Andrew Luck Retires; Succession of Power in the AFC

no longer play football. UH. It's it's taken my joy of this game away. UH. And this sorry, and one of the more shocking happenings in the NFL's recent history, Andrew Luck announces his retirement from the NFL, the Colt superstar quarterback, announcing that injuries have taken the love from

the game for him. So, a man who's turning thirty years old on September twelve, met with Colts owner Jim Ursay earlier Saturday, UH to explain his decision and Dan hanzas the Around the NFL podcast, presented by Sirius XM, joined by Mark Sessler, Chris Westling, and Greg Rosenthal. Uh and boys. This is an absolute bombshell um that changes the complexion of the Colts obviously, but the a f C and west Luck, nobody knew this was coming. This

is this. We were at Patrick Layburn's um uh shrimp boil, in fact, in the middle of a cornhole game, and everyone was just dumbfounded, founded. And you could say the same thing about everyone else connected to football. Andrew Luck done at age twenty nine in the NFL. When you're recording the show, what thirty six hours later, you're reacting to so much more than just the news. You're reacting

to the reaction. You're reacting to what you should have seen for three years, considering the comments he's made and just looking doing the research on what he said over the last few years. This is every bit as much of a mental health issue as a as a pain

issue as a physical issue. As Jim er Say said in two thousand seventeen, it's about the four inch field between Andrew lux Ears and URSTA took a lot of crap for that from people who didn't know what they were talking about, assumed they did from the outside looking in, But in lux own words, he has referred to the dark place, not a fun world to live in, scared to my core, a low point, miserable, s o B. I withdrew, my life was empty, I have shame. I

don't know about my worth as a human. I'm weathered and less naive. And then at the press conference, he said, this is the only way I see out of it, and out of it is the severe depression and identity crisis that he's been going through for three years. And he said that already a weight had been lifted, and even though the press conference was obviously difficult, that the last week was difficult for him. He told Frank Reich and er Say and Chris Ballard early in the week,

so they knew this was coming. And I think, if I'm a Colts fan, that makes me think that it's a little more final. You know, it wasn't something he woke up one day. It was really about a week and a half or almost two week process over when he really decided. And that's he knew when he went out and practiced before the last Colts game and looked pretty good by the way, moved pretty well and and

enjoyed it. That that was probably gonna be his last time, and that's why he took the moment to enjoy it. I mean, there's a lot to talk about, but first, it's just that the press conference alone alone was just impressive. I don't know, it was like a really unique sports moment that it was hard not to admire and your

luck watching that. There was a very two thousand nineteen feel to the whole thing because the Colts um are playing a preseason game against the Bears in their building, Lux on the sideline, and his original plan is to tell his teammates after the game in the locker room that he'll be retiring. But during the game, uh Adam Schefter of ESPN breaks it on Twitter, which creates a whole weird situation both. Um, if you watch the telecast, the announcers for the Colts team, they don't know what

to do with that information you show. They show luckdown at the field. Obviously he's smiling, seems to be good spirits. The players, I guess don't even know, and we'll get to the crowd reaction in a little bit. Um. But Luck then comes out and yes, I agree, he he really was. It was clear that this wasn't a rash decision, even though it was something that he said didn't even cross his mind until the last week or two. Uh, he seemed marked to be a guy that was at

peace at where he is. I thought Peter King put it well that he noted and West you touched on this too, with all the comments that he had made over the months and years that for forty two of the past forty seven months, Andrew Luck had either played or not played or rehabbed in varying intensities of pain. And how many people you know commenting on this situation can speak to that in their own life. It's a totally different situation. And it starts as a physical thing,

it becomes a mental thing. And if you look at the National Football League and you know some of the reaction, and of course you know he got booted at the stadium, everyone is catching up in real time to their own emotions is what they're seeing. And suddenly you're watching your franchise quarterback off the field and leaving for good, and

it's just completely surreal. But Andrew Luck was talked about by King as someone that when he first comprehended a couple of weeks ago, even the idea of retirement versus they mentioned I R boomerang or just let's wait and see that when that, even when that concept came to his mind, that he started to grow comfort with that

that it became the way out. And no matter what privilege or or job you've been given or situation in life that everyone else might want, if you're losing and dying and falling apart in side of it, you need to find a way out. And I and I think the NFL is you know, it is the tip of a needle on the tip of a needle in the human and earth experience. I mean it has been around for a fraction of a second. If you look at

our universe and everything. This is someone who has the choice to do what he wants with the rest of his life. He mentioned his wife over and over. I think that is probably one person that sat with him through all of this in the different segments of their relationship to where they are now and knew where he was and his only supported him. And anyone wanting to critique or this or that, it's kind of like this is a personal decision, has nothing to do with anyone

else who has ever retired in the NFL before. It has nothing new with any else who will retire. It has nothing to do with football at some point. And it it's crazy, though, because everything you say is really well said, and yet Luck even mentioned in the press conference, and Frank Reich certainly did that. Lux said many times last November December, he's never had more fun playing the game of football. That it gave him a joy he

never had before. That he thought, coming to work in Frank greik Shausen's he shouldn't even be allowed to have that much fun. Those were the five months out of when he wasn't in this. You know, he played the Pro Bowl and they kept mentioning that, and I think that goes to West's point to start that that it's

more than just the physical. It was the accumulation of every other years that came before that, and certainly the last six months now and the reality of what's the I know he is doing it for himself and he said that, but I do think there's part of Andrew Luck that is thinking a little bit about the team too. What is the best thing for the team in terms of how I feel right now that that I think the best thing for this team is for me to step away, to be decisive about it, not to have

this whole thing, you know, hanging over them. Press conference was beautiful, but I just wanted to note the irony of a guy walking away, leaving his teammates two weeks before the season starts, and yet it was one of the most beautiful high water marks and team sports to see the love that he expressed and shares with his teammates. And that's what team sports is. And that's when you see the bozos on Twitter that we're looking for hot takes,

uh calling Luk selfish or a millennial. I saw one horrible take like this guy obviously had a strong bond with the team. And it is the injuries, and you kind of forgot about it because the shoulder injury kind of was the big injury of his career and then the most recent injury which became a big news item. But there's been a lot. I mean, he's he's missed. He missed twenty six games, including the entire seventeen season, because of the shoulder injury, which he first hurt in

Week three early in the season. So I tells you how much and how long he fought through with that shoulder. He's also had kidney injuries, a rib injury, and now this lower leg injury, which he also said in the

press conference. Everybody thinks, oh, he's retired now, that's no. Like now as a human being, he has to figure out how to get his leg right because it has really cut into his quality of life, not just as a player, but it's just someone that you know, walks around day to day like like the rest of us.

