NFL Cover Zero: NFL Parity, Vrabel revenge, and Mayfield MVP

Matt Jones and Drew Franklin kick off with some excitement around the Titans with a new head coach and Mike Vrabel coming back to Tennessee.  Caleb Williams and the Bears make a statement,  while the Falcons shocked the Bills.  Is there concern over the Eagles and Bills losing to the Giants and Falcons?   Matt points out the parity this season and re-ranks their Top 5.    

A rare fight after the Lions loss, Drew explains what happened.  The Chiefs have rebounded and are back to being a contender.  Drew expects Vrabel to want revenge against the Titans and the crowd could cheer their former head coach.  Matt has been amazed at how big the NFL has gotten and how ratings are so much bigger than the playoffs of other sports.  Is Baker Mayfield the new favorite for MVP? The Browns play the Dolphins this week and Shedeur Sanders is the backup, could he play in this game? 

Will the Jets win a game this season?  Matt thinks the team should roll the dice on a QB rather than play Justin Fields.  Matt and Drew pick their favorite 3 games in NFL Week 7.  Drew is close to sounding the alarm on the Eagles if they don't find their offense this week. We wrap up with Survivor picks and TD parlays plus picking all the NFL games this weekend. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
NFL Cover zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is
a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
It is NFL Cover zero, Matt Jones, Drew Franklin Back
with you, uh for a little midweek getting into week seven. Drew,
I see that Titans gear over there. We're gonna talk
about you got a new coach, you got some new
swagger walking in. How's it going on. I'm still proudly
wearing my Titans gear.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
But they were big in the news this week, and
they have a big game on Sunday that I've got
my eyes on.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
What is the Patriots? Is that right? Vrabel's coming home?
That's good? Well, we will we will get to all
of that.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
I want to thank everybody who's been listening here on
NFL Cover zero. Our listeners continue to grow every week.
Make sure you tell your friends about it, or you know,
just people that you meet around the way. We it's
a Wednesday. So one of the things I like to
do when we start the midweek show is talk about
what happened on Monday night football. Because we didn't get

(01:11):
to talk about it two games. I think we got
to start with my Chicago Bears okay, folks that I
said going into last week, Drew, this is the game
that that this is a big night for Caleb Williams
and he comes through, gets a field goal, they win
at the buzzer. Are you now, like, did Caleb make

(01:32):
the statement he needed to make?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
I think you did. I said going into it. If
you can win that game, that's a big breakthrough primetime
win against a team that haunted you last year.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Was that three in a row? Now three in a
row just one week one? You should be four, be
four and one right now.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
But it was a fun game to watch neutral observer
here of a just a nice dramatic finish. Commanders obviously
had it, let it slip and you get the big
field goal in.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
The middle of the weather. So it was fucking out.
I know you were excited.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
A northeaster hit towards the end of the game, which,
as I have learned in the last few days, just
means win from the northeast. Feels like it shouldn't get
its own name, but it does. But they kicked the
field goal. Jake Moody, who had been sent away by
the forty nine ers, kicks it. I knew he was
excited because in the postgame interview he didn't even take
his helmet off.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
That was one of my favorite parts of the whole night,
as you know, just yapping right through the face Max.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Did he not want to be seen? Has he never
been interviewed in the football game before? He was like,
I'm sorry, helmet on the entire time the mood.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
He played hero at the end, but there was a
stretch there in the second half where DeAndre Swift was
going wherever he wanted to.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
He was the real star of the night.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
I used to have for the Bears or running back
like that, but I think this was huge for Caleb Williams.
We talked about that was where the Hail Mary was
last year. That kind of changed the fortunes of each
of those teams. Troy Aikman just was harsh on Caleb
all night. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson both said they
went back and watched the game footage to see how

(03:02):
much Troy Aikman had criticized them, and they both were like,
what's up, Troy, What do you think you're doing? Did
you think as watching it, the Troy Agman was too
harsh on Caleb Williams throughout the game.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
I noticed a couple of times because he's on the
road on Monday night football in his second year in
the Rain. I don't know what you're expecting of him.
I just saw today. Actually he's on pace for four
thousand and nine passing yards. The Bears have never had
anyone throw for four thousand yards, So I.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Don't know Troy. He's kind of on a decent pace
chase in history than Troy was so harsh to him.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
I mean they showed some moment like he threw a
pass and it like, for those of you watching at home,
Troy the past with the receiver caught it right in
front of his face, but he dropped it, so he
like it hit right in front of his face, and
Troy was like, you can't throw it there. And in
my mind, I was like, that's exactly where you throw
it right here. He's like, can't throw it there. It

(03:54):
did feel like Troy. You think he Caleb beat him
at warcraft or something being grumpy. He didn't have a
turnover either.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Did He didn't blame Jayden Daniels when he fumbled, when
he was like, eh, it's raining. Things happened and he
had a pick.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Also, I think it was zero turnovers to two turnovers
in that second year QB battle.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
Now do you think it's weird though, that Ben Johnson
and Caleb Williams got up the next morning to listen
to the commentary to see how many was to him?

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Nah, they're both young, new in their positions. They have
their doubters, whatever fire you need. Somebody probably tipped them
off like, hey, they'd be a little harsh on the broadcast,
and you wo that.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
But the story was that Ben Johnson said he came
down to get cereal the next morning and his kid
was listening to the Troy Aikman commentary.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
That doesn't strike me is how old is this kid?
I don't know. I mean the kid was two years old.
I need I need to see how they're disrespecting Caleb Like, so,
I didn't know if I bought that just to own up.
You wanted to see what he said? Yeah, well it
doesn't shock me.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
It does shock me that his child was in there
playing with toys saying come listen to dad. But the
fact that he would take that personally, want to hear it.
I saw his postgame speech in the locker room after.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
What is that about it. He's passionate. He is. Yeah,
he's yelling, don't blink. And it was about two and
a half minutes long. I mean, you've Ben Johnson, new
guy had to playbook and with the Lions forever, but
didn't know a lot about his personality. He set some passion.
We're getting more of these postgame locker room speeches like
I remember you used to you'd hear it, like once
a year, you'd hear how about them Cowboys?

Speaker 1 (05:27):
And now every week we are seeing what the coaches saying.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Do you like it? Yeah? One more thing I just
thought of. It popped in my head.

Speaker 3 (05:34):
I think they have like eleven takeaways in the last
three weeks, and he's like, don't let anybody.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Tell you takeaways are lucky. They're not lucky.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
Let's go get more of them so you are fired
up on your turnovers too.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
He likes it. They're a little lucky, but.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
It is a little I don't want him to know.
I said that after hearing how he Sander Stumble.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
At the end was lucky. But do you like these
speeches in the locker room? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (05:53):
I like all the access we're getting now. Players miked
up and practice and.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
And do you think the coaches are now knowing it's
going to be there, They're coming in feeling like they
have to.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
They got to performatrix. Also, it's not lost on me
that they cut these up. What are we cutting out?
I want to hear that part I did too.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well. We don't see the losing ones. Yeah, maybe some
language subsalted. I would like to have seen Mike McDaniels
last week.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
I want We don't get to see the losing ones, unfortunately,
but as a Bears fan, I'm very excited. You know,
I've been a Bears fan my entire life. I started
as a little kid in nineteen eighty five, and since
then it just hasn't been good. This is the quarterback
we've been looking for since the punky QB know Nas
McMahon and I believe an him. I believed an him before, yes,

(06:41):
before Monday, But now I'm in. I'm not being delusional,
am I?

Speaker 2 (06:45):
No?

