2023 Season Predictions: Awards, Playoffs and Super Bowl Winners

The Around the NFL podcast Three bozos going absolutely nowhere from the.

Chris Westling podcast studio. It's Around the NFL that was necessary. It was time to take a little air out of the blue in this room. Dan Hands is here, Creig Rosenthal, Mark Sessler.

That was just an op ed from Jason Sommore right, totally off book.

It's definitely getting high off our own supply season.

This is our twenty twenty three season Predictions and Awards show. How fun is that? Where we're going to go through all our picks that you actually you could read about

I got this in just before deadline, So imagine if I had not been included in this exercise.

I was hoping everyone would get it in last year. Not everyone got it in. I was meaning to look up who didn't get it in last year because it read havoc with this episode a year ago. I don't know who was it.

It was probably you.

I did get it in personally. I know that I hadn't to ask for an extent.

I have to look it up.

It probably was me. We don't need to look it up. Maybe you're right, it was probably me. I don't really remember.

It was probably me, and yet you tried to put me.

Well, now, once I once I thought about it, let's just let's just move on. I mean, yes, it is cool to be making picks alongside. Maurice Jones drew overrating his employer for like the seventh straight year.

But I get it.

Oh, he works for the Rams and it doesn't even work for the Jaguars.

He's just a fan.

He always overrates them too, But I think he nailed them last year because they had a nice little season.

Mark you and I participated last year in the sex or Okay, I missed it.

It's it's called being professional right at your workplace.

Because you know, for Greg not to do this year ago. Meant he was blowing off emails from I don't think it was Blair, Gennaro, Police, all those great people.

Don't have time for you, people who operate in cubicles and desks.

And then he tried to brush this off with something we shouldn't even talk about by saying, oh, it's probably you Dan.

I believe that in the moment, and then I thought about it and I was like, actually, that sounds like something I would do.

You need to get going, Mark, I know you before the show. You're getting a little jittery. I so you know, I'm not unlike the two of you.

I have multiple responsibilities in the city, on the planet and have somewhere with a tight deadline. And you know, we've done a lot of things today and we took a big long lunch in the middle, and so I really enjoyed that. But then it suddenly started a clock watch a little bit, gotta move, gotta.

Be I'm expecting clip dancers from from market.

You're doing the show.

Because we we began with it's Patrick Mahomes.

Of course it is next.

So we're going to try to get through this in a decent amount of time. For Mark, you to handle all the adult responsibilities that you had.

I only care about. I only care about. I did not say that you don't have these responsible But if you did that, if one of you had the responsibility, we would have crank this thing. We would have been going thirty five minutes ago.

You do have responsibilities right now, our responsibilities to the audience.

To just what I say, is that care about the list and the co hosts that I work with.

I think you care about driving fifty four miles per hour out of this building in exactly forty four minutes.

I care about that too, Not as fast as he'll be out of the studio running.

He's just wow.

We gotta start getting a camera on Mark exiting the studio or any of our Shadowy League figure meetings. It's become my favorite.

There was a classic quad on Monday where yeah, you were, you were through that glass door and.

It was just like chair was spinning.

Look, I spent like I had like twenty terrible corporate jobs, and I became involved in this industry to not do corporate meetings. So I have to learn on my tolerance to rise it. Because I'm a I'm not acclimated to that.

We do that out of respect for you. We don't give you a hard time about it because usually in those meetings, Greg and I then have another ten minutes where the boss is still want to talk post meeting, Yeah, but usually thinke that way. It's taking that bullet for you every single time.

Well, no, I've stayed to the end of many of them. First of all, it's a lot of it's a lot of like the we start talking about like pickleball and like like like you know what saw products someone? Yeah, just like just like it's not nothing like what what is the what are why are we doing this?

Why are we here? Anyways?

Big question that I'm adding multiple minutes to the show with the complaints, So.

We are actually got to tackle that on the Metaphysical podcast.

What are we doing here?

Right now? We're gonna pick yes, our predictions and awards for the season. This is once that once it's on digital print for NFL dot Com, you can't go back on it. And then you go back I already did to the end of the season.

Uh.

And you know, listen, I remember Greg with his whole like, oh I picked the Eagles thing. I remember, we couldn't we couldn't stop hearing about that. And it's because Greg in his back pocket. And that's not even a shot on you. Greg. You knew you had this article in the digital archive that you could point to forever.

I like that.

Right now, we have an opportunity once again to be as annoying as Greg was a year ago.

That's all you're going for in this sort of exercise, and opportunity to be annoying in the future.

And it can go on and on mm hmm.

And they offer this thing mid season where you can go back and change all your life. And I think we shouldn't exactly. We should all just say there's none of that happened.

I always decline that one, but not out of disrespect for my colleagues. No, like Greg last year, because I stand on what it uh Will Smith saying Concussion tell the truth. I tell the truth here. I don't need to rewrite history in the middle of the season. I'm either going to be right or wrong. Probably wrong, but that's the fun of it. Let's get to it.

We don't mention that movie.

Yeah, out of loyalty to the employer. I never went and saw that didn't bite ticket.

Don't believe it there's that anything, and there was like this Patriots player in the early aughts shit off field story we'd never mentioned.

Shoosh. All right, let's get to it. Let's do it this way. Let's start by talking awards, okay, and then we'll get to the picks for the divisions wild cards, and then close with our Super Bowl picks. Which way do we want to go? Let's go from down to up. Let's start with Coach of the Year. All right, all right, and this is an interesting one. Let me throw out first of all, the NFL dot Com consensus was my

Wow?

And I kind of would Actually, I think this it sort of tilts towards new face.

I like that choice by you, plus for a guy who has been around forever, who is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, that is now building up another team that could be ready to make noise this year.

And remember when Leo finally got the oscar for The Revenant. I believe it was and it was by far choice greatest performance. So it was like it was time we got to make up for the same thing. Denzel was Marty Marty score ses. They gave it to him for The Departed, which is a fun movie but not special like say Goodfellas or Raging Bowl or extra course correction,

Needs more than that, I think to win Coach of the Year, I think you need to win the division, or need to win twelve games and somehow get boxed out in that division.

Because now the expectations.

Who says, I don't have Mike Tomlin winning the division right.

Sure, I'm just I think that's what he'll need because we've had Cognizani like Mark leading the pack here that actually have elevated the expectations enough that I don't think the seventh seed would be enough for Tomin to do it. But I love that choice. They sort of wish that was my choice. This is the award that has the most differing opinions. Fourteen different people got votes here, and no more than seven out of thirty plus voters.

I think it's gonna be a tough road for Tomalin unless they have like a three or four game spike and win the division.

All us I have Arthur Smith.

I think he fits the narrative of what how this award goes out because it's.

Like the Falcons have been competent under him.

We've talked about them a ton, so I don't even need to reiterate at all, but like there's a vision and I think he's going to fulfill it.

