Philly, think he can't throw
the book.

Speaker 4 (19:04):
Yeah, they decided, they decided jayler Hurst was the black
quarterback they were going to hate this offseason, so they
decided a point they hate that way. I mean, Lamar
had like a record passing rating four picks. Yeah, it's
for a thousand Yards's kind of hard, kind of hard
to poof foo that season even has a.

Speaker 2 (19:20):
Steelers chan It's hard, Like I can't hate on it.
I mean like it's fucking sick, like watch I got
the football, Like, come on, you can't. It's like when
I watched you Burrow playing like fuck, come on, really
like shit, just fucking like I want these guys to
leave so I can like really root for them. Seriously.

Speaker 4 (19:36):
Of the mount rushmore of NFL quarterbacks, two of them
playing your division.

Speaker 2 (19:40):
That has to be right, Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. Uh.
We luckily beat the guy in Baltimore more times than
not so far.

Speaker 4 (19:48):
Once year, once a year, y'all get one off the Ravens,
which is just like a guarantee y'all will get at
least one. If you play some times, you're getting one.
Play twice you're getting one. You play once, you're getting one, Like, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
It's very funny. It's very and Joe Burrow, I mean,
he throws at least two picks every time he plays us.
It's probably probably infuriating because they're like insane picks. But
all right, we all got the I think we all
picked the Ravens here. We'll move on to the AFC South.
In my opinion, only two teams to really talk about here,
Houston and Jacksonville. I'm on Houston. I think Damiko Rans

(20:22):
has got this team ready to go. I think obviously
Tank Dellen receivers are probably slacking. But I think Jayden
Higgins coming in from Iowa State, got an opportunity for
a rookie to make big plays. Nika Collins if he
stays healthy, I'm not. I don't know about you, guys,
I'm not like big on like Jacksonville. Like I just
there's something about it, Like I'm like, nah.

Speaker 4 (20:42):
I will never be big on Jacksonville as long as
Trevor Lawrence as their starting quarterback.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah yeah, I just think it's like it's like we
do the whole what if thing with like Justin Herbert,
but like that should really be the catalyst for captain
if like like if these things, like I don't don't
even think, like I'm just saying from the hype of
when he was coming into like the NFL, I mean
he was, I mean he believe I.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
Believed in Trevor Lawrence. I ever believed in Justin Herbert.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
That's what I'm.

Speaker 3 (21:11):
Saying, Okay, Okay, yeah, yeah, I'm saying like, like no
one deserves to be on an if train, but if
anyone does, it would might mean it would be Trevor.

Speaker 5 (21:20):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying Lawrence because Herbert, in my opinion,
because Justin Herbert went later in the draft and things
like that, Like Trevor Lawrence is supposed to like be
the savior of this franchise and do all these things
and he has one playoff win, and I just I'm
not big on Liam Cohen.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
I obviously like Travis Hunter, but I don't think anyone
knows how to handle it.

Speaker 4 (21:45):
And that's the one that's the one thing to watch
Jaguar season. I'm so excited to see Travis Hunter play
both sides of the ball. I think he's going to.
I got him on all my fantasy teams because I
think he's going to. I don't know how much tackles
and interceptions weigh in fantasy, but.

Speaker 2 (21:58):
That's what I've been debating, don't. Everyone keeps saying they
don't count it because the defense, and I'm like, that's bullshit.
He's doing it. If he picks it off, he should
get like four points four points for an interception. I
think that's fair. I think we can agree on that.

Speaker 4 (22:12):
Yeah, when they change the rules, he's gonna be on
my team. I tell you what. He's starting flex right now.
But I mean, what what Houston though, so we can
move on their question? Isn't this division? It's okay, man,
what are we gonna do in these playoffs? And until
I see some marketed improvement in their offensive line? Because
that really was their Achilles Hill last year. Kind of bad,
that kind of hard to have a bad offensive line

(22:34):
when you're gonna have to beat two of three of
Ravens Chiefs Bills to reach the super Bowl. In the AFC,
you gotta beat at least two of those three, and
they're not capable of doing that. They're that fourth place
team right now, if it may be fourth.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
Place team minus Larrmy Tunsel too.

Speaker 4 (22:51):
They trade and their best offensive tackle is fifteen minutes
away from me right now. So like that that's just
not that's just not working out. Like I don't I
don't understand it at all.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, I don't get it. I mean maybe they obviously
they're in the building. I always I always defer to
that people in the building no more than me. I
sit on a laptop with a headset on. So I'm
gonna defer to those people that this is their actual job.
But you know, like Damika Ryans, I think he's obviously
done an amazing job. And see just Shroud Ceejay Shroud.
Though I do want to go back this is he

(23:22):
like okay, like health wise, like remember that there are
a couple hiccups and he's like I'm fine, but he's
not throwing the ball. Do we know if he's all good.

Speaker 4 (23:30):
I think this might be like one of those Joe
Burrow things where it's like he's just always perpetually gonna
be hurtause his offensive line of shitty. But he'll be
on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (23:37):
You're right, you gonna show up. Okay, alright, I reschect that.
Anybody want to talk about AFC South anymore?

Speaker 4 (23:45):
No, I do not. I mean, well, let's say this
cam Ward Great, where a podcast talked about cam Ward Great.
Let's move on.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, he'll put up. He'll put up his own numbers
in his own respective category.

Speaker 4 (23:54):
As they go, as they go to.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, yeah, but I think he'll put numbers. But uh, okay,
here we go talk about in the West. Yes, a
lot of people, a lot of people. This is probably
from my perspective, at least from watching shows. This is
the biggest debate in like Top off the Top broke, Yeah,
go ahead, Broncos chiefs.