He I was reading Bruce arians book today and was reminded that his father, Oliver, walked away from football immediately after he got his five years in and a pension, and he emphasized to Andrew over and over again growing up that life has a lot more fruits to offer outside of football. This was something drilled into Andrew Luck

while he was growing up. And you know, we I saw a video of Zach Ertz talking about the retirement played at Stanford with Andrew Luck, and he said they would be playing all the hype for the Heisman up on the TV. And Andrew Luck would get up, go turn the TV off and say, this is a team sport. I mean, that's just He's always had a different perspective

on football than most players. I mean his his dad also, like in a speech that that was shown in the last couple of days, was always stresses to the student athletes, you know, get what you can out of your education and this sport. Don't worry about what you need to give to the college. And I and I do think that is reflective and what a thoughtful guy Andrew luck is. But it's also he It's such an interesting dichotomy because he is probably the best quarterback to enter the league

since you know, or since this deck. I mean, I think he was kind of the guy we've been waiting for this quarterback, you know, hierarchy to turn over, and it never does. It's been you know, Brady and Breeze and you know we lost Peyton Manning. But Roethlisberger has been near the top up this one time. But I would say since we've been doing this podcast, and Mahomes is gonna pass pass him, certainly he want an m v P and and these new guys are going to

get there. But you know, in the last six seven years, there's no one that's coming and had the combination of physical gifts and production and excitement as Andrew Luck. He he is this really unique mind and the way he looks at things. But he also was like, you know, right there among the guys for the next generation, and

that's what makes it. But I think sometimes when you look at the football lifers and and it's often it's failed, failed players who become coaches who love the game so much that once they have a position, they'll never leave. There's people that cover the game that are football lifers that are gonna be there until they're eighty eight and they pass off the earth the night hundred eight. Hopefully it's the ladder. But I mean this reminds me a little bit more of someone like Jim Brown when he

walked away. Now it's very different because Jim Brown retired from the Browns at age thirty, but he was in London on the set of The Dirty Dozen where he was being paid twice his annual salary to be in a film for a couple of months. Andrew Luck also is able to retire because financially, that's not a situation. I don't think any of that has to do with it. It's closer to what Jim Brown said was that he was no longer stimulated he had achieved everything he wanted

to do. And has Andrew Luck achieved everything? I don't think so, Not from a team perspective, not from a cult's perspective, But I do think that Andrew Luck is not just because you're a quarterback who's talent, physically talented and the best since two thousand twelve, that does not mean that mentally football is going to do it all for you. And I think he is someone that is very different than the athlete robot that is plugged in from for as long as their body will take them

and beyond. I just think he has other things in life. It's a ton deaf how Jim Marsay mentioned the amount of money Luck is passing on like he like was dumb.

There was a couple of funny Jim Rcy moments, some instructive and some just I couldn't believe he was starting to make the push almost publicly for Luck to unretire already in that press conference, and one of them was like, you know, he was like dumbfound did that Luck could pass up in his words, half half a billion dollars And I was like doing the math, I was like half a billion gets his mind yeah, No, I get it, I guess, but that seems to me to be missing

why Andrew Luck is doing that. And Rich you know, Frank Riik and Chris Ballards certainly seemed surprised by it, but you they said they had no idea that this would have happened. But they also seemed to understand Luck a little more as a person. Uh. Is he a Hall of Famer? No, so he did. He gives that up as well. Um, there was a list of first first overall quarterback picks and he is I think fourth on that list of the quickest to retire. I would say this story has yet to be written. The comeback

has yet to be written. I think he reminds me, and they're the start of their careers are so totally polar opposite. He reminds me of Kurt Warner quite a bit. And Kurt Warner had that law in the middle of his career after he washed out with the Giants, before he landed with the Cardinal, he had to figure some things out for himself. And and Kurt one is a guy who also retired because of his body right when the Colts, you know, made it obvious they're not going

to go after any any of his money. That's great of them to do. I'm not not surprised either, but I thought the same thing. Not that I'm we're trying to predict anything that happens, just that it's like life. It's life. Of course, his story is not over. You know, there's a chance that he could revisit it in a year or two when he is feeling of different mind or or not like who knows, but there's it's it's silly to kind of say anything with too much finale. I don't see. I don't go back to the Hall

of Fame thing. I'm not certain he's not a Hall of famer. Wasn't he one of the for a period of seven or eight seasons, one of the very best quarterbacks in football? Sevens not consistent enough. I think he was a top five quarterback about three times. And and with the short season, if if he was like M v P or you know, top one or two quarterbacks for a bunch of I mean great moments, incredible playoff game against the Chiefs, which is the game that I always think of. Uh, that was kind of the day