Speaker 3 (06:45):
And He's it's not just that it's him. He's got
a great young coach, offensive minded in Swift's got a
little age on him, but a lot of pieces around
here that you own that he's building chemistry with. You
can see it you can see it forming right now.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yeah, your guy, uh, your guy. Sorry, Luthor Burden got
a big catch about to see awesome.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yes, I know he's right. So that was one Monday game.
Their money game, which I didn't watch any of, was
the Bills and the Falcons, and the Falcons kind of
dominated that game from start to finish.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
They were up early held the league. You know, Josh
Allen loses to Michael Pennox Junior. Are you working like
the Bills were? Are my Super Bowl pick? The Bills
and the Eagles both are have taken losses with to
have two losses. Surprisingly, they were the definitive favorites. Are
you worried about them?

Speaker 2 (07:34):
I am.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
I'm shocked they dropped that one having lost one before it.
Robinson for the Falcons was just unstoppable here. I think
he said, I think you said, a record for yards
from scrimmage in a single game. He also had a
nasty block on Ed Oliver. That's what we were talking
earlier in the our season here on cover zero about
how running backs can't win MVP. But he's putting up

(07:55):
an MVP like performance for this Taylor. Yeah, he was
the star of the game there, but a shocking result.
I didn't think there was any way the Bills would
lose that one.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I'm kind of shocked by the NFL as a whole,
and this game showcased it about how wide open things are.
I mean, it does not feel like there is any
team that is definitively even close to the favorite, right,
I mean when you have the Bills and Eagles losing
two straight weeks, and not just losing two straight weeks.
The Eagles lose to the Giants, the Bills loose to

(08:25):
the Falcons. If there was ever a year that a
random team could sneak up and win a title, isn't
this the one?

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Definitely? It's kind of twofold.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Of the teams we thought were elite are losing, and
then some teams like the Colts are five and one,
and then the odds up there with the Super Bowl
favorites now, so a lot of this has just been.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Flipped on me.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
Just look, if you were to say, Okay, when the
season started, most people believe there were maybe five teams
that could win a title, right, you would go, Bills, Ravens, Chiefs,
then maybe Eagles, Lions. Okay, Bills and Eagles, back to
back losses, but for both teams, Ravens are one to five.
The Lions were kind of not really competitive for much

(09:04):
of the game against the Chiefs, and the Chiefs their
first two games they've won three straight. It's I can't
remember a year ever that the favorites have struggled as
much as they have this year.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Well, think if we were just talking Ravens Colts before
the year and I said two teams, one will be
one in five, the other will be one will be
five and one, what would the odds be on the
Colts being the five and one? Like, no one would
even believe a scenario where that could happen.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
And who would have believed that if you had the
playoffs right now, the one seeds would be Tampa Bay
in Indianapolis exactly. But that's what you have. I like it, though,
I mean, this is the NFL's dream. I mean I
know that because we work for the.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
NFL, so like I talk to them all the time,
all the various people at the NFL.

Speaker 1 (09:43):
Like, what's up, Bob, But this is what they want.
They want paired. They wanted to wear every team that's
not the Titans or the Jets. Feels like they can
win in a given week, and they have that right now.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
I was watching Good Morning Football this morning and one
of the segments was redoing their power rankings.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
You know, four or five panelists up there.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
What made it interesting is like their rankings weren't even
close to each other. I mean there were teams that
were in some top fives that probably weren't another top ten.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
So who would be your top five?

Speaker 3 (10:09):
I think somebody had the Seahawks in their top five,
which is crazy, but it just shows how the parody
of your mention.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Well, let's just do our top five? Okay, who would be?
Who would be your top five? Right now? I can't
believe I'm doing this here, I'll do it since I'll
put you on the spot.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
Let me give you my one because I'm ready. I
can't believe, but I'm putting the Chiefs back. We gotta
quit running from it. The Chiefs are still the Chiefs.
They get Rashi Rice back this week. We saw what
happened when they got Worthy back. They're back to my one.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
I actually really liked that pick.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
I think for me today, if you said the game
was gonna be tomorrow, who would you take. I'm putting
the Chiefs, So I was gonna go Chiefs one, and
then I was gonna go Bucks two. For me, I'm
gonna go Lions three because they lost at the Chiefs
but otherwise had looked really good. Maybe I'm silly, but

(10:57):
I'm then still gonna go Eagles four, Bills five. I
know though, that I'm leaving out the Colts, and I'm
leaving out the Packers and other teams, but I'm gonna go.
So I will go Chiefs, Bucks, Lions, Eagles, Bills. But
I don't feel great about any of those.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
What are yours?

Speaker 3 (11:13):
And Chiefs won I agree with you on I'm torn
between Bucks and Lions two three, and that's our Monday
night football game this week.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
So that will look at you. That will answer, and
that will answer itself here in a few days. I
think it four. You're not gonna take the Eagles. I'm
going Colts. Colts, They've been tested, they keep answering. When
they play a bad team, they pummel them. I had Colts.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Ranked dead last beginning of the year. It wasn't me
being a hater. I really thought the Colts were going
to be terrible. With Daniel Jones, who didn't think they'd
be terrible. I gotta give them credit because when they
play a bad team, they destroy them. They could be
undefeated right now if you don't have that fumble at
the go line. So I have to put them there
and then I'll go bills. But I'm leaning I'm limping
in to putting your tough no, just nuts.

Speaker 1 (11:57):
It is interesting, though, that's a hard list because you're right,
you're leaving out the Seahawks. I left out the Colts.
Then you throw in the Packers, although they've taken a
couple losses. It is a I can't remember a year
that this has been harder. All right, let's go over

(12:26):
some other things here. We mentioned the Chiefs and the Lions.
We taped our podcast the other night and did not
get into the fight. What do you think of the
fight after the end of the game, Branch is suspended
for one game.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Did you feel like that was fair? Yeah? Crazy fight. Really.

Speaker 3 (12:41):
The craziest thing is that photo that came out of it,
where Juju's helmet is off and Branch his fists is
just a few inches from locking on that nose that
I guess got busted open. But you know a lot
of times you see guys pull on helmets in the wrestling,
it's rare you get a fight to that extent where
he actually had a fist to face.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Why was he mad? It looked like Mahomes just tried
to shake his hand and then he didn't want to
show it.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
And then Juju's like, I think, sir, that you should
have accepted the congratulatory Like, why do.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
You think he was so mad?

Speaker 3 (13:14):
There was a block early in the game where Juju
it's not that in the back or illegal, but he
did get him a good pop when he wasn't you
don't think Mahomes had anything to do.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
And I don't think so.

Speaker 3 (13:24):
Juju even said in the post game that I could
fill throughout the game brand from ad about the block.
He was getting a little shitty, Yeah, he said, I
want to keep it between the whistles and the and
the horn. I didn't think he think was gonna blow
over like it did, but it seems to stim with
Juju hit him pretty good.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
Dan Campbell seemed pretty mad about it. He said, we
don't do that. That's noth I like Dan Campbell's standing
up and saying that, But I don't know, I feel
like punched to.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
The face he's on the ground.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, well, I don't know. I might have gone two games. Yeah,
and it being I guess it shouldn't matter the scene.
But you're on the big stage playing the Chiefs. You
represent the NFL right there with all the as on.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
No, I mean that matters.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
I often think the suspensions for these things, it's inherent.
It'll be worse if everyone's watching, you know, it just
it's just it's just natural, like when everyone's watching that
when two on that one Thursday night game when he
got hurt and we were all sitting there watching. I
think the DeMar Hamlin thing was on Monday night football.
I think it's just natural. People tend to gravitate it
more if the whole country is watching that moment.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, like if the you know, Titans were playing the Jets.
She brought that up earlier and this happens probably yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
No, No, one's not even a word. Yeah, I know
other people in the stadium are not watching it at
that point. Being the Chiefs in.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
That moment, Mahomes being the one that doesn't shake his hand,
there's a lot to it.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
So you're you're like me, now we both have the
Chiefs at number one. They're back yep, right this week,
like they're back.