Speaker 4 (24:16):
It seems like the Denver Broncos are winning this division.

Speaker 2 (24:19):
Okay, go on.

Speaker 4 (24:20):
I have the I have the greatest thing on my
side as to why I make this point, Literally all
of NFL history ever says that after you lose a
Super Bowl with the exception of if your name is
Tom Brady, you lose the division and the Chiefs and
the Chiefs at one time, like if losing a Super
Bowl equals you lose, you don't make the playoffs, and

(24:42):
if you do, get one and done, Dave, sorry to
bring up the Eagles of that one year in between
y'all winning the Super Bowl, I'm not sorry at all. Actually,
the Denver Broncos I think are gonna have the best
defense in football. They already had one of the best
secondaries last year, and then they decided, hey, you know'd
be great. What if we drafted the best What if
we draft the best nickel corner in the draft, so
now you can't throw at anybody? Doesn't that sound like fun?

(25:03):
The only thing keeping them from playoff success is how
good do you think Bonnix is? Like that? And I'm
not all the way there yet. I know he's good,
But again, Tiju Conference. So they're gonna host the playoff games,
someone's gonna have to walk in them a high and
take a game off of that defense. But as far
as them going any further, that's tough for me. But
I do have them winning this division.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Fucking going to my high in the playoffs. I'll tell
you what KP. I mean, thinking about it, it ain't
fucking easy. I think it's you don't talk about it enough.

Speaker 4 (25:32):
It's tough, sports sports Guard, Peyton Girard in two weeks.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Fucker yeah, I mean, I'm gonna go. I'll just for
parody of it. I'll pick the Chiefs. I think them
very very very smartly deciding to start the Rashie Rice
suspension now instead of waiting till September thirtieth, which would
be ridiculous, Like what are you gonna have to play
three games and like, all right, see in six weeks.

(26:00):
I don't Yeah, I don't know, and I think I ultimately,
I think it'll get he'll appeal, it'll be four games.
I think I don't like to play like the whole
vengeance thing because like you know, like I don't think
that's like the m O of the Chiefs. I don't
think it'd be the m of the Patriots. Like, no,
we're gonna show up and keep doing what the fuck
we do, like we we win football games. Like this

(26:20):
isn't like a target list or anything like that. We're
gonna show up. We're gonna you know we're gonna do
it on the field. Obviously in some players' minds, you know,
if they play the Eagles. I'm sure it's a get
back feeling and all that, but I'll go to Kansas
City just for this. I do think this is weird.
I I think the Raiders will win like seven games
this year. I don't know why I feel that way,

(26:42):
because they don't really have anything other than Ashton Gent
and Brock Bowers. But like, I just like Pete Carroll
in the NFL, Pete Carroll like always somehow finds a
way to get like fucking seven wins or he wins.

Speaker 4 (26:54):
The Geno eraser is nasty.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
Yeah, well I'm also I'm also West Virginia forever. So
Gina Smith shout out my guy.

Speaker 4 (27:01):
I mean, like Eugene Smith deserves on this show. God
damn it.

Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah. Yeah, I'll tell you what I would like, literally,
I would get I would probably get a Gino Smith tattoo.
If he could convince his cousin Jeremiah to go to
West Virginia for like a year, Like if he could
be like, hey, man, like, look I know how it's
going great, but like West Virginia, they fucking love you, ma'am.
You know we can and also throw them some bones,
you know, throw them a lot of them all that.
Al Actually, no one else gets paid except him. Yeah,

(27:27):
I don't know. I just Pete Carroll. I know he's
old and all people will say that, but I'm just
kind of like thinking they could ran off like seven
wins and create havoc in the division.

Speaker 4 (27:38):
I wish they I wish they played in any other division,
so I could agree with you, But yeah, they're fighting
for third place in that division and that's a rough
place to get like seven or he wins that.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Yeah, that's true. Did anyone know what Naji Harris is? Okay?
I don't know, Like if we actually know.

Speaker 4 (27:51):
That, let me ask you. He was your running back
for five years.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
He was, well, we the Steelers. We have a no
fireworks policy, so I don't know what happens after he
leaves the buildings, you know what I mean? Like, I
don't fucking I don't. I don't know. I hope he's okay.
I root for I do root for like guys that
leave the Steelers after But typically if Mike Tomman is
good at one thing, he knows when the cut ties,
when it's time. He has a he's just got an

(28:15):
eye for it. He's like, we need to get rid
of this guy. This is over all right. Moving on
to the NFC east of the defending champion Eagles, got
banner night coming up. What are we feeling?

Speaker 3 (28:30):
Dave, of course went against the Cowboys because it's the
Cowboys and they will never see successfully Jerry Jones at them.
But I'm not gonna talk about the Eagles because there's
gonna be a bunch of pure fandom from my side.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
Were for the Dave, Yeah, we all, we all did
the fandom. You do the fandom.