Luck went full superstar mode. Um I I just think, yeah, he to me, he's a bubble guy, and maybe he just didn't play long enough, and maybe the team didn't have enough success. We're gonna get into, by the way, um, what this means for the rest of the a f C a little bit later, but let's now take a quick moment to look at what does this mean for

the two thousand nineteen Cults. And we'll start with the head coach, Frank Reich, who at a press conference Monday uh shared his thoughts about where the team goes now without Andrew Luck. But also let me assure colts fans of this this team has not done climbing. In fact, we're just getting ready. We're just getting started, and we can't wait. I just feel like Chris and his staff have done an unbelievable job of assembling a team of

players at this locker room is special. There is a after quality and a passion for this game and for this city and what the Horseshoe represents. That is special. And we believe that our players will rise to that challenge and that occasion. We're ready for the journey ahead. We believe we have the formula of what it takes to have a successful journey. We got the right makeup, We got the right locker room. Chris talked a lot about that this morning with the team about what it

takes to get in that locker room. We have the talent. This is a very talented football team on in all three phases. And now Jacoby Brissette, our own Jake Brisket, takes over as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Coat. And this is all that done just simply to appease our sound bite and bring it back into that. It's a good job wedge that sound drop out. Last week we found that thing in off balls, I thought it

was over. I mean, yet, do you fear remorse because you did call for that drop being like, hey, we might be needing the culler might have strange energy. We might have to refresh it and bury it up a little bit because Brisket is gonna be on a lot of primetime games and he's gonna be part a lot of our life this year. If if they hang in contention, do we think the Colts are still a playoff teams?

I think that that division is now completely wide open and almost every team is a chance to win the division, whereas before it was clear that the Colts had the

best roster and the best quarterback in the division. Greg, I thought you wrote a like on Saturday night, a good piece about where Jacobe Pissette Prosette lands now compared to where he landed the first time around, and that this is such a different team and they've got such a strong coach and GM Link and I I, you know, we we made our picks, and the editor I picked the Cults. On Friday, the editor of our d M original content person came and said, do you want to

change the Cults now that this all happened. I thought about him, like the a f C Central, the NFC South is so murky and it's so bizarre to me, and I don't believe. There's such so many things I don't believe about the other teams in that division. I said, keep the culture. I don't think. Yeah. And I write the power rankings now for NFL dot Com. And the idea that the Cult should now be dropped like way

to the bottom the league. No, I think, really, when you think about them, I think it does obviously drop them. Andrew luck is a much better quarterback than the guy's replacing it. Even though we all like Jake Brescott in this room, but I think they have a fighting chance.

You don't like Brest at all. I am allowing for the fact that players can improve, especially when you're surrounded by better coaching and better players, and Chris Ballard's comments on uh Jake Briskett to Terres Paler recently suggests that not only is he better mechanically and he cleaned all that up, he's a more accurate passer and a better decision maker, especially when it comes to taking that boatload of sacks he took the last time he quarters right

and he he took so many and that team was rough, and he was a second year player joining a rob Chad Zinsky offense, where now he's with Frank Reich and he's in the second year, which I think is really important. And I do think this is where organizationally, the Colts have been really impressive since Ballad got there, and that's what's key. Like Reich just seems like the man who is ready for this challenge in terms of scheme and

in terms of leadership. Chris Ballard in the team that he built, seems like he's kind of the man for this challenge and he talked about it Saturday, and he was kind of the first one to turn the page. You know. Uh Reich was understandably really emotional at that press conference, kind of staring off in space. First interviewed for the job. He didn't mention Andrew Luck once. And this was at a time where Lux's future was uncertain, nobody knew when or if he would ever play again.

Reich never brought up his name in the job interview, and so and so Ballard's already had turned the page and say, look, we got a good line, we got a good offensive line, we got a good defensive line. We've got a really young, talented defense. We've got t Y Hilton, you know who, back and forth Andrew Luck

and him talking about that they're best friends. And and to a man, everyone on that team, including Luck, who went out of his way to say how much he learned from Jacoby Brissette that he almost made it sound like he looks up to Jacoby Brissette a little bit. With the leadership that Jacoby Brissette has, he is I don't know if he's got the talent, but I think it's almost unquestionable. Everyone that's been around and believes that

he's kind of meant to lead an NFL team. We we do have Chris Ballard talking about it on Saturday Night. I think you hear what Andrew said. Jacoby said, is a rare, rare leader. He is. He's a rare human being man that that locker room loves Jacoby Brissette, and

he went on about it. Jacoby Brissette is in the league or was drafted as early as the third round because Bill Parcels convinced Bill Belichick that I don't know if this guy is gonna be great or not, but he's like one of the most impressive humans I've ever been around. That he compared him Curtis Martin and Willie mcguinnis as a term type of guy who's going to bring a locker him together and it's just like gonna be a good guy to have on your team. So

he's now been able to develop under Frank Reich. And I think he's fun to watch play because his great throws are really great. They yeah, they ask, you know what I mean. He's got a lot of upside and I think it'll be a fun team to watch even without luck. They asked Brissette today after all this, you know it leveled out. What what is it that you need to actually improve and be better? And he just said to Jacoby Brissette, I just need to be me.

I kind of like this guy, and like I know that we want to get into all the analytics and stuff all the time as the season goes on and the cults have this or that. But the one thing about that, there's a narrative quality to football. Every year you see it, and certain events change the trajectory of teams. And this could have been the thing where you know, on some teams and some coaching staffs in the way

that the front office front office might have panicked. You pull the plug on the drain and the water goes out. This is the opposite here. I think this team is rallying around this. And I don't really look at another team in the a f C South and say that team they're Their makeup strikes me is so much more complete than the It's the opposite. Uh. The one question no one has asked yet, and I'll do it because we someone has to ask it. Yes, how are you doing?

Everyone has some people have asked this. It It hits home for me, like not the pe scale thing like Andrew Luck. He reached a point where he's willing to do anything to keep the monster at bay. That's what I think about Andrew Luck and what he's dealing with mentally, psychologically, he's just he You're talking about a person who was one of the toughest people to step foot on an NFL field, and now that toughness has been sort of usurped by. I don't want to have to do that again.