Speaker 3 (14:50):
And they've already said like, we're not going to ease
him in. He's a big part of our workloads, so
they're going right to him.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
And Travis Kelcey looks like Travis Kelcey again, Xavier Worthy doesn't.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
I mean they're three and two. They should be four
and one, right, they could be five and zero.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
I mean they could have won that game against the
Chargers down in Brazil.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
I mean they are. I think they're they're back again.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Well once we what we've seen Worthy since he's been back,
I think if Kelsey doesn't.

Speaker 2 (15:17):
Run into him, and it really could be undefeated. He's
a big part of what they do.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
And even though Rice only played like four games last year,
he had good stats last year, so they have high
hopes for him.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yeah, all right, I give you the floor again. You're
Titans fired, Brian Callahan. I know that that was something
you thought should happen. Were you happy?

Speaker 2 (15:35):
No, they managed to even mess this up.

Speaker 3 (15:37):
I wanted to watch Vrabel beat him by fifty on Sunday,
but these cowards wouldn't even let Vrabel bend him over
and spank him in Nashville and stuff him in a locker.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
We all know one more embarrass wanted Vrabel.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
We already know that letting Rabel go was a dumb
move and Callahan wasn't the right move. It's not like,
you know, can they compete? But I just wanted to
see it. I wanted able to have his moment. He
never should have been fired. Rabel's played it nice in
them all week. He said nothing but good things. I
can't wait to get to Nashville. But I know between
his ears he's thinking, I want to pummel them, And

(16:12):
I wanted Callahan to have to sit.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
There and take it. Other than that, though this needed
to happen, it was not it, And who did was it? Riley?
Is that who they picked to be them?

Speaker 3 (16:24):
McCoy McCoy who was hired as an analyst earlier this year.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
I always get Mike Riley and Mike McCoy confused. First
of all, is there a person named Mike Riley? How
do I know that name? I don't know who that is.
Wait a minute, hang on, just a second.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Mike Riley was just called up by Mike Carolina Hurricanes
last night and he had an assist against the Sharks.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
He's Mike McCoy. Oh, you think he's better than he
could coach, better than Brian Callahowe.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
So wait, mat, you're saying the backup third string defenseman
from the Carolina Hurricanes last night, veteran Mike Riley is
better than Brian Kellay.

Speaker 3 (17:04):
Brian Callahan was four and nineteen against the spread. Wow,
and they were mostly underdogs.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Like, you couldn't even get close nineteen against the spread. Yes,
they just lost to the Raiders.

Speaker 3 (17:16):
An anonymous Raiders coach said, that is the worst football
team I've seen in twenty five years. There have been
teams that have not won games. There have been teams
that can't tire.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
Shoot. There was an anonymous Raiders coach that says that
he said he say it to is this the sources
tell covers it. He was like a CBS story, Okay,
but said they do not have a single player on
their roster that makes a difference except for Jeffrey Simmons,
our big defensive lineman. Worst team in twenty five years
he's ever seen. But you won a game. It took

(17:44):
none doubles in them.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
Tripping over this, I mean, I would argue that makes
the Jets worse if if they if they haven't won
a game.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
So do you believe in Mike McCoy Well, I had
to google him. Former Chargers coach the Charge Yah and
played for Carolina Hurricanes. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:58):
I think he's been in the league like twenty seven
years as a journeyman coordinator. We hired him in March
just to be like, hey, are you come in here
and look at some of this tape and even have
a real coaching position, And now he's coaching the team.
I mean whatever, anything's better than Brian Callahan. I was
really ready to go to just let the players coach themselves.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
He was that bat are you would you now like
to see them lose every game and get the number
one pick? Or do you feel like we have our
quarterback so he might as well have the number two pick.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
I wanted them to lose to Arizona. We've already messed
up tanking. We fired Callahan right before we wanted to
see him get his boat whooped on Sunday. Let this Sunday,
Rabel is going to get that. Whole stadium is going
to cheer the opposing team. That'll get ready to watch.
That'll happen. Absolutely, Titans fans love Rabel. He's going to
get a large applause. And if it had been Callahan

(18:47):
and said we were gotting the booze, I don't know
if they'll boo Mike McCoy.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
Interesting. The timing on this just adds to it, all Right.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
So, Billy, you were telling me that the NFL the
viewership numbers, right, So we're through six weeks of the season,
basically through a third of the season. The viewership numbers
to the NFL are like crazy, right.

Speaker 4 (19:07):
Highest viewership at this point of the season in fifteen years.
NFL games are drawing on average eighteen point five million
viewers per game, and the Bucks forty nine ers game
last week was the highest. It averaged twenty seven million
viewers on CBS.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Twenty seven million viewer during that Bucks forty viewers game. Wow.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
So they've changed the way they do these writings. Now
they it's something called big data.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
What are you laughing at? I'm not a conspiracy there.
Big data. It's not like it's not like big pharma.
It's big data.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
And I think the reason they're now including sports bars
and they're including they're trying to include like every way
people watch it. So all the numbers in a lot
of sports are bumped up a little bit because of
what they call big data. But still it's kind of
amazing how much bigger the NFL is than everything else, right, Like,

(20:04):
it's I mean, when you talk about one seven million
people watching a game, that is crazy. I mean, there's
what eight thousand watching these playoff baseball games. It's kind
of unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah, I mean, they're they're picking whatever day they want
and they're dominating the viewership whatever network they're on. Netflix.
Now they're going to other countries. It was London, now
it's Mexico City, Ireland. They'll sell out anywhere.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
They want to go. Madrid, yeah next week.

Speaker 3 (20:32):
It really is the way they've separated themselves in the
last couple decades from the other leagues.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
They're winning across the board.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
It also doesn't feel like and I know we're going
to sound like company shills here, but it also doesn't
feel like that.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
It's like people don't think there's too much of it.

Speaker 1 (20:48):
You don't hear anyone, Yeah, you don't hear anybody saying well,
because like I like hockey, there's too many games I
like basketball, there's too many games. I like baseball, there's
too many games. But nobody thinks that about the NFL.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
Right, No, I want more of it.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
And you know, if you're attached to team, you're never
gonna once a week is all you're gonna get, So
you're not gonna get overloaded of your own team. It's
to the point other leagues are changing their schedules because
they know if the NFL puts a day a game
on their day, it's over. NFL is getting attention.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yes, no, they are. They are changing.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
I mean they the NHL debuted their season at five
o'clock in the afternoon one day so that they wouldn't
have to uh, so they wouldn't have to go against
the NFL.

Speaker 2 (21:30):
Those numbers are nuts.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
My question for you, though, is do you like including
the sports bars in the data? Do you like big data?

Speaker 2 (21:40):
I guess it should. A big data is a wrestler
that's really good on the minor circuit. Okay, data, you
gotta watch out here comes big data. Big data cool? Uh.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
Yeah, it needs to be factored in somehow because I've
wondered when they're talking about ratings and you're at a
sports bar, there's.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
Hundreds of people in there. Do you count them? And
needs to be factored in.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
They're they're probably they're more excited about what's going on
in a lot of cases than the people watching at home.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah, one of the teams you mentioned that got such
great ratings was the Bucks.

Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yes, I love this story. So, first of all, for
Bill people who don't know Billy is a Bucks fan.
The Bucks were had their game last week and Teses Johnson,
who's a rookie, caught a touchdown pass and when the
game was over, he said in the locker room that
Tampa fans were chanting MVP during the game, and Tess

(22:29):
Johnson said he thought they were chanting for him as
the MVP, and he was very happy, and then he
realized it was for Baker Mayfield. This was great. He's
a rookie. What do you make of that?

Speaker 1 (22:40):
He genuinely thought the crowd after his first touchdown pass
of his career, thought he was the MVP of the league.

Speaker 3 (22:48):
Do you like that level of confidence? Yes, this is
one of those we're talking about. Were getting the mics
up now. There's a clip of him sitting on the
bench with Sterling Shepherd and He's just so confused while
they're shanting MVP.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
He's like, but I haven't even done anything yet. I'm
a rookie.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
And then Sterling Shepherd's like, wait a minute, you think
this is for you? And then he runs and tells
the other receivers. But it's hilarious, like it was a
great touchdown. He's like a forty five yard touchdown pass,
but that is pretty much.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
All he's done this season. And he's like, wow, they're
cheering for me. It's very genuine. He definitely thought it
was him that they were chanting for.

Speaker 1 (23:20):
That's sweet, But wouldn't you love him? Wouldn't you like
to live your life with a level of delusion where
you would believe after one touchdown everyone's chanting for you
for MVP, Like there's got.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
To be some you know.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
The people say, like you're the center of your own story.
That is the definition of being the center of your
own story, where you're like, well, everyone's chanting it has
to be for me. Who else could it be?

Speaker 3 (23:48):
Seventh round pick rookie, He has six catches this season,
and he thinks the stadium is chanting MVP.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
So well, the others I can get for ten Johns
an MVP right now. Let Ts have his moment, let
him dream.

Speaker 1 (23:59):
Yeah, but it was Baker Mayfield. I've been saying for
three weeks on this show. Baker Mayfield is the MVP.
He is now the second choice in the betting market
behind Mahomes. It's Mahomes and then Mayfield. Now I'm the
biggest Mahomes guy in the world, but I would pick
Mayfield over Mahomes right now, wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 (24:19):
I would too.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
Got one interception, like twelve or thirteen touchdowns, You've got
the comebacks, you got the swagger.

Speaker 1 (24:26):
It's not gonna be Lamar No, and as of now,
it's not gonna be Josh Allen. I mean that could change,
but for right now, I wouldn't be Josh Allen. So
to me, if it's Baker or Mahomes, Mahomes is won
a couple maybe three in the past.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
I think Baker should be the favorite.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, I would vote for him right now after last
week when he did that, which is a depleted roster,
he didn't have his running back, his receivers. You got
a guy named Tess Johnson coming in there making plays
for him.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
Where would Daniel Jones be on your list. He's in.
He's got to be in the top five.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
In the top five Baker until he cools off, it
has to be his I'm thinking, like last week, there's
like a third and fourteen, he gets that fifteen yard run.
I actually saw Todd Bowles today.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
He was yelling get out and you're gonna get yourself killed,
and then he gets the first down.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
I think that was one play before the Test Johnson touchdown.
He's just so fun to watch.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
You think the only reason he's second in the odds
is because people think he's.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Like gonna not play that well all year, because I
think up to now he would win.

Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, and people probably wonder if the Bucks will level
out a little bit with their record in Mahomes is
only gonna keep winning.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (25:35):
To that point, Baker has more passing yards, touchdowns, and
less interceptions than Mahomes. But Patrick's getting Rashi Rice back
and this got maybe an easier schedule.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
I liked Baker had a good quote this week. He
was like, I've been doing this exact same thing with
the same attitude since Cleveland. But in Cleveland I was
cocky and arrogant, and now I'm a dog and I
play with swagger like this is just what I've always done.
Cleveland was just really bad at using and evaluating me
and threw me away.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
For Deshaun Watson. Got to frustrate. It's got to frustrate
Cleveland fans that this is happening, right, this was the
guy you had, and not just Cleveland.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
I mean the Rams had him. Uh, the Panthers had him.
But still I think it's got to frustrate Cleveland people.

Speaker 3 (26:18):
The most right I went from that was it went
from Baker to well we should go get to Sean Watson.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
So and that move alone is like what are we doing?

Speaker 3 (26:27):
And then now he's We're doing MVP talks while they
are on their forty second quarterback. Since Tim Couch, it's
got to be killing him inside. That was their draft pick.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
It has to be and it has to be very
very Uh well, it's just sad. I mean they got
the number one pick.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
They think he's the guy that I got crap another bus,
not our guy. And now he could go win the
MVP another team.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
Well, I think he's gonna win it. I don't see
any reason. Now. Their schedule I believe gets is it
a little bit harder, a little bit.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
I came remember the division, they said the Saints twice,
the Falcons twice, and the Panthers.

Speaker 2 (26:58):
Twice, and they haven't played any of those games. They
played them at the Falconlanta.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
So they have still Saints Twice's paid well, I mean,
he's gonna win it. What what are the It's like
plus three eighty or something right for.

Speaker 4 (27:09):
Baker abb I'm not sure the number he's I think
it's plus three eighty.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
To me, that's a really good bet right now, because I.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
I mean, who are the lamar Is out? Alan is
close to out, Mahomes is Mahomes Matt Stafford's having a
pretty special year if they go on a big run.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
I will note I was telling people to bet it
when it was like plus twelve hundred two weeks ago.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
Of course I didn't bet it.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
It's a Mahomes plus one seventy five, Baker and Josh
Allen at plus three hundred, and then Drake may Is
tied first third.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
A good year.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Their schedule is so easy. We went over it last
week like their schedule is insanely easy. Now, Dylan Gabriel,
did you see his quote what do you saying this week?
I want to pull it up because you know, I
don't know when you were a kid, did you ever
did did your grandmother ever spank you?

Speaker 3 (28:06):
Typically your grandmother, But yes I did get spanking because
it wasn't grandmother doing it.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
Because Dylan Gabriel had a had a quote, I want
to read this to him. They asked him what it
was like to get hit so much by the Steelers
last week, and he said, quote, my mom used to
beat my blank when I was a kid, So I
don't think anything will be as bad as that.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Wow. Now I don't know. First of all, if i'm
his mom, I'm like, hey, you were another one. I'm
just kidding. Mom's got to be like con those were
out of love. Yes, this is not the same as TJ. Watt.

Speaker 3 (28:54):
He's trying to rip your head off. I was trying
to giving you a love tag discipline. But he didn't
say spank. He used stronger words. I don't know what
do you think about?

Speaker 2 (29:04):
This is a rookie's still getting used to the mic,
the phone. I've seen his mom, she said, she just
looks like a sweet person. I think we need an apology.
I think he should I think mom should have to go. Look,
it was, it was it was just meant to be nice.
He should have done the mind thing on that question
in the Cleveland locker room. Yeah, and now Chador was

(29:26):
named the backup. Okay, that's big. So uh do you expect?
I mean, dial Gabriel did not look good? He's got
it this this week they play the Dolphins. Okay, if he's.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
Ever gonna have his hey, give me a chance game,
a little bit of a breakout.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
This is an opportunity.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
They're at home. Dolphins not good. Their defense is if
the Browns beat them, does Mike me Daniel get fired.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
I was still watching the newswire right now, thought a
little bit of Yeah, he's gonna he's up against it already,
I think, even though they're probably phil go underdog at Cleveland.
But yeah, if you can't beat the Browns, are you
gonna beat?