Speaker 3 (28:50):
Yeah, So all right, so the fandom is is. I
I ran through the simulator, as I said, and the
Eagles are one of the few teams I can pick
out from the list, because there were three teams that
I had at twelve and five and up, and the
Eagles are one of them. And I think that their
schedule does lend to a stretch where there could be
a couple of spots where the narrative will definitely turn

(29:12):
to this team is not going back in the super Bowl.
They're not there for it. And honestly, Nick Serriani is
someone who I would hope does not regrets into the whole.
We need to pass the ball eleveny thousand times a
freaking game. But I will say that as far as
this team, I mean, we lost a lot on defense,
and that's going to remain a huge kind of question

(29:35):
mark on the team if this team can do well.
But from everything I've seen from preseason, I've watched a
couple of videos from practice. Of course I didn't watch
all the practice because I don't have media credentials, but
I will say that this team is very much They're
very much in the same spot. To do well, you

(29:56):
just have to use everything correctly. You have to utilize
they're running BA correctly. You have to usualize through your
top receivers who are just right in the top of
the league hundred and honestly, you can make an argument
for the top fifty. But we're not going to have
that debate here. It's a matter of are you going
to use what you did after the Bible last week

(30:18):
to continue success or are you just going to do
a whole new thing with your new OC. And I
am very nervous as far as are we going to
try and outprove the Jalen the Jalen cam Rot narrative,
or we're just going to do what we do best
in play with the weapons that we have to utilize,
damage to the to the lead because there's no reason

(30:41):
for us not to get back. I can't think of
a team that is built with the depth enough to
compete with the Eagles on a week to week basis
and everyone is healthy. You have the questions on their
friend and Dickerson's coming in coming back healthy, which I
am not as concerned about because of what they said
the injury was he practiced, Yes, you can practice on

(31:03):
a horribly on a horribly age failed me. I did
it for a whole year. Is the worst thing ever did.
And it's just like I know that there's a lot
of depth that we're building. There's a lot of young talent,
there's a lot of established a veterans that have been
in the highest spots now that should be leaders. And
we are all behind a guy who half the people

(31:24):
a year said it was a horrible leader. Now everyone's saying,
he's want you the top top captain in the league.
So I think that it comes to a level of
you have all the pieces, is your head coach capable
of putting everything back together in the way they should
be for you to get back to the super Bowl.
And we're gonna talk about waiting super Bowl. We're made
closer to it. But in the meantime, there's not a

(31:45):
team that's better built than the Philadelphy Eagles in the
conference and arguably in the league.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
I mean that's fair. What I mean ask you this, what,
like Sakon Barklay, you think like this? Do you think
more you think you can try to break that record
or are we gonna like, you know, more pace.

Speaker 3 (32:07):
So I think that there's not much of a need
for us to want to break the record. But he
by all means has no excuse not to break the
record because we've seen how how it panned out last year.
We've seen how it went from oh, well we can't
do this, this and this to all of a sudden,
here we are averaging two hundred rushing yards a gate

(32:28):
and now he's ten yards away from the from the record.
There's no reason for us not to break the record
now that we know we can do it, But it's
a matter of do we need to do it? In
my opinion, running the ball opens up the passing lanes.
It's no reason for him not to break the record
this year. Did you think that's right, Camden?

Speaker 4 (32:45):
Yeah, Camden, by the way, shout out to A one.
Dadding got the got the baby in the middle of
his taken did not miss a stride.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
Now, yeah, he kept going.

Speaker 4 (32:57):
He kept the baby midstride. That's my dog right there,
real live dead. My only concerns for the Eagles are
two things. Number One, they were unparalleledly healthy last year.
Like I think twenty one of the twenty two week
one starters ended up playing in the Super Bowl, which
is unheard of. Yeah, and when we're talking about Saquon Barkley,
I know we don't like talking about injuries, but like

(33:19):
Saquon is already a player with injury history, correct, And
now you just gave him the most touches ever of
anybody last year, and I'm supposed to expect he's about
to do it again or be a semblance of I
think that's why they got aj Dillon, know, because they
don't plan on feeding him the ball forever and ever.

Speaker 3 (33:36):
A men this year, you need that third down down
the hill, downhill running back and that's what will be
And Will.

Speaker 4 (33:42):
Shipley could be that guy, a little will Shipley, a
little Will Shipley. Will Shiffley looked like you and you
talk about the ship just so we could be brothers.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
And I thought I thought Will Shipley was going to
be like a dog, and then well then they signed
I guess I I didn't know that whenever I thought
he still could.

Speaker 4 (34:02):
Be a dog in spots, you know, I mean, but
like as far as and also we kin you kind
of poo poo the whole new head, the new offensive
coordinator thing. If a new guy is at the switches
and he's not smart enough to be like, hey, we
have the best offensive line in the league, we should
probably utilize that. Like if if he's not the best,
if he's not ready to do that, then I do
have concerns for this team, Dave, I really do. The

(34:23):
only problem with the division is I don't look at
any other team in that division that's ready to take it.
I know a lot of people are high on Washington,
but you want to talk about regression. They were head
a schedule last year. They weren't supposed to be in
a conference championship. Yet, like, if you play that season
one hundred times, they lose to the Lions and they didn't.
And I know someone from my hometown is gonna hear

(34:44):
this and want to fight me because I'm talking down
on the Commanders. But I don't see them repeating last
year getting to what was it, twelve wins or something. Crazy.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
Yeah, a couple of them were. I mean the Bears.
One was the miracle. There's another one that was crazy.

Speaker 4 (35:01):
A quarterback who's one hundred and eighty five pounds, brokers
ribs and never missed the game. Like, there's so much
going on here with Washington, and I don't even want
to speak on what's going on with the Cowboys. Go
watch any ESPN show for that. We don't know what
they're doing a quarterback yet, but their D line is
gonna be awesome. So like, at the same time as
I have my issues with the Eagles, I look at

(35:22):
them and I'm like, all right, well, there's no one
else picking this division. When we get to it, we'll
get to the rest of the conferenceation.

Speaker 2 (35:27):
They got most of their shit figured out, what you're saying, like,
they got most of their shit all all pecked out.

