For The Fan EP 163: 2025 NFC South

We are ending our journey with our first of two episodes. NFC South -Are there expectations for the Saints? -Can Panthers continue success at end of 2024 in 2025 -What will Falcons get with Michael Penix Jr. as starter -What will Tampa Bay do amid injuries piling up

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for everyone tuning into another
episode of For the Fan, episode number one sixty three.
As always, I am Will and we got Dom and
we got Jake here gentlemen, Hello, So the buck stops here,
well almost. We have to suffer through a painfully painful
NFC salve and then we can actually go to an

(00:45):
entertaining NFC West and end their tour. You guys excited,
You guys thrilled about it?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Nope, me neither tune up game yeah, preseason.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
I just gotta get through it. That's all we got
to do. But let's shout out the other show that
Dom and I were on Monday Night. We hate sports
by the name of it, they actually do love sports
because we did talk a lot about sports, so it
was pretty interesting. We did our top five AFC quarterbacks.
I wrote them down right here, all on this piece
of paper, writtling them off. Honorable mentions, Aaron, Rodgers and

(01:19):
bow Nicks and if I was Herbie fully loaded numberfore
was Mahomes three, Josh Allen, two, Joe Burrow, and one
Lamar Jackson. That was mine.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, my list was different. And then I went first
out of the six of the people on the show
that went right. Six was a six.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
It was five at the time.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
At the time, and I realized after I did my
list that I really wish I didn't go first.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
I was really hoping they would let me go first.
I had it already. I'm like, oh, man, I just
want to put the bombshell right on it.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
I was really relying on not going first, and I
wrote names on a paper down. I probably eight to
ten names on the paper and I was like, all right,
when it comes to my turn.

Speaker 4 (02:05):
Or like, well, people are talking, I'll put these in order.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
And then I was put on the spot first to go,
and I was like, oh, well, here's my unapologetically raw.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
List, and I wasn't it was so, what was it
my list?

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I don't know what it is.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Let's see. I think I think this is how my
list did is. I wrote down the numbers after the fact,
trying to think about my list and how much I
kind of didn't like my list. And I also didn't
know if I should just go actively or career or
what like.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
I didn't know exactly where to start.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
So it is what it is. I put Stroud at five,
which was kind of nuts to me now looking back,
because Herbert exists, and I like, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
Then I put Burrow at four, which.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
I didn't know. I was doing career stuff. I was like,
do I care about accomplishments? Do I not care about accomplishments?
I don't know what to do. And then I put
Lamar three, which I actually wish I didn't as well.

Speaker 4 (03:13):
I actually don't like any of my lists.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
And then I put my Homes two purely based off
of accomplishments, and then Josh Allen won.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
I don't know. I was like they went, and I
was like, man.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
So I just like wish I did my list after
I would not have had my Homes two. I would
have probably had them four. I would have had Burrow
higher for sure, probably two. Maybe I might have kept
Lamar three, or I would have put him two.

Speaker 4 (03:41):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
I was okay with Josh Allen being first at this
very moment after last season, I guess.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
See, I'll go Burrow one, Allen two, Mahomes three, Lamar
four four.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Who would you put five? Stroud or Herbert?

Speaker 5 (03:59):
I would put Herbert now, yeah, see, I kind of
remember had a bounce back here last year I remember had.

Speaker 4 (04:04):
A great season last season, and then I was just like.

Speaker 5 (04:07):
Well, if I had to pick one, I only honestly
go to A and then Stroud to a healthy tour
to and.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Then yeah, I don't I like started talking about I
said Stroud, seive and fifth and then backed it up.
And as I was backing up, I was like, Damn,
I don't like specific. What I'm saying isn't really matching
top five And I was like, well, I'm committed, So
it is what it was.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
It was fun.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
We had a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
It was a lot of fun. But let's talk about
a top five team that's going to be in the
NFL as in draft picks entering twenty twenty six, starting
with the first team. But before that, we had to
cue the intro and ladies and gentlemen, you're watching for
the fair.

Speaker 6 (04:51):
You are listening to for the fan.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
You can follow their show. We hate sports. They're everywhere,
They're absolutely everywhere. But we love sports, and we're gonna
be talking about our favorite division in the entire world.
Here but but a bah here we go, so here
ago the New Orleans Saints, Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris
o'lave and those first two weeks man the most electric

(05:29):
weeks in football history. They will go down as one
of the most memorable moments in all of sports. The
thirty for thirty is gonna be wild. And after those
first two weeks, well, the cliff, that was a very
steep cliff they fell off of really time after time,
boneheaded decisions. It really wasn't working out for the Saints.
They end up firing Dennis Allen right before the season ended.

(05:51):
Derek Carr retires in the middle of the off season,
and yeah, everything went wrong. The Eagles won the Super
Bowl and they're building in just like how the Cardinals
did a couple of years ago. They chopped one of
their coordinators and what do I assume is a small closet,
They got Kella Moore to sign with them be the
next head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Who is
going to try curating and fixing this thing called a

(06:14):
quarterback room. And let's shimmy right into this one here.
I don't know where to start, all right, quarterback room.
Tyler Show. He's been all over the place in the
college football world, Oregon, Texas, A and M Louisville. Now
he's a second round pick in this past year's draft,
competing with Spencer Rattler for the QB one job. They
do bring back Brandon Coochs, who's been all around the

(06:37):
league everywhere the Patriots, Rams, Texans, Cowboys. He finds his
way back with the Saints, the team that drafted him
in the first round all the way back in twenty fourteen.
They do draft Calvin Banks, who's trying to help help
an offensive line that has been struggling in recent years.
They end up trading for Luke Fortner after the preseason
Week two game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for the defensive

(06:59):
tackles Sanders, so key pieces there. Yeah, gentlemen, I don't
have much else to say. I don't know what to
look at. I don't know the positives the negatives. But
Taysom Hills still on the team, so that's that's a positive.
But obviously coming off of a catastrophic knee injury nearing
the end of the season is a yeah, A little

(07:21):
ways to work back for for the thirty five year old.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
All I gotta say before we start is Kellen Moore,
you are the biggest.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Idiot the NFL. That is all who was that you leave?

Speaker 5 (07:34):
Okay, it's one thing that like the Cardinals were kind
of like made sense when they coaching corners.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
And same with the Colts. There's no offense on this team.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah, what what do you do.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
In offensive guru?

Speaker 5 (07:46):
To leave a team that just won the Super Bowl
and broke like the two thousand yard rushing mark for
the first time in how many years?

Speaker 2 (07:54):
To go down to New Orleans where you maybe have
a quarterback and I wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
I think maybe he's a very inappropriate word here. I
don't really think there is a quarterback. Maybe he's a
very strong word I think to use here for this
quarterback room.

Speaker 5 (08:11):
Oh, it's all guys that were kind of like fun
ish in college. Ainter Schuck Rattler, they are all they
had fun moments in college.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
I that's what Will reminded me just now when he
was talking about he became their new head coach, and
it's just like all I.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
Thought was like, damn, like what a downgrade?

Speaker 4 (08:35):
Well not even that.

Speaker 3 (08:36):
It's just like for what I felt like, it's been
ten seasons of everyone being like, oh man, he'd be
a good head coach. Will he go here as a
head coach. Will he become Dallas's next head coach? Blah
blah blah, and then like this is the job he
finally gets as a head coach?

