The Favorites - NFC East Betting Preview with Chris Raybon

Are the Dallas Cowboys toast? Can the Eagles return to soar once more? Action Network NFL experts Chad Millman and Simon Hunter return to talk NFC East with their colleague Chris Raybon, who has strong opinions on the Washington Commanders and lowly New York Giants. Together they talk about the chances of a winless Giants start, Simon's feelings on Kliff Kingsbury, and so much more.

Plus, for those interested in betting college football this season, Action's own Big Bets On Campus now has its own YouTube channel. Subscribe now for free early access to our conference preview episodes, our best bets, along with exclusive content all season long. #Volume #Herd

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to the Favorites, the podcast presented by BET three
sixty five. We are part of the Volume Podcast Network.
I am Chad Melman, Chief Content Officer of the Action Network.
I'm joined as always by my co host, my companion,
my compadre, my BFF Professional Better Assignment Hunter and os
im In.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hello, Chad, did you enjoy that USA basketball? My friend?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm so sad the Olympics are over. I love that
you and I talked about gold Zone, which it felt
like we were just getting into rhythm for NFL season.
But man, I have watched every angle that anyone has
put on social media about that last Steph Curry shot.
He was so pure and so joyful and so good

(00:55):
at something that is so hard. It is exactly why
he belongs in the converse for top ten players of
all time. And I feel like if there was any debate,
this game settled it.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
And it was also just like the cherry on the
top right of this last twenty years of Lebron Durant
to Steph. It's like, if you're an NBA fan, those
were the guys, And I know, I think it's tops.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
They're putting out some type of card with the three
of them on there.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, everyone's going.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
Crazy right about it. I get it, Like it's if
you're a basketball fan. I know basketball has plenty of
haters and it's fun to be a hater, but the
true basketball fans that's like, those are the guys like
we know that. Not that we're going about to go
to a down period here, but we really had this
crazy run of these crazy stars. And you know, Steph Curry,

(01:42):
he just when he wants to be the greatest shooter
ever he can be, and it's like no one could
just turn on and off. If you watched like you said,
you watch those highlights he I don't think he touched
the ball from like midway to the third quarter to
the final three minutes of the game, and then every
time he was just carrying the ball up the court
and it was just like he knew this was his moment.
So yeah, as just a fan of you know, the

(02:03):
NBA and everything it is, you know, that's not that
he's my favorite player. I think i'd still have Lebron's
my favorite player. But Steph Curry, man, like you said,
it's you kind of put himself on that top ten list.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
It's it's hard to take them off fit.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Now we have more late breaking news than the Americans
winning the Gold medal.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
For today's show, which is.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
The sixth installment in our annual NFL Division preview series,
we are discussing the NFC East Today, Simon, we are jooled.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
By our favorite of the favorites regular.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Guests, My antagonist on our Sunday morning NFL preview show
convinced me, which we'll start again with the first Sunday
of the NFL season, available on YouTube and the Action
Network up. He is the co host of the Action
Network podcast. He is Chris raybaond Ray.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
What's going on?

Speaker 6 (02:56):
Brother?

Speaker 5 (02:57):
What's up? Guys?

Speaker 6 (02:58):
I actually got a question for both of you, since
since we're talking about basketball, would you rather go to
a Rams Chargers preseason game or a regular season Sparks
Sky game?

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Uh?

Speaker 6 (03:17):
With keeping in mind that I haven't seen Angel Reese yet,
I've seen Caitlin Clark play already.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
One w NBA game. Hey, I've been to it. I've
been to a Chargers Rams preseason game with you, and
that stadium is amazing. Loved it, totally loved it. But like,
there's there's too much fun stuff happening with the w
NBA right now, and the level of intensity is going
to be better, the betting is gonna be better, the

(03:44):
action and crowd is going to be better. I'd like
the energy at the a w NBA game sign it.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
I mean obvious, I'm gonna go pre season football if
I'm gonna, if I'm gonna get my drink on or
you take a gummy, I'm gonna. I'm gonna do the
preseason football. But you really can't go wrong either way.
But I'm a little biased just because won that stadium,
and I just Chad knows.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
I love watching the second stringers.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
It's like it's fun in person, seeing the guys in person,
like noticing little things where you know on TV you
can't watch guys after the play. That's what's so good
about being in person.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
So yeah, definitely a tough choice by go football.

Speaker 6 (04:18):
Yeah, I think it's going to be made for me
because I got a brunch at ten am, But I
would have to leave it pretty early or super early,
but somewhat early to get to the Sparks game because
it's at two in the preseason games at four, So
I'll probably end up going to the preseason game. But
this is the last time Andrew Reese is coming to
LA so I did kind of want to see her,
So I'm still torn.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
Probably that's important enough for you to get up at
ten am.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
That's what I want to.

Speaker 6 (04:43):
Go visitors in time, my couple of my boys from
from Syracuse, so you know, I'm got to show them around.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
So yeah, it's just very unlike me.

Speaker 6 (04:53):
I would probably be just knocked out sleeping on a
Saturday morning at ten am.

Speaker 5 (04:57):
You're absolutely correct.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
We have very important news to discuss before we get
into discussing the NFC East today it was announced breaking news.
We're recording this on Wednesday afternoon. JJ McCarthy out for
the year, torn meniscus for the Vikings. On the show
last week, Simon and I talked about the NFC North.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
The Vikings six and a half to the under. We
liked it. We also liked potentially the Vikings for the
worst record. Raybon.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
I know you and Stock you talked about Vikings potentially
the last team to win a game on the Action
Network podcast going back in May. So first for you, Raybon,
how does this impact any of your thinking about the
Vikings overvalue, undervalue knowing sam Donold's going to be the quarterback,

(05:50):
not going to be quarterback controversies.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
How does this change things for you? If at all?

Speaker 6 (05:56):
It really doesn't shout to my boy Chris Thompson, who
was just text to be saying, and he's a Vikings fan,
he was saying, you know, I can't believe the market
hasn't really reacted to this. And then total, the win
total is still at six and a half, and I said, honestly,
I have both of those quarterbacks rated pretty equally in
terms of how they're going to affect the spread. You know,
Donald is a known quantity and McCarthy does have more

(06:18):
upside long term.

Speaker 5 (06:19):
But as a rookie especially, you know when that.

Speaker 6 (06:22):
We kind of knew was gonna miss it was not
going to start from week one, they kind of grayed
out about the same for me. So no real movement here.
I mean, if I'm betting a Vikings win total, I'm
winning under though, because the NFC, I think there's you know, eight,
like nine, ten to eleven playoff contenders and the Vikings
are not really.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
One of them.

Speaker 6 (06:42):
In my opinion, I think they're a worse team in
had divisions, So I do think the Vikings are going
to have a rough go at it now, But maybe
we get some Nick Mhens and Jared Hall at some
point too if Donald struggles, So just more reason to
go with the under for me.

Speaker 4 (06:59):
Simon, I mean, it's pretty simple for me, Chad. The
only thing I really fear in life is the unknown,
and the unknown.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
Was JJ That's that's gone. I know what Sam Donald is.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
I think Evan Abrams just tweeted out, you know, since
he was drafted in twenty eighteen, he's the worst quarterback
against the spreading all football.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
He's twenty two thirty three and one, Chad, Like, I
get it.