Speaker 4 (35:31):
Like a competent organization is gonna win that division more
often than.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
That yeah, I would agree. Commanders. I agree as well.
I think like you gotta like ye. I mean, twelve wins,
twelve wins is a rookie is fucking absurd. To go
to the SESSE Championship, all that is just absurd. I
mean the obviously there were struggles at times and things
like that, but I do think the Commanders will be
able to compete. I don't think they can win the division.

(35:57):
I did see a bet that was funny out there
for the gamblers in the world that you would see it.
Russell Wilson's start a game Jameis Winston and Jackson Dart.
I think you got to take that. That's just that's
like free money. I mean, Jameis Winston has to play
at least one game. I think that's an NFL rule
at this point, like just gotta see it. And I

(36:18):
know Jackson Dart isn't gonna do what Jaydon Daniels did
last year, especially with that. I mean, here's my thing.
It always bothers me at the Giants. I mean they
just like they have Milik neighbors, they have nobody else,
like who else are they like? It's it's infuriate the
Raiders do it too.

Speaker 4 (36:34):
There's two and I do like the running back yeah, like,
but it's.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Like, come on, I mean, there's no one else you
could go out and fucking get like nobody. No like
third string guy, second string guy, you could sway with money.
Like It's just it always baffles me.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
How did the Eagles get John MESHI and the Giants didn't?

Speaker 1 (36:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Like right, like did you even call you?

Speaker 4 (37:00):
I don't think they made the call and Nix Nickosaria
I would answered yeah, I would answer absolutely. Let's not
getess about Howie Roseman again. Oh man?

Speaker 2 (37:10):
But yeah, I Dallas, I mean they're Michael Parsons. I
just I don't I don't see it. I don't even
want to do it. I just like, it's just it's
a disaster there. Moving into the NFC real quick here,
we can rifle through these fast. We'll start with a
quick one NFC South, I'm taking the bucks. I do
believe the Panthers will do better. I think Bryce Young

(37:34):
was trending a little bit better. I'm not saying like
ten wins or anything, maybe like seven and that might
keep people around a little longer. And I root for
Bryce Young because of how you know, you got ben,
he came back things like that. But I think it's
Tampa Bay's division to lose. That's my opinion. KP.

Speaker 4 (37:53):
Likewise, although I am a member of the pendix have
my purple due rags on, do you have a side
of the room right now, but I am. I am
in the Penix hive, and I do think he's gonna
take that. Everyone's like, oh, maybe the Panthers can come second.
Not so fast, my friend to quote Leek, course, Oh yeah,
I do think the Falcons are gonna be better. And
it's the vision you could sell me on that Ye're
just not that they're just not the Buccaneers. I think

(38:15):
the Buccaneers are one of the better teams in football.
We'll talk, I'll talk more about them later, but I
think the Buccaneers are a really good, really really good team.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
Do you think Michael Pennix keeps the due drag on
now for just like mysterious reasons, like no one's gonna
out because everyone, like I've seen the clip, like his
teammates like it doesn't come off, and I'm like like
what is that? Like, what do you mean it doesn't
come Like I've look, I've lived with a lot of
guys that have warned, dude rags that ship comes off
at some fucking point, like it happened to I guess

(38:43):
not if you're Michael Pennick's dog, do you think it
just it's like, uh, you ever watch How I Met
your Mother. It's like the girl that she's too attractive,
she takes her coat off and they're like, oh my god,
she's so beautiful. Put that coat back on. Like if
he takes it off, the waves are just so crazy,
They're like, holy shit, take that back on.

Speaker 4 (39:01):
The waves are too intense. Please trying to solve Michael put.

Speaker 6 (39:04):
Them away, Evin it asked to be right, like at
this point, bro, because he's been so committed to the
do rag I've only seen him take it off once,
and that's what he was proposing to his girlfriend.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
But I think is now his wife like that. That's
the only time I've seen him do ragless, the one
thing he's well committed to her like this.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
Probably he probably would. He just did AI on it
to make it look like he was actually took it off. Yeah,
he used AI.

Speaker 4 (39:30):
Oh that's funny. But yeah, but bucks all around, I.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Think we're all I want to I just want to
say this. I think the Saints are going to be
the worst team in football. And that's not breaking any news,
but I just I mean, it's just Spencer Rattlers start
being the starting quarterback is just same. I mean, like
that's all you could and just say you're tanking like openly,
like not even trying.

Speaker 4 (39:52):
The Saints have needed to tank for years, so just
let them do it. Don't even clown them, guys, Like,
just let them be bad. They needed to just be
bad for a while. Just let it be bad. I
don't I this could spin off into a whole everyone
thinks they're tanking for arch Manning and I'm one of
the five people on earth, Like, guys, how do we
know arch Manning is good?

Speaker 2 (40:09):
Like or how do we know? He goes? And Garrett
Nessmer's dad is the OC of the Saints, so just.

Speaker 4 (40:16):
Saying and he also plays down the street. So yeah,
so there's probably a lot of talks. Yeah we're talking
about the wrong quarterback here, guys. But but you know,
the Saints are going to be awful. They're gonna end
up being the worst team in football. That's about as
much as we could say about them. Great food in
New Orleans, though.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Yeah, I've been told, never been. Uh. Fun fact, there's
a street named after my great something grandfather there right
by Bourbon Street. He's like one of the first, uh
I think, one of the first like mayors of New Orleans.
And then he got like kicked out for like stealing
money or something like that, but he got street. So yeah,
something like that. Yeah, I'm yeah, look up Girod Street

(40:54):
in New Orleans. It's uh yeah, it's very funny.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
I mean I believe, I mean, I believe it.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
I mean, corruption back in the day had to be.
I mean, just he's probably just sitting here. I can
just take it. There's no accounting. It's on a piece
of paper. We're good like write that. Now, who the
fuck's gonna check this? Somebody did moving into the NFC
West this honestly, this this division. You can tell me

(41:23):
either Rams or the San Francisco. But that's if you
believe Matthew Stafford is gonna make it through the year.