Speaker 1 (08:54):
This what a just I mean he asked for it,
though he really asked for it. There wasn't else to
like you there.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
Nonetheless, they wanted to be a head coach so bad.

Speaker 4 (09:04):
Yeah, this was not the man.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
You choose a.

Speaker 5 (09:07):
Team that you might not get into their head coaching
opportunity for other six years.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
It's just like we've been waiting and waiting for him
to be a head coach and then like what it died?

Speaker 4 (09:19):
Maybe maybe not, maybe not. Maybe he's amazing and just
gonna be But.

Speaker 3 (09:25):
I'm I would say, and knowing what the vision this is,
I would say that none of us are truly very hopeful.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Unfortunately, I'd like the receiving core, I really do. Alave
is good when he's healthy. He was a great piece
that discovered at the end of twenty twenty three up
until he hurt himself this past season. Brandon Cooks if
he's healthy, he's really good. I mean, Juwan Juwan Johnson's
really good as well. Have a Kamara you know what

(09:54):
you could get in Kamara. But it's like the quarterback
room is just like the piece where it's like I can't.
I'm myself excited for this team. Obviously I want to
be proven wrong, but like I just can't. I don't
know who's starting Week one. That's the issue.

Speaker 3 (10:07):
That's what I'm saying. And it's just like, oh, and
then like they eight tight ends on this because two
of them I guess are her and just dude, I
don't whatever, I'm not.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
Oh, they got Devin Neila out of Kansas.

Speaker 4 (10:25):
This is the NFC South and a nutshell.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
I want to jump the defense. I have nothing else
for this offense. I really can't. But on the defensive
side of the football here, yes, they did lose one
of their quarters cornerbacks. He ended up going to the Giants.
The Honey Badger retires after a long NFL career of
twelve years, spanning from the Chiefs and the Cardinals, and
then he finishes down in the Saints where he did
go to college down the street at LSU Go Tigers.

(10:51):
But they do end up rebuilding a little piece of
that secondary there. Isaac get him from the forty nine ers.
They bring in Justin Reid, who's a two time Super
Bowl chaminampion from the Kansas City Chiefs. And then Julian
Blackman they signed after Matthew retires. But Devon Gachow Goshaw
from the Saints of the Saints the Patriots comes in.

(11:12):
They really added a lot on this defense, so it
doesn't seem all that bad. You know, Cooley McKinstry, you
know he's gonna get another year of experience. Alonte Taylor
what he's going to do in a contract year? All right?
Jonash Sanker, he made some plays in the preseason. Can
that he can become stuffed in the regular season. Quincy
Riley is another one. Danny Stutsman, you have a lot

(11:36):
of pieces here along with uh, where's his name? I'm
drawing a blank there. It is Cameron Jordan, who's not
getting any younger. This man has been dedicated to this
team since he's been drafted to them. And also Chase
Young who they resigned to another contract extension this past offseason.
With also Demerio Davis who has been there for Laura

(11:57):
note knows how long twenty seven ten, I want to
say twenty eighteen. It's been a very long time coming.

Speaker 5 (12:05):
So you started listing off names like, oh, they're good,
like young pieces and they could And then I went
and looked who the coordinator was. I'd totally forgotten who's
a coordinator, Our good friend Brandon Staley.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Good God, need somebody say, well, that needed to be played.
I just could not not be played.

Speaker 3 (12:30):
Oh theyd come on, because I really I was so
prepared to be like, you know what, this something else,
this will be the usual defense that we see from
the Saints.

Speaker 4 (12:41):
That's pretty solid and gonna hold up. And god, dude,
who knows? At this point, we're.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
Telling me the guy from the bounty gate isn't available
right now, Like, I'm pretty sure you will come back
to coach the Saints. But obviously I don't think he
could go back to the Saints solely because of what happened.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
But whatever, I don't even now. I really don't have anything.
I got nothing because I don't know whatever.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
But did they add on the offense here? I have
to go back here. I don't know. They add a
lot more on the defensive side of the ball, which
I didn't think they need to, but obviously they were
poached a lot.

Speaker 5 (13:15):
So a couple of tight ends, you know, Johnson, Jack
Stole and then Cooks really gam Akers, that's the whole
offensive adding.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's just an old team. Like this team's old, like
the Mara Davis isn't getting younger, but he's still a
great linebacker for what he brings to the table. Cam Jordan,
he's not getting any younger. Uh, you know, justin Reid's
I don't think he's getting up there in h I
think he's definitely like twenty nine, thirty years old. But
Julian Blackman's twenty six, So uh, you're not You're not

(13:53):
really getting younger on this team. And obviously that was
the issue with like the money getting pushed back, and
it's just like you're really not getting younger and you're
not getting any relief in the cap space part of it.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, they're like the fifth sixth oldest team in the league.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Who's number one the Steelers two.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
Yeah, the Commanders by like a day average year over
the Steelers over the Steelers.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
I just I don't I want to say it's good
things for this defense. Obviously, like Kellamore, he you know,
wants to prove himself wrong. Obviously he should have been
a head coach a little bit ago, especially after the
times with Dallas. He really made that offense electric. And
then obviously what he did with the Eagles last year.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
Uh, why did he sign or why did he select?

Speaker 4 (14:50):
He selected Brandon Staley to be the defense?

Speaker 1 (14:52):
There was no one left. I mean he got hired
at like what the middle of February. Really, all those guys,
like all the guys.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
Anyone in the the world is left is better?

Speaker 1 (15:01):
Aaron Glenn was like every head coaching opening was done
before him by at least like three weeks.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Because he didn't get hired until after the Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, we had to wait till like the Friday, like
the day that the like Valentine's Day, when the Eagles
had their Parado was only agreed.

Speaker 5 (15:16):
To terms on the contract and instead of waiting another
year with a good situation, You're like, oh.

Speaker 4 (15:22):
Could have done Jim Schwartz, Mike Zimmer, I.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Mean Mike Zimmers, Like Mike Zimmer hasn't really done anything
since we left the Vikings.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
He came back, he was at the Cowboys last season.
It was awful.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
Draw Johnson, he's man.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
Steve Spagnola, Uh yeah, whatever, it's I don't know.

Speaker 1 (15:45):
Let's go to the schedule here. I've kind of had
enough of this thing here, But hey, week one, big
week do you play the Cardinals? Okay, you play a
former Eagles coordinator and you want to obviously prove them
all wrong. And then we two is the forty nine Ers,
which Saints and Niners have clashes, so I expect a
really good game out of that. But then where the
schedule gets funky. Then you got to go up to Seattle,

(16:07):
and then you got to go to Buffalo. At least
it's not cold Buffalo. It's the end of September, so
it's still gonna be warm up there. Then you got
the Giants and the Patriots Bears. I don't know, I
think anything higher than five might be ludicrous. I'm having
a difficult time getting above five, but three or four.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
Genuinely, this is kind of in. This is like maybe
the easiest schedule we've seen in.

Speaker 5 (16:36):
And it's the entire time sixteen seventeen.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
I really, I do think this is the easiest schedule
we've seen.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
This might be you know what, if they win. I
think it could be the Giants, and then they could
win a Nashville. I don't see them winning any of
these other games.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
There's a lot of easy lines on here by the Giants,
the Jets, and the Miami's incredibly hurt. Who knows, Like,
because that's later in the season. You have the Panthers
twice just because you're in their division, but you lose
one of them.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
You can't make the Panthers a pushover. Man. They ended
the season on such a great note that you know,
if they can resume that stuff, then it's gonna be
tough for the Saints. But I don't know, I really,
I'm this is difficult.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Giants having the artist's strength of schedule in the league
is just and.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
They gotta play the Sayings, so it's like it's even funnier.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
So the Saints have the second easiest strength of schedule
in the league. So yeah, I mean that makes sense.
That makes sense. We get to talk about a lot
of easy schedules today.

Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yeah, I don't know, dude, whatever, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (17:53):
If if the coach hiring's great and the team's good,
you could.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
Touch five hundred.

Speaker 1 (18:01):
But that's a pretty d quarterback is the reason why
you can get the five hundred. If there's no quarterback
and the defense is out there again, Like we talked
about the Giants, we talk about a lot of these teams.
The defense is after forty minutes, it ain't stopping a
nosebleed anymore.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
And they are in the sportsbooks world, they're not even touched.
They're not even at five and a half wins. So
I mean, that's pretty on par with what we're saying here.
We are again, this is an easy schedule. So if
somehow Kevin Moore had it figured out, man and was
the genius and like had it done all.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
Right, Like again, maybe you could get a.

Speaker 3 (18:43):
Five hundred out of this easy schedule.

Speaker 5 (18:45):
But team goes goes five better. Kellen Moore coached the year.
Alvin Kamara probably MVP.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
Yeah literally, dude, yeah, Alvin Kamara would have to be
the biggest factor of going and like.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
The end of the year hurt. Like he was on
a really good year. He was just about to get
his first one thousand yard rushing season and then he
gets hurt.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Easy thing to think about, but now he is reception whatever, dude,
I don't.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Get Let's get this team out of the way here.
What's gonna make this season successful for the Saints?

Speaker 2 (19:18):
Number one pick.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
Welcome back twenty twenty three Arizona Cardinals.

Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah, I don't know really realistically, what would make this
a successful season for the Saints is like they.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
Need a real quarterback.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Well yeah, but like maybe you compete for the division
because it's an easy freaking division. Maybe maybe like this
is a real hopeful hope.

Speaker 4 (19:41):
I'm saying because I don't know this.

Speaker 3 (19:45):
This is such an odd situation because you have some
bones of the Saints team that was like way better
than this. So like it's not like I could just say, oh, Herry,
this is a brand new team. It's okay.

Speaker 4 (19:59):
If they have a really bad season, I don't know,
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
I'm over it.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
I'm over it too.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
You get the number one pick and draft the hometown kid.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
There you go with that, Yeah, you think that would
make him much better next year? And no, all right,
let's move on.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
All right, here we go. We're gonna go to the Carolinas.
Where did they play North or South Carolina? I'm gonna
figure that out right now. So last season, last season, Okay,
you're talking over my read here. Okay, I'm gonna keep
that though. When I posted on YouTube so a year ago,
the Panthers they decided the bench brace Young, and we exploded.
The world explode. They thought, okay, wep, it's the end

(20:46):
of a number one overall pick where they traded a
hall of people and well didn't really turn out very well.
The red rifle comes in, wins them a couple of
games and he gets hur and all that stuff. Uh yeah,
Panthers decided to start Bryshung again and he showed off.
He was really good, although the stats don't really back

(21:08):
it up. For what we saw from him at the
end of twenty twenty four, it was really good. He
ended up winning their final game, I believe, inside Mercedes
Benz Stadium in Atlanta. So good for them to win
the last game. Bryce Young did show up and he
did show out. So obviously twenty twenty five is gonna
be a much better season, hopefully for your Panthers. As

(21:33):
we head to the offense, but but, but but bam
here we go. So yes, Bryce Young is still there
and the Dalton is still there. Jack Plumber obviously, Jake
Plumber's son, he's QB three there for the Carolina Panthers.
They get Rico Daddell in from the Dallas Cowboys. Miles
Sanders goes off and he basically in exchange without the trade.

(21:55):
Trevor Etn out of Georgia. He the fourth round pick
comes in. Obviously, they took the kid from Texas. He's
not gonna be playing at all this year, so obviously
trying to find that consistency at running back behind Chewba
Hubbard or even to fill in for certain positions. Jimmy Horn,
the son of the former NFL wide receiver. And then

(22:15):
Ted McMillan out of Arizona the Wildcats number one pick
for the Carolina Panthers with the number eight overall selection. Yeah,
here we are not a whole lot of change here,
but they did add They added some crucial pieces, especially
in the receiving corps.

Speaker 2 (22:35):
I actually liked the receiving corps.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
Yeah, a little Hunter Renferro action deep in there too.
Look at that well, gadget, gadget happened stuff.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
I want him to make the team, Okay, Josh McDaniel's ruined.
A great receiver.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
David Moore not the worst depth receiver ever.

Speaker 1 (22:54):
I need Jalen Cocher to get like higher up on
this depth chart.

Speaker 4 (22:57):
It's really it's really not like as you were reading this.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
As I was looking at this, I said to myself,
I don't really know if there's anything that jumps out
to me that says, Wow, this team's like much better.
But it is just another year under Bryce's belt, another
year under a majority of this offensive belt together.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
So like, realistically, you just got to hope that.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
They continue to work it out and improve now.

Speaker 4 (23:32):
And figure it out.

Speaker 3 (23:33):
So like that's kind of just it, Like you hope
where they left off on a little bit of a
stronger side last season is where now they continue. But yeah,
none of it. You know, Adam Seeland, who's old, is
now older.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
You know what, does this have money?

Speaker 1 (23:59):
Death has much?

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yeah, they have to becuz.

Speaker 4 (24:04):
Mark Cooper's out there.

Speaker 5 (24:05):
They're in the solid set where they're the quarterback. You know,
he showed he showed at least has it last season,
and he's on a rookie deal. Most of the good
teams when they take that step, they go get a
serious weapon. Now, they drafted McMillan, but there's one Terry

(24:25):
McLaurin out there.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
There's I feel like it's too much Thrasher's capital for
them to require him.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
There's a couple of pass rushers out there.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
Yeah, I mean even a simple and Mariy Cooper wouldn't
be the worst thing.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
I like their receiving. Corl Coker was really good last year.
He really showed up Xavier to get what are you
going to get from him? Obviously they traded back into
the first round to get him last season. But like
Adam Feelin's like the man of the room, they're the
veteran guy. Because these are super young guys all over.
And then you have Hunter Renfro who's trying to make
a comeback in football after being out due to illness

(25:02):
the last couple of years. The offensive line isn't that bad.
Like Robert Hunt obviously could play a little bit better.
Uh you know Ikwanu, they're finally figuring him out. Taylor Moten,
who's been around since the Cam Newton eras or a
boat Ron days. No, And I still like the Jatavian
Sanders move Tommy Trimble, He's gonna eventually get off the

(25:24):
pup list. Mitchell Evans they did bring in the fifth round.

Speaker 4 (25:29):
I mean, you really have nothing of this.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
I don't this is this could be a dark horse
team though in the South, this could definitely be your
dark horse team.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
Every team, they're all dark horse.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
You win seven games, you're in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
You know, I shouldn't say dark horse. They're all horse.
They're all horses.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
It's a race to like mid again.