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Now?

Speaker 1 (30:04):
The front the Browns four quarterback Joe Flacco is taking
the Bengals. They're playing Thursday night football against Aaron Rodgers
and the Steelers. It is being called the Icy Hot
Bowl since both quarterbacks are over forty. It is the
second oldest meeting of quarterbacks ever both guys say that

(30:25):
they would like the game to be called the Icy
Hot Bowl. So I'm going to go ahead and say it.
Do you like seeing two men over the age of
forty years old playing quarterback? They say sports is a
young man's game. Apparently not when you present it that way,
I would normally be like, no, I have no interest
in that, but I.

Speaker 3 (30:44):
Kind of want to see another run of Flacco with
some pieces around him.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
You know, he got that as that game went on.

Speaker 1 (30:51):
Jamar Chase helped him, I know, but like, ultimately Jamar
Chase is good, So the goal is just to be
able to get.

Speaker 3 (30:57):
Him the ball. That's what I mean. He finally has
weapons around him. In Cleveland, he didn't have any wee
and in.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
The first half. I mean, he'd only been on the
team for four days, so you know, he probably didn't
even know the playbook. He's probably drawing it up in
his hand. You go left and then take a right.
That's a play by the way, it's like Thanksgiving, Yeah,
you got yeah to say about it, Go left, then
take a right. They're baffled. He draws that up and

(31:22):
then by the end of the game he was playing
really really well.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
Yeah, I saw in the Bengals press conference to day.
You know, I'm just watching random team press conference?

Speaker 2 (31:29):
When did you do that a lot? I did this week.
You don't need a long time. I never knew you
as a guy watching random in until this week.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
I watched a couple of them. But they asked Joe Flacco.
They're like, what you know, you're still figuring this out.

Speaker 2 (31:40):
You're new.

Speaker 3 (31:40):
What if Jamar Chase comes up to you. It's like,
I know this is the play, but I'm gonna do
this instead. And Flaco was like, I'm gonna say, yeah, man,
sure let's do that. Like I'm just he's the star.
I'm here to get him the ball. If Chase says
he's doing something, I'm going with it.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
I always wonder Jamar Chase gave a quote that was like,
it's been nice to have someone who can put the
ball in my hands. He said something like that, implying
that Jake Browning could not put the ball in his hand.
I always wonder what it's like when you say something
like that when then you see Jake Browning.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Because he's he's still in the locker. Presumably Jake has
his phone number.

Speaker 1 (32:19):
I mean, Mike sit next to it. Do you just
go hey, man, like you have to say that right here.

Speaker 3 (32:27):
Like Jake said, be like, dude, this was pretty close
to your hands A few of those times, like I'm trying.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
I'm doing the best of tam and well, remember Jake
Browning was the guy who did the press conference who
He's like, I'm trying, man, I'm I want to be good.
Every night I look in the mirror and I tell
you to go left and then right, doing my best.
But here comes Joe Flacco. And if you're Jake Browning,
and it's got to be a humbling thing. You've been

(32:52):
playing football your whole life. You've been the backup on
this team for a while.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
Joe Flacco comes from an AARP meeting and watching Matt
Locke to come on the field and be better than you.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
That's got to make you a little Sad's got the
gray hair, gray not great gray hair.

Speaker 3 (33:11):
He's I mean, he's just kind of a statue right there.
You know, he's taking talent all at every turn. He's
just old feeling it and you're Browning. Browning has a
little swagger about him. He didn't till losing the last
few games. It looks like he's losing it.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
Got the got the model girlfriend that goes viral. He's young.

Speaker 3 (33:25):
He thinks he's just gonna step in and be Burrow
two point zero Texas woman. Flaco can't do that.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
Then he's looking at Flacco, who's own.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Flacco's own kids are wearing rival teams jerseys and little
players on it.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
And that's the guy that would be tough if he
Flacco takes. I mean, she already likes back up quarterbacks.
Flacco is the Flacco and Gardner minshew, that's that Cooper rush,
That's that's her type.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
This has to be one of those moments for Browning
where it's like, you know this, I thought I was
gonna this was my moment.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
I think I'm learning. Maybe it's time to seek some honey.
Do you winter grad school applications? We might see that.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
The Jacksonville Jaguars offense coordinator says they will work during
this off week to give Travis Hunter a greater role
on offense for a team that's good, and Jacksonville's pretty good.
Don't you feel like they worry too much about what
Travis Hunt like?

Speaker 2 (34:37):
Is it?

Speaker 1 (34:37):
I mean, I feel like we hear specific Travis Hunter
things every week they're good. Why do they do this?

Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (34:45):
I guess they traded to get him, and he's your
big asset. But you're what four and two? Four and
two got a lot of good things going for you.
It seems they are focusing on that a lot. He's
made a few big catches, but then there's some other
games where he's disappointing. It seems like he'd just be
like any other who's.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
More disappointed him or Bronny. Are you saying this because
Bronni's bigges fan is in the room. Yeah, Mario, who's
sitting over here shaking his head, Oh loves Bryce. You
see just a little side note.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
In a preseason game last night, Bronnie was minus fourteen
plus minus in a game the Lakers led by twenty.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
He was thirty four points worse. I know it's a
preseason game, but I'm just saying, I take Travis Hunter there,
you take Travis Hunter over Bronny.

Speaker 3 (35:32):
Yeah, they got saw a Skip Bayless went on some rand.
I think Travis Hunter got batized up before the game.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
He did. Yeah, that makes Skip Bayless man. Well.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
Skip Bayless has like a thirty minute video talking about
him getting baptized. I think it's positive, but he like
does a whole show on the baptism or something. I
saw it online.

Speaker 2 (35:48):
What's there to say? I don't know.

Speaker 3 (35:50):
That's why my I can't commit thirty minutes. Skip bellis
Skip Bayless has ran here, but he's felt very strongly
about it, but very very good on Travis Hunter. He
had the moment last week where he brought the woman
he met on the plane as his.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
That was nice. Seems like a great kid. What was
the baptism was like? Was it the morning of the
game of the team the game?

Speaker 4 (36:08):
Bayless called Travis Hunter checked out mentally because.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
He got baptized. It wasn't possible. I couldn't give it there.

Speaker 4 (36:15):
Deciding to get baptized the morning of a team game
for me.

Speaker 1 (36:19):
For me to suggest that there are things more important
than the Bucks Seahawks game in the regular season. But
I don't think that would mean he was mentally checked out.
I do ever think that there's too much Travis Hunter distraction.
I mean he had a big drop at the end
of that game against the Seahawks, like they were the

(36:40):
Jaguars were driving and it went off his hands. This
continues my belief that he should have just picked one
side of the ball and played. I think there's way
too much focus on getting him involved rather than just
winning games.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah, and there's the physical angle where you wish you
can control a little bit with his snaps, But he
also has to memorize what he has to do at
two different positions, and that's got to take a lot
out of him also in addition to having to play
both ways. So it's too much task of an NFL player.
It's neat that they're trying it.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
I enjoy watching it, but I don't think it's gonna
be best for him long term.

Speaker 1 (37:13):
Then ultimately they probably should not have traded up to
get him.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
That's a little that's silly at the time. Even if
he does turn out and play both ways.

Speaker 1 (37:21):
Although that trade, if the Jaguars stay good, they won't
lose as high a pick, you know, the Browns. The
Jaguars are bad. The Browns could have gotten like a
top five pick. It'll probably be a little bit lower.
Speaking of teams that are not great, Will the Jets
win a game?