I'll do anything not to have to go through that experience again. So it hit hunts it. It bothers me psychologically. You know who it doesn't bother. They asked Bill Belichick about all this today. You know what he said about Andrew Luck. He said he's a good player. I didn't see that. I don't really follow them. Uh. The Patriots actually sent out a clarification that was lost in translation a little bit because on paper that was about is unnecessary of a Bill Belichick esque comment as we needed

this morning. No, I think he was referring, No, we're gonna let Bill slide on that one. You are, I mean, it's it isn't It's gonna take a little bit for them to get out of Jacoby Risett seemed pretty broken up about a Reich seemed I mean this is someone he told Prosette on Friday too. By the way, Yeah they didn't find it. I didn't all find out that that, like on the sideline during that game. Aaron Rodgers was angry. He was on a radio show today. He didn't like

the way some people reacted. He didn't like. Oh, that's one other thing I wanted to play? Can we play? Ricky Um Luck was asked about getting boot off the field at Lucas Oil Stadium after the news broke after the preseason game. Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't say I heard the reaction. Yeah it hurt. I'll be honest, Rap it hurt. That sucked, and I think, um, you hear it in Luck's voice. It's such an emotional time

for him. It took him by surprise. And a lot of people are piling on cults fans and I get it wasn't a good look. You should not have been booing your franchise player. He didn't double cross you or anything like that, but that is it was a shocking, shocking thing to happen. And as a fan of any fan too, all of a sudden, have this guy who's the center of your sports universe yanked out. I think there's a lot of sometimes you don't express yourself the

right way. I don't think there was actual anger toward him, but more just anger towards what what just happened? Are super Bowl windows are? Are super Bowl dreams are out the window? Are my favorite players gone? And I think Luck caught heat from that more than actual. This guy's

a bum. I don't want to look at him. And I mean I also think the experience of being home and on your couch and processing information over Twitter, gathering information, watching it slowly versus when you're in stadium it's the fourth quarter. These guys have seven or eight beers in them. You just find out this guy walking out the field is it could be Before Luck spoke, there were a

lot of people that weren't as generous towards Luck. And when he spoke, you got an understanding what was happening. It sounded like he was just saying I'm out. But then when you learn what his words, it's like, I have a completely different feeling towards Andrew Luck. I got some text from people that thought, what is this guy doing, not plugged in journalist types, but just regular fans, Like,

it's ridiculous that anyone vood it's stupid. It's this kind of it's this sort of obvious that enough with the performative uh you know, tisk tisking to make yourself look good. That part, to me is just as annoying, like well, no, like everyone agrees that that is not what you would want to see, and that's sad. But like, you don't need four thousand people saying, hey, look at me. I'm gonna say this is bad too. It's like that it's obvious all that we all know, we all agree, you

don't need to do make a good point. In general, this Andrew Luck bombshell is one of the more performative moments in Twitter history. Everyone had takes and that they were all going it was all ratchet up to eleven. Its weird anyway. You don't do it alone. You need the courage of other people behind you in order to do it. So it's weird to me, But it's also we have this national obsession with football, and it's a natural outgrowth, just as lux decision was a natural outgrowth.

When you are a fanatic when you have an obsession, you do things like boo that don't make any logical sense. All right, So we're gonna we're gonna get back to this topic about the Colts and what Andrew lux retirement means uh to the rest of the A F c Um. But before we do that, there was other things that happened in the NFL this weekend, believe it or not. So it is week three of the preseason. We hit several of the games on a Friday podcast. Why don't we just swing around the room, uh for a few

minutes here and throw out some big takeaways. I'll start off with one just because it connects. It connects with um, the Houston Texans, who are now in a while. They already were in a dog fight to win that division, but it changed a lot with lux disappearance. Now the Texans lose their starting running back Lamar Miller to what

is a torn a c l um. So he blows out his knee on his first carry of a preseason game and you see him carded off with the towel over his head, and uh, you know, a lot of calls, Greg, a lot of calls out there that the preseason needs to be changed, and and I don't know if that's necessarily the first thing that comes to a lot of people's minds, but I think one thing with Miller, and we're gonna get into the ramifications of it for the Texans, but the one thing for me is the game is

so fast and the guys are so strong that I do think they need to just lessen the number of preseason games. This stuff is just gonna keep happening. The players have changed. The schedule I think has to reflect that at some point, hopefully after that CB A, yeah, I agree, And yet I just think if players are

playing football, they're going to get hurt. So many players are gonna get hurt Week one, maybe not more than if they had played in the preseason, by a ton of them, you know, Like so it's it's terrible when that happens too. And and they'll probably reduce it to onto two to three games. This is one of those injuries that you reduced. You take away a guy who has played a million snaps and a million touches. And yet I don't really feel any different about the Texans.

I think Duke Johnson is up for a one a roll in a backfield and they probably need to go find who there one B is they You know, they have some rookies they like on draft on j I right, we thought we we thought they did. Al Michael's reported they did. Um Michaels did. He said on the Sunday night telecasts where I got mine they signed a j H. I didn't. I thought so too. It has not happened yet he signed. Maybe maybe it would or maybe they will sign someone. But if it's someone like that, I

think that backfield will be fine. It's not where I'm worried about. What I mean, what did they give up to the Browns? Well so, I mean it was a fourth that could max out of the third and it sounds like but you know what, maybe they overpaid, but it's worth every every dime or however you want to say it, because where would they be if you didn't have Duke Johnson O'Brien the general manager slash coach genius. Name a worst offensive line backfield combination in the Houston

Texas see. Yeah, but the backfield to me is is fine. I think it can be average because they have a third down back. I think Duke Johnson. I've always believed this has the ability to be a top That's what every Browns didn't think he had that ability, right, But the Dolphins didn't think Lamar Miller had that ability either, and no one thought he was a three down back before they got there. And I think he's a much better. I think he's a much that show Dan did what

you believe I did. I did a Lamar Duke Johnson, someone's got a win even more that he can be a problem. Wow, that's right. Duke and Lamar both had to Lamar Miller making the leaps and a Duke Johnson, someone's gotta well, I'll stand by Lamar. He's flashed, but he never really put it all together. That's that is

what it is. They're bigger problem is that another former brown Roderick Johnson, a fact round pick in two thousand seventeen, is their starting left tackle, that their center looked terrible when they came back to they had another injury on their offensive, Like, I mean, that's their problem. West give

us a takeaway from Week three of the preseason. Well, it's I sort of looked at this like these teams are flashing at me right now, and I feel much better about them exiting August than I did entering August. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys, even without Zeke Elliott. I don't know why nobody's talking about Michael Gallup, who looks like a transformed wide receiver. To me, he

looks phenomenal. The Vikings, Dalvin Cook looks like he's about to have a Pro bowl, al pro type of season. That offense is perfect for him. And I love the earth Smith pick. They just seemed very confident in the Steelers. Everything they did this offseason seems to be working. Every single thing seems to be working. Everyone they signed from the CFL, the a A, f undrafted free agents, first rounders, sixth rounders, guys they picked off like late way free agency.