I think they're gonna make the playoffs.

They're going to be a fun team and a completely different version of the Falcons than we've seen for a long time. And it's kind of like Arthur Smith newer face gets a lot of.

Votes, so he actually is one of the favorites depending on where you look on Caesars as we're listing on the on the website, he's plus one thousand, which is one of the favorites.

I hate it when people say.

Like, oh, Dan Campbell's the favorite to win Coach of the Year, and then if he doesn't win it, it's like, oh, yeah, he was the favorite. It's like, yes, but he's plus eight fifty, which is an eight to one odds. It's like even calling the Lions the favorite in the NFC North, you should understand like, actually, the odds say it's more likely one of the other three teams. You know, the field wins over the Lions, but they are the most likely.

As the backstory because everyone knows he's hind of on thin eyes here and maybe not even all by his own doing, just the change and tumult around Washington. Okay, I think they're all good picks comeback player of the Year. This is interesting. So twenty two votes for an NFL media for Damar Hamlin. It's crazy to me that anybody else would vote for anyone other than Tomorrow.

One really stands unless they Unless they they forget that Deamar Hamlin nearly died on the football field and now is he's on the Buffalo Bills this season as a football player. What we're you gonna say, Well, no, I think it's I think it's either you forgot or you're really trying to be a tad extra by picking someone else like I now, I think this is a person

He got the second most out of votes, And I thought that the little extra star at the bottom the asterisk come back to Us, which notes that Caesar's isn't even offering Betty Lions at Comeback Player the Year, So I think that speaks to this is a weird, uncomfortable award to bet on generally, but especially with Tamar Hamlin.

But other places are putting up odds for this.

And Adam Shine come back to us, right.

And Tamar Hamlin actually is a huge favorite to win this award, So there's something awkward about this.

But he got all three of our votes.

He's gonna win. The only other.

One went Ridley. Oh, John Metchi would make some sense.

That what you're gonna say the only other person John Metchu obviously battled leukemia after being a second round pick of the Texans, and he's going to be in the mix for Houston this year. I mean, Breeze Hall, sure Tua got a vote here? Odell Okay, Beckham Lamar, come on, you don't do not give away Comeback Player of the Year award somebody who just was okay as a player and missed, you know, four or five games.

Christian Gonzales voted for Tua as the Comeback Player of the Year. This is not and I've done some digging, it's not the Christian Gonzales that was taking seventeenth overall. Oh okay, he's not working. It's a digital content producer. And he went to a defensive Rookie of the Year. Let's see Hansas.

Sorry, that's funny.

Hansas voted with the majority here at Jalen Carter, the defensive tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles. I just think it's been proven that the Eagles know how to assimilate these talented players and get the most out of them. And even if he doesn't play a huge amount of snaps as a rookie, they're going to find a way to make it count. And he's obviously stuteley coming out of college. So he was my pick. Who did you guys go with?

So I am one of two people along with Nick Schuh so I feel good about this that went with again Steelers team Joey Porter Junior. I just feel like, uh, well, first of all, I have I was banging the table for the Steelers to take Joey Porter back in the draft because it's like, don't don't bypass the son of a Steelers legend.

Just take them. I think they're it's gonna work.

And I think cornerback is the kind of thing that you make a couple of big splash plays, you got a chance to be to get those votes.

History says it's usually won by a pass rusher or a linebacker, So Dan voting Carter makes sense. I do think he might struggle to get a you know, more than fifty percent of steps. He could still win Rookie of the Year with that, But there's just so many good players. Will Anderson got eleven votes, so almost as many as Carter. I went with Brian Branch safety Wow slash Nickel, and it'd be pretty rare for a second round player in the secondary.

But we did get three votes.

Ow uh, he's had such a good camp and preseason that maybe we're getting two. But he's also the kind of guy who's got to make splash plays. I think interceptions, sack like, kind of like a Mike Helton up playing safety type where he's just in the mix with big plays on a team everyone likes the Lions. So I went Brian Branch, but history would say Anderson and Carter make a lot of sense.

That's a nice arthrow. The Homer and me really wanted to go with Will McDonald who got two votes in this exercise as well, But I've managed to rein it in.

That was really and you rand it in on Sola to him, this is again the integrity is just shining.

Anderson is the favorite, by the way, the Jalen Carter is the number two betting favorite, and then Christian Gonzales that the Patriot is third. Tyree Wilson and Devin Witherspoon after that got.

It offensive rookie in the of the Year. This is a runaway. In terms of NFL media voting. Twenty six of the twenty six of the thirty four votes went to Bjon Robinson. Can't get too cute, however, he got clever.

Danny got a little cute.

Well, this makes sense though, I got a little cute, because what's the one thing that could take out Bijon Robinson quarterback? Quarterback? And how about a quarterback that potentially throws for three thousand runs for ten.

Rocks ten rocks? Is that? Is that how we're talking?

I talk over you.

I like that if you were going to pick one of the three quarterbacks. Richardson is actually longer odds in Vegas than Bryce Young, and I agree with you he would be the most likely rookie quarterback to win Rookie of the Year because I think he could just put up twelve hundred yards on the ground and be highlight worthy.

J Stroud didn't even get a vote out of the thirty four in our ballot.

Yeah, I I it's gonna be a tough team to be I felt great about Beeson. I've been riding the Bejon as a top three or four fantasy pick. I think he could lead the league in rushing or close to it. So I love Bejon.

Robbins. It happened to notice Jack and Harry Hans's time. Yes, Robson number one overall in our kids.

Well, yeah, you had the eleventh pick and he fell that far. And like many of Jack and Harry quote unquote's pick, I was like, Wow, this team has drafted remarkably well, incredibly well marauders. I would go as far to say the preseason favorites in this league from what I saw, when they say, you know how they do the thing after they were they do a draft recap where they predict your record. I mean, I bet it

You know these two things you need to know. Hey predict for you obviously heavily involved. I'll tell you a couple of things. First of all, the projections, which are pretty bad, something we need to work on. Here have us finishing three and eleven? Wait really yeah, but that whatever.

I'm shocked because I really did think you'rett But I also terrific.

I in my league of a record. I once had a prediction of oh to thirteen and I won the league with Okay, so yeah, they don't miss so yeah. But if my sons were very you know, my youngest is six years old. If I left it up to them, it would have been Aaron Rodgers' first pick, yeah, Garrett

Not in this league, which is which are mostly kids justin fields went third overall or something. People are doing crazy picks.

I have, but also you turn your child into a football loving cyborg.

I didn't turn them here so like he has such much more knowledge, but he still made crazy picks. He got upset when I entered the room, though, and tried to help him.

But I did help my daughter.

Ellis, what was the anecdote you told about your son a couple of shows ago. You remember it about Walker, which is beautiful and cute, and I love it. But what does he do? Now? What's this new thing he does?