Speaker 2 (37:38):
I asked that last week and you said yes. But
now you got Garrett Wilson's out for a little while. Oh,
they're fighting with his coach.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
I saw Justin Fields has like some of the worst
stats in many years. Their schedule helps him. I'll say
they get one, but I think they're gonna end up
taking the number one pick for my Titans.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
I Justin Fields is is just awful and it's not
totally his fault.

Speaker 1 (38:05):
His off defensive line has been bad. But I watched
him a lot of years in Chicago and he seems
like a nice fella. Which, by the way, anytime you
start a sentence with he seems like a nice fell
whatever comes next is not good.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
You know nobody ever.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
So it's not like people say about Michael Jordan, he's
a nice fella, but then you just go ahead and
talk about some good So when he say he's a
nice fellow, that what's next is not going to be good.

Speaker 2 (38:29):
But I think there's no reason to play Justin Fields.
They should put someone young, someone with potentially a future there,
or you just lose every game and say we're gonna
get the number one pick in a year where it's
not clear who the best quarterback is.

Speaker 3 (38:42):
Yeah, I think Justin Phils was supposed to do their
move like let's try this young guy and see what
he has even though it didn't work in Chicago?

Speaker 2 (38:48):
How long did you get to be young? Maybe a reset? Yeah?
What is he like? Twenty five? Twenty six? Now, no, he's.

Speaker 1 (38:54):
Older than that, just because like twenty how is Tyron
Taylor still there?

Speaker 2 (39:01):
Tyron Taylor has been there. Tyron Taylor has been with
the Jets fifty years. Justin Fields is twenty six. Man,
I thought he was older than that. Yeah, I mean
he was your your future just a couple of years ago.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Yeah, well longer than that. This was like four or
five years ago. We mean the Bears. Yeah, oh, I
thought you were talking about something else. Know, I'm saying
that he was the young because like four years a
couture was not that long ago.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
Now this is this is a while. This is like
four or five years ago.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
I met a woman and and like we were talking
and I said to her, you know how you'll go
be like, oh, when's your last relationship?

Speaker 2 (39:39):
And I was like and she was like, uh, I
was like, oh yeah, when's the last? Right she goes.
She goes, well, I went out on some dates with
Tyrod Taylor, and I was like, well, you and I'll
probably have a lot in common because I mean Tyrod
and I very similar.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
Right, Well, if I think about his career history, you
both like to travel the United States.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
He's played out everywhere. You like to see new cities.
He likes new cities.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
Yeah, and she at the time was like ten years
older than him. So Tyrod, he'd be my quarterback. Actually,
if I was the Jets, why not. I just don't
see any.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
Reason to keep throwing justin fields out there.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
Yeah, well, he's one to go young. If he's the
only backup, I don't think that's going young. He's got
to be up there pushing the Flacco.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Aaron Rodgers range. As long as he's been in the link.

Speaker 1 (40:24):
I think they are on alert for not winning any games.
I'm gonna go ahead and say I think they are
on alert. Now we have a new segment. Would you
like to know the new segment.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
I'm excited about us. So we have a new segment.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
We continue to add advertisers and excitement here to NFL
cover zero. This is known as the Victory Bundle, presented
by Liberty Mutual. It is time so every show I
will get to say this.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
Are you ready?

Speaker 1 (40:57):
You'll get to privilege. It's time for the Victory Bundle
presented by Liberty Mutual. And the victory Bundle is you
and I will pick three three games, uh, and we'll
pick who wins and we will give you our victory bundle.
Now we're trying. We're going to try to pick things
where we agree so that we can be like we
can bundle together.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
Are you ready?

Speaker 1 (41:17):
So I'm just gonna pick three games randomly and then
we'll pick the winners in London nine thirty am Rams
Jaguars two four and two teams, maybe the best game
London's gotten in a long time. As part of the
Liberty Mutual Victory Bundle. Who do we take in London?

Speaker 3 (41:36):
This is a tough one because this is the Jaguars
home field at Wimbley. Was it thirteen straight years they've
played there?

Speaker 2 (41:42):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (41:42):
But Billy, unless there's been recent news pook Is there
anything on Pooka Nakua right now? Because he's he could
be out questionable. So I'm leaning Jacksonville depending on Poka
did not practice today?

Speaker 2 (41:55):
All right, I'll go with you.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
The Rams are a three and a half point favorite, though,
so we'll take it against the spread.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
There we go.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
Our victory bundle against the spread is, if you want victory,
take the Jags on their home field. Uh in Uh there,
I think this one's at Wimbley. I'm gonna take the Jags.
That's part one of the victory bundle.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Now.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
Can I like this one a lot? The Panthers and
the Jets. Panthers on the road to the Jets.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
What are you laughing at? Just the fact that this
is a mashup.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
Panthers and the Jets. Panthers are only a one and
a half point favorite against the Jets. I'm taking the
Panthers as part of my victory bundle. Are you with me?

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Absolutely? We just talked about the train wreck the Jets
are right now, the star receivers out Panthers have have
they won two in a row? Yeah, they won two
in a row. Just keep riding this wave, all right?

Speaker 1 (42:48):
So you're you're gonna ride on the the victory bundle, right?
And then finally I really like, uh, it's the Eagles
at the Vikings. The Eagles only a one and a
half point favorite, and we don't even know for sure
who's gonna play quarterback for Minnesota. I love the Eagles
here I'm gonna take the Eagles on there. I'll only
get one and a half.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
If you set this spread two weeks ago, it's gonna
be six and a half. So give me the Eagles
to join. I like that here too. I will say, though,
if their offense doesn't click here in a little bit,
I'm gonna start selling the Eagles. But I'm gonna give
him a little longer.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
But I think they are gonna have some serious concerns
if they don't fix that soon. Their run game and
half is dominant. Was a year ago we got aj
brown poutin. This could be a long term issue if
it doesn't get cleaned up soon.

Speaker 1 (43:33):
So we're going all animals for our victory Bundle. It
is the Animal Victory Bundle. Give us the Jaguars, the Panthers,
and the Eagles. That is your victory of a bundle
presented by Liberty Mutual. You can start your quote at
Libertymutual dot com. All right now, time for our Survivor

(43:53):
League and our and well, first of all, our Survivor
League and our touchdown picks. Now, Drew is not in
the Survivor League because he did not survive. So it's
me and you Billy. It looks like do I get
to pick first this week on the Survivor League?

Speaker 2 (44:09):
I think I do.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
Yeah, go ahead, So it is the I've taken the Packers,
the Broncos, the Ravens, and the Lions. So Packers, Broncos,
Ravens and Lions and so to try. I've sitting here
looking this week, and you know there's a couple of
different choices. The biggest spread is Chiefs Raiders. But I've
kind of learned over the years, don't pick that game, right.

(44:32):
I mean, the Chiefs and the Raiders have won that
game surprisingly quite a bit, so if you don't take
that one, it becomes a little difficult. I'm gonna take
the New England Patriots to beat your Titans on the road.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
What a lock.

Speaker 1 (44:47):
So I'm going with the Patriots. They will join That
is my pick for the week in the Survivor League.
I'll take the Patriots. Now, Bill, you've taken the Jaguars,
the Cardinals, the Bills, and the Colts.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Who would you like this week?