Everybody's playing well for them, some of their old some of their old draft picks to like Cameron Party. I mean, the one thing on the Vikings, let me ask you this one, because I watched that game and I realized it's you know, it's the preseason. But in Dalvin Cook look fresh, you look great. Their first four drives seven yards, two yards, negative two yards, fourteen yards. Kirk Cousins started

like three for fourteen. I know, I'm I'm not allowed to ever be concerned until September, but whatever you want just looked a little off to me though. I mean, he's We've got what five years of Kirk Cousins, and we tend to agree in them, but five years of Kirk Cousins is an up and down journey to really for what it's birth of the preseason. He also looked

very sharp. I would say the same thing about first two games, the same thing about Marcus Mariotta, Like why I would rather go back and study their regular season tape than look at you. I'm not I'm not saying based it off of one game, but like part of it is also your offense being in sync. And if we love the Cowboys and certain players and everything, one looking and sink it's like when a player looks bad,

does that have any meaning or no meaning? I mean, I I put some Benell context in the quarterbacks, all about what you wanna stand for and say matters, Like Mark, how about you? I'll tell you something I do think matters. Because we just talked about a player who's exiting the league. And yes, the offensive line in Indianapolis was stellar last year.

But half the reason Andrew Luck got into the situation he was in was because an offensive line left him brutalized over and over and was unfixed for way too long due to the previous general manager. And I am very concerned in this game feels like seventy years ago. But Friday night when I watched Baker Mayfield running for his life and trying to do everything to bounce off rushers.

Because Cleveland's left tackle, right guard, and right tackle should not be starting for anyone right now, and they and if you want to talk about all they've done this offseason, I would say this, if you're if you're John Dorsey and you want to put the cherry on top versus trying to fix tires two weeks from now on the car that's broken down by the side of the road.

You have got to find a way. And it's an impossible ask at this point to get one of these to get it Trent Williams, to get someone in there, because I would look at Greg Williams right now, who gave up a ton of issue. He he gave up pressures, he gave up sacks, and that game he had two penalties. Greg Robinson, Greg Robinson has always gotten these penalties. And they have Eric Cush starting at right guard, and they have got Chris Hubbard, old mother's son, we're starting at

right tackle. I don't like any of it. It is it gives me a sense I know some Brown Spenser saying it's gonna be fine, And you know what just turned me on on in September. I shouldn't even be watching this stuff because apparently I'm too concerned about these things. But I have bad energy vibing off of that game. The the biggest thing that could go wrong for the Browns.

It's you could say about thirty one other teams, is your star quarterback can't get hurt and if you can't protect him, and he plays swashbuckler, he's like a kid out there. Yeah, it's a playground to him, but no, but for real, like Mayfield is a guy, he's gonna be running around, He's he's gonna always keep his eyes up the field. He's always looking for the big play.

And it is a dangerous kind of scenario the way he plays on the way that team blocks, so your fear they had a flood of people not on the field, all the receivers, Nick Chubb wasn't there in a joke. Who I get it, but that didn't change what I saw line versus line. Well, you know, you don't even need to watch the game to know that Dorsey is hugely disappointed with his worst draft pick that he's made since he's been there. Austin Corbett, first pick of the

second round. You trade away Kevin Zeitler because you feel like, here's one of my highest draft picks I've taken since I got to Cleveland. Let's plug him in. People watching the team on a day to day basis said he wouldn't make the team if if they were just based on his like actual play, and he's now getting replaced by a journeyman. So that's one slot where they kind of assumed he's gonna take over for Zeitler. And that's

one big trouble spot. Now, oh BN, I mean, do you want to talk to Daniel Jones or was that was that Friday or Thursday? We talked Daniel Jones on Thursday. Good again, he still looks good, he still looks great.

I take nothing out of that case. Keenum is announced the starter other than as a Dwayne Haskins fan that I'm happy for it because they opened with the Eagles and they have the Bears week three on Monday Night football, and then they're thinking and I feel like, if you're gonna throw Haskins out there, just wait till after that Bears game. Totally with you on that. Will he be ready when he gets in whenever he does? Made some place to UM, I thought it was Jimmy Garoppolo. We've

done a good job on this podcast. A lot of people are have been pulling the sky is falling routine around Garoppolo and the five interceptions in practice and then what he what he didn't do last week in the preseason, which was thrown for a yard last Monday Night against the Broncos. But don't put too much into it, but yes, good he got back on track in Kansas City against the Chiefs, and I will I will say this shout

out to the fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Uh, if you guys watched the first couple of drives, that place is going nuts. January. It was playoff happens. It was unbelievable. Any know what. It couldn't be a better test again for Jimmy g who had to sit with that. Uh for a week that horrible performance, and um, he ends up bouncing back, goes fo eight throws a touchdown, leads a team on three scoring drives totally thirteen points. Uh

a gorgeous touch pass on the touchdown. Matt Brita. Who I think he's gonna do a lot for them this year. But you know, I just think in general, um expectations have changed so much from August August around this team. This is a nice performance to remind you know, he's not gonna fall off the earth. Is he gonna be Tom Brady Part two? Maybe not? But I think the Ninders are still in a pretty good spot at quarterback

unless these these games don't matter at all. Being told, no, I mean I don't think that I took almost nothing away from any of these weekends. I think that's a good job. Upset about because no, I'm just I just it's like, why are we watching something regular season games without a quarterback that's different than Michael Gallup? But why aren't we getting I think certain individual performances and just

how but look healthwise? You know, And I think I get that I'm just a local quarterback or offensive play is is tough. I think in the preseason and I'll just throw one more quick one out there. Drew Brees looked just like Drew Brees and his one series against the Jets. Him and Michael Thomas. I think they're gonna go ham again. I think every ball is Michael Thomas's. He's gonna go get it. Yeah, He's He's a badass.