He took what that? He took Brady and mac Jones back to bed, no second, watching highlight, watching games. He turns on NFL Plus and starts scrolling through old games.

I don't know which story.

Beautiful, Yeah, company, a company man, it's a company child.

But he's just like that. But it did make me proud from year one to year two. He didn't want my help this year, and he did a much better job. I wouldn't say it was an adult job, but much my boys didn't. There yet, no support Alis isn't either. I give her like an option of a handful of people and she picks it.

All right, where were we there? Oh yeah, show idea?

Sorry dad corner there Zay Flowers got to vote. I think that was a nice let's Jerry, that's Jeremy Bergman. That's what he's going out, Liar.

That's a fun little plus sixteen vote.

That's good, Jerry Bergman. Jerry going by that. No, no, but you might want to think about it.

Jon is plus two seventy five to get it. I like that one.

So what does that mean? If you put down one hundred bucks on beijon, what do you make.

You got two seventy five?

Oh that makes sense. That's a bad bet though.

Well also, you're not allowed to you you particularly would not.

That's how I don't know. Yes, I don't do those things. But Greg seems plugged in.

But we're just listing what we're listing on the website. That's gotta be allowed.

Defensive Player of the Year. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. The number one vote getter is Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys. You got nineteen of the votes in Caorrain from Greg Rosenthal.

Love this.

Mark Sessler went with I was.

The lone individual in the entire organization that voted for Sauce Gardner, and I love it.

God bless you, Chill. That has an absolute chance of happening.

If the Jets are on television four thousand times and he has like three pick sixes and wins a game with a pick six and he's sort of just Drell Reeves two point zero.

He has been positioned as that type of star, and they never mentioned everything.

They never gave Darrell Defensive Player of the Year, which was an absolute travesty. But if he wins Defensive Rookie of the Year and then Defensive Player of the Year year one two, we're talking about a potential.

It is a stretch that I think it's a little bit tough. It's gonna be tougher versus some of these TJ. Watts and Parsons and Miles Garretts of the world.

I am buying and I think this is my favorite pick of all my picks in terms of like, look, even though he's the most likely guy Parsons, he's still plus four fifty and to me, I think he's got room to grow. We heard about it all offseason. I just think there's another gear for him to go and he's already one of the best defensive players I've ever seen.

So I love me some Micah Parsons this year.

And I've always been a fan of Miles Garrett and his upside, and he does deliver every season when he's healthy. But is this the year where he doesn't get slowed down by anything? And if that doesn't happen, and Mark, you've been watching him since day one, Yeah, closely. If he gets through a season where he doesn't get dinged up and slowed down, I think he's a guy could break the sack record bye week seven.

I think it also like, so you did have Clowney there for a couple of years, but Zadarius Smith alongside him.

That helps.

I think it's like you can't ignore the other side of the ball. And there's been a couple of seasons where he was sort of an island, the lone guy and getting triple teamed and still getting numbers. I do feel like there's a little bit of bias against the Browns in general, just through this whole extra that we go into.

I get to that I disagree.

I disagree, maybe not Miles Garrett, but that team.

We'll get to it. Let's get to it. Offensive Player of the Year, Greg, did you sit out this year? I know you.

I actually did it for the first time ever, and I even got a response from our editors saying, wow, you did it this year.

I did it, So I actually really a difficult employees.

Well, I mean, I have principles and I stand by them until the one year I randomly don't.

For the new listeners, why don't you like Offensive Player of the.

Year because it's just like as a concept.

Because it used to It's just like it should be the best quarter It's just the same as MVP because MVP is always offensive.

It should be the same thing.

It's like best picture.

I guess I've been convinced that it's just a nice way to honor someone else that's not a qu minor tweak.

Would be make Offensive Player of the Year non quarterback award? Yes? Absolutely.

There were a number of years.

Manning was one year there was a Rogers year where the quarterback swept the same guy, and that was when I would really was against it.

But that hasn't been happening lately.

That should not be allowed. I was a little surprised to see this and the vote was split heavily on this one, so the leading vote had only got seven votes, and none of us here did it, but Kevin Patrick did. Christian McCaffrey, I just you know, he's just so there's so many touches to go around there, and I know he's gonna get plenty in San Francisco. But is he gonna be able to stay healthy? You never know. Okay, so let's see where did I go. I went with

I uh, let's see. I went Jalen Hurts. Now I'm with you. I kind of think if I could organize the awards a certain way, it wouldn't be it would be quarterbacks.

And he went it last? Did he or Justin Jefferson win it last year? I think Justin Jeffers's interesting. They're both twenty five hundred in Vegas. It's just weird because like, then, why was he Why wouldn't he be the MVP.

Well, because there's someone else that very clearly could be the m v P.

But you shouldn't be two quarterbacks, but it is so I look, there's on this list. There is Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Labar Jackson, Tua Chase.

Chase got the second most amount of votes in Vegas. Chase, In, Jefferson and McCaffrey are the top three most likely. I went totally wild. I went Chris o'lave saw that. I mean, I do I think this is gonna happen. I mean, probably not, but I just thought he would be nice to throw him in the mix as someone to keep an eye on, and that he would have a chance. I think he has a chance at like a fifteen sixteen hundred yard season. It's a bit of the long shot.

I like it. Finally, Yeah, that's a good pick. I think a LaVey was basically Garrett Wilson South last year guy that was just different, special right away. Most Valuable Player? All right, so in this category, Mark, you and I both went with the great Mahomes. Yeah. I went with Mahomes because you know these MVP awards, you see it, they are not afraid to go on runs with guys the voters. They are okay with that. Brett Farva, I believe one three in a row. We've seen other players.

He was he was quite Yeah, his three were pretty far.

Let me look the state up. But I thought he if there's anybody and got a couple in a row, If there's anybody who the academy as it were would be willing to continue to reward excellence. It's this guy who's the face of the NFL. So I feel good knowing that Mahomes once again is gonna put up monster numbers for the best team in football, the Super Bowl champs. That's my vote, easy. But I think he is he just in the flesh he is.

And you're right, it is the one category where it's like, we don't have to come up with a different name every year, like Coach of the Year and all these other ones, Like it's just Mahomes and it would be an upset to me if any of these other names won.

But Greg, you went.

Well last year.

I nailed that MVP by choosing Mahomes and I'm honking about it right now. And not that many people. We're picking Mahomes last year, so you got it. You don't want to be a year late. So I moved to my guy in the division, Justin Herbert. So this is the year and he's unleashed, Kellen Moore going down the field, great offensive line, great weapons. I really do think he's got a chance for a five thousand yard insane statistical season and he's not one of the bigger long. You know,

And my long shot. We talked about it earlier or last week. Trevor Lawrence is a long shot. I kind of like, I don't know if did he get any votes?

No, not one little surprise in Vegas.

He's only the sixth, six or seventh most likely, which is not too low on the list.