Speaker 4 (45:00):
Well, first of all, I love your pick of the Patriots.
That's a home game for them in Tennessee. With Frabel
coming back. I've flipped on this pick a couple of times,
and you mentioned it. I'm taking the Chiefs versus the Raiders.
I know there's that stat of I guess Las Vegas
now not Oakland playing Kansas City close in the past.
It just seems like Kansas City has hit their stride
with Rashid Rice coming back.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
Give me Kansas City in this.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
So we've now hit five straight weeks or we have
a chance to hit five weeks. I will take the
Patriots on the road against the Titans, and you will
take the Chiefs at home against the Raiders. We have
a chance to go to week six here of the
of the Survivor League, Drew you unfortunately don't get to participate.

(45:43):
Now it's time for the touchdowns.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Last week I got one with with Daniel Jones and
then no one else did.

Speaker 1 (45:53):
So Drew went first last week, so he's he will
not go this week. So Billy, you get to go first?
Who is your or no, wait a minute, yes you do.
You get to go first. Who would you like?

Speaker 4 (46:05):
I am picking a guy that is taking the league
by storm. Give me is Cam Scatibo to score a
touchdown against the Broncos. I mean, how many touchdowns did
he score in the last game was three against against
the Eagles. I know Denver maybe have a decent run defense,
but Cam is going to do it very well. For

(46:26):
only a few years, he'll do it very well.

Speaker 2 (46:28):
We're gonna do it very well.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
You're taking the running back Scatabo okay, which means I
can take I'm next. I can take either a quarterback
or a wide receiver. I've taken three quarterbacks, so I
think I'm gonna have to to lay off the quarterback.
So I'm going to take a wide receiver. I'm going
to take Xavier Worthy against with your Chiefs against the Raiders.
I think he gets a touchdown, so I will go

(46:52):
with Xavier Worthy. That means Drew, you have to pick
a quarterback. You have not picked a quarterback all year,
so people can have any of them you want.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Who would you like down the Hurts Allen. I'll go
with Hurts.

Speaker 3 (47:07):
Take to get that offense on track, and when they're
playing their best, they're to pushing and running. So I'll
say Jalen Hurts gets win in Minnesota.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
All right.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
So Billy, who all year has taken weird picks but
is still tied for the lead. He scatter bows it
up against the Broncos. I'm gonna go with Xavier Worthy
with my wide receivers, and Drew goes with Jalen Hurts.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I forgot the rule.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
Could I have picked a tight end or is it
tight ends? Tight ends wide receivers? Because I got my
eyes on Harold Finn and Junior from Bowling Grad all
week and Joe, Who's hurt?

Speaker 2 (47:38):
Dylan Gabriel gets you picked it? To Joe, why do
you want Brown's tight end so much? The times I've
done it? But this is only week five of us
picking and you've picked it? You want to pick Browns
tight ends twice? I would have done. He's like four
to one. I'm just I'm only one one on my
Browns bets one loss. And I told you on week
one Harold Fannon is the future of that position in Cleveland. Now, Joe,

(48:01):
who's hurt? You got Dylan Gabriel trying to make a
statement against Miami. I'm just saying, keep an eye on
Harrold Fan and Junior from Bunker.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
All right, Let's run over some other games we haven't
mentioned yet. In the Icy Hot Bowl, does Aaron Rodgers
go to five and one, against Joe Flacco.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
He does saw Rodgers has the it's either the fifth
or sixth best quarterback.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
Rating of his career right now. I don't like that.
I wanted this to be a miserable failure too.

Speaker 3 (48:40):
Unfortunately, four out of the five one MVP when he
headed Betters.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
Unfortunately, next thing, you know, he's going to be like
the surgeon General because of how he's playing right now.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
It helps that he has DK Metcalf, who's also killing
it with Pittsburgh. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
I mean both those guys consider washed up. I think
they win too. But I would just say Thursday night
foot this this this feels like a game that could
surprise Flaco on the row.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
An old rivalry in the AFC North. If you're the Bengals,
if you can find a way to win this game, okay,
get to three and four, then all of a sudden,
you've got the Jets next week, Bears, Steelers, Patriots, Ravens.

Speaker 1 (49:23):
Like, you can make some movements here. But I think
if you if you look at the Bengals to make
the playoffs, I kind of think they need to win
this one.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
Oh yeah, this is a desperation game because the Steelers
would just further their lead, and they're already up a
couple of games on.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
You as it is, and this is your home too. Yeah,
you can't if I mean, you're pretty much mathematic You're
not mathematically eliminated, but you're pretty much eliminated if you
let Steelers get another one on you in a headhead
another battle of terrible Dolphins Browns. I'm gonna I'm gonna
fade the Dolphins. Neither one of these teams I want
to say I have confidence in, but it's it's in Cleveland,

(49:58):
like you, like Dylan Gabriel. Here, it's more of the Browns.

Speaker 3 (50:02):
Defense is the only elite part of any of this.
So I'll trust their defense and hopefully Gabriel can find
the end zone once or twice.

Speaker 1 (50:10):
I'm telling you what I'm worried about. In Chicago one
o'clock Bears Saints. This feels like a letdown. You'll go
in on Monday night, you go win against the Commanders,
then you come home against a bad Saints team and
you think, well, of course we're gonna win this one
to go four and two. I would stay away from
this game as a game where I kind of am
a little worried about the Saints here.

Speaker 2 (50:32):
You don't think four straight wins for Chicago.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
No, Saints are plus two hundred. The Bears lose a
game like this every year and short rest. I am
worried about it. I'm gonna take Saints have played web
last few weeks, even though they've lost.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
They have I'm gonna take the Bears. I think you're
you're just being a fan. You gotta keep your guard
up as a fan. It's not my team, so I
can look at it objectively, so you'll be all right,
and I hope you're right. Colts go to the Chargers.
You don't have to worry about road atmosphere in La.
Colts could go to six and one. However, if the
Chargers win, they would be on pace to be the

(51:08):
one seed in the AFC. So this is a game
that could swing.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
I don't think people think Colton's Chargers is a huge
game for the playoffs, but.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
It might be.

Speaker 3 (51:17):
Yeah, this game on paper a month ago looks silly.
And just to add to it, I don't know if
y'all saw the Chargers are wearing like all yellow color
Rush uniforms.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
They want to see those. I think they're called Charger power.

Speaker 3 (51:29):
Just imagine as much yellow, as much yellow as you
could get on your person.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
That's what they're going for for this game. I want
to see this Charger power. That is yellow. A lot
of yellow, A lot of yellow. Okay, whoa, So they're
they're fired up. They want the yellow going. Wow, they've
been disappointing lately. They had to win.

Speaker 3 (51:48):
I know you said they're in good standing in the
playoff race, but they took some losses they shouldn't have.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
Oh, that is yellow. It looks like a banana does.
Look like Herbert's gonna be out there in a banana suit. Yeah,
but I kind of like it. Do you think they
have hoodies?

Speaker 3 (52:05):
But yellow is just not like it doesn't motivate me.
If I'm a football player, I'm not gonna be walking.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
Around and yellow. I kind of like it.

Speaker 1 (52:12):
I think the Chargers their thing, because they're so boring,
should just be have the ugliest, brightest colors.

Speaker 3 (52:19):
They're doing like a retro field, maybe some retro field,
Like they're painting it yellow and the old bolt and
like they're going back and going to be all of it.
But the end zones they're they're going it's a throwback game.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Throwback to win. They're extra yellow. I don't know. I'm
just tell you.

Speaker 3 (52:37):
Yellow going to have the old logo in the end
zone and okay, they'll probably have Antonio Gates out there
flipping a coin. Ladani and Tomlinson flyover. They're just all
the throwback chargers you can get. You should, you should
bring all those people, famous charger. You know, you get
Mike McCoy, bring him back. Once the Titans are down thirty,
McCoy can get in the jet and being.