And I think the Saints, as much as there was reason for concern down the stretch, I'm now on the boat of you. Look up the stats, and Breeze will once again be breeze, and the and the bins are gonna be a briest thing I think has been weirdly

talked about. And I get I think Bill Barnold wrote a great piece in terms of like his potential decline, but I do wonder if he had the You know, sometimes we just overright the end of the season, because the last time we saw I thought Drew Brees had the best season of his career through thirteen weeks, and this is like an upper tier Hall of Famer. Through twelve weeks, I thought he was right there. I had him. I had an m v P watch and the QB Index.

I had him ahead of Patrick Mahomes through twelve weeks. So those twelve weeks count two. It was just last season, and so yeah, maybe it won't be that good, But don'tock like there wasn't legitimate concern he wasn't able to make throws he was making earlier in the year. Absolutely, But I just don't think that's like a final answer. It's a it's part of a larger texture that the twelve weeks counted. The first twelve weeks counted to. Everybody,

also have something real quick before we move on. I one thing were that Jets game and this is on this is a Reugh issue. Is there was uh Damario Davis hop scotched over like a Jets lineman and like tapped Sam Donald to the ground and he did a little stage role and they called it roughing the passer. Well, alright, okay, fair, they're fair enough to an Then later in the game, a defensive tackle comes out of nowhere and nails Donald on the run from behind and and like buries him

into the ground. No call, terrible call. It's just like I mean, the announcers pointing was like the New York announcers stand pointed this out. The Jets announcers pointed this out massively inconsistent real quick. On the Bengals, we have pointed to their problems drafting in the first round. The guy they drafted last year in the first round, Billy Price got beaten out for the starting center job by

Trey Hopkins, a journeyman. Well not to mention their first round that that is amazing, and their first round pick from three years ago now John Ross got beat out by undrafted free agent rookie Damian Willis, who is so under the radar and is now starting in the AJ green spot and it's looked great, Um that he was on the team that was featured in Last Chance. You you know, I'm a big fan and like people trying to say, like, oh, this is a you know what,

quite a success story. He was so under the radar. They never showed him in that season of Last Chance too. He was just like some guy in the background, and now he's starting in the NFL. About that, Oh yeah, by the way, I gotta take an l We had this a lot of people hitting on me up on Twitter. We me and west had Um had a friendly just

disagreement about Maurice Harris's potential production on the Patriots. He was wave injured over the U weekend and I'm taking a big fat ill, but I mean, in your defense, Josh Gordon kind of get let off the hook real quick and real easy. Though. I think West was kind of hitting on the Hey, buddy, you might be getting a little over excited about the first three days of NOD and padded practices. Uh. I think he had a

great he had a good point. I was a little over excited about the start of the season and more than I've watched him play. And you want your receivers to be able to make play. Um, all right, let's spin forward and uh yeah, everybody loves Succession. It's the show on HBO. By the way, the best theme song until one of the shows. You never fast forward the intrust. It's like great classical music meets hip hop. And now listen to the drum pard this best part anyway, love it.

It's a show about power, who has it, who wants it? Power that's real power, that's imagined. And let's talk about Succession. The plan in the a f C. Now that Andrew Luck has exited stage left, okay, Um, so let's go around the Let's go around the room here. Let me start. I'll start in the a f C South Okay, boys, And you know, the old Zooster loves the Texans like that's that's one of those things about the old Zouser. Everybody talks about that guy loves the Eastern Texas and

I kind of do. And but here's my point. So I thought the Texans are gonna win the division anyone when there's a lot of you're saying the old ducer, I thought it was really funny. I just imagine all the people just talking amongst themselves like I loves tex say hear what the old user said again, he loves dinner tables across the country discussing this anyway, I like the Texans chances to win the division again this year. And um, you know it, only my feelings are stronger.

Now here's my one thought. Now, Um, Michae Lombardi. Where is Lombardi? Now? He's always bouncing around? What what? Who does he work for? I'm not aware at the moment. Anybody don't know. Is it the Ringer? No, No, it's not. He's definitely regular for Brent Musburger's Vegas. Oh really, yes, I see him doing Yeah, anyway, Uh, Lombardi put it out there that Clowney a trade is imminent. It could

happen in forty eight hours. Well as of this taping, that hasn't happened, and I think we're pushing up against that hour barrier. My my point is, if you're the Texans and you were thinking about trading Clowney, halt, halt, Okay, keep the guy in the building unless you could spend Clowney for someone that helps your team right now, and that is perhaps offensive line help. But good luck finding

that at this stage of the game. Put your best team out there Week one, because the window just got opened up a little bit more for you to make a run. In twenty nineteen, Andrew Luck's not playing anymore. Someone's talking because I think our insiders have all but said they're they've been hearing similar things that this thing could happen any minute. Interestingly, Lombardi believed that they were looking for a wide receiver, which is just about the

last posits that blew my mind. Thought. Now I get it, like, you shouldn't be trading Clowney anything for a running back. It's like, no, you can figure out running back tackles A little different, Daniel Jeremie suggested Clowney for Tyreek Hill just threw it out. There is a floated it mm hmm.