Here is just for you history buffs out there. Joe Montana went back to back eighty nine to ninety. Farv went back to back to back ninety five ninety six. There you go. Seven, that's insane, Hello, Larry, let's see Kurt Waterer one two out of three doesn't count. Peyton

Beurable SNL say the least four kids out there.

It's Pat was a popular sketch on the show Saturday Night Live in the late nineties, early night, early day.

Maybe even mid Okay, So there you go. That is all the award predictions. When we get back season predictions, including our super Bowl picks. Tease, we'll be right back. Oh but before we do. Reminder atn plus NFL plus New shows every Monday and Thursday, the Monday Show, it's our game of the week where we dive in watch it again together, share thoughts, insights, all sorts of good stuff.

It's like what you're watching game Pass. You're going through the games because you enjoy watching the games again, and then you're like, oh, I'm not going to rewatch that game on game Pass, which is also on NFL Plus because I'm gonna watch the heroes talk about it, yell plus.

A lot of rules, a lot of guidelines, but I think you want to follow these ones if you're a fanatic of the game. Yes, you do what Greg just said that seven or eight things he told you to do.

You go do that, well, said Mark. And on Thursday it's going to be our Dreamatorium show lots of classic war horses of our show, favorite segments and new ones. In addition to a fan outreach where we ask you, the fans, to deliver us ATN your most creative video submission. Send them to ATN Fan of the Week at gmail dot com. If it's funny, if it's incisive, if it's weird, give it to us. We'll be right back. All right, we're back. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. Now it gets real because

This was the toughest division for me to sort through. I spent probably eighteen to twenty seconds on this one.

I went Bills, Good.

Well, No, when you're filling this thing, are you kind of just you have been thinking about this for months?

Yes? Bang through these There's two ways to look at it. You could labor over it, right or you're right? After all. The kind of conversations gout instant.

I feel like I've been thinking about it. You think about it all off season. But I also had to contact the editors to change my answers multiple times.

You weren't Greg, I don't know what? Like what you know? What did you go with? Greg?

I went with the Bills. This one I didn't from what What did you change it from?

No?

This division? I didn't.

I mean there were a couple other choices. It was the NFC wildcard situation. I kept going back and forth. We'll get to that.

I felt good.

I mean I led my over unders with the Bills, or I didn't lead it, but they were one of my picks of the over I just feel like they are one of the three or four best teams in the NFL still until I am shown otherwise taking them over your Jets.

A lot of people took the Jets, though. That worry you Dan.

More than ever in this exercise took the Jets. I would, I would gamble, So I think it was well if you go all the way back to peak Rex, I don't think they've had many people doing this back then.

Yeah, they have them going over the Patriots. Maybe that one year there was a lot of maybe one twenty twelve votes for the Jets and twenty for the Bills. That sounds about right in terms of I'm surprised the Dolphins only got two.

Yeah, I uh yeah, stunner, I went with the Jets. Patra In shook win Dolphins. Yeah, And that's that's okay too, because I see the Jets, who are at plus two to fifty by the way, Dolphins plus three hundred. You could make a case for either of those teams if things break the right way, and then the Bills come down just a little bit. It's very interesting and by the way, no votes for your darling Patriots, Greggy. But

Check In on Sports illustrates Connor Orr, who predicted every game on the schedule and has what do you know, the Patriots winning the af E East.

What I do wonder whether, upon the return to Bill O'Brien, this is Connor's writing.

Will assume that same kind of automatic competency.

I like that.

I like that a lot that defined the majority. I would add large majority.

Really, I would add almost all, vast majority.

Vast majority is even better of the Bill Belichick eras Brew. I didn't even write a question here, I was just going to pontificate. But do you have any issues with this?

Yeah? This is ridiculous.

First things first, fs one, that's gonna be a drop who's the gentleman?

By the way, that was Christopher Sarrd.

I do love how he prefaced it with Connor or usually does good work.

I don't know that's a good way to like when you absolutely hate the take but don't want to come off as a jerk. I was kind of a pro move.

I love you, Connor. You did it, and I think it could be a fun, spicy one. They're plus eight hundred to win the division, so it's a little crazy, but the craziest thing and we might have. I'm just gonna mention it now while we're talking pages, because we're not going to revisit it. They're not in any of our wild card picks. They were in any of the thirty six respondents wild card picks. Oh for for these Patriots, And I can't hate on it because I didn't pick

Well all right, that's fine, But like this is why I was surprised that I'm the only one that feels that fell Chick's safer than perhaps you guys do, just because the team's not that great and the division seems to be very good.

The team, if they're not great, he is the most respons.

He could coach this team up and they could go seven to ten. And it's not because he's bad at what he does. It's because think about it that.

Wait, hold on, he's as a general manager. You'd have to say this overall roster is lacking.

I think it's average, but that's it's a very average team.

I think it's average. I don't think it's just not great. No, But I think it's.

Reason we're talking about Belichick this year particularly, it's relative to all the other seasons where he was as safe as any coach in any sport. It's now Kraft has talked about this team this season, the Bill Belichick experience, the Matt Patricia experience, in a bit of a different way than we've ever heard him talk about Belichick. And I think, you know, these marriages come to a conclusion at times. This is a different feel. You have to say that, Dan, right in past years with Belichick.

I like that. It's a different era. No, So that's why we're not special anymore.

They're not.

And yet I should have you know, I'm not showing my belief because I didn't put them as a wildcard or anything. There's just so many good teams in the AFC. But I am honestly optimistic that they can surprise teams winning with the defense of personnel that they have in a much more efficient offense. It just would not surprise me at all if they beat one of the end up ahead of one of these AFC East teams. The Jets are the Dolphins specifically that end up being a disciplined well.

One of these teams will probably lose their quarterback for the year. It's like, I think, I see the Patriots like winning eight games. They're not a disaster.

I say that, I think they have a chance to win ten games this year, but I did not saying it with my chest because they were als.

Said, I am with you. I thought that last year, but I underestimated the Patricia disaster of it all. I think they're always lying in the weeds in that sense. And guess what, Bill Belichiche was gonna win Coach of the Year if they win ten games. I was nobody. He's never won.

I was very down on them last year. This year, I feel I feel all better. I feel better, all right, Saucy more on some of these teams.

In a bit AFC North, I.

Greg Marcus checked his clock.

I mean there's also I had a thing to show my function in the little a little, just like series started talking to you, A little thing showed up on my on my watch, so I looked at it.

Greg and I both went with the defending champs, the Cincinnati Bengals. As I said last week, no team has ever won this division three years in a row. The Bengals are looking to do it. I think they will, but that's not that doesn't mean. Oh look, old Zeuster got the blurbed in this one. They came to me for the blurb. I love that. Don't remember writing it. Why Dan Hanris chose the Bengals. The clock is ticking

Rugged nice graft. Where did you You don't recall writing that I knocked it out yesterday?