Speaker 4 (07:20):
People want to be like, oh, he went to Kyl
Shannon and QB Whisper. He ain't no QB Whisper. He
ain't Sean McVay.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
This.

Speaker 4 (07:25):
This is a man that runs a great system. Jimmy
g left the forty nine ers. He just turned back
into poop. That's why I think Sam Donald's going to be.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Like he might, he might win a game here and there.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Right, we've seen him string together a couple of good quarters.
His issue is long term consistency, and once it goes bad,
it starts to go really bad, Like he unravels.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
He unravels really bad.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
So I get if Vikings fans are dooming gloom, because
how would you not be excited about j J. What
are he just in the preseason? Even if preseasons is
irrelevant to all of us, you can lie to yourself,
you can be excited to be like, well, after one turnover,
the kid came out through two touch shuns in a
row through for one hundred yards.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
That's exciting.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
I mean Sam Donald came out there, went fourth eight
and threw an incompletion on fourth and two in the
red zone.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
That was that's him.

Speaker 4 (08:08):
Like, So that's that's why I get why Mostky fans
are doom and gloom.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
But I think Sean said it like you.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
Will see punnets in the media, and I know plenty
of professional betters who are like, they want to give
him this last chance, Sam Donald, this last runner. It's
like he could have that Baker season, that Gino Smith season.
And I think Christi has said it, it's like in
that division in the NFC, the wins just aren't there.
The competition's too stiff. I don't I don't see how
they're gonna have easy games. Where you know we went

(08:35):
crazy because you know Smith went ninety eight. I will
go absolutely crazy if somehow Sam Donald gets nine to
eight with this team. So I'm feeling pretty good in
my position chat.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
But yeah, I am.

Speaker 4 (08:44):
I am shocked. The market has not reacted at all.
People people seem to believe in Sam Donald. I just
I'm a total seller on this kid.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
By the way, Whoop, Like of all the times you
decide to hold back and not get aggressive and abrasive,
it's you decide to go with poop.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
I'm Jimmy Garoppolo. Oh boy.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
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Speaker 5 (10:20):
I saw.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
Stucky and Raybon recently, and I was sitting with them,
and I looked at them and I thought, I can't
believe these are two the guys that I hitched my
freaking career too. I left ESPN and we launched Action Network.
It's astonishing to me. All right, Reminder, we're going to

(10:45):
the nfcas in nineteen of the past twenty one years,
ninety one percent of the seasons an NFL team has
gone from worst to first in its division. During our previews,
we talked about at least one of those teams that
we think has a really good shot, the Bengals. I
know Raybon also thinks the Panthers are undervalued and might
want to play a long shot on their chances to

(11:07):
win the NFC South. In the NFC East, Cowboys finished first,
the Commanders finished last. I don't think we're going to
see that in this division, but you never know.

Speaker 3 (11:18):
We're going to run through.

Speaker 1 (11:19):
Its Eagles short starts to win the division. Right now,
they are fifteen to one to win the Super Bowl.
They are at plus one hundred to win the division.

(11:40):
Their win total is ten and a half. As everybody knows,
I'd like to go through strength of schedule according to
Futures Markets for season win totals, the line ranking according
to Pro Football Focus, and the d line ranking according
to Pro Football Focus. Right now, Eagles have the ninth
easiest schedule, second best line rank.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
Even without Kelsey.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
People are hoping that Cam Jurgens can move from guard
where he was a middle of the road player, but
they still have Jordan Mailata. They have Lane Johnson, third
and thirteenth grader overall of their positions. Big question, how
effectively can Jurgens be replacing the Hall of Famer d Line.
Final part of the roundup, support went out for Fletcher Cox,

(12:23):
brilliant career, six time pro bowler, super Bowl champ. Define
this Philly d Line such a character. We loved Jalen
Carter last year as signon in his defensive Rookie of
the Year. He was the favorite all season until he
faded at the end and was taken over by Will Anderson.
That was a bit of a kick in the dick.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
The real question here is ken Jordan Davis takeover.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
Is the dominant player Fletcher Cox was and can Bryce
Huff be his dominant on the edge as Assan Reddick Raybon.
While Simon is a massive Eagles fan, you are rock
and the old school Randall Cunningham Jersey, I give you
first crack at assessing the Eagles.

Speaker 5 (13:08):
Yeah, I like the Eagles.

Speaker 6 (13:09):
I think the Eagles are the best bet to win
the NFC East. That even money, it's probably overall a
little bit over value, just because you know, it's probably
a little more than a two team race. I think
Washington has a long shot. So but if I'm betting
any one of these teams, I feel most confident in
the Eagles, and that's because they addressed what I think

(13:33):
really is. I know you talked about, you know, some
of the changes in the trenches, but the Eagles are
strong in the trenches.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
I think they'll be okay.

Speaker 6 (13:42):
They'll be somewhere from you know, good to too great,
you know, even with the changes. I think the big
question is if you watch the Eagles down or stretch
last year. I know, I know Simon knows they couldn't
handle a Blitz. Jalen Hurst just had no idea what
he was doing against the Blitz. So they go out,

(14:02):
Remember they had all that coordinator brain drain last year
and they had to switch things up after going to
Super Bowl. Both of their coordinators got hired away. So
now they go out to get Kellen Moore, who was
you know, longtime coordinator in Dallas. Then he went to
LA for a year to the Chargers. But I think
that's really the question. Can he solved those issues for
Jalen Hurts against the Blitz, Because if he can, I

(14:26):
think everything else is is gonna be cape for Philadelphia.
They addressed the secondary, the cornerback situation, which I think
was was big. You know, they took some guys in
the draft. You got Gardner Johnson back there at safety.
You know the offense, you got got Barkley, good running backs,
but handling the blitz. And also that third wide receiver spot,

(14:49):
just because you know, Brown and Smith haven't really missed
any time. If they do, it's gonna be a lot
more important that you know that number three spot. And
right now it's John Ross, it's Johnny Wilson, a rookie,
and it is Paris Campbell. So that could get a
little dicey for Philadelphia because you would want their third

(15:11):
wide receiver to be kind of like a Ross Campbell
type guy who can get open quick. I don't know
if those guys really can, but theoretically a guy like
that so that they can have more options. But I
think sae Quan will help a little bit. And I
do think Howie Roseman addressed the roster as well as
he could given the situation. And if you look at

(15:33):
the schedule, because they didn't win that division, you know,
you get a little bit of a break with the
second place schedule instead of the first place schedule. So
I'm high in Philadelphia. I think this is the year
you're kind of way back on Dallas a little bit.
We know how that goes in the NFC East. But
the Eagles are favored in thirteen of their seventeen games,

(15:53):
so I do think that they cruise to this division title.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
Simon, I imagine you have a million thoughts on this team.

Speaker 7 (16:03):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
I want to start with Raybound's comment about the blitz.
Do you see that is the key they need to
fix or is there something else?

Speaker 2 (16:13):
No?

Speaker 4 (16:13):
I think they've fixed that. I just think it was
all like again, I can't move Syrian.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
He kept his job.