Speaker 4 (41:28):
I mean, can I pick door number three?

Speaker 2 (41:30):
Ooh yeah, if you got another option?

Speaker 4 (41:32):
The Seattle Seahawks.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
Ooh, so you you believe in it, Okay.

Speaker 4 (41:35):
I believe in that defense. I believe there's enough on
that offense to where if Sam Darnold is seventy five
percent of what we watched last year, this team could
win this division.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Oh I think that's good. Yeah, because you're not.

Speaker 4 (41:51):
I'm not sold on a forty nine ers team that
lost half their that lost half their team because they
just finished giving their quarterback big money. And I'm higher
on Brock than most people, but I'm on now like that.
You're not. I'm not bought on that, And you're telling
me that the rams forty year old quarterback already has
back problems now and they're supposed to get better as
a year goes on.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (42:11):
I've worked in physical therapy for quite some time, and
once old people have back issues, that's not really something
that improves with time. With physical strenuous activity. Usually step
one is chilled out, like as you say, the first
thing we tell them, Hey, Doug, like all that strenuous
physical things you're doing at work, sit down somewhere.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Yeah. When you when you tell me a forty year
old quarterbacks going in like a standing hyperbolic chamber to
like throw and get ready, I'm like, that doesn't sound right.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
That doesn't sound like that doesn't sound like ten wins.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
Yeah, I just I do like, yeah at all. I
do think they're like out of this, Like there are
some like like McVeigh, he can be a wizard with it.
I mean, obviously I don't. I wouldn't like Jimmy g
if you were in there. But there is also something
about the forty nine ers, like I think like Kyle Shanahan,
I think he he's I don't want to say he's
running out of time in there that they're like. I

(43:04):
think like if they were to go to like another
super Bowl or something like that, obviously I think they
would have a conversation like maybe we just need to
like part ways here, like he would get a job
like Andy Reid did like two days later. But like
it it's eventually like you know, might run its course
kind of thing, because John Lynch would be there forever.
John Lynch is he's like I'm giving, I've given you.
The fucking guy's.

Speaker 4 (43:26):
Crazy, you know it's crazy. I actually disagree. I think
Lynch goes before Shanahan goes really interesting because like we
all know that Kyle Shanahan's great. Yeah, John Lynch has
provided great rosters. Like five years ago, but if you
look at the forty nine ers recent drafts, buddy, they
got some misses, they got.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Some break Yeah, I guess he's done.

Speaker 4 (43:51):
And they've been able to pick up like one big
free age in a year and like a couple of
scrap he's But as far as depth, it's not really there.
That's why when they end up getting a lot of injuries,
they end up falling to like a top fifteen pick,
a top ten pick, Like, there's a reason this team
can't survive as one or two injuries. Granted, the top
that roster's really top heavy, and the top of that

(44:11):
roster is only getting older. Like right now, we're relying
a lot on George Kittle and and Christian McCaffrey right now.
And we'll see what happens with AUK with his health
and him new contract money and all that. So we'll
see with the Niners. But my best bet when I
look at that division right now is Seattle.

Speaker 2 (44:28):
Do you think Kyler Murray is in Arizona next year?
I just like to ask him out.

Speaker 4 (44:32):
Ooh ooh, yes, but neither of them are happy about it.

Speaker 2 (44:36):
Oh okay, all right, hey, shit, the A's are going
to Las Vegas. Try out that baseball thing. Finally, maybe
you do that. Maybe maybe you do the two sport
thing the different way. You just leave football, you go
play baseball. I'm sure you still got it.

Speaker 3 (44:54):
Was that finally Murray and Alvin Kamara?

Speaker 2 (44:58):
Or what about?

Speaker 4 (44:59):
Whoa hold on Kylot's Kylot's in New Orleans? I need
I need Orleans.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
I'm throwing things out there. I want to see that.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
That would be fun. I mean Alvin Kamara, by the way,
he like signed up for pain because like he took
that extension knowing they're going to be terrible, and I'm like,
it's like signing up to get beat up a little bit.

Speaker 4 (45:22):
Is she in a Pikachu outfit? I'm sorry, I about
to derail.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
The whole up.

Speaker 3 (45:27):
It's a lion king.

Speaker 4 (45:28):
Okay, sorry guys.

Speaker 3 (45:33):
This is what happens when I lost. For those of
you who don't know, I'm currently recording in my bedroom
because I lost my office due to this bundle of
joy here. So I'm just kind of and it's it
was a bad time. Oh yeah, she's.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
That is the bath tala thing I've ever seen on
a kid.

Speaker 3 (45:54):
She got one. She got one with mini males she's
got one where she's an elephant, one where she is, Uh,
what are the other animals we have?

Speaker 2 (46:04):
You just got all the animals have a line.

Speaker 3 (46:09):
We have a whole time. It's a whole bunch of things.
We want to talk babies do we want to talk football?

Speaker 6 (46:13):
We talked for apologies, guys, you gotta acknowledge the baby.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
Yeah, it's like a mafia boss. You gotta you gotta say, hey,
how you doing? You know? Where where were we let's
get to the NFC North Well, and then we'll get
to our Super Bowl predictions here and then we'll wrap up.