I do remember, all.

Right, tough schedule, but uh, I think if I had to just choose one team, you know, just the Bengals to me feel like the safest, even more than the Cheese.

I really feel good about the Bengals coming into this year.

What's not to like?

Yeah, the division in the schedule, I guess.

Yeah, or just something you know, so specifically, what's not to like about this team?

Like, remember they went they were steaming, they won ten in a row last year. Once they figured things out and Burrow got healthy, I think it's gonna be a very similar vibe. I think they're gonna roll Burrow has you know, MVP vibes.

I think they just got to protect against like another slow start. I mean the Burrough Calf thing. Eh, it kind of like freaks me a little bit, But he's practicing. Maybe he's fine as long as they manage that crew.

And you the Steelers.

You're in so deep with the Steelers now that you almost have no other choice.

I didn't, I wasn't. I didn't do this as a trick or a folly. Like I think they're going to win the division.

Well, you're run of four people, thirty four voters. I think I've seen the last couple of weeks. In the last couple of weeks, I'm starting to hear so much. I think the Steelers thing is becoming the vast opposite of original because it's everyone's starting to pile on and feel the Steelers.

People put too much into the preseason.

It's true, well were so fired.

I also put this Mike Tomlin with bad Steelers teams or down Steelers teams, still pulls off nine wins.

This is a better version of the Steelers than we've seen in a long time.

Totally.

They didn't have t J. Watt for most of last season. I think their quarterback, like I do, put into the preseason the way that Kenny pick it through the ball and looked.

Okay, well that's a great point.

Mark. It's just it's I feel like it's a runaway train now that because they are fish in on some preseason drives against it. That's what I wouldn't called a runaway.

Runaway toy got half the votes the Ravens got.

Maybe I'm talking about much just absurd. What about the the Sessler curse though that that was very real last year you took down multiple teams.

Well that's ruesome, that's absolute, like you know, that's psychological warfare.

Like if I'm a Steelers fan, I am furious by how excited you are about this.

So little uncanny And how about this about this, how I'd leave the league and start build a house in the desk.

About this, Greg the or Mark the X Browns fan gassing up the Steelers gas lighting in a reverse jinks for the Ages.

And not gas lighting gas lighting And those are hard air quotes for the listeners. For Mark the X Browns fan, Well.

What what if I had to pick some team? Yeah, well, hold on, whatever team I pick in this division is a former hated foe.

So you've been down on the Ravens and he didn't.

Pick the Browns, and nobody picked the Browns. So that's not a single voter. It thinks the Browns with the Shawn Watson could win this division.

Okay, so divisions fine, but even we'll dig in later. It's like they just were largely ignored.

I find that.

I think there's Scottis yeah, but I don't think they're making the playoffs, So okay, no problem.

Amision's a pretty AFC is deep deep deep deep AFC South not so deep now paratively, but thirty one votes for the Jaguars. Greg is a special little boy, so he said the Titans.

I mean, why aren't you a special little boy when you've been making some of your.

Out of left because, as I've said that you do not like the jack.

Well, I do think there's someone. I do think there's opportunity here. The Jaguars are a heavier favorite to win their division than I believe any team is in the entire NFL. I guess they're the same as the Chiefs to win to win their division.

That's too much to me.

And why is that, though, Because because the view of the Titans is so low, and then rightfully it's low of the Colts and Textans, so it's about the rest of the division. But to me, the gap between the Titans and the Jaguars in all respects is not that big. I don't think it's big coaching take the Titans. I think the defense is really loaded, and I think Tannahill

What we're seeing here with it with just three votes, including yours, is that the Titans have been probably prematurely totally written off there's a couple of reasons for it. I mean, they didn't fix some of their own problems. We talked about the line. Their wide receiver situation is really variable. We don't know what we're gonna get with Ryan Tannehill or any quarterback behind them. But the things you mentioned are consistent and real.

I am a special little boy, My mama.

You are a special little boy. She's still ann and tell you that. I mean, she listens to the show, so maybe she'll give you a call and.

Say she has been lately.

I don't know if she actually used those words, but that's the feeling she left me with.

Yes, I think good feeling. I think the window closed great mount on this Titans team and now they're in transition. And because the reason, the reason why I'm not feel good about banging the under on six and a half or whatever seven and a half is because of the reasons why what you're saying, Greg, I actually I think your take is fair that there might not be as big a gap between the Jags and Titans for this to vote, for instance, to be that crazy thirty one

All fair, they.

Got the tickle monsters on the defensive line.

I'll get me wrong, and I'm usually an offense is what I pick, and they are.

The offense is the Jaguars. They are a great looking offense. I hear you, all right.

AFC West thirty two votes. You are a special little boy thirty two votes, including Hansas and hands this and Sssler go with the defending champion Chiefs and it is the Bolts according to Greg Now, you know you obviously don't actually believe this. This is the dude getting a little shine on the Chargers. Maybe you'll get some tickets down the line. Maybe, well that would be Daniel Jeremiah and Matt Muddy Smith reach out to you and say, hey man,

You have because you have flipped off your internal pr campaign with the Rams and you've picked up the Chargers. Greg this is extremely Mackie Velli.

This is none of that is true, but it is. You know, you don't believe. As a veteran, I do believe it.

Tell me why the Chiefs are the best team of this.

As a veteran takesman, though, I think you are hitting on something. Last year, you pick, you pick one special team that you really believe has a chance to do something special. For me, that was the Eagles, and you ride that right. Who's that special team this year? I mean, we'll get to the Super Bowl predictions and whatnot. But for me, it's the Chargers, and I'd pink.

The seventh time in the last lst nine years it's the Charge.

Sure, but it wasn't last year. I think this is going to be their year. I think their offense is going to be unlocked. I think year three of Staley gets better. I think the Chiefs and the Chargers in this division, you know, I think this division is easier than the North and the East. I think they both have a chance to rack up twelve thirteen wins. Maybe there's a little hangover effect from the Chiefs. I don't know. They've been so good for so long it's hard to

One thing that you see one of the keys with FRANCESSA you have to have a bunch of pregnant pauses.

Yea, now I talked too fast.

One thing that you'll miss in here. Okay, you're missing the fact that the Charges always find a way, and so does Patrick mahomes back after this.

That's pretty good. It's got to end at some point, you know.

So you got the blue per even even even even Belichick and Brady would actually keep rolling through verbally.

The blurb selected. The man selected to write the blurb the AFC west uh Skill, Mark Sessler.

I think that you're right checking to see if I was still awake. I wrote what fact whisper or Idoda of Gossip suggests the Chiefs are about to be stopped. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will chop through a top heavy AFC and route to another conference title game, and they won't stop there.

He went even further, he went, he went too far?

Actually, actually, yeah, they once again spoiling. That are what are we spoiling?