I mean their own wide receivers are talking about how this wide receiver corps is so much deeper than it was last year, and like the fringe wide receivers probably don't have a chance to make it this year where they whereas they would have made it last year. Are they concerns about Fuller's knee or maybe something personal I

almost feel is popping up with Clowney and Texans. They don't have They've kept it under the radar, but there's been a couple of little articles where Clowney's work ethic was questioned and that set off some alarms for me. Isn't that magnified when you're when the coach becomes the front office person too? There's no back and forth on how to deal with that. Who else wants to throw something?

You know? The balance of power shifting in the a f C by the moment, Greg well, how about the six uh up the quarterback hierarchy of Jacoby Brissett of making a steak? And I know that's not the balance of power. I think the Colts. I'm going to pick them to win the division too. I don't feel like they're an overwhelming favorite because are in your feelings we are. I am a little bit kind of I want to Honestly,

I just watched Ballard. I wanted Ballard and right. I watched that and I was like, I like, I want to root for these guys, and I and I'm a big Jacoby Brissette fan, so why not? And I do think they have a lot of things on their in their organization and their depth. Start to like and I do like a guy in Jacoby Brissette is very close to luck having the chance to make whatever he's going to make out of his career. This is his chance.

This is his chance to climb the ladder. And whether his future is with with with the Cults or not, who knows, maybe Inela comes back someday or whatever. He's going to be a free agent after this year. This is a chance for him to kind of make his mark. And I wrote after his first season, I remember in the last you know QB Index round up of the year. You know, we'll see what happens with Prosett's career. But he's a guy that just looks like he's gonna be

in the league twelve to fourteen years. I just don't know if that's gonna be as like a meaningful starter or you know, as a as a backup fourth year. And I think he's just gonna be one of those guys. And now it's his chance to become like a you know, above average starter. I think you can do it. What worries me about the Texans, I would give slight advantage

to the Titans and Colts in this division. What worries me about the Texans is I can look at three or four areas of their team and say, among the worst in the NFL. The offensive line, the backfield, the secondary. These are all bad, bad positions for this team. And they play last year the easiest schedule in the league.

This year the hardest schedule in the league. Um but I I was starting to see the a f C as Chief Steelers Patriots Colts before the luck news, and now I see it as Chief Patriots Steelers, and then it doesn't really matter who wins the South quickly dispensed, Yes, that's what I see. I think they have I always give any I mean, I give they have a chance

to make the Super Bowl with Brissette. Why not? I mean, crazier things have happened super Bowl now, Nick Sure, Nick Fole, I mean Joe Flacco on a super Bowl, Nick Foles won a super Bowl. It's as they said, it's a team game. A lot of things are gonna have to come together as a team. I don't totally rule them out. And if you're talking narratives, I mean, how how sweet would it be for the Colts to go to like

Fox Borrow in the playoffs or whatever? From their vantage point? Hey, Josh McDaniels, thanks for turning us down, Thanks for sending us Jacoby Brissette, for Philip Dorsett, Thanks for beating our brains in for about a decade. We're gonna take your crown. Well, well let's see how that goes. I'm just saying that. Be uh from their visage pointing delightful. How have things change in the a f C? How have they changed? Tell tell me of your thoughts? Well, yeah, I kind

of just did that. I don't see the a f C South winner as a real rat wants to play start um and I still see just like we entered last year, Chief Steelers Patriots. Those were the three teams entering two thousand eighteen that we thought were the class of that conference. And I still think that's the case. How about you, Cela, I think if you look at the show in succession, you've got a lot of even though they're all in a family, a lot of these

people are very close allies. They're each islands psychological islands, trying to figure out where they stand as chess pieces, and they're all battling each other. So from the started with well, just because the way each of these teams like are so you know Belichick saying he doesn't see

anything beyond the complex. And if you're if you're one of these fringe e wild card teams, if you're the Bills, the Jets, the Broncos, even you, and you want to convince yourself that power has changed and there's a slot opening up or at least becoming the door is opening for you. This was a positive development in the terms of your chances this season. The one you know, these shows also always thrive and they're entertaining because there must

be the person in the midst who is the ultra stooge. Uh, you know, he thinks that he or she thinks that they're going to rise to power, but the viewer can tell that will not be the case. Yes, in this case, I think the Tom character in Succession is probably being sort of toyed with um and that to me would be the Bengals. And you know, I don't mean to always, but it is I feel like, well, you know what, I just feel like they are while all these other

you were talking about. Succession is about high octane power media conglomerates, while the Bengals are to me still very content to run a little mop and mom and pop corner store selling you know, Chinese noodles and four dollar wine, and they are perfectly content. I'll tell you why. Because we are talking about power, and we're talking about people that are striving for power and doing everything they can and stain up to date. And I see these other teams.

I see the Jets as a team that has advanced themselves massively from season to this. Secession has happening seasons the NFL happens in seasons the Jets are a totally different character. In season two. The Bengals have not changed at all. How many wins for the Bengals this year, Wait, six or seven. What's that's generous? I think that's a tough one six or seven in that but only because I don't think that's six has changed though since Andrew Luck retired. No, my point is that the stooge is

always the stooge. But you see why I'm surprised that Bengals are catching fire here? What is the four dollar noodle? The four dollar and they they're they're they're just paying rent, doing it a year ago and they'll just pay rent again. What I'm saying there are these fringe E A SC teams that changed and are evolving. But I'm just panting the camera over to the stooge that did not change the season one. But I was with you, it's not

my central point the first half year point. I was a cent and in in fact I was gonna mention it. Teams like the Jets, Bills, Broncos, Titans, Bengals, your Browns, perhaps whoever doesn't perhaps whoever doesn't win the division, uh and the see nor so it could be the Steelers of the Ravens. Right, I'm sorry the brown I have expressed my concerns, but uh, it's my feelings. There probably one playoff team coming out of the South now, whereas