Speaker 4 (46:31):
Can I tell you all my NFC North dilemma? Right now?
There are two things I do not believe can both
be true at once. You cannot tell me that Ben
Johnson is a genius for all these years and that
the Bears are going to be significantly better because now
they have Ben Johnson. And then you cannot also in
the next set that to be like, oh yeah, the
lines are gonna be fine. Like you can't tell me.

(46:52):
You can't tell me both of those things. One of
those have to be a lie if you're gonna try
to tell me both. And right now I'm leaning more
towards the Lions are gonna be fine than Ben Johnson's genius.
Like I'm leaning more towards that because I believe in
Dan Campbell that much. Yeah, the Bears are going to
be better because Matt Eberflus was like if I'm trying

(47:15):
to cut the cursed down, but like it's one of
those like they can't. It's kind of like the Patriots,
like they can't get much worse. Compared to his coaching situation,
Caleb Williams finally has someone to watch film with him,
thank god, But like, I really do think this is
going to be the Lions division to lose for a while.
The interesting team in his the vision to me is Minnesota,
who likes Monday night football. We're gonna figure out if

(47:36):
JJ McCarthy's good or not. Like like I watched a
lot of Michigan that year. Did nothing said first round
quarterback of the time I was watching him, We're going
to be.

Speaker 3 (47:46):
Going to be here.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
Yeah, I agree with that, especially without Jordan Addison to
start the year. Is definitely uh starting on the back foot,
I would say. I mean Adam Adam Fieun coming back
was like like I was like I couldn't believe they
got like two picks for him.

Speaker 4 (48:05):
You know what I mean, Like I honestly crazy.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
Yeah, I mean if I was like I had to
double take, and I was like, is he sounding like
a one day deal? Is he calling it early?

Speaker 4 (48:14):
Like I love and I love I love Cracy the
GM of the forty of the Vikings, But I was
just kind of like, did you just get finessed by
the Panthers? Like yeah, I was like, wait, what did
they just a nostalgia bait you into giving up more
than one pick?

Speaker 2 (48:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (48:28):
Or what is howlds Adam dieting like thirty.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Oh no, he's probably like thirty five. That's not much
better though, ye, Like he.

Speaker 4 (48:37):
Just lost his job to like rookies and second year
of players, and I'm supposed to thine love there's our
Jarris R. Jordan Addison replacement.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
Yeah, we got the Nicholas Charrod of Wikipedia. Uh. Anyways,
but yeah, I do agree with you. I think that's
a good point. Like Ben, people are like Ben Johnson's
just gonna be a wizard and all that stuff, But
it's like, what's how's how's the defense gonna be? Like
how are these all these other things, like how are

(49:04):
you gonna handle being in charge of like the offense
is one thing, being in charge of an entire like
NFL organization, roster depth chart, coaching meetings, like it's a
lot more. Like it's a lot lot more. And I'm
not like against Ben Johnson or anything like that or
Kayleb Williams, but it's just I've seen this before, Like
there's all this hype they have. I mean they have

(49:26):
so many fucking receivers. I mean they have like literally
so many guys out there that are like not proven,
but they have all this hype about them, which kind
of fits the like the Bears, like or I guess
you would say. And I'm not like sold on it.
I think it is Detroit's division to lose. I'm kind
of I know Jordan Love didn't take that step we

(49:47):
thought he would after the twenty twenty three playoffs and
all that. I think the I think the Packers will
battle them for that second spot. I think the Vikings
will be right behind because I mean JJ McCarthy like
there's so much like unknown and like I get like
Kevin O'Connell's this QB Wizard rebuilt sam Donold blah blah blah,
but like, how what's that gonna look like with a rookie,

(50:09):
Like you're starting with a rookie and you don't have
your full like weapon arsenal at your exposed exposure to
start off, how are you gonna be? So I'm kind
of I'm with uh the Lions, and I think that
the Packers are gonna go toe to toe down the
line with them.

Speaker 4 (50:24):
My thing with Jordan Love is kind of back to
what I said about Drake Man at the beginning of
the podcast, like I'm out on quarterbacks that don't take
care of the football, and Jordan Love had some well
level level cartoons turnovers like did Yeah. I was kind
of like Jordan why I was just like I think he.

Speaker 2 (50:41):
Was himself from the year before. He's like, I can
do this.

Speaker 4 (50:44):
Why are you like this? You don't have to try that, bro.

Speaker 2 (50:49):
You Brett Far's Ghosts was talking to him and his
here like just throw across your body.

Speaker 4 (50:53):
Just like like like the Greek Goblin mat like triple
coverage and nonsense. Make that throw.

Speaker 2 (51:01):
Donald Driver used to catch it all the time.

Speaker 4 (51:03):
You're like, fuck, okay, that's not like that's Sterling sharp
down there. I don't think about it. Yeah, just throw it,
just throw.

Speaker 2 (51:10):
It, yeah exactly. I will also say Matthew Golden, the
rookie wearing like the number twenty is the most disgusting
thing I think I've ever seen someone do.

Speaker 4 (51:17):
Yeah, No, it's nasty work. I think he's gonna be good,
but that number is nasty work. Yeah, Like get that
many number, man, please?

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Yeah, drop that second digit. Just rock the two man, cool.