Speaker 4 (25:51):
I think this is.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
Nothing stands out for me to say. This is like
an incredible improved team from what we've seen, but again,
it's just like another offseason, another camp, another full season
under their belt, Like you just gotta hope they carry
over what they left off at last season. And if
they do, I mean, they really could compete for this division,

(26:15):
which is a crazy thing to say, but they really could.
They could compete. Seven wins is not like unrealistic. So
I don't mind this. It's it's a nice looking offense.
And for a team, especially in this division and a
team that didn't have that many wins, this is not stale.

(26:36):
I do not look at this offense and think, damn,
I'm over this. This is stale, Like how many I'm
kind of excited about the players on this and it
sounds like you guys are too, Like I don't.

Speaker 4 (26:48):
I think this is fine. I think this is a
perfectly fine.

Speaker 5 (26:51):
Like you got money, you have a you have a foundation, Yeah,
spend the money, make the big jump be undeniable.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
That would be cool. It would actually be pretty sick.
I do miss the Panthers being a thing because otherwise.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
Let's see, the Panthers total cap space is only nineteen
million dollars and it goes down next year to seventeen million.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
That's still not bad.

Speaker 1 (27:19):
It's sad to the defense here. Yeah, the defensive side
of the football. They add a lot of pieces. They're
trying to build something here for uh, the Carolina Panthers. Okay,
Christian rose Boom comes in from the Rams, Bobby Brown
from the Rams as well, Tershaun Wharton, Patrick Jones, Trayvon Mowrigg.

(27:40):
They got a lot of new pieces here, Lathan Ransom,
Princely not even going to pronounce that. But you do
have the pieces here of j C. Horn that you
paid in the offseason. You bring in DJ Wantum last season,
Derek Brown, he's coming off of a pretty significant niscus injury,

(28:01):
but he's wanting to get a lot of revenge going
on here for his little revenge tour coming off of injury.
But yeah, this isn't a horrible defense either. And they
also get a Nick skirtin in round number two. So yeah,
this is uh, obviously it's a work in progress, but
it's not the worst that we've seen from the Panthers

(28:21):
in recent years.

Speaker 4 (28:23):
I mean people like this, Yeah, I.

Speaker 5 (28:28):
Mean, like Prince is a dog. I know, scoring got hurt,
so I don't know even when he's coming back.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
Derek Brown was actually pretty awesome too. I really liked
Derek Brown and jac Horn deserved to get paid. He
was a legitimate corner in this league. I mean, like,
this is workable. My only issue is, like you had
Brian Burns, we saw that nothing has gotten you back

(28:57):
to having someone or that explosiveness on the defense.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
So I'd love to see someone step up like and
be explosive like that.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
But I mean it's it's not like they need you know,
it's not like they need to now replace someone and
that role and all that stuff. Like it is a
work in progress, but this is very workable. I don't
know who their coordinariors even are anymore.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
I couldn't even tell you. So is scro a vero
oh yeah, the former Broncos guy.

Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah sure, And then is yeah Brad. I don't know
who that is either.

Speaker 5 (29:43):
They do have two guys though, those two rookies like
those are very much guys that could be that impact
Brian Burns that you were talking about.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
I mean, hey, man, if someone stepped up into that,
that'd be epic for that.

Speaker 2 (29:57):
Don't even know because I know he got hurt recently.
How Nick scoording is it's like and like serious.

Speaker 3 (30:05):
But like this is again, this is I'm not looking
at this and I'm not thinking I'm over this. It's
not stale, like I'm kind of excited about some of
these guys. This has to be on the younger side. No,
this has to be one of the youngest teams in
the league. Yeah, well apparently not. Apparently not. They're like

(30:26):
straight up sixteenth, so all right, maybe not. I don't
know how they're not.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
You got a mix of people.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
I get adam feelings really bringing.

Speaker 1 (30:34):
Them down, yeah, bringing them up. Actually yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
Guess, yeah, I guess that's I guess that's fair. But
I like them.

Speaker 4 (30:43):
I like this team.

Speaker 3 (30:44):
This is I think in a pretty good place on
both sides of the ball. It's workable. Man.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
Let's click over to the schedule.

Speaker 3 (30:57):
Yeah, let's see this.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
Uh Coast to coast of open the season. So first
Jacksonville and then you go to the Cardinals. Then you're
at your home opener for the Falcons, and then you
go back to New England, and then you get a
couple of home games your bats on all around. There's
not a whole lot of consistency, a whole lot of
groove you can work on here. But they do get
a primetime game against the forty nine ers week number twelve,

(31:20):
so that's obviously a good sign. But late by week
fourteen could be brutal. If this team could be competing for,
you know, a division title, maybe a playoff berth. If
you're all over the place here, this is just brutal.

Speaker 2 (31:36):
I yeah, we're gonna learn a lot that week two games.
How they look first to the Cardinals.

Speaker 3 (31:41):
A billion I was just thinking that I'd love to
see them start off really well against Jacksonville.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
If they go two and oh, we've got a real team.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
I think so, And they could easily go three and
one from there, easily three and one. I think they
win one of those two games Week three and four,
whichever one I'm enterchain on which one they could win.
I genuinely see this as a six win team like
like that's I can put six wins on the schedule,

(32:10):
So that means anything from their winning like against the
Niners or winning against if they win one of those
Tampa Bay games, you know, like they could steal a
win and then be seven wins and here you are
winning this division.

Speaker 4 (32:24):
But I, I mean, I they're solid. I think this.

Speaker 3 (32:32):
If I could put six wins on this schedule, that's
more than we've said for the last few years.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
So I really think seven is doable. But like, I
think this this could be the team that could probably
upset the Bucks and and their four year reign as
NFC South champions. I think they could do that, but
obviously I need to see more.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
It'd be fantastic.

Speaker 3 (32:52):
It'd be pretty sick to see if they forced the
Bucks to play Week eighteen, like genuinely just forced the
Bucks to care about that game, that would be pretty impressive.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
Well, I mean, you have a chance to play the
Bucks two in Week sixteen. It depends on that thing
goes and whatever you make it. The Seahawks with now
Darnald at the helm instead of Gino Smith and DK Metcalf,
there you have Cooper Cup and Darnald. I don't know, like.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
Us, I would be impressed if they made the Bucks
care about week.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
I think it'll be impressive they make the Bucks care
about week sixteen, Like yeah, I mean, yeah, fair, but
that late bye could either hurt help them or really
hurt them that two. So it's like if they.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
If they won against the Saints, that's division off that
buy that'd be pretty epic.

Speaker 4 (33:43):
There's this is again, this is.

Speaker 3 (33:46):
Like the fourth easiest schedule in the league or something
like that. Let me let me look me.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
The fifth easiest schedule in the league.

Speaker 3 (33:56):
So, like I there's so much doable in this Your
tough games are mixed in to a little bit of
easier games. There's not like a heavy, heavy stretch. That
middle stretch is a little rough, but like only because

(34:16):
you have divisional rivals in the middle. Otherwise, if you
can run over them sick, that's not even a tough stretch.
It's cool. Again, if we're agreeing on six or seven
wins as like a floor, that's awesome. That's incredible for them.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
And what makes the season successful for the Panthers.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
Playoff contention, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (34:39):
I mean, if you throw up seven wins and you're
competing for playoffs, that seventh spot in the NFC, that'd
be pretty great.

Speaker 3 (34:47):
For them, man, or the fourth spot, Oh fair that
that'd be pretty fantastic.