Speaker 4 (16:20):
That was that was so fireable. The fact that he
couldn't get that adjustment, they're kill him more. Everything you've seen,
the adjustments been made where we have some of the
some the biggest issue we had no motion chat and
when there was no emotion, the blitz would set up
and they already.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Knew what we were running.

Speaker 4 (16:35):
Like that, we were running four to five different plays,
so I threw out last year. My biggest issue was
always going to be can we cover the middle of
the field.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
He cam Driggen step in and command.

Speaker 4 (16:44):
This offense, because you just said to Kelsey, he's a
Hall of Fame, right, even Lane Johnson talked about it
like I think I saw a quote twodays ago, it's
weird not having his voice out there, like it's it's
gonna be weird not having the anchor, the man that's
been there for so long. But Cam Dring is his
handpicked by who other than Kelsey has been in practice
every day working with them, training with him, and he.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Was our guard for the last two years.

Speaker 4 (17:05):
So it's like the guy who knows the offense, he
knows what's to run, he knows the calls. It's just obviously,
like you just said, Chat, it's an added pressure to it.
But my biggest issue with this team will always be
the linebacker position. Howie he goes sheep in different areas.
That's his that's his move, and it works right. How
He's won the best teams of football and that's where
he likes to go. Cheapest middle linebacker and outside linebacker.

(17:26):
I think Fangs is the one that said it. The
most important position in the NFL the last three years
has been outside linebacker. You look at the best teams
of football, Chat, they usually have a really good outside linebacker.
It's a big deal. So you know, did they fix
those issues yet? It's well, we'll see if they can
cover the middle of the field. That's my only real
question here. Like, like Chris just said, it's an issue
who the Eagles third receiver is on offense. That's a

(17:47):
great place to be. I'm feeling pretty good if that's
one of our big issues, our third receiver.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
So it's like this.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
Team is built to win now, and the NFC we're
all praying I already said it last week.

Speaker 2 (17:57):
We're praying this how you trade goes down.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
If you're a fan of a team in the NFC,
you want Ayuk off that team, go send him to nowhere.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
Steelers, let him go play with them.

Speaker 4 (18:06):
Please get him off the forty Niners because he is
one of the blessed the best blocking wide receivers on football.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
And no one gets up.

Speaker 4 (18:12):
I mean, his his success rate of getting an open
chat is out of the spruld. Like people don't realize
how good Ayuk is. Even when he's being double bracket,
he's still he still finds hold in the zone. So
this Eagles team right now, to me, if it all
works out right now, this team doesn't have anyone holding
out everyone's healthy head end of the season, I probably
would move them over in my powering gains above the
forty nine ers team and put the lines right behind them,

(18:33):
cause it's like fight out. The foreigners are having all
these issues Chad, and it's I keep being like, well,
it's not that big of a deal. What are we
three weeks out? Now this is starting to become a
big deal. We saw Nick Bosa held out. He wasn't
right till week seven eight, Like you need these periods,
you need the ramping up of the season. So this
Eagles team, to me, the biggest question are gonna be

(18:53):
the livebackers and the coaches. Right now, I'm pretty confident
these coaches what I've seen in practice. The linebackers, I
still I still need time chat. It's like I don't
really know until the bullets are flying what this team's
going to be like at the linebacker position.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
You know, it's interesting you mentioned the linebackers. I remember
specifically we talked about this on the show Ray Bond
and Stuck. You talked about it on their show when
we were looking at the Niners going to play the
Eagles in that December game, right where the Eagles had
just played an overtime game against the Bills. We started
handicapping that game immediately, and we all liked the Niners

(19:27):
in that game. The Niners are going to be short.
I can't remember if they were short favorites or short
dogs in that game. Okay, yeah, I think so too,
but we still like them as favorites. The reason we
liked them is because the Eagles could not cover the
middle of the field.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
That was an achilles heel for that team all season long.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
You mentioned fangs Vic Fangio, new defensive coordinator, legendary, respected, beloved.
I got to think he will find ways to mask
these deficiencies a lot better than the sort of buffet
of bad defensive coordinators they had coming in last year,

(20:07):
ending with Matt Patricia, you got you gotta believe that,
Like in any business, you sort of have to decide
something is going to be and you have to believe
you can do it.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
That's what I mean. There was no fix.

Speaker 4 (20:17):
So like this year, this team, when I'm looking at them,
I'm just like, to me, in this division, these are
my biggest bets on the most confident. This is the
only the only division metach I've been right on every
year we've done this show, and we're not even doing
anything special people. We've literally gone Dallas Eagles, Dallas Eagles
since I joined the show.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
Last year, we used a lot of our luck, cup.

Speaker 4 (20:35):
I cannot believe we hit that Dallas bet and we thought,
we joked about we thought it was dead.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
I think it was true.

Speaker 4 (20:40):
Eagles were ten to one. I think we were just
coming off back to back really bad losses.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
With Dallas.

Speaker 4 (20:45):
We're like, oh, well, basically they need to win out
and maybe lose one game. The Eagles need to lose
out and maybe only win one game. And that's exactly
what happened. So this year I feel way, way confident
betting this number. The only negative here is we bet one.
We bet plus one three plus one twenty. I mean
for the last two months and then just in the
last three weeks. This line is now up to minus

(21:06):
one twenty. Like you just said a lot of books,
so you miss that a little bit. Still love the
over obviously ten and a half. Don't hate it if
you want to put fifteen to one. But I liked
I did what Chad did last year. If you listen earlier,
I like the Chiefs. Obviously I'm betting on the three peet.
I love the bet on History Eagles Chiefs matchup Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (21:24):
I got it at forty to one, So.

Speaker 4 (21:26):
If you want to do something fun like that, you
can do that if you don't like taking the fifty
to one. But I have no issue taking the fifteen
to one. But I did Chad's but I took them
forty to one against the Chiefs. I put another bet
on them against the Bengals. I think it was fifty
five to one. Egos Bengals.

Speaker 2 (21:39):
So that's a fun way to bet that stuff if
you want longer routes.

Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah, just a preview for people who will listen to
our Best Bets episode, which will be the last week
before NFL season kicks off.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
Simon and I will run through sort.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
Of our favorite futures bets, and annually one of my
favorite bets is round robining the best odds.

Speaker 3 (22:01):
Below usually twelve to one or under.

Speaker 1 (22:05):
In ten or the last past eleven years, the teams
with those odds have met in the Super Bowl. So
last year it was the Chiefs and the Niners. Both
had lower than twelve to one odds, but the payout
on their Super Bowl win with something like thirty five
to one. So I will bet that and that is
in Evan Abrams special. I'm going to expand it this

(22:26):
year because I actually like, I think the Bengals are
thirteen to one.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
The Eagles are fifteen.