Speaker 1 (52:55):
Sent san exactly. That's exactly right. Let's make it. That's
make it a fun yellow day. The Commanders are playing
the Cowboys. This is kind of an important bounce back
game for both team. Cowboys lost the Panthers, Commanders lost
at home.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
This is a big game. This will be a huge audience.
Who do you like? Commanders?

Speaker 3 (53:16):
Dak's been awesome, their offense is awesome, but they have
a bad loss to the Giants, a tie and then
that loss to the Panthers.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
Your boy, your bears got iber Flus. He's the defensive coordinator.
Why the people aren't very happy with him? Right now?

Speaker 1 (53:30):
Eyen, when a bad sign the sound knew it was
a bad sign. I saw who was it that Jerry
Jones I think said you want to be in the
fox hole with Matt Iberflus. When someone says they want
to be in a fox hole with you, I'm worried
about you.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Billy Gillespie said that to his player fox hole.

Speaker 1 (53:49):
First of all, people who the first thing they think
of as a fox hole, they're probably they're probably a
little too into war analogies for me for football. But
the moment, I don't want to be in a fox
hole with eber Flus. I was for three years and
a fall foxhole with Eberflus and.

Speaker 2 (54:07):
It was never pleasant.

Speaker 3 (54:09):
Well, they have the worst defense in the NFL in
like several categories. Their thirty second Jerry might have even
called him out a little bit. It's like, we're fine,
the defense just has to improve, like putting some pressure
on him. So I'm gonna take the Commanders. They're a
wreck on Cowboys are a wreck on that side of
the ball.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
Falcons go to the forty nine Ers. Sunday Night Football.
Kind of an odd game on Sunday Night Football. Michael
Pennix versus Mac Jones. This might be one Sunday where
we can type a little early. I guess when good
dinner after the show on Sunday night. I'm just kidding,
who do you like in this one?

Speaker 3 (54:44):
This will be one of those where I have to
see who is not in street clothes for the forty
nine ers. But I I lean San Francisco regardless of
their health, just because of Falcons getting a big win
a week aldgo and then having to travel.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
Out to I'm gonna take San Francisco, but don't bet
on the What'd I say bet on the Bills last week?

Speaker 1 (55:04):
But then what did I say? Never pick a Falcons game?
I feel that way again. So I'm gonna take San Francisco,
which means Atlanta will win.

Speaker 3 (55:12):
And we have no idea who will be on that
injury report for Sinfrance. They could lose four more players
before Sunday.

Speaker 2 (55:17):
At three through. I think Kittle is trending on returning. Okay,
what do you mean you think like sources to Cover zero?
Say that who you've been talking to? Hey, I can't
reveal my sources. That would defeat the purpose. I need
an in wrapaport tweet from Billy from Cover zero reports
Billy rap report. Yeah, so you are you willing to

(55:41):
stake your credibility on George Kittle.

Speaker 4 (55:42):
Yeah, Kittle coming back, but not party and I haven't
heard enough about him yet.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
Billy r Sports reports it's part of his victory bundle.
Then George Kittle is returning. Monday Night football. We got
two games again. First game is a great one Bucks Lions.
For the fourth straight week. The Bucks are playing for
playoff seating against the Lions in Detroit. I think the Bucks,

(56:09):
the Bucks luck falls here and we get a Detroit victory.
What are you bout you?

Speaker 3 (56:13):
I agree the spreads five and a half. I might
take the Bucks to cover that. This seems a little
hot for two teams that played so well. But the
Buck's gonna have to take some losses somewhere, and add
Detroit seems like the place to do it.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
What do you aint?

Speaker 4 (56:25):
Yeah, they're struggling. I mean Abukah is going to miss
some time. Mike Evans trending in the right direction. But no,
I don't no guarantee.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
Billy parlay. Kittle and Evans play injury parlor. They both play.
That would be a good parlay.

Speaker 4 (56:39):
But I agree road game Detroit is a formidable foe.

Speaker 2 (56:43):
But if Baker wins this one. I'm ready to crown
him in week seven. You are a formidable foe. The
fits General Campbell, I will meet you on the battlefield.
Is a formidable foe. Bill. Are you a foxhold guy

(57:06):
in the but.

Speaker 3 (57:07):
Really a banker goes and wins this and doesn't have
an interception as like through three touchdowns or something. This
is gonna be an unbelievable season for him already is there's.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
A ten o'clock Monday night football game. At least they're
offsetting him a little better. I like that. Who you got?

Speaker 3 (57:22):
I'm gonna go with Seahawks. The Darnold Smith and Jigba
connection has been insane this year. He's the leading the league.
He's been better than pookin Nakua and he's got I
think he's got a pretty big lead on him in
receiving yards. So I'm gonna trust them to be able
to throw on the Texans.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
I think I forgot the Texans were a team this year.
They started really bad. Like I think about it, We've
gone how many shows has it been since we talked
about the Texans?

Speaker 2 (57:46):
Oh, they were on a bye last week. They're a bye.
They played the Titans, which is like a bye before that. Yeah,
I just I don't think I've thought about the Texans
this year. Give me the Texans highlight this season on
long rest Monday night night game early. Wait a minute, seriously,
give me one thing that's happened with the Texans this years? Okay,
but that can you think of a moment? Has there

(58:11):
been a headline?

Speaker 3 (58:13):
They lost their first two games, so people were questioning them.
Then maybe three games. I can't think of one thing
that's happened with the Texans.

Speaker 4 (58:21):
Yeah, they lost their first three games and then beat
the Titans and the Ravens before they're by Yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:26):
I'd say shutting off the Titans. Wow, so they played
both of your two teams, which is why you two know? Yeah? Yeah,
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (58:34):
I don't think I know anything about them. Well, and
the Seahawks are going to win.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
Drew at home. I'm really racking my brain for like
a Texans memory from the first six weeks. Well, I
watched an entire game that they played. I don't say
this to be rude.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
But I can't think of a lot of Texan memories
from my lifetime. They always play the first playoff games Saturday.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
And noon against Cincinnati Gats, Cincinnati or the Dolphins. Texans
always play at noon.

Speaker 2 (59:03):
It's the game.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
You're like, what channel is it on? And there are
announcers that you've never seen before. That's the Texans every
single year. Yeah, this year they I keep focus on
the Titans. That's the Texans game.

Speaker 3 (59:15):
When cam Ward said, if I'm keeping a buck weep,
I won't say Billy Centimore.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
Works by that. I don't know what they've done.

Speaker 1 (59:22):
I do have one last final thing, since we were
talking about the Texans, Spirodidas said he's one of the
guys who does announcing and always gets assigned an AFC
South or NFC South game. He said that he knows
his assignment so often that his group chat for his
broadcast crew is called NFC South Boys.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
He knows his role leaning into it. I've decided I
like him.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
If you know exactly where you're gonna get assigned, I
am going to get the Panthers this week.

Speaker 2 (59:59):
You have to give him credit. And just that it's
that conference adds to the joke. That's the I am
a big groove chat. Does he have beef with your
boy Chris Myers, who also likes well, he might be
in the groove chat place all the rotator. I just
looked at are you New Orleans? I just looked up
I just looked up Spiro's name on Twitter, and the

(01:00:19):
first thing that came up as a tweet that goes
nothing says a New Saints season like Spirodidas and Adam Arschaletta,
I like Archi LETTA good ram. There you go.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
Well, Uh, thank you folks very much for listening. We
will be back Sunday ninth. Uh for following the forty
nine ers and Falcons. Enjoy your week, and uh tell
your friends this is NFL Cover zero. NFL Covers Zero

(01:00:59):
with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of
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