Speaker 5 (34:56):
I highly expect that they two teams from this pattern
and continues where it's the South gets the foe and
then yeah, the other team is not even in the picture.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
Yeah, that's that's It is tough to say that Tampa
Bay just won't so, but hey man, that'd be fantastic.
If they truly compete with Tampa Bay for this division,
that's huge. And if they have to make Tampa Bay
care about December a lot, well, I guess on January
that'd be gigantic. So I think that's what makes this

(35:26):
team successful. Let's let's come off for the last season
into this season. Well, just like we were playing at
the end of last season, hit the ground running.

Speaker 4 (35:35):
With a nice beginning of your schedule.

Speaker 7 (35:38):
Here.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
The sky's a limit kind of the sky's seven wins.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
Or is what Michael Jordan said at the UNC game.
The ceiling is the roof. They like, Wait a second,
there's no dome on the stadium. That doesn't make sense.
Shall we move on?

Speaker 3 (36:00):
Let's do it?

Speaker 1 (36:01):
Here we go, so that Falcons a year ago. They
get out and they get themselves a big ticket quarterback
and Kirk Cousins, who's gonna try to get them over
the home. They add a lot of these pieces, then
they draft the successor for Kirk Cousins and Michael Pennix Junior.
They Kirk Cousins was balling out early on in the season,
ended up starting I think like six and four, six

(36:22):
and three. Look it really good, and then the season
just kind of collapses. They bench Cousins, they start Pennix
Penicks with a chance to winning the NFC South title,
ends up not really doing well. He did do well,
but the Falcons ended up losing the last two games
of the season. Buccaneers take over as the NFC South
champions for yet again another season. But this man pictured

(36:43):
right here, Michael Pennick Junior, is the quarterback of the
future and their Week one starter for the Atlanta Falcons.
Heading into the offense, here a lot. There's not really
a whole lot that's notable here. If you want to
take me, if you want to like zoom out out
and I can kind of like wrap this up as
best as I can. Uh Yeah, there's they lose their center.

(37:08):
He ends up going to the Chicago Bears. Uh yeah,
your quarterback room's very expensive with a top ten pick
plus Kirk Cousins making forty million dollars while on the bench.
They do add Jamal Agnew, which could be a pretty good,
like explosive piece, But he's gonna be like your special
team guy. But I don't have much else to say

(37:30):
of this team besides their preseason finale. Pennex ain't playing,
Cousins ain't playing. Uh, Easton Stick. I think healthy Emery
Jones is her something like that. They got to sign
other people, So I don't really got a whole lot
to say here. This is kind of like a not
exciting off season there, for at least the offense set

(37:51):
of the football for the Falcons.

Speaker 4 (37:55):
Which is exactly what we were hoping for.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Are we gonna spend thirty minutes talking about them?

Speaker 2 (38:02):
I will do it just on a spike.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
Ye.

Speaker 1 (38:08):
Well, we're just gonna go into the defense here, okay,
I mean, hell, let's get ready here?

Speaker 3 (38:15):
Uh do we do we want?

Speaker 7 (38:17):
All?

Speaker 1 (38:18):
Right?

Speaker 3 (38:18):
Look here, I Kyle Pitts is getting receptions this season.

Speaker 1 (38:23):
They say, well, no, no, Michael Pennix needs something to do. Okay,
everyone's like fantasy. I don't know, ouiji board, like, oh,
is Michael Pennick's gonna do great this season? And it's
the ghosts are telling everyone yes, but it's never true.

Speaker 3 (38:39):
I just love that out of all the teams that
we've covered, this happens to be the team with not
a single change, and that's starting, like not a single
change on that.

Speaker 1 (38:53):
Lion new zill If you say his name, now the start,
now the center.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
I mean really though, okay, we'll.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
Talk about Jamal agnew Man. Look at that right there.

Speaker 1 (39:04):
I don't know. I think the offensive like could hold up.
But it's like, okay, what can Penix do? I mean,
he finished off this last season with like two inndred
plus passing yards in his last three games, which okay,
like any quarterback can really do that in the league
if you can know how to do the forward pass.
But I don't know, Like, I think they did score
a lot of yards. I think they got a lot
of yards, not score, but like they did get a

(39:26):
lot of yards those last three games, and they were
competitive in those final three games with him as the starter.
Commanders went to overtime, Panthers went to overtime.

Speaker 5 (39:36):
I'm just not I'm not a Panics guy. Even with Kirk,
they were like average. It was exciting with Kirk, and
then he got like then he had that whatever the
injury was in the quarterback series, and they just fell off.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
Jamal Agnew is just a glorified worst Corderio Patterson.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
I mean, he's been on, he's been through those terrible
Jaguars team. I'm surprised they let him go. He's been
there for like ten years.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
I know, return kicks scoring some of their only highlights
the whole season.

Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yeah, one hundred and nine kick off, a one hundred
and nine yard return, I believe. Back in twenty twenty one.

Speaker 4 (40:15):
Again, just a glorified Cordero Patterson.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
That's scored Darrow. Okay, he won the he won the
angry run the one week he killed the guy, Well,
straight up kill the guy. All right, let's go to
the defense here. Defense. There's a lot more exciting pieces here. Okay,
I'm not exciting. Why did you do that, Dom.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Because we're all excited and it's Cl'll.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
Be honest, I don't think I meant to do that.
It was odd, Oh oh my god, knew he absolutely
knew where we were Uh, oh, you knew, you knew,
you had known?

Speaker 7 (40:59):
I see that. Wow.

Speaker 8 (41:00):
So I'm gonna act like I wasn't here, and you
guys can let me back in.

Speaker 7 (41:03):
When we're done here.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
All right, we're stretching it out.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
You need to get back ready.

Speaker 4 (41:09):
This is what we need right here? This ray here right? No?

Speaker 3 (41:13):
No, no, no, no, where is it?

Speaker 4 (41:14):
Where is it? How do I do this?

Speaker 2 (41:16):
No?

Speaker 3 (41:17):
Okay, I thought I could do this. Maybe I can't.

Speaker 7 (41:21):
Damn.

Speaker 3 (41:21):
I thought I could only have him side by side
with the falcon stuff.

Speaker 4 (41:25):
But it's not working.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
That's fine.

Speaker 1 (41:29):
Let's get to the defense here. I'm not talking about
this offense for any other minutes. But they add a
lot of exciting pieces, the ad James Pierce, the Adjalen Walker.
Through the draft, they end up giving a future first
round pick to the Rams in order to get back
into the first this past draft. So what could that
be for the Rams? We may see. But they do
add Leonard Floyd, who I believe was released from the

(41:50):
forty nine ers. They add a very underrated linebacker and
Devine Diabolo from the Las Vegas Raiders. They really built
up this team. Billy Bowman out of the Oklahoma Sooners.
Uh yeah, they there's a lot of decent pieces here.
Obviously Justin Simmons isn't there anymore, but Jesse Bates is
still there, so trying to find some rhythm in the secondary.

(42:13):
They also have Lamar Jackson. I mean, hey, they they
got a two time MVP in the backfield.

Speaker 6 (42:17):
There.

Speaker 1 (42:18):
Pretty exciting stuff. But yeah, I got I got nothing
else to say here for uh, these Atlanta Falcons.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
So yeah, I really just want to stretch this out
just to spite goal.

Speaker 7 (42:35):
That's quite rude, might I add, but.

Speaker 4 (42:40):
My right to note.