Speaker 1 (22:30):
To one, so we'll get into that for sure, all right,
all right, Speaking with the Cowboys, I can't think of
a team that I'm fading harder than the Cowboys that
has mismanaged everything since before kickoff of their route. In

(22:51):
a loss to the Packers in the playoffs where all
three of us were all over the Packers as seven
point underdogs, that game was over with about three minutes
past Dallas nineteen to one and win the Super Bowl
plus one fifty to win the Division ten and a
half win total. Eleventh hardest strength of schedule O line

(23:11):
is tenth, entirely because of Zach Martin and Tyler Smith.
Their tackles are suspect with Toront Smith and Terrence Steele.
Toron Smith gone, Terrence Steele coming off a down year.
They also have a new center. D line is sixth,
But a lot of this is about Micah Parsons and
DeMarcus Lawrence, right, So between the two of them they

(23:34):
make up for a lot of issues in the rest
of that defensive line. Everything about this team screams flashy
over bet overvalue. Built For the regular season, Dak barely
made our top ten list of quarterback We hate Mike McCarthy.
Now cdee Lamb is holding out Simon, I hate this team.

Speaker 8 (23:56):
I want to buck on this What do you say?
I want to buy it tonight with ten percent of
the day around here in Jersey where I come from,
Let's call the juice the juice break.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
It's all negative, like everything about It's like even their
own fans have not been going to their camp, which
is shocking. Like usually they're always to sell out all
the fans show up, and this year even them are
not that they're out on the team. I think they're
just out on Jerry Jones, right. I think they're pissed
it in because it's like, why did you not? Why
do you not just get this done with Dak and
cd Why did you not just get this done with
It's like the options out there aren'tna be much better

(24:30):
unless you totally tank the next two years and try
to find your own With Caleb Williams.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
It's like these.

Speaker 4 (24:35):
Guys just don't pop up. It's it's pretty insane with
the move they're making right now. We already talked about
like Dak has all the power if he walks this year.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
They got like over fifty million in dead cap next year.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
That's that's a crazy number to think they're just gonna
have a guy walking that that kind of money's in
the book.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
So every day I wake up.

Speaker 4 (24:52):
I honestly feel like I fall for the trap of,
oh they just signed Cdo they just signed Dak to
a big contract? Because I've just been wait for to happen,
and it just feels like it's not happening. Every day
the sound bites get worse from Jerry Jones jat so
the team on the field, I think he nailed it
right there. They have some questions down the offensive line
which we haven't had in the past. You know, if
if CD does miss time, who are they throwing to

(25:15):
go through their depth tra to wide receiver. It's a
lot of really heavy questions there. So they desperately need
CD back, And you know, I don't I don't know
if Chris loves this guy, but I think his name's Rico,
this running back.

Speaker 2 (25:27):
I kind of love him.

Speaker 4 (25:28):
I kind of think he's gonna be the guy over
is Ekal Elliott, and there are touches there to be had.
But defensively, I think you talked about chat. It feels
like they extremely overachieved last year and they're gonna pay
the piper this upcoming season just because they haven't really
improved that defensive side at all. They just kind of
rolled it, let it ride back. And you know, I'm
looking at this team ten and.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
A half I've just talked to.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
I want to say, I've spoken to every book maker
that you know in the greater Tri State area over
the last two months. It's all under money on this team.
They've just been getting tons and tons of money on
this win total. So this is gonna be the sportsbook's
larger positions on win totals. They're gonna need this teams over.
I just think they had held the bad number. Chad, Like,
to me, this ten and a half made sense last

(26:11):
year when this division was so weird. Yeah, the division
feels like it's improved like tremendously from the commanders of
the Giants. So you know, to me, ten and a
half still too high of a number. I do like
that under and obviously we're.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Not touching anything for them divisionally or Super Bowl ots.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
This is a weird Everything about this is a weird
public number to me. The nineteen to one is a
public number. The plus one fifty is public, the ten
and a half is public.

Speaker 3 (26:37):
It's all screaming.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
Bookmakers are just looking to take advantage of people who
love the Cowboys.

Speaker 4 (26:43):
Love the Cowboys. I feel like those people are gone
and they didn't adjust for that.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
Ray Bon, are you about to tell us right now?
I love the Cowboys?

Speaker 6 (26:53):
Nah, I don't, but it is anytime the market is
so overwhelmingly negative, I think as a you kind to
have to at least consider, yeah, scary contrarian, yeah, the
other side. But for me, I just think the Cowboys
have a wide range of outcomes, because, for one, they're
still favored in fourteen of their seventeen games, but really

(27:15):
four of those.

Speaker 5 (27:16):
Are essentially a pick them.

Speaker 6 (27:17):
It's you know, the spread is minus one or some
some are even a pick them, depending what book you're
looking at.

Speaker 5 (27:22):
So they there.

Speaker 6 (27:25):
Is a situation like a scenario where the Cowboys finish
you know, nine and eight, eight and nine even especially remember,
you know, a couple of years ago, Dak Prescott missed
some games that's happened a couple of times. If they
was that, you know, Simon you said it, Ceedee Lamb's
really their only guy receiver. You know, Rico Daudo at

(27:46):
running back. I mean, I don't think he's going to
make a difference one way or another running backs generally, don't.
You know Howard wasn't great last year coming off that
injury anyway, But I did. I did like what McCarthy
did somewhat down the stretch after the bye. They kind
of went super pass heavy, But I don't know if
that's gonna be an option this year with just see
and remember, you know, it's it's not very likely that

(28:07):
CD continues to just not ever miss games due to
injury either. So I think this team is very fragile
with not bet any overs on them.

Speaker 5 (28:17):
And I am.

Speaker 6 (28:18):
Concerned about that tackle situation because you had Tchumadoga, the veteran,
getting snaps at left tackle and he looks like he
just got hurt.

Speaker 5 (28:27):
So now you're gonna have to go with the with the.

Speaker 6 (28:31):
Rookie guiton at left tackles and Chad you mentioned Steele
was pretty shaky. He ranked sixty ninth of eighty one
qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus in terms of their
grading last season. So Dak Prescott under pressure with just
one receiver that really is gonna be reliable, reliable, you

(28:51):
get open. I mean, maybe Jake Ferguson continues to step up,
but I just you know, they don't have the running game,
they have one bona fide receiver, they don't have tackles,
and the coach is shaky. So not a lot to
love for Dallas, especially when you put them side put
the Cowboys side by side against the Philadelphia Eagles. So yeah,

(29:14):
it's all about the Eagles this year. I think the
Cowboys could suffer from that NFC East first place jinx.

Speaker 1 (29:20):
Yeah, they've built a team that is designed to win
in the regular season over the past several years, and
I don't even think they're designed to do that now,
given the offensive line issues, given what's going on with
Ceddee Lamb. Like, let me give you some stats, right,
ce d Lamb is not only coming off one of

(29:43):
his best years, one of the best wide receiver seasons ever.
There have only been two seasons of receivers with one
hundred and thirty plus receptions seventeen one hundred plus receiving
yards twelve plus receiving touchdowns twenty twenty one, Cooper Cup
twenty twenty three, c D.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
Lamb.

Speaker 1 (30:03):
If this guy's not in the field, they don't really
have probably about eighty percent of their passing offense. So
there's some serious issues there. And to my point about
the Cowboys being a regular season team, highest average win
toil of the past twenty years to not win a

(30:25):
Super Bowl. Cincinnati Bengals eight point one, San Francisco forty nine,
Ers eight point one, Minnesota Vikings eight point two, Falcons
eight point three, Chargers eight point nine, number one Dallas
Cowboys nine point two.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
What a brittle list to be on. Damn, you've just
so much winning for not so much.