That's more the that's more the explanation for when you pick your Super Bowl teams.

This was just the AFC West.

But yes, guess who will do what they want? All right? So let's now go to our wild card picks. Okay, that's fun, all right. So I'm trying to think what's the best way to do this because this is a little hard.

Don't we just each our three teams?

Go ahead?

Okay, So my wildcard teams in the AFC in order now, since I put the Chiefs not winning the division and in my vision, Chiefs and Chargers both win twelve or thirteen games something like that, so the Chiefs are my number one wildcard team. I included the Ravens as my second wildcard team. I do think their ceiling is extra high and I think the offense is going to be special, and I as my third wildcard team. Why am I forgetting right now? I put the Jets, I do. I

Sides of the ball, so they got in.

All right.

I've got the Bengals as the first wild card team. There's no like disdain for the Bengals on any level. I think they're just gonna get nicked by the Steelers. Chargers second, believe a lot of what you said, Greg, and Jets third.

So we're pretty chalky here. Even though I switched my teams around, they weren't crazy teams.

All right. What about I have because I picked the Jets still in the East. But I still like the Bills a lot. Okay, so I have them as my first wild card. I have the Browns as my second wild card. I and I'm one of the only people the entire media group to even think they have a chance to even play January football.

Four people put them into the playoffs out of thirty.

And I do have three teams coming out of the AFC North. I have the Pittsburgh Steelers as the third wild card team, So that means that I don't see the Dolphins or the Chargers getting that spot and feel pretty good about it.

I think we were all sensible. I like the Browns got some representation. I'm not in on it, but it seems to me they should be represented. It's interesting none of us put the Dolphins in the playoffs. And it's funny because if we had taped this podcast in May, the Dolphins very well might have been my Chargers that I just would.

Have put it all.

I was all into the Dolphins back then, and for some reason, by the time we got to the season, it just feels like there's nine or ten really good AFC teams and the Dolphins, after a bad August, got left out.

Maybe I'm overrating August.

I think I think they're getting dinged because of this of the injuries in the past couple weeks.

In general, Who do I trust more?

Though?

The Bills, the Jets are the Dolphins. I trust the Jets more than the Dolphins. I just feel like they're on a little more stable ground. Who do I trust more? I trust Harbaugh and Lamar, you know, and I and maybe I'm crazy, but I trust the Chargers too.

All right, NFC, let's move over there now. The NFC East.

Nobody put the Patriots in.

How dare they? Nobody? Clearly interesting? Let's see, Mark Sessler, you have the Eagles defending their division, so do you? Greg Rosehal I was among ten voters out of thirty four to pick the Dallas Cowboys. And I think it's not crazy to think that the Cowboys can come up just a little bit and the Eagles come down a little bit. I think this is going to be a great division race. I think this is one of those who's who they are they playing each other Week eighteen?

And they're not heavy heavy favorites the Eagles. They're minus one twenty five and the Cowboys are plus one sixty five, so not like a crazy gap, kind of similar to the twenty four to ten votes gap. But yeah, I'm I stuck with the Eagles.

What do we got, Roberts? What's the Week eighteen Cowboys schedule?

Eagles have the Giants Bummer eighteen?

What are they doing?

They've got They've got the Cowboys on Sunday Night Week fourteen and.

Wee Cowboys have Commanders Week eighteen. Nice timers, sweet perfect?

Okay, Greg, you did you picked back there and you got the blurb on NFL dot com.

I mean they know we're uh, we're top shelf writers here, and they go to us in big spots.

Why Greg Roosevelt chose the Eagles, Colon go.

The Eagles have the best combination of offensive and defensive lines in football. Jalen Hurts is their quarterback. Let's not over complicate things here.

Greg's like, I'm getting out of this signment about four and a half minutes tops.

I mean less than that, that's for sure, and half forty seconds all right, like.

Texting while driving sending that in.

Like, I'm just like, why why do we gotta even explain it? Look at this team?

Not a single vote for the Giants or the Commanders. Let's move to the NFC North. Twenty votes for the Detroit Lions. So we are gassing up those lines, not all of us, though. Rosenthal's gassing them. Sesse is gassing them. I am a special little boy because I am among the group of people. I thought I picked the Vikings, but I didn't. I picked the Packers. Apparently, how about that that surprises me. But yeah, I said it on our last show that I know everything kind of checks

I think it's, you know exactly, we haven't seen it. And the Lions are certainly the kind of team where historically, like I've attached myself to their caravan before and it's gone right off the side of a mountain.

But you stuck with them, and you know, I've given you some grief and you stuck with him.

You topped them. So I appreciate that.

I think they have the potential to be the best team in a very confusing division.

I think this is this is some point.

It's not a good sign for the Bears that their only two votes were from Bears fans Alivon Pori and Adam Rank. You know, you know when they only get it from the fans. And I have noticed the odds have changed. Four months ago, the Packers were behind the Bears in terms of odds, and people have been kind

Interesting. That means a lot of people in Chicago are guessing them up.

No, the Vikings, the Vike favorite.

None of us gave them love, but the Vikings are still a second favorite packersmmunicators producer.

Yeah, yeah, I regret the air.

You're multitasking, and I think everyone would forgive you if they understood the weight of your task.

I'm sure there's a lot of Chicago fans that are also quote unquote yeah, the Bears.

Mark and I are on the same page with a lot of these teams.

I like that you guys are on the same page with a lot of things in life. I finally all right, NFC South, Now let's get into it. Let's get hot, let's get really. Let's let's zero in on a team that we could all finally agree on. Have we had one division winner where we're all on the same side.

Does it happen yet?

I don't think it now because of Greg? Essentially, how about the Saints. I mean, of course we're gonna get it with the Saints. Here we go. Hanss has them winning the division. That's it because you got oh god, the Falcons gas up crew here.

No, you.

Did the wrong because I am guessing up the Desmond Renner team.

So the Saints are the favorite. They're plus one oh five. They got twenty votes. Falcons plus one ninety, a little longer than I would expect, twelve votes including Rosenthals Tesler.

Uh. Maybe maybe that gives you a little insight why I feel like I'm taking crazy pills in the studio every single week. It's not because you guys speak about them like they could.

Go twenty and oh now, I mean the second favorite in the division and they have a great it's somehow bigger than just like looking at the depth chart.

For me, for them.

It's just a feeling of their organization that they're on the right path.

Yeah, I think this is this is a low octane division. If someone stays healthy and has just a desire to absolutely take the top off of every other three houses in the division, that's what the Falcons.

Are going to do. They're gonna beat you up, Dan and I.

I get your exhaustion, but I think once you start to see them in the flesh, you're gonna understand where we're.

Here's the thing that's annoying to me the most that I actually like what they're doing as well. And I was on that early in the spring. I was sharing that sentiment with you, like I that there are things here. You guys were You guys were premature in the first two years.