Speaker 3 (42:40):
We did the offense and I just skipped in to
the defense because nothing changing the offensive. We really had
nothing to say. We're like, yeah, Michael Penick's like cool,
I A whatever.

Speaker 9 (42:50):
Dude, Yeah, it's gonna be It's gonna be interesting to
see what Michael Penix looks like or Michael Penis Junior
as whoever broadcasted that.

Speaker 8 (43:02):
Gosh, that one doesn't slip by. I hate to break
it to you, but yeah, it's gonna be interesting to
see what they look like this year. And again, I
could care a whole lot less about this division and
the Falcons in general. I wish you would think the
way I talk about the Falcons, that they would react
like the Packers fans react, But in.

Speaker 7 (43:22):
Sead it's not.

Speaker 8 (43:23):
The Packers fans react the way they do and the
Falcons fans to sit here and taking them the chin
and yeah that's that man.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
I don't know if we get Falcons fans reactions. I
don't know if they really care or when.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
We posted the draft reaction of PENICX, yeah, they're like,
I'm in my living room, like what the hell are
we doing?

Speaker 4 (43:44):
Maybe they just agree.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
I don't know, Oh no, we suck again.

Speaker 8 (43:52):
It's the best way to describe this franchise. You spend
all the money on Kirk Cousins, Like, I mean, I
guess it looks smart now drafted my Kirk Cousins looks terrible.
But like, holy hew, you spend all that money on
the back of quarterback. Now, i'pe you realized, Like it
just makes no sense. Atlanta just doesn't make a lot
of sense. That's why we're skipping on over Atlanta. If

(44:13):
you want to give me the schedule, you can give
me the schedules. I've already had enough. I've only been
here five minutes. I've had enough. Of this freaking franchise.

Speaker 5 (44:18):
Already, I'm convinced that the Falcons are just there as
a money laundering scheme.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
They're like a Metros store. But yes, Week one, Yeah,
the Buccaneers returned to town after that exciting Thursday night
game that they had earlier in the season in twenty
twenty four. But then you really go on the road.
Then you go to the Vikings Week two, what are
you gonna have against JJ McCarthy, And then you go
against the Panthers, who if you won the game and

(44:45):
the Buccaneer and the Buccaneers lost, you could have been
in the playoffs at that rate. So return of the crime,
return to the scene of the crime there for the Panthers,
and then you got an early buy Commanders, I don't know.
This is not an easy schedule. A lot of twos
and then ones, then twos and ones, two games on
the road, one at home, two on the road, one

(45:06):
at home. I'm not this is not a good schedule
for in their favor.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
I have like six or seven I think though I
have six or seven with giving them only one going
into the bye week, so I really don't know. I
could see them easily going into the bye week one
and three. They could make the Vikings and the Panthers, like,
the Vikings could come in and have like a nice

(45:34):
game against them and beat them and be like the
Vikings put themselves in a good spot starting in the season.
Then the Panthers could come off of two easier games
before this and beat them and be three and zero
and be like, oh sick, we're actually solid. So I mean, Loki,
I can see the Falcons kind of make some of
these teams to start off early and them.

Speaker 4 (45:55):
Only win maybe one of these games going into the
bye week. I don't know.

Speaker 5 (45:58):
There's a good chance that they spend most of the
year behind the Saints.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
In the standings.

Speaker 4 (46:07):
I think they spend the entire year behind the Panther.

Speaker 1 (46:10):
I think I don't like that the Falcons and not
decide to play Penix at all in this preseason. They
just said, you know, here's Easton Stick and Emery Jones,
like here you go have fun. I don't you gotta
play them in the preseason. How is he going to
develop and learn? Like what you just see him in
practice and you're.

Speaker 8 (46:28):
Like, joms don't like playing their starters. It's just at
this rate you might as well go down to two
preseason games and at an extra regular season game, because
like the first two weeks of the regular season are
like preseason games the way it's gonna take for these
teams to get going. So, I mean, this is the

(46:48):
problem of what they're putting out product wise, and you're
doing all this to find out what like six stringers
and what special teams guys are gonna be on your roster.
Like seriously, that's that's what these preseason games are four
at this rate because teams are.

Speaker 7 (47:03):
Not playing their guys, and like, I get it.

Speaker 8 (47:06):
I mean, we've seen big injuries happen in preseason where
it's not worth the risk. But I think it's gonna
up to a point where're gonna add an extra regular
season game at some point and then then cut another
preseason game. To be honest, I think that's where we're going.
I think that's where the league wants it to go also,
and the players are gonna bitch and moan, but like

(47:28):
this is the problem because like you're paying all this
money for weeks one and two for people to see
these games live, and you're paying it for all these
services with Amazon and Peacock and all these other Sunday
ticket and people are spending all this money to watch
preseason games Week one and two because that's how terrible
the football is. I just don't know what to tell folks.

(47:50):
That's just kind of where we're going.

Speaker 7 (47:51):
And the NFL and the.

Speaker 8 (47:53):
Player Association need to get to an agreeance on it,
because that's where we're going with this, because it's nonsense.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
Why I just noticed this. The Falcons have to go
to Germany in Week ten and they elected to have
an earlier bye week to play a home game against
That doesn't make any sense to me. Good, that's that's
that's the boneheaded decision. Like the teams have the opportunity
to be like, okay, do you want to deflect your bye?
So this was a team decision to deflect their bye.

(48:21):
That's a stupid decision.

Speaker 7 (48:23):
Maybe it doesn't never. You can never get me to
have an early bye ever if I want.

Speaker 8 (48:30):
Later in the season. There's no way, Jake. It seems
like Jake would like an early.

Speaker 1 (48:34):
Buy after last season.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
Yes, it saved the season.

Speaker 1 (48:42):
Actively one.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
It's a super Bowl, I will say.

Speaker 3 (48:47):
The sports books and where they have them rated on
wins for the Falcons and stuff is kind of insane.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
What some of the teams they have them above. It's
kind of nuts.

Speaker 2 (48:57):
They have them met it because this is I just
saw it. That's insane.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
So they have the Falcons at eight and a half
over eight and a half wins, like all the sports
books collectively together, which puts them over the Patriots, the Steelers,
the Cardinals, the the Seahawks, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami.

Speaker 4 (49:19):
Wow, they might be low.

Speaker 7 (49:21):
That's great Miami. They think Miami is going to suck
this year.

Speaker 3 (49:24):
Hey, they really do.

Speaker 4 (49:24):
Miami's at bottom.

Speaker 7 (49:26):
I don't think Miami is going to be great.

Speaker 8 (49:27):
I don't think Miami is going to be a seven
win team, which people think they're going to be.

Speaker 7 (49:32):
I don't know why.

Speaker 3 (49:33):
So, yeah, they they have them rated kind of up there,
which is kind of nuts.

Speaker 8 (49:37):
You'll get their schedule, it's possible. I mean, let's be real,
they'll probably split with Tampa. You don't know what you're
getting from McCarthy, especially is at another at Minnesota. That's
gonna be a tough game, but you never know. McCarthy's
still going to be early into his quarterback reign. Carolina,
I don't know what you're getting Bryce Young played well
at the end of last season, Washington. You know what

(49:58):
Jane Daniels is, So we'll see. I mean that that five,
our six and seven is kind of brutal there. Buffalo
and forty nine ers is kind of a kick in
the nuts. They have some winnable games. It comes down
to what does Michael Pennix look like. There's a lot
of questions with some of these year two quarterbacks with
like JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix, Junior Drake May, Like how

(50:20):
do these guys look in their next year? So that's
what's the coin flip with these teams, Like I could
see this team winning nine games possibly, I mean look
at her back into their schedule, like what who knows
what the Rams are gonna be that late in the season,
what Stafford's health is going to be. The Saints are
dumpster fires, like you might. They might not win a
game this season the Saints. I don't care division game

(50:42):
at all. I don't know if the Saints win a
game this season. Daniel Jones Anthony Richards in Week ten,
like Drake May, what does he look like?