Speaker 6 (30:51):
I remember their last Super Bowl. That was like the
first Super Bowl that I as a kid. I really remember,
just the whole weed up to it, and you know,
watching the like simulate it with Madden in nineteen ninety
five and then they go out and just spank the Steelers.
Neil O'Donnell could not keep up with that Cowboy defense
and whatnot. But yeah, it's been it's been rough. And

(31:13):
you know, even Chad you mentioned a pass offense I mean,
Brandon Cooks is still there. We shouldn't just shit on him.
But he's he's gonna be thirty one, so he's a
tough time staying healthy, right, Yeah, I mean, well, not
necessarily healthy, but I think you worry about just because
he's a smaller guy and he has he has had
some good cussion issues. So yeah, he's not He's not
a guy that you necessarily expect to go back to
being the wide receiver one that he was at times

(31:36):
earlier in his careers. So yeah, there's just it's just
it just feels very fragile for the Cowboys this year.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
True story, Raybon. I know I'm showing my age. I
covered that.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Steelers Cowboys Super Bowl and the NFC Championship game the
week before when I think it was Larry Brown had
multiple He did it well. He had an interception in
the AFC in the championship game, and then in the
next game, and I had to interview, I had to
write for Sports Illustrated a little sidebar about the play

(32:12):
that led to the interception in the NFC Championship game,
and I asked Antonio Freeman what the play was in
the locker room after the game. And I said to him, look,
I know you weren't on the field, but I saw
you standing next to home grin. Can you tell me
about the play? He goes, well, I wasn't on the field.
I'm like, I know, but you know I need to
do a story about it.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
He knew who I was.

Speaker 1 (32:30):
I had been to Green Bay a bunch, and he goes,
you got to do a news chronicle for Sports Illustrated.
I'm like, yeah, I got to do a news chronicle.
And then he wouldn't answer my question. So I went
to Adam Timmerman, and Adam Timmerman started telling me what
everything was. I got everything I needed. Then Antonio Freeman
came up to me in the locker room before I

(32:52):
was leaving and started to get in my face and like,
what am I going to do?

Speaker 3 (32:56):
Right? But Adam Timmerman pulled him back from trying to
kill me in the locker room.

Speaker 5 (33:05):
What that? First?

Speaker 6 (33:06):
Of all, great story, And those are some amazing name drops,
like I was more Robert Brooks, Dorsey Levin's guy myself
on that that stand. But Waymond was a beast too.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Hey, Dorsey Levins. I was on the sideline for the Patriots.
Packers super Bowl that the Packers won, and Dorsey Levins
knocked me over when he ran He ran out of
bounds and I was behind a cameraman and we both
got knocked over. And I didn't feel great the rest
of that night and was in New Orleans.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
I'll just say, And he didn't even feel you.

Speaker 3 (33:42):
I don't like, he didn't feel anything right.

Speaker 1 (33:44):
And so I go to my back to my hotel
that night, super late night, right and I'm not feeling great.
I start puking the rest of the night. I think
I might have had a concussion, Like he knocked the
fuck out of me on the sideline.

Speaker 4 (33:59):
So I don't know if you get to hear my
phone going crazy, Chad. Apparently Jordan Addison, the number two
receiver on the Vikings, just went down. The injuries being
helped off the field by trainers. It's like truly a
season from hell for the Vikings fans right now.

Speaker 8 (34:11):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, I feel terrible for the Vikings. I feel terrible
for Kevin O'Connell. He seems like a really good coach.
I want him to.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
Be able to succeed there.

Speaker 1 (34:21):
I hope this doesn't become a season where everything is
so bad they feel like they have to start over,
give him the chance to make some magic with what
this roster is becoming.

Speaker 2 (34:31):
I think they will.

Speaker 4 (34:32):
I think yeah, I don't think they'd move on from
after this year, even if they went very terrible.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
I don't think they'd move on.

Speaker 6 (34:37):
Hey, if we got no Jordan Addison for any length
of time, we already probably won't have TJ.

Speaker 5 (34:43):
Howkinson to start the year.

Speaker 6 (34:45):
Ed Addison could get suspended even if he's not, yeah, hurt.
So the fact that we're also out on j JJ's
out means if Darnald struggles, we're gonna.

Speaker 5 (34:55):
Get us some Nick Moens and you know who.

Speaker 6 (34:57):
That's really good for Justin Jefferson to wed the in
receiving yards because Nick Mullins will throw five hundred air
yards in a game complete like three hundred and fifty
of them throw four picks. But JJ will will put
up like one hundred. JJ. If you take out the
game that he got hurt and a game that he
came back. Last year, JJ averaged one hundred and twenty

(35:17):
seven receiving yards per game. If you do that over
the full season, you're running away with that crown. So yeah,
Justin Jefferson definitely might be worth a bet here, depending
on what's going on with Addison, because he would be
an absolute target hog, even if even if the quarterback
is substandard.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
Washington Commanders, I feel like I'm misreading something here. The
Washington Commander is one hundred and twenty one one hundred
and twenty to one to win the Super Bowl plus
eight hundred to win the Division. Six and a half
is the win total. Thirteenth easiest strength of schedule O
Line rank twenty seven. Sixty percent of the offensive line

(35:58):
is new at left tackle, protecting Jaden Daniels blind side.
They are relying on a career backup in Cornelius Lucas
defensive line nineteenth. There was a time where this was
a top four defensive line with Montes Sweat and Chase Young,
not that long ago. I think this line is too high,
even with their current talent level. The big signing Dorrance

(36:23):
Armstrong from Dallas, whose career eye in sacks during six
years eight and a half knew everything coach QB O
line D line coordinators. I mean, I don't get the
market numbers here. I don't understand why. Like Raybau, you
already said the Commanders would be your sort of long

(36:43):
shot here. None of this makes sense to me, all.

Speaker 6 (36:46):
Right, So, first of all, the Commanders were four and
thirteen last year. They employed Ron Rivera, Eric b Enemy,
and Jack del Rio as their head coach and offensive
and defensive coordinators, respectively, So they needed everything new.

Speaker 5 (37:03):
So that's a good thing.

Speaker 6 (37:05):
Second of all, the main difference, if you want to
get really simple, between Washington and the New York Giants,
is that Washington has a chance to have a quarterback.

Speaker 5 (37:20):
It's as simple as that. That's football.

Speaker 6 (37:22):
Both of these rosters shaky, like you said, Chad, although
I'm I think Washington has the better roster than the Giants.
I mean, yes, the offensive line is maybe a little
bit unsung, but it's not a disaster, like I think
it can be serviceable, like you know somewhere around week average.
You know, they got Terry McLaurin, who's already established. The
Giants have a rookie trying to fill that role, Jayden Daniels,

(37:45):
I would say, already better than Daniel Jones.

Speaker 5 (37:47):
The Giants backup quarterback. They can't even get that right.