You were wrong, and I'm right on that's incorrect. No, you guys are gassing them up for this series. Yeah, wait a minute, we were saying that they were. They were overachieving to some degree, like they.

Won more games. That's writing history.

Absolutely not go listen to any of those episodes.

And now in year three of the program, I actually think they can matter instead of this cute little game you guys have been playing with the Falcons for years. I can't do it anymore because you guys are guessing them up so much that I have to pull back.

Okay, bring some sanity to the great you know, congratulations. The Saints are the favorites. They're actually a pretty big gap between them and the Falcons, and then a huge gap to the Panthers and then the Bucks or even for the break.

I figured it so hard to bed no.

No, I figured out why Dan has always let's handed the Falcon.

Yeah, I'd love to hear this. It's going to be brilliant.

Let me take you backical psychologist, you do, let me take you back to London. October twenty twenty one. A young Dan Hansis is on the sidelines watching this.

Little boy, his little boy that will lead him, I hope, Zach Wilson. Oh yeah, we finally found their quarterback, Zach Wilson. And he's going up against a moreribun Falcons team who came into that game not look and he's on the side and there's these big, hulking men in this handsome young quarterback. Oh, this is the guy that's gonna finally

How about you go find the tape of me being sold on Zach Wilson on this podcast.

Well you had a t shirt about him, didn't you.

Yeah, Zach is good or something.

If you guys understand that I have a sense of humor, yes I did have that. Shit.

We've really gotten under your skin in the last ten to twelve.

You have you.

I've been exceedingly patient.

What if you bozos about the Falcons for years and I just can't do it anymore.

Start the games.

I love it. Start the games. Let's get to the NFC West.

Wait.

I think we all agree. I think we got one.

Finally, the San Francisco forty nine ers. We're all in lockstewn.

Man, Gregor, I thought you were gonna go Seattle.

No, I already I don't know in my heart.

Thirty votes NFL Media for the Niners, just two four votes. Excuse me for the Seattle Seahawks. I mean, yeah, you know, talk about trying too hard. The Niners just seem I want to I want Nick Bosa on the field. But even even with that up in the air, I feel confident about this one.

Well, just the way that, like last year, these two teams mostly intact and similar to today, San Francisco just seemed to completely solve Seattle one.

In the fact that the Rams are a totally unknown situation the Cardinals aren't even trying. It makes it then a Seahawks versus Niners, And who's gonna unless you're a Seahawks fan really feel like they're the better team right now?

Right I think the Seahawks could be significantly more complete as a team, and they could even win more games.

They won nine last year. I think they could win ten.

Or eleven, and I still think that's not gonna be enough in this division.

It's just a belief in the forty nine Ers. Is not a discounting of the Seahawks for me.

All right, Let's look at our wild card picks, and yes I have the Cowboys winning the NFC East. But it doesn't mean the Eagles are a flop this season. In fact, they think they're gonna be very good again, which means they're gonna get the first wild card.

See, I didn't go there.

I like to have my cake and I eat it too, Dan, So I'm still high on those Seahawks. I make them my number one NFC wild card team. And I see a nice little name next to me. Well, I'm used to it. I picked the Seahawks too, and I filed this before, Greg, so kissing corner. Well, I wouldn't know what you filed kissing corner, kissing cousins.

What is it? The cousin kissing cousin?

And West West and I both were pro Kirk cousins for a bit.

Wild card too. I have the Seahawks, so I feel good about the Seahawks as well. Not in the class of the San Francisco forty nine ers, but you know, ten wins. What do you got, Greg?

I mean, this is almost getting scary. I mentioned on our last show. Actually they were in the NFC at first. I left the Cowboys in the out of the playoffs. This is where the emails started coming back for I had him in.

I had him in. I was just so stupid.

I was trying to be too taky, like there's no reason not to believe that.

The Cowboys are going to Winboy games. Yeah, I got the Cowboys too.

We have the exact same again, guys are basic.

What do you mean? I mean, you're lockstep on everything.

I mean.

But yeah, just as a weird I think we've figured out how sell you what like?

So I should pick the Cowboys not in the playoffs.

Give me here, we're going to disagree on this.

Yeah, I need you guys to disagree on something.

I have the Falcons in the playoffs twice. Now, I picked the Falcons as a wild card, and.

That's true wild card three. I Uh, I surprised myself here. I did put the lines of the playoffs. I haven't a wild card.

Okay, so there's a lot of agreement. They're not too many crazy teams here. But I'm putting the old Commandos. I kind of them mentioned it earlier.

Rivera.

I think that line, that defensive line. I think Howell's gonna be fun. I just think they're gonna have a great spirit about them and find their way to ten wins. They managed to win seven or eight games with Rivera these last three years despite a lot of so I think they get that third wildcard spot.

Keep his job.

I don't think that's crazy. I went giants.

I guess one thing that this isn't the same level of annoyance as you feel about the Falcons, but this everyone just looking at last year's Giants season, and I get it, maybe inflated win total, they're no problem, but like, are they really well coached? They have some pieces? Have they added some pieces? Do they have a really defensive coordinator?

I love?

Do? I love Brian Dable? Like Giants? On my third te I'm glad you represented the German. Yeah, who's to say they can't be building off last year? Why does it have to be? You know, they they are cooked in. Daniel Jones stinks that that's just negative talk.

So there's there's so many teams that got multiple except so many teams including the g Man that got multiple votes for that last wildcard spart it was really split. But actually the team that got the most that would get the in theory consensus seventh spot was the Vikings among the voters.

That's actually I thought what I had I had emailed in because I do have this weird feeling about the Vikings being better than people think, because everyone kind of like the Giants, and they were similar in that they were both kind of very fortunate in one score games in a way you don't usually see. But yeah, I think the Lions are better team, but probably this point.

Saints got seven total points, Packers six Bears got four people voting for them for the last spot. And and yes, that RAMS employee mj D is one of two people to put.

The Rams in.

The Saints are the team that I had in multiple different versions of this and kept taking in and out, in and out, in and out.

So do you have the Cowboys?

I have the Saints out? None of us have the Saints in, and Saints Twitter is going to come.

After us because there's.

Check Twitter, So mind me in a different mailbox.

So you have do you have the Cowboys in third place or last place?

Second? Second?

No, I had him at second my second wild Cars, they are the second one Commanders.

Commanders are in the playoffs is third place?

I mean I'm JD's vision here.

Maybe some sort of mushroom vision comes to in the Rams or in the playoffs like that would be one of the weirder stories after this offset.

Well it is.

It reminds me of the year coming off Baker's good year in Cleveland that there was like four Browns fans who all picked them to make the Super Bowl or AFI Championship and you were one of them Joe's kitchens.

Of them as well.

Yes, I won't make fun of that because we're not done with this episode yet. If you have the Cowboys, we gotta go the Eagles and the Commanders on the playoffs? What do you have the Giants at one? In sixteen two and fifteen Greg this year and it's almost like in a little bit of an agenda there a little.