Speaker 7 (50:49):
Like?

Speaker 8 (50:50):
I could see this team winning like nine games, like
I can also like that being the max. So that's
kind of an odd over under number to set that
because I don't see them going over nine.

Speaker 7 (51:02):
Like nine is there, Hies. I think they can reach.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
I will say, after doing the Panthers and looking at
the Panthers and feeling kind of optimistic about them and
their schedule, and the Panthers have a very easy schedule
as well, I really kind of think that I have
a hard time saying that the Falcons will do better
than the Panthers this season as far as record goes.

Speaker 5 (51:26):
Oh, I put my money on it. I put my
money on that. The fact the Panthers finished ahead of
the Falcons.

Speaker 3 (51:31):
I have a hard time grinding out the winds that
I gave the Panthers. And like you said, nine could
be like ceiling for this team, and I had the
Panthers at like almost seven as a floor. So it's like, yeah,
And if the Panthers play come out of last season

(51:53):
as they did and go right into this season with
another camp under their belt, stuff like that, and they
come out and Week three they play him, they win,
Like the Panthers could easily just after Week three hold
the better record the entire rest of the season and
kind of fend them off.

Speaker 4 (52:10):
So I don't know.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
I don't know how I feel about the Falcons. I
don't even know they What did they do last season?
What was the record?

Speaker 1 (52:17):
Eight and nine?

Speaker 3 (52:22):
Okay, that had a start, That's what they've been for
the last seventeen years. I don't even whatever.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
At times, I'm over this team. I just want to
I want to I want to ad answer. I'm so
over talking. I'm so over listening to this thing. I
am like I'm Colton Junior, like I am, I'm so
fed up with this team. We talk about another red
team that's in the South. Please. So here we go
A year ago, the Buccaneers to lose another coordinator. Canalis

(52:49):
goes to the Panthers. They have Liam Cohen come in
as the offensive coordinator. He bounced around with the Rams
and Kentucky and all its Liam Cohend. That man was
the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just last year. Buccaneers,

(53:09):
they looked, you know, good, and then injuries piled up.
Mike Evans had the hamstring problem and Chris Godwin had
that horrific ankle injury very late, well late into the
game against the Ravens. Obviously he's not gonna be playing
for the next couple of weeks as they decided to
draft a replacement. But here we go, a lot of
new faces, new places. They won the South yet again

(53:31):
early exit o to the Washington Commanders. But can the
Buccaneers go five in a row? There? Two with Brady
and can they go three with Baker Mayfield as the
quarterback one of Tampa Bay. As we go into the
offense here, a lot of injuries have piled up where
it's gonna be out the first couple of weeks. Godwin,

(53:53):
they're not rushing back. That's why they took a Mecca
at Buga from the Ohio State University. Jaalen mcmill might
not play this year. He suffered a quote severe neck injury,
so he's held out to at least the team's bye
week and weaken number nine is precautionary. So Mike Evans
is your healthy wide receiver one. And then you got
a couple of young guys there, Trey Palmer, Tesz Johnson

(54:16):
or Kim Jarrett. Yeah, Bucky Irving, who exploded onto the
scene last year, took RB one duties from Rashad White.
He fills in. He's expected of another big year, but yeah,
there's I don't know. This is a very big question
mark here for the wide receivering room for the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers as we enter the season.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
I didn't know that teds Johnson too, Boenix's brother.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
By the way. Oh yeah, facts the smallest guy drafted
and they also have the biggest guy as well from
this draft class. I'll talk about him on defense.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
It's like the only compelling team of the division.

Speaker 5 (54:58):
Like the Panthers were fun because it's like they're like
a young quarterback and they could They're optimistic.

Speaker 3 (55:04):
They're optimistic. I think it's the best way.

Speaker 5 (55:06):
But the rest is just like up until now, it's like, okay,
now we have a playoff team.

Speaker 1 (55:11):
I'm excited to see what, like Graham Barton has another
year under center, because obviously they had the other guy
who ended up retiring due to like a very bad
knee injury and he couldn't like recover from it. That
was last year. But I like the offensive line. Obviously
Worf's being her is a very big kick to the
groin the genitals. So who how will Baker Mayfield's blind

(55:34):
side hold up? Is with Ben Bredson, and you have
to assume Charlie Heck from the Niners. They're gonna be
filling in there until Wurf's is healthy.

Speaker 3 (55:43):
I mean, realistically, say what you want about the injuries,
but it's not as bad as it was midway through
last season when like Sterling Shepherd was like their best receiver, so.

Speaker 4 (56:00):
And they pulled out being a playoff team then so like,
you know.

Speaker 1 (56:05):
This team's gonna win the division, like there's nothing about it,
Like probably, Obviously my question mark is just the receiving corps. Like, Okay,
Godwin's not playing. Obviously we knew he wasn't gonna be
playing come you know, week one, But then McMillan getting
hurt is now another Like okay, a guy who was
electric down the stretch, six touchdowns in the final four games.

(56:27):
Like who's gonna step up in the receiving room. Obviously
you did take the kid from Ohio State, So what's
gonna happen? There is Sterling Shepherd gonna be getting a
lot of praise here for the Buccaneers receiving room.

Speaker 3 (56:40):
Who knows, I'm so over Sterling Shepherd.

Speaker 4 (56:45):
I am. I was over when the Giants signed him
twice in the same year.

Speaker 7 (56:51):
Is gonna show why he was taken there? And it
was threw a lot of people off why they took him.

Speaker 8 (56:56):
Knowing how good McMillan was, you got God went back
Mike Evans. Of course, he's very good, so as a
Michigan fan, and Mecca Buka is a very good player.
I hate to say it as an Ohow State guy,
but he's very good. So I think they're I think
it's going to possibly open up Jalen McMillan to be

(57:18):
dealt possibly type of deal I got.

Speaker 7 (57:22):
You can't have enough weapons.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
But like obviously Mike Evans has one more year on
his deal, and are they gonna resign him again? Are
they gonna let him walk?

Speaker 7 (57:29):
Or it could be that situation.

Speaker 8 (57:31):
He could let Mike Evans walk in Mecca Buca, Jale McMillan,
and Chris Goblin type of deal.

Speaker 7 (57:35):
Oh it's Sterling Shepherd.

Speaker 1 (57:37):
Yeah, you can't forget Sailing Shepherd. Receiver of the future.

Speaker 3 (57:40):
Mike Evans deserves some credit. And I sent this to
Will and Jake a few like a week or so ago.
He does deserve some credit because Mike Evans currently has
the second most yards actively in the league out of
all wide receivers. He has his entire career, every single
season one thoul in plus yards. He's hit that mark

(58:02):
every season of his career. Like, the dude deserves credit.
So that is giving him up would be kind of big,
and they better get a lot out of it. I
would say if they don't, keeping him is definitely worth it.