Speaker 6 (37:50):
Drew Locke look terrible in his preseason snapped the Giants
have no secondary. Washington has no secondary. But I think
Washington has more upside because you still have you know,
maybe Forbes can get it together. It was the first
round pick you got. I struggled to pronounce his name.
But the flat corn who they took in a Secon

(38:10):
round out of Michigan this year, Cyrus still I believe.
I think it's how you pronounce it. But they do
have some upside here. Jeremy Chin is an interesting guy.
You know, he flashed in Carolina at times. So just
up and down the roster, I think Washington just has
more upside. You know, Echler Robins a pretty good running back,
Duo Ertz and so know at tight end. So there's

(38:32):
there's still positions they do not They have Bobby Wagner
in the middle and Louvu so at least, you know, Simon,
if you like linebackers, I mean, Washington at least has
linebackers finally, So you know, I when I look at
this roster, I just I think it's better than the Giants,
but more than anything, Washington.

Speaker 5 (38:52):
Could have a quarterback.

Speaker 6 (38:52):
It's like it's like it's as simple as the Texans
Anddycap last year. It's like, well, if you didn't know
who to take on the bottom of that division, you know,
it was the Culture Texans because they potentially have quarterbacks,
you know, And this is I mean, I'm not really
a believer in Daniel Jones and Gable is going to
be calling plays now for the Giants. And I remember
when Ben McAdoo was all their rage for you know,

(39:15):
a few evenings in New York and then he started
calling his own plays, and that's just tough as a
head coach, you know, adding responsibilities here. So I'm I
don't like what the Giants are doing.

Speaker 5 (39:26):
I don't love.

Speaker 6 (39:27):
Washington, but I think Washington has in its range of outcomes,
a chance at success, and especially with you know, if
Dallas flounders or Dat gets hurt or see something's up
with CD and Jade and Daniels really hits the ground running,
he could really transform that team and that culture because remember.

Speaker 5 (39:45):
That's what they really needed.

Speaker 6 (39:46):
Washington is a culture reset, you know, all the ownership
issues and then you know, Ron Rivera I think got
pretty stale. Del Rio got pretty stale. The enemy you know,
never really you know, was getting jobs before this, and
you know, I don't think he is that great either.
So I just think the change is good for Washington
and staying in the changes the Giants made, I'm not

(40:06):
really really thrilled about Ben McAdoo.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
Unforgivably, benched Eli Manning ended his long running record setting
quarterback starting streak for one game for Geno Smith. He
should have been fired that second for that. I think
it took about two seconds.

Speaker 5 (40:30):
I was incredulous about it too. McAdoo was like.

Speaker 6 (40:33):
A higher gun.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
Really.

Speaker 5 (40:34):
The guy to blame, and.

Speaker 6 (40:36):
I've written about this for Action Network, is Mara. Mara
has no idea what's going on, and he has no
idea that the people working for him have no idea
what's going on. So I blame Marra, I blame the GM,
and they really haven't. I think Dabo's solid.

Speaker 5 (40:51):
But I still think that the front office is shaky.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
We're going to go deep into the Giants because I
think there's a public perception thing going on here, and
so because of hard Knocks, and we had Lombardi on
and Lombardi railed against Joe Shane and how he made
GM's look and how he managed some of that situation.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
But Simon, give me your take on the commanders.

Speaker 4 (41:14):
Yeah, the fear of the commander is that Jayden Dames
will be dead by week five.

Speaker 1 (41:19):
That's it, right, Like they didn't that is I should
he not invest in getting a guy to protect him.

Speaker 4 (41:23):
All of it though, Like even when I talked to professionals,
it's like, who's the who's the O. C.

Speaker 2 (41:28):
Kingsbury.

Speaker 4 (41:28):
It's like that guy he flashes then all of a
sudden his offense gets figured out.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
He's dog shit. Like there you go, chat a real
dog shit.

Speaker 4 (41:36):
Oh yeah, that's just the fear here, because it's like
I love the upside of this team, like Chris is
talking about, like this is a fun, exciting team because
they're brought a new coaches and he could change the culture.
Or we've seen all the time the quarterback comes in
and the players around him believe in that quarterback. It
does change the culture. We've seen time and time again.
But the same my team, The Giants are my team.

(41:57):
So I just couldn't get there this team in six
and a half because I do believe in the Giants.
I wanted to take both these teams over. But I
have this team right at six wins chat, so it's
like I'm not really betting this one only at half
a game under the win total. I just I can't
get there. There's just still too many questions. And you
talk about the biggest issue for me is that they
sold off that D line like they didn't really replace it.

(42:18):
They don't really have guys that can put pressure on
other teams when they are going to be behind. They
need to have pass rushers and guys that can stop
the run, and they.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
Kind of give that up.

Speaker 4 (42:26):
But they do have good linebackers which could correct some
of those weaknesses. But too much is there too many questions?

Speaker 2 (42:33):
Even in this you know a.

Speaker 4 (42:35):
Couple of weeks of preseason, their secondary they are bad?

Speaker 7 (42:39):
Man?

Speaker 2 (42:39):
Are they bad? Washington secondary is really bad.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
Let me set up the Giants numbers one hundred and
fifty to one to win the Super Bowl plus thirteen hundred,
so thirteen to one to win the division, also six
and a half wins, like the Commanders, a line ranked
twenty ninth, and like this was the crux of the
Hard Knocks off season series. The Giants did not pursue

(43:05):
Saquon because they were so focused on improving the offensive
line and helping Daniel Jones. They brought in two n
guards highlight about John Runyon probably long in the tooth.
They need a better year from Andrew Thomas, who was progressing.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
To be elite.

Speaker 1 (43:20):
What they really need is Evan Neil to play like
the number one pick he was in twenty twenty two.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
I don't think he will.

Speaker 5 (43:26):
That's over.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
It's over.

Speaker 6 (43:28):
Okay, that's over. That's all purious. I think it's gonna
be a luminor. Honestly, I think it's over.

Speaker 7 (43:34):
The New York Giants' glory years are a distant memory
for their long suffering followers who have endured through the
worst of John, and before the carnage was complete, they
managed to rip some salt into the wound.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
I thought Lombardi was great on the show last week,
being so honest about Joe Shane and how he he
could be on the right side of history here, which
I believe he is with the Saquon move, but the
way he handled it was terrible. And I think Raybond
that might be influencing you in the Giants, but Simon,
I'm surprised you're believing more in the Giants.

Speaker 4 (44:08):
Yeah, And that's the hardest part of my job though,
is Like even months ago when I was begging people
in our Best Ball Draft, we said, I love the
Giants stack. You could have gotten neighbors in the fifth
and sixth round when I was talking about him like that.

Speaker 2 (44:20):
Dude, right now, chat, he's an end of the second
early third round pick.

Speaker 4 (44:24):
So the public now is shifted where they're believing in
him just because he's killing it in camp. Daniel Jones
not so much. I mean, he's gotten better. I think
he was just rusty when he first came out there.
In these last couple of weeks, you know, he struggled
the first two weeks of camp. This past week he
has everything I've read. He's been more accurate, more consistent
on his deep ball, even though the young wide receiver

(44:45):
Hyatts look better, getting more comfortable with him. It's just
there are pieces there that I can get excited about.
And the biggest thing is I've seen Daniel Jones do
it like I've seen him somehow. Get to see him
to a playoff game and win a playoff game. It's
like I get where people are coming from. In his career,
He's we had one season I believe, with over twenty
touchdown passes.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
Like that's that's terrifying. Shad like that is I'm not
gonna lie.