Bit I don't feel good about my Giants over under under that I put out there.

I really don't.

I regret it, and because I got bleeped out with my one of my other over unders.

But guess what, Oh that's Greg Inner love.

For go ahead?

What is that the two of the best years of my life? Forty two is already happened, forty six is coming.

I don't know what it is.

Go ahead?

Are we doing Super Bowl picks? Can I go to him?

Because I know you have to bleep me out here with the Chargers over Under, but now we know we're going over because we're putting them in the Super Bowl.

Let's go Bolts.

I'm gonna have them lose though to the I'm sticking with the Eagles, so the Eagles. I'm sticking with them, but they got they win over the Chargers and finally in the end, someone takes down Justin Herbert. But Eagles, Chargers two next gen quarterbacks on the biggest of stages in Vegas. Walker Rosenthal will be watching.

Wow.

Hopefully the Los Angeles Chargers in the Super Bowl.

I think they're that talented. I think they are a top six story.

That would be going from blowing a twenty seven to nothing wild card playoff lead, let's go and losing, Yes, having what many people believe to be a coach that's in and over his head, Yes, and then to turn it all around, let's go and.

Go all the way to the team, like a way back when there was a team that had a magnificent regular season and we're completely upset and stunned by the Jaguars in the playoffs. The late nineties, Broncos, they came back around like Shanahan the next year, devastated Gunn and won the Super Bowl.

Is he gonna do it? I've got a lock.

Wait, I'm not picking the Chargers to do anything close with those I'm just saying that would be no, that would no.

The Broncos not going to this.

Yeah, the Broncos didn't get anywhere you want mine?

I got the forty nine Ers.

Okay, taking out the Chiefs. Mmmm, revenge. Finally Kyle Shanahan gets it. It's gonna be brock Purty. He's gonna go wire to wire. They're gonna have a seventy seven yard pick six of Mahomes with seconds to go the fourth quarter and win the game of it.

Wow, you got when you get that specific it is, it is sort of lost to history. I feel like somewhat the Chiefs were down ten points in the fourth quarter, not just.

Down ten points, there were down ten points to the Eagles too.

At halftime. They have Jimmy g has an open man downfield, Emmanuel Sanders fourth quarter. If he hits the pass, it's ova Johnny. I mean it is over twenty four to twenty and he misses him and leaves the door open for the great Mahomes, who wasn't even having that great game at that point.

All right, forty nine Ers finally get it done. That would be really well in my fantasy world. Impressive after being to the NFC Championship Game what three out of the last four years, and to keep coming back.

That is an incredible organization. When you keep getting back, you.

Know someone's voice I haven't heard in a while, and I miss him, and I hope everything was cool, because I thought he would be at the Hall of Fame where two Jet greats we went in were inducted, and then they played the Hall of Fame game against the Browns, and then I thought we'd see him on heart knocks. But we did not see him on hard knocks. Let's let's hear from Joe Namath.

I think we got to ankle a shot of winning and meet anybody in the world, and I think we're gonna win next Sunday. Yes, name of it is on the hot seat. Most of the pressure is on him. He has said that the Jets are going to win. He doesn't even predict him. He said, I guarantee a Jet victory. Attitude is a whole lot in life, and I had a terrific attitude about that game.

I know we're gonna win. I have that attitude. I feel that way, and it's not over confidence.

They has football sense talking about guaranteeing we're gonna win.

Yeah, that's right. That's the way we felt. That's the way we felt fifty five years this January, Joe Name, it is guaranteed Super Bowl three over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, sixteen to seven win altered Pro football forever. I've got news for you. We're gonna win the game. I guarantee. It was his quote by the pool. A young Brent Musburger was there sure, amongst other reporters, Aaron Rodgers in twenty twenty four. Same these now that wouldn't be as impactful.

Samezas.

Yeah, let's see, it's the quote Aaron. Let's actually we'll get an edit on that. He's too well spoken for that. It's I said on the Hard Knocks podcast, it's time. It's been time, and so many things have to happen to fall into place, but it does for so many other teams. The Chiefs waited forever, the Eagles waited forever, and it happened for them. Now it's time for the Jets to end. They're tortured half century drought. Get back to the super Bowl. And if you're gonna go to

I mean, why do you do all this if you don't have those two weeks, If you don't have that moment. Patriots fans have had it multiple times to the point where it's like it all becomes almost normalized on some level. I'm not speaking for you, Greg, but like for a Jets fan, it isn't even just you haven't been there. You've been a laughing stock. You know, you have to

I don't think you have been.

I think you've have been kind of stoic about it. It's like that would be a pretty incredible sports journey, and I think the most winding, bizarre, unbelievable NFL taiale that I could have, I could imagine. So I would love to see it your your dad, I mean, give me a break. Think about not just your sons, because they have a long, long time to see what happens with the Jets. Like your dad has been waiting and waiting. I hope he'd be your guest at that game. I'm pretty sure he would.

Oh you know, he would be. Yes.

Stoic would not be the word I would use to describe Dan's fandom of the Jets.

And I love him.

I mean, these couple months, you haven't been, you know, going nuts and.

Defensive sure, yeah, I don't know that. It's there's so many outcomes that work against this happening that makes sense as well.

It's one little fun subplot of this season because I'm looking back there at our producer Eric Roberts with his Bill's head on. Is that a Bill's head yep? Old school Bills hat? And I'm thinking how many of these teams in the AFC feel just like those Jets fans. If you look at who have the best quarterbacks, long tortured fan base waiting for their title. The Buffalo Bills,

Of waiting a long time.

They have had a rough road.

A lot of great possible stories with great, great players leading them in the AFC, there's got to be a lot of disappointment. But that's why we're bored of the Chiefs. We got to get someone else.

And what's what's a little bit annoying is Browns fans like and that's what complicates their situation. Yeah, is that that's the one fan base that feels like it. You can't really feel the same way for But they made their bed and they picked their quarterback to try to get over the hump, but complicated their situation. That would be a very different two weeks. I think you're right, all right, we got everything.

I mean, yes, we famously think we're read show. It's going to be about twenty minutes shorter. So Mark apologized. Children who are waiting note on the street corners right now, I play.

Them this episode in full.

I'm an absolute professional and re arrange some plans while okay, while we were doing the show, I haven't had absolute.

Blas Really, Yes, he's like Colton.

Remember that day I told you I taught you how to drive in case of emergency, Just use that legacy.

I don't know how exactly was.

Leg extenders. All right, we are done for today, but just starting off a huge week. As we steam towards the Thursday night opener between the Chiefs and the Lines, we could finally stop talking about what's to come and experience it all until.

I got the Hard Knocks recap finale tomorrow.

Think Wednesday's show after that, then the preview. That's all happening. Heed the call.