Speaker 4 (58:15):
It seems he's a very good receiver.

Speaker 3 (58:19):
I mean genuinely very good. It's an amount of consistency
you don't really see. IM mean, it's like, I don't
know how many seasons off the top of my head,
but it is at least twelve plus seasons in a
row of a thousand yards.

Speaker 4 (58:31):
That's fantastic.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
Dude, you really can't say shit about that, So you
gotta I think you really got to keep him. I
think that's a worth it.

Speaker 4 (58:40):
Signing no matter what.

Speaker 3 (58:43):
So and even when we've seen him get hurt a
thousand yards, so it's like he's he's so usable, great weapon,
your best player.

Speaker 4 (58:51):
I think on the offense you need to keep him.

Speaker 3 (58:54):
Personally, I think.

Speaker 1 (58:59):
What's up to the defense side of the football. Uh yeah,
not a whole lot of new pieces, but They did
bring in Hassan Reddick, who had a very just weird
year with the Jets last year a whole half a
sack sixty million dollars the Buccaneers pay him. Jacob Parrish
comes in around number three, Benjamin Morrison around two. Anthony
Walker comes in from the Dolphins, so obviously on the pup.

(59:22):
And then the big name here went undrafted Desmond Watson,
the heaviest man from college football just a couple of
years ago, playing at over four hundred pounds. He has
not practiced at all this training camp. They're trying to
have him lose weight. They think he could be a
big piece for them in the future. Obviously, Yeah, there's

(59:45):
I don't know. This defense to me doesn't jump out
and is like, oh, it's great, it's great, it's great,
Like it plays really well every single year. I don't
I don't really know what to make of it this year,
but it's gonna be another defense that ends up playing
like Okay, hey, they're just gonna be you know, another
top twelve unit in this league.

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
Is Sonric actually gonna play?

Speaker 6 (01:00:08):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:00:08):
He actually showed up for training camp, so wow, that's
what I said.

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Yeah, Well, Jet Will's just scarred. Will is a broken fan.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
You know, I was kind of upsex. I really wanted
to Bryce Huff to stay with the Jets. So like
then the Eagles getting the short end of the stick,
and then the Reddick issue with the Jet side being
the short end of the stick. It's just like a
stupid thing. And then the Eagles somehow still acquire a
third round pick and the next year's half.

Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
You can get him back.

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
Now he's a Niner.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
Now I know you can still get him back. I
don't think they're gonna use me either, No, I think
they will.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
Salah loved him. Salah loved him on the Jets that
he's back there.

Speaker 3 (01:00:54):
They upgraded from Brandon Stale Robert Sala. Look at them, go.

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
Uh yeah, it's gonna be another good defense. It really
is like might not jump out on paper, but like
they're gonna play well, it's just gonna be you know, like, hey,
obviously they keep the ball in their court. They can
always get Baker Mayfield out there, and Baker could do
his little Baker magic things and win the games and
all that stuff.

Speaker 5 (01:01:19):
Yeah, he yeah, they're gonna have their games where they
look great and games get torched because that's just kind
of what Todd Bowles does.

Speaker 4 (01:01:27):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 5 (01:01:27):
And they're gonna most likely make the playoffs. Like that's
just kind of the kind of it.

Speaker 3 (01:01:37):
Schedule it up.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
Let's schedule it up so big one Week one? Hey, Atlanta,
can they I don't know, get a revenge game for
their Thursday night game? They obviously showed up and beat
them in Tampa Bay, So what can the Buccaneers do
enter in Week one? But hey, back to back games.
Last time the Buccaneers were in Houston, C J. Strad
put on one of the greatest rookie performances in history

(01:02:01):
four inn or some of the yard, six touchdowns. Can
they revenge themselves there? And then they celebrate their fiftieth year,
uh you know creamsicles playing the Jets, and then they
play the Eagles, which I think could chuck up an
early win here. Sorry, Jake, I got ten that. You know,

(01:02:22):
it might be all over the place with the schedule,
but you know this team's gonna play really tough. They can.
I think they can honestly start out three no and
potentially a four to o. But it just kind of
comes down to, Okay, like, how is the injuries on offense,
gonna be faring against a lot of these teams. Falcons
are obviously hungry. They could have been the NFC South champions, obviously,

(01:02:44):
but they ended up losing those last couple of games.
Texans have just not been looking good, especially like the
mid part of the season. How are they gonna look
amid their injuries all over the place. Uh yeah, let's
zoom out here. I'm tired of talking. I can't see
your guys face. It's a ten win team, can be ten?

Speaker 3 (01:03:07):
I have ten or eleven?

Speaker 7 (01:03:08):
Honestly, it's God.

Speaker 8 (01:03:10):
The fact that you guys spent an hour talking about
the NFC South.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
Oh no, we spent seven minutes talking about this other
stuff too before we even started.

Speaker 8 (01:03:18):
So it's like, oh, okay, almost this division sucks.

Speaker 7 (01:03:23):
Holy cow, it's so mid. I like the Buccaneers. But
if you put them in like the.

Speaker 8 (01:03:28):
NFC West where we're going next, Holy cow, who cares?

Speaker 7 (01:03:32):
Like, Oh my god, it's so mid. This division is
so mid? Oh god.

Speaker 8 (01:03:38):
I mean they have a chance to clean house at
the end of the season from like November thirtieth, hands down,
have a great opportunities to clean house.

Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
They might not need to like give a crap about
where they are and the standings and then just win
out and be chilling.

Speaker 5 (01:03:57):
Like that's the story with the NBC South every year
though one team it is just has an easy back
end and that's the team that makes the playoffs.

Speaker 8 (01:04:04):
Yeah, like this division sucks, Like you just have a
lot of like generous question marks. Like it's not like
there's like any star powered team, which all this team's
easily it. Like, dude, if Carolina is like continues what
they did last year, okay, then you're gonna have a story.

Speaker 7 (01:04:18):
Otherwise, this is the story.

Speaker 8 (01:04:20):
This is the division, and congratulations Mark Christmas, Happy, happy Kwansa.
No one cares about the NFC South is irrelevant.

Speaker 3 (01:04:26):
Yeah, that's basically what we said about Carolina. We're like, man,
if they could compete and make Tampa Bay care about
that Week sixteen and eighteen game, sick.

Speaker 4 (01:04:36):
I hope they do. But other than that, here we are.

Speaker 3 (01:04:39):
That's just it.

Speaker 4 (01:04:41):
Bang.

Speaker 1 (01:04:44):
What will make this season successful for the Buccaneers.

Speaker 4 (01:04:47):
Dude, I don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:04:47):
In a playoff game?

Speaker 1 (01:04:49):
Yeah, let's let's go deep in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
Actually, yeah, they make the NFC Championship game. Cool, sick,
go Baker should have been dunk on the Browns.

Speaker 1 (01:05:02):
I don't know, whatever, I gotta do this just for
podcasting purposes for our audio listeners. So if you like
the episode, like and subscribe for more content. I follow
us YouTube for the fan network, TikTok for the fandom,
work x for the fan on the score, and Instagram
for the fan football. Yeah, you can find us all
over the place. Find your favorite team if we haven't
talked about, which we probably did because we already did

(01:05:24):
twenty four other teams before this, So twenty eight down,
a little bit more to go. Yeah, try and the
live stream or should I continue? I'm gonna have to
definitely fix the description on YouTube, Okay,