Speaker 4 (45:05):
The betting that is is scary, but it is just
me betting on this D line. Like I just think
they have such a good D line that if they
can just figure out a little bit on offense, if
they can really flip those one score games, which I
think that's what makes Debo a great coach. Like Debo,
you know the year they had that run, he was
incredible in close games, Like that's why we faded them
the next year because we're just like, they can't repeat that.

(45:28):
The same thing with the Vikings, were like the Vikings
couldn't repeat that, and they didn't. I do think they
have the squad this year to go eight to nine,
nine and eight like that, That to me feels like
they're ceiling. Wow, So looking at six and a half,
I'm taking the over. But like we just talked about,
if they're zero to four and Daniel Jones has three
three touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season, none of

(45:50):
us are gonna be shocked.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
It's Daniel Jones.

Speaker 4 (45:51):
It's like, it's the reason most fans of their team
think this is the last year of his contract. Right
after this year they pay him the forty million. They'll
move on that shock anybody. But I just I just
like what this team has in place. The biggest question.
I think Chris is nailed it. It's like, what are
we gonna get from this offensive line? That to me
is the biggest question here.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
So right now I'm looking up and while I do this,
I'm looking up the lines for week one, because Simon,
we liked the Giants as home dogs against the Vikings
in Week one.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
They might be fair enough, but I'm assuming there's still
one point dog.

Speaker 3 (46:25):
There's still one point dogs.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
So yeah, if like, you know, this feels like a
go and grab it situation because.

Speaker 4 (46:34):
The just feels like that game's going to make or
break my win totalle bets on both teams exactly right.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
And this feels like like the moment is now because
you the stats will all tell you when we're going
to get deeper into this when we get into week one.
You want to be betting the short home favorites in
week one, uh, and you want to get it before
it they become I'm sorry, the short home dogs, and
you want to get it become before they become the

(47:00):
home favorite. Simon, you were about to say that you
like their defensive line. Their defensive line, according to PFF,
is ranked eighteenth. To me, that feels low. Like Dexter
Lawrence alone, he's the highest graded interior D lineman in
the league. He was three points higher than Aaron Donald

(47:22):
last year. Now they've added Brian Burns, who may make
Kavon Thibodeaux even more effective. Like even though we have
he had flashy stats last year, he only had forty
three quarterback pressures.

Speaker 5 (47:34):
So yeah, I.

Speaker 1 (47:36):
Agree with you about the defensive line, Raybond. Does that
influence any of your thinking? Does anything we've said influence you?

Speaker 6 (47:45):
Nah?

Speaker 5 (47:46):
I just think this team.

Speaker 6 (47:48):
Every year there is a team that I look at
and I just disagree with how they philosophy philosophically think
about football. Last year it was the Carolina Panthers. Frank
Wright or agreed with pretty much zero of their moves.
I'm starting to feel that same way about Joe Shane
because when I look at all of the moves in

(48:09):
totality that this Giant team has made since he took over.
They signed Daniel Jones to that big contract. Silly they
with on Evan Neil. They I've already spent two day
three picks on undersized wide receivers that are not better

(48:30):
than a holdover really in Darius at least not more
productive than a holdover Darius Slayton, who they keep trying
to bench but he keeps out playing all their other receivers.
Then they go and they spend big money on a
linebacker and Bobby Okaraka is great, but he's a linebacker.

(48:53):
It's just not smart salary allocation. Okay, fine, whatever, they
overachieve a couple in dables for first year. Last year,
everything goes to shit, uh and it goes to poopy.

Speaker 5 (49:06):
You saw you saw Dave.

Speaker 6 (49:07):
You saw Daboll unravel you saw him not you saw
him literally.

Speaker 5 (49:11):
Or if it wasn't Dave.

Speaker 6 (49:13):
Dabell had coached Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo, and somehow these
guys could not get together.

Speaker 5 (49:18):
I believe I think they overlapped. I'm not even sure
about that now that I think about it.

Speaker 6 (49:22):
But either way, the fact that he couldn't get it
communicated that Tyrod Taylor was.

Speaker 5 (49:25):
Not to throw the football. They essentially threw away a
game they could have beat Buffalo.

Speaker 7 (49:30):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (49:30):
You know, uh, we saw Dabe just unraveling multiple times
on the sidelines, and now he's gonna call his own plays,
adding something, adding you know another, uh, you know, another
task to his plate where this roster. Like, sure they
got a nice D line, but I always thought Burns
was a little overrated. I mean, he's great, but for

(49:51):
what they paid for him, I think he's a little overrated.
Caveon Thibodeau has more name value than actual production in
my opinion. I mean, so, so you're really talking about
two great offensive linemen, Lawrence and Burns.

Speaker 5 (50:04):
You know, Thibodeau in theory should be one.

Speaker 6 (50:08):
And then your secondary is you're really counting on Deontay
Banks to make a massive year two weep, and that
could happen. He was a first round pick out of
Maryland last year, but he's still got question marks that
at the other four starting secondary spots. I mean, Belton
and Pinnock are your safeties, Phillips spot or you know

(50:29):
even the other guys that know one has heard of
are your other cornerbacks. You're just kind of patchwork in
the line with you know, guards who you know might
or might may or may not even be upgrades over
what they had. They still have not figured out the
center position and the guys that they you know, guys
that they're signing to play center are not even working

(50:50):
out and they're not even getting the reps there anymore.
Like everything to me with this team is there's a
disconnect between what the front office thinks about, you know,
who these players are and what they actually are. Just
like even the way they Okay, we're gonna go out
and draft a weapon for Daniel Jones because we can't

(51:10):
draft the quarterback, but we were trying to trade up
to number three to get Drake May, who I feel
like they just like rump Drake May in with Daniels
and uh, you know Caleb Williams. Like no, Like there
was a big, I think tear drop from the number
two to number three. So the fact that they were
even willing to bet the farm on on on.

Speaker 5 (51:33):
Drake May, like that in itself is a word.

Speaker 6 (51:36):
It's like, I just nothing that the Giants have done,
in my opinion, has been smart and nothing has really
added to to them in my opinion, being able to
win more games, Like you have a defensive line, but
you're gonna overwork them. They're gonna be everything's gonna be
on them because their secretary is not gonna be able

(51:57):
to hold up, so it might it might be all
or not. And let's say one of those guys misses
a couple of games here and there. Let's say Birds
missus or Lawrence miss Like, now you're back to one
good one great defensive lineman, one okay, one with a
lot of potential, a shitty secondary, some expensive linebackers that
can only do so much.

Speaker 5 (52:14):
A guy like, It's just I just don't like this
team at all.

Speaker 3 (52:17):
I think this problem is, you know what the problem is.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
I just want Raybond to tell us how he feels like.
I don't feel like I'm getting a real.

Speaker 5 (52:26):
J Jones stakes.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Wins.

Speaker 5 (52:30):
I mean, this could be the worst team in the
National Football League this year.

Speaker 6 (52:33):
I think this team, I just I just I feel
like Gable spoiled us. He kind of you know, they
massively overachieved in that first year. And you know there's
anchoring bias, right, because that was our first impression.