Speaker 4 (51:26):
Do something. You looks nasty and number twenty two that's
not a super number, bro.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
Yeah, David who we got NFC North.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
I mean, I think it's pretty obviously we're all going
to go with Detroit here. But I actually think that
JJ mccartin's can have been great based off the idea
that they don't need him, thank you. They don't know
at that time. I messed up myself, But I do
think that as far as what they need him to do,
he's gonna be more in serviceable. He doesn't have to

(51:53):
be the one to run over the place. I know,
right can It's like, and I think that it's one
of the situations where it's not the year for them
to expect to win. But when you have Jefferson and
you have McCarthy, and you have a team that has
what I think is the makings to be a great contender.

(52:17):
I think that they just need to make sure McCarthy's
on the right page to go to take a step
forward coming off of a massive injury. You need to
be ready to go because they're gonna be after you.

Speaker 4 (52:28):
What I do think? Sorry, David, I mean to cut
you off. What does a successful JJ McCarthy's season look like?
Because I'm really trying to figure it out, because expect
then we go fifteen to too the way Sam Donald
did last year, it's ridiculous, right, like we could all
we could all agree to that whatever.

Speaker 3 (52:45):
That school was. I think a successful season for him
is he finished second in the division and you're in
Walcart contention, because honestly, you could get into the wald
Cart is as easily as it is to get into
the wald Easy, as easy as it should be to
get into the wild card with the NFC. I think
that it just comes to a level of are you

(53:08):
after with the wild card? Anything after that is just
you know, you're above schedule, you're ahead of scheduled, as
we as we said, but uh as we said with
Jade and Daniels, is that you didn't.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
They didn't.

Speaker 3 (53:24):
We didn't expect them to have a winning season. I
think McCarthy is a different expectation of they're expecting a
winning season. But it could be like the Mike Tomlin
winning season where you just barely make the wild card.
You just missed the wild card, and anything after that
is you know, we're we're great. We're going good because
the next thing you're gonna know, they're going to pitch
the whole McCarthy McCarthy, the Jefferson friendship or connection, and

(53:48):
that's going to.

Speaker 4 (53:49):
Be the day J J J was right there, Dave
was right there, right there.

Speaker 3 (53:58):
Jefferson I forgot. I forgot that.

Speaker 4 (54:03):
It's right there yet you know, you know.

Speaker 3 (54:05):
But just to end my point though, I think that
getting to contention for a wild card it's a success
for him. Aiming after is a bonus and sets up
the future with the with those two is the core
of the offense.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
There we go, okay, all right, now it's time super
Bowl predictions. We're gonna be probably very off or might
be right on. Who knows. KP lead us off.

Speaker 4 (54:30):
Super Bowl predictions. The AFC. I got the Baltimore Ravens
making it's a Super Bowl out of the AFC and
the NFC. My shocker, I got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Guys.
I'm very high on the Buccaneers. I think they have
one of the I think they have the best offensive
line in the NFL, the only one who finished top
five and dem and the Broncos were on two teams
that finished top five and pass uh past block one
rate and run block one rate last year. I'm the

(54:53):
only two and you're basically the similar argument I was
making for the Broncos earlier. The defense is going to
be amazing, their offensive line is great. Only difference is
instead of bow Knicks, I got Baker Mayfield, who threw
for all the yards last year and all the touchdowns
was an incredible was so good last year and no
one realized because he's in Tampa. But Baker was a

(55:13):
baller last year and I think that's only going to continue.
The only concern I have for the Bucks is Mike
Evans can't do this forever, right like, you can't get
do this forever right like. Eventually there has to be
some type of step back. But if there isn't, I
got them in the super Bowl, and I think this
is the Ravens year. I think this is their two

(55:34):
thousand and six Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis colt here
where Lamar doesn't have to be awesome the same way
Peyton wasn't awesome, and that in that playoff run, if
you go back and watch it, he he just has
to not lose his team the game. And you can
say a lot about Lamar. He hasn't lost his team
these games. I think that Ravens defense is that good
to the point where they might just go to the
super Bowl almost by default and win it all.

Speaker 2 (55:55):
Okay, I like that. I will say I've been trying
to get a BUCA in every in one of my
drafts because I'm like, I'm just like, kind of what
you're saying, Like Chris Godwin's still in the pup list, Mike,
I was like, I think Mike Evans probably you could
probably say first ballot if he gets it. If he
gets it again, like dude, just we don't even need

(56:16):
to wait five years. Just fucking put him in.

Speaker 4 (56:18):
Like yeah, for Brady, they just wave the waiting period.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
What the waiting period is ridiculous, but it's just a
way to stagger it. I guess for people whatever, So
I don't mind that. I don't mind that at all.
Mine is going to be the Detroit Lions. I think
they're going to figure out finally get over their little
hump and take that step. And I think the Bills

(56:42):
are gonna make it too. I think they're also going
to get over their their hump. I think that relies
on a lot of people in the Bills, like ke
Coleman and them gotta fucking show up. It can't be
Clue Shakir, like the guy cannot be like the best
We got out there and you pay, James Cook, got
everybody there, Josh Allen Off an MVP season. I just

(57:03):
think it's they also need to get over the hump
of Mahomes, like you they Their hump isn't Baltimore, it
is getting through Kansas City, and you know, it's like
it's literally like the Office meme. They're all just pointing
guns at each other. But like Mahomes right now has
is pointing like a third gun somehow, like he has
a sniper on them, like he's just got them both.