I thought personally there would be two. So someone's going to benefit from that's call. And the a f C West has a very easy schedule on paper, partly because they get to play each other. When we're putting in our picks with our bosses, I'm putting in three from the North. I was doing that before. Now I had the Steelers, Ravens and Brown's all getting in, which happened what three years ago except it was the Bengals, and uh, I think luck being out makes that more likely. I

need to watch this Succession. You've got to get in, dude, you'd love Succession. I mean it's it's got Brian Cox in it, who is one of my favorite sort of like character actors. You will like this. I mean the scene he has an adaptation where he where he yells at the crowd when someone asks like, well what if what about a screenplay that reflects like real life a little more? And he and he just like goes off on the guy is one of my favorite scenes. I

love when when people act out scenes from movies. It's always it never fails. All right, before we say goodbye, there's someone else here. I believe there. He is the long time head honcho over on NFL Fantasy Way. Michael Fabiano uh is joining us. Uh, Mike, how are you? By the way, I'm good man, I'm feeling good. Feeling good both, uh, because fantasy football season is in full swing and our beloved Yankees just two took two or three from the Doyers. Yeah, we sent a little message

there and I was very I was there. I was in attendance of stress on little um NFL Must NFL Fantasy Live podcast. By the way, a live show at the yard House and Marina del Ray tonight at eight pm. So if you catch this and it happened to be in the area, go over there because that's your chance to get Michael Fabiano's autograph. I'm at Nobody wants that. How does it feel to be sitting in the Mark Sessler memorial chair where he was for the Fantasy Corner

a week ago? Is that right? Yeah? You wouldn't know that. What did you do to deserve that? It's sort of more closely what I didn't do. I think that's how I got there to begin with, um fabs. What's going on on the Fantasy Way? Because you know, I gotta I gotta keep it real here, so my league of record. We've run it through NFL dot com uh for several years, and people are always burying on me because like, oh, come on, why isn't your fantasy client better? Why isn't

the app better? Well, guess what things have changed, haven't that? Yeah? The app is all new. It's the best app we've had. Some people might say that's not saying much, but I can promise you right now the app is going to be one of, if not the best for fantasy football players in twenty nineteen and moving forward. There are some very cool features, some of which I can't even mention yet, but I can promise that people who are into, let's say, watching film will be very pleased it is. It is

going to be kick ass. Sign up now downloaded, check it out. It's going to be very personalized. You may even see my ugly mug on there from time to time, so that that actually might be a reason for people not to download it. So forget I just said that, but check it out. It's it's a huge improvement, and we've had a lot of great people who have worked very hard. I think that's a response to the fans. People are like, what do you want out of your

fantasy app? They're just like more head shots of fabs. That's that is untrue. That has true. That's been a prominent part of NFL dot com is fabs front and center. New headshot this year, same one. Have you been talking to Ben Liebenberg? Not? You know Benny Leaves, our director of photography. He's very big on head shot. Did you start with the NFL? I haven't. Oh man, this is actually my twentieth year in the industry, and this is you. This is my year with the NFL. Yeah, dude, it's

it's been. It's been a long fun ride. You know that yardhouse used to be my old stomping grounds. I used to live right across the street in temporary housing. Well, why's the heat and spurs playoff? That means that. That means that I'll see you and your lovely wife there later. I can't speak for her, but I'm gonna I'll be there. Hey, listen, I will say one thing because I don't get a chance to be on this podcast very often, and that that's not I'm not I'm not having I'm so proud

of you guys. For what you've done and what you've accomplished. I've rooted for all four you and I'm so just over the moon that you guys have become this big. You're kicking ass taking names. I love seeing you on TV. It makes me feel so good when people that I like, who are genuinely good, hard working people who know their stuff, succeed, And I couldn't be happier for you guys keeping up. You know, we thank you. We Mark and I both

started here in two thousand ten. You're literally you and maybe Rank are the only guys that we've been here the whole time with nice of you to say you've You've obviously done really well. I've I've seen you guys grow and develop and you know, become more than just writers. You're You're truly talent. And uh, every time I see anything about you guys on Twitter, um, I try to I try to retreat. I just I'm very I'm very

happy for you guys. I've gotten you a second appearance. Well, that was the whole point of that whole Diet tribe was to get on here again at some point before Super Bowl. All right, there you, Mike, thank you so much and yeah, Mikey, he's the big man at NFL Fantasy. He's got and also got that expert League one with Ricky Holliday Holiday. So so our our friend Erica here,

you know you um drafted Andrew Luck, didn't you? I did, And I have t Y Hilton too, so I gotta yeah, I'm not So I'm not in League one because I have two fifty other leagues and I'm like, I just can't do another one. But I drafted four Candice Patton, who plays the Flash and by the way, her team is the odds on favorite to win. I'll connecting a dang lose to a shadow fabs. That's an embarrassed one of that she picked. He picked for her, but she's gonna have to run the team or whatever. You can't.

You can't let expert come in there and win. Anyways, you two in the league that in twelve dollars will get you a beer in l a West. One of the dudes picked Albert Wilson in the fourth round, and so at this point I'm thinking, I'm thinking, oh man, this is this is this is gonna be fun. This is gonna be fun to do this draft. That guy like fall off a bird and I don't know, I don't even know who was the guy. Do you remember who it was? It was the comedian? Yeah, should we

like out him? Like you're not to tune in and find out Ricky Holiday. You can put the blame on me for Andrew Luck. Yeah, I appreciate that that was. And you have cream Hunt on your team too. Yeah, we can, we can, we can up maybe a good season for you. Yeah, all right? Rick Halliday taking a lot of Halliday get buried in a big spot. Michael Fabiano,

He's senior fantasy analysts NFL Media. Follow him at Michael Underscore Fabriano on Twitter and yes, if you are in the area, he'll be at the yard House at Marina del Rey tonight eight pm Live podcast, Thanks con by Mike. All right, let's get out of here. Ricky Holiday, hold back Wednesday, Stan handsOn signing about for a Quiet Storm, the Mailman, the Old Boss, Ricky Holiday and Michael Fabriano behind the glass to whims there e