Speaker 5 (52:45):
Of Dabel and I think he's he's fine.

Speaker 6 (52:48):
But I don't think in Marrow that's a big problem
because you saw, if you watch hard not how Mara
was always in the office with Shane and I'm sure
that's hanging over Shane and influencing some of these stilly
decisions in himself. But like, why why would you not
address cornerback when you have to guard ce Ceedee Lamb
the leading receiver in the National Football League A J.
Brown and DeVante Smith, both of those twice a year. Uh,

(53:11):
Terry McLaurin with a new rookie quarterback, Like, I just
don't understand how you don't address cornerback and the secondary.
And then you're like, oh, yeah, well I'll have to
suit up and play corners. What is Joe Shane's joking?
Like that's not a joke, but this is this is
this could this is gonna get bad really fast. And oh,
we don't even know if Daniel Jones is the guy.
But and oh, by the way, all their draft picks
were for need, so yeah, maybe you lucked into neighbors

(53:34):
because you had the number six pick because you stunk
last year. But after that, it was like, oh, well,
so we need a tight end, so let's go get
this guy, and we need to we need a safety,
so oh he was the last guy we would take
there that that we could start. Oh and then they
they freaking It seems like every they don't even know
who their good players are. It's like, oh, let's draft
another running back and already put him, you know, number

(53:55):
two on the depth chart in Tyrone Tracy and then
Eric Gray, the guy you drafted last year is that's
playing the best. So it's like, I don't think they
self scout well clearly, and I just I just think
this the bottom is gonna fall from this team. And
I'm Daniel Jones. He's a known quantity at this point too. Like,
he's not the worst quarterback in the wine. He can

(54:15):
run with him, he can make some throws, but he's
not gonna.

Speaker 5 (54:18):
Win you games. He's not winning you games. And that's
what this team needs.

Speaker 6 (54:22):
It needs a Jaden Daniel type quarterback that's gonna win
you games. And I'm just not convinced that they have that,
and even her backup, like they they might have to
start Tommy de Vito again.

Speaker 5 (54:32):
Is this is?

Speaker 6 (54:33):
I mean, this team could be so so bad. I
can't believe you guys don't see that ship like this
team is. They got a great defensive line, big whoop, Simon.

Speaker 3 (54:46):
Right now, I'm betting the Giants worst team in the NFL.

Speaker 1 (54:52):
Are you I feel like Raymond just did an excellent
trave to convince me.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
It was like, a, well, it's his favorite team, that's why.

Speaker 6 (54:58):
Yeah, it was a good but I can the Giants
at times, like I know, but I.

Speaker 2 (55:03):
Know you know too much though, that's your problem, right, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:06):
I feel the passion right now, like he is so
deep in this thing. Is what happened when your team
is on hard knocks, you are like, I'm still upset
that that Bears kid who stripped down to his undies.

Speaker 3 (55:17):
Got hurt from that first preseason.

Speaker 1 (55:20):
Okay, so, like I understand the emotion Raybond is playing
with here, but listen, as a precursor to our convinced
me show, you fucking convinced me on the Giants.

Speaker 3 (55:35):
It feels like you were taking over six and a
half Simon.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
So I mean, I love the over.

Speaker 4 (55:39):
I'm not gonna fight you guys on. It's definitely one
of these teams where it's like I just said it,
they could Chris said.

Speaker 2 (55:43):
They could be one of the worst teams of football.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
It would be shocked that he doesn't feel like to me, like,
as I want to run down our favorite bets here,
I'm really only coming away with a consensus Eagles Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
I mean, that's that's pretty damn good chot.

Speaker 5 (55:58):
The Eagles fade the Cowboys.

Speaker 6 (56:00):
But it's just like Simon, you're gonna you're You're not
gonna want to in like week six. You're not gonna
want to look at your bank roll and seek and
I know you're a big I know you're a big better.
You're not gonna want to see like five six figures
on Daniel Jones instead of Jade and Daniels, Like, You're
just gonna be like, No, Matt Eberflus is the only

(56:22):
dude that I could switch his whole slag up with
the beard like Dan.

Speaker 4 (56:26):
I know you know, I'm drinking the kool Aid, Bro,
you can't can't get in. I'm literally I've drank the
kool Aid. I'm in on the Giants.

Speaker 2 (56:32):
I'm bad. I'm bad.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
I love this though.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
This is great, So Raybon would probably lean forget about
egos and cowboys for a second. Raybon, you give me
a commander's bet. Are you saying you would like to
be over on the commanders at six and a half
or do you not have any bets on the commanders
at this point?

Speaker 6 (56:51):
I would say I still think the NFC is gonna
be a go both both conferences, just because there's yeah,
I think like ten o eleven would gimme so all right,
So I don't like. I don't like the win total
over I would. If I'm betting the Commanders, I want
to bet big. So my favorite Commander's bet is Jadeen
Daniels Rookie of Offensive Rookie of the Year plus four

(57:11):
seventy five. I have him projected to be a better
fantasy quarterback than Caleb Williams because of the rushing upside,
and if he's statistically better than Caleb Williams, even if
Williams throws for more yards, Daniels will have a shot
to win that award. So I like that. And then
I think long shot Commanders Division at nine to one

(57:33):
because we know it's probably not going to be the
Cowboys given the NFC East's history, and if for some reason,
you know, maybe Jaalen Hurts gets hurt for an extended period,
or you know what if something goes wrong with the Eagles,
I think the Commanders are in position to pounce because again,
Jayden Daniels, just like you saw Stroud do, and we've
seen countless rookie quarterbacks do in years past. He could

(57:56):
change his whole culture, and he could single handedly be
responsible for this team turning from a terrible team to
an average or even a slightly above average team as
soon as this year. So that's how I'm looking at
the Commanders. I want no parts of like I I
just don't see that for Daniel Jones. So I'm thinking
of Commander's mate. Finally, you know, just start hammering the Giants.

(58:19):
The Giants usually have their the you know, the edge
in those matchups for some reason. But yeah, I think
long shot Commander's bets is what I want. So Jayden
Daniels and the long shot division.

Speaker 3 (58:30):
Simon, I will give you the Giants over six and
a half.

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Yeah, Giants over six and a half.

Speaker 4 (58:36):
And if if you're really make me better on WASHT,
I'm just slightly towards the under at six ones.

Speaker 1 (58:41):
All right, That was that was exciting the end of that.
I did not expect it to go that way at
the end, So I like we got a little Commander's
Giants drama here. As a reminder of the Favorites podcast
is presented by Bet three six five. Bet three six
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(59:02):
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Speaker 3 (59:26):
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Speaker 1 (59:27):
Gambling problem called one eight hundred gambler or one eight
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Speaker 3 (59:31):
Conditions restrictions apply.

Speaker 1 (59:33):
Simon and I are back with our next episode of
The Favorites on the Action Network YouTube page Tuesday one
five pm.

Speaker 3 (59:40):
Eastern to talk AFC West.

Speaker 1 (59:44):
Download us from Spotify, Apple Pods, wherever you get your pods.
Rate review, subscribe us five stars, save it over you
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Speaker 6 (59:52):
Love you.

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