(57:23):
But I'm gonna go to Bills and the Lions, and
I got the Bills to win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
I would on any normal day, I would pick the
Bills because I think that they're primed to get over
that hump. But today's not the day. The Ravens are
the team that's built the best in the AFC. I
think that everything everyone's talked about today is every reason
why I would pick them, but not today because I

(57:52):
think you have to look at the consistency that the
Kansas City Chiefs, and I will say this last I
said last year, I said the year before, I said
the year before. Regularly does not matter to Kansas City.
When you get to December, they turn into a different team.
I don't think that they're going to sit here and

(58:12):
take the loss that they had in a super Bowl.
And I'm gonna put that lightly because I respect the
coach that is a friend of ours, but I'm not
the loss that they had in Super Bowl I think
was very humbling to where I think Patrick Mahomes comes
in and has an MVP season to show that he
is not the guy he was last year. I think
that Kansas City is a team that you just because

(58:37):
come December, that's when they turn to who they are.
That's where they make their run. We always say that
certain sports are games are runs, but football is the
only sport where it's not a game of runs. It's
a matter of getting hot and staying hot. And this team,
when it gets cold and the rest of the country,
they heat up. I think that they are going to
come out of the AFC and coming out of the NFC.

(58:57):
Everyone would want me to go, not be my typical self,
but go birds like so I'm just gonna sit here
and say it's gonna be a rematch. And I would
love to say it's going to be a dance for
my friend to get a Super Bowl ring. But in turn,
I'm gonna say two of them this.

Speaker 2 (59:16):
Year, three of them, they got three.

Speaker 4 (59:18):
He's fine. Last year, bru they dance fine, dance fine.
But until you're oc your head coach, you're good. You've
won plenty, like come on, and the one count. The
one thing I didn't say about the Chiefs, The one
note I have of the Chiefs I didn't bring up

(59:39):
for the we were talking about the AMC West was
I think this is the year where we're gonna try
to be like, oh, the Chiefs are fine. The Chiefs
are fine. The Chiefs are fine, and then they're gonna
lose in like the first round of playoffs. Remember, like, oh,
I guess they're not fine.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
You've you've seen the Patriots re upp dynasty. They went
through a dry spell and then they re up somewhere
along the way.

Speaker 4 (59:59):
Happens to everybody, guys, Like, they're not gonna keep going. Like,
I'm sorry, They're just not gonna keep going to the
ANC Championship every single year Patrick Mahoe's career. This isn't
gonna happen. I'm sorry, bro, Like, it's just.

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
Here's my thing. Here's my thing is every time I
pick against them, they prove me wrong. So at this point,
I'm just tired of being wrong. I understand that, yes,
every team has a time in the barrel. For example,
look at you guys, but also look at you guys
when Tom Brady went down. It's a matter. I get
what you're saying. But to me, there's a level of

(01:00:34):
over of I guess, over chain. What is it changeover
that each team goes through. I have not seen the
Chiefs do that yet. I've not seen them have a
massive change in any of their lineups to where I'm
sitting here saying, do I have a question about this
position anymore than I did last year?

Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
I think losing Justin Reid's gonna hurt more than anyone thinks.
I think. I think it's not even like about like
making plays. I think it's just like I think it
was like he was Spags for their defense in a
weird way, like he was able to translate what Spags
wants them to do, like on the field fluent Spaganese. Yeah. Also,

(01:01:14):
I will say shout out, I did watch The Kingdom
on ESPN, Disney Plus or whatever. It was very fascinating.
And watching the very last episode and getting their ass
kicked was also like insane, Like you recorded that, You're like,
I would have deleted that episode into like we lost,
but it.

Speaker 4 (01:01:32):
Was like this one black screen like Star Wars.

Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
Like. Yeah, I will say, like Chris Jones's speech in
the locker room after the game was kind of what
you're saying, David, Like they were humbled. They needed to
be humbled a little bit. They maybe it resets their expectations.
I mean, I don't know, we'll see. It'll be an
interesting NFL season. I know the Chiefs have a fucking
gauntlet for like the first eight weeks they gotta play

(01:01:57):
like they gotta go to Brazil, then they got to
play the Eagles, then they got to play the lines
at some point, like they have a tough, tough stretch
at the beginning, so they get through that, you know,
who knows. But yeah, I just think it's not a
changing of the guard. But I think it's someone new
this year. I think it's how it's gonna shake.

Speaker 4 (01:02:15):
Out Baltimore's year. Gentlemen, the gods will not save you.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
Well, we will find out. I want to thank kp
for joining us. It was great always to see KP.
Find you at.

Speaker 4 (01:02:27):
K Pierce TV on all platforms and sportscar that sports
s c a r apostrophe d just like Punk, we're
going through a first person perspective of everyone's worst sports moment.
Peyton Girard is going to be on the show in
two weeks talking about that time Tim Tebow beat his
Steelers in the playoffs and overtime and that episode's awesome.

(01:02:47):
I just rewatched some of that footters today. It's great. Dave,
Dave Miles, and Dave Steinwaner will be making appearances eventually.
One of that require me going back. Oh yeah, let's
not let's not ruin it, but let's ruin it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:03):
But yeah, yeah, I mean as a follower, as a
follower of Jesus, I will say though John three to
sixteen just doesn't hit the right for me anymore. It's
just I don't like the verse just gives me like,
oh God, damn it.

Speaker 4 (01:03:16):
Teabo ruined Jesus for Peyton Doug.

Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
No, no, no, no, absolutely not.

Speaker 4 (01:03:20):
But she took the Lord from him.

Speaker 2 (01:03:23):
Yeah, maybe I think you know he's saying, I mean,
the guy's doing a lot for Jesus, something I should
be doing more. Maybe i'd win the game, you know whatever,
But that's gonna do it for us. On the opening
Kickoff podcast, we'll be back next week. Don't know who's
gonna be here. Hopefully Dave is here. Maybe he's done
coaching football, maybe he's won a game. Thank you all

(01:03:43):
for joining, and we'll